Trouble Comes Knocking, Revelation 2:8-11
Notes
Transcript
Jesus said: “In this world you will have trouble.”
The ministry “Open Doors” tells about Aasif in Afganistan. This happened in the last 4 years.
After becoming a Christian, Aasif* had a dream to return to his birthplace to share the gospel with others. He and his family went, and over two years more than 30 people gave their lives to Jesus through Aasif’s witness.
But his father grew suspicious. “Aasif’s father was a respected figure in the community and, when we returned home, he could see changes in his son’s behaviour,” says Shaziz*, Aasif’s wife. “The way he was living raised questions. He repeatedly asked Aasif why he no longer prayed or attended the mosque.
“His father started monitoring him for a month, trying to discover who he was meeting with and why his behaviour had changed. One night, when Aasif returned home from one of his groups, his father discovered that he had a book and took it from him. After reading it, he learnt that his son had become a Christian. That night he declared him an infidel and deserving of Islamic punishment.”
A month later, Aasif’s father decided to kill him. “One day, he suggested the two of them go swimming, but instead of spending time together, Aasif’s father drowned him in the water,” recalls Shaziz. “He returned home alone.”
Shaziz pressed his father-in-law over Aasif’s whereabouts, but he insisted the two of them never went swimming after all. The following day, Aasift’s body was discovered.
“I knew my father-in-law had killed my husband, but I was too afraid to share the story with anyone,” continues Shaziz. “I feared my father-in-law’s retribution; if I revealed the truth, I might be the next target.
“Forty days after his death, I decided to move back to where we used to live. We have three daughters and three sons. My father-in-law did not provide any support, and there was no one to help me take care of my children or provide for their basic needs. We are now living in a rented house.”
Despite the immense grief and financial struggles, Shazia has not given up hope. She wants to set up her own bakery so she can take care of her family.
Jesus said: in this world you will have trouble.
The church that we are studying today, Smyrna, had trouble. As we study their story we are going to see that Christians face suffering, But Christians can experience victory.
“To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.
Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.
Will you pray with me?
1. Christians Face Suffering
1. Christians Face Suffering
Jesus said that we would face suffering in this world. It is the truth. Smyrna faced it. We will face it.
We will face it in three areas.
A. Circumstances
A. Circumstances
We will face it in our circumstances.
“To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich!
Christians in Smyrna were not accepted in society. Yes, there were several that faced bodily persecution, but others faced economic persecution. They had barely enough money and supplies to get by. Poverty.
I think of one of the towns in Northeast Nebraska. It used to be if you were not part of a certain religious group you could not own a business on main street. It was not written as a town policy. But, if you tried to open a business, no one would frequent your establishment and you would have to close. I have a buddy who planting a church in NW Iowa. His town is the same way. He is one of the first business owners to actually make it in that town and not be part of the in-religious group.
Suffering in our circumstances.
B. Relationships
B. Relationships
We will also face suffering in our relationships.
I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
There was a large group of Jews in Smyrna. Followers of the one true God. They knew Scripture. They kept the law. But, instead of loving the followers of their Messiah, Jesus, these Jews cooked up false statements against the Christians, to get them in trouble.
These Jews were people who grew up with the Christians. In fact, they might have been related to them. And they went out of their way to make the lives of Christians miserable. Jesus declares their allegiance to Judaism a lie. He calls them a synagogue of Satan, because if they were actually Jews, they would follow him and love those who followed him.
We hear stories of those around the world who are facing this persecution by relatives and friends. Here in America, we don’t see it as much. But, we are starting to see forms of it as high schoolers take stands for purity and are ridiculed for it. As people take stands for the meaning of marriage as one man and one woman and are taken to court. As individuals want to prioritize church, but sports team punish the players for that priority.
Suffering in our circumstances. Suffering in our relationships.
C. Spiritual Warfare
C. Spiritual Warfare
We face suffering in spiritual warfare.
Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days.
As if our circumstances and our relationships aren’t enough, we have our enemy, prowling like a roaring lion, seeking to devour us.
Smyrna was not a Jewish city. Yes, they had a large group of Jews there. They were a Roman city. And they were proud of it. Smyrna actually erected a temple to the emperor so that they could worship him. And in AD 29, they won the emperor worship contest.
Isn’t that great? By worshiping the emperor and so many other false gods, they were worshiping Satan. And Satan and his demons willingly accepted their worship. All those who refused to worship him, were persecued.
Jesus said that the devil would put some of the Christians into prison.
We have stories of people from Smyrna suffering for the Gospel.
My hero is Polycarp, a disciple of John.
At approximately 86 years old, Polycarp was arrested by Roman authorities for refusing to renounce Christ. During his trial, he famously declared, "Eighty-six years I have served Him, and He has done me no wrong. How can I then blaspheme my King and Savior?". Once he declared that, they killed him.
We all face this spiritual warfare. Sometimes it is drastic, like Polycarp facing the flames.
Other times, its small, like a temptation in the quiet to deny our savior through our actions or even our thoughts. And we wrestle, and we suffering.
Jesus said that we would face suffering in this world.
2. Christians Experience Victory
2. Christians Experience Victory
But, he didn’t end there.
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
That is a comfort. We can experience victory.
A. Wealth
A. Wealth
Because even as we experience suffering in our circumstances, whether through poverty, hunger, homelessness, we still have wealth.
I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich!
This isn’t a health-wealth-prosperity. This is a promise from God that there are treasures greater than the treasures on this earth.
The treasures that are here will rot away.
Jesus said:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The church in Smyrna is one of two churches that Jesus had nothing bad to say of them. They knew where there hope was. They knew the treasure of knowing Jesus and being found in him without spot or wrinkle.
That is worth more than a bank account, or a nice car, or a big house, or any other thing that we might pursue. Wealth is found in our inheritance as sons and daughters of God.
When we grasp that, we can go through anything.
We experience victory through the wealth that we have in Jesus.
B. Courage
B. Courage
We experience victory through the courage that Jesus gives us.
Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.
What makes an 86 year old man look the Romans and their flaming pile of wood in the face, and resoundly refuse to denounce Christ.
It’s not through any great strength that he already had. No, it is through a life of faithful dependence on God, through Jesus.
As we pursue that relationships, realizing he is all we need, he gives us the courage that we do not have to face the sufferings of this life.
Jesus told his disciples
“When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”
Jesus gives courage to his own, to help us all the situations of life. We don’t have to be afraid. We don’t have to duck and hide. As God relayed through Isaiah:
So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
We experience victory through the courage that Jesus gives.
C. Faithfulness
C. Faithfulness
We experience victory through the faithfulness that Jesus gives.
Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.
Sometimes, many times, when we go through suffering, we feel like throwing in the towel. But, actually, suffering refines us. It is the Christian who does not go through suffering that so often throws in the towel.
I think about the underground church in China. I know someone who went for several summers as a missionary and was able to interact with that underground church. They were so impressed that we in American could attend church without fear of being thrown in prison. They said that everyone must go to church every week since they can. And when told that it isn’t the case, those persecuted Christians were shocked. They yearn to get together more and cannot. They know where the priority is.
And we, who are not suffering, have lost the priority so often in so many areas.
As one commentator writes:
“The very trials that afflicted them assured them of deliverance from any lack of fervency for the Lord and kept them from any impurity or compromise with evil. Such is the recompense for those who endure trials for Christ in this age. The purifying fires of affliction caused the lamp of testimony to burn all the more brilliantly.”
None of us wants persecution, but we should all want that faithfulness. Jesus promises that as we follow him as our treasure, not only will he give us courage but he will give us faithfulness, using everything to refine us and cause our flame to shine all that brighter.
We experience victory through the faithfulness that Jesus gives.
D. Resurrection
D. Resurrection
Finally, we experience victory through the resurrection that Jesus gives.
Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.
Life is there for the follower of Jesus Christ.
True life.
The sufferings of this world are momentary. Throughout this short message to Smyrna, Jesus continues to emphasize the shortness of their suffering: there will be an end.
He says that the persecution will only last 10 days. We don’t know what the significance of that is. Smyrna went through years of persecution. Everyone who tries to create some sort of metaphorical meaning to those ten days falls short. Smyrna knew though. They especially knew that the suffering would have an end. It would last forever.
Jesus says that he will give them life as a victor’s crown. Even the death wouldn’t last forever. The suffering had an end.
We can all be comforted with the fact that the sufferings of this present time do not continue forever, and the blessings that are ours in Christ through his salvation and his precious promises will go on through all eternity.
Resurrection is coming. And all the pain of this life will fade away. What a great and glorious day that will be.
And even as the people in Smyrna suffer, to the point of martyrdom, they knew the truth that Jesus says: The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.
Yes, they might experience terrible pain in this life.
Polycarp was burned alive.
Peter was crucified upside down.
John was boiled in oil.
We could keep going on and on:
Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.
On the one hand, we have the pain of suffering because we are follower of Jesus Christ. And on the other hand, we have the second death. Which is worse?
Our pain is temporary. Resurrection is eternal.
That’s what I want to live for. I will go through the pains of this life so that I can seize ahold of the life to come.
That is victory. The enemy tries to snuff us out. But he can’t because we will live forever.
The neat thing is: as we are living the victorious life of true wealth, godly courage, steady faithfulness, and hope for the resurrection, people notice. And, they want what we have.
Shani lived in the Middle East. Her husband was the leader of a house church and was arrested. Shani was afraid because she wasn’t strong. She was afraid what would happen if she was arrested and tortured.
The next morning, she was arrested by the police. For three nights, she was interrogated and God gave her strength and boldness that she could not understand. In fact, after every interrogation, when she was back in her cell, she decided that she would apologize and take back everything she said and say whatever they wanted her to say. But, then, God would give her strength and boldness again.
After the third interrogation, the interrogator came to her cell.
This is what Voice of the Martyrs writes:
Shani was terrified. Was he coming to beat her or even kill her because of her disrespect toward him?
“Don’t worry,” the interrogator said calmly. “I will not harm you. I want to ask you for a favor. Would you pray for me tonight?”
The interrogator entered Shani’s cell with tears in his eyes.
“Did you know that you are an angel of God?” he asked. “Did you know that God sent you here at this particular time in my life? The past three days I’ve been going through hell. How did you know that my life is so crazy, so messed up? I tried everything in my religion, and I could never seem to be happy. I learned today that the only savior is Jesus Christ. When you were talking in the interrogation room, that wasn’t really you. I saw myself in God’s presence. Please help me to be saved.”
The interrogator stayed in Shani’s jail cell for three hours, and before he left, he placed his trust in Christ. He then ordered the release of both Shani and her husband (on the secret condition that they agree to meet privately to disciple him), and he even gave them advice on how they could evangelize more safely.
Yes, we as Christians will face suffering. But, we experience victory. And that is worth all that we face.
