The Persecuted Church

Things to Come - Revelation Series  •  Sermon  •  Submitted
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Revelation 2:8–11 NKJV
8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, ‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life: 9 “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” ’
Our Series takes us to the second of the seven churches in Asia, the church at Smyrna.
I’d like to share a piece of history with you that involves the burning of this great city in 1922 by Turkish forces. It is a part of the history of the great Armenian Genocide.
One author has described the event this way: “What happened over the two weeks that followed must surely rank as one of the most compelling human dramas of the twentieth century. Innocent civilians—men, women, and children from scores of different nationalities—were caught up in a humanitarian disaster on a scale that the world had never before seen.” The Armenians and the Greeks of Smyrna were systematically robbed, murdered, and abducted.
According to the account of Edward Bierstadt—secretary for Near East Relief at the time—around 100,000 people fell victim to the slaughter, and 160,000 were driven away to the farthest parts of Turkey. More than 50,000 houses, 24 churches, and 28 schools, banks, consulates, and hospitals were burned. Turkish soldiers deliberately led the fire down the Greek and European sections of Smyrna by soaking the streets with petroleum or other highly flammable matter.
The people were massed along the quay, and with the fire and intense heat behind them; they had nowhere to go but jump into the Mediterranean. There were ships from several countries just outside the harbor, but most had orders not to intervene. Greek ships took refugees to the island of Mytilene and elsewhere, and a Japanese ship was noteworthy for joining the effort from the start, rescuing survivors from the sea.
But why was this done?
To a certain extent it was to punish the Greeks for the Greco-Turkish War, even though the Smyrniotes were Ottoman citizens. But Smyrna was also a symbol of Christian prosperity, a major center of European trade, and an example of peaceful coexistence between Christians and Muslims—all things the new Turkish nationalist movement was vehemently against. Ataturk even declared that neither American colleges nor any Christian institutions would operate in Smyrna in future. He wanted to build a new “Turkey for the Turks” out of the ashes of the Ottoman Empire.
My intention today is to challenge you in your faith.
To cause to rise to the surface, in your soul, a real desire and deep affection for Christ and His church.
To cause you to ask yourself, What is the substance of your faith?

I. The importance of the church.

A. They were a gathered church
I have seen quite a few social media postings from well intentioned people about what the church is and is not.
Many of these are theologically unsound.
Some have even suggested that the church would never have to meet in a building again if need be.
That is false. Because if it doesn’t gather, it is not a church!
EKKLESIA is used 115 times in the N.T. and with the exception of possibly two times, it is always a visible gathered group of people. An example of which is found in
Acts 19:41 NKJV
41 And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.
And so...
B. Christ made the church a priority
Hebrews 10:24–25 NKJV
24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Acts 2:42 NKJV
42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Let me ask you a question.
Do you think that God did not foresee the corona virus? He certainly did!
His command to His church, is gather!
Now, we are intelligent enough to know that because of a high priority health crisis, we see the necessity to temporarily disband, but only temporarily.
This Smyrna church was not dealing with Corona virus, they were dealing with the very extreme satanic persecutions that were about to end many of their lives.
The odds were stacked against them.
And where were they?
Hiding in fear?
No, they were Gathered! Like sitting ducks, like the underground church does.
Why would they do this?
Let’s look at the next point:

II. The importance of discernment.

They considered obedience to Christ greater than their very lives.
This is perfectly captured in the martyrdom of Polycarp Bishop of Smyrna and believed to have been personally discipled by John himself.
131 Christians Everyone Should Know Uneducated but Direct

It is not clear exactly why he was suddenly, at age 86, subject to arrest, but when he heard Roman officials were intent on arresting him, he decided to wait for them at home. Panic-stricken friends pleaded with him to flee, so to calm them, he finally agreed to withdraw to a small estate outside of town. But while in prayer there, he received some sort of vision. Whatever he saw or heard, we don’t know. He simply reported to his friends that he now understood, “I must be burned alive.”

Roman soldiers eventually discovered Polycarp’s whereabouts and came to his door. When his friends urged him to run, Polycarp replied, “God’s will be done,” and he let the soldiers in.

He was escorted to the local proconsul, Statius Quadratus, who interrogated him in front of a crowd of curious onlookers. Polycarp seemed unfazed by the interrogation; he carried on a witty dialogue with Quadratus until Quadratus lost his temper and threatened Polycarp: he’d be thrown to wild beasts, he’d be burned at the stake, and so on. Polycarp just told Quadratus that while the proconsul’s fire lasts but a little while, the fires of judgment (“reserved for the ungodly,” he slyly added) cannot be quenched. Polycarp concluded, “But why do you delay? Come, do what you will.”

Soldiers then grabbed him to nail him to a stake, but Polycarp stopped them: “Leave me as I am. For he who grants me to endure the fire will enable me also to remain on the pyre unmoved, without the security you desire from nails.” He prayed aloud, the fire was lit, and his flesh was consumed. The chronicler of this martyrdom said it was “not as burning flesh but as bread baking or as gold and silver refined in a furnace.”

It is equally as important today that we discern properly and follow our Lord wherever He may lead us.
The problem is that our churches are full of weak and cowardly Christians!
Jesus told this church what they were going to face (torture), and then tells them to be faithful until death!
But why would they do that?
Because they discerned that dying for Christ is worth it all, and the reward was the “crown of life”.
James 1:12 NKJV
12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
They were able to see it and so they lived it out!

III. The importance of faithfulness.

A. They did not live in fear
There is much fear currently. But God never intended for us to live in that fear.
And what is it that we fear?
Death?
We are all going to die
We are not in control of when or how
Death is not the end but the beginning
B. They continued in the face of death
When I look at Christians in the midst of this testing we are experiencing, I see many who do not seem to have any real spiritual strength.
They talk about the higher call of consideration for others, but use this as a means of spiritual laziness.
For example:
If you can go to work for a number of hours a day wearing PPE and practicing social distancing, or to the market, or any other public place, why can you not gather together with the body of Christ for one hour with the same safety precautions in place?
If you say that you have to draw the line somewhere, then I say to you, why does it have to be the church that suffers?
Are you not making excuses.
If you need to stay away from everyone for health reasons you don’t need to feel guilty. You do what you have to do.
It’s a matter of personal conviction.
Don’t let it ever be said that I pressured or guilted anyone in this matter!
I am only the messenger of God, to tell you what His word says. You have to make the decision.
But, when I see Christians using this crisis to not gather, you ain’t foolin anyone, especially the Lord who sees all!
C. They overcame
Revelation 2:11 NKJV
11 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” ’
Again as with the church in Ephesus, “he who overcomes...”.
1 John 5:4–5 NKJV
4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
The reward is obvious, everlasting life and exoneration from the second death that will be experienced by all not in Christ and metered out at the Great White Thrown Judgement. Rev 20.
As we see from this passage today, we are not to desire what was or could be, but to be faithful to the call of the Master, wherever that may bring us. And that we do it as one body in Christ.
So I ask you again as I did at the beginning:
What is the substance of your faith?
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