Smyrna
Notes
Transcript
Letter to Smyrna
Letter to Smyrna
Intro:
Hey ALL!
So we opened up a new series last week called letters.
We are reading from the book of Revelation.
It is a super fascinating book that is challenging to understand, but it is a good thing that we are all doing this together.
So lets recap:
The author is John:
The disciple of Jesus- Author of the book of John:
John was the disciple that Jesus loved:
He was exiled to the Island of Patmos:
Where he got this incredible vision from the Lord.
Jesus came to John and started to give him this vision— but First Jesus wanted to send letters to seven churches.
We started by discussing chapter one and talking about our 1st church: Ephesus.
And Ephesus— was doing a lot of really great things, but there was one compliant against them—
AND THAT WAS?
They had forgotten their first love:
That first love most likely referring to Jesus.
So tonight we are going to be looking at the second church
Smyrna:
Here is what Revelation 2:8-11 says
“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.
“ ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’
Now remember when John is writing to the churches here he is writing to the overseer of the churches here.
The overseer of the church of Smyrna, was Polycarp.
Have you guys heard of Polycarp?
He was an early church father who was eventually killed for his faith.
He spoke and wrote about lots of the fundamentals of Christianity.
Smyrna was a city that was beautiful!
It was a port city that went from sea-level up to a mountainous region.
Smyrna was a city that fell into decline and actually lost its status as a city being labeled as dead- before rising back to power in 290 BC.
They rose to power as one of the top cities in the Roman empire.
Now who is he writing to the Angel or messenger in Smyrna?
It is Jesus!
He says I am the first and the last, who died and came to life.
Jesus identifies himself as before time and will be in the end of time— the Alpha and the Omega!
Then this phrase “Who died and came to life.”
This would refers to Jesus who, is the first and last— but Jesus also came and lived and died and then rose again— in his resurrection.
Recall this is not just Jesus flexing his muscles but he is linking his resurrection to the church who was once dead but is now alive!
This was appropriate and just shows the level of the personal relationship has with his people.
This letter is a bit shorten then some of the others.
Yet, like last week lets chat about the good, the bad and the ugly
THE GOOD
“ ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
We talked about this last week, how Jesus knows us.
It is clear he knows these churches.
Here is what Jesus is opening up the letter to them, he is saying I know you are suffering—you are dealing with some crazy amount of tribulation.
And not only that, but even living in a great city such as Smyrna— you are struggling financially.
Jesus knows where they are at, yet he calls them rich.
And as John is writing, it would seem that Jesus is speaking a bit lightly about this, as he is not going into detail about their tribulation.
We understand this church was suffering and was poor.
It does not say the Christians here were in suffering but tribulation, meaning they were in intense suffering.
As in people were dying.
And the second half is not you are poor, but you are in poverty.
You are literally a class type— you are in extreme poverty.
You do not have the basics of life.
The situation seems anything but good, yet Jesus says to them, you are rich.
Revelation 2. To Smyrna (2:8–11)
Although sometimes difficult for humans to appreciate adequately, the Scriptures seem to make clear that for every injustice and evil suffered by believers on the earth, there is significant reward in heaven.
Then Jesus speaking about this slandering from people who say they are Jews, but they are not but they are part of Satan’s synagogue.
Well that makes total sense let’s move on!
Im totally kidding.
While John may not write about what issues were going on, We clearly see that the people who claimed they were jews were slandering them.
We must remember that the Jewish people are not very happy about this “the way” religion, as in Christianity.
The Jewish people were still in their synagogues sacrificing and living as if in their minds that Jesus never died.
To the jews even to this day, they do not believe that Jesus was the promised Messiah they are still waiting for the promise from God.
Paul tried to convince them but fail to do.
So these jewish people who were giving the Christians a hard time may have been jews inwardly but they were not behaving as such.
This is what caused Jesus to call them a synagogue of Satan.
They were saying awful things about the church.
Have you ever tired to do the right thing, and the people who you thought were on your side turned out to your biggest critiques.
Friends that you thought were close turned out to be monsters in the end.
Illustrate:
Application:
We know what it is liked to go though painful situations.
Suffer and feel that hurt.
And maybe some of you don’t know what that is like, as you have not really had a hard life, there is nothing wrong with that.
but know that eventually things will get hard.
James, 1 - 2 Peter, Jude & Revelation Commentary
The terms associated with this faithful church are not comfortable: suffering, poverty, being blasphemed by others, being afraid, prison, being put to the test, facing death. These are not terms or experiences that would induce people to sign on for the Christian pilgrimage. How often have we “domesticated” the gospel to make it palatable to those of our fallen Babylon world? Are we willing to be faithful citizens of God’s New Jerusalem no matter what the cost?
What are you willing to endure for the Gospel?
I told you this series is not going to be easy, it is going to make us look, at our lives with a microscope.
It is not easy nor fun as it requires us to be real about our faith.
Our faith that is smaller then a mustard seed, our faith that is being moved and put into other things besides that one who is always faithful.
While this situation may not seem very good, it is.
This church was suffering for the name of Jesus.
Jesus spoke over and over again about suffering for the sake of his name.
We know what we are signing up for, yet we get mad because we are suffering.
Well this does not make sense.
The disciples knew what they signed up for at the end of the life of Jesus.
They knew suffering was part of the gig.
We are very fortunate that we can meet here in this room, and talk openly about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit.
That we can open up his word and read it.
Because in other countries this is breaking the law punishable by death.
We are lucky to not be in these place, yet I believe that this makes our faith in God weak.
You see when you are faced with a life or death situation, you may be surprised by what you pick.
Let’s move on to the bad:
THE BAD
I want to be clear that the good, the bad and the ugly this week are referring to what is happening to the members of the church.
Because Jesus does not bring anything bad to this chruch.
There are actually two churches that Jesus does not bring something bad to them.
Or something they need to work on.
It is this church Smyrna and Philadelphia.
So let’s see the bad that is going to happen to the church here.
Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.
I think this is a great reminder to the chruch from Jesus, to not be afraid.
Do not give into the fear.
Suffering is coming be ready for it.
Jesus is like hey you are doing great, and you are going so great you should not fear, because just so you know suffering is coming your way.
What is the suffering?
Satan is throwing them into ail for ten days.
Why ten days?
It is the testing that was done for Daniel.
“Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king’s food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see.” So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king’s food.
Suffering is only for a limited time. It either end and those causing the pain do as well, or you die meaning that your suffering will be complete.
Jesus is right in line with saying to the church that by suffering you are going to be rewarded, with the crown of life.
And ten days points to the completion of their suffering.
In this case.
I do not think John is trying to give us a window into who or how we are going to suffer, but it is showing is that this real church was going to be suffering soon and they need to be ready for it.
These are real churches that John was writing to and I would say we need to be very careful that we do not refer to ourselves as one of these churches.
It is safe to say something like this church here reminds of the chruch of Smyrna.
Jesus is giving his church a very firm warning but he is telling them they can get though it.
Jesus is telling them to be strong- remain faithful, stand firm.
Even if it means death- stay firm.
Rewards are there for those who stand firm in their faith.
Stephanos means crown.
Revelation: An Introduction and Commentary b. To the Church of Smyrna (2:8–11)
The stephanos was the trophy awarded to the victor at the games, and the same word was used of the festive garland worn at banquets by all the guests. Here it is plainly the victory wreath, which would be specially appropriate in Smyrna, a city famous for its Games. The believer who remains faithful even when it means death will receive the trophy of victory. His crown is life.
Is suffering for the name of Jesus enough for you?
Is it worth it?
Illustration:
Application:
If right now, guards of the US government came in and took us all away for the next ten days to cause us a great deal of tribulation, suffering and some of us may die.
How would you respond--
Let me rephrase that, how would you respond honestly.
It is a tough question.
This was the reality for the church here in Smyrna.
Is the prize, the crown of life worth the suffering that you have to endure for the name of Jesus?
Sit on that one as we talk about the ugly:
THE UGLY
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’
Jesus is now rounding up the letter, and it says this at the end of most of his letters, saying— if you can hear this, respond accordingly.
If you conquer and you remain faithful you will not be hurt at the second death.
What is this second death?
John comes back to this later in the book of Revelation
Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.
What this is referring to is that when Jesus comes back he will establish his kingdom here on earth for 1000 years.
This is called the millennium.
At the second coming of Jesus if you are not already dead, then you will die a first death.
And if you are on the wrong side, as in if you are on satan’s team, then at the end of the 1000 years Satan will get out but he will remain captured quickly and thrown in the lake of fire as well as everyone whose name is not in the book of life.
This means that if you remain faithful to Christ, then you will not be cast into the lake of fire.
The New Bible Commentary 2:8–11 The Letter to the Church in Smyrna
The Smyrneans are reminded that to die through human wrath is small compared with suffering the judgment of God.
Illustrate:
Application:
This church took suffering in stride.
It is so easy to give in when things get hard.
Lots of times when separating good leaders or good athletes from the greats are what did they endure.
This church was not fearful of what was to come, they took it on, because they had not forgot their first love.
They were in a city known for the death of the city to only rise up and come alive.
And it is the believers who were once dead in their sins that rose up as alive in Christ.
It was Christ who was dead but is now alive.
This church was known by God.
God knows you and he knows what you are dealing with.
Are you enduring durning this season, or are you letting it get the best of you?
Are you being firm in what you believe or are you allowing others to tear you down?
Do not fear the suffering, for it is for the sake of the gospel that we are called to suffer.
are you able to suffer for the sake of Christ?
Let’s pray