Revelation Sermon - 5

Revelation: Under Pressure

Revelation 2:8-11

1. Introduction – so this is the 2nd of 7 letters to 7 different churches.

a. Each letter begins with “Write this letter to the angel of the church in________________.”

i. There have been many different suggestions as to what this phrase ‘to the angel of’ really means.

1. The word angel could mean a heavenly being or it could simply mean ‘messenger.

b. Jesus could be saying to John – write this letter to the messenger of Smyrna. Some think it might be referring to the pastor or leaders of the church.

i. But what is clear is that whenever the word ‘angel’ appears in the book of Revelation, it is always referring to a heavenly being.

1. On strictly grammatical grounds – I’m saying that the angel to the church of wherever is referring to an actual, literal heavenly being.

c. This really is a mystery to us. But what this seems to suggest is that God has assigned angels over churches, who, as far as I can tell, are responsible for making sure the message gets told.

i. And what is clear is that the message to the angel is actually a message through the angel to the church.

1. And the point seems to be to remind the churches that their primary existence is spiritual and that they have help ready for them in heaven.

2. Smyrna – The letter we are studying today was written to a suffering church in Smyrna. And again – as we saw last week, this letter is from Jesus and Jesus uses words that we studied in chapter 1.

a. To Smyrna, Jesus says he is the first and last, the one who was dead and is now alive.

i. A question to ask this morning is this – why did Jesus use these particular words to describe himself to the Christians in Smyrna?

1. Well, a little knowledge about the historical situation of Smyrna will help us understand why Jesus spoke to them in this way.

b. Smyrna, like Ephesus last week, was a port city, it was a bustling city.

i. In fact, it rivaled Ephesus as the best city in Asia minor. In fact, on their coins was stamped, “Smyrna, First city of Asia in size and beauty.”

1. First – the people of Smyrna loved that word.

c. Also, Jesus says he was dead and is now alive. This description depicts something from Smyrna’s history.

i. In 600 BC – Smyrna was completely destroyed by the king of Lydia. But in 334 Alexander the Great ordered the city rebuilt.

1. Smyrna, once lay in ruins, but was resurrected to be a thriving city once again.

a. By describing himself as the first and last, who was dead and now alive – Jesus is showing the Christians in Smyrna the scope of his power.

i. They loved the word “first.”

1. But Jesus says that whatever else happens in history, Jesus is there as the first word and he is there as the last word.

ii. And Jesus is here in the middle with the Word that gives us life.

1. Jesus told the Christians in Smyrna, and us today, that life is not bracketed by the rise and fall of nations or governments – but life is bracketed by his rule and reign. He is the First and the Last.

3. What’s happening in Smyrna? – What did Jesus, the first and last say to this church?

a. Jesus says, “I know…” Aren’t those comforting words? I know your suffering and poverty.

i. What kind of suffering were these Christians experiencing? Well – the word Jesus uses really means ‘pressure.” Jesus says to the people – I know the pressure you’re under.” I know the crushing pressure you’re experiencing.

b. Imagine that – the church had been feeling pressure form the outside world. They’re feeling pressure to compromise, pressure to denounce Jesus.

i. And then they gather together as a church family when they receive this newly written letter from John.

1. Maybe some of their friends or family members are in jail – maybe they are struggling to keep going.

a. And then a message from Jesus comes specifically to them. And Jesus says, “I know what you’re going through.” How comforting that must have been for them.

c. But what exactly were they going through? What kind of pressure were they experiencing?

i. The Christians in Smyrna were experiencing economic pressure.

1. Because Christians in Smyrna were devoted followers of Jesus – their businesses suffered.

a. Because they refused to worship Caesar as lord and god, they were ostracized from friends and from the trade guilds.

2. Often businesses were closed, and even their homes were ransacked, simply because they followed Jesus.

a. Jesus knows about their poverty because the Christians in Smyrna were finding it hard to make a living.

d. But the Christians in Smyrna were also facing political and religious pressure – and in the ancient world the two usually go hand in hand.

i. I have mentioned previously that in the Roman Empire Caesar was worshipped as god. Anyone who refused to worship him in this way was either beaten, thrown in jail or even killed.

1. However, there were exceptions to the rule. The Jews, because they were an ancient people with an ancient religion, were actually exempt from declaring Caesar as lord.

a. Theirs was a legal and recognized religion by the Roman Senate. But their exemption could be revoked any time.

e. And for the first few decades of its existence, Christians was also exempt from worshipping Caesar in this way.

i. The Romans simply thought that Christians were a Jewish sect – not a new religion altogether.

1. However, as time went on, the Jews got more and more possessive about their exemption and they didn’t want Christians benefitting from it.

a. So Jews were more than willing to rat out Christians to the Roman authorities.

i. That’s why Jesus speaks about the Jews blaspheming, slandering and opposing the Christians in Smyrna.

f. This shouldn’t surprise us because Jewish opposition to Christianity is quite common in the NT. In the Book of Acts, we see that the Jews were the primary opponents and caused many more problems than the Roman authorities, who were often reacting to Jewish complaints.

i. Here, Jesus uses the term “synagogue of Satan” and believe it or not, this isn’t the first time Jesus accused the Jews of doing Satan’s work.

1. In John 8, Jesus says to a group of Jewish religious leaders, “You claim to be children of Abraham, but really, you belong to your father… the devil.”

a. And the Jews in Smyrna – who slander and stand in opposition to God’s church have become one with Satan.

i. These people claimed to be a synagogue of God – but by colluding with Rome and ratting out Christians to the Romans, they become a synagogue of Satan.

g. The Christians in Smyrna were facing pressure – economic, political and religious pressure. The crushing weight of society was pressing hard ton these Christians to conform.

4. What does Jesus say? – So then what does Jesus have to say to this church?

a. I’ll tell you what I wish he had said. I wish Jesus had said, “I know your pressure and I’m going to lift it off of you. My disciples should not live with difficulty and danger.”

i. I wish Jesus had said, “Be faithful to me and I will protect and insulate you from this broken and depraved world.”

1. I wish Jesus had said that. But he didn’t.

b. Instead, Jesus says, “I know your pressure – and don’t be afraid of what will happen next.” “Be faithful – some of you will be thrown in jail and some of you may even be killed. But hang on to me.”

i. Jesus tells this suffering church in Smyrna that things are gong to get worse before they get better.

1. And as we explore why Jesus would say these words to this church, I’d like to point something out.

a. This letter to the church in Smyrna has no “I have this against you…” line.

c. Last week, we saw that the church in Ephesus was busy doing things for God, but Jesus had this against them – they lost their love.

i. But here in the letter to Smyrna, there is no corrective language or call to repentance. Why is that?

d. Because the church in Smyrna was doing everything right! They were passionately faithful to Jesus. They were sold out for God and as a result of that – they were coming under crushing pressure.

i. The lampstand of this church was burning brightly – and the darkness of the city could not tolerate it. And so, the church was feeling the pressure.

e. Sometimes pressure comes because we are making reckless, careless, wrong or ungodly decisions. But sometimes, pressure comes because we are making wise, right and godly choices.

i. This was the case in Smyrna.

f. Yes, they were facing economic, political and religious pressure, but they were feeling that pressure because of their devotion to Jesus.

i. Like Ephesus, the secular citizens of Smyrna were sold out to Rome – anything that made Rome great, the citizens of Smyrna loved.

1. Anything that took away from Rome’s glory, the citizens persecuted.

a. And so the Christians in Smyrna were facing the persecution because they were standing up for Jesus and his kingdom – and that threated the unity of the Empire.

g. The pressure these Christians were facing is experienced when the values of God’s kingdom come up against human beings who live in rebellion to God.

i. This pressure is experienced when idols are unmasked, when human pride is confronted and a call to repentance is extended.

1. The pressure this church was facing was because of the presence of Jesus in their lives.

a. That’s why when Jesus said, “I know your pressure” he did not go on to say, “and its wrong and I’m going to lift it.”

i. Because to know Jesus, to passionately follow Jesus in the world is to inevitably experience pressure from this world.

h. Now, understand this, the Christian life is a life of joy and a life of partaking in the grace and mercy of God – but as long as there is resistance to Jesus in the world – those who follow Jesus passionately will experience pressure.

i. Jesus couldn’t remove the pressure from this church because they were suffering because of his presence in their lives.

1. To lift the pressure would mean removing his presence form them. And he just won’t do that.

i. But he can sustain them through it. Jesus says, “Don’t be afraid.”

i. Don’t be afraid. Why? Because the persecution and pressure will only last for a time.

1. Don’t be afraid. Why? Because Jesus is the first and the last and life doesn’t revolve around governments but around Jesus.

a. Don’t be afraid, hold on to Jesus – even when facing death, and Jesus will give them the crown of life.

j. Later on, Jesus talks about the second death not harming the faithful ones.

i. What’s meant by this? John mentions the second death 3 times. Think of it this way – the first death, we all die. It’s a part of living. The second death is the final death, eternal expulsion from God’s presence.

1. Jesus doesn’t promise immunity form the first – but for the faithful, to those who do not succumb to the pressure, Jesus does promise immunity from the second.

k. We are all going to die the first death. The issue is the second death.

i. Those who remain loyal to God while on earth and unto the first death do not die the second.

1. Instead of dying the second death and entering a place of eternal conscious torment – those who remain faithful to God will enter into eternal life lived in the presence of God.

a. And if this is the reward, why then compromise and succumb to the pressure – even in the face of death?

5. For us today? – And the message to the church in Smyrna is absolutely relevant and applicable to us today.

a. Because, like our brothers and sisters in ancient Smyrna, we too are being pressed to compromise our beliefs.

i. We feel the pressure because of Jesus’ presence in our lives. The teenager feels pressure to compromise his or her beliefs and morals in order to fit in at school

1. The business person feels pressure to compromise or look the other way when unethical behaviour is happening the work place.

b. As a whole, Christians are being faced with pressure and we are being accused of being intolerant and unloving because we have the guts to stand up and call sin for what it is.

i. Like Christians in Smyrna, we face pressure from the world when are live sold out lives for God.

c. And presently, churches and other religious organizations face pressure from our federal government to compromise.

i. “Want money for your summer jobs? Tick the box that says you’re OK with abortion.” If you don’t know what I’m talking about, look it up.

1. That government even said, you don’t have to mean it, just tick the box so we’ll process your application. That’s immoral and really a violation of religious freedom.

d. That’s the pressure that many churches are facing – we need to money for our summer camp or summer ministries – do we just tick the box so we can get money? That’s the pressure to compromise.

i. But against that pressure we must stand strong and speak up against such lunacy.

1. And when we face that pressure – whether individually or corporately as a church – we need to hear and remind ourselves of Jesus’ words…

a. I know your suffering. I know the pressure you’re under.

i. History doesn’t revolve around governments, it revolves around me. Stay faithful to me. I was here before that government, I will be here after that government, and…maybe most encouraging of all…

1. We need to remind ourselves that Jesus is standing in the middle with his church. He knows what’s going on.

e. But also know that he cannot life the pressure we feel because of our work for him. His presence in your life is the reason for the pressure you face. To remove it he would also have remove himself – and that won’t happen.

i. I know. And do not be afraid. While he cannot lift it – he can sustain you through it. He can use it to prove and improve your faith. And he can use the pressure you are facing for your good and for His glory.

1. He did it for the church in Smyrna, and he will do it for us too – if we remain faithful to him.

6. Conclusion – next week, we’re going to be studying the letter to the church in Pergamum. Unlike the church in Smyrna, Pergamum was a compromising church – so read 2:12-17 and read for yourselves what Jesus said to this compromising church and we’ll study those words when we gather together again next week.