Churches in Danger

This is a special occasion. This is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Our participation in praying for persecuted Christians might be one of the most important things we do this year. That’s a bold claim. To back it up, I’d like to ask you to consider the two passages of scripture we’ve had read during this morning’s service.

Pastor Josh opened the service by reading what Christ had to say to the church in Smyrna in Revelation 2:8-11. Pastor Sheldon has just now read what Christ had to say to the Laodicean church in Revelation 3:14-22. There are lessons to be learned from each of these churches individually. But for today, let’s learn by comparing these two churches with each other. The contrast between them will give us lots of food for thought on this day of prayer for the persecuted church.

Smyrna: A Church in Danger (Revelation 2:8-11).

The first thing that is obvious as the Lord begins to address the believers in Smyrna is that they were facing an unpleasant situation.

“I know your tribulation and your poverty … and the slander...” (Rev. 2:9).

“…the devil is about to throw some of you into prison...” (Rev 2:10).

“…for ten days you will have tribulation...” (Rev. 2:10).

“…be faithful unto death…” (Rev. 2:10).

The church in Smyrna was a persecuted church. They faced hardship, financial distress, hateful speech, oppression by the Jewish community in their city, imprisonment, a period of unrelenting suffering, and the real possibility of being martyred because of their faith in Christ. I think you would agree with me that it sounds like a dangerous, difficult, trying situation.

When we talk about the persecuted church in 2020, we are talking about Christians experiencing the same circumstances as the church in Smyrna. Right now there are many places in the world where it is a dangerous thing to be associated with Jesus Christ; places where property is confiscated, the opportunity to work and earn a living might be taken away because of faith in Christ; places where a younng man or woman can be kidnapped, tortured, or murdered because they trust in Christ, and the authorities won’t even investigate. Our prayers today will be for people like that - people no different than us except that they live in a different part of the world.

In contrast to that let’s observe the circumstances of:

Laodicea: A Contented Church (Revelation 3:14-22).

The circumstances for the Christians in Laodicea were very different from the circumstances in Smyrna. The Lord, in addressing this congregation, reports the things they were saying about themselves:

“For you say, I am rich...” (Rev. 3:17).

“…you say … I have prospered...” (Rev. 3:17).

“…you say … I need nothing...” (Rev. 3:17).

Contentment marked the Laodicean church. As far as they were concerned everything was going well.

Pause for a moment and think of the contrast between Smyrna and Laodicea. The circumstances of their lives are as different as can be imagined. The tribulation and poverty in Smyrna stand in stark contrast to the prosperity and contenment in Laodicea.

Keep in mind that the differing circumstances of these two churches existed simultaneously. While the Christians in Smyrna were living in poverty, and being slandereed, imprisoned, and threatened with death for their faith, the Christians in Laodicea were enjoying comfortable, prosperous lives. And the reason for the difference was that they lived in different cities.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the same contrast exists within the church today. Life is very different for Christians in Australia, the U.S., and Canada than in Bangladesh, Yemen, and Nigeria. One of the benefits of the day of prayer for the persecuted church is for those of us living in a place where Christianity is comfortable to be aware of the reality of a different experience in other places.

But as we think about the difference between Smyrna and Laodicea this morning, let’s take note of the fact that outward appearances can be deceiving. There is another contrast to recognize:

Laodicea: A Church in Danger.

As much as their outward circumstances were positive, it is clear, looking at the letter to the Laodicean church that they were in real trouble. Their self-image was that everything was good. But notice what the Lord said to them as he gave his assessment:

“…because you are lukewarm… I will spit you out of my mouth.” (Rev. 3:16).

“…not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor blind, and naked.” (Rev. 3:17).

“…so be zealous and repent...” (Rev. 3:19).

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock...” (Rev. 3:20).

The picture we get from the Lord’s evaluation is of a deeply troubled church. So much so that he told them he wanted to spit them out of his mouth, and described himself as being completely outside. In other words, they had completely lost fellowship with him so that he had to stand at the door knocking as an appeal for them to allow him in.

The Laodicean church was a church in danger - not from worldly opponents, but from Christ himself. Hear him say to this group who profess to have faith in him, “I will spit you out of my mouth...” And that isn’t because he had it in for them. He said, “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline...” (Rev. 3:19). Because he loved them he confronted their spiritual apathy.

Let me suggest a name for what is described in this passage with a description of the real danger they faced:

Laodiceanism - A state of spiritual self-satisfaction based on favorable external circumstances that blinds those who experience it to their loss of intimate fellowship with Jesus Christ.

Isn’t that what Jesus told this congregation - that they had become so complacent because of their wealth and contentment that they had lost fellowship with him and were so far from satisfying him that he wanted to spit them out of his mouth?

Comfortable Christianity is fertile soil for Laodiceanism to grow. Absence of persecution doesn’t guarantee the kind of insensitivity to the Lord we see in this letter to the Laodicean church. But it is a temptation that must be guarded against.

Now that we can see that the contented church was actually in great danger spiritually, let’s see the contrast with the Smyrnan congregation:

Smyrna: A Remarkably Secure Church.

Just as the outward circumstances of the church in Laodicea didn’t give an accurate picture of the church’s true condition, so also the Smyrnan Christians’ suffering didn’t show their true condition.

“…(but you are rich)...” (Rev. 2:9).

How could Jesus say that to them? They lived in a setting in which they faced suffering, poverty, slander, oppression, imprisonment, and death for their faith. But the Lord tells them, “You are rich.” That’s not a cruel trick being played on them. Their wealth wasn’t measured in terms of money, land, and possessions. It was measured in the depth of their relationship with Christ. Thus, though they were in material poverty, in terms of what really matters they were wealthy.

It is a notable feature of the letter to the Smyrnans that it contains no call to repent. In 5 of the 7 letters to the churches in Revelation the Lord commands the church to repent. The only two churches that were not called to repent - Smyrna and Philadephia - were both facing overt persecution for their faith in Christ.

Christ’s commands to the Smyrnan church also reveal how solid this church was in relationship to the Lord: “Do not fear...” (Rev. 2:10) and “Be faithful...” (Rev. 2:10).

Isn’t ironic that, to the church in comfortable circumstances (Laodicea), the Lord’s basic message was, “You need some serious changes. You need to repent.” But to the church that was experiencing persecution he said, “You need to avoid changing. Stay just the way you are.”

Having compared and contrasted these two very different first century churches, we’re ready now to reflect on ourselves and our relationship to the persecuted church in the year 2020.

Emmanuel Baptist Church, Valleyview, AB: A ________ Church.

Which of the two churches we’ve studied this morning is this church most like? As far as our outward circumstances go, I think we have to categorize ourselves as more like the Laodicean church. We’re not being attacked, slandered, or imprisoned because of our faith in Christ. And we’re not getting death threats. Life as a follower of Jesus Christ in Valleyview, Alberta is pretty comfortable, even pleasant. We could probably say in all honesty, “We are rich, we have prospered, we need nothing,” just like the Laodiceans.

But that raises a big concern in my mind. The Laodicean church was the one Jesus wanted to spit out of his mouth. So, do we want to be like the Laodicean church?

It is important that we realize that merely having the same outward circumstances as the Laodicean church does not mean that we must share the spiritual compromises that they suffered from. Our comfortable, prosperous lives tempt us to Laodiceanism. But we do not have to give in to the temptation.

How do we avoid the loss of spiritual vitality that characterized the Laodicean church? Solidarity with suffering Christians is a safeguard against the kind of smug self-satisfaction that blinded them. They became self-satisfied because all they saw was their own pleasant situation.

As long as we think persecution is something that happens to someone else who we have no connection with we will tend towards Laodiceanism. But when we start to perceive “their persecution” as persecution against us, we are rescued from that sense that there is no reason for concern. I am suggesting that having a real, living union with those who are suffering persecution is to our benefit - that it is part of the Lord protecting us against spiritual complacency for us to be concerned for brothers and sisters in Christ who are having land and property confiscated and being kidnapped, tortured, and even murdered.

When the comfortable church prays for the persecuted church, the persecuted church benefits as God responds to the prayers of the comfortable church by strengthening the persecuted to endure the suffering of persecution. And when the comfortable church prays for the persecuted church, the comfortable church benefits by being rescued from the sense of entitlement that threatens the vitality of their spiritual lives.

In other words, the danger of persecution and the danger of spiritual complacency are overcome through prayer for the persecuted church. That’s why our participation in prayer for the persecuted church might be one of the most important things we do this year.

You may not have noticed it, but every week our bulletin has a section on praying for the persecuted church. As you leave you’ll find information for 3 different nations where believers are being persecuted. Before we end our service, Kate F is going to provide some more detailed information to guide us in praying for Christians in one country. My encouragement to you today is to take advantage of these and other resources to help you pray for persecuted Christians regularly and faithfully. Do it for their sake. Do it for your own sake. And do it for the Lord’s sake who has brought us into vital unity with our suffering brothers and sisters by his own suffering and death. Amen.