Faithful Unto Death - Revelation 2:8-11
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 11 viewsNotes
Transcript
Handout
Good morning Harmony!
I really hope everyone had a decent week despite the wonky Missouri weather and despite losing an hour of sleep last night.
So last week we looked at the letter to the church at Ephesus and we talked about how that letter’s primary point was to understand that JESUS MERCIFULLY REVEALS HIS GLORY TO US TO SUMMON FORTH THE FIRST LOVE THAT HE REQUIRES. We talked about keeping Jesus as our first love, not letting things distract us from that love.
This week we’re going to look at what that love enables us to do, and we’re going to look a bit at persecution.
Now when someone uses that word, persecution, it means a lot of different things to different people.
Some believe that persecution is having people call us names or insult us in some way.
One of my favorite songs in my teenage years was Jesus Freak by DC Talk.
What will people think when they hear that I’m a Jesus freak
What will people do when they find that it’s true
I don’t really care if they label me a Jesus freak
There ain’t no disguisin’ the truth.
And a lot of that Album that that song came from had to do with some persecution of some sort or another, because in 1995 when that album came out that was the kind of persecution that was expected.
And here in the US really that is our perspective on persecution at this time - we have been blessed with freedom to worship God and praise Him for all that He has done for us, with some thinking and saying that we are weak, or ignorant, or brainwashed - freaks in a world of normal people. It’s an emotional and mental battle that many of us struggle with as friends and family become cold or indifferent to us, creating unseen wounds that can go straight to the heart.
In other areas of our world persecution comes with physical harm or torture, even death. In some countries even being caught participating in prayer is physically dangerous to the body, it’s not necessarily worse - for some it certainly is, but not for all. We see the wounds, it’s a far more visible persecution, but this doesn’t mean that it is completely worse.
Persecution in reality for the church is a mixture of both the mental persecution and the physical, that is what we are going to see in this letter to the church at Smyrna. And that persecution can, whether mental or physical, can ultimately lead to death.
Smyrna was a city located about 35 miles from Ephesus, and it was a beautiful and wealthy city in ancient Rome. A temple had been built there as tribute to the goddess of Rome around 195 BC and another temple was built to honor the Emperor Tiberius in 25 AD. Emperor worship was alive and well in Smyrna.
Its no wonder that Christians, who worshipped God alone, were persecuted here. Christians would not burn incense in these temples, they wouldn’t worship the ceasar, and for that they endured every type of persecution imaginable.
Photinus, the bishop of Lyons, was martyred in 170 A.D. Alongside him were many other Christians in the city. These Christians were accused of incest, more than likely due to calling one another brother and sister, and cannibalism, more than likely due to a misunderstanding of the Lord’s Supper. They were arrested, tortured, and then displayed for the public as entertainment. They were brought out in sets of two to be tortured and killed for a bloodthirsty crowd.
Greek historian of Christianity Eusebuis describes the events that took place for one young female believer:
Blandina was filled with such power that she was released and rescued from those who took turns in torturing her in every way from morning until evening, and they themselves confessed that they were beaten, for they had nothing left to do to her, and they marveled that she still remained alive, seeing that her whole body was broken and opened, and they testified that any one of these tortures was sufficient to destroy life, even when they had noot been magnified and multiplied. But the blessed woman, like a noble athlete, kept gaining in vigour in her confession, and found comfort and rest and freedom from pain from what was done to her by saying, “I am a Christian woman and nothing wicked happens among us.”
When she finally perished, Eusebius said she was:
Glad at her departure as though invited to a marriage feast rather tan cast to the beasts…and the heathen themselves confessed that never before among them had a woman suffered so much and so long.
Why? How? What made Blandina persist so, when simply surrendering to these earthly authorities would have saved her from all of this? What kept her faithful unto death?
80 years later, Polycarp was condemned as “the teacher of Asia, the father of the Christians, the destroyer of the gods.” That’s a pretty powerful title. As they are preparing to burn him at the stake, he was told to “Swear by the genius of Caesar and I will release you. Revile Christ!”
To which Polycarp replied “For eighty-six years I have served Him, and He has done me no wrong. How then can I blaspheme my King who saved me? I am a Christian!”
All he had to do was say some words, right? And from a worldly perspective, he was a fool. But was he really?
We need to understand what it is that keeps us faithful, this faithful, faithful unto death, so that we can live and die well ourselves with that same strength and perseverance.
And that is our main point today:
MAIN POINT:
IN ORDER FOR US TO BE FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH, THE KNOWLEDGE OF JESUS MUST BE BIGGER TO US THAN THE REALITY OF DEATH ITSELF.
Our fundamental knowledge of Jesus absolutely must be bigger to us than the reality of death itself in order for us to be that kind of faithful.
This week we’re looking at the letter to Smyrna, Revelation 2:8-11 -
“Write to the angel of the church in Smyrna: Thus says the First and the Last, the one who was dead and came to life:
I know your affliction and poverty, but you are rich. I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. Look, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will experience affliction for ten days. Be faithful to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.
“Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will never be harmed by the second death.
Now it may seem at first glance that the letter to Smyrna is about suffering and persecution and what the church is about to go through, but in reality it is a letter that is all about Jesus.
So with that in mind we’re going to look at this verse by verse and see how we can be faithful unto death through the knowledge of Jesus.
And so the first thing we see in verse one is that
1. JESUS IS BIGGER THAN DEATH. v. 8
And this is a huge thing that we have to understand. Verse 8 -
“Write to the angel of the church in Smyrna: Thus says the First and the Last, the one who was dead and came to life:
Thus says - now we see this in each of the seven letters, like we said last week, and it is followed by a description that we saw in chapter one, in this case its from verses 17 and 18 of chapter one -
When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man. He laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid. I am the First and the Last,
and the Living One. I was dead, but look—I am alive forever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and Hades.
I am the First and the Last…I was dead, but look I am alive forever.
Now we have to understand this fully - we have to wrap our head around this, and its not that easy. We may say it’s easy, but it really isn’t as simple as it sounds.
Think back to the first thing you remember. Jesus was before that. Now think back to the earliest thing in history that you can remember that occured. Jesus was before that. Jesus was before time and earth and heaven ever began.
And He’s the last - nothing will outlast Him. It’s equivalency to God in 1:8 the Alpha and Omega, and thus Jesus is proclaiming His divinity here.
It’s similar to the way we see God identify Himself in Isaiah multiple times -
Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I am the Lord, the first and with the last—I am he.”
So Jesus is God, He’s always been and always will be, and He dies. He’s before all and after all, and He dies - and He lives eternally. Being the First and Last makes Him God, and the death and resurrection shows that death has no power over Him. He is bigger than death itself, and when we realize that - when that is where our reality lies - then we start to get it. Then we can face whatever comes at us, because Jesus is bigger.
Then we face death knowing Jesus conquered death. Then we see those dangerous situations - the bump in the night, the raging sea, the battle in front of us - then we see that for what it is, and we face those situations remembering that Jesus triumphs. Jesus is the Good News we rely on, He is our hope and our salvation. That’s why Revelation is a blessing to the believer.
I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to guard what has been entrusted to me until that day.
The people this letter is written to know that he is faithful, and they are faithful to Him - you can’t do that if you don’t know Him.
He is able to save. He is mighty to save. Know Him, trust Him, and think or meditate on His power to save. He is our only hope to be delivered from the power of sin and death.
Hide that truth in your heart - Jesus is the First and Last, who died and came to life. He is bigger than death.
The next thing we see is that
2. JESUS KNOWS OUR SUFFERING. v. 9
We went over this a little bit last year when we went through Hebrews - He knows what we go through -
I know your affliction and poverty, but you are rich. I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
Think about it - what is more comforting than Jesus saying I know what you’re going through? The church of Smyrna was going through some nasty persecution, and Jesus says I know what is happening to you.
That affliction or persecution or tribulation chips away at us little by little, attempting to take away our joy and our hope, making it harder and harder to persevere, and notice Jesus doesn’t say buck up or its not that bad. He’s not saying if only you were stronger. He doesn’t give advice. He says I know, I understand, and He means it.
Jesus also says I know your poverty. This church was poor, minus the “r”. They were po. The affliction and persecution they were going through resulted in loss of job, loss of status in society. They were outcasts for the Gospel. Then He says but you are rich - its a paradox we see Paul express in 2 Corinthians -
as grieving, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet enriching many; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.
What Christ is saying here is that although they do not possess the wealth of this world, they possess wealth that is way more valuable. They possess real wealth.
I was listening to a podcast from Dr. David Jeremiah Friday and he was talking about end times and where the US is in the end times. But in this podcast he was talking about how blessed we are here in the US, how we have over 50% of the luxury items of the world here and so on, and it really got me to thinking - has this blessedness of the US reduced our sensitivity to the wealth of the Gospel?
Church we aren’t rich because of what we have in this world, and we aren’t poor because of what we don’t have in this world.
We are rich because we have Jesus. We possess the hope and promise that is the only thing that saves life for eternity. When Jesus comes our out of style clothes, our rusting cars, our 4 year old phones, our homes and appliances - it will all be worthless. Our treasure is stored up in heaven, and our treasure is found in Jesus.
The world tells us to store up wealth so you can have a great retirement - now I’m not saying don’t prepare for retirement, we should, but I can remember when I was getting ready to retire from the Navy and going through things with the financial planner folks they were kind of pushing for what kind of lifestyle do you want, what do you want to have home wise, all that kind of stuff. It’s what our world finds as important, right?
And it begs the question, how do we measure our financial status? How much emphasis do we put on our social-economic status? Are we looking for our joy in the nicest house or the fanciest car or the fastest computer, or are we storing up our treasure in heaven, where God has promised you the world?
So let no one boast in human leaders, for everything is yours—
whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come—everything is yours,
and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
Everything is yours, and you belong to Christ - That is a much better treasure!
The last part of verse 9 - I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan - The Romans had given the Jews a free pass from participating in Roman religious ceremonies, they didn’t have to participate in the idolatry.
Christians would not want to participate in these, obviously, and they were safe as long as they were under the Jewish umbrella so to speak.
The Jews knew this, so they would slander and call out to the Romans “hey, these guys aren’t Jewish”.
We see a bit of this in Acts 18 -
While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack against Paul and brought him to the tribunal.
“This man,” they said, “is persuading people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.”
As Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or of a serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to put up with you Jews.
But if these are questions about words, names, and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of such things.”
So he drove them from the tribunal.
And they all seized Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal, but none of these things mattered to Gallio.
Christians were protected from Roman law until the Jews were able to convince otherwise. This appears to be what is happening here in Smyrna - And Jesus denounces the “Jews” here because they weren’t serving God, they were persecuting His Church. Jesus calls them as they are. We see who they don’t belong to - Matthew 12:30
Anyone who is not with me is against me, and anyone who does not gather with me scatters.
and who they do belong to, John 8:44 -
You are of your father the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies.
The letter is encouraging to the believer, and again, if you aren’t in that relationship, then you’re against Him, you’re not one of His children - that treasure we speak of that is being stored up for eternity, you don’t have that if you’re not with Him.
Jesus is bigger than death, Jesus knows our suffering, and
3. JESUS CALLS US TO BE FAITHFUL. v. 10
He’s told them that He knows what they are going through and He tells them to stay faithful - Revelation 2:10 -
Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. Look, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will experience affliction for ten days. Be faithful to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.
Don’t be afraid. Don’t worry. Things are going to get bad.
Up to this poing Jesus has given them what they need to remain fearless. He told them who He was, reminded them what He did, and told them He knows about their affliction - He hasn’t forgotten about them.
Matthew 28:20, that last sentence, remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age - He is always with us.
We can have courage knowing that Jesus is with us, even in our most fearful struggles. No matter the affliction, no matter the problem, no matter what persecution we face for His name’s sake, Jesus is with us.
And Jesus identifies who the agressor ultimately is in this - look, the devil is about to throw some of you in prison.
There’s no question who is causing this affliction - it’s the devil.
And it’s to test them - Kind of resembles the book of Job. God is allowing and using Satan to accomplish His purpose. Now God’s purpose isn’t the suffering of these saints, don’t read something that isn’t there into this. This is God allowing this persecution that Satan is doing to prove the faithfulness of His people - they’re demonstrating the worth of God and in doing so making God look good, because it is only through God that they are preserved. Only God provides eternal life, and not even death can strip that from us. Jesus is bigger than death.
You will experience tribulation for ten days - scholars have differing opinions on this point, but all of my studying for today at least the scholars that I read agree that we aren’t talking ten 24 hour days. Some believe that it is a full but limited account, others believe it has to do with the number of rulers and the tribulation by them.
But don’t get lost in all of that, just know that Jesus knows how long it will last, and the use of ten here in contrast to later when we see the thousand years later on indicates that it should be a relatively short time in comparison.
Then Jesus says for us to be faithful to the point of death - this is one of those commands that only Jesus could make.
If I told you in my own name or in my own power to be faithful, it really isn’t worth a whole lot. I mean, if I said to be faithful to me unto death, you’d probably say I was nuts, right? Why? Because I am not God, I didn’t raise myself from the dead, I haven’t really given you any real reason to trust me in that, right?
Jesus is God though and He has proven His authority. Jesus has power over death, and He is worth dying for - and so He is worth living through persecution for.
We must be taken by something that is worth more than life to face that kind of persecution. That’s what Jesus is saying here - Jesus is better than life itself. That’s what we have to see in order to face what this world and the devil has for us. It’s the principle found in Mark 8:35 -
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me and the gospel will save it.
Jesus closes verse 10 with a promise - Be faithful to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. The only way to live is to die to self and sin. Then we’re dead to the things of this world and dead to fear of anything this world can do. Then we’re living in the power of the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus.
Jesus is bigger than death, He knows our suffering, He calls us to be faithful, and finally
4. JESUS PROMISES US LIFE. v. 11
In the close to the letter Jesus promises us life - there isn’t a challenge or any rebuke for this church -
“Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will never be harmed by the second death.
Same thing as we saw last week, ears to hear, listen, churches - it’s a letter again to every church meant to encourage the believers.
The close of this letter is The one who conquers will never be harmed by the second death - the one who remains faithful can’t be harmed by the second death. 20:14 tells us what that second death is:
Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
The only way to avoid the second death is to believe and trust Jesus and to live it, faithful unto death.
IN ORDER FOR US TO BE FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH, THE KNOWLEDGE OF JESUS MUST BE BIGGER TO US THAN THE REALITY OF DEATH ITSELF.
Consider the faithfulness of God as we close today found in the following verses:
God is faithful; you were called by him into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead.
Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. And may your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He who calls you is faithful; he will do it.
They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; for they did not love their lives to the point of death.
God gets the glory because He has convinced us that His love is better than life.
My lips will glorify you because your faithful love is better than life.
He is The One who satisfies our hearts so that we cannot deny Him - we want to be faithful to Him because He is faithful to us.
and God’s Word is true - we know Jesus, we know He’s bigger than death, bigger than life, and He gets the glory as we declare that it is better to die than to live without Him.
Our fundamental knowledge of Jesus Christ absolutely must be bigger to us than the reality of death itself in order for us to be that kind of faithful that lives for Jesus no matter the cost.
What made Blandina persist and endure through the persecution she went through? What gave Polycarp the strength to resist the freedom of this world?
They had the kind of faith that is bigger that any fear of death. They knew that this life is but a blip in the reality of eternity. They knew that all of the promises and all of the freedom that this world has to offer is worthless compared to the riches and glory of the Kingdom.
So when that time arises, when persecution comes our way, when we are dodging the bullets of the enemy, Jesus calls us to be faithful, because He is our hope - and that hope is bigger than death, stronger than any weapon, and the only hope that is able to save from persecution.