The Suffering Church(revelation 2:8-11)

INTRODUCTION

read revelation 2:8-11

One of the most asked questions about God is “Why does God allow people to suffer?

There have been times in my own life when I asked God why am I going through what I am going through.

I’ve had several near death experiences.

When I was younger we had a nice backyard which happened to have a lot of trees in the woods.

My neighbor liked to golf and do some archery with a bow and arrows in his yard.

I recall a time when one of the arrows made it’s way into my yard and right into my forehead.

I was rushed to the hospital and the doctor fixed me up. Afterward he said “Scott, someone was really watching out for you.

If that arrow would of been just a centermeter over it would of hit your brain and killed you instantly.”

Now i’ve also been involved in car accidents, asthma attacks when I was younger and more recently Covid.

The closest thing I could think of for suffering for my faith in Christ though was shortly after I became a believer,

I started reading my bible, praying and going to church. My family not being real religious started to notice that.

One time when I was reading the bible in my room my brother came in and told me that I was wasting my life and he ripped the bible from my hands and threw it across the room.

That has been the extent of my suffering for faith in Christ. Countless others have it so much worse.

In many countries it’s still illegal to even own a bible. People are killed for saying the name of Jesus and family members are tortured for merely having faith in Christ.

pastoral pause(for emphasis)

MODERN ACT OF MARTYDOM

Martyrdom is not just an ancient act. Many believers are still losing their lives for accepting Jesus Christ as Lord.

Mansuur Mohammed, a Somali aid worker, received Jesus Christ as his savior in 2006.

Militants from the al Shab group captured him in 2008 and paraded him before villagers, who had gathered at the command of the militant group.

The leaders began to recite from the Quran, accusing Mohammed of apostasy.

A witness said Mohammed remained composed, never uttering a word, as his captors yelled “Allahu akbar” (“God is great”) and then beheaded him.

Some say the video of his death is being circulated in an attempt to prevent Muslims from converting to Christianity.

We know that the enemy is still at work in the 21st century, adding to the countless numbers of men and women who have held steadfast to their faith while being put to death.

“Jesus Christ is Lord” has been uttered now for 2000 years, and the enemy is still trying to silence the voices of the faithful.

God is constantly looks for those who are willing to stand for Him, serve Him, and suffer for Him.

It is easy to accept the Lord, but is very difficult to follow Him fully.

Many will accept Christ as Savior, but not as Lord. When He is Lord He will have control over our lives.

The people of the church at Smyrna had made Jesus Lord over everything.

I. THE SUFFERING CHURCH—v. 8

A. SMYRNA and MYRRH

—v. 8.

The word Smyrna has a fascinating meaning to it in the Greek. The Greek word for it is myrrh which means to be bitter or strong.

Smyrna was about fifty miles northwest of Ephesus. This church was known for its endurance in serving the Lord.

The Bible records myrrh showing up three times in the life and death of Jesus Christ.

Matthew states that the Three Kings visited the child Jesus, bringing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Mark notes that when Jesus was dying on the cross, someone offered him wine mixed with myrrh to stop the pain, but he did not take it.

Finally, John says Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus brought a mixture of 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes to anoint Jesus' body, then wrapped it in linen cloths and laid in the tomb.

Myrrh, a fragrant gum resin, comes from a small bushy tree (Commiphora myrrha), cultivated in ancient times in the Arabian Peninsula.

The grower made a small cut in the bark, where the gum resin would leak out.

It was then collected and stored for about three months until it hardened into fragrant globules.

Myrrh was used raw or crushed and mixed with oil to make a perfume. It was also used as medicine to reduce swelling and stop pain.

Today myrrh is used in Chinese medicine for a variety of ailments. Likewise, doctors claim several health benefits associated with myrrh essential oil, including improved heart rate, stress levels, blood pressure, breathing, and immune function.

B. PASTOR POLYCARP AND HIS TESTIMONY

Tradition says that the early church father Polycarp was the Pastor of this Church At Smyrna.

and he is best known for his bold proclamation of faith in Christ at the time of his martyrdom.

In events leading up to his death he was warned by the Holy Spirit.

Tradition says that while Polycarp was praying, one night he recieved a vision three days before his death.

His pillow underneath his head burned and became as hot as fire.

Now in those days was birthed emporer worship and exclusive allengiance to govermental powers.

That meant, it’s okay to worship Jesus as long as you pledged your allegiance to rome and the emporer.

Everyone would come and offer burnt essence with mur to the emporor and acknowledge them as Lord.

In doing so they were presented with a certificate stating that they did so.

Refusing even to say the words “Caesar is Lord,” Polycarp went boldly to his death with the testimony,

“Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?

It is then that Polycarp was burned alive! But after an hour of him being in the flames and him not affected by the fire.

It is said that his enemies stabbed him to death with a sword.

C. THE CHARACTER OF POLYCARP AND THE CHURCH OF SMYRNA

This church was known for its suffering. in the midst of suffering for the Lord.

Many serve the Lord when all is well, but when suffering and persecution come, they leave Him.

This is the way it was for many who followed Jesus during His life on earth (John 6:66–68).

D. THE CHRIST

1. Jesus said He is the first and the last

2. Jesus said He was dead and now is alive!

a. The Risen Christ is one who has experiencied the worst that life can do to him

b. The Risen Christ has conquered the worst that life can do.

c. The Risen Christ is a reminder that regardless of whatever happens in this life, that we have hope!

II. THE CONFLICTS OF THE CHURCH—v. 9

A. Problem. “I know thy works and tribulation.”

1. God not only knows the suffering we bear for Him; He keeps a record.

2. He understands the pain and suffering we are going through and he see’s you.

B. Poverty. “And poverty.” The church was known to be in a state of poverty.

1. Many of them were refused work just because they were a Christian.

2. Many of them would have there homes wrecked and broken into because of their faith in Christ.

3. We may be poor in the goods of this world, yet rich in heavenly things.

4. Yet the city of Smyrna was not a poor city by any means.

a. Smyrna was said to be a rich and beautiful city. It even had this one street that was paved with Gold.

b. It was where many of the attractions were.

It was were temple of zeus was located,

sporting events were had,

a massive theater and Iibrary.

c. It had nearly everything there.

d. Yet the people being so rich missed the greatest treasure of all and that was knowing Christ!

C. People. “And I know the slander of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.”

The Jews were well know for being against Christians and “The Way” of Christ.

The Christians caused them a lot of grief

They lost followers because of them

They lost power and authority because people were questioning their ways and methods now.

The Jews slandered against the Christians causing them emotional suffering

There were several things the Jews spoke against the Christians about. William Barclay notes a few of them as...

On the basis of the words of the sacrament—this is my body, and this is my blood—the story went about that the Christians were cannibals.

Because the Christians called their common meal the Agape, the Love Feast, it was said that their gatherings were orgies of lust

Because Christianity did, in fact, often split families, when some members became Christians and some did not, the Christians were accused of ‘tampering with family relationships’.

d. The Christians were accused of being politically disloyal because they would not say: ‘Caesar is Lord.’

and there were many more slanderous comments from the jews against the the Christians

It is not easy to stand for right when many oppose you. However, when you do stand for the truth, you do not stand alone—Jesus stands with you.

III. THE CHARGE TO THE CHURCH—v. 10

A. Fearless. “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer.” God gives no promises of escaping suffering but he promises to be with us in suffering.

B. Faith. “Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days.”

1. here is an allusion to the story of Daniel here with several similarities.

2. Daniel and his friends were tested for 10 days when he committed to not defiling himself with the kings food.

3. Later, the Chaldean’s “maliciously accused” Daniel for not worshipping the image of gold Nebuchadnezzar had made.

4. They said to the king Dan 3:12 “These men, O King pay no attention to you, they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image you have set up”. 

5. They are then thrown into the fiery furnace, they remain faithful up to death, and are delivered by God. 

6. Jesus inspires Smyrna, and draws us to be reminded and strengthen by the faith of past saints and the faithfulness of God.

7. We may have sufferings, but the Lord will care for us. He may not remove the trouble, but He will be with us in it.

C. Faithfulness. “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life.”

Crowns that the Christian can where is repeatedly mentioned in scripture.

The Crown of life is mentioned here in revelation but it’s also mentioned in James 1:12 as the “Crown of Life”.

The city of Smyrna was actually knicknamed the “Crown City or the “Crown of Asia” because it was surrounded by hills that represented a crown in it’s shape.

IV. THE CONTINUED FAITHFULNESS OF THE CHURCH—v. 11

A. Listening.

“Let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” In simple words—“pay attention.” We must not only hear, but obey what we hear.

B. Life.

“He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.”

The second death he is speaking of here is hell.

That those who overcome the test and trials of life will be crowned and adorned with eternal life instead of eternal damnation.

Suffering for the Lord is a ministry. Though it is sometimes hard to accept, we know that God has a plan and purpose in all things (Rom. 8:28).

APPLICATION

The first question I asked today was “Why does God allow suffering”?

Why would God allow this church at smyra to endure crushing blow after crushing blow?

Why would God allow Polycarp to endure everything he experienced?

Why does God allow you to suffer what you go through?

God allows suffering because it produces something in us that we can get no other way.

The pressures of life crushes us so that the oil and wine can be produced through that process

I believe Jesus examplified that through what He suffered.

Hebrews 5:8–9 (NASB95)

8Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.

9And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,

300 Illustrations for Preachers

“Somalia: Christian Aid Workers Beheaded for Converting from Islam,” http://www.christianpersecution.info/news/somalia-christian-aid-workers-beheaded-for-converting-from-islam-16822/.

itmonline.org and The Bible Almanac, edited by J.I. Packer, Merrill C. Tenney, and William White Jr.

William Barclay, The Revelation of John, 3rd ed. fully rev. and updated, vol. 1, The New Daily Study Bible (Louisville, KY; London: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004), 90.