Smyrna: The Church Under Fire, Revelation 2:8-11

Smyrna:  The Church Under Fire

Revelation 2:8-11

 

We continue this morning on our tour of the 7 churches in Revelation.  This morning we are leaving Ephesus and heading north about 25 miles to a city called Smyrna.  While Ephesus was considered the political and economic powerhouse in the region, Smyrna was considered to be unmatched in its beauty.  However, while the city was pleasing to look at, we come to the only thing in that city the Lord found pleasure in:  the believers.  They were in hot water for their faith, and they were faithful.  So, today as we drive through Smyrna we are going to see a persecuted Church – a church under fire.

 

And Jesus knew their persecutions - He said to them in Revelation 2:9, “I know your affliction…”  The word for affliction means “pressure”.  The church at Smyrna was under intense and hostile pressure specifically because of their faith in Jesus Christ.  It is common in the NT and in church history that when the Church is persecuted the result is that the Church is strongest and most pure during those times. 

 

And when we look at Smyrna we see a church whose faithfulness was a sweet aroma to the Lord.  As a matter of fact the Greek word for Smyrna refers to a perfume that was given as gifts and used on the dead for burial customs.  The substance used to make the perfume came from a plant that when it was crushed it gave off a sweet perfume.  How fitting for a church that was being crushed, and while being crushed gave off a sweet fragrance to the Lord. 

 

Why was the Church at Smyrna suffering?  John MacArthur points out 3 reasons.  First, the Christians refused to worship the Emperor.  The city of Smyrna was famous for its cult of emperor worship.  They offered sacrifices to the emperor in the temple built for the emperor.  And because the Christians would not offer those sacrifices they were seen as rebels.

 

Secondly, the believers in Smyrna suffered because they did not participate in the socio-religious pagan activities going on in Smyrna.  A lot of the social life of Smyrna revolved around pagan worship.  But because the Christians wouldn’t participate they were seen as antisocial.  Ironically, because the city worshipped all kinds of gods and the Christians wouldn’t worship those gods the Christians were called atheists.

 

Lastly, the suffering of the Christians at Smyrna came about because of the Jews in that city.  We will look at this a little more a little later.

 

With this pressure they faced the words coming to them from their Savior would be a much needed encouragement.  Let’s look at 3 parts of this message:  The Great Savior, the Great Onslaught, and the Great Hope.

 

#1:  The Great Savior (v8)

            Smyrna was under fire.  When you realize this was a church under intense persecution for their faith, then you realize that the way Jesus introduces Himself to them in verse 8 is not random, “These are the words of Him who is the First and the Last, who died and rose to life again.”  How pertinent for people facing death to hear from the One who conquered death.  They would have understood what Jesus was saying.  There is no suffering they will undergo that He will not conquer.  It’s like Jesus could have said, “Will they put you to death?  I will bring you back to life.  After all they put me to death and yet I have risen!”  Jesus wanted them to be reassured that there was nothing their enemies could do to them that He did not have power over.

 

            There is a particular kind of fellowship with Christ that happens in the middle of suffering.  Suffering is a special doorway into a certain kind of closeness with Christ that you cannot have any other way.  Perhaps that is why Paul welcomed suffering for Christ’s name, for in Philippians 3:10 he said, “I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death.”  Suffering for Christ was a certain badge of honor.  Philippians 1:29 says, “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for Him”.  When Peter and John were severely whipped because of their preaching it says in Acts 5:41, “The apostles left the Sanhedrin rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.”  Suffering because of Christ is not something any of us should ever be surprised at.  Jesus said in John 15:20, “If they persecuted me they will persecute you also.” 

 

Peter remembered those words and 30 years later said something similar.  Turn to 1 Pet 4:12-16

 

            Application:  Do we know our Lord is greater than what we are going through?  The key to not being overwhelmed by our trials is to be overwhelmed by the greatness of Jesus Christ.  And on the day you are called to make a stand for Christ and suffer for His name, then do so knowing that He is ever near you, and that He will honor you when you suffer disgrace for Him.

 

#2:  The Great Onslaught (v9-10)

            Secondly we see the great onslaught.  Notice the onslaught of suffering this church is facing in verses 9-10 with me, [Read]. 

 

Jesus said in John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble.”  Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:12, “In fact everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”  The Church at Smyrna was a church that knew full well what these words meant.  Let’s notice 4 ways they suffered in these verses.

 

            First, they suffered poverty.  Jesus says in verse 9, “I know your afflictions and your poverty…”    The original Greek word for poverty here is a word that describes “beggars, who live not by their own labor but by the alms of others”.  This describes an extreme financial hardship.  They were past the “more month than money left” scenario.  For them it was a “more day than bread left.”  When it came to earthly possessions and material wealth they had none.  No doubt many were suffering poverty because of their faith.  Hebrews 10:34 says, “You…joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.”  Later on in Reveletion 13 we see that you cannot buy or sell unless you have the mark of the beast.  Financial persecution is not uncommon against Christians.  Even today people are losing jobs because of their stance for Jesus Christ.  Chic-fil-A had a huge lashback for their stance on marriage.  Atlanta’s Fire and Rescue Chief Kelvin Cochran was fired recently for his stance on marriage. 

 

            Notice 2 things at this point.  First, Jesus doesn’t do anything about their poverty.  He doesn’t promise them if they plant a “seed” that they will get rich.  He doesn’t tell them they are poor because of their lack of faith.  The prosperity Gospel is a false Gospel and the preachers you see on TV are false preachers.  They don’t preach for Christ.

 

But notice secondly the very peculiar statement Jesus makes to them:  They are rich!  I know your poverty, but you are rich!  What they were on earth they were not in heaven.  From His place in heaven Jesus could see their incredible heavenly wealth and He was telling them they were loaded.  Ephesians 1:3 says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”  Contrast this with the Laodicean church in 3:17 who were the opposite:  they were rich on earth but poor in heaven.  Jesus says to them, “You say “I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing”  But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.”  What does wealth before the world matter if we are poor before the Lord?

 

It reminds us that we are not to hope for riches in this world, but, hope for the riches of heaven.  Read 1 Timothy 6…

 

Second, they suffered slander.  They not only suffered poverty, they suffered slander.  The Greek word for slander here is “blasphemia”, and it is usually translated as blasphemy.  These believers were suffering blasphemy.  It is interesting that Jesus uses the word blasphemy here.  Blasphemy is used to describe sinful speech against God.  But here Jesus says people were committing blasphemy in the way they spoke of Christians.  You know what I make of this?  Whenever a Christian is spoken of in an unjust and evil way because of the name of Christ, it is an offense not only to that Christian but also to Jesus Christ.  In other words if you speak evil against Christians you speak evil against Jesus Christ.  Application:  When people speak evil of you because of Christ take comfort that Christ goes through that suffering with you.

 

What sorts of evil were people saying?  Christians were said to be cannibals because of a twisted understanding of the Lord’s Supper.  They were said to be immoral because of a perversion of the “holy kiss” Christians gave one another.  They were accused of breaking up homes as conflict often arose when one spouse became a Christian and the other did not.  They were accused of being atheists because they did not worship the idols in the city and instead worshipped an invisible God.  And they were accused of political disloyalty because of their refusal to worship the emperor as a god. 

 

Application:  The persecution that people inflict on Christians usually is based on some twisted understanding of what Christians believe.  Don’t be surprised when people accuse you of believing things you don’t actually believe.  First Peter 2:19 says, “For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God.”

 

Who said these things?  This is important to understand.  Jesus says, “I know the slander of those who say they are Jews but are  not, but rather are a synagogue of Satan.”  These are not Gentiles pretending to be Jews.  Jesus is talking about Jewish people who are very religious but reject Jesus Christ.  In John 8:42 Jesus said to the crowd of hostile Jews who didn’t believe in Him, “If God were your father you would love me, for I came from God and now am here.  But you are unable to hear what I say because you belong to your father, the devil.”  They didn’t belong to God they belonged to the Devil.  And so did the Jews in Smyrna who persecuted the Christians.  They were very religious but they rejected Jesus Christ.  Paul said in Romans 2:28, “A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly…No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly.”  In other words, it isn’t the outward religion or being born into a religious family that makes someone a true Jew.  It is the inner man, who loves God and loves His commands, and loves God’s Son who is a true Jew.

 

Application:  Don’t let religion become a veneer for unbelief.  Don’t let your religious identity become a mask for what is actually a dead soul.  For us as a church we should aim that we never become a church of satan, who only has the right words and activities but has no true heart for Christ.

 

 

Third, they suffered imprisonment.  We see in Smyrna their possessions suffered, their reputation suffered, and now their freedom suffered.  Jesus says to them in verse 10, “Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer.  I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you…”  It is always Satan’s goal to silence the church.  And if he can limit the movements of God’s spokesmen through imprisonment he things he can limit preaching of God’s word.  But imprisonment is the Christian way when we look at history.  Paul suffered imprisonment.  John the Baptist was imprisoned.  Peter and John were imprisoned.  Jeremiah was imprisoned.  Joseph was imprisoned.  Down through history the servants of God have been incarcerated because of their steadfast faith and their service to God.  Today there are untold numbers around the world who are in prison for their faith in Jesus Christ.  Paul said in 2 Timothy 2:9, “I am chained like a criminal for the gospel, but God’s word is not chained!”  He would write also, “Anyone who wants to live a godly life will be persecuted”

 

If you are treated as a criminal for your faith do not be alarmed.  First Peter 4:16 says, “If you suffer as a Christian do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.”

 

Fourthly, they were going to suffer martyrdom.  Their property and possessions were forfeited, their reputation was slandered, their freedom was arrested and finally, their lives would be forfeited.  Jesus says, “Be faithful, even to the point of death…”  In other words, “some of you are going to face death for your faithfulness to me”  Only 50 years later the great pastor of Smyrna named Polycarp would be martyred for his faithfulness to Jesus Christ.  [Read MacArthur p 73-74)

 

Jesus said “do not fear those who can kill the body but do no harm after that.  Instead fear Him who after killing the body can throw your soul into hell.”  Hebrews 11:35b-38 [read].  We are told not to shrink back but stand firm.  Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:6 that his death would be like a drink offering.  A drink offering in the OT was the last thing to be added to the animal sacrifice and the drink offering produced a pleasing aroma before the Lord.  In other words, the whole of Paul’s ministry was a sacrifice like the animal on the altar and the final piece of his sacrifice was his own life, which was the completion of a life spent for God and brought about a pleasing sacrifice to God. 

Make your life a sacrifice to God.  And if the day comes when your life is going to end because of the name of Jesus Christ then let them have it.  Your life is in Christ, who will raise you up, because He Himself was once dead, but now is alive forever more.  In the words of a famous missionary, Jim Elliot, “He is no fool who gives away what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” 

 

#3:  The Great Promise (v10b, 11)

           

Your homework.