Smrna the Suffering Church — Revelation 1-2

0:00 Good morning. Good morning. Seems as if the children are a little wired this morning. They were all crying during the break and acting up. It must be the change of weather.

0:13 It's so good to see all of you. Open your Bibles to Revelation. Bring your Bibles to Revelation chapter two. Revelation chapter two. I always find it fascinating that everybody always flocks to to the back.

0:31 If you put 10 seats, there is gonna be at the back. If you put 20, they'll go further back. And that's interesting. But just for your information, whenever I speak I look more at the back than at the front. So if you want to nap or or get away with things, it's better if you sit up front, know.

0:46 Then next week, you know, you're warned already ahead of time. You already learned that one? There you go, see. He gets away with everything up here. Next week, I am continuing.

0:57 What I'm gonna do is a two week series on two of the churches of Revelation. This is part of a seven week series. And I I chose two of of the seven. And today's is Smyrna of of all the churches. So why don't we read the text first and then we'll go into some detail about this particular church.

1:19 Go to chapter two then. Let's start with verse eight. Start with verse eight. Revelation two and eight. And for those of you who speak Spanish, apocalypses do socho.

1:33 And let's start. And the and the angel of the lord, I'm sorry. And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, the first and the last who was dead and who has come to life, says this, I know your tribulation and your poverty, but you are rich and the blasphemy by those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you're about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison that you may be tested and you will have tribulation ten days.

2:14 Be faithful until death and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death. Father, we thank you for your word. Just pray that the spirit of God will bring life to them and would instruct us in Jesus name, amen.

2:38 Amen. This particular church is the the suffering church and just for for your information during the the time when this was written at that particular time, there was already quite a few churches established. The yellow dots representing where most of the churches were already there, established, growing in the Lord. But Revelation focuses on seven churches where the little red dots are. And I'll slides here to help you a little bit better.

3:09 Revelation speaks of seven churches, Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. We're going to focus then on Smyrna, which you can see on top of Ephesus. And next week, if you want to read ahead of time, do some studying. We're going to be looking at the church of Philadelphia, church of Philadelphia. Now, as a spirit of god guided the the hand of the apostle John to write revelation, he picked out seven churches.

3:39 Now, these were seven literal churches. There were many others but he picked out seven in particular And and of these seven, they're pretty much represent any church at any time and some of their characteristics. For example, if you were to look at the the church of Pergamum or Ephesus, Ephesus was a church that had no love. And there's many churches today that are loveless churches, if you will. If you know, but then there's Pergamum and Tyre Tyre and and Sardis, for example, was a dead church.

4:12 There was no spiritual life in that particular church and so he addresses different issues. This particular church is the the suffering church. It was a church that was suffering a lot. And unless you haven't been paying attention to any of the politics and how this culture of ours is shifting, pretty soon this is gonna be true of of us, bible believing Christians. Anybody who names the name of Christ, who believes the scriptures to be the authority of God, the inspired word of God, and who teaches his truth without skirting around some of the truth that it teaches, this is gonna be true pretty soon.

4:52 Pretty soon. In fact, some of the things that I could say today can indict me already. We're almost there. This was a time, of great suffering for this particular church. Now, Smyrna was named after the word myrrh, which was an aromatic gum, which was very bitter to the taste, but it had a beautiful smell.

5:50 As you can see, it was a coastal city. It had a harbor in it. See up there in Smyrna. It was a it was a major commercial center and it brought great wealth with it. So so Myrna Smyrna.

6:04 Smyrna was a friend of mine growing up. Forget forget her. I never did like her now. I'm just kidding. Smyrna was a very beautiful city, very wealthy city.

6:18 It had wide streets that were paved, and had beautiful buildings. It was noted for its art, its education, its philosophy, its science. It had a school of medicine, can you imagine? And it had a big library which was very renowned at the time. And it had many, many temples because it was very idolatrous.

6:41 It had temples to Apollos, to Asclepia, to Aphroditeus, to Cybele, to Emperor Tiberius. Now they had a massive, massive temple to Tiberius. There there were great worshipers of of Rome and of their Caesars, and in particular, Tiberius. They had another temple for Zeus, and all of this was part of this city. Alright, and so the city was totally devoted to Rome and to emperor worship.

7:13 And it considered the Christians atheist. How about that for a change of twisting words, right? Today we consider an atheist somebody who doesn't believe in God, right? Of course they will when they die, but that's what they're saying right now. But back then, they considered Tiberius and the Caesars, the Roman Caesars as God.

7:37 And because the Christians wouldn't bow down to them, they would say, okay, these guys are atheists. So more about that in a little bit. And so the Christians would not only not acknowledge, the Roman emperor as God, but they wouldn't bow down to him and acknowledge him either. And so this church was surrounded then by by great animosity because of the fact that they would not, they were so devoted to Rome, bow down to the Caesar and to many of their idols. And so, it was very demonic in origin.

8:11 As you can see, the devil was mentioned twice in this few verses. Alright? And and in the midst of all of this idol worshiping, this emperor worship, the testimony of the Christians was was so beautiful even though they were severely persecuted for their faith. Now, you're going to notice that this particular church and then we're to look at it next week where the only two of the seven that were not condemned in any particular way by the Lord. Right.

8:43 And before we continue, I want you to notice chapter one and verse 13. And in the middle of the lamp stands, one like the son of man, clothed in robe, reaching to his feet, girded across his breast with a golden girdle. And it goes on to explain different aspects of the lord Jesus Christ. So in other words, what what the bible is teaching us that in the middle of the the churches is the lord Jesus Christ. Alright?

9:13 Now, is that true today? Yes, it is. And I think that so many times are many times in in today's culture, churches have become a little irreverent and I think they're forgetting this reality, this truth that Jesus is actually right here, right now in the midst because this his church bought by his blood and so he's here in the meeting and he's watching. He's watching our singing. If you just lip so, you know, or or or if you just saying to say the words, he's watching your seats, watching your worship.

9:45 He's looking at your attitude. If you're a reverend or not, how we, how we come and how we behave. He's he's in here watching this but above all, he's watching your heart. And his penetrating eyes can see everything. And and if you study all seven churches, you see how he's he's picking.

10:03 I see what you like. I'm here and I'm watching you. I know what you're doing. And that in itself is a scary thought, isn't it? But at the same time, it's a blessed thought that Jesus is here.

10:14 Whether you acknowledge it or not, he's here in present. Now, he's not going to come down right now because he isn't in in bodily form in heaven and come and sit here. Look, you want to, you want me to prove it to you? Here I am. He's not going to do that but the Bible says, right in Revelation in the midst of the churches is Jesus Christ.

10:32 And he's observing and he's watching because it's his body, bought with his blood. Alright? And so, what a what a tremendous truth and and and so I want you to notice and as we look at this that he says, it's kinda interesting how he starts this particular one. He wanted to actually encourage him. So what he does is he talks about several things about his nature, the nature of the lord Jesus Christ.

11:18 I'm god. I was there from the very beginning. I'm going to be there at the very end and notice what else he says. I was dead and I came back to life. This was important for them because many of them were going to die for their faith and did indeed die.

11:32 But and what comforting words for them to be reminded by the lord Jesus. Look, church of Smyrna, I I know your tribulation. I know what you're going to what you're going through and so many of you are going to die because you won't deny my name and praise god for that the way this church was but here's what I want you to understand that I am the first and the last. I am very god and not only that but I conquered death. Boy, that's a a tremendous comfort.

11:57 I conquered death and I came back to life and because that's true, because that's true, you yourself will have eternal life and so, what a comfort for them to hear this from the lord Jesus Christ. This is who I am in the midst of the church. Now, the circumstances, notice, notice what he says. He says, I know your tribulation and your poverty. Jesus knows exactly what the church is going through.

12:31 That particular church was going through horrible tribulation. And isn't it comforting to know that the Lord Jesus knows exactly what you're going through? He knows your life. He knows what your circumstances are. But what we do know to be true is throughout the history of the church that when they suffer the most, when they have the most tribulation, when they're persecuted the most, is when the church has been the strongest and the most vibrant and evangelistic.

13:00 It's never any stronger than when it's persecuted. And sometimes I wonder if our lack of vibrancy of excitement for the Lord is because the Lord hasn't given us enough tribulation. So politically, they were in trouble with this particular city because they would not worship Caesar as god and here's what we found out. The biblical scholars and archaeologists have found some some documents that talk about this city and here's what we found out about it. That all they had to do was bow down to their idol and to acknowledge Caesar as god and they could worship any god they wanted.

13:43 They would be granted a certificate and say, okay, go. You wanna go to your have a church in Smyrna, worship Jesus, go ahead but just acknowledge our god and acknowledge Caesar. But they would not bow down. They would not worship Caesar and consequently, they didn't get their certificate and as a result of that, they were taking many privileges were taken away from them. Many of them many of them lost their jobs.

14:10 And they would not bow down, which reminds me of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Remember those guys? Daniel three and verse 17, I'm reading it to you. We do not need to give you an answer concerning this. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of fire, because Nebuchadnezzar wanted them to bow down to to his idol.

14:34 They said, we're not going to do it. And he would deliver us out of out of your hand, oh king. But even if he does not, you see, here's where the true faith comes in. Even if he does not, let it be known to you, oh king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up. And you remember the story, they were thrown in to the fire and the fire didn't burn them.

15:00 So so as a consequence of them not bowing then to their gods and not bowing to Caesar as god, They didn't get the certificate and so, all of a sudden or suddenly, they were extremely poor. Most of them were slaves. And so, wouldn't it have been easy to just say, okay, even if you're faking it, okay, Jesus, god, I I see you I see your god and I'll give you my certificate. Let me get my job and leave me alone, don't beat me. And that's all they had to do.

15:32 But it wasn't that simple, was it? It was gonna be basically denying that Jesus is the only god, the only one to bow down to. And so no, they weren't gonna do it. Now, they they were extremely poor then. Jesus even says, I know your poverty.

15:58 They lost their their earthly riches. Now, turn with me to Hebrews ten thirty two. Let's look an example of that. Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 32. You can see what was happening during those times in so many of those churches.

16:14 Hebrews 10 and verse 32. Notice, but remember the former days when after being enlightened, that means when they were born again, when they were saved, they were enlightened as to their sin and the need of a savior. You endured great conflict of suffering, partly by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who are so treated. Notice 34, for you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourself a better possession and abiding one. Wow.

16:55 Wow. And so they were making a public spectacle of them. They went in and they took their furniture away. Hey, well, if it was in today's day, I I I like your 52 inch screen. Let me have it.

17:07 You know, I like that remote. I like your computer and and I like your car. Hey, look, oh, look at that sofa leather and they would take it away from them. Oh, but if you know, if you deny Jesus, you, I'm not gonna touch anything of yours. You get your certificate, everything will be fine.

17:27 Someone who who was present in the council of Nicaea, the council of Nicea, just for your information, after the 10 Roman emperors and the tremendous persecution where they literally mangled and killed people and and threw them to lions and burned them alive. After that, Constantinople became the emperor and he brought peace to the Christians. Supposedly, he became saved. I'm not convinced of it. You can read the story and find out for yourself but he called for a council.

17:56 It was a call the council of Nicea in which they were going to determine if Jesus was god or not and so they they invited all of the the the the pastors, all the leaders from all over the known world to come to this council so they can discuss this crucial issue. And someone who saw them all coming, all the followers of Christ, all the men and women who hadn't denied Jesus said this as he was observing. The bishops were showing up with the scars of Christ. So many of those who suffer were maimed. They were missing eyes, and some of them were missing limbs.

18:34 They came with limbs broken, yet never having denied the Lord Jesus. Wow. They were extremely poor because of Jesus. And yet notice what he says, but you're rich. But you're rich.

18:52 What do you mean you're rich? That's right. They were rich in Christ. Amen? Wasn't brother Eichler the one who said this morning that we're rich in Christ?

18:59 You were you were reading second Corinthians. And so Jesus says, I see that in Smyrna, in that city where you're surrounded by these people, you're extremely poor, you're broke, you have nothing. And yet you're rich because no amount of external poverty could touch their eternal reward in heaven. Nothing can take away their salvation and their forgiveness and their joy and their hope in the lord Jesus. They were forgiven forgiven and they were gonna spend eternity in heaven and so my prize is the lord Jesus.

19:30 I'm rich in him. Amen? I will reign with him. I will inherit inherit all things with him. And so maybe in this life, I won't come for much but in eternity, I'm gonna be rich in Christ but I'm already rich in him.

19:45 That's my position. That's how Jesus sees you if you're a believer. You're rich. You're considered yourself rich? Well, there you go.

20:26 Synagogue said, what was that? What was the synagogue of Satan? Synagogue means an assembly, and Satan means an adversary. And so they were told that they would suffer persecution from an assembly of the adversary, a gathering of Satan. Alright.

20:42 It meant that the Jewish people who lived in Smyrna persecuted believers. That's what that means. Like so many of the Jewish people, they they would reject the fact that Jesus Christ was the Messiah. And they would say, how could this Jesus be the Messiah? How?

21:01 Because he was crucified, we can't accept him as a Messiah. And so they were ready to beat and punish and put in jail and murder or do whatever it took to anyone who preached Jesus Christ as the Messiah and as God. So hey, they hated the fact that good works were not able to save them. It infuriated them every time they heard it. The lie of this group, because you notice it says, and the blasphemy, in other words, they they were blasphemy in the name of Jesus.

21:32 No different than Matthew 12 when the Pharisees did it as well. And so the blasphemy of what they were saying. What was the lie? What was the blasphemy that was this group of Jewish people who rejected the savior directed by Satan, what was their lie? Here was their lie.

21:51 Number one, that Jesus is not the savior, he's not the messiah. Number two, that you have to earn your way to heaven by good works and good behavior and by being religious because they were very religious. And finally, that by day, them just bowing to Jesus, they can remain rich. And so the Jewish people did that because they love their money. And what was the warning?

22:19 The warning that they're gonna suffer severe tribulation from the devil. Notice it please. Verse 10. Do not fear what you're about to suffer. Behold the devil.

22:32 So so so Jesus, who's in the midst of the church, says, I I know your tribulation, I know you're poor, but you're rich. And and I know these people that live there, a bunch of Jews who who really are gathering a Satan, they blast in the name of Jesus, and they're gonna persecute you. And verse 10, do not fear what you're about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, and that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Wow, wow.

23:01 So they were gonna suffer severe tribulation, and this was coming from the devil himself attacking the people. Now, what warning from Jesus to the people. All right, that Satan was going to direct all his anger, all his venom towards this particular people. They were going to persecute, maim, kill, put in jail, take their land and take away their rights. Notice what the bible says in in John, the gospel of John chapter 15 and verse 18.

23:34 If you want to just listen, just listen. Listen to John 15 and verse 18. If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would not love its own. Would, I'm sorry, would love its own.

23:50 But because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, a slave, is not greater than its master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will keep your word also. But out of these things, they will do to you for my name's sake because they do not know the one who sent me.

24:16 And so if you're living for Jesus, sooner or later Satan is going to come at you. If you're living for Jesus, sooner or later, Satan's gonna come at you. You remember Satan asked permission of god to to come at Job and he came at him and you know what he did to him? He took his children. He took his health.

24:38 He he took his wealth. He took care. He destroyed the man and yet the man would not deny the name of Jesus. You remember that he has permission to sift Peter like shaft? And Jesus said, Peter, Satan directly asked permission and I gave him permission.

24:57 You know what he's gonna do? Literally, he's gonna shake you. And I'm praying for you that your faith won't fail you. Satan interfered and he hindered Paul's plans to visit the church at Thessalonica and he was constantly interfering with the missionaries work. And and so tremendous persecution was coming and and Jesus said, this is coming from the devil.

25:48 He was 86 years old. They were in the in the big coliseum. They were in an uproar. They had just taken a bunch of Christians, fed them to the lions, and then they all started saying, go and find Polycarp. And so they started searching for him everywhere.

26:03 And Polycarp said, that's it, I'm not gonna run. Quit hiding me. The Christians were hiding him and moving from house to house. He came to first to face the persecutors and they they got him, they put him inside of a chariot, and here's what they said to him privately. What harm is there in saying, Lord Caesar and his sacrificing with the other ceremonies observed on such occasions, and so make sure your safety.

26:30 Just do it, Polycarp. Just do it. Why are going to get killed? You're 86 years old. And he didn't answer them.

26:39 And they were so angry they threw him off the cherry and and he dislocated his hip while they did that. But he just got up, it didn't matter. Now Polycarp was entering into the stadium and there came to him a voice from heaven. Be strong and show yourself a man, oh Polycarp. The proconsul sought to persuade him to deny Christ, saying, have respect for thine old age and similar things according to their custom.

27:06 A third swear by the fortunes of Caesar, repent and say away with the atheist. But Polycarp, a gazing with a stern continents on the multitude of the wicked heathen of the stadium waving his hand towards them said this, away with the atheists, speaking of them. Then, here's what they said, swear and I will set you free. Reproach Christ. And Polycarp declared, maybe you've heard this before, eighty and six years I have served him, Jesus, and never did he do me any injury.

27:44 How then can I blaspheme my king and savior? And when the proconsul yet again oppressed him and said, swear by the fortunes of Caesar, he answered, since thou are vainly urgent, as thou say swear to the fortunes of Caesar and pretendest not to know who I am, Here, we declare with boldness, I am a Christian. The proconsul said to him, I have wild beast at hand. To these I will cast thee, except thou repent. And he says bring them on, bring them on.

28:19 And then they said, I will cause you to be consumed by fish. They said, oh, he's not scared of the lions. Alright, I'm gonna I'm gonna burn you alive then, they said. Since you despise a wild beast, if thou will not repent. But Polycarp said, thou turns me with fire which burneth for an hour, and after a while it's extinguished.

28:39 But are ignorant of the fire that's of the coming judgment of eternal punishment reserved for the ungodly. But why terrorist thou? Bring on the fire. And so when enraged, they grabbed firewood. They got a big stake and they were gonna nail him to you.

28:55 Don't even nail me, I'm not running. But they tied him down anyway. They put the fire all over the place and the Jews especially grabbed firewood. And they lit the fire, you know, the Jews, as it says right there. The fire then, these were men that were there that wrote this witnessing it.

29:13 The fire didn't burn them. It kind of formed in a circle, and he was standing in the midst, and he wouldn't burn. And instead of repenting, they got furious, and he told the men with spears, run him through, and they speared him, and his blood turned the fire off. You can read that if you want. It's, it's available to you.

29:33 This whole story, I'm just giving you a little taste of it. But Polycarp then was one of the victims of the persecution, the severe persecution. Praise God that he never denied the Lord Jesus. So do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison that you may be tested.

30:17 Don't fear, don't fear, because Jesus is watching the whole thing and permitting it. Be faithful, Be faithful. Have you been faithful to him at work? Everywhere you go, have you given testimony of the lord Jesus? Then he says, what a tremendous truth.

30:37 You won't be hurt by the second death But first of all, says, be faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life. Wow. So the the crown of life is a martyr's crown, some commentators think. But this is a special crown given to those who are murdered for their faith. It could be I think any true believer who's faithful to Jesus and dies testifying to Jesus is going to get the crown.

31:05 Be faithful and I'm going to give that to you. What blessing that Jesus would do that for us. And then also, you notice verse 11, he, he who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death. That is no true believer will have to endure the great white throne judgment and be condemned to the lake of fire, which is the second death.

31:33 So second death means all of us die but the second death is those who are resurrected to be thrown alive in the in the lake of fire. So, it's a place of eternal punishment, eternal separation from god in the lake of fire and you can read it in Revelation 20 and verse 14. A true believer would not worry about the lake of fire because Jesus bought him with his blood. What a tremendous truth. So, application.

32:12 How are you responding to the trials that Jesus is permitting in your life? Roy Rogers and Dell Evans, those of old timers who know who they are. For those of you who are young, they're Christians. All right? Anyway, here's what they said.

32:30 After the death of their daughter, they said this, God has not promised an easy way, but peace in the center of the hard way. The clouds of sorrow have been heavy, but I have reached to the point of no return in my Christian experience. And with Job I cry, though he slay me, yet I will trust him. Job 13 and verse 15. So there's two responses with towards the things that god allows in your life.

32:59 Two responses. Alright. Number one, Genesis, don't go there. Genesis forty two forty six, all these things are against me. You remember, Jacob sent his sons to Egypt to bring food and then he didn't even know but his son, what's his son's name?

33:18 Joseph. Joseph. That's what I was gonna say, Jacob or Joshua. Joseph had become the second in command and become very wealthy and and it was actually god, if you look at from god's perspective, everything was working out. But from Jacob's perspective, nothing's working out.

33:36 This is terrible. Everything's against me. You ever feel that way when you're persecuted or when you're in a trial or when you go through a tremendous suffering? Everything's against me but Jacob couldn't see even his son who was over there in Egypt could see the greater picture that if you only knew. If you only knew, everything's not against you.

33:58 And from god's perspective, that's right, Jacob. Everything's not against you. This trial is for good and so you can look at a trial and you say everything's against me. Why is god doing this to me? Why doesn't the other person get what I get and I don't deserve it but why they, you know, and all that kind of stuff or or we can look at it this way.

34:19 All these things are working together for good to those who love the lord. Two different ways of looking at what's happening in your life. As you noticed, Jesus is in the church and he says, I know exactly what's happening. I know that they're gonna come and kill you and drag you and I know that know that Polycarp's gonna die and and many others. So I I know what's going on, and I know what I'm permitting.

34:43 Remember, be faithful. Don't deny me, but remember that you're rich. Remember that at the end, you're gonna get the crown of life. Remember, you're not gonna have to worry about second death, the eternal punishment in hell. He who overcomes should not be hurt by the second death.

35:03 Wow. I wonder if you know the lord Jesus. If you don't, today, you can be saved. Today, you can know him and and be forgiven of your sin. So, what what a what a tremendous message Jesus has for this particular church.

35:21 The one who's in the midst of the church, notice that he knows exactly what's happening with him and what he was permitting. And so, may the lord encourage us. If you're a believer, remember, you're gonna say, I can be poor materially, physically, maybe I don't have a lot but how does god see you? But you're rich in Christ. Man, that's a comfort.

35:47 And you can say, maybe I'm suffering, but I'm gonna get the crown of life. Maybe I'm suffering, but God is allowing it. He wants me to be faithful to him and not to fear what's going on in my life. And he wants to remind you also again that you're not gonna be hurt by the second death. Father, thank you for your word.

36:33 Wow, what a comfort. Be with us now as we go home. In Jesus' blessed name, amen.