[Sermon] Full Text: Smyrna - The Church that was Crushed
Jul 26, 2015 6:43:35 GMT
shiloh, Leeza, and 1 more like this
Post by Benjamin on Jul 26, 2015 6:43:35 GMT
This is the third sermon in my series in Revelation.
I found this sermon quite difficult to write (much like the last!), but purely because there was so much relevant detail that I had to leave 'on the cutting room floor', so to speak. There's MUCH more historical and textual detail that I could have incorporated into this one, but much had to be left out for time reasons.
Anyway - below is the full text, and a PDF for those who prefer that.
THE PDF: 3 The Church at Smyrna - The Church that wa....pdf (418.84 KB)
A LINK TO SCRIBD, FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T VIEW PDFs: www.scribd.com/doc/272616447/3-the-Church-at-Smyrna-The-Church-That-Was-Crushed
Smyrna: The Church that was Crushed
Revelation 2:8-11
This morning we’re going to be continuing our series in the book of Revelation.
Before we open God’s Word, however, let’s come to the Lord in prayer. Let’s pray.
Father, as I come before you this morning, I ask that you would be glorified. As we make our way through the book of Revelation, I cannot help but marvel at the beauty of your Son, Jesus Christ. Lord, I ask that our eyes would be open this morning, that our hearts would be softened, and that our ears would hear what your Spirit would have us hear. Father, I pray that through the Revelation of Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and that you would drive us to our knees with an awareness of His great glory, and our own desperate need for His salvation. Father, draw us to the one who is the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life, that we might have life, and have it more abundantly… so that you might be glorified in us.
In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
We’re going to be looking this morning at the letter, written by Jesus Christ, to the church at Smyrna. Before we delve into that, however, let’s take a step back and remember where we are in the context of this incredible book.
In Revelation chapter 1 and verse 19, Jesus tells John to “write the things which you have seen, the things which are, and the things which shall occur after this”. This forms the basis of our timeline for the book of Revelation: a timeline dictated by the Holy Spirit Himself within the text. “The things you have seen” refers to the revelation of Christ in chapter 1; “the things that are” refers to the letters to the churches in chapters 2 and 3, and “the things that shall occur after this” are the events of the Tribulation and beyond, in chapters 4 through 22.
In our passage through the book of Revelation, we have arrived at the second of the seven churches in chapters 2 and 3… and so today, we’re going to be looking at the letter from Jesus Christ to the church at Smyrna. I’ve entitled this sermon “Smyrna: The Church that was crushed”.
Turn with me to Revelation 2, and verse 8.
8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write,
‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life:
9 “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days.
Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
11 “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.”’
We’re going to look this morning at three distinct aspects of the letter written by the Lord Jesus to Smyrna.
We’re going to see first of all, their persecution… then their poverty, and finally, their promise.
Let’s look first at the suffering of the church in Smyrna.
The Persecution of Smyrna
To fully understand the degree of persecution that the church at Smyrna had to endure, we need to understand the city of Smyrna itself. Smyrna is located in modern day Turkey, and is known today by its modern name of ‘Izmir’. Smyrna was famous throughout the Roman world for its temples, and its fervent adherence to one particular pagan doctrine. If you’re familiar with the concept of the Roman Caesar being worshipped as a god, then you already have a link to ancient Smyrna… because it was here, in this city, that ‘the cult of Rome’, with its practice of deifying Emperors, began. I could talk a lot more about this point, and about the history of this city, because it certainly ties in with our text today, but for the sake of time, I won’t. What’s important to note here, however, is that the people of Smyrna were passionately idolatrous… and that this worldview led to a zero-tolerance approach to Christianity at the end of the first century.
Many of us would be familiar with the classic representations of Christian persecution. In fact, even if you haven’t gleaned your knowledge of the Romans’ persecution of Christians from history, you’ll no doubt be familiar with it through film and television. Movies ranging from the classic ‘Ben Hur’ to the modern ‘Gladiator’ have all contained visuals of Christians being whipped, crucified, imprisoned, enslaved, and fed to lions. This is no exaggeration. Roman persecution of the Christian communities throughout the Middle East was swift, brutal and terrifying.
While it’s tempting to think of such brutality as a thing of the past, particularly in a quiet corner of the globe like the one we live in, we have all, in recent months, seen horrific images on our televisions of the persecution of Christians in Syria and Iraq at the hands of ISIS. We’ve seen Christians burnt alive, drowned, crucified, shot, buried alive, and worse. …and I don’t know about you, but I haven’t even been able to bring myself to watch the footage. It’s just too horrific.
This, though, was life in Smyrna – daily, intense, life-threatening persecution, at the hands of the Romans… and the Jews. Let me give you an example.
By the middle of the second century, every citizen within Smyrna’s walls was required by law, once a year, to burn a pinch of incense on the altar of Dea Roma, the goddess of Rome. This became a test for Christians throughout the empire; those who refused to offer incense were sentenced to death: either burned at the stake, or torn apart by wild animals in the arena for the entertainment of the masses. Perhaps the most famous instance of this is the death of Polycarp, a man appointed by the Apostle John himself as head of the church in Smyrna. Polycarp had refused to offer incense to Dea Roma, and as a result, found himself brought to prosecution by the leaders of the Jewish community who had once again conspired under Roman law to bring a righteous man to trial.
Now, I want to clarify something briefly here. I believe that this group of Jews is what Jesus is referring to when he speaks of a “Synagogue of Satan… who say they are Jews, but are not” – but I’d like to stress one important point. I believe that there are multiple relevant levels of application to this term. When we reach the letter to the church of Philadelphia in Chapter 3, we’ll encounter the same term; however, in this chapter, we see a Synagogue of Satan… whereas in Chapter 3, we’ll see THE Synagogue of Satan. These are very similar terms, but the definite article in the latter description leads to a distinctly different application. I’ll talk more about that once we reach chapter 3, but for now, understand who we’re dealing with: a group of Jews who, having rejected the Messiah, have turned to persecuting the church of Jesus Christ throughout the Middle East, and particularly at Smyrna.
Now, back to Polycarp. Having been handed over by these Jews, the Roman proconsul demanded that Polycarp recant and pay homage to Rome, crying out “Swear, and I will set you free – reproach Christ!” Polycarp refused, saying “Eighty six years I have served Christ, and never has he wronged me. How then can I blaspheme my King and Saviour?”
When the day came, Polycarp was led out to his death. Under the sentence of the Roman Proconsul, he was to be tied to a stake and burned alive. Those who were responsible for his execution wanted to nail him to the sake… and yet Polycarp protested, saying “Leave me as I am. He who has given me strength to endure the fire will also enable me, without you securing me with nails, to stand in the fire.”
Polycarp was burned at the stake on February 23rd, 155AD.
Crowds of Jews broke their own Sabbath law by carrying wood for the fire.
You can see, can’t you, the suffering of the church at Smyrna. These Christians had quite literally lost everything for the sake of Jesus Christ. They were obedient… even unto death.
I’d like to suggest to you here that this church is, in many respects, the most Christlike of all of the churches listed here in Revelation. Now, that’s a pretty big claim to make, but there are indications here in the text that this is indeed the case. Let’s look at those together.
There are two points that set the church of Smyrna apart from each of the other seven letters. In order to notice the first, we need to clearly identify the structure of each letter. Throughout the book of Revelation, we’re going to see a whole host of ‘sevens’. There are seven spirits, seven beatitudes, seven churches, seven lampstands, seven stars, seven seals, seven horns, seven eyes, seven angels, seven trumpets, seven thunders, seven heads, seven crowns…
I’m going to stop there, because if I don’t, this sermon will run over time. There are, in the book of Revelation, at least 49 ‘sevens’ (note that – that’s seven times seven) on the surface of the text. That’s not even going into the elements of the text, or into the language itself – and I’m absolutely convinced we could find more there.
In respect to our study, however, we find seven primary elements to each of the letters to the seven churches. These are, in order:
The title of the church
The character of Christ
The character of the church
Christ’s commendation
Christ’s concern
Christ’s chastisement
Christ’s consolation
In this letter, however, to the church at Smyrna, one of these points is missing, while another is somewhat altered. We have the title of the church. We have the character of Christ – the first and the last, who was dead, and came to life, we have the character of the church, in works, tribulation, and poverty; we have a commendation (you are rich!); we have a concern for the things they are about to suffer, and we have consolation – He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.
…what’s missing here is chastisement.
I’d like to suggest to you that the reason that the Lord does not chastise the church at Smyrna is because it already reflected His glory - and it was for this reason that they were suffering so intensely.
Listen to this quote from Leonard Ravenhill. I love the way he puts this.
"Look at Jesus. We see that there is no room for Him in the inn. He got a bit older, there was no room in His family, His family turned on Him. He went to the temple, no room in the temple, the temple turned on Him. And when He died there was no room to bury Him, He died outside of the city. Well why in God's Name do you expect to be accepted everywhere?
How is it that the world couldn't get on with the holiest Man that ever lived and can get on with you and me? Are we compromised?
Are we compromised?
Have we no spiritual stature? Have we no righteousness that reflects upon their corruption?
As Dr. Tozer used to say, “you knew one thing about a man that was carrying a cross out of the city. You knew he wasn’t coming back.”
This wonderful quote suggests to us why there is no chastisement in this passage. The church at Smyrna reflected the person and the power of the Lord Jesus Christ to the point that they were persecuted for it, even unto death. They had a righteousness that reflected upon the corruption of the world… and the world hated them for it.
In reinforcing that view, I’d like to share something with you. It’s a minor textual point in some respects, but I think it’s a beautiful one. Keep in mind that there is nothing in all of Scripture that is accidental. Every word, every phrase, every pause, every mark of punctuation is carefully crafted to convey the message that the Lord would have us hear. The key in this passage is in the name.
The word ‘Smyrna’ is derived from the same Greek word as ‘myrrh’.
The word 'Smyrna' comes from the same root as 'myrrh'. Myrrh, we associate with death - it was the burial spice used on Jesus' body, and one of the gifts of the magi - but it also has a very literal meaning that comes from the manner in which myrrh is processed into a spice. The literal meaning of the word is 'crushed'; and it’s this process that unlocks the beautiful fragrance.
When Jesus spoke to the church at Smyrna, He knew they had been crushed. By persecution, by pain, even by death. …and yet in that suffering, they became like Christ.
Listen to Isaiah 53:10.
But the LORD was pleased to crush Him and cause Him to suffer.
When You make His soul an offering for sin,
He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,
And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.
We’re familiar, aren’t we, with the allusion between myrrh and the death of Christ. We know that the gift given by the magi was representative of the death that Jesus Christ was to die, and we know, too, that His body was indeed wrapped in cloth soaked in myrrh upon His death.
In this way, and using this same imagery, we see that Smyrna was united with Christ in the fellowship of His suffering. Look with me to Revelation 2 and verse 8. Allow me to substitute the literal meaning of the word in here.
And to the angel of the church that was crushed, write…
These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life.
We need to understand a very important point here.
The church at Smyrna reflected the glory of Jesus Christ in life, and in death. The believers of that city stood before the world with a righteousness that reflected on the world’s corruption, and for the faithfulness of their testimony and for the word of Jesus Christ, they were crushed.
This is a stark contrast to the age in which we live, isn’t it.
We live in a time where the church has become far too comfortable with the world. We have no spiritual stature; we have no righteousness that reflects upon their corruption. We have become truly compromised. In fact, looking like the world is far too often employed as a tactic by the church in order to get people in through the doors. We call this the ‘seeker sensitive’ church, and it’s an abomination. We’re called to separate ourselves from the world, not to copy it! We have been called to reflect the glory of the King! …and if our studies in Revelation so far haven’t communicated to you just how far short we fall of the glory of God, then I can only imagine that you haven’t been listening – because the King is glorious, and He’s holy, and He’s beautiful, and we’ve turned His church into an unholy mockery of all that it was called to be.
…but while it’s easy enough to point fingers at the church at large, and to highlight the fallen state of Christianity across the world, this passage goes deeper than that. We saw last time we opened the book of Revelation that the application of each of these letters is not just to the churches themselves, but also to the individual.
This letter is aimed at men, women and children who bear the name of Jesus Christ in the world... and so the question must be asked: Whose glory do we reflect?
Turn with me to Philippians 3… and verse 7.
But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Scripture is emphatic. You cannot be of the world, and be conformed to the likeness of Christ. Instead, we must die to the world – and the world must be dead to us. It is only through this process, empowered by the Holy Spirit, of dying to the world, and dying to self, that we can be conformed to Christ in His death, that we might have life through Him. …and like Leonard Ravenhill says… there’s no coming back. This is not a question of salvation, but of sanctification. If you are in Christ, if you have been born again, if you hold Jesus Christ as your Lord and saviour, this is your duty toward the King: to live a life of sacrifice, that you might be conformed to the likeness of His death, and united with Him in life, and thus radiate the resurrected glory of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords… and if we start here, with just one man, one woman, willing to lay down their life for the glory of the King, then maybe… just maybe we’ll start to see the church having an impact on the world once again.
What we see here in the church at Smyrna… and what we as a church, and as individuals, are called to, is total submission to the will of the Lord Jesus Christ. The church at Smyrna, not having their own righteousness, but having that righteousness which is from God by faith, suffered and bled and died for the sake of the name of Jesus Christ… and if we seek know the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, then we too must show such obedience to the Father.
Friends, this is radical Christianity. We look at our churches today, and they seem so dead, or so superficial, or so worldly… let me tell you, it’s not because we don’t have the right rock band, and it’s not because we don’t have the right worship leader, it’s not because we don’t have dynamic preachers… it’s because we don’t have Christ! We’ve forgotten how to separate ourselves from the world, we’ve forgotten how to cling to Christ amidst the darkness of this fallen, broken society, and we’ve forgotten that we can do nothing without Him.
What are the words of the hymn?
NOTHING in my hands I bring,
Simply to thy cross I cling.
This is the plight of the Christian, and this is why we have become so very ineffectual in the world. We have everything, and yet we have nothing, because we refuse to cling to the one thing of value: Christ.
The Poverty of Smyrna
Look with me at verse 9.
I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich!).
We’ve seen this morning exactly what it cost the church at Smyrna to be obedient to Jesus Christ. This verse makes it clear that even what little they had, had been taken away from them. The word translated ‘poverty’ here is the Greek word tocheia, and it refers to absolute, abject poverty. They had nothing. The implication, however, is that this is no mere financial hardship. The believers in Smyrna had quite literally chosen to endure absolute poverty, rather than to forsake the name of Jesus Christ.
In doing so, they became like Christ Himself.
Philippians 2:6-8 says that Jesus Christ,
“being in very nature, God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”
Being obedient to Jesus Christ cost the believers in Smyrna everything.
Being obedient to the Father cost Jesus everything…
This is what the Lord demands from us, as believers… not that we should necessarily renounce everything for Him, but rather, that we should be obedient to Him, whatever the cost… and as we’re about to see, what the church at Smyrna gave up could not possibly compare to what they received in return.
Look again at verse 9.
I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich!).
I love this verse. In my mind, I can picture the church at Smyrna, huddled around a scroll handed down by the apostle John, as they desperately wait to hear the words of Jesus. I can just imagine what they were thinking.
I know your works.
Excellent! The Lord knows how hard we’ve worked. We’ve been obedient, even against strong opposition… we’ve stood firm against unbelievers, and preached the Word, in season and out of season.
…your tribulation.
What a comfort! The Lord knows how much we’ve suffered. This is getting good…
…and your poverty (but you are rich!).
I can only imagine that it would have taken the believers some time to process this last part of the sentence.
It seems, doesn’t it, like an odd thing to say… but this is the thread that ties together the entire passage, from beginning to end.
Read verses 8 and 11 with me.
These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to 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.
Why does the Lord Jesus introduce Himself, and close His letter, in this way?
I want you to notice that in this entire chapter, the Lord never once promises the church at Smyrna relief. He doesn’t tell them that their poverty is temporary. He doesn’t promise them that their tribulation will be brief, and he doesn’t tell them that they’ll be delivered. In fact, He does quite the opposite – he encourages them to be faithful unto death.
There’s a very important point for us to learn from this. Make no mistake, the Lord knows that these people are suffering – even to the point of death, and He knows that more suffering, more tribulation, will come – and yet His amidst all of this tribulation, and despite their great poverty, His great encouragement, comes not through relief, but through revelation. Look again at verse 8. These things says the First, and the Last, who was dead, and came to life.
Now, I’ll grant you that we’re not persecuted like Smyrna. We haven’t been fed to the lions, we haven’t been crucified in the streets, and I’d warrant that none of us have lost everything for His sake. …and that, in and of itself, is a great blessing. But here, even here, how often do we need to hear this reminder? How often, when we suffer, when we struggle, when we are persecuted, or hurt, or lonely, do we need to be reminded to look, first and foremost, to He who is the First and the Last, who holds all of history in His hands?
When we are in financial trouble, when our relationships aren’t what we hoped they’d be, when we suffer with illness and death and disease, when we grapple with the trials and tribulations of life, where is our focus?
Far too often, we focus on relief, and neglect the revelation. But Jesus Christ knows exactly what the church at Smyrna needs to hear.
Listen to what the Lord Jesus says; both here in these verses, and beyond:
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, First and the Last.
I am the First and the Last.
I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold…
I am alive forevermore.
I am He who searches hearts and minds
I am coming quickly;
I am coming as a thief;
I am the Alpha and the Omega;
I am coming quickly;
I am coming quickly;
I am The Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last;
I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star;
I am Coming quickly!
Do you see it? Do you hear it?
Could this point be made any clearer than it is? I AM, I AM, I AM, I AM, I AM, I AM…
And Jesus says to the church at Smyrna… as He says to His church today:
When you suffer, when you’re lost, when you’re lonely, when relationships break down, when you’re sick, when you’re scared, when you’re in prison, when you’re hurt, when you’re confused, when people revile you and persecute you and harm you and scorn you because of the Lord Jesus Christ, remember what He says.
…I AM your shield, your very great reward.
…and so here it is, through persecution, through poverty, and even unto the point of death, that Jesus Christ says unto His church, I AM… and I am coming quickly.
Where are you, today?
Are you dead to the world? Has the world been crucified to you?
Have you been crucified with Christ?
Are your eyes firmly fixed on the King of Kings, the author and perfector of your faith? Are you willing to give up everything in obedience to Him, for His glory?
“I am your shield, your very great reward.”
In the end… whether in suffering, or in peace, in persecution or in joy… it is all about Jesus Christ.
Let’s pray.
I found this sermon quite difficult to write (much like the last!), but purely because there was so much relevant detail that I had to leave 'on the cutting room floor', so to speak. There's MUCH more historical and textual detail that I could have incorporated into this one, but much had to be left out for time reasons.
Anyway - below is the full text, and a PDF for those who prefer that.
THE PDF: 3 The Church at Smyrna - The Church that wa....pdf (418.84 KB)
A LINK TO SCRIBD, FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T VIEW PDFs: www.scribd.com/doc/272616447/3-the-Church-at-Smyrna-The-Church-That-Was-Crushed
Smyrna: The Church that was Crushed
Revelation 2:8-11
This morning we’re going to be continuing our series in the book of Revelation.
Before we open God’s Word, however, let’s come to the Lord in prayer. Let’s pray.
Father, as I come before you this morning, I ask that you would be glorified. As we make our way through the book of Revelation, I cannot help but marvel at the beauty of your Son, Jesus Christ. Lord, I ask that our eyes would be open this morning, that our hearts would be softened, and that our ears would hear what your Spirit would have us hear. Father, I pray that through the Revelation of Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and that you would drive us to our knees with an awareness of His great glory, and our own desperate need for His salvation. Father, draw us to the one who is the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life, that we might have life, and have it more abundantly… so that you might be glorified in us.
In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
We’re going to be looking this morning at the letter, written by Jesus Christ, to the church at Smyrna. Before we delve into that, however, let’s take a step back and remember where we are in the context of this incredible book.
In Revelation chapter 1 and verse 19, Jesus tells John to “write the things which you have seen, the things which are, and the things which shall occur after this”. This forms the basis of our timeline for the book of Revelation: a timeline dictated by the Holy Spirit Himself within the text. “The things you have seen” refers to the revelation of Christ in chapter 1; “the things that are” refers to the letters to the churches in chapters 2 and 3, and “the things that shall occur after this” are the events of the Tribulation and beyond, in chapters 4 through 22.
In our passage through the book of Revelation, we have arrived at the second of the seven churches in chapters 2 and 3… and so today, we’re going to be looking at the letter from Jesus Christ to the church at Smyrna. I’ve entitled this sermon “Smyrna: The Church that was crushed”.
Turn with me to Revelation 2, and verse 8.
8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write,
‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life:
9 “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days.
Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
11 “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.”’
We’re going to look this morning at three distinct aspects of the letter written by the Lord Jesus to Smyrna.
We’re going to see first of all, their persecution… then their poverty, and finally, their promise.
Let’s look first at the suffering of the church in Smyrna.
The Persecution of Smyrna
To fully understand the degree of persecution that the church at Smyrna had to endure, we need to understand the city of Smyrna itself. Smyrna is located in modern day Turkey, and is known today by its modern name of ‘Izmir’. Smyrna was famous throughout the Roman world for its temples, and its fervent adherence to one particular pagan doctrine. If you’re familiar with the concept of the Roman Caesar being worshipped as a god, then you already have a link to ancient Smyrna… because it was here, in this city, that ‘the cult of Rome’, with its practice of deifying Emperors, began. I could talk a lot more about this point, and about the history of this city, because it certainly ties in with our text today, but for the sake of time, I won’t. What’s important to note here, however, is that the people of Smyrna were passionately idolatrous… and that this worldview led to a zero-tolerance approach to Christianity at the end of the first century.
Many of us would be familiar with the classic representations of Christian persecution. In fact, even if you haven’t gleaned your knowledge of the Romans’ persecution of Christians from history, you’ll no doubt be familiar with it through film and television. Movies ranging from the classic ‘Ben Hur’ to the modern ‘Gladiator’ have all contained visuals of Christians being whipped, crucified, imprisoned, enslaved, and fed to lions. This is no exaggeration. Roman persecution of the Christian communities throughout the Middle East was swift, brutal and terrifying.
While it’s tempting to think of such brutality as a thing of the past, particularly in a quiet corner of the globe like the one we live in, we have all, in recent months, seen horrific images on our televisions of the persecution of Christians in Syria and Iraq at the hands of ISIS. We’ve seen Christians burnt alive, drowned, crucified, shot, buried alive, and worse. …and I don’t know about you, but I haven’t even been able to bring myself to watch the footage. It’s just too horrific.
This, though, was life in Smyrna – daily, intense, life-threatening persecution, at the hands of the Romans… and the Jews. Let me give you an example.
By the middle of the second century, every citizen within Smyrna’s walls was required by law, once a year, to burn a pinch of incense on the altar of Dea Roma, the goddess of Rome. This became a test for Christians throughout the empire; those who refused to offer incense were sentenced to death: either burned at the stake, or torn apart by wild animals in the arena for the entertainment of the masses. Perhaps the most famous instance of this is the death of Polycarp, a man appointed by the Apostle John himself as head of the church in Smyrna. Polycarp had refused to offer incense to Dea Roma, and as a result, found himself brought to prosecution by the leaders of the Jewish community who had once again conspired under Roman law to bring a righteous man to trial.
Now, I want to clarify something briefly here. I believe that this group of Jews is what Jesus is referring to when he speaks of a “Synagogue of Satan… who say they are Jews, but are not” – but I’d like to stress one important point. I believe that there are multiple relevant levels of application to this term. When we reach the letter to the church of Philadelphia in Chapter 3, we’ll encounter the same term; however, in this chapter, we see a Synagogue of Satan… whereas in Chapter 3, we’ll see THE Synagogue of Satan. These are very similar terms, but the definite article in the latter description leads to a distinctly different application. I’ll talk more about that once we reach chapter 3, but for now, understand who we’re dealing with: a group of Jews who, having rejected the Messiah, have turned to persecuting the church of Jesus Christ throughout the Middle East, and particularly at Smyrna.
Now, back to Polycarp. Having been handed over by these Jews, the Roman proconsul demanded that Polycarp recant and pay homage to Rome, crying out “Swear, and I will set you free – reproach Christ!” Polycarp refused, saying “Eighty six years I have served Christ, and never has he wronged me. How then can I blaspheme my King and Saviour?”
When the day came, Polycarp was led out to his death. Under the sentence of the Roman Proconsul, he was to be tied to a stake and burned alive. Those who were responsible for his execution wanted to nail him to the sake… and yet Polycarp protested, saying “Leave me as I am. He who has given me strength to endure the fire will also enable me, without you securing me with nails, to stand in the fire.”
Polycarp was burned at the stake on February 23rd, 155AD.
Crowds of Jews broke their own Sabbath law by carrying wood for the fire.
You can see, can’t you, the suffering of the church at Smyrna. These Christians had quite literally lost everything for the sake of Jesus Christ. They were obedient… even unto death.
I’d like to suggest to you here that this church is, in many respects, the most Christlike of all of the churches listed here in Revelation. Now, that’s a pretty big claim to make, but there are indications here in the text that this is indeed the case. Let’s look at those together.
There are two points that set the church of Smyrna apart from each of the other seven letters. In order to notice the first, we need to clearly identify the structure of each letter. Throughout the book of Revelation, we’re going to see a whole host of ‘sevens’. There are seven spirits, seven beatitudes, seven churches, seven lampstands, seven stars, seven seals, seven horns, seven eyes, seven angels, seven trumpets, seven thunders, seven heads, seven crowns…
I’m going to stop there, because if I don’t, this sermon will run over time. There are, in the book of Revelation, at least 49 ‘sevens’ (note that – that’s seven times seven) on the surface of the text. That’s not even going into the elements of the text, or into the language itself – and I’m absolutely convinced we could find more there.
In respect to our study, however, we find seven primary elements to each of the letters to the seven churches. These are, in order:
The title of the church
The character of Christ
The character of the church
Christ’s commendation
Christ’s concern
Christ’s chastisement
Christ’s consolation
In this letter, however, to the church at Smyrna, one of these points is missing, while another is somewhat altered. We have the title of the church. We have the character of Christ – the first and the last, who was dead, and came to life, we have the character of the church, in works, tribulation, and poverty; we have a commendation (you are rich!); we have a concern for the things they are about to suffer, and we have consolation – He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.
…what’s missing here is chastisement.
I’d like to suggest to you that the reason that the Lord does not chastise the church at Smyrna is because it already reflected His glory - and it was for this reason that they were suffering so intensely.
Listen to this quote from Leonard Ravenhill. I love the way he puts this.
"Look at Jesus. We see that there is no room for Him in the inn. He got a bit older, there was no room in His family, His family turned on Him. He went to the temple, no room in the temple, the temple turned on Him. And when He died there was no room to bury Him, He died outside of the city. Well why in God's Name do you expect to be accepted everywhere?
How is it that the world couldn't get on with the holiest Man that ever lived and can get on with you and me? Are we compromised?
Are we compromised?
Have we no spiritual stature? Have we no righteousness that reflects upon their corruption?
As Dr. Tozer used to say, “you knew one thing about a man that was carrying a cross out of the city. You knew he wasn’t coming back.”
This wonderful quote suggests to us why there is no chastisement in this passage. The church at Smyrna reflected the person and the power of the Lord Jesus Christ to the point that they were persecuted for it, even unto death. They had a righteousness that reflected upon the corruption of the world… and the world hated them for it.
In reinforcing that view, I’d like to share something with you. It’s a minor textual point in some respects, but I think it’s a beautiful one. Keep in mind that there is nothing in all of Scripture that is accidental. Every word, every phrase, every pause, every mark of punctuation is carefully crafted to convey the message that the Lord would have us hear. The key in this passage is in the name.
The word ‘Smyrna’ is derived from the same Greek word as ‘myrrh’.
The word 'Smyrna' comes from the same root as 'myrrh'. Myrrh, we associate with death - it was the burial spice used on Jesus' body, and one of the gifts of the magi - but it also has a very literal meaning that comes from the manner in which myrrh is processed into a spice. The literal meaning of the word is 'crushed'; and it’s this process that unlocks the beautiful fragrance.
When Jesus spoke to the church at Smyrna, He knew they had been crushed. By persecution, by pain, even by death. …and yet in that suffering, they became like Christ.
Listen to Isaiah 53:10.
But the LORD was pleased to crush Him and cause Him to suffer.
When You make His soul an offering for sin,
He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,
And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.
We’re familiar, aren’t we, with the allusion between myrrh and the death of Christ. We know that the gift given by the magi was representative of the death that Jesus Christ was to die, and we know, too, that His body was indeed wrapped in cloth soaked in myrrh upon His death.
In this way, and using this same imagery, we see that Smyrna was united with Christ in the fellowship of His suffering. Look with me to Revelation 2 and verse 8. Allow me to substitute the literal meaning of the word in here.
And to the angel of the church that was crushed, write…
These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life.
We need to understand a very important point here.
The church at Smyrna reflected the glory of Jesus Christ in life, and in death. The believers of that city stood before the world with a righteousness that reflected on the world’s corruption, and for the faithfulness of their testimony and for the word of Jesus Christ, they were crushed.
This is a stark contrast to the age in which we live, isn’t it.
We live in a time where the church has become far too comfortable with the world. We have no spiritual stature; we have no righteousness that reflects upon their corruption. We have become truly compromised. In fact, looking like the world is far too often employed as a tactic by the church in order to get people in through the doors. We call this the ‘seeker sensitive’ church, and it’s an abomination. We’re called to separate ourselves from the world, not to copy it! We have been called to reflect the glory of the King! …and if our studies in Revelation so far haven’t communicated to you just how far short we fall of the glory of God, then I can only imagine that you haven’t been listening – because the King is glorious, and He’s holy, and He’s beautiful, and we’ve turned His church into an unholy mockery of all that it was called to be.
…but while it’s easy enough to point fingers at the church at large, and to highlight the fallen state of Christianity across the world, this passage goes deeper than that. We saw last time we opened the book of Revelation that the application of each of these letters is not just to the churches themselves, but also to the individual.
This letter is aimed at men, women and children who bear the name of Jesus Christ in the world... and so the question must be asked: Whose glory do we reflect?
Turn with me to Philippians 3… and verse 7.
But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Scripture is emphatic. You cannot be of the world, and be conformed to the likeness of Christ. Instead, we must die to the world – and the world must be dead to us. It is only through this process, empowered by the Holy Spirit, of dying to the world, and dying to self, that we can be conformed to Christ in His death, that we might have life through Him. …and like Leonard Ravenhill says… there’s no coming back. This is not a question of salvation, but of sanctification. If you are in Christ, if you have been born again, if you hold Jesus Christ as your Lord and saviour, this is your duty toward the King: to live a life of sacrifice, that you might be conformed to the likeness of His death, and united with Him in life, and thus radiate the resurrected glory of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords… and if we start here, with just one man, one woman, willing to lay down their life for the glory of the King, then maybe… just maybe we’ll start to see the church having an impact on the world once again.
What we see here in the church at Smyrna… and what we as a church, and as individuals, are called to, is total submission to the will of the Lord Jesus Christ. The church at Smyrna, not having their own righteousness, but having that righteousness which is from God by faith, suffered and bled and died for the sake of the name of Jesus Christ… and if we seek know the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, then we too must show such obedience to the Father.
Friends, this is radical Christianity. We look at our churches today, and they seem so dead, or so superficial, or so worldly… let me tell you, it’s not because we don’t have the right rock band, and it’s not because we don’t have the right worship leader, it’s not because we don’t have dynamic preachers… it’s because we don’t have Christ! We’ve forgotten how to separate ourselves from the world, we’ve forgotten how to cling to Christ amidst the darkness of this fallen, broken society, and we’ve forgotten that we can do nothing without Him.
What are the words of the hymn?
NOTHING in my hands I bring,
Simply to thy cross I cling.
This is the plight of the Christian, and this is why we have become so very ineffectual in the world. We have everything, and yet we have nothing, because we refuse to cling to the one thing of value: Christ.
The Poverty of Smyrna
Look with me at verse 9.
I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich!).
We’ve seen this morning exactly what it cost the church at Smyrna to be obedient to Jesus Christ. This verse makes it clear that even what little they had, had been taken away from them. The word translated ‘poverty’ here is the Greek word tocheia, and it refers to absolute, abject poverty. They had nothing. The implication, however, is that this is no mere financial hardship. The believers in Smyrna had quite literally chosen to endure absolute poverty, rather than to forsake the name of Jesus Christ.
In doing so, they became like Christ Himself.
Philippians 2:6-8 says that Jesus Christ,
“being in very nature, God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”
Being obedient to Jesus Christ cost the believers in Smyrna everything.
Being obedient to the Father cost Jesus everything…
This is what the Lord demands from us, as believers… not that we should necessarily renounce everything for Him, but rather, that we should be obedient to Him, whatever the cost… and as we’re about to see, what the church at Smyrna gave up could not possibly compare to what they received in return.
Look again at verse 9.
I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich!).
I love this verse. In my mind, I can picture the church at Smyrna, huddled around a scroll handed down by the apostle John, as they desperately wait to hear the words of Jesus. I can just imagine what they were thinking.
I know your works.
Excellent! The Lord knows how hard we’ve worked. We’ve been obedient, even against strong opposition… we’ve stood firm against unbelievers, and preached the Word, in season and out of season.
…your tribulation.
What a comfort! The Lord knows how much we’ve suffered. This is getting good…
…and your poverty (but you are rich!).
I can only imagine that it would have taken the believers some time to process this last part of the sentence.
It seems, doesn’t it, like an odd thing to say… but this is the thread that ties together the entire passage, from beginning to end.
Read verses 8 and 11 with me.
These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to 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.
Why does the Lord Jesus introduce Himself, and close His letter, in this way?
I want you to notice that in this entire chapter, the Lord never once promises the church at Smyrna relief. He doesn’t tell them that their poverty is temporary. He doesn’t promise them that their tribulation will be brief, and he doesn’t tell them that they’ll be delivered. In fact, He does quite the opposite – he encourages them to be faithful unto death.
There’s a very important point for us to learn from this. Make no mistake, the Lord knows that these people are suffering – even to the point of death, and He knows that more suffering, more tribulation, will come – and yet His amidst all of this tribulation, and despite their great poverty, His great encouragement, comes not through relief, but through revelation. Look again at verse 8. These things says the First, and the Last, who was dead, and came to life.
Now, I’ll grant you that we’re not persecuted like Smyrna. We haven’t been fed to the lions, we haven’t been crucified in the streets, and I’d warrant that none of us have lost everything for His sake. …and that, in and of itself, is a great blessing. But here, even here, how often do we need to hear this reminder? How often, when we suffer, when we struggle, when we are persecuted, or hurt, or lonely, do we need to be reminded to look, first and foremost, to He who is the First and the Last, who holds all of history in His hands?
When we are in financial trouble, when our relationships aren’t what we hoped they’d be, when we suffer with illness and death and disease, when we grapple with the trials and tribulations of life, where is our focus?
Far too often, we focus on relief, and neglect the revelation. But Jesus Christ knows exactly what the church at Smyrna needs to hear.
Listen to what the Lord Jesus says; both here in these verses, and beyond:
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, First and the Last.
I am the First and the Last.
I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold…
I am alive forevermore.
I am He who searches hearts and minds
I am coming quickly;
I am coming as a thief;
I am the Alpha and the Omega;
I am coming quickly;
I am coming quickly;
I am The Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last;
I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star;
I am Coming quickly!
Do you see it? Do you hear it?
Could this point be made any clearer than it is? I AM, I AM, I AM, I AM, I AM, I AM…
And Jesus says to the church at Smyrna… as He says to His church today:
When you suffer, when you’re lost, when you’re lonely, when relationships break down, when you’re sick, when you’re scared, when you’re in prison, when you’re hurt, when you’re confused, when people revile you and persecute you and harm you and scorn you because of the Lord Jesus Christ, remember what He says.
…I AM your shield, your very great reward.
…and so here it is, through persecution, through poverty, and even unto the point of death, that Jesus Christ says unto His church, I AM… and I am coming quickly.
Where are you, today?
Are you dead to the world? Has the world been crucified to you?
Have you been crucified with Christ?
Are your eyes firmly fixed on the King of Kings, the author and perfector of your faith? Are you willing to give up everything in obedience to Him, for His glory?
“I am your shield, your very great reward.”
In the end… whether in suffering, or in peace, in persecution or in joy… it is all about Jesus Christ.
Let’s pray.
