The Fearful Church at Smyrna

Alright, let's take our Bibles. Let's turn to Revelation chapter 2. I think most of you know where we are. We are going to be in verses 8 to 11. Revelation chapter 2 verses 8 to 11. I know we had an interruption with Vacation Bible School and we may have some other interruptions in the summer, but I challenge you to be students of these verses, these churches that we are studying, even going back into chapter 1. I challenge you to just read through this material and get it in your mind. And I've done that, not just studying to teach because there's some good stuff here.

There's more here than we can really cover in the few messages that we will be in. Now we are continuing in our Wednesday night study that I have titled, What Does Jesus Say About The 7 Churches Of Revelation? That's really a question and we are answering that question in each message. And tonight we are moving on to the second church, that's obvious, the church at Smyrna. But before we move on from the Ephesian church, I want us to remember the correction. Really they got more than a correction. It was really a rebuke, a strong, strong rebuke. They had forsaken their first love. That was their first love for Christ.

They had forsaken their first love for Christ, therefore is a people in a church they had fallen from where they should have been. And there are two things we need to make sure that we do not forget before we move on. First, it wasn't just that they had forsaken their love for Christ, but they had forsaken their first love all by doing everything right. Think about that. I have meditated on that quite a bit. I've even had some good conversations with some of you about this fact. They had forsaken their first love all by doing everything else right.

Second, Jesus commanded them to remember from where they had fallen to repent from who they were and what they were and to return to their love for Him and the works of loving Him. Now that's loaded. If you look at the original language, the way "remember" is constructed, it's not just that they should remember one time, they should continuously remember. And then this "repent," it was firm, it was an immediate turning from who they were, who they had become. And this is something I have meditated over quite a lot. He doesn't just say return to the love that you had in Christ, but return to the works that are associated with loving Him.

And what does He say? If not, He told them that He would visit them in judgment. He promised that He would have removed their lampstand, He would have cut them off from His light, from His authority, from His presence in true kingdom work. And all along they could have been doing all these externals right. Now a question here. How does this apply to us? This applies to us in many, many ways, but I have pondered this quite a lot. And I have again had some good conversations here. This just shows us that we are a healthy church and we could become more and more healthy, increasingly healthy.

We could do all of these things right and we could miss the loving Christ as well. Just because we are doing everything right doesn't mean we have the main thing as we should. Now the letter to the church at Smyrna is a lot different in several ways than the letter to the Ephesians. But before we dive deep into the verses and this church here, we need to look at a little background information just like we did with the Ephesian situation. Let's look at the city and let's look at the church. First the city. The city of Smyrna was related to the city of Ephesus in several ways. This is an incomplete list.

Smyrna was only about 40 miles to the north of Ephesus. And just like Ephesus, Smyrna was an important large city and scholars tell us it was ranked with Ephesus and Pergamum as the first or the larger cities there in Asia. But although Ephesus and Pergamum were equal to or greater than Smyrna politically and economically, Smyrna was greater in another way. It was said to be the most beautiful city in all of Asia at that time. One scholar pointed out that of the three, Pergamum was the capital. Ephesus was the largest and most important, but Smyrna was by far the most beautiful of the three. But as a city, Smyrna was imported. It was wealthy.

It was prosperous for several reasons. The city had an imported seaport on the Aegean Sea and unlike the port at Ephesus, the port at Smyrna did not have a problem with silting up. So it was always open for trade. And also Smyrna was located on a western end of a road that ran through the rich Hermes Valley. So being a port city and being on an imported trade route, that ensured their importance, that ensured their wealth, their prominence as a city. And throughout her history, Smyrna repeatedly sided with Rome and their allegiance to Rome earned them special privileges that were granted from Rome.

One privilege was that they were given the privilege of being a free city, which meant that they could govern themselves. And this led to their religious importance as well. Historians and scholars tell us that the people of Smyrna were so engrossed with Rome, Roman culture and everything Roman, that in 195 BC they built a temple in which they worshiped Rome. And by the time of this letter Smyrna was the center of emperor worship. Scholars tell us that they competed with 11 other cities to build the first temple in honor of Caesar Tiberius. And they won the privilege from the Roman Senate in 23 AD.

Emperor worship became mandatory under the next emperor. That was Emperor Domitian. So that meant that every Roman citizen was required by law to participate in emperor worship or risk death. Once a year citizens were required to burn incense on the altar to the Godhead of Caesar and all citizens had to burn a pinch of incense and confess Caesar as Lord. And then if you do some more study and reading you are going to find out that they worshiped all kinds of other gods as well. But most Christians refused to participate in Caesar worship. Well what was the result? Persecution.

One scholar said, and I'm quoting, "Perhaps nowhere was life for a Christian more perilous than in this city of zealous emperor worship." Now you understand my background really helps. Now if we fast forward in time from the letter, about 60 years later around the year 156 or 155 the famous second century church leader Polycarp was burned alive at the age of 86 for refusing to burn incense or worship Caesar. He is famous for his last word saying and I'm quoting, "86 years I have served Christ and he has never done me wrong. How can I blaspheme my king who saved me?" Now the history of Smyrna and its comparison to Ephesus is interesting.

Ephesus, their harbor eventually did silt up and the city went out of existence. Today ancient Ephesus is nothing more than ruins. It is nothing more than a tourist destination, an archeological site but not Smyrna. The harbor at Smyrna never silt it up and despite numerous fires and earthquakes throughout history, the Romans always built it back. The city of Smyrna exists today and it is the Turkish city of Izmar. Izmar, probably mispronouncing Izmar. But then second the church. Earlier I said that the city of Smyrna was related to Ephesus for several reasons and one of these reasons was in Iz the church.

Although the scriptures do not tell us of the founding of this church, most Bible scholars speculate and I think it's a safe speculation that the church was founded from Paul's ministry in Ephesus, this described in Acts chapter 19, specifically verse 6. But when it comes to information and details about the church in Smyrna, we know very little. The church nor the city are mentioned in the book of Acts. The only time the church is mentioned is found right here in Revelation chapter 2 verses 8 to 11. That's only four verses.

But even though we know little about the church from scripture, we know quite a lot about the church from well-known, very respected church history. History tells us that this church suffered much persecution. It would seem that persecution was really their lot in life, the cards that the Lord dealt them. And when you study Christian persecution in the second century, you soon come across one particular church leader. I mentioned him earlier and that is Polycarp. Polycarp was the bishop of Smyrna and reliable historical writings say that Polycarp was appointed bishop of the church at Smyrna by some of the apostles themselves.

But who was Polycarp? I ran across an article by R.C. Sproul just describing Polycarp. It's heroes of the Christian faith. But listen, this is good. Polycarp was bishop of Smyrna in the middle of the second century and was widely admired for his pastoral care and his compassion that he demonstrated for his flock. He had strong ties with both the apostles and the early church fathers. Polycarp had actually known the apostle John during his childhood. He was friends with Ignatius, one of the most important leaders of the early church.

He was also one of the teachers of Arrhenius and one of the most influential theologians and apologists of the second century. Polycarp is well-known for his martyrdom at the hands of the Romans. I've already mentioned that. History tells us around the year 155 during the persecution of Marcus Aurelius, Polycarp was arrested and killed at 86. Well, who was Marcus Aurelius? He was a Roman emperor. And it was during his rule that Christian persecution escalated. There is some debate as to his personal knowledge and participation, but historians attribute the rise and persecution against the Christians to him, Marcus Aurelius.

Polycarp was burned at the stake and tradition says that he would not allow his executioners to nail him to the stake, that he embraced martyrdom. And what was the reason? Why was he killed by Rome? He refused to worship the emperor. He refused to confess Caesar as Lord. So although we know little about the church at Smyrna from the scripture, we know quite a lot from history. And both scripture and history tells us they were a persecuted church. Again, it seems like that was their lot in life by God. So let's look at these verses. Let's read them.

"And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, the words of the first and the last, who died and came to life, I know your tribulation and your poverty, but you are rich in the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear led him here what the spirit says to the churches.

The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death." Now before I kind of explain how we're going to divide these verses, if you felt like the Ephesian letter was a little rough because they got a rebuke, we probably would rather have the Ephesian letter than this one. That's why getting background really helps. Now let me show you how we're going to divide the verses. I'm going to make four observations, four truths. First, their communication in verse eight. Second, their commendation, how they were bragged on in verse nine. And then their command out of verse ten and fourth, their counsel in verse eleven.

So number one, their communication. Verse eight, "To the angel of the church in Smyrna write the words of the first and the last who died and came to life." Now just like the letter to the Ephesians, this letter is addressed to the angel of the church at Smyrna. This would have been the pastor, the elder. But the letter moves into identifying the one corresponding to the church. This is obvious, the Lord Jesus. And again, just like when he addressed the Ephesians, he is repeating what he had previously said in chapter one, verse seventeen. Now why does Jesus do this?

Christ Jesus was and is reinforcing his authority over the church and the churches and that what is being written is truthful and authoritative. And this reminds me of something I said last week. I believe this prepares us to receive these letters. Christ has authority over the churches because the churches belong to him. He purchased the church with his own blood and we are simply stewards. It's not our church, it's his church. He's given it to us so when we say it's our church, we understand it's not our church. So we see his authority over the church. But two details here. He says that he was and is the first and the last.

Now what we see here is simple. The first and the last is familiar, is a familiar Old Testament title used of God. We see this in Isaiah 44.6 and 48.12. But notice what Jesus is telling us here. This title used for God, now Jesus uses it for himself and he does this to affirm his equality with God, his deity. Second, he says that he was dead and has come to life. Obviously this speaks of Christ's death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead.

1 Peter 3.18 says, "For Christ also suffered once for sins, for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit." So what we see here is this, Christ's introduction. But what was the purpose of his introduction in his communication here? He was reminding this pastor, these believers, any other church leaders, the church who was writing to them. This was to remind them of his authority and to comfort them in their situation. And as we will see, they needed a lot of comforting. A lot. Now before I move on, I want you to see something. The word authority can lead us to comfort.

If Christ Jesus is in control, if he is God and he is, and we lean on his authority, well then that can give us comfort. Think about it. These brothers and sisters in this church needed a great deal of comfort. And I guess putting it in my language, maybe they just needed to hear the Lord say, "I've got it, I'm in control." You know sometimes when things are going rough, we kind of can't see the forest because of the trees. You know what that means? Trial, difficulty can be difficult. We really can't see quite clear.

And sometimes when we're in those situations, our comfort comes from knowing and seeing afresh and anew that our Lord's in control. He's the first and the last. So they're communication from Jesus. Number two, they're commendation. Now what is a commendation? What is a commendation? It's simple. This is a praise report. Jesus was giving them a praise report for their situation, but most importantly he was giving them a praise report for their reaction to their circumstances and their troubles.

Verse 9, "I know your tribulation and your poverty, but your rich and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan." Now let's look at this praise report. First he says he knows them fully. Now this word "know" is the same word "know" that he used in chapter 2 verse 2 when he was writing to the Ephesians. In the original this word means to have full knowledge as opposed to acquired knowledge or progressive knowledge or gaining knowledge progressively.

So this means that Jesus had full knowledge of them as opposed to acquired knowledge or progressively gaining knowledge which could be false or could be incomplete. Jesus had full knowledge, a total accurate knowledge of them, of their situation, and he had this full knowledge because he wasn't his God. He's the first and the last. Second he says he knows their tribulation. Here are all the translations we study in reference. Use the word "tribulation." But the Amplified says I know your suffering and your poverty. Suffering and your poverty. But this word "tribulation" in the original it literally means pressure.

It means pressure pressing, pressing together. And this is a very common word used for persecution or tribulation all in the New Testament. So he, Christ Jesus, he knew their pressure, the pressures they were facing and how they were being pressed in by their sufferings and their tribulations. Third he says he knew their poverty. All the translations read the same. But there's an interesting and a big detail here we need to see. There are two words used for poverty in the New Testament. One word describes one who struggles to meet their needs. The other word describes one who is simply a beggar or one who cannot even work to meet their needs.

And their needs are met by the provisions of others. And the word that Jesus used here was the former. It is the former. So this tells us that they were a very, very, very poor people. They were so poor that they could not even work for their own needs and their needs had to be met by others. Now I don't know about you. That leads me to some questions. Why were they so poor? If Smyrna was so rich? They had a great economy. They were a wealthy city. So why were they so poor if Smyrna was so rich? Why were these Christians so poor when we would assume there were economic opportunities in the city?

Well we do not know because the Scriptures don't tell us but scholars speculate that it was due to the popularity of emperor worship. Simply because the Christians could not participate in the emperor cult they were cut off from economic opportunities. And then fourth he said he knew they were rich. Here we see that they were destitute in material possessions but they were rich in spiritual possessions. If you study ahead you will see a contrast between the church at Smyrna and the church at Laodicea.

The believers in Smyrna were materially poor and a poor people but they were spiritually rich and the Laodicean believers were materially rich but spiritually poor as a people in a church. Now let me stop right here and point something out that I don't think any of you struggle with. The health, wealth and prosperity lie will not make it right here. I mean they are so poor they are beggars but the Lord doesn't rebuke them for their poverty he says they are rich. The health, wealth and prosperity lie won't make it here. The believers in Smyrna were physically, economically poor, very poor but Jesus didn't rebuke them for that they were rich.

Fifth he said he knew the false Jews. Now what we need to see here is this. He was and he is speaking of Jews in the city because they were Jews, ethnic Jews scattered all throughout the Roman Empire. But it is important to understand that these were physical ethnic Jews but not spiritual Jews. Paul helps us understand this in Romans 2, 28 and 29. Being a true Jew or a spiritual Jew means having a circumcision of the heart. That speaks of a heart change. Abraham had a circumcision of the heart. He believed God and he was justified. It was credited to him as righteousness. But that's not what we have here.

These Jews were ethnic Jews but they were not believing Jews. So the synagogue of Satan refers to those Jews in Smyrna who accused these Christians of heresy. They brought false allegations to the Romans against the Christians. So notice it seems you've got persecution from two sides all converging from the Romans and the Jews who used the Romans against the church. So here in verse 9 we see that Christ Jesus was. He is explaining to these believers in Smyrna to this church here that he knows them. He knew them fully. He knew their suffering. He knew their tribulation. He knew their condition.

The fact that they were extremely poor in material and possessions and money but yet he knew they were spiritually rich. Now an application. There are a few things I want us to learn here. First, Christ Jesus knows us and he knows what we are going through nationally. I can't help but think about Amy. I can't help but think about Amy and Josie and Annabelle. The Lord Jesus knows what they are going through. He knew this was coming. This didn't sneak up on God. This relates. I mean these believers who were suffering the Lord knew them fully what was going on.

When we go through trial, when we go through difficulty, the Lord knows he is the first and the last. We get our comfort by leaning on him. He knows. Think about Evan and Devon and what they have been walking through with Allie Jean and they have been a great picture and an example of grace and just leaning on the Lord. The Lord knows. And again sometimes when we are going through difficulty it can be hard for us to even see the ceiling above us much less the sky. We need this reminder. Second, Christ Jesus knows us and what we are going through corporately. This wasn't a letter just to individuals. This was a letter to a church.

He knows our church needs and all I have to do as a pastor, all any of our leaders have to do is just look to him to see what the scripture say. All I have to do is to look what the scripture say and look to him and let him tell us. And you know what? If we study these seven churches as we should it's going to be a mirror for us. It's going to be encouragement for us. He will show us who we are and what we are going through and what he is expecting of us from the scripture. Third, it is better to be physically poor and spiritually rich than the other way around.

It is better for us as believers to be physically poor and spiritually rich than the other way around. A couple of rhetorical questions. This really should hit home with us because we are a prosperous people. We talked about this Sunday morning. There is nothing wrong with material possessions and monies. It's when those things have us that's when it becomes sinful. But would we give up physical possessions and even money? Maybe money gained from a job. Would we give up those things so as to be rich spiritually and so as to gain more riches spiritually? You might say pastor what does that look like?

You could have a job opportunity that could keep you from coming to church. You could have a job opportunity that would pull you away from your family. You could have a job opportunity where you would make more money, have more possessions, provide more stuff for your family but yet it would erode your spiritual life and spiritual health, your commitment to the church. You see? It's better to be physically poor and spiritually rich than the other way around. But yeah, there are some people who are given quite a lot of possessions. I know some. Just like we saw Sunday morning with what Paul said to Timothy.

They are rich in good deeds with the possessions that they do have. So the commendation they receive from Jesus. And then number three, their command, verse 10. "Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold the devil is about to throw some of you into prison that you may be tested. And for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life." Again, some of us would probably rather have the letter to the Ephesian church written to us than this one. But it might seem strange to think that Jesus would give this poor persecuted church a command. Think about it.

They were very poor and persecuted greatly. We could think that all they needed was comfort and encouragement, but that's not the case. Remember the church and the churches belonged to Christ. He purchased the church with his own blood and Christ knew them fully, totally and accurately. So he knew that they needed, he knew what they needed and he knew that they needed a command even in their weakness. And here I see two basic things. First he commands them, "Do not fear the suffering that is coming." Here the command is clear and their future was clear.

He says to them, "Do not fear the suffering that is coming, not that may come." Then Jesus moves on to describe the suffering that was about to come. He clearly states that some of them were going to be cast into prison. But he does say that this suffering was only for a little while. Notice the detail. Notice this detail which is very comforting. He was alluding to the sovereignty of God in trials and persecutions. Although it was the devil doing these things, he was and is sovereign over these things. But a question. Why, why, why would God allow, why would have, why would have God allowed them to be thrown into prison?

You see the answer to that question in the verse. Simply they were being tested. God had a purpose. God had a purpose for this particular circumstance and this test, it was all for them. I like how John MacArthur pulls out this purpose for a testing from Paul in 1 Corinthians 12, 9 to 10. He says, and I'm quoting, "By successfully enduring that trial, they would prove the reality of their faith and be strengthened and prove once again that Satan cannot destroy genuine saving faith." So he commands them not to fear the suffering, the testing that was coming. And second, he commands them to be faithful even unto death.

In this portion of verse 10, it seems that Christ was saying that some could even taste death or at least come to the point of death. Although this testing would be brief, 10 days, it appears that some may even die in the testing. I like what one commentator says here. This comes from Vincent's word studies. I'm really putting it in my own words. He says that this was not a faithfulness until the time of death, but a faithfulness up to a measure which will endure death for Christ's sake. And notice the reward for this faithfulness even unto death, the crown of life. In the original, this wording refers to the victor's crown.

And these believers would have related to this language. Smyrna was a participant in the ancient games. And in their day, the winner of the games was awarded a winner's crown, a laurel wreath. So this was, this is the crown of life for those who possess genuine faith, who were faithful in the faith, in their suffering, even suffering to the point of death, even tasting death. So we have this command. Let me reread the verse in the Amplified. "Fear nothing that you are about to suffer. Be aware that the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested in your faith and for 10 days you will have tribulation.

Be faithful to the point of death if you must die for your faith and I will give you the crown consisting of life." Obviously, eternal life. But notice one more detail. The commands, "Do not fear, be faithful." The commands here, "Do not fear, be faithful." Or attached to the persecution or the tribulation. Remember the pressure, the pressure, the pressure that was right around the corner. You see that? The commands, "Do not fear, be faithful." They are attached to persecution and tribulation pressure that was right around the corner for them. And I point this out because for us, our Lord commands us to be faithful.

And sometimes we can struggle to be faithful as we should be. We don't face the suffering that they face. We don't face prison. We don't face the possibility of death. But yet we're called to be faithful. We're not living in deep poverty like they are, but we're considered and we're called to be faithful. So I guess a couple of rhetorical questions. What is our excuse when we struggle in our faithfulness? He's saying, "You be faithful. Persecution is right here, even unto death. And by the way, you're already suffering with great poverty." So what is our excuses? What is our excuse?

Just seems like sometimes folks, I'm going to be honest with you, it doesn't take much to just keep us a little unfaithful. Maybe sometimes we do a little too much on a Saturday so we can't be faithful on Sunday. Maybe we don't arrange our week like we should so we can't be as faithful as we should be. Certain times of the year some folks just aren't as faithful. I was talking with a friend of mine who pastors in Tennessee and he was dealing with a church leader who every football season just isn't faithful. Just isn't faithful.

He goes to the Tennessee Titans football games and he says, "Pastor, you're telling me that a football game is sinful?" He said, "No, there's nothing wrong with a football game, but when you can't be faithful it is a sin." I'm going to get onto some of you men right here. Sometimes when our children get a little sick it seems like it takes everybody and anybody to stay home with the kids. I've said this to you before, if mom can take care of the kids while they're sick, men you come, you're the leader, you come, you be fed the word of God and go home and teach it back to your wife. You might say, "Pastor, you're being a little harsh." Think.

Think about all of the things that can erode our faithfulness. And let me turn it around. Would you allow those things to cause you to be unfaithful in your job? What's most important? And look folks, if we can struggle to be faithful as we should be in our day and time, in our day and time, what will happen when persecution and prison and death does come? These people were very poor. Lots of pressure. Pressure from the Jews, pressure from the Romans, the Jews used the Romans, and what does he say? Be faithful. Let's evaluate the things that can erode our faithfulness, the way we view certain things. I'll be honest with you.

Some of you got family, I really think are used by the enemy. Sometimes family always has needs when on Sunday. Sometimes family always has a need when you need to be here. I'm not saying you should turn your back on your family. I have to juggle things to meet the needs of my family sometimes. Faithfulness. Faithfulness. Number four, their counsel, verse 11. Their counsel. "He who is in here, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death." This is almost word for word the same counsel that the Lord gave the Ephesians in verse 7.

But here in this counsel in verse 11, I want us to look at three quick details. First, he gives a word to the individual. Now the wording in verse 11 makes it clear that Jesus was recognizing the individuals who would be hearing or reading the letter. Simply these churches were comprised of individual believers who needed to listen to this instruction on a personal level. Notice, he who has an ear, personal. Second, he gives a word to the churches. Now the word to the church of the churches is in the middle of verse 11. And we can say that this applies to the churches. It's plural. Churches.

So this makes it clear that all these letters were to be distributed to the churches. They were circular letters. This is not just a letter for the church at Smyrna, but to all of the churches listed in Revelation and even down through the ages to us. Third, he gives them a reward. This is where the counsel to the believers at Smyrna differs from the counsel to the Ephesian believers. Look at what churches were facing. The believers in Smyrna were facing poverty, more poverty, tribulation, more tribulation, persecution, more persecution, and the possibility of death.

While there is no indication the Ephesians were facing the same things and they were only 40 miles away. Simplistically, Jesus is saying, "Though you may face physical death, you as true believers will not face the second death." There's a reward. So their counsel was to listen and to listen close as individuals and as a church. And he was saying that even if they faced prison, persecution, and it led to death, they had a reward. It's real simple here folks. What's the greatest reward we can receive? What's the greatest reward we can receive?

I know that I'll get into a little trouble by mentioning this, but we still laugh and cry because we miss our friend George. But George is in a better place. He received the ultimate reward. Teresa misses George, but she's so happy that he's not suffering anymore. She's so happy that he's with Jesus. Yeah, praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. He got the ultimate reward. So Teresa, I'll get into trouble a little later on for making you cry. Now in conclusion, with the Ephesian church, we saw believers in a church that had fallen. They had forsaken the love that they had from the beginning. They had left their first love. They had fallen.

But they were doing everything right externally and they would have been commended and copied by every believer, by every church that knew them. They could have put on a conference in the region to show everybody what to do. But the warning and the lesson is this. What is on the outside does not always reflect the inside. What is on the outside does not always reflect the inside. And with the church at Smyrna, we see the fearful church or a group of believers that definitely could have been fearful because their circumstances and their future. But although they were fearful, feeble, fragile, Jesus said they were very rich spiritually.

And the warning and the lesson here is this. What we see as spiritual riches and what God sees as spiritual riches can be much different. So I know I did this with the Ephesian church. You have the feeble church at Smyrna. You have the rich church at Smyrna. You have the usable church at Smyrna. You have the accepted church at Smyrna. But you really have the fearful church, the fearful church. And I believe this really speaks to us. I think it should really convict us in many ways.