Smyrna: The Suffering Church

Part 2

Revelation 2:8-11
“⁸ “To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:

   These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. ⁹ I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich!

I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. ¹⁰ Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.

¹¹ Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.” – NIV

For the past week I felt as though I belonged to the Smyrna church. Just one thing after another. Car breaking down more than once, emails I received, issues that I as a pastor have to handle, it feels as though the stamp was placed on my forehead and it read “Smyrna: Aim Here”. But I take comfort in the fact of not what the enemy says about me or to me but what the “Almighty” has to say. The enemy will tell you “no you can’t”, he will tell you “why bother”, he will tell you to “just give up”, “just give in”, “just curse God and die”.

But I refuse to let the enemy take what God has for me. I don’t know about you, but I know what God says for me. God reminds me that,

1st John 4:4
“⁴ You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” – NKJ

Jeremiah 29:11
“¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – NIV

Psalm 37:23
“²³ The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him;” – NIV

Isaiah 54:17
“¹⁷ no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the LORD.” – NIV

I am sure that those in Smyrna felt the same way as I did this past week. But I know, as we had studied last week that they were going through worse stuff than me. Whatever you are going through today, just know that there are those around who are going through worse stuff than you.

Even though this church suffered persecution and were afflicted, pressed on both sides they were not crushed. They survived and held on through the rough ride of the storm. Even though they were being persecuted and tried Jesus had a different perspective of them. They seen their situation one way and Jesus seen it a different way.

Revelation 2:9
“⁹ I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich!” - NIV

Isn’t awesome to know that God sees our situations, our problems differently than we see them. If only we could get on the same page as God and look at our situations not as a time of worry, but a chance at opportunity. To show people that God still exists. That God still cares for His children. That we can walk through the fire and come out un-singed. Look at Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah…better known as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.

Daniel 3:16-17
“¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. ¹⁷ If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand.” - NIV

I am right with these three men, I don’t need to defend myself, God is the one who will deliver me from my situations.

Daniel 3:24-26
“²⁴ Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.” ²⁵ He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” ²⁶ Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” – NIV

Those at Smyrna went through the fire and God was with them all the way just like Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego.

Poverty

Jesus told them I know your poverty. We need to understand what this poverty was. Poverty is defined as: “the condition of not having the means to afford basic human needs such as clean water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter”. The Greek word for “poverty” means beggary. They were at a state of literally begging in order to make it through the day. In order for them to meet the daily needs it brought them to the point of begging. People this poor were not getting by. They were starving.  Many of them were homeless. In fact, they had been deprived of the right to work and make a living. None of the trade guilds would hire them—because they refused to worship Caesar and insisted on following Jesus—so they didn’t have the required certificate. So—understand, theses believers were DIRT poor—yet Jesus said to them, “You are RICH.”

What a powerful testimony! You have absolutely nothing, yet you are producing Disciples of Jesus Christ! Some people judge a church’s health by how much they have in a bank. How much revenue that comes in. How big the building is or by how many big named preachers come in. But this is not how Christ looks at it.

Revelation 3:17
“¹⁷ You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” - NIV

He told the poor church “You are RICH!” Rich because they were producing Disciples. Rich because they were reaching the lost with the Gospel.

Jesus said,
Matthew 7:20
“²⁰ Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” – NIV

This church was connected to the vine which is Jesus Christ and they were bearing fruit for the Kingdom. Regardless of their situation the Gospel was going to go forth. The Gospel was going to be heard. Talk about dedication, talk about commitment to the church, and more importantly to God! This is what it means to have:

Colossians 3:1-2
“¹ Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” – NIV

It is having a Kingdom perspective and not letting anything get in the way of ministering the Gospel. These in Smyrna relied of Christ for everything. As someone has put it, we don’t get it through our heads that Jesus is all we need until Jesus is all we have.

And this is a hard principle for many Christians to grasp. Vance Havener writes,

“It is not easy to preach on Smyrna now-a-days. The average American congregation is in no mood to appreciate such a church. In a day of quick prosperity, it is not easy to interest a well-fed, well-clothed, well-housed Sunday morning crowd in the ‘Smyrna brand’ of loyalty. We are not interested in what it costs to be a Christian, but in what we GET by being one. In a day of ‘Health, Wealth, and Happiness in Ten Easy Lessons or Money Refunded,’ for many, Christianity has become simply a better way to get rich or have a big time. We would make a bellboy out of the Lord and a Santa Clause out of the Almighty.”

This hits us right between the eyes. So many are in Christianity for what they can get out of it. What can God bless me with instead of asking, “What can I do for God or how can I bless God”, “How can I impact this world for the Kingdom of God.” To many people, Christians have the mentality “What can the church do for me”, instead of “What can I do for the church.” Because of this type of attitude the Smyrna church displayed, Christ said they are rich!

As J. Ralph Grant puts it,“The churches of the first century were marked by material poverty and spiritual power, while many of the churches of our day are marked by material wealth and spiritual weakness.”

This church suffered from affliction, poverty, but that is not all.

Slandered & Ridiculed

Revelation 2:9b
“I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.” – NIV

Revelation 2:9b
“I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.” - NKJ

These that blasphemed them, spoke against them with evil words. These were the ones who claimed to be “saved” and they spoke against God’s children. God’s representatives. The Ambassadors for Christ. This is what was being said:

• Since Christians shared communion that they said was representative of the body and blood of Jesus, Jews spread the rumor that Christians were cannibals.
• Because the Christians called their common meal “The AGAPE FEAST” or “the LOVE FEAST” the Jews that the Christians gathered for orgies of lust and immorality.
• Due to the fact that Christianity did in fact often split families, when some members of them became Christians and some did not, the Jews accused the Nazarenes of breaking up homes and “tampering with family relationships.”

I am glad that I have a Heavenly Father who looks after me. Jesus tells those at Smyrna that these are not “true” Jews. Their father is not that of Abraham. It is definitely not that of God, but of the synagogue of Satan. Jesus was reminding them of what He spoke in John 8.

John 8:42-44
“ ⁴² Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. ⁴³ Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. ⁴⁴ You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” – NIV

Jesus knows those who are His and those who are not. We too can know who belongs to God and who does not. We do this by lining their actions, their life by the Word of God.

Jesus told them,
John 8:31
“³¹ To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. ³² Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” - NIV

Ask yourself are they “bearing fruit?” Are they loving those around them ? When you get persecuted, when those who come against you, just know that they are not of God. Now, I am not talking about those who disagree with you, but those who go around spreading lies, gossip, and try to destroy what God is doing. That is what these “Jews” were doing. Spreading lies. They were not serving God, they were serving their true father…the devil.

John 10:10a
“¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;” – NIV

John 8:30
“³⁰ Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” – NIV

John 8:33-35
“³³ Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. ³⁴ You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. ³⁵ A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.” – NIV

Last week I ended with the question: “When you stand before God will He commend you for standing firm and refusing to give into the pressure around you?”

This week I leave you with this one to ponder on: “Will you continue to serve God, follow His ways, even if it means no one around will like you and have nothing to do with you?”