Message:
Dealing with Suffering and Troubles, The Church of Sardis
Introduction
If this is your first time with us, welcome to our study of Revelation which we started just a couple of weeks ago. Thanks to Robert for filling in for me last week and covering the letter to Ephesus, the first church in the seven churches addressed in Revelation. I want to give a little bit of background on the 7 churches as a whole.
After presenting Jesus as a powerful conqueror in chapter one, why doesn’t the book jump right into the things most people seem to want to know about – the end times? What the book does is present a solid foundation for the message of encouragement and hope.
What do we find in chapter one? We find a picture of a powerful and conquering Jesus standing in the midst of His Church. It is through His church that He knows the battle against Satan will take place. It is no fluke or just filler material that Revelation starts out addressing His church.
The battle Satan is waging is not one that is just fought in the heavenly realms, it is fought in the trenches on earth. Satan is battling Christians and the church. Jesus knows that if His church is to be strong and be victorious over Satan, it needs to realistically face the challenges that lie before it. That message was sound and clear in the first century and it is still sound and clear in the 21st century.
Here is a map of where the churches were located. The seven churches found in the book of Revelation were churches in cities that existed along a Roman mail route. Each city where a particular church was located had its own unique characteristics, some of which offered challenges and temptations to those who were believers. Ephesus was probably the largest and leading church in the region.
The map also shows the place John is residing when receiving the Revelation from God. He is on the island of Patmos. He is there because of his belief in Jesus and for sharing his faith with others. It was a small island of only 13 square miles and some historians think that it was used as a type of prison for criminals. If you got put there, escape was not an option because of the surrounding sea.
There could be a reason that seven churches were selected. In prophetic writings like Revelation, as well as OT writings like Daniel and Ezekial, numbers were also symbolic of certain things. The number 7 was used to symbolize completeness or sometimes perfection. The seven churches were not perfect churches but as a whole they presented a complete picture of the challenges that Christians were facing in the days of John and I believe that Christians are facing today. At the end of each letter to the church it ends with a admonition to all the churches – Hear what the Spirit says. Each one of the messages was relevant to all Christians then and now.
So, as we look at each of these churches we will learn some interesting history and see how Jesus’s words directly connect to the life they lived and the challenges they faced.
Today we move on to the second church addressed, the church at Smyrna.
If you were to visit Western Turkey today you could go to the city of Ismir and be at the site of the ancient city of Smyrna. It was a city founded in the 11th century BC and flourished for a while but then basically died out. It was resurrected and restored when Alexander the Great swept through the known world in the 4th century BC. In verse 8 John uses this imagery of being dead and being resurrected to immediately connect with the historical culture of the Christians who lived in that city.
Rev 2:8-11 8 "Write this letter to the angel of the church in Smyrna. This is the message from the one who is the First and the Last, who was dead but is now alive:
Even though the imagery of being dead and alive connects with the people there, it is obvious that there is more to that imagery. The First and the Last, who was dead but is not alive – Who is this referring to? Jesus. See, you are already beginning to understand the use of symbolic language and imagery. It obviously refers to His resurrection and the “First and Last” phrase is consistently used in the book of Revelation to refer to Jesus. Jesus himself gives us the imagery in chapter one Rev 1:17-18 - "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!
What follows then is the words of Jesus to the Christians in Smyrna. Unlike the message to the Ephesian church and four of the other churches in the list, there is not a reference to wrong doing or a problem they have. This is only true of the church at Smyrna and Philadelpia.
The people of Smyrna are real people, living out their daily lives and are trying their best to be Christians in a world that opposes what they believe. Their biggest direct opposition came, not from the Roman government, but from a group that Jesus also had some issues with – the Jews. The Jews were the biggest threat to the Christians because they could be informers against them to the Roman government.
9 "I know about your suffering and your poverty—but you are rich!
Smyrna was known as a wealthy city. So why would he say they were suffering and poor? Two possible reasons. First, If they had left the Jewish faith and had been employed by fellow Jews, they would be cast out and probably lose their jobs. Second, in the Roman culture you almost always had to be a part of a Roman trade guild and most of those guilds required their members to participate in the pagan activities and sacrifices. Those Christians whose life was changed could no longer participate in such activities.
Why does Jesus then say they are rich? He does not see things from an earthly or material perspective. He didn’t look at bank accounts or homes or cars, He looked at the human heart. This is an amazing compliment to the Christians – they were indeed rich because of the blessings they shared in Christ. Jesus goes on then and addresses the suffering they were facing.
I know the blasphemy of those opposing you. They say they are Jews, but they are not, because their synagogue belongs to Satan. 10 Don't be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you.
Smyrna was a city that was known for being very loyal to Rome and the Roman leaders. If you wanted to get someone in trouble all you had to do was inform a Roman official of anything that might be considered an offense against Rome and the officials would respond. By the time of John, it is attested that Christians in Asia Minor were generally charged with treason if accused by such “informers”. The Jews in Smyrna were reportedly fulfilling the function of “informers” against Christians. By simply claiming publicly that Christians were no longer welcome as part of the “synagogue community” was a form of betrayal. The Roman law allowed the Jewish faith and places of worship – the synagogue to exist - but Christians who were not seen as Jewish had no protection against the Roman law which required worship of the Roman Emperor, Domitian. This is portrayed as worship of the beast in the rest of Revelation. If someone was accused of going against this they were given a chance to renounce their faith and pay homage to Caesar. It they refused, there would be consequences to face.
But larger than Rome, Jesus goes right to the real source of the problem. Satan is the one behind it all. The Jews would accuse the Christians and lie about them. This is what Jesus said of them when He dealt with them in John 8:44 - John 8:44-45 “44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. 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
After identifying the problem and giving those words of warning Jesus then gives them words of encouragement, even in the midst of what they were facing.
You will suffer for ten days. But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life.
11 "Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. Whoever is victorious will not be harmed by the second death. NLT
So let me give some points of application for our lives today. Sure, we don’t live in Smyrna, but things have not changed that much.
You are Not Alone - Jesus understands. Vs 9-10 I know the blasphemy of those opposing you. . . . 10 Don't be afraid of what you are about to suffer.
The Christians in Smyrna were going through some hard times. We may not be facing the same things but all of us understand what hard times are
Jesus assures us He’s got this. Not being afraid is not always easy. Jesus began His message by saying, “I was dead and now I am alive, forever and ever.” He understood the hard times and ended up victorious. It is an interesting perspective.
Max Doner, in his book, “Revelation: A Manual of Spiritual Warfare” (p. 203) illustrates in a way that I had never thought of before. He says, “It is as if somebody says this threat to you: “I'm going to come over to your house and go out into your yard and grab some stems of your grass and snap them off!” That is not a problem, is it? You can grow more grass. You would not worry about that kind of threat. Therefore, if the wicked come and say, “I'm going to come and snap your life out of existence,” It is as if Jesus is saying, “No problem. I will just bring your life back. Do not be concerned about their threats.”
That may be over-simplifying things but it is a heavenly perspective of the things we face here on this earth.
Jesus says in John 11:25, “I am the resurrection and the life. He that believes in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.”
He goes on to explain it more.
Suffering Won’t Last Forever vs 10 Don't be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you. You will suffer for ten days.
The phrase “Don’t be afraid” is one of those things that is easier said than done, especially when it doesn’t promise a bed of roses. He says you will suffer some things.
That brings up an interesting question:
Why does God allow persecution and suffering for faith? Wouldn’t it be much better if we didn’t have to experience fear or pain or suffering? Yes. But that is what the promise of heaven is all about, not necessarily the promise of life here on this earth.
There is something that comes from the things here on this earth though: many times when we work through the tough times our faith is made stronger.
This verse ends with an interesting phrase – “You will suffer for ten days.” This is an example of the use of numbers to represent a larger message, which again, is used many times in prophetic writings in the Bible.
Suffering in this life may be a part of living in a world opposed to Jesus but it won’t last forever
The phrase “10 days” can represent a period of time, not just 10 literal days. Jesus is saying that your time of suffering on this earth is not eternal. It will be a time of testing. There will be suffering but it is all temporary compared to the eternity of heaven.
So what is the outcome of the hard times?
There is a crown of life Waiting for You Vs 10 But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life. . . Whoever is victorious will not be harmed by the second death.
You may have heard of a man named Polycarp. He lived in Smyrna and some 60 years after John wrote Revelation he was burned at the stake by the Roman government. He was one of the first well known Christian martyrs. We know that Polycarp was killed in 155 AD when he was 86 years old. It is feasible that he was alive as a young man in his early 20’s in the church at Smyrna and heard the words of John read to him. If so, they must have made an impact on him. Here is a summary of what was written about his death:
“He had been asked to say, “Caesar is Lord,” but he refused. Brought to the stadium, the proconsul urged him, saying, “Swear, and I will set you free. Deny Christ.” Polycarp answered, “86 years I have served Him, and He never did me any injury: how then can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?” When the proconsul again pressed him, the old man answered, “Since you insist that . . . I should swear allegiance to Caesar, and pretend not to know who and what I am, hear me declare with boldness, I am a Christian.’ Soon afterwards, the people began to gather wood, the Jews especially, according to custom, eagerly assisting them. Then Polycarp was burned at the stake.”
Jesus words of “But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life. . . Whoever is victorious will not be harmed by the second death.” were true for the people of Smyrna, they were true for Polycarp and they are true for us today.
Jesus is telling us to see beyond what we face in this world and what is waiting for us in heaven.
Jesus is telling us to remain faithful, even in the worst of circumstances because He has gone before us to prepare a place for us. A place that He describes at the end of the book of Revelation as a place with no more suffering, no more pain, no more crying.
There is a reward waiting for us if we can be faithful, even when facing death.
Let me leave you with the challenge that Jesus gives to the people at Smyrna:
Are you willing to make the effort and do what it takes?
11 "Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.
Are you willing to listen?
Are you willing to listen to the Spirit?
Are you willing to do work at understanding what he is saying?
Understand, there is a difference between hearing and listening. Hearing means you hear noise. Listening means you transform the noise you hear into words that change your life.
Do you Remember what the theme is that we are using for Revelation? Right – We win!
That’s what Jesus wants for us. He wants us to Win!
Church of Sardis Study Sheet
Introduction
After presenting Jesus as a powerful conqueror in chapter one, why doesn’t the book jump right into the things most people seem to want to know about – the end times?
What do we find in chapter one?
The battle Satan is waging is not one that is just fought in the heavenly realms, it is fought in the trenches on earth.
Why the seven churches?
Each one of the messages was relevant to all Christians then and now.
Rev 2:8-11
8 "Write this letter to the angel of the church in Smyrna. This is the message from the one who is the First and the Last, who was dead but is now alive:
Who is this talking about?
The people of Smyrna are real people, living out their daily lives and are trying their best to be Christians in a world that opposes what they believe.
What are some of the oppositions people face in today’s world?
9 "I know about your suffering and your poverty—but you are rich!
Smyrna was known as a wealthy city. So why would he say they were suffering and poor?
Why does Jesus then say they are rich?
I know the blasphemy of those opposing you. They say they are Jews, but they are not, because their synagogue belongs to Satan. 10 Don't be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you.
What were some of the problems the Christians in Smyrna were facing?
After identifying the problem and giving those words of warning Jesus then gives them words of encouragement, even in the midst of what they were facing.
You will suffer for ten days. But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life. 11 "Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. Whoever is victorious will not be harmed by the second death. NLT
So let me give some points of application for our lives today. Sure, we don’t live in Smyrna, but things have not changed that much.
1. You are Not Alone - Jesus ______________________. Vs 9-10 I know the blasphemy of those opposing you. . . . 10 Don't be afraid of what you are about to suffer.
The Christians in Smyrna were going through some hard times. We may not be facing the same things but all of us understand what hard times are.
What are some hard times you have or are going through?
Jesus assures us He’s got this. He understood the hard times and ended up victorious.
What is a “heavenly perspective” vs an “earthly perspective?”
2. Suffering Won’t Last _________________________. vs 10 Don't be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you. You will suffer for ten days.
Why does God allow persecution and suffering for faith?
There is something that comes from the things here on this earth though: many times when we work through the tough times our faith is made stronger.
Suffering in this life may be a part of living in a world opposed to Jesus but it won’t last forever.
The phrase “10 days” can represent a period of time, not just 10 literal days. Jesus is saying that your time of suffering on this earth is not eternal. It will be a time of testing. There will be suffering but it is all temporary compared to the eternity of heaven.
So, what is the outcome of the hard times?
3. There is a crown of life _________________ for You Vs 10 But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life. . . Whoever is victorious will not be harmed by the second death.
Illustration of Polycarp
Jesus is telling us to see beyond what we face in this world and what is waiting for us in heaven.
How will heaven be different than life here on this earth?
4. Are you willing to make the effort and do what it takes?
11 "Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.
Are you willing to listen?
Are you willing to listen to the Spirit?