- Trust. Christ tasted death for us so that we would not have to experience the second death. Turn from your sin and trust Christ to save you. Look on the inside front cover of this book for more about committing your life to Christ.
- Thank. Make a list of all the ways you are rich because of God’s grace in your life. Spend time in prayer, thanking God for all the blessings He has given you.
- Encourage. If you know someone who is struggling in their walk with Christ, encourage them to endure and stand strong in Him. Use your example of endurance in the face of difficulties to encourage their steadfastness.
What are some fears
you’ve had to overcome?
In the message Jesus
gave to the church at Smyrna, we will learn that we can stand strong in the
face of fearful situations; because we are rich in the grace of God.
Steadfast in
Difficulties: WE NEED NOT FEAR BECAUSE WE ARE RICH IN GOD’S
GRACE
The Passage: Revelation
2:8-11
Revelation
2:8-9
“To the angel (Pastor) 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. 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.”
What do you know about
Smyrna?
The church in Smyrna
was located in a unique city. Smyrna was a harbor city located about
thirty-five miles northwest of Ephesus. At the time of this message, Smyrna was
considered one of the grandest cities in the entire Roman Empire, containing
beautiful architecture. It was a city with strong ties to Rome because it was
the first city to build a temple to the goddess Roma. It also had other
temples, including one dedicated to the emperor. The word Smyrna is Greek for myrrh, an ointment or oil used
specifically for the burial of the dead. Myrrh was one of the gifts the Magi
brought to the baby Jesus. Myrrh also was used to anoint Jesus’ body when He
was placed in the tomb. Here was Christ’s church in a city whose name was
associated with death, and unfortunately, the persecution the church
experienced would even bring them “to the point of death” (Rev. 2:10).
Who was the angel of
the church?
Jesus said He knew
their afflictions and poverty and yet they were rich – how was that?
The church at Smyrna
definitely faced harsh persecution, but they were rich in spiritual blessings
because of their relationship and steadfastness in Christ.
What riches have you
experienced because of your relationship with Christ? In
what ways are we rich in God’s grace?
The church often talks
about God’s grace in terms of salvation—as it should. On our own, no one makes
the grade that earns or qualifies him or her for heaven.
·
Forgiveness comes through God’s grace.
·
Freedom from our past comes through God’s grace.
·
Eternal life comes through God’s grace.
But let’s not stop
there. The gospel of grace is not limited to matters of salvation. God’s grace
extends to all areas of life! It is through God’s grace that I am able to make
it through the day. It is by God’s grace that I can face the challenges of the
day without losing my cool—or losing my mind. Christ is the one who holds all
things together in this universe (Col. 1:17), and by His grace that applies to
my life!
In His brief message
to the church in Smyrna, Jesus reminded them that, even though outwardly they
knew affliction and poverty, they were rich (Rev. 2:9). The riches come through
that relationship with Christ. We are rich in what matters; we are rich in
God’s grace.
Catch Jesus’ words: “I
know your affliction and poverty, but you are rich” (Rev. 2:9). The affliction
and poverty were not absent; they experienced God’s goodness and grace right in
the middle of their adversity!
I heard Oscar Thompson speak during his last
year of life. He was dying from cancer. But he was not in town to talk about
cancer; his focus was on preaching about Christ. Yet on one occasion, he talked
about the grace God had given him for what he was undergoing—and what he said
was later added as an epilogue to his most well-known book, Concentric Circles of Concern.
“In 1976 … I experienced excruciating pain in my right hip…. Exploratory
surgery was performed on the hip.
“After surgery I was advised that an inoperable malignant tumor
had grown out of the bone. A bone scan later revealed that the malignancy had
metastasized and spread to my foot, knee, hip, rib, shoulder, and cranium.
“After the doctor
left my room that night, a deep, sweet peace from him who is our peace surged
within me. It was simply inexplicable and ineffable. I reached for my New
Testament on the nightstand and said, ‘Father, if I am not going to live, I want
to count. I need a word from you.’ There surfaced in my mind a passage of
Scripture that I had memorized years before. ‘Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort;
who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those
who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are
comforted by God’ (2 Cor. 1:3-4).
“‘Oh, Father, I understand. You are going to send me through the
valley so that I can comfort others with your comfort when they walk there.’
“Then came that
inner nudge that said, ‘Read on.’ Verses 8 through 11 revealed this promise to
my heart: ‘We were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we
despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves
in order that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead;
who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, … you
also joining in helping us through your prayers, that thanks may be given by
many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed upon us through the prayers
of many.’
“I put down the
Testament, rejoiced in the Lord, and later slipped into a peaceful, refreshing
sleep. Was I rejoicing because I felt I would live? No! I was rejoicing because
it really did not matter. My life was under his control. I rejoiced because of
a wonderful awareness of his love. Verse after verse that I had memorized began
to surface. First John 4:18 exploded in my consciousness: ‘There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear,
because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in
love.’
“I knew that
nothing could come into my life without God’s permission. If it came with his
permission, then I knew that it surely came with his grace to deal with it.”
His conclusion is what has stuck with me over the years
since I first heard him speak.
“The joy of living is permitting God to do through us whatever
he has in mind for each day. Most people’s lives are crucified between two
thieves, yesterday and tomorrow. God can only give forgiving grace for
yesterday. He stores no provision of grace for tomorrow. Tragically, most
of us live in yesterday and tomorrow, in that devastating land of ‘What
if?’ God has adequate grace to deal with yesterday if it is put in his
hands. But his grace is poured out one day at a time. The
person who has not learned this will never live victoriously. He will always be
vulnerable to circumstances.
“In other words, I
learned that God does not give dying grace on non-dying days.”
God gives us the grace
we need for today. As His children, we never lack His grace. We are truly rich.
The same spiritual
blessing and richness is ours today as we trust Christ and walk with Him. It’s
not enough just to be “religious”; we must have a relationship in order to lay
claim to the riches of Christ.
How does it change
things in your life to realize that Jesus knows your situation?
Why do we focus on
physical realities and downplay or ignore our spiritual blessings?
The First and the Last -
Emphasizes that Christ is the beginning and end of all things.
Synagogue of Satan – a
group of unbelieving Jews who slandered or persecuted the church. Those who
persecute followers of Christ are in league with Satan.
Revelation
2:10
“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.”
Jesus told the church
at Smyrna not to fear what they were going to face. They had faced tremendous
trials, tribulation, and persecution in the past—and more was still to come. We
are told repeatedly in Scripture (about 365 times!) not to be afraid,
and Jesus reminded the believers in Smyrna of that truth.
They needed those words
of encouragement because persecution did come. The Jews hated the Christians as
much as the pagans did, and they sought to imprison and even kill them. The
most well-known case was Polycarp, who pastored the church at Smyrna years
after Jesus’ message to the church.
Polycarp refused to
follow the demands by the Roman Proconsul to recant his faith in Christ and
proclaim that Caesar was lord. They threatened to burn him at the stake, yet he
remained strong in his faith. His final words were, “You threaten me with fire
which burns for a little while and is soon extinguished.
You do not know the
coming fire of judgment and eternal punishment reserved for the ungodly. What
are you waiting for? Do what you wish.”1
What are some ways your
faith has been tested?
How can we prevent
ourselves from being afraid in the face of suffering?
Crown of life – a
reward given to those who endure trials.
We need to endure
whatever hardships come our way. We need to be faithful in our walk with Christ
no matter the cost. While our churches may have little in common with the
first-century church in Smyrna and the persecution they faced, we too must be
faithful unto death if we are to get a victor’s crown.
Revelation
2:11
“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.”
How can we better
listen to the Holy Spirit?
·
Be attentive to the word the Lord speaks to you
just when you need it most.
How will our lives be
different if we don’t fear death?
·
The unbeliever dies to die again; the believer
dies to live again.
Second death – the
lake of fire, the place of eternal torment for Satan and those who follow him.
Jesus makes a final
promise to the believers in Smyrna: “He who overcomes will not be hurt at
all by the second death” (Revelation 2:11). The overcomers, or “conquerors,”
refer to all believers (1 John 5:4-5). The second death is a reference
to the final judgment of the wicked (Revelation 20:6, 14; 21:8).
Believers will not be hurt “at all” by that judgment; their sin was judged at
the cross, and, in Christ, there is no more condemnation (Romans 8:1).
The Point: “We
need not fear because we are rich in God’s grace.
Introduction: In
this second letter to the seven churches in Asia, the Lord uses the apostle
John to give us some pointers on persisting under pressure. This text speaks to
Who we serve, to what we suffer, and to how we are sabotaged. We serve the One
who calls himself “the First and the Last,” the One “who was dead and came to
life.” We—like the saints in Smyrna—are subject to suffer affliction, poverty,
and slander. Paul says in 2 Timothy 3:12 “In fact, everyone who wants to live a
godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” We serve Christ, we will suffer
persecution from those who don’t serve Christ, and we are subject to be
sabotaged by Satan. The text says, “Look, the devil is about to throw some of
you into prison to test you.” Just as Satan was busy in that church trying to
discourage, divide, divert, and destroy the saints, he is busy doing the same
things in our churches today.
This text reminds us of
our spiritual supply and our spiritual security. It does so by speaking to Our
Riches in Christ (v.8-9), Our Resilience through Christ (v.10-a), and Our
Rewards from Christ (v.10b-11). To be steadfast in difficulties we must…
1. Be Conscious
of Our Riches in Christ. (v. 8-9)
Christ opens this
passage reminding the church of who He is and what they have. He tells them
that He is the First and the Last, and that He was dead but was raised to life.
He is essentially reminding them that He has unmatchable authority and ability.
Then after assuring them that he is aware of their affliction and poverty, he
says, “but you are rich.” That is, regardless of their earthly circumstances or
financial status—they are rich in Jesus Christ. This is important for us to
remember. Remember that in Christ we are already blessed with all spiritual
blessings (Eph. 1:3). In Christ, we are more than conquerors (Rom. 8:37), and
in Christ we have been given everything required for life and godliness (2 Pet.
2:3-4). Knowing what we have in Christ will help us remain steadfast in
difficulties. To be steadfast in difficulties we must not only be conscious of
our riches in Christ, but we must also…
2. Be Cultivating
Our Resilience through Christ. (v. 10a)
The Lord gives the
command, “Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer.” He was calling the
church in Smyrna to be resilient. He is calling the church today to be
resilient. Listen, not being fearful and being resilient does not come naturally.
This courage and consistency must be cultivated over time. You can’t get ready
for the battle when the battle is already underway. You can’t prepare for the
storm when the storm is raging. You must already be prepared when the battle
and when the storm comes.
We cultivate our
resilience through Christ by spending time with Him in prayer and in the Word
of God. The more we talk to God through prayer and allow God to talk to us
through His Word, the more resilient we become. Our faith is made robust, and
our wills are made solid through our engagement in the Word and prayer. We must
take our cue from what the Lord told Joshua when they were getting ready to go
into the Promise Land. He said in Joshua 1:8-9 “This book of instruction must
not depart from your mouth; you are to meditate on it day and night so that you
may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and
succeed in whatever you do. Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous?
Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you
go.” Well, to be steadfast in Difficulties we must be conscious of our riches
in Christ, we must be cultivating our resilience through Christ, and we must…
3. Be Concentrating
on Our Rewards from Christ. (v. 10b-11)
Christ says in the
text, “Be faithful to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of
life.” He, Christ reminds us that serving the Lord will pay-off after while. The
Lord will reward your faithfulness. James said that all who endure temptation will
receive the crown of life (James 1:12). Paul said because he had fought the good
fight, kept the faith, and finished the race, he would receive a crown of life—and
so would all those who love His appearing (2 Tim. 4:8). The Lord rewards
faithfulness now, and He will all the more reward faithfulness when we stand
before Him. We must search the Scriptures to discover all that God has promised
us. Then, we must concentrate on those regards and allow them to motivate us to
remain steadfast in difficulties. This text promises a crown of life and never
being harmed by the second death.
Conclusion: May
the Lord help us to be conscious of our riches in Christ, to be constantly
cultivating our resilience through Christ, and to be concentrating on our rewards
from Christ. No matter what you are going through right now, remember that you
will rest with Him, reign with Him, and reside with Him forever!!!
While these were not the
only Christian
churches existing at the
time, they were situated closest to John, scattered across Asia Minor in what
is now modern Turkey.
Different Letters, Same Format
Each of the letters is addressed to the
church's "angel." That may have been a spiritual angel, the bishop or pastor, or the church itself.
The first part includes a description of Jesus
Christ, highly symbolic and
different for each church.
The second part of each letter begins with the
words "I know," emphasizing God's omniscience. Jesus proceeds to
praise the church for its merits or criticizes it for its faults. The third
part contains exhortation, a spiritual instruction on how the church should
mend its ways or a commendation for its faithfulness.
The fourth part concludes the message with the
words, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the
churches." The Holy
Spirit is Christ's
presence on Earth, forever guiding and convicting to keep his followers on the
right path.
Specific Messages to 7 Churches
of Revelation
Some of these seven churches kept closer to the gospel than others. Jesus gave each one a short
"report card."
Ephesus had "abandoned the love it had at
first," (Revelation 2:4, ESV). They lost their first love for Christ,
which in turn affected the love they had for others.
Smyrna was warned it was about to face persecution. Jesus encouraged them to be faithful unto
death and he would give them the crown of life—eternal
life.
Pergamum was told to repent. It had fallen
prey to a cult called the Nicolaitans, heretics who taught that since their
bodies were evil, only what they did with their spirit counted. This led
to sexual
immorality and eating food
sacrificed to idols. Jesus said those who conquered such temptations would receive "hidden manna" and a "white stone," symbols
of special blessings.
Thyatira had a false prophetess who was
leading people astray. Jesus promised to give himself (the morning star) to
those who resisted her evil ways.
Sardis had the reputation of being dead, or
asleep. Jesus told them to wake up and repent. Those who did would receive white garments,
have their name listed in the book
of life, and would be
proclaimed before God
the Father.
Philadelphia endured patiently. Jesus pledged
to stand with them in future trials, granting special honors in heaven, the New
Jerusalem.
Laodicea had lukewarm faith. Its members had
grown complacent because of the riches of the city. To those who returned to
their former zeal, Jesus vowed to share his ruling authority.
Application to Modern Churches
Even though John wrote these warnings nearly 2,000
years ago, they still apply to Christian churches today. Christ remains the
head of the
worldwide Church,
lovingly overseeing it.
Many modern Christian churches have wandered
from biblical truth, such as those that teach the prosperity
gospel or do not
believe in the Trinity. Others have grown lukewarm, their members
just going through the motions with no passion for God. Many churches in Asia
and the Middle East face persecution. Increasingly popular are
"progressive" churches that base their theology more on current
culture than solid doctrine found in the Bible.
The huge number of denominations proves thousands of churches have been
founded on little more than the stubbornness of their leaders. While these
Revelation letters are not as strongly prophetic as other parts of that book,
they warn today's drifting churches that discipline will come to those who do not
repent.
Warnings to Individual
Believers
Just as the Old Testament trials of the nation
of Israel are a metaphor for the individual's relationship
with God, the warnings in the
book of Revelation speak to every Christ-follower today. These letters act as a
gauge to reveal each believer's faithfulness.
The Nicolaitans are gone, but millions of
Christians are being tempted by pornography on the Internet. The false prophetess
of Thyatira has been replaced by TV preachers who avoid talking about Christ's
atoning death for sin. Countless believers have turned from their
love for Jesus to idolizing
material possessions.
As in ancient times, backsliding continues to be a danger for people who
believe in Jesus Christ, but reading these short letters to the seven churches
of Revelation serves as a stern reminder. In a society flooded with temptation,
they bring the Christian back to the First
Commandment. Only the True God is
worthy of our worship.
