Sermon
#3 Christ’s
Warnings To The Churches
Title: Christ’s
Letter
To The Church At Smyrna
Text: Revelation 2:8-11
Readings: Buddy
Daugherty & Bob Poncer
Subject: Faithfulness
In The Midst Of Trial
Date: Tuesday Evening - April 13, 1999
Tape # V-23b[1]
Introduction:
Revelation 2:8-11 "And unto the angel of the church in
Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is
alive; (9) I know thy works, and
tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not,
but are the synagogue of Satan. (10) Fear none of those things which
thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have
tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown
of life. (11) He that hath an ear,
let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall
not be hurt of the second death."
Smyrna, like Ephesus, was a rich coastal
city. It was located about thirty-five miles north of Ephesus on the Aegean
Sea. It was a loyal ally of Rome, even before Rome gained its greatness. Smyrna was a place of Emperor worship.
The city built a temple for the worship of the Emperor Tiberius. In a word,
Smyrna was a wealthy, powerful, pagan city, entirely given over to idolatry.
But, in his merciful providence, God was pleased to send a gospel preacher to
that city and establish a gospel church in her midst.
We
have no way of knowing for certain how this church began; but in all
likelihood, it was established by Paul during his ministry at Ephesus (Acts
19:10). This church had remained
faithful for many years in the midst of great trial. It was sound in
doctrine, strong in faith, and in a spiritually healthy state. There was nothing in this church that
needed to be corrected. The singular purpose of our Lord’s letter to
this church was to encourage his people to remain faithful, even unto death.
Christ, who knows all things, knew what severe trials the church at Smyrna must
face. In this letter he wisely prepares his people for their trials.
One
example of the trials and persecutions of the church in Smyrna may be seen in the martyrdom of its pastor, Polycarp. Polycarp was a
disciple of the apostle John. He was a faithful servant of God for many years,
until he was burned at the stake for Christ in the year 155 AD His persecutors
required him to confess that “Caesar is Lord,” but he refused. They promised
him liberty if he would deny Christ.
The old pastor said, “Eighty
and six years have I served him, and he never did me any injury: how then can I
blaspheme my King and my Savior?” When his persecutors continued to press him,
Polycarp said, “Since you are vainly urgent that I should swear by the fortune
of Caesar, and pretend not to know who and what I am, hear me declare with
boldness, I am a Christian!” This infuriated his tormentor, who said, “I have
wild beasts at hand; to these will I cast you, except you repent.” When that
did not break the old man, the tormentor said, “I will cause you to be consumed
with fire, since you despise the wild beasts, if you will not repent.” Then
Polycarp boldly defied his tormentor, saying, “You threaten me with fire which
burns for an hour, and after a little is extinguished, but you are ignorant of
the fire of the coming judgment and of eternal punishment, reserved for the
ungodly. But why do you tarry? Bring forth what you will!” The order was given,
and the people began to gather wood for the fire. The Jews, we are told,
eagerly assisted them. And Polycarp, the faithful old pastor of the church at
Smyrna, was burned at the stake, because he refused to deny Christ. He was
faithful unto death. This brief description of Polycarp’s martyrdom is just one
of many that could be given. It gives us a picture of the conditions of extreme
trial which the people of God had to endure in the first and second centuries.
Remember,
this letter was addressed particularly to the church at Smyrna, historically.
But it was intended by Christ to be a
message to us today. Though we no longer have to fear the persecutions
of God’s church in days gone by, because God providentially restrains the
powers of wicked men, yet it is still true “all
that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (II Tim.
3:12). If we follow Christ and seek to live in this world for the glory of
Christ, we will suffer abuse at the hands of Christ’s enemies. Our Savior has
told us plainly, “In the world ye shall
have tribulation” (John 16:13).
Proposition: Our Lord Jesus Christ dictated this letter to John to comfort and
strengthen us in the midst of our earthly trials and to encourage us to
persevere in the faith of the gospel.
Divisions: In this letter our Lord does four things to comfort and encourage
his church in the midst of her troubles.
1. Our Lord Jesus Christ calls
our attention away from our troubles to himself (v8).
2. Our Savior assures us of his
constant care (v. 9).
3. The Lord graciously quietens
our fears (v. 10).
4. The Lord Jesus Christ
encourages us to persevere (v. 11).
I.
As the letter opens, Our Lord JESUS CHRIST CALLS OUR ATTENTION AWAY
FROM OUR TROUBLES TO HIMSELF (v. 8).
Revelation 2:8 "And unto the angel of the church in
Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is
alive."
The church at Smyrna, was a flock of
harmless sheep in the midst of ferocious wolves. It was the object of
malicious slander, reproach, and persecution. Her troubles were many. And, like
all of us in times of trouble, the people of God at Smyrna were in danger of
falling into the pit of self-pity, which always leads to despondency, if not
despair. In order to prevent this from happening, the Lord Jesus says, “Do not
look upon your troubles, but look to me.” That is the thrust of this
salutation: “These things saith the first
and the last, which was dead, and is alive.”
If we could learn to
meditate upon and look to Christ with believing hearts, rather than meditating
upon our earthly woes, our troubles on this earth would give us far less
trouble. Everything on this earth is temporary. Christ, who is the first and
the last, is eternal, and he has secured for us an eternal inheritance in
glory. Let every troubled believer look to Christ, our eternal, unchangeable
Savior, and his troubles will seem insignificant.
A. Christ Jesus is the first and the last.
He is
the first, for by him were
all things made. He is before all things. And by him all things consist. Christ
is the first, for he himself is God, from everlasting to everlasting. And he is
the last, for all things were
made for him. All things shall be brought to their final end by Christ. All
things shall be judged by Christ. And all things shall show forth the praise of
Christ. Christ is the first, for he is the foundation laid in Zion. And he is
the last, for he is the top-stone, the chief-cornerstone, and the headstone of
the corner in his spiritual temple, the church.
B. Our Savior particularly would have us dwell and
meditate upon his most glorious work and most glorious character, as our
all-sufficient, unchanging, exalted Mediator and King. He
is the One who “was dead, and is alive.”
There
is no cure for despondent hearts like the knowledge of redemption by Christ. The cross of Christ is like the tree
Moses cast into Marah’s bitter waters. Take the blessed gospel doctrine
of blood atonement and cast it into your bitter waters of earthly trouble, and
it will make your bitter troubles sweet to your soul. Whenever you look for
something to comfort your heart, encourage your faith, revive your soul, and
cause your spirit to dance with joy, meditate on these two facts:
1. The Lord Jesus Christ was dead!
He
died as our Substitute, under the penalty of our sins. He died to satisfy the
offended justice of God for us to put away our sins. By his death, the Son of
God purchased salvation for us. Christ died for us, what reason then do we have
to fear?
2. Having died under the
penalty of sin as our Substitute, the
Lord Jesus rose again for our justification; and he is alive forever more.
Christ died to obtain salvation. And he lives
to apply salvation. (Rom. 5:10 "For if, when we were enemies, we were
reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we
shall be saved by his life.")
Christ lives as our Priest and King forever.
·
He lives to save his elect (Isa. 53:9-11).
·
He lives to intercede for his elect (John 17:9, 20; I John 2:1-2).
·
He lives to protect his elect (John 10:27-30).
Surely,
when we are aware of what Christ has done and is doing for us, we can smile at
Satan’s rage and face a frowning world (Rom. 8:28-39).
II. Secondly, OUR LORD ASSURES US OF HIS CONSTANT CARE (v. 9).
Revelation 2:9 "I know thy works, and tribulation, and
poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the
blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan."
More
tender, assuring, comforting words could not be spoken to troubled believers
than the words of Christ to us in this verse. He says, “I know.” It is enough for the child to know that his Father knows
what is troubling him. It is enough for the wife to know that her loving
husband knows her need. And it is enough for us to know that Christ knows our
peculiar circumstances. Here our Savior gives us five words of assurance.
A. “I know thy works.”
Christ,
who is the omniscient God, knows our works. For the unbelieving hypocrite this
is terrifying. But for the believer it is comforting. He whose glory is our
chief delight knows our works for him. And he accepts them, through his own
merit, and delights in them.
1. He knows the motive of our
works, that they are done out of love for him (II Cor. 5:14).
2. He knows the strength by
which we perform our works for him is the strength which his own grace
supplies.
3. And he knows that our works
are performed from a sincere heart that desires his glory (John 21:17).
NOTE: Believers never speak of
their own works to God. We recognize that our best works are marred by sin and
must be washed in the blood of Christ. But Christ will not fail to remember
even a cup of cold water offered in his name (Matt. 10:41-42).
B. “I know thy tribulation.”
This
is our Lord’s legacy to his church. He told us plainly that we must through
much tribulation enter into the kingdom of heaven (Acts 14:22). For the people
of God, this world is a place of sorrow. Believers are soldiers in a hostile
territory. Conversion is the beginning of conflict. To worship Christ is to
enter into warfare with this world. No one can follow Christ without paying a
price for doing so. In those early days of Christianity, believers suffered
banishment, imprisonment, and death by wild beasts or burning at the stake. In
these days the conflict is perhaps more subtle, but it is just as real. If you
and I follow Christ, we will have to march contrary to the world at all times. It is the confession of Christ that
causes the conflict. If I do not confess Christ in the teeth of his
enemies, I will have no conflict. But that lack of confession will be a proof
that I do not truly know Christ (Matt. 10:32-34).
(Illustration: Acts 4:7-12).
1. We confess Christ in baptism
2. We confess Christ when we
defend his honor.
3. We confess Christ when we
press his claims upon his enemies.
4. We confess Christ when we
make his gospel and his glory the rule by which we live.
C. “I know thy
poverty.”
These
believers at Smyrna were brought to extreme poverty because of their confession
of Christ. It was not at all uncommon for a man to lose his job when he was
baptized. In those days, to be a believer, from an earthly point of view, meant
real sacrifice. Indeed, it is still true today, in measure. Believers
frequently lose much by following Christ. If I am a believer, anything that
would keep me from worshipping Christ or honoring Christ must be forsaken,
though it may cost me much in earthly goods. “Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
Illustration: A Promotion; A Better Job; Sunday Trade
D. “But thou
art rich.”
For
the gospel’s sake, these believers suffered tribulation and poverty. But there
was no reason for them to begin to pity themselves. They may have seemed to be
poor. Indeed, they were very poor, in the matter of earthly goods. But they
were rich toward God, rich in spiritual possessions, and rich in grace (Matt.
6:20; 19:21; Lk. 12:21).
Child
of God, do not allow today’s prosperity prophets to deceive you. Earthly riches
are no sign of divine approval. And earthly poverty is no sign of divine
displeasure. If we are believers, if we are in Christ, we are rich! (Eph. 1:3).
1. All the riches of God’s
grace are ours in Christ.
2. All the blessings of God’s
covenant are ours in Christ.
3. We are heirs of God and
joint-heirs with Christ.
E. And our Lord assures us that he knows his true
people from those who merely profess to be
his people. - “I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but
are the synagogue of Satan.”
There was a large population of Jews in
Smyrna. They had settled there, because Smyrna was a good place of business,
and built a synagogue. As always, these Jews were filled with hatred for the
people of God. They both blasphemed Christ and accused his people of horrible
crimes before the Romans. These physical descendants of Abraham thought they
were the people of God. But our Lord calls them the synagogue of Satan.
I fully agree with William
Hendriksen’s comment on
this verse: “How anyone can say that the Jews of today are still, in a very
special and glorious, and pre-eminent sense, God’s people, is more than we can
understand. God himself calls those who reject the Savior and persecute true
believers ‘the synagogue of Satan’. They are no longer his people.”
Yet,
this text has a wider application. Those assemblies which are set up in
opposition to the truths of the gospel, though they call themselves Christian
churches, are all synagogues of Satan. He presides over them. He works in them.
and his interests are served by them. What are these synagogues of Satan?
·
Any church that equates morality with righteousness (Rom. 10:1-4).
·
Any church that promotes will worship (Col. 2:23).
·
Any church that puts salvation and redemption in the hands of man (Gal.
2:21).
·
Any church that substitutes ceremonialism and ritualism for worship.
God’s
covenant people, the true Israel of God, is the church of God, Christ’s
spiritual seed. A man’s family tree, outward religious exercises, profession of
religion, and doctrinal creed has nothing to do with his relationship to God.
Christianity, faith in Christ is a matter of the heart. It is altogether inward
and spiritual - “They are not all Israel
which are of Israel” (Rom. 9:6; 2:28-29; Phil. 3:3).
It is
most comforting to believers, in the midst of their earthly trials, to hear the
Son of God say, “I know.” He who is
our Savior is the sovereign King of the universe; and he knows all about us.
His eye is always upon us.
III. Thirdly, OUR LORD GRACIOUSLY QUIETENS OUR FEARS (v.
10).
Revelation 2:10 "Fear none of those things which thou
shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some
of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten
days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."
Again,
I remind you that, as long as we live in this world, we are going to suffer.
And our Lord here plainly warns us that the longer we live in this world the
more our sorrow will increase.
Particularly, he is talking
about the evil which we must suffer at the hands of wicked men, who,
unknowingly, are the pawns of Satan himself. Yet, our blessed Savior says, “Fear none of those things.” Though
Satan roars against us, he cannot devour God’s elect. No matter how great our
sufferings on this earth may be, here are four
facts which should quieten our fears.
A. Our sufferings in this world are governed and
regulated by our Savior (I Cor. 10:13).
It is
true, we often suffer at the hands of wicked men. And, like Job we suffer much
from Satan himself. But both wicked men and Satan are under the rule of Christ.
They can do nothing without our Redeemer’s permission (Job 1:12; 2:6). And
whatever God permits our enemies to do will be best for us.
Illustration: Shemei
- II Samuel 16:10-12
B. Those things that we suffer will not last long.
Our
sorrow will not be perpetual. It will last for a set time and that set time is
really a very short time. “Ye shall have
tribulation ten days,” that is to say, “You will suffer for a definite, but
brief time.” Surely, we who live for eternity and live in eternity should be
able to patiently bear our light afflictions, realizing that they are but for a
brief moment in time (Is. 26:20; 54:8-10; Matt. 24:22; II Cor. 4:18; I Pet.
1:6).
Isaiah 26:20 "Come, my people, enter thou into thy
chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little
moment, until the indignation be overpast."
Isaiah 54:8-10 "In a little wrath I hid my face from
thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee,
saith the LORD thy Redeemer. (9) For
this is as the waters of Noah unto
me: for as I have sworn that the
waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would
not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.
(10) For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my
kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be
removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee."
Matthew 24:22
"And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh
be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened."
2
Corinthians 4:18 "While we look not at
the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things
which are seen are temporal; but the
things which are not seen are eternal."
1 Peter 1:6 "Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now
for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold
temptations:"
C. The purpose
for our trials is to prove our faith.
God
allows the temptation, the trial, and the tribulation, “that ye may be tried.” God sovereignly uses Satan’s vicious
attacks to prove his elect. Satan’s intent is to destroy us. But God graciously
uses his wicked designs to prove us (James 1:2, 3, 12).
James 1:2-3 "My brethren, count it all joy when ye
fall into divers temptations; (3) Knowing
this, that the trying of your faith
worketh patience."
James 1:12 "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall
receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love
him."
“Suffering
times are trying times, whether men are real Christians or no; whether they
have the true grace of God or not; and whether the principles they hold are
right and true, and are worth and will bear suffering”. (John Gill)
Of this we
can all be sure - Sooner or later, God will prove our faith. It will be clearly
demonstrated whether or not we really trust him.
Illustration: Abraham
and Isaac
Job
Ananias and Sapphira
D. All who
endure temptations shall receive a crown of life.
“Be thou
faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.”
NOTE: This
is not a promise of a special crown for martyrs. All who belong to Christ shall
receive a crown of life. God has promised this crown to all who love him (James
1:12). The crown is eternal life itself (I Cor. 9:25).
Faithfulness
is the one thing God requires of his people. And faithfulness is the one thing
all believers give. God’s people are faithful.
Illustration: Once a sailor, sailing
through a storm made this statement: “God, you may sink me if you will; You may
save me if you will. But, whatever happens, I will keep my rudder true.” That
is the believer’s attitude.
To
those who are faithful unto death, Christ promises the crown of glory, eternal
salvation (Matt. 10:22).
IV. In the midst of our trials and tribulations
on this earth - (1.) Christ calls for us to look to him. (2) He assures us of
his constant care. (3) He quietens our fears. And (4) THE LORD JESUS CHRIST ENCOURAGES US TO PERSEVERE (v. 11).
“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the
churches: He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.” Here is a promise to those
who persevere unto the end, to those who are conquerors and more than
conquerors in Christ.
A. There is a second death.
Death
in itself is the result of sin. And physical death is to men tormenting. But
there is a second, eternal, spiritual death, which is the death of the body and
of the soul in hell (Rev. 20:4).
B. But this second death has no claim upon God’s elect.
Though
we may be put to death physically, we shall never die! (John 5:25; 11:25; Rev.
20:6).
John 5:25 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The
hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of
God: and they that hear shall live."
John 11:25 "Jesus said unto her, I am the
resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet
shall he live:"
Revelation 20:6 "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second
death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall
reign with him a thousand years."
1. We have been ordained to
eternal life (Acts 13:48).
2. Christ purchased eternal
life for us (Heb. 9:12).
3. We have eternal life now (I
John 5:13).
4. We shall soon obtain the
glory of that eternal life. Christ himself will give it to us.
Application: The greatest encouragement the Bible gives to faithfulness and
perseverance is the assurance of our security and eternal life in Christ (Heb.
11:13-16; Col. 1:21-23).
Colossians 1:21-23 "And you, that were sometime alienated
and enemies in your mind by wicked
works, yet now hath he reconciled (22) In
the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and
unreproveable in his sight: (23) If
ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard,
and which was preached to every
creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister."
Hebrews 11:13-16 "These all died in faith, not having
received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the
earth. (14) For they that say such
things declare plainly that they seek a country. (15) And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they
might have had opportunity to have returned.
(16) But now they desire a better country,
that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God:
for he hath prepared for them a city."
AMEN.