Sermon Tone Analysis

Text: Revelation 2:8-11

Theme: The Lord of glory has a message for his church today: A church is spiritually rich when is perseveres over persecution.

I have always wondered ... how do Prosperity Preachers deal with texts like Revelation 2:8-11?

The Health and Wealth message is a belief among some Christians — actually millions of Christians — who insist that financial blessing and physical well-being are always the will of God for them, and that faith, positive confession, and donations to their favorite prosperity preacher will increase their material wealth.

It’s the belief that if Christians have faith in God, we are entitled to security and prosperity.

If only the believers in Smyrna had read Joel Osteen’s book, Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential maybe, just maybe they wouldn’t have experienced the afflictions or poverty or persecution from the Synagogue of Satan.

It’s obvious that the saints at Smyrna simply did not realize that they were born to win; that they were born for greatness; that they were created to be a champion in life.

Some of today’s prosperity preachers actually teach that hardship and poverty are proof of a believer’s faithlessness.

Tell that to the Christians at Smyrna.

Tells that to the Christian who died as human torches in Nero’s palace garden.

Tell that to the 360 million Christians right now who live in places where they experience high levels of persecution, just for following Jesus.

360 million — that’s 1 in 7 believers, worldwide.

Christian persecution around the world is one of the biggest human rights issues of this era.

Did the Christians at Smyrna simply not have enough faith?

Was their positive confession not sincere enough?

Did they not give enough seed money to some preacher’s ministry?

Was their visualization lacking?

For those who may not be aware, the 1st Sunday of November is a day to remember the Persecuted Church around the world.

There are hundreds of millions of believers living in places where it is difficult and dangerous to live out one’s faith.

The Lord’s message to the Church at Smyrna is a message for such believers.

It’s a message for the persecuted church and for persecuted Christians.

What is the Lord’s message to them?

I. THE CHURCH CAN HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE ETERNAL CHRIST’S PRESENCE

“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life."

(Revelation 2:8, ESV)

1. Scripture tells us very little about the Church at Smyrna — in fact, this passage is the only place in the New Testament where this congregation is mentioned

a. Smyrna was about 40 miles north of Ephesus, and these two cities vied with each other as the most important city in Asia

b.

Smyrna was celebrated for its schools of science and medicine, and for it’s beautiful natural setting

c. it was an exceedingly wealthy city, with ornate public buildings which one poet referred to as “Smyrna’s Crown”

1) the city’s main thoroughfare was call the Street of Gold

2. like other Asian cities, Smyrna was probably evangelized as a result of Paul’s ministry in Ephesus

a. but it was difficult and dangerous to be a Christian in Smyrna

1) the city was a center for Roman Emperor Worship

a) in fact, its citizens were so infatuated with Rome that in 195 B.C. they built a temple in which the city of Rome itself was worshiped

2) there were major temples to Cybele, Zeus, Apollo, Aphrodite, and Asklepious

3) and we also know that the Jews in the city were especially hostile toward believers

3. the letter to the believers at Smyrna is not from the apostle John, but the Lord Jesus Christ

a. when the Lord speaks to His people, we’d better listen

b. what’s the message?

A. THE ETERNAL SON OF GOD WATCHES OVER HIS CHURCH

1. Jesus proclaims that he is the "First" and the "Last"

a. speaking to a persecuted church Jesus reminds them that he is aware of their situation — “I know,” Jesus says, “your afflictions and your poverty” —

b.

I know, and I empathize with you ...

1) because I was afflicted ...

2) because I was impoverished

3) because I also faced a dark hour of trial

c.

Jesus tells this afflicted congregation, “I know ... I sympathize ... I understand ... and I’m standing by you in this hour of trouble.”

2. the Christ who empathizes with them is the beginning and ending of all things — seen and unseen ... the creator of all things — seen and unseen ... the sustainer of all things — seen and unseen

"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.

And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

And he is the head of the body, the church.

He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell," (Colossians 1:15-19, ESV)

a. Jesus is the preexistent one — he was before all things, and he will be the consummation of all things

b.

Jesus is the eternal infinite One — the second Person of the Trinity — who existed when all things were created and remaining after all things are destroyed

1) He is the first ... when other things were not, he was

2) He is the last ... when others things cease, he will not

3) he transcends time, and space, and creation

c.

Jesus is the resurrected one, who was dead, but is now alive — come see the place where his body laid

1) here is the great paradox of all paradoxes

a) how can the eternally living God who is above time, above space, above history ... how can he die?

b) because he came in the flesh as God incarnate, and as mortal man, he entered into time, space and history for the very purpose of dying for sinners

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21, ESV)

2) this is the heart of the Gospel

3. the one who died and came to life again, is the one who knows what this congregation at Smyrna is going through

ILLUS.

Jesus knows what every church in the world is going through.

He sees his church in America at ease in Zion, and he sees his church in Ukraine bearing each other’s burdens, and he even see his church in North Korea, brutalized for my name’s sake.

a. these are comforting words to a church which is facing persecution

“I know your afflictions and your poverty — yet you are rich!

... ” (Revelation 2:9, NIV84)

... The Church Can Have Confidence in the Eternal Christ’s Presence

II.

THE CHURCH CAN HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT IT WILL BE PERSECUTED

"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."

(Revelation 2:10, ESV)

1. whether that persecuted church is in the 1st century Roman Empire or in 21st century China, a church that is faithful to Jesus will frequently be attacked by the enemies of the cross

2. the persecution faced by the Christians at Smyrna was only a foretaste of the persecution the church would experience over the next 2,000 years

a. it has been estimated that between 64 A.D. when Paul was executed by Nero and 325 A.D. when Christianity was legalized some 2,000,000 believers were martyred for their faith

b. it is estimated that 100,000 believers will be martyred for their faith this year alone

ILLUS.

Martin Luther said that “Suffering is one of the marks of the true church.”

The Anabaptists of the 16th century spoke of three baptisms: 1) The Baptism of the Spirit which brings a person into a relationship with Christ, 2) The Baptism of Water which becomes the sign or symbol of one’s discipleship, and lastly, 3) The Baptism of Blood, which marks one who follows Christ, and is martyred for it.

3. Jesus sees and knows the condition of every single body of believers

a. the persecution and mistreatment of Christians at Smyrna did not take Jesus by surprise

A. FAITHFUL SERVICE TO CHRIST OFTEN BRINGS HARDSHIPS

1. the consequences of this congregation’s faithfulness was three-fold

2. 1st, the Result of Their Faithfulness Was Tribulation

a. the word tribulation means to experience pressure as in being pressed from all sides by a crowd of people (think Time’s Square NYC on New Year’s Eve)

b. these Christians were under constant pressure to give up their faith and to compromise their beliefs

3. 2nd, the Result of Their Faithfulness Was Poverty

a. for the 1st century Christian, affliction and poverty often went hand-in-hand