Good morning, church.
Friends, one thing we do here at Trinity
is that we do our very best to humbly preach God's Word.
We try hard to take our key and our tune from Scripture.
And so what that means is that whenever we come to a passage
which talks about difficult things, we do not shy away.
This morning, the two subjects that Scripture presents for us
are difficult for many.
These two things are the subjects of suffering and death.
These are the two things in this world
that most people would do anything to avoid.
Most people, in fact, don't even like to talk about these things.
But today, our passage in Scripture has much to say
about suffering and death,
and so we're going to take these subjects head-on.
This is important to do because if you haven't noticed,
suffering and death are two things that hard as we try,
we cannot avoid.
They are inescapable,
and because of this, people fear them above all else.
But Christian, I wonder,
what about you?
Are you afraid of suffering?
Are you afraid of death?
What do you do, or what should you do when faced with these things?
Perhaps you are suffering now.
How are you enduring?
Perhaps you know that your end is coming.
How are you responding?
Well, if you find yourself afraid,
and we all do at times,
if you find yourself afraid of these things,
then take heart,
because the letter we are about to read
has good counsel for you.
In this letter, in the book of Revelation,
Jesus tells the ancient church of Smyrna
that they are going to suffer,
and that some of them may even die.
But Jesus says to them
to not be afraid.
And He promises
that He will defeat suffering and death.
And what He promises to them,
He promises to you, O Christian.
So let us walk through these things this morning.
The passage we have before us
can be found in the book of Revelation,
chapter 2, verses 8 through 11.
This corresponds with page 965
in your pew Bible.
And just by way of reminder,
the author of the book of Revelation
is John the Apostle,
a disciple of Jesus.
And in this book of Revelation,
Jesus has appeared to John
in a heavenly vision,
and He's currently dictating letters to John
to send to local churches in Asia Minor.
And this brief letter we have before us today
was addressed to the church in ancient Smyrna.
And this little letter reads like this.
And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write,
the words of the first and the last
who died and came to life.
I know your tribulation and your poverty,
but you are rich,
and the slander of those who say
that they are Jews and are not,
but are a synagogue of Satan.
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.
He who has an ear,
let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
The one who conquers
will not be hurt by the second death.
Here Jesus counsels the church in Smyrna
not to fear suffering
and to be faithful even unto death.
And these will be our two themes this morning.
First, we will start with a little bit
of background to this letter.
We'll sketch out the historical context
to help us understand the sufferings
that the church in Smyrna was facing
and what they were to face.
And then we'll focus on two things.
First, what Jesus says about suffering.
And second, what Jesus says about death.
And we will see what counsel
he gives to those who face such things.
And we'll see what counsel he gives to you.
Let's pray together.
Oh, Father in heaven,
we thank you for your word.
We thank you for its timeliness.
And Lord, for how you cut to our hearts with it.
Father, we pray
that through your word this morning
you would give consolation
and comfort and encouragement
to those who are suffering
and to those who face death.
Lord, we pray that we would treasure
your word in our hearts.
Lord, that if now we do not face these things,
that in the future when we do,
we will remember your counsel
and we would cast ourselves upon you,
the one who has conquered suffering and death.
Father, we pray all this in the name of Jesus.
Amen.
Let us begin with a little bit
of historical background to this letter.
Remember, this letter was written
to the ancient church in Smyrna.
And Smyrna was a very wealthy city
in the ancient world.
It was known for its spices,
for trade,
and its beautiful buildings.
And it was also one of the chief centers
of imperial worship of the Roman emperor.
It was, in fact, specially selected for this purpose.
What this means is that the people of Smyrna
would have been making sacrifices
to the Roman emperor pretty much every day.
And along with this,
Smyrna also had a vibrant Jewish community.
But it must be noted that
of all the different ethnic groups
in the Roman Empire,
Jews at this time were exempted
from the requirements of emperor worship
by special agreement with the government.
This means that while probably everyone in Smyrna
was required to worship the Roman emperor,
the Jewish inhabitants likely were not.
And all these things help us to understand
Jesus' words to the church in Smyrna,
because when we take this letter
and we place it in the light
of these historical facts,
we can draw some reasonable conclusions.
First, it seems, for example,
that the Christians of Smyrna
must have felt pressure
to worship the Roman emperor
due to the imperially backed Roman cult
that was present in the city.
And in fact, this pressure may have been immense.
Along with this,
Christians also would have been living
amongst very wealthy people.
They would have lived among people
who flaunted their riches,
who had opulent homes,
who possessed many servants and slaves.
Yet, as Jesus tells us in his letter to the church,
the Christians in Smyrna were poor.
Furthermore, as I said,
we know from the historical record
that there was a vigorous and thriving Jewish population.
We gleaned from the letter
that the Jewish community of Smyrna
seems to have been slandering the Christians of Smyrna.
They seem to have been saying
that the Christians were not actually Jews.
That is, that they were not actually worshiping
the God of Israel.
This is relevant because,
as I mentioned before,
the Jews of Smyrna,
like all Jews in the Roman Empire,
they were exempted
from worshiping the Roman emperor.
We know also,
from reading the book of Acts,
that in the early days of the church,
Christians would often worship in synagogues,
since in the early church,
most Christians were Jews to begin with.
So the reasonable inference here
is that in a place like Smyrna,
there was immense pressure to worship the emperor.
But despite this,
Christians could likely have found a safe haven,
a shelter from persecution,
but only if they worshipped in the local synagogue.
This, for example,
is something that even the apostles did for a time
in the early church,
where the apostles continued to identify as Jews
and worship in the synagogues.
We see this throughout the book of Acts.
But there was a problem in Smyrna,
because the letter in Revelation says
that the Jews in Smyrna
were slandering the Christians
and saying that they were not Jews.
A reasonable conclusion
that scholars have made from these things
is that the Christians of Smyrna,
who had sought refuge in the synagogues,
had been kicked out of the synagogues,
and therefore they were exposed
to persecution
and the forced worship of the Roman emperor.
They seemed to have been accused
by ethnic Jews
of not being faithful to the God of Israel,
because they followed the Messiah Jesus.
And hence these Christians
were excommunicated from the synagogue,
and the result is that
they were no longer exempted
from worshiping the emperor,
and they were exposed to persecution
if they remained faithful to Christ.
Taken altogether,
we can conclude
that the church in Smyrna was suffering.
They were poor.
They were slandered.
And as the passage explains,
they soon would suffer imprisonment.
But what does Jesus say
to the church in Smyrna
in view of these things?
What word does Jesus have
for those in Smyrna
who are suffering?
Remember, Christian,
what Jesus says to the church in Smyrna,
he in many ways says to you.
So let me rephrase that question.
Instead of,
what word does Jesus have
for those in Smyrna
who are suffering?
Let us ask this morning,
what word does Jesus have for you
who are suffering
or who are facing death?
Let us start first
with what Jesus says about suffering,
and then secondly,
we'll discuss what Jesus says about death.
So let's begin.
In Revelation 2-9,
the first thing Jesus says
to those who are suffering is this,
I know your tribulation.
Friends, are you suffering today?
Jesus says to you,
I know your tribulation.
You are not forgotten by God.
He knows your tears.
He knows your doubt.
He knows your pain.
If you are jobless,
homeless,
anxious,
hopeless,
He knows these things.
If you are called at work
to stand firm in the gospel
and so to risk your career
or your income,
if you're called to cease from sin
and jeopardize your relationships
with your family or your friends,
all for the sake of Jesus,
whatever it is you are suffering,
whether it is bodily illness
or external oppression
or mental anguish,
whatever it may be,
Jesus says to you,
I know your tribulation.
Jesus is not blind to these things.
He knows.
He sees.
He understands.
Scripture declares
in Hebrews chapter 218,
because Jesus himself
has suffered when tested,
he is able to help those
who are being tested.
Friends, this is the first thing
Scripture says to you
who are suffering.
Jesus knows.
Jesus is aware.
Jesus is intimately familiar
with suffering.
He is not unacquainted
with these things.
He himself suffered,
and so he's able to help you
who are being tested by suffering.
You are not alone.
You are not forgotten by God.
Jesus knows.
Every tear you have shed
and every drop you have bled.
Be comforted in this,
my brothers and sisters.
But there's a second word
that Jesus has for you
who are suffering.
He goes on to say
to the church of Smyrna
in Revelation 2.9,
He says,
I know your poverty,
but you are rich.
To put this another way,
though it appears,
Jesus says,
that you are poor now,
you in actuality are rich.
Though it appears
that you are suffering now
in the heavenly
and spiritual reality
that Jesus has ushered in,
all these hardships,
are working together
for your good,
both now and in the future.
And this is not some
far-off promise
of spiritual riches.
It is a promise
of spiritual riches
that can be redeemed
here and now
in the present moment,
in this very instant.
This is why Jesus says
to the church,
I know your poverty,
but you are rich.
Jesus does not say,
I know your poverty,
take heart,
you will be spiritually rich
in the future
when I return.
Instead, He says,
I know your poverty,
but you are rich
here and now.
This idea
that the heavenly blessings
in Christ
are present now
is illustrated
by Jesus' promise
in the Gospel of Mark
in chapter 10.
Jesus says,
Truly I say to you,
there is no one
who has left house
or brothers
or sisters
or mother
or father
or children
or lands
for my sake
or for the sake
of the Gospel
who will not receive
a hundredfold now
in this time
houses
and brothers
and sisters
and mothers
and children
and lands
with persecutions
and in the age to come
eternal life.
but many who are first
will be last
and the last first.
Notice here
the promises of Jesus
for you, Christian.
He says that
if you follow Me,
you will suffer
in this life,
but in the life,
this life,
you also will receive
a hundredfold
in return.
You'll receive
spiritual friends
and spiritual brothers
and sisters
and spiritual children
and houses
and countries.
And Jesus says,
in the future,
though you are last now,
you will be first then.
Hence,
if we return
to the church
in Smyrna,
Jesus says that
though Smyrna
was at that time
poor
in an earthly sense,
in actuality,
they were rich
towards God
in that very moment.
And Jesus
says the same
to you, Christian.
Though you may be
poor now,
you are rich
in God.
And this goes
for all kinds
of suffering,
whatever form
it may take,
be it poverty,
physical pain,
despair,
slander,
betrayal,
persecution,
or anything else.
If you are a follower
of Jesus Christ,
there is not just
a renewed body
awaiting for you
in heaven,
but even now,
you walk,
you run
in the spiritual gifts.
You possess
the unsurpassable gifts
and abilities
of the Holy Spirit.
These are yours now.
Joy,
hope,
love,
fellowship with the saints
and with God above.
If you weep now,
those tears are being
and will be wiped away.
If you suffer slander,
take heart
because in this moment,
you're found innocent
before God
and you will also
be found innocent
in the day of judgment.
If you suffer today
with the shackles
of addiction,
you can be freed
now
and in the future,
those temptations
will pass away forever
when Jesus comes.
All this to say
that if in this life,
in this world,
you are suffering,
what Jesus promises
and what he calls you
to recognize
is that an actual reality
of the matter
is that day by day
there are blessings
being poured out
on you this very moment
and there is spiritual treasure
stored up for you
in heaven
in the world to come.
Well, friends,
from these,
we can derive
a third word
that Jesus says
to those who are suffering.
The church in Smyrna
was poor,
but Jesus said
they were rich.
This is an example
of a profound
gospel truth.
It turns out
that when you are suffering
in the path
of obedience to Jesus,
God has promised
that he will take
your sufferings
and he does not simply
bless you
in a general spiritual way
in the present moment
in your suffering,
but he takes your suffering
and he works upon it
with a kind
of precise antidote,
a counter agent
that turns
that specific suffering,
that turns
that specific evil
into an exact
corresponding
and matching gift.
So if you are poor
in this world,
then faithfully,
humbly,
enduring that poverty
makes you rich in God.
If you are slandered
in this world,
then patiently persevering
in that slander
by God's grace
turns that slander
into vindication.
If you are abandoned
by friends or family
for following Christ,
then you are called
the friend of God.
And you receive
the fellowship
of the Holy Spirit
and the fellowship
of spiritual brothers
and sisters in Christ
and this kind
of spiritual inversion
where God
turns your suffering
into blessing.
This is the very thing
that Jesus promises
in his Sermon on the Mount.
He says,
blessed are the poor
in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom
of heaven.
Blessed are those
who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit
the earth.
What we've covered
so far is this.
Remember,
when you are suffering,
remember first,
God knows
and understands,
for he suffered also.
He has not abandoned you.
You are not alone.
He is with you.
Secondly,
though you are suffering,
you are blessed
both in the world
to come
and in this present world.
You are blessed
in the here and now
as well
as in the hereafter.
And thirdly,
God takes that specific
suffering you are enduring
and he works
a corresponding blessing
through your patient
and faithful endurance
by his grace.
Now I know
and understand
what toil
and hardships
suffering can be.
I understand
how such things
can blind you
from seeing
these spiritual promises
and spiritual realities.
As many of you
are aware,
I was born
with a severe heart defect.
I've had two
open heart surgeries.
I have more surgeries
to come.
I know what it is like
to be a boy
in agony
in a hospital bed
crying,
Lord,
why is this happening
to me?
Why have you allowed
me to suffer?
I know what it is
to see all the other
children grow healthy
and able to run
and play in ways
that I could not.
For many years,
friends,
I grew bitter
against God.
I could not see
his promises
for me.
But then,
brothers and sisters,
Jesus Christ
stepped into my life
and what I learned
from him
is that in Christ Jesus
who suffered for us,
in him
our suffering works
an eternal weight
of glory
that is not worthy
to be compared
with anything
in this world.
The Apostle Paul
speaks of this.
He says to the Corinthians,
for this light,
momentary affliction
is preparing for us
an eternal weight
of glory
beyond all comparison
as we look
not to things
that are seen
but to the things
that are unseen.
for the things
that are seen
are transient
but the things
that are unseen
are eternal.
Friends,
those of you
who have tasted
this weight of glory
beyond all comparison,
you know
of what I speak.
And those of you
who have not yet
tasted this truth,
come to Jesus,
behold him,
and you will understand
that all these sufferings
of this world
are nothing
compared to knowing Christ.
You see, friends,
we worship a God
who does not fear suffering.
He himself
came down
into this world
in the person of Jesus
and he knowingly
and willingly
and volitionally
suffered the punishment
of a slave
on the cross.
And he became like us
in every way.
Scripture says
in the book of Hebrews,
in the days
of his flesh,
Jesus offered up
prayers and supplications
with loud cries
and tears
to him who was able
to save him from death.
And he was heard
because of his reverence.
And although
he was a son,
he learned obedience
through what he suffered.
And being made perfect,
he became the source
of eternal salvation
to all who obey him.
Christians,
if Jesus
became perfect
through suffering,
how much more
will God take
our imperfect lives
and perfect them
through the suffering
we experience?
Therefore,
on account of this,
Jesus says
to the church
in Smyrna
in Revelation 2.10,
do not fear
what you are about
to suffer.
The profound truth
of the matter is,
O Christian,
that when you find
yourself to be poor,
turn to God
and become rich.
When you are in pain,
cast yourself upon him
and receive the consolation
of his presence.
When you are lonely,
receive the fellowship
of the Holy Spirit.
When you are betrayed
or persecuted,
go to the one
who is betrayed
and persecuted
for you.
Endure suffering
for Christ
and Christ
will redeem it.
And therefore,
do not fear suffering.
Well, friends,
we've discussed
suffering,
but there is one more
important matter
to cover.
We all must face suffering.
That much is clear.
But what of
that other reality
that we all must face?
What about death?
death?
This is unavoidable
for us, too.
So what words
does Jesus say
to us
who are facing death?
Jesus says this
to the church
in Smyrna
in Revelation 2,
10 through 11.
He says,
Be faithful
unto death
and I will give you
the crown of life.
He who has an ear,
let him hear
what the Spirit
says to the churches.
The one who conquers
will not be hurt
by the second death.
From these words,
friends,
we gather
that this persecution
that was to come
upon the church
in Smyrna
was going to be
very severe.
So Jesus exhorts them.
He says,
Be faithful
unto death
and he says this
with a promise
and I will give you
the crown of life.
It should be mentioned
again
that what Jesus says
to the church
in Smyrna,
he says to you,
Christian,
Be faithful
in all things
even unto death
and I will give you
the crown of life.
By this,
Jesus means
that we should be willing
to sacrifice
all things
in obedience
to him
and his word
even at the cost
of our lives
just as Jesus
laid his life down
for us.
And by being faithful
unto death,
Jesus also means
that we should be
faithful to him
throughout our whole lives
even to the point
of death.
For you see,
says Jesus,
if you are faithful
unto death,
you will receive
the crown of life
and to the one
who conquers,
you will not be hurt
by the second death.
Now,
this phrase,
the second death,
can be mysterious
to some
but it's clear
from the scriptures
that Jesus
is speaking
of that second death
of hell.
That second death
that comes
after bodily death
where one
is eternally cast
from the presence
of God.
And if this
is the second death,
then logically
the first death
is the earthly death
when our earthly body
passes away.
And so given this,
there are two kinds
of deaths
from Jesus' perspective.
The first death
is that which is
the earthly
or bodily death
that we all face.
And the second death
is that which takes
place in hell
and is reserved
for those who reject
Jesus.
We as Christians,
we all face
the first death,
the death of our bodies.
But afterwards,
we are all rescued
from it.
We are rescued
from that first death
by being resurrected.
resurrected.
And then when judgment
comes,
we are spared
from the second death
by being redeemed
and forgiven
by Jesus.
So we as Christians
do not face
the second death
at all.
Logically then,
if we are resurrected
after the first death
and we do not face
the second death,
then what can we conclude
but that we should not
fear either death?
Christian,
the sum of what
I'm saying is this.
When your end
is coming,
when your time
on this earth
hastens to a close,
when the sun
is setting on your life,
whether you have lived
many or few years,
whatever age you are in,
when the door
to this world
is closing,
then you have
nothing to fear.
Jesus has promised
to resurrect you
from this death
and he has promised
that you will not
be hurt
by the second death.
And the whole
New Testament
proclaims
that Jesus
will rescue you
from these things.
In fact,
the whole New Testament
proclaims
that Jesus
came to die
in your place
to destroy death.
The whole purpose
of Jesus
departing from
his throne in heaven
and becoming human
and partaking
of flesh and blood
was so that he might
die to destroy death
for you
and for God's glory.
Scripture says
in Hebrews chapter 2,
since therefore
the children,
that's us,
since therefore
the children share
in flesh and blood,
Jesus himself
likewise partook
of the same things,
that through death
he might destroy
the one
who has the power
of death,
that is the devil,
and deliver
all those
who through fear
of death
were subject
to lifelong slavery.
And so for you,
Christian,
when you are facing death,
when your end
is coming,
do not fear.
Jesus has destroyed
the power of death
and the grave.
And therefore,
Jesus says to the church
in Smyrna,
be faithful unto death
and I will give you
the crown of life.
And he adds,
the one who conquers
will not be hurt
by the second death.
But after all these things,
I should mention
there is also
in Jesus' letter
to the church
in Smyrna
an additional word
of consolation
about facing death.
This is at the very
beginning of the letter.
It's in Revelation chapter 2,
verse 8.
At the very start,
Jesus announces himself
and he says,
quote,
I am the first
and the last
who is dead
and has come to life.
In this verse,
Jesus identifies himself
as the one who was dead
and who came to life.
Brothers and sisters,
what a precious Savior
we have in Jesus.
He's able to rescue you
from death
because he's been there.
He's gone down
to the gates of hell
in person.
He fought death
and won.
It is he
who was dead
and came to life again.
He knows
all about death.
He went to its
outer limits.
He saw it face to face.
He descended
to the pit.
He let it come upon him
and he defeated it
for all time
for you
and for all you
who believe.
The grave,
the tomb,
the crypt,
none of these things
had power
over Jesus.
Scripture likens
Jesus defeating death
to Jesus defeating
the great dragon
or Jesus commuting
your sentence
or freeing you
from prison
or taking your place.
And all this imagery
serves to communicate
that you do not need
to fear death,
O Christian.
Death has died
through Jesus Christ
and you,
when you die,
you will live forever
beholding your Savior
face to face,
which is better by far.
Christians,
I have one final word
of exhortation
to you.
Jesus says
to the church
in Smyrna
in Revelation 2.10,
he says to those
Christians back then
that some of them
would be imprisoned
for ten days
and he counsels them
to be faithful
unto death.
And I wish I could tell you
what the Christians
in Smyrna
suffered in that time
and how they persevered
in their imprisonment,
but all that
has been lost
to history.
We don't know
exactly what happened
regarding that imprisonment,
but we do have
another witness,
another witness
from a member
of that very church
in Smyrna
who received
this letter
from Jesus.
History tells us
that the Apostle John
sent this letter
to the church
in Smyrna
probably in the 80s
or in the early 90s
of the first century
when he wrote
the book of Revelation.
And it so happens
that one of John's
own disciples
was actually
from Smyrna
itself
and he went on
to become
the leader
of the church
in Smyrna.
This man's name
was Polycarp
and it actually
is very possible
that Polycarp
was even sitting
in Smyrna's congregation
on that very day
when Jesus' letter
in Revelation
was read to them.
And we know a bit
about Polycarp's life.
We know it seems
that he took
this letter to heart
because he remained
steadfast in suffering
through many decades
of ministry.
We know this in part
because of a letter
that Polycarp wrote
that we still have.
He wrote this letter
around 107 A.D.
and he records
this passage
about suffering.
He says this,
Let us therefore
hold steadfastly
and unceasingly
to our hope
and the guarantee
of our righteousness
who is Christ Jesus
who bore our sins
in his body
upon the tree,
who committed
no sin
and no deceit
was found in his mouth.
Instead,
for our sakes,
he endured all things
in order that we might
live in him.
Let us therefore
become imitators
of his patient endurance
and if we should suffer
for the sake of his name,
let us glorify him.
For this is the example
he set for us
in his own person
and this is what
we have believed.
Friends,
here Polycarp
echoes Jesus' letter
and exhorts his church
in Smyrna
to be faithful
in suffering.
And many years later,
Polycarp modeled
not just what it is
to suffer for Jesus,
but also what it is
to not fear death
for Jesus.
After a long
and fruitful ministry,
Polycarp was brought
before a Roman governor
who threatened
to execute him
if he did not
deny Jesus.
And Polycarp
uttered these words.
He said,
for 86 years
I have been his servant
and he has done me
no wrong.
How can I blaspheme
my king who saved me?
And then with those words,
Polycarp went off to die.
Polycarp remembered
Jesus' words
to his congregation
so many decades before.
The words where Jesus said,
do not fear
what you are about
to suffer
and be faithful
unto death
and I will give you
the crown of life.
Friends,
the sum and total
of our Christian life
is to lay our lives
down for Jesus.
When suffering
and death
come upon you
and they will,
whether they come
through persecution
or bodily ailment
or family catastrophe
or through any
other circumstance,
then like Polycarp,
remember our Lord Jesus
who suffered
for you
and who died
for you
and become imitators
of that patient
endurance of Jesus.
Remember his words
to the church
in Smyrna,
do not fear suffering
and do not fear death
for though for a time
you will have to endure
these things,
Jesus knows your suffering
and he is working for you
in such things
an eternal weight
of glory
and an everlasting
spiritual treasure
that you may partake of
here and now
and forevermore.
friends,
let's pray together.
Oh Father,
we come to you
and we bow our hearts
before you.
Lord,
we pray for those of us
who are suffering
right now.
We pray, Lord,
that you would comfort them,
that you would encourage them.
Lord,
that you would bless them
in the midst of trials
and temptations
and tests.
We pray, Lord,
that when we suffer
we would turn to you
and receive comfort
and consolation
from your Holy Spirit.
Father,
we pray
that we would not fear
these things
but that in them
we would see
that unsurpassable
weight of glory
that far outweighs
all these things
in this world.
Lord,
we pray
that you would wipe away
our tears,
that you would help us
to stand fast,
Lord,
if we face persecution,
that you would help us
to endure.
Lord,
we pray that you would
give us joy
in these things,
that we would rejoice
knowing that you are glorified
and that,
Lord Jesus,
you will return.
And we pray this
in the mighty name
of Jesus.
Amen.