AMERICAN IDOLS: LOOKING AT OURSELVES AND OUR LOYALTIES THROUGH THE EYES OF JESUS
THE IDOL OF CONSUMERISM: SMYRNA
REVELATION 2:8-11
Sermon Objective: The church of Smyrna receives Jesus’ unconditional applause because they made hard choices relating to faith-full-ness rather than shop for a more convenient faith.
Supporting Scripture: Matthew 5:10-12; 2 Timothy 3:12; 1 Peter 3:14-15;
Series Intro
We began a series earlier this month called “American Idols: Looking at Ourselves and Our Loyalties Through the Eyes of Jesus”
There are two categories of idols:
{1} an image or other material object representing a deity to which religious worship is addressed.
{2} any person or thing regarded with blind admiration, adoration, or devotion.
Our concern is with the latter. There are a myriad of “things” which could be classified as an idol … they are limited only by the passions of the individual in question. But there are certain dispositions or demeanors that our culture serves and pursues as an end in themselves … they have become idolatrous.
What we discover in “The Revelation” is that they are not just limited to our culture but that others have also pursued these with “blind devotion”. They include:
• Superiority (pride) – The Church in Ephesus (Revelation 2:1-7) • Laize Faire – The Church in Pergamum (Revelation 2:12-17) • Tolerance – The Church in Thyatira (Revelation 2:18-29) • Leisure – The Church in Sardis (Revelation 3:1-6) • Stoicism – The Church in Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-13) • Independence – The Church in Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22)
Today we will look at the church in Smyrna and consumerism. It is found in Rev. 2:8-11. But, before we read that, let me read to you some other words of Jesus.
Matthew 5:10-12
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Sermon Intro
Smyrna: The City
It was located thirty-five miles north of Ephesus and known as “The Crowned City”. As you approached the city from its harbor, the majestic buildings that surrounded it were especially symbolic. The great buildings, including the acropolis on Mount Pagus, looked like a crown or garland adorning the cliffs, encouraging poets to speak of the spectacular skyline of the city as “the crown of Smyrna.”
Smyrna (now modern day Izmir) had a long and troubled history. Hundreds of years before John’s writing it had been destroyed. Alexander the Great personally planned the city’s rebuild, and it was called “the ornament of Asia” because of its beauty and splendor. It boasted of a famous stadium, a library, and the largest public theatre in Asia.
Smyrna became one of the preeminent cities of the empire and Rome gave Smyrna the title, “the city that died yet lives.” In the minds of Smyrna’s citizens it was because of their allegiance to Roma, the goddess of the empire, that the city had been “resurrected.” In response to the blessings bestowed on it by Rome, Smyrna became a major site for emperor and cultic worship.
• It built a temple dedicated to the goddess Roma.
• It built a second one dedicated to the emperor’s worship.
In fact, it was home to many temples. About the city Hal Lindsey writes: "On one end of the main street, the ‘street of gold,’ stood the Temple of Zeus, and at the other end stood the Temple of Cybele, ’the mother of the gods.’ Smyrna was also the center of emperor worship in the Roman Empire, boasting a temple to Tiberius Caesar." (“There’s A New World Coming”, Hal Lindsey).
Smyrna was, by all accounts, a thoroughly pagan city.
Smyrna: The Church
And this pagan city boasted of strong opposition to “the new religion” (Christianity). The hostility came from Smyrna’s citizens rather than from the state. The magistrates were often men of culture and tolerance; but the mass of the pagan population resented the certainty of the Christians. The citizens called upon the authorities to punish these ’atheists’ for insulting the gods.
There were five common charges/slanders leveled against the Christians. Each was utilized by their adversaries in Smyrna.
[1] They were called cannibals because of the Eucharist.
[2] They were accused of orgies because of the “love feasts.”
[3] They split families and tampered with the family unit (i.e. conversions).
[4] They were accused of political disloyalty because they would not offer the sacrifice and utter “Caesar is Lord.”
[5] They were accused of atheism because of their failure to honor Roma incarnate in the emperor.
From the time of Nero, Roman law branded the profession of Christianity as a capital offense; but most of the emperors did not enforce the ordinance. This changed under Domitian’s rule. If accused, a Christian could free himself by simply offering incense to a statue of the emperor, praying to that emperor and declaring him as Lord. After making the appropriate sacrifice, the Christians were given a certificate that verified they had participated in their duty and allowed to resume the quiet practice of his faith.
Smyrna was a hotbed of danger and temptation for the Christians. And the promise of Jesus, the one “who died and came to life again”, offering “the crown of life” to those who remained faithful was very significant for those living in “the crowned city” … “the city that died yet lives.”
Let’s read His words to them:
8"To the angel 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. 9I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10Do 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 the crown of life. 11He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.
No one who reads this letter would fail to recognize the tone of affection and approval. WHEREAS THE WRITER URGED THE PEOPLE OF EPHESUS TO BE AS THEY ONCE WERE, HE COUNSELS THE SMYRNANS TO CONTINUE AS THEY ARE NOW. Ephesus has to recover what it has lost, but Smyrna has lost nothing.
JESUS IS IN COMPLETE SYMPATHY WITH THE CHURCH HE IS ADDRESSING.
The joy that brightens the letter is not caused by ease, comfort and pleasures, but by their triumph over hardship and persecution. It is a faith-based vitality.
BUT THIS APPLAUSE AND APPROVAL FROM JESUS CAME AT A PRICE. IT CAME ONLY AFTER COUNTING THE COST AND MAKING HARD CHOICES.
Making hard choices is a tough thing for those in our culture. We like to “keep our options open” and we tend to choose the “path of least resistance.” We are a consumer culture and, to our demise, this consumer mentality also affects our service, worship, and allegiances.
When things get too demanding, or too “anything” etc. we just go on our merry way … we find a church that “suits us better” or maybe we’d even say ... “we find a better church.”
WHAT DOES A GOOD CHURCH LOOK LIKE?
And that begs the question … WHAT DOES A GOOD CHURCH LOOK LIKE?
We Americans might think a good church looks like Ephesus … or even Laodicea. We would define a good church as one that gives a lot but requires little.
BUT JESUS SAYS A GOOD CHURCH LOOKS LIKE SMYRNA. He gives us the traits that qualified this church to receive His unconditional applause and support.
A Good Church:
1. KEEPS THE FAITH
A good church remains faithful (faith-full) in hard times
Few things will show your loyalty and your true allegiance like tests/threats that involve loss of life, privilege, or freedom. It is then that we see the intimate link between faith in God’s love and power and faithfulness. We will cling to that which we trust (full of faith) to be stable and reliable. Some reveal their faith and loyalty are aligned with the world. But God’s people draw closer to him. In both cases, you get what you’re seeking.
This is a significant message and teaching from the “Book of The Revelation” … “overcoming” does not mean escaping hardship or loss; it is the reward for clinging to God and remaining faithful to Him THROUGH the hardship and loss.
A Good Church:
1. KEEPS THE FAITH
2. COUNTS THE COST AND MAKES THE SACRIFICE.
They chose truth and obedience over convenience.
This is where our consumer mentality comes face-to-face with faithfulness. Many (in fact, all) who lived during the persecution of the early church had the opportunity to avoid hardship.
All they had to do was select a less demanding approach of their “religion.” If they’d just compromise a little bit they could go on being Christians and have a sense of security and acceptance too.
But they knew they couldn’t. They knew that compromising on Lordship was forfeiture.
Pliny was a Roman official who worked in Asia-Minor not long after “The Revelation” was written. He explained in a letter how he handled the Christians: “I ask them in person if they are Christians. If they admit it I repeat the question a second and a third time, with a warning of punishment awaiting them. If they persist, I order them to be led away for execution; for, whatever the nature of their admission, I am convinced that their stubbornness and unshakable obstinacy ought not to go unpunished.” (Pliny, “Letters” 10.96.3-4)
When one counts they discover there is a REAL cost for following the Savior … but there is a REAL reward awaiting the faithful too.
Smyrna’s early sufferings came in three forms:
[1] Trials or affliction (thlipsis)
* The word image is of a crushing weight on one’s chest
[2] Poverty (ptocheia)
* There are two words for poverty. The first is penia = nothing extra, barely enough to survive.
* The other is ptocheia which means nothing. Period.
* Their poverty was economic and literal … not figurative.
* It was due to a confiscation of property for refusing to acknowledge the deity of Caesar.
* THE SMYRNAN CHURCH WAS NOT MADE UP OF POOR PEOPLE WHO BECAME CHRISTIANS BUT OF CHRISTIANS WHO BECAME POOR PEOPLE (BECAUSE OF PERSECUTION).
[3] Imprisonment
* Smyrna is warned (and comforted) by God
* Some scholars suggest that the ten days is a warning of death … the average period of time between imprisonment and martyrdom in Rome was ten days; Rome did not burden itself with long incarcerations
[1] Warning – there is a time of persecution coming
[2] Comfort - It is “ten days” … meaning it has an ending and it will be relatively short
Smyrna’s suffering turned from hardship into martyrdom very soon after John’s writings … to the same generation of believers as he was writing to.
As I said earlier, from the time of Nero, Roman law branded the profession of Christianity as a capital offense; but most of the emperors did not enforce the ordinance. The Smyrnan citizens demanded the magistrates enforce the law; they complied by having eleven Christians executed in the amphitheater. The blood thirst of the crowd was aroused rather than appeased; and it clamored for the death of Bishop Polycarp, a saintly patriarch of 86 years, who was said in his youth to have known St. John. He was, in fact, killed by the Smyrnan officials on February 23, 155 A.D. (Story of Civilization: Caesar and Christ, Will Durant)
The Smyrnans proved to be worthy of Jesus’ approval. They paid the ultimate price for His name’s sake.
1 Peter 3:14-15a
But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear do not be frightened.” But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.
WRAP-UP
The Christians in Smyrna were slandered and they suffered. But this suggests they chose not to shop for a comfortable/convenient faith but chose to be faith-full. They did not experience the approval of men … but they received the applause of God!
There are 2 titles of Christ that also gave the Christians encouragement
[1] “First and Last” – Christ will be with them from beginning to the end;
[2] “Dead but alive again” – promise of a resurrection
[I]JESUS HAS EXPERIENCED THE WORST THAT LIFE CAN GIVE
[II]JESUS HAS CONQUERED THE WORST THAT LIFE CAN GIVE!
o Smyrna is promised a reward for faithfulness. Namely, “A crown that is life” … a play on the romantic imagery of Smyrna itself
[i] it is an immortal crown
[ii] this is not a “royal crown” (diadem) but a crown of joy and victory (stephanos)
I HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND THAT WHAT HAPPENED IN THE ANCIENT CITY OF SMYRNA DID NOT PASS WITH THE ROMAN EMPIRE. EVERY TIME YOU ARE CHALLENGED TO COMPROMISE YOUR FAITH IN ORDER TO RECEIVE A PROMOTION, GET AHEAD ON A SPORTS TEAM, RECEIVE GOOD GRADES, TO BE LIKED, OR LIVE MORE COMFORTABLY, YOU ARE FACING THE DILEMMA OF THE SMYRNANS.
THE QUESTION IS, WHETHER YOU WILL SHOP AROUND FOR A NICE, CONVENIENT, PRACTICE OR WHETHER YOU WILL STAND FIRM.
THE QUESTION IS WHOSE APPLAUSE YOU WILL SEEK.
Remember, the joy that brightens this letter can brighten your life. It is not produced by ease and comfort and pleasures, but by the triumph over hardship and persecution, by superiority to circumstances. IT IS PRODUCED BY KNOWING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN APPARENT WEALTH AND REAL WEALTH, APPARENT LIFE AND REAL LIFE.
1 Peter 4:12-16
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.
" Be faithful, even to the point of 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.
This sermon is provided by Dr. Kenneth Pell
Potsdam Church of the Nazarene
Potsdam, New York
www.potsdam-naz.org
** I offer special thanks (for the background information regarding Smyrna and the church located there) to T. Scott Daniels book “Seven Deadly Spirits”, to William Barclay’s commentary on Revelation and to W. M. Ramsay’s archeological accounts given in: “The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia”.
Supporting Scripture
Matthew 5:10-12
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
2 Timothy 3:12 (KJV)
Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
1 Peter 3:14-15a
But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear do not be frightened.” But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.
1 Peter 4:12-16
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.
