## **INTRODUCTION — A CHURCH THAT KNEW WHAT IT MEANT TO DIE AND LIVE AGAIN**
As we begin this morning, before we listen to what Jesus says to Smyrna, it is important to look back at where we have been.
We started our study by stepping into Revelation chapter 1.
Before Jesus corrects His church, He reveals Himself to His church.
We saw Him walking among the lampstands. We saw Him holding the stars in His hand. We were reminded that the church is not the light — the church is the lampstand. Jesus is the light.
And we established the question that frames our entire study:
The question is not, “What kind of church are we?”?
The question is, “Are we listening to what Jesus is saying to His church?”
Revelation 1:3 gave us the pattern: Read. Hear. Heed.
Last week, if you watched the video, you would have followed me as we listened to what Jesus had to say to the church in Ephesus.
Ephesus was hardworking. Discerned. Doctrinally sound. Resistant to false teaching. But they had left their first love.
They were busy for Jesus — but no longer burning for Jesus.
And Jesus called them to renewal with three simple words: Remember. Repent. Do.
Renewal begins not when we do more for Jesus, but when we return to loving Jesus first.
This morning, we turn to Smyrna, and we find a very different message to the church.
Ephesus was strong but loveless.?
Smyrna is suffering but faithful.
Ephesus needed correction.?
Smyrna needs encouragement.
And what Jesus says to this church under pressure will help us understand what faithfulness looks like when obedience becomes costly.
Before we get into Scripture, let’s take a few moments and let our video from Lineage Journey tell us about ancient and modern day Smyrna, and how the Jesus’ words might relate to the universal church’s history.
Video Ill.: Smyrna — The Persecuted Church by Lineage Journey
In Revelation 2, Jesus says:
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. 9 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. 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.
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. (Revelation 2, NIV)
The church in Smyrna was not symbolic. It was a real congregation in a real city under real pressure.
Scholars and historians tell us that Smyrna had been founded as a Greek colony around 1000 BC, destroyed around 600 BC, and for nearly four hundred years existed only as scattered villages. Around 200 BC, it was rebuilt as a unified city and came back to life.
So, in very real terms, Smyrna knew what it meant to die. And Smyrna knew what it meant to live again.
That history matters, because Jesus is about to speak to a church that understands loss, endurance, and faithfulness under pressure. Let’s dive into this letter to see what message Jesus has for Smyrna and us today.
## 1. **THE GLORIOUS CHRIST — THE ONE WHO DIED AND LIVED AGAIN**
As we begin, we see Jesus describing Himself as the Glorious Christ — the One who died and who lived again.
Jesus begins by addressing the church, saying in verse 8:
8 … These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. (Revelation 2, NIV)
Therein lies the heart of the gospel — the God who loved us, sent Jesus to this world — to die to pay for our sins, to fulfill the Old Covenant — to conquer death, rising again on the third day, and then returned to Heaven to sit at the right hand of God. All because He loved us.
God, who is all powerful, all knowing, all amazing could have done anything He wanted in order to fix the relationship that was broken in the Garden of Eden. He could have waved His hand and made us perfect. He could have just destroyed mankind completely and started over. He could have just given up and said, “Oh well. I tried.”
But He didn’t.
He sent His one and only Son.
Jesus came, walked among us, lived with us and as one of us, suffered and celebrated as one of us.
Through His life on this earth, Jesus revealed Himself not as distant or detached. He was Emmanuel — God with us. And in His greeting to Smyrna, He reminds them, and us today, that He has already endured suffering and overcome it.
The Greek tense behind “who died” points to the idea of an episode—a passing phase — a defined period of time. For a season, Jesus was dead. But death was not permanent. It was not final. It’s like our favorite TV shows which have multiple episodes. While we may not completely understand the whole storyline without the previous episodes, each episode stands independent of the others.
Jesus is saying that for a passing phase — for a season — He was dead. But, death did not have the final word.
This description allows Jesus to connect intimately with the church in Smyrna. Just as Smyrna had been dead and lived again, Jesus reminds them that death is never the final word for those who belong to Him.
## 2. **THE CONDITION OF THE CHURCH — AFFLICTED, POOR, AND YET RICH**
As we continue reading, we get an idea of the condition of the church — they were afflicted, poor, yet they were rich.
Jesus says in verse 9:
9 I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich…! (Revelation 2, NIV)
Jesus does not say, “I see.”
He says, “I know.”
There is great comfort in having a connection with someone who knows.
### A. Afflictions
Jesus tells Smyrna that He knows their afflictions.
The Lord's Mercy Often Rides To The Door Of Our ...
By Sermon Central
Copied from Sermon Central
Charles Spurgeon said “The Lord’s mercy often rides to the door of our heart upon the black horse of affliction.”
That is a striking image.
Affliction is not mild inconvenience.
It is not simple frustration.
It is that crushing pressure we feel when the weight of circumstances seems ready to cave in on us. In the original language, the word carries the idea of being pressed — squeezed — hemmed in from every direction. It is pressure that does not simply irritate. It threatens to overwhelm.
And while we may not face imprisonment as Smyrna did, we understand affliction.
For some, affliction looks like a medical diagnosis that changes everything overnight.
For others, it is financial strain that never seems to ease — bills mounting, uncertainty growing.
It may be a broken relationship. A prodigal child. A marriage under strain.
It may be the quiet weight of anxiety, the ache of grief, or the exhaustion of carrying responsibilities that feel too heavy.
Affliction is that moment when you wonder whether you can endure one more day under the pressure.
And Jesus says to Smyrna — and to us — “I know.”
There’s power in those two words.
The One who says “I know” is the same Lord who inspired Paul to write these words in 2 Corinthians 4:?
7 … [W]e have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. (2 Corinthians 4, NIV)
In Smyrna, the pressure was real. For you and me, the pressure is still real. But the pressure does not get the final word. Satan does not get the final word. Death does not get the final word. Because the treasure inside the jar of clay is greater than the pressure pressing against it.
And Jesus knows.
### B. Poverty
Jesus goes on to speak of their poverty.
This was not a poverty of inconvenience but complete destitution:
Many believers were slaves.
As a means of persecuting the Christians, many Christian homes were looted and even destroyed.
Livelihoods would be stripped away because of their faith.
They literally had nothing, and yet they gave all they had.
Jesus calls them rich—not in possessions, but in faith, hope, and endurance.
## 3. **THE OPPOSITION — SATANIC SLANDER, PERSECUTION, AND THE CALL TO STAND FIRM**
They may have been rich, but third this morning, the church was facing the opposition — Satanic slander and persecution. But Jesus calls them to stand firm.
Verse 9 continues with these words:?
9 …I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. (Revelation 2, NIV)
The believers in Smyrna were not merely opposed — they were misrepresented.
They were slandered.?Their faith was twisted.?Their motives were questioned.?Their loyalty was attacked.
Jesus reveals that what Smyrna is facing is not merely human opposition.
Behind the slander, persecution, imprisonment, and violence stands a spiritual enemy.
Satan and his forces seek to destroy the church.
If they cannot silence it, they will slander it.
If they cannot corrupt it, they will persecute it.
If they cannot weaken it, they will attempt to crush it.
And churches today are not strangers to similar hostility.
Misrepresentation of Christian belief.?Public condemnation of biblical convictions.?Attempts to intimidate or silence faithful witness.?Even disruptions of worship services.
Recently, at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, activists interrupted a Sunday gathering — entering the service, chanting, and confronting worshipers. The event was widely reported and investigated as unlawful interference with worship.
The forms may differ.?The intensity may vary.?But the pressure is not new.
Jesus knows the pressures His people face — then and now.
And He does not pretend they are imaginary.
He says plainly: “Yes, persecution is coming.” “Some of you will be tested.” (v. 10)
He does not sugarcoat suffering.
Yet even here, Satan’s power is limited. Jesus said in verse 10:
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.… (Revelation 2, NIV)
The suffering would be real.
The testing would be painful.
But it would be temporary.
Satan may initiate the attack — but he does not control the outcome.
Satan could not act beyond what God allowed, and he could not claim the final victory.
Paul reminds us that we need to be prepared to battle against this opposition. In Ephesians 6, Paul writes:?
11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (Ephesians 6, NIV)
Protective Equipment
By Davon Huss
Copied from Sermon Central
The story is told about a 10 year old boy who found himself standing directly in the path of an oncoming car. The driver hit her brakes. Before either of them could do anything it seemed the 10 year old was shoulder deep in the windshield of the automobile.
"Are you alright," asked the driver.
From inside his football helmet a squeaky voice responded, "I think so!"
The boy, on the way home from football practice, was in full uniform — and that uniformed saved him!
The devil is doing his best to plow through God’s children. But God has not sent us into battle unprotected. He has provided armor — truth, righteousness, faith, salvation, the Word of God.
With that armor protecting us, Jesus tells us not to be afraid.
Fear is one of Satan’s greatest weapons, but fear loses its power when the church remembers who has already won.
Jesus has overcome Satan.
Jesus has overcome sin.
Jesus has overcome death.
And because He has overcome, we stand in His victory.
Smyrna is praised for standing firm. But they did not do it on their own. They stood in the victory of Jesus Christ. And when we are wearing the full armor of God, we too will stand against the wiles of the devil, in the victory of Jesus Christ.
## 4. **THE CALL — FAITHFULNESS EVEN TO DEATH**
Fourth, this morning, Jesus issues the call — faithfulness even to death.
Simply, Jesus said in verse 10:
10 ….Be faithful, even to the point of death…. (Revelation 2, NIV)
Jesus does not promise safety.
He calls for steadfastness.
Faithfulness In ...
By Sermon Central
From a sermon by Jeff Strite, Time In The Trenches, 10/19/2009
Copied from Sermon Central
John Wesley once said: "Give me a hundred men who love nothing but God and hate nothing but sin, and I will shake the whole world for Christ."
It doesn’t take many… but it does take someone who decides to be faithful.
In December 1944, the German army launched an unexpected attack. In what was to become known as the Battle of Bulge, the Nazis drove deep behind Allied lines. Writing in WW II about the reaction of the American troops to this attack, James Jones said:
“No one of these little road junction stands could have had a profound effect on the German drive. But hundreds of them, impromptu little battles at nameless bridges and unknown crossroads, had an effect of slowing enormously the German impetus… These little die-hard ‘one man stands,’ alone in the snow and fog without communications, would prove enormously effective out of all proportion to their size.”
It can certainly be said that the church in Smyrna shook the world. They were a model of faithfulness, amid all of the pressures coming from the outside.
Faithfulness does not always look dramatic.
Sometimes it looks like continuing to believe when belief is costly.
Sometimes it looks like showing up when fear says stay home.
Sometimes it looks like obedience that no one else sees.
Like us, the Christians in Smyrna were jars of clay—fragile and easily broken—yet they were carrying the surpassing power of God within them.
Jesus calls us to be faithful with that power, and if we are faithful, we may be pressed on every side, but we will not be crushed.
We may suffer, but we will not be defeated.
Instead, we take our stand — not by overpowering the enemy, but by refusing to surrender our faith. Every act of obedience, every quiet stand for truth, every moment of faithfulness under pressure slows the advance of darkness. Not because we are strong — but because Christ is.
Because the power at work in us does not belong to us — it belongs to God. And when fragile jars of clay carry the power of the risen Christ, even small acts of faithfulness have eternal weight.
## 5. **THE PROMISE — THE VICTOR’S CROWN AND LIFE BEYOND DEATH**
Finally, this morning, there is the promise — the victor’s crown and life beyond death.
Jesus said:
10 …Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.
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. (Revelation 2, NIV)
If we are faithful, we will be given the victor’s crown.
Now, the crown of which Jesus speaks is not a royal crown worn by kings. No, instead, It is a victor’s crown — the wreath placed upon the head of a soldier who had shown courage, or an athlete who had finished the race.
It was announcing to all who saw that this person finished. It was given to those who endured.
Those who finished.
Those who overcame.
But in this spiritual battle, the reward is far greater than recognition.
The crown we receive is life itself — eternal life.
The first death may come to every believer. But the second death — the final judgment — will never touch those who belong to Christ. Death may take the body. But it cannot take the soul.
Because Jesus, the One who was dead and now lives, has already overcome the grave.
What a promise.
If we remain faithful, we will inherit eternal life. We will overcome death — just as He did. Faithfulness leads to life.
## **CONCLUSION — LISTENING TO THE ONE WHO HAS ALREADY OVERCOME**
This morning, Jesus concludes His letter to the church in Smyrna by saying:
11 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Revelation 2, NIV)
The church in Smyrna was not rebuked. It was encouraged.
Jesus did not tell them how to escape suffering. He told them how to endure it.
And the call for us is clear:
Remember the Victor. Stand Firm. Trust the Promise.
Remember the Victor — Jesus is the First and the Last. He died, and He lives again. He has already overcome Satan, sin, and death.
Stand Firm — when pressure increases, when fear rises, and when faithfulness becomes costly.
Trust the Promise — because the crown of life is real, and the second death has no power over those who belong to Christ.
The question is not, “What kind of church are we?”
The question is, “Are we listening to what Jesus is saying to His church?”
To the suffering church, Jesus still says:
Do not be afraid.
Be faithful.
Life is on the other side.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
