OPEN: Clarence Jordan, author of the "Cotton Patch" New Testament translation and founder of the interracial Koinonia farm in Americus, Georgia, was getting a red-carpet tour of another minister’s church. With pride the minister pointed to the rich, imported pews and luxurious decorations.
As they stepped outside, darkness was falling, and a spotlight shone on a huge cross atop the steeple.
The minister smiled and said "That cross alone cost us ten thousand dollars,".
"You got cheated," said Jordan. "Times were when Christians could get them for free."
APPLY: What did Clarence Jordan mean by that? What did he mean that once upon a time “Christians could get crosses for free?” He meant that 1000s of Christians had died for their faith. They died on crosses, they died in arenas, and they died in lonely prison cells.
Christians down thru the ages have suffered terribly for their faith.
ILLUS: We recently received word, that some missionaries in Honduras were attacked by wicked men who not only robbed their college of its computers and other equipment.
They also robbed the missionaries of their personal possessions. The missionaries had to return to the States for intense counseling.
One person who heard about this tragedy asked a very harsh question: “Where was God?”
I. You could have asked the same question at Smyrna. Smyrna was not a friendly place to be a Christian.
In Revelation 2:9 Jesus tells them “I know your afflictions and your poverty…! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not...”
In the next verse Jesus essentially tells them that this is only the beginning:
“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 the crown of life.”
What did all this mean? It meant that the Smyrna church had already endured persecution and slander, BUT they were yet to face prison & more intense persecution – even death. Polycarp, one of the best known preachers at Smyrna was executed by Rome for his faith.
Like I said, Smyrna was not a friendly place to be a Christian.
II. In fact, in all of Asia Minor, Smyrna was probably THE worst place for Christians to live.
Cicero called Smyrna, “one of (Rome’s) most faithful and … ancient allies.” And Smyrna proved it’s loyalty to Rome by erecting several temples in honor of Roman gods. There was even an altar honoring Caesar where once a year, every citizen was expected to burn incense and declare: "Caesar is Lord." . After the incense was given the offerer was issued a certificate. Anyone refusing to acknowledge Caesar as Lord would certainly be excluded from the guilds. This would mean unemployment and poverty.
This would have been heresy for Christians. But initially the Church was exempted from this requirement.
ILLUS: According to one author I read:
“Normally, the Roman empire required all of the subjugated peoples within the empire to venerate the Roman gods, including to offer sacrifice to the image of the Emperor. Each conquered people group would be allowed to continue the worship of their traditional deities, as long as they also paid homage to the gods of Rome, thus demonstrating their loyalty as good citizens who sought the political well-being of the empire. But for the monotheistic Jews, Rome made an exception. As long as they prayed for Caesar, they would not have to violate the first commandment by committing idolatry.
In the early years, when Christianity was viewed as simply another sect of Judaism, Christians were also given this exception. But as time progressed and the Jews became more intent on persecuting Christians, the Jews began to argue that Christians were not really Jews at all. In fact, they accused Christians of being seditious. For these Christians believed that Jesus, not Caesar, was Lord (Acts 17:7). They were a dangerous element in society that needed to be eliminated for the good of the empire.” (Lee Irons of the Redeemer Orthodox Presbyterian Church at Encino, California)
Apparently, the Jews in Smyrna had successfully convinced the leaders in town that Christianity was a dangerous religion that threatened the good of the community - and of Rome. Thus the church would have lost their exemption and suffered financially because of it. THUS THE PHRASE: "I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan." (Revelation 2:9)
III. So - the church at Smyrna was a struggling congregation.
And if you had been a Christian there you would have constantly faced insults and mistreatment. You would’ve struggled to make a living - no one would hire you. Your children would be targets for bullies and constantly in fights. you would have lived in danger of losing what little possessions you had. AND you would have faced the prospect of imprisonment & death.
In those circumstances, you might have been tempted to ask some serious questions:
i. Where is God?
ii. Why am suffering like this?
iii. What am I doing wrong?
pause…)
ILLUS: Some of you know that the past few weeks, my kids have endured one of the dreaded illnesses of childhood - chicken pox. It’s was a terrible disease for both of them.
They had open sores on their backs, their chests, their legs their arms. The sores showed up in their hair, their mouths and their private parts. It was ugly, it was painful and the bumps itched like crazy.
Jonathan had them first, and he handled “fairly well” – but then he (at least) partially understood what was happening to him.
Naomi, however, is younger, and it was more difficult for her to appreciate that a lot of kids get chicken pox…. BUT that didn’t matter. All that mattered was that SHE had them.
One night this week was particularly heart rending for me. She hurt SO badly she couldn’t even sleep. Several times, in tears she said: “I don’t like the Chicken Pox.” AND THEN some time during that night she asked me “why does it hurt?”
It’s a terrible thing to be a parent in that situation. I couldn’t heal her, I couldn’t stop the pain, I couldn’t even hold her without hurting her. She finally fell asleep on the coach, leaning against me in a fitful sleep.
There was a sense of helplessness about that that’s hard to explain. I wanted to do something to help her… but I couldn’t do ANYTHING. I couldn’t even give her a satisfactory explanation for her question. And how would I answer her question? How could I explain to her what was happening?
That same night I had been struggling with the question of "Where was God?"… And then, it suddenly occurred to me - this is how God must feel when we suffer persecution. When we’re mistreated and abused for our faith. Chicken Pox is an ugly disease and it hurts to watch your children endure it. The suffering of Christians must be just as ugly to God. This is how we must look to God when we suffer from mistreatment of others.
IV. Now, let’s be clear on one thing: The Bible tells us WE WILL suffer in this world
Peter wrote the Christians of his day: “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.” (I Peter 4:12)
And again “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” (I Peter 5:8-9)
Jesus said: "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)
In fact, Jesus said: “Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also….”(John 15:20)
WE WILL SUFFER IN THIS WORLD
Christians will be persecuted
Christians will face hardship and loss
Christians will die
We WILL suffer in this world!
V. But why do we suffer?
When Naomi 1st asked me “Why does it hurt?” I didn’t know what to tell her. But now I know the answer: Chicken Pox hurts because we live in a world tainted by sin. Our bodies weren’t designed to be attacked by viruses and bacteria that would hurt us and maim us and perhaps even destroy us.
And the reason Christians suffer is because we live in an ugly, sinful world. A world so often filled with hate and selfishness that it’s hard to understand. Difficult to explain.
That’s the only explanation for a Columbine, or World Trade Center, or a Pentagon. A selfish, sin filled world is the only explanation of why Christians who only mean to help would suffer persecution, deprivation and death.
That’s the answer to my daughter’s question.
But frankly, that’s not really the answer my daughter wanted. She didn’t care about viruses and bacteria. She didn’t care about sin and evil. I could speak to her all night and give her valid scientific and theological answers to her question and it wouldn’t matter to her all. Those answers were not what she wanted.
She wanted to hear that her pain wouldn’t last forever. She wanted to hear that it would be all right. Those would be the only words of comfort that would matter to her.
And those would have been the only words of comfort that would matter to the believers in Smyrna. That’s why Jesus told them - your pain won’t last forever:
"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 2:10a).
And they needed to hear that - it would be all right. That’s why Jesus said:
"Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life" (Revelation 2:10b).
But even those words of comfort were not as important as something else they needed. When my daughter was suffering that night, frankly, she didn’t really want an explanation. If I couldn’t remove the chicken pox, at the least, she wanted to have me near her. She wanted me to hear her complaints. She wanted to have me tell her I understood…that I knew what she was going through. AND she wanted to know I was going to stay right there with her. The only way I could get her to sleep was to lay on the couch with her. To promise I wouldn’t leave her the rest of the night.
AND THAT IS WHAT the Christians at Smyrna needed. They needed to know that God hadn’t forsaken them. That God hadn’t forgotten them. That their cries for help were being heard.
AND SO, Jesus told them what they needed to hear:
“I haven’t left you…”
“I know what you’re enduring…”
In vs. 9 Jesus tells them: “I know of your afflictions and your poverty
AND “I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not…”
THEN in Vs. 10 He tells them He knows what they are facing – prison and even death.
He hasn’t forsaken them, He hasn’t left them, He is there carrying them thru their time of turmoil & trial
ILLUS: "One night I had a dream.
I was walking along the beach with my Lord & across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.
For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,
one belonging to me and one to my Lord.
When the last scene of my life shot before me, I looked back at the footprints in the sand –
and there was only one set footprints.
I realized that this was at the lowest and saddest times of my life.
This bothered me and I questioned the Lord about my dilemma:
’Lord, you told me - when I decided to follow you –
you would walk and talk with me all the way.
But I’m aware that during the most troublesome times of my life there is only 1 set of footprints. I just don’t understand why, when I needed you most, you’d leave me.’
He whispered, ’My precious child, I love you and will never leave you.
Never, ever, during your trials and testings.
When you saw only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.’"
CLOSE: It was that knowledge that allowed the Christians at Smyrna to remain faithful in a very difficult situation.
Smyrna’s most famous preacher, Polycarp, was a close friend and disciple of the apostle John. At age 86 he was arrested and the Roman Proconsul asked him to recant his faith.
The Proconsul told him "I have respect for your age. Simply say ’Away with the Atheists’ (meaning the Christians) and be set free."
Polycarp then pointed toward the Pagan crowd and recited "Away with the atheists."
When asked why he was so obstinate in the face of potential death, Polycarp replied:
“Eighty-six years I have served him, and he never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?”
Polycarp was led to away and was burned to death for his faith.
Polycarp knew that throughout all of his trials, Jesus had never left him or forsaken him… And because of that he was able to stand in the face torture and death. Because he knew that Jesus’ promise would be true:
“He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.” (Revelation 2:11)
He was willing to face physical death, because he was certain of an eternal life.
SERMONS IN THE “JESUS DIARY” SERIES
Remember... - Revelation 2:1-2:7
Where Was God? - Revelation 2:8-2:11
The Comatose Congregation - Revelation 3:1-3:6
Making An Open Door- Revelation 3:7-3:13
The Poor Little Rich Church - Revelation 3:14-3:22
