September 21, 2003
Title: 7 Churches of Revelation: Smyrna
Text: Rev. 2:8-11
Introduction
1. During this series on the 7 Churches of Revelation, there are several things that we want to happen.
A. We want to understand that Jesus is walking amongst the lampstands...
He is walking amongst His Churches...
He is visiting them
Checking them out
Seeing what they are up to
Evaluating them
I’m sure that at some churches, Jesus receives a warm welcome...
And I’m just as sure that if the Holy Spirit were to show up at other churches, he wouldn’t be welcome!
As Jesus is visiting our church, I want us to extend to Him the warm welcome.
I want Him to know that we WANT Him to be here.
He is
B. Another thing that we want to happen during this series...
We want to listen...
We want to hear God’s Voice
We want the Holy Spirit to move into our hearts and lives...
We want Him to have His way...
We want to be receptive to the command of Christ "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches"
2. Last week, we talked about Ephesus...a Church that once had a fiery passionate love for the Lord...
A. But they had let it wane.
Their love had cooled off
They took it for granted...
Much like an old married couple after years of kids, financial problems, and just the cares of life.
B. Tonight, we will look at Smyrna.
Read Text: Rev. 2:8-11
Body
1. History of Smyrna
A. Smyrna is by far the oldest city on the Aegean coast.
Legend says Smyrna was founded by the queen of the Amazons, a mythical nation of women soldiers.
Other stories say that the first settlement was built by a roving band of pirates.
The name Smyrna, is derived from myrrh,* a small tree that grows abundantly in the region
Smyrna was a prosperous town in the 7th century BC.
Homer, the poet, is claimed to have been born in Smyrna
He is thought to have written the Iliad here between 750 and 725 BC.
The city was sacked by the Lydian king Alyattes about 600 BC
and again by the Persians around 545 BC.
B. Afterward Smyra was an unimportant scattering of villages until 334 BC when it was seized by Alexander the
Great.
Legend says that while on a hunting expedition in the surrounding area,
Alexander became tired and fell asleep.
In a dream he was advised to move the city three miles to the south,
on top of the present acropolis, Mt. Pagus.
This new city--is the Smyrna of the New Testament--
It grew and became an important city.
After the time of Alexander, the city was taken by the King of Pergamum.
Still later, after the fall of Pergamum, it passed into the hands of Rome.
Even before the founding of the Roman Empire, the city was a faithful ally to Rome.
In 26 AD the city won out over several other cities for the right to build a temple to emperor Tiberius,
and from then on it became a center for the cult of emperor worship.
The city never wavered in its loyalty to Rome,
and the emperors protected Smyrna and contributed heavily to its development.
Smyrna is not as well known as the other churches...
Smyrna is known as the home of one of the early church leaders named Polycarp.
Smryna was located on a harbor...
the surrounding land rising gently from the water’s edge to a hill or small mountain in the background
Located on top of this hill was the Acropolis. (show pic)
The city was one time destroyed by fire.
For 400 years, the city barely existed...
but it was finally rebuilt
Perhaps this was why Jesus revealed Himself to them as Rev 2:8 "This is the message from the one who is the first and the last, who died and lived again. "
The city itself had experienced this.
C. More current history...
the city often suffered from attacking armies, massacres, earthquakes, fires and plagues.
In 178 AD, eighty years after the church received John’s revelation,
the city was destroyed by a terrible earthquake,
but it was restored by emperor Marcus Aurelius.
They have frequent earthquakes.
In 1688 the city was almost completely destroyed by a severe earthquake,
the ground opened up and swallowed 5,000 people.
In 1758 a plague almost wiped out the city,
and in 1922 the city was burnt by the Turkish Army
Under Turkish rule it was renamed Izmir,
and today it is the only one of the seven cities of Asia which retains anything of its ancient standing.
Izmir is Turkey’s third largest city (2.7 million) after Istanbul and Ankara.
Izmir is the last stronghold of Christianity in Turkey.
To this day there is a significant Christian presence in the city.
There are about 12 active churches,
tourists can visit the ornate St. Polycarp Roman Catholic Church, built by the French in the early 1600s.
Polycarp’s story is depicted in a series of paintings on the walls and ceiling.
(previous info from http://www.ourfatherlutheran.net/biblehomelands/sevenchurches/smyrna/smyrnatxt.htm)
Turkey is 99.8% Muslim and .2% Jewish & Christian
The Church of the Nazarene began its work in Turkey in 2002
Thomas and Karen Gray are the assigned missionaries.
2. The trials and tribulation of the Smyrnan Church
A. Jesus focused on 3 areas of struggle for the Church in Smyrna
1. Jesus says, "I know your afflictions"
"I know your tribulations"
"I know the pressure you are under"
"I know the stress that you have in your life"
This word has the meaning of "a steady, crushing force"
It is the kind of pressure used to press oil out of olives...
or to grind flour from the wheat kernel.
The Christians in Smyrna were definitely in the minority...
Just like the Christians living in Izmir today...
and, for that matter, just like the Christians living in Belleview today.
Jesus says, "I know how hard it is for you"
"I know your struggles"
2. Another area of struggle for the Smyrnan Christians...Jesus said, "I know your poverty"
Jesus knew about the financial struggles that faced those early Christians.
He knew that Christians found it difficult to buy and sell...
He knew that Christians were generous in their giving to others and to the church....
He knew if they were to publicly profess Christ in their business...
that would kill their business.
He knew that they had a hard time finding employment, because of their Christianity.
Christians today have no idea...
We don’t understand that kind of poverty
We don’t understand that kind of discrimination
But even still, whatever your financial situation...
Jesus knows about it!
He understands your financial struggles
And truth be known...Jesus understands the financial struggles of our church!!
And we do struggle...
But Jesus is telling the Belleview Church of the Nazarene Christians...
"I know your poverty"
"I know your financial struggles"
"I know what you are going through right now"
But Jesus didn’t only mention their poverty...
He went on to say, "but you are rich"!
Wait a minute!
That doesn’t make any sense...
How can they be RICH if they are living in POVERTY?
Jesus knows that OUTWARDLY, the Christians in Smyrna were poor.
They didn’t have much money...
They struggled to make ends meet.
But INWARDLY, they were RICH in FAITH
They were RICH in SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS
Matthew Henry writes, "where there is spiritual plenty, outward poverty may be better borne."
3. And the 3rd area of struggle, Jesus said, "I know the slander that you are facing"
"I know the blasphemy"
"I know the cruel things that are being said about you"
"I know about the people who are going out of their way to try to tear you down"
And today, Jesus knows what people say about us...
He knows when we are gossiped about.
He knows when people try to tear us down.
He knows when we are verbally abused.
B.
3. Condemnation
A. Smyrna is one of only 2 churches out of the 7 that don’t have any criticism
Philadelphia is the other.
Evidently this letter was for the purpose of encouragement and strengthening
These were strong Christians that didn’t need correction...
or if they did, it was so minor that Jesus felt like the encouragement should take precedence.
B. I feel like we are a strong church...
and a good church...
but I’m not so sure that we could get by without any correction...
But I am sure that we can get to that point...
by focusing our attention on following God’s will and desire for our church.
The important thing is...
Christ is here...
He is inspecting us...
He is communicating with us...
And we are richly blessed simply by the Lord’s Presence...
and we will be even more blessed as we endeavor to obey the leadership of the Holy Spirit in our church.
4. Not only did Jesus know about the poverty, suffering, and tribulations that the Christians at Smyrna were going through...
A. He knew that their persecution was going to get even worse.
He knew that they would be thrown into prison...
He knew that they would even face death...
B. This literally happened to Polycarp
Polycarp was in danger...
His congregation encouraged him to leave the city and hide out until it was safe for him.
He did this...
but the Roman army located him...
He made no attempt to run...
but instead, he offered food and water to those who came to capture him.
He requested permission to pray before they left...
and when they granted permission, he prayed for 2 hours.
As they travelled to the city, one of the officers asked Polycarp
"what harm can it do....to sacrifice to the emperor"?
Polycarp refused.
When they arrived at the city, the brought him to the Roman Proconsul.
The Proconsul said, "Have respect in your old age, swear to the genius of Caesar...
revile Christ...
and swear to Caesar...
and I will release you"
Polycarp responded, "86 years have I served Christ and He has done me no wrong; how then can I blaspheme my King who saved me"?
The Proconsul insisted. He said, "If you do not change your mind, I will burn you with fire"
But Polycarp refused again.
The Jews and others began to gather fire wood.
Polycarp stood by the stake and asked that he not be fastened to it.
He prayed, "O Lord, Almighty God, the Father of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, through Whom we have received a knowledge of You. I thank You that You have thought me worthy this day and this hour to share the cup of Your Christ among this number of witnesses"
The fire was lit...but as it began to burn, the flames were blown away from him, prolonging his life.
Finally, a soldier killed him with a sword.
C. Christians in America know very little about real persecution.
But if and when that day comes...
it is my hope and desire that we will be faithful...
just like Polycarp...
and other Christians from Smyrna...
I would hope that it would be said of Belleview Church of the Nazarene, "They were faithful"
"They did not turn away from Christ"
D. The Christians in Smyrna were faithful to Christ because they had a real relationship with the Risen Lord.
They were faithful in earlier trials...
and that helped prepare them to be faithful when things got even worse.
Jesus gave them strength...
He gave them power...
5. The Reward
A. The Christians in Smyrna were faithful...
so Christ informed them of their reward to come...
He said, "If you remain faithful, I will give you the crown of life"
When John wrote this letter to the Church of Smyrna, it was estimated that the City had a population of about 100,000.
Smyrna’s Acropolis on Mount Pagus, rose 500 feet above the surrounding area.
There were several impressive buildings on the top of Mt. Pagus..
that they were called, "The crown of Smyrna"
The City was sometimes called, "The crown of Ionia"
There was even a symbol of a crown on their ancient coinage.
However, these crowns are temporary...
the crown that Jesus was offering was "The crown of life"
Eternal life
B. And the reward for faithfulness remains the same.
If we remain faithful during the difficult times...
If we remain faithful in the face of persecution...
If we remain faithful in the face of trials...
Then we too, can win the "crown of life"
Conclusion
1. I read a story about a man who sold a flock of homing pigeons to an ornithologist who lived 25 miles away.
A. This scientist wanted to make sure that his new pigeons stayed in their new home
and didn’t try to fly back to the previous owner...
so he had their wings clipped...
making them unable to fly.
2 weeks later, the first owner looked out his window...
and there, trudging down the road, were the pigeons coming back to their original home.
Unable to fly, the birds had walked 25 miles...
on sore and bloody feet...
to the spot that instinct told them was their home.
B. I call on you to be faithful...
Be faithful, whether on wings...
or on tired and bloody feet...
we must be faithful!
Jesus said, "Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life"
a powerful encouragement for the Christians in Smyrna...
and a powerful encourage to the Christians in Belleview.
