Rich In Poverty Series

churches like Job's friends judged him. It is easy to jump to the conclusion that churches that get

burned out or blown down by storms, or which get persecuted are under the judgment of God. Not

so says Jesus, for the suffering church may in fact be one of His favorites instead of a rebel being

punished. There are a lot of mysteries in the realm of suffering, and one of them is why the best and

most favored, who least deserve suffering, often suffer the most.

This does not fit well with the American perspective. We do not suffer like the churches in other

parts of the world. Therefore, we feel we are the best and the most blessed. I cannot escape this

conclusion in my thinking, and I am grateful to be a part of the church in this land of liberty and

freedom from persecution. Nevertheless, I have to see that from the perspective of Jesus the church

in those lands where they have suffered for their faith may in fact be the best and richest churches in

the world. I would not want to move out of Laodicea and move over to Smyrna and endure their

suffering. I love being in a suffering free church, but I ought not to let that deceive me into thinking

that it is the best church, and most loved church. The point is, let's try and see the church from the

point of view of Jesus and not our own. We think because we don't suffer for Christ we are the most

blessed, but this may not be true from Christ's point of view. It is not their suffering that makes them

the best, but their faithfulness in suffering, and faithfulness is an issue we need to consider.

FAITHFULNESS.

Christians tend to be strong in the areas that are a strong part of their culture and upbringing.

The people of Smyrna were noted for being faithful to their commitments. More than all of the other

cities they were loyal to Rome. They never wavered in their fidelity. Cicero called Smyrna, "One of

our most faithful and most ancient allies." They were so patriotic that when the Roman soldiers

were losing a battle in the far East the people of Smyrna stripped off their own clothes to send them

to the Romans who were cold and suffering. Smyrna was the first city in the world to erect a temple

to the goddess Roma, and to the spirit of Rome in 195 B.C. In 26 A.D. it was chosen over Ephesus

and all the other cities of Asia Minor to be the place of erecting a temple to Tiberius. Rome honored

her for her faithfulness. The point of all this is that Christians are influenced by their culture. A

Christian takes on the virtues that are popular in his secular environment. A Christian who grew up

as a non-Christian in a good solid home where mom and dad loved and were faithful to each other is

more likely to be a faithful mate than one who grew up with an environment full if infidelity, lies,

and deceit.

The Christians of Smyrna were faithful whatever the cost because that was a strong virtue in their

lives even as non-Christians. The non-Christian culture is not irrelevant to Christ and His church.

Those cultures where there are godly virtues are far more conducive to building strong Christians