As summer continues, we’re doing a short series of messages were calling “Dear Church.” As my dear father-in-law pointed out last Sunday, most of our New Testament Bible consists of letters--letters that were written by Spirit-Inspired men to various churches, or believers, or even individuals (like Theophilus in Luke and Acts). But in Revelation 1, we find a series of letters transcribed straight off the lips of Christ Jesus himself to various churches in Asia minor.
The idea of this series is Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. I suppose he’d say many of the same things to the church today that he did here in the text. Last week we explored the danger of becoming a LOVELESS church, that fails to Love God and Love People. But this morning I want to talk about the danger of becoming a PERSECUTED church.
In Revelation 2:8-11 we find the letter written to the church in Smyrna. The city of Smyrna still exists, it’s known today as Izmir, Turkey. Some 3 million people live there! It’s 40 miles north of Ephesus. It’s always been a leading city, a vibrant city, an affluent seaport. And, there is still a vibrant Christian community there. Some say more Christians have lived within, or traversed this city, than any other.
I suppose you could say “Smyrna” has two major claims to fame. The first is economic. Smyrna is named after “myrrh”—a key ingredient used to make fragrant perfume and anointing oil. Myrrh was also widely used to embalm the dead. Myrrh had to be crushed to release its sweet fragrance. The second claim to fame is Christian. Smyrna was a place where great affliction broke out against the Church. Much like myrrh, they found themselves being crushed under the weight of persecution. The character of their faith was being exposed. Would they stand firm? Would they remain true? Would the sweet aroma of their worship, desperate prayers, and faith fill the earth, and reach the highest heaven? Or how about our own faith? Would we remain true were it us?
Revelation 2:8-11, “Write to the angel of the church in Smyrna: Thus says the First and the Last, the one who was dead and came to life: 9 I know your affliction and poverty, but you are rich. I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. Look, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will experience affliction for ten days. Be faithful to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will never be harmed by the second death.
The topic of “persecution” might strike modern church goers as odd. There are a lot of reasons a “Christian” person can be persecuted. For instance, a Christian person can be persecuted for not being very Christian, for being foolish, for being stupid! This is the prospect the Apostle Peter raises in 1 Peter. If you are going to suffer, make sure it’s for righteousness. In 1 Peter 3:10-11 Peter says, “if you love life and want to see good days… keep your tongue from evil, your lips from deceit, your path from evil, do what is good, seek peace and pursue peace.”
If you are a Christian looking to pick a fight, you’ll surely get one. But you’re only blessed if it’s for righteousness, not stupidity. You’re only blessed if you are under the control of the Holy Spirit, Lordship of Jesus Christ, and not reacting like an evil person in the flesh. Peter says if you are a gentle, respectful, a righteous person, eager to do good… no one is going to be “eager” to harm you. A “persecution complex” isn’t necessarily, or always warranted!
Now having said this, there was real persecution in Smyrna. There isn’t any doubt that the Roman (Babylonian-like) culture was a source of affliction. All citizens of Rome were expected to pay homage to the pagan gods and profess Emperor Lord and King. Christians simply wouldn’t do it. It was the same for Jewish people like Daniel deported to ancient Babylon. They wouldn’t fully assimilate and salute the gods, or emperor, or flag, or stand for cultural norms, or be patriotic. They were brutally shamed and abused. Rome is symbolically a modern Babylon. Rome is doing to Christians what Babylon did to Jews.
But the greater source of affliction was the Judaizers—i.e. Zealous Jews. The Christians evangelized the Jewish worship spaces—the synagogues. They converted troves of priests, Pharisees, and Jews. The gospel divided Jewish households: husband and wife, father and son, brother and sister.
Historically, from the cross, great animosity erupted between Jews and Christians. The Jews HATED Christians. They prohibited them from working. They controlled the economic levers of who could buy goods or sell services or own properties. Over centuries this hatred would metastasize, and you would have Jewish, Christian and later Muslim crusades.
Notice the language in verse 9 of this letter: I know your affliction and poverty, but you are rich. I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. The Christians were (among many things) afflicted with worldly poverty. But Jesus reminds them it's all relative to perspective. They were actually RICH!
"The later Christian communities weren’t always so “forgiving.” When Christians later gained power, they turned the tables on the Jews. In fact, Christian resentment about Jewish persecution became so pronounced, it metastasized centuries later under the Nazis. There are complex roots to Nazism, to antisemitism (Jewish hatred), that aren’t talked about. An uncomfortable truth is that Christians (when in power) have been just as apt to persecute Jews and Muslims in the name of Jesus as other groups have been to persecute in name of their faith.
There is a blanket condemnation of evil doing. In 1 Peter 3:12 Peter warns, “…the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are open to their prayers. But the face of the Lord is against all who do what is evil.”
One more historic detail: The early Church Father Polycarp was martyred in Smyrna. Polycarp, the pastor of the church in Smyrna, was commanded to worship Caesar and renounce Christ in 155 A.D., He refused and said, “Eighty and six years have I served Him, and in nothing hath He wronged me; and how, then, can I blaspheme my King, who saved me?” As the fire was kindled around his feet to burn him at the stake, Polycarp was heard singing and praising the Son of God.
Let me ask and answer a series of rhetorical questions. Q1: What is the probability of actual gospel-centered persecution? This is persecution that comes because you are explicitly preaching the name of Jesus, righteousness, new life in the Spirit, or announcing the Kingdom of God.
I subscribe to a tiny magazine called the “Voice of Martyrs.” It’s monthly digest of persecution being experienced around the world by actual Christians. Persecution may be academic to us, but it’s actual in most every Christian community in most every other nation in our world. More people are suffering even martyrdom for Christ, today, than at any point in history. What is the probability that it spills into American culture? Currently--"soft persecution."
Q.2: What is the pretext (provocation) for persecution? Around the world, it’s largely religious, it’s because of the name of Christ, the exclusivity of salvation being preached in his name. Buddhists, Islamists, Hindus, Jews (there are countless religious sects…) actively suppress Christian witness in all its forms. The most ruthless persecution is religious in origin
But of course, there are government sources like communist nations—North Korea, Chinese, Russia, etc. They feel Christianity is a subversive to power, truth, and control. Other nations associate Christianity with American foreign policies. After all, isn’t America a Christian nation? Why are Christians pushing all their moral corruption unto the world? Secularism, with its often insincere authoritarianism, its hyper tolerance, multiculturalism, is a growing source. Canada is an example.
Q.3: In what form might persecution come? Persecution can include the threat of physical violence. It most often economic—like in Smyrna—where those with Christian values are excluded from participation in the economy. You don’t get to buy that property, get that loan, keep that job, flex those local ordinances. In Afghanistan Christians get to make mud bricks like the Israelites in Egypt.
Persecution is often social. Slander has been the devil’s tactic from Old Testament times. In Matthew 5:10-12 Jesus says, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness [AN IMPORTANT QUALIFIER!], for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. “You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Cancel culture is just a modern reincarnation of an age-old tactic.
Persecution is often political. There are steep ramifications if you don’t subscribe to the moral viewpoints, medical viewpoints, environmental viewpoints, the worldview of the party in power. I’ve been noticing all this conversation about UFO’s. There are news reports, public inquiries, table conversations, whistleblowers, military people, popping up with bizarre stories. Maybe there are aliens among us. Maybe aliens seeded life on earth. These stories seem to always originate from government sources. Who stands to benefit from the hysteria, from the conspiracy? Is this government-induced UFO craze a psychological tactic, yet another way to tamp down religious enthusiasm. “Your God may be a space alien.” Our faith is being tested in profound ways.
What are the beliefs that enable us to endure? It will not only be academic… whether you believe Jesus Christ reigns supreme over all heaven and earth… that Jesus is the First and the Last, the Alpha and Omega… that Christ is our sovereign Lord and King… that Jesus was indeed the firstborn from the dead, that he really died, was really buried, was really raised from death, is really the firstfruits of many resurrections to come… that he really ascended to right hand of God, and really reigns from God’s right hand, and is with us.
No longer be academic whether we believe Christ knows our afflictions or poverty? … that we’re eternally rich… blessed in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ… That Christ is preparing an eternal dwelling for you, rewards what is lost... that a crown of life awaits all who endure.
No longer academic whether you believe Christ knows the tactics of Satan, and knows the tactician (the Devil) better than the Devil knows himself?... that Satan’s power is bounded, limited, temporal, not eternal… That if God says ten days to Satan, Satan has not a second more!!
I would summarize Christ calls to the Church in Smyrna in three ways:
First, Choose Faith not Fear. The Bible’s primary exhortation in the face of persecution is to be sober-minded. In the face of persecution you’ll have no other recourse but to strengthen your own faith… What is it that you really believe? Which doctrines will you cling to, which will you jettison? Just who or what will you put your faith, trust, and hope in? Thus says the First and the Last, the one who was dead and came to life: 9 I know your affliction and poverty, but you are rich.
Second, Choose Faith not Flight. The Bible’s primary exhortation in the face of persecution is to stand firm, to be courageous. But stand firm how? With your shotgun loaded and pointed at someone’s face? The overwhelming admonition of Scripture is that we should seek peace and pursue it. That, as far as it depends upon us, we ought to live at peace with all men. To really stand firm we must not underestimate the power of light, and salt, and truth, and love, and righteousness. There is no power, nor peace, in being an evil doer. History demonstrates how light, salt, truth, love, righteousness, goodness, mercy, grace prevail in time.
I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. Look, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will experience affliction for ten days. Be faithful to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.
Third, Choose Faith not Flesh. We need to make sure that in times of affliction, we’re discerning the actual Holy Spirit. Boy when we’re wronged, we want to lash out. We want to make a big stink. We want to exercise our powers, rights, and pursue vengeance. 11 “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will never be harmed by the second death. More than any other text, Paul’s counsel to the Ephesians has stood the test of time. It magnifies v. 11… [READ EPHESIANS 6:10-20]