The Church of Smyrna
“The Suffering Church”
Revelation 2:8-11
James 1:9-12
Introduction:
So glad to see everyone this morning and I am so thankful that you are here. I feel like God is wanting to speak today to us today regarding our heart.
Sometimes I feel like the church of America is the most spoiled church in the world. I thank God for our freedom to worship as we do and I thank God for the brave men and women who are fighting for us to keep that right.
However, I feel like we take for granted the freedom that we have and when we talk about the church our mind is so Americanized that all we think about or worry about is the church of America.
yet while you are sitting in an air conditioned room today, inside a beautiful sanctuary planted in nice padded chairs, I would like to remind you that somewhere today, someone is worshipping while at the same time risking their life.
Somewhere today, there are people who are gathered in a hidden location hungry to hear the word of God, with a passionate desire to worship him. Yet what amazes me is we live in a country where we can go to church without the risk of incarceration, yet some of us may come on Sunday and we may not. We might be here on Wednesday and we might not. We might show up for Monday night prayer and we might not.
Why?
Because we have gotten so narrow minded that we forget that it is not like this everywhere and we take our freedom to worship for granted, meanwhile, someone else is risking it all just to get in the room and hear the gospel preached.
So today, I feel like God is wanting to prick the heart of renovation church, to get us out of mindset or mode of comfortability and complacency. I feel like he is wanting to speak to the heart of every son and daughter in this place today because the time is crucial and we do not need to lose our heart during the moments of intensity.
- Who is The Church of Smyrna?
All 7 of the churches are in what was once known as Minor Asia which is now modern day Turkey. They were in order as a mail route. They were not far from one another, they were actually almost in a full circle.
However, last week I talked to you about the Church at Ephesus who had the correct doctrine with the incorrect heart. A church who left its first love. Smyrna was different than Ephesus because while Ephesus let go of their first love, Smyrna held on to their first love.
This is one of the churches whom Jesus had nothing against. He was pleased with Smyrna because even though they had been through things that would have caused others to give up and walk away, they kept holding on to what is true and faithful.
Have I got anybody in the room today who has been through some stuff you are still holding on to the rock of ages who has stood the test of time?
The Church at Smyrna endured suffering, persecution, and poverty. Not because they were irresponsible with their money. Not even because the people were not giving. They were in poverty due to the intense persecution.
The church of Smyrna is located in modern day Turkey but what used to be called Minor Asia. This is a place that is predominantly a Muslim culture. Christianity here was looked down upon from leaders in the city.
So, because of their beliefs they would lose their jobs, their property would even be confiscated, and sometimes the church would even be looted. Yet in the midst of it all, Jesus said they were rich.
They were one light bulb away from being Amish and Jesus is saying they are rich. They have nothing, yet they are rich. Pastor, why would Jesus say this? Why would he say they were rich if they were clearly suffering.
James said it like this in James 1:12 “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved he will receive the crown of life which the lord has promised to those who love him.”
They may not have been rich in regards to finances, but they loved him enough to keep coming back even when they had nothing to go home to.
They may have lost everything in their possession while in pursuit of the heart of God, but they were willing to lose it all to find him. Listen to me friends, your money is going to someday burn up. You beauty will someday vanish. Your health will someday decline…
But you cannot allow what is happening around you to effect your pursuit for God.
Your family may be going crazy. Your marriage may be on the rocks. Your money might be tight. Your job may be on the cutting block but listen to me family…
In the midst of the Hell you are enduring, keep pursuing Heaven.
I know this life is anything but easy. The could go down the row and hear the horror stories that are taking place in different peoples lives, but when its all over…Jesus told the church at Smyrna some of you will be imprisoned for 10 days.
I came to remind you that the trial you are going through has a start date and it also has an end date. It will not last forever. Keep praying. Keep worshipping. Keep pursuing. Don’t lose your heart in the midst of the the testing.
I’ve met some believers and I have even been one at times who were not financially rich but knew how to get a prayer through. Meanwhile, I have met believers who had money to burn yet they among men most miserable.
Your balance in the checking does not determine your wealth in the kingdom.
These people had nothing. Not a dime to their name, yet they had a praise on their lips. Everything had been stolen from them yet they still had a song. Their names had been drug through the mud and run through the ground but they kept their heart in the correct posture.
Because their pursuit for him was not conditional.
Our pursuit of God is often conditioned around how much he blesses us, how many prayers he answers, or how what miracles he performs…
Our attendance is conditioned on if we have anything else we would rather do. Our praise is dependent upon the kind of week we have had.
Your pursuit must be constant not conditional.
Constant meaning if God never does another thing for me, saving my soul from the pits of Hell is enough for me to praise him all of the days of my life. If he never heals my body, if he never blesses me financially…he’s did enough when he sent his son into the world not to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved.
Salvation is my reason to praise him all the days of my life. Everything else is just an added blessing.
Some of y'all only worship him when your check is more than usual and your kids are more behaved than usual…but you don't see the goodness when you base it upon you receipts. You see his goodness when you base it on the cross of Calvary and the spotless lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
That even when you were in sin, his grace and his mercy were still following you. His goodness is not based on the blessings I receive. His goodness is based on the fact that before the foundations of the Earth, God had a plan to redeem the heart of man.
It’s not based on my financial statue, my health, or my popularity…His goodness is based on his sovereignty and his providence. His grace and his mercy. That even when I was in sin, God was still leading me to where he wanted me to be. His eyes never left me, his heart was still for me.
This church as Smyrna as persecuted as they were, as ridiculed as they were…didn’t just get it in their mind, but they settled it in their heart. They may imprison us, they may kill us…but if we go down we will go down serving. If we go down, we go down praising. If we go down, we are going down knowing that we never stopped pursuing the heart of God!
If we go down, we will go down as constant and not conditional. If we lose it all I count it all joy!
We must develop a constant praise and ditch the conditional worship.
2. The Synagogue of Satan
In verse 9 we see where the church of Smyrna is suffering at the hands of the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews but in reality are not. Those who say that they are religious but the lie detector determined…that was a lie. Come on somebody help me out.
When you look up the word blasphemy in the Greek it is translated to blasphēmia (blas-fay-mē-ah) which means “to slander or injure someone’s name.”
As the church we must make sure that our hearts are pure, our motives are pure, and our life is hid with Christ who is seated at the right hand of God the Father.
While you may think that are close to God, you are never more close to Satan than you are when you are gossiping and talking about someone else.
Slander is a false damaging statement about someone with the intent to hurt their reputation or the way that others view that person. You can not say that you have the heart of God if your desires are to see other people fail just so you can look better.
You can not say that you bear the fruit and the character of God if you are more interested in bringing up someone’s past than you are interceding for their future.
Did you realize something about this?
The church at Smyrna, as victimized as they were, they never talked about their persecutors? While their reputation was being torn apart, they just went to the temple to pray.
Matthew 5:44 says “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you,do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.
You are never more like Jesus than you are when you can love those who hurt you.
I’m gonna make this point and then I am going to move on. 1st Corinthians 6:19 says this “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from good, and you are not your own.
I’m saying this and then I am moving on…
You cannot honestly say that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit if you words prove it to be a synagogue of Satan.
3. Do not Fear
I am not claiming to be the brightest crayon in the box, sometimes I feel as useless as the peach or the white crayon but that’s alright.
But I remember being in my senior year of high school I went and took a very important test called the ACT. That test is what collages look at to determine if you are a fit for their university or not.
It’s not your average test. You have to have your drivers license, you are in a room with random people, every test in the room is different so no one can cheat and its also TIMED…
You have a certain amount of time until the testing period is over…
Jesus told the church at Smyrna, Do not fear any of the things you are about to suffer. The devil is about to throw some of you in prison, that you may be tested and have tribulation for 10 days.
How many in the room has ever felt like a prisoner of your situation?
You feel as if you are bound to the adversity. You can’t get away from the storm. You can’t get away form the pain. You can’t get away from the trauma.
Jesus said for 10 days Smyrna, you are going to be bound to adversity but don’t fear. Somewhere deep inside, I don’t believe they were the slightest bit fearful. Well Pastor that’s crazy, who wouldn’t be scared at a time like that. Who wouldn’t be worried?
I’ll tell you who….those who understand the assignment of Jesus.
He who was anointed to preach the gospel to the bound and to the poor and who came to set the captive free.
They weren’t worried because they remembered the story when Peter was locked away in chains, but while he was locked up, a group of people called a prayer meeting and interceded for him. An Angel woke him up in the middle of the night and led him back to the house where they were staying.
They remembered Paul and Silas who were beaten tremendously for the cause of Christ and thrown into and inner prison. But the prison didn’t lock up their praise. They began praying and singing and at midnight the earth shook, chains broke, and the doors swung open…
I don’t believe they were worried because they knew, if he did it for our forefathers, then he can do it for us!
Listen to me ladies and gentlemen…it is not over until God says it is over! Don’t fear, but count it all joy when you fall into various trials. Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience, but let patience have its perfect work that you may be Perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Blessed is the man who endures temptation for when he is approved he will receive the crown of life.
Don’t you fear! Keep your hands on the plow and your eyes on the finished line. This thing is almost over. Don’t fear tomorrow, Because God is already in your tomorrow. He is already working on your behalf. Lift your hands all over this house and give Jesus a shout of praise because he is busting you out of the situation you thought was fatal. He is busting you out of the thing you didn’t think you would make it through.
Is anyone thankful that he is busting you out!
You are not staying in the trial forever. You are not staying in the testing forever. He is bringing you out and the devil is going to regret the day that he ever messed with you and your family.
Come on give Jesus some praise!! He is bringing you out!!
Conclusion:
Your freedom is dependent upon how faithful you choose to be in the midst of the trial.
Last thing…I’m closing, come on praise team.
Jesus told the church of Smyrna…Be faithful … until death and I will give you a crown of life. Even if it means laying down your life for the kingdom of God, Smyrna, be faithful.
If you aren’t careful, you will allow what you are going through to determine your pursuit.
Anybody can serve God when bills are paid, marriage is great, promotions are happening, kids are behaving..
But what about when you stand in front of a doctor and he tells you or the person you love the most that it is stage 4 and there’s nothing they can do. Or what about when your marriage has gone funny and you are about to sign papers you never thought you’d sign…
I could keep on going today but I know enough to know this today.
Some of you are currently in a prison of the mind. Testing has been intense. Trials have been hard. But just because you are going through something that is difficult does not afford you the right to give up on Jesus and walk away from the church.
I brought something with me today that is used in the medical field to listen to the heart and even sometimes the lungs.
It helps the medical professional listen to the condition of the heart or even if anything negative is surrounding the heart.
Matthew 24:13 says “but he who endures tot he end shall be saved.”
Look at what the end of the letter to Smyrna says…”He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death”
Meaning if you hold on to what you know to be true, in the end you will not be eternally separated from God. Don’t lose your heart. Don’t lose your compassion. Don’t stop pursuing.
I want to go ahead and end the live stream today, thank you to everyone who has been watching, we love you and we will see you next week.
I have been through times in my ministry where the adversity was so great that I actually had to keep a check on my heart. Because people were talking about me and things weren’t going well for me. I never thought that I would be standing here today…but for the goodness and mercy of God.
I was going through a very hard time of ministry this same time last year. In may we went to a revival where a guy I had never met was ministering. He stopped preaching and looked me in the eyes and said…”You ain’t seen the half of what God is going to do through you man of God.” He went on to tell me that God was going to raise me up in front of the people who tried to pull the rug out from under me and how even in the middle of the storm God was going to fight for me.
Church was going haywire. Dad was sick. I had walked a pretty rough road of betrayal in ministry…But through it all…I had to keep my heart in check because what I was going through would have been a “good” reason for me to lose heart and walk away.
Some of you are going through things and you are ready to walk away. Let me give you some encouragement. 1 year to the date that the prophetic word was given to me, you voted us in as your pastors.
The testing doesn't last forever, but if you remain faithful to God, He will remain faithful to you. Keep your mind pure and your heart pure. Don’t let someone else be the reason you walk out on God.
