Sermon Tone Analysis

THE SUFFERING CHURCH

The Message to the Church in Smyrna

8 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Smyrna.

This is the message from the one who is the First and the Last, who was dead but is now alive:

9 “I know about your suffering and your poverty—but you are rich!

I know the blasphemy of those opposing you.

They say they are Jews, but they are not, because their synagogue belongs to Satan. 10 Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer.

The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you.

You will suffer for ten days.

But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life.

11 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.

Whoever is victorious will not be harmed by the second death.

The Message to the Church in Smyrna

8 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Smyrna.

This is the message from the one who is the First and the Last, who was dead but is now alive:

9 “I know about your suffering and your poverty—but you are rich!

I know the blasphemy of those opposing you.

They say they are Jews, but they are not, because their synagogue belongs to Satan. 10 Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer.

The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you.

You will suffer for ten days.

But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life.

11 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.

Whoever is victorious will not be harmed by the second death.

The Message to the Church in Smyrna

8 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Smyrna.

This is the message from the one who is the First and the Last, who was dead but is now alive:

9 “I know about your suffering and your poverty—but you are rich!

I know the blasphemy of those opposing you.

They say they are Jews, but they are not, because their synagogue belongs to Satan. 10 Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer.

The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you.

You will suffer for ten days.

But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life.

11 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.

Whoever is victorious will not be harmed by the second death.

The Message to the Church in Smyrna

8 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Smyrna.

This is the message from the one who is the First and the Last, who was dead but is now alive:

9 “I know about your suffering and your poverty—but you are rich!

I know the blasphemy of those opposing you.

They say they are Jews, but they are not, because their synagogue belongs to Satan. 10 Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer.

The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you.

You will suffer for ten days.

But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life.

11 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.

Whoever is victorious will not be harmed by the second death.

The Message to the Church in Smyrna

8 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Smyrna.

This is the message from the one who is the First and the Last, who was dead but is now alive:

9 “I know about your suffering and your poverty—but you are rich!

I know the blasphemy of those opposing you.

They say they are Jews, but they are not, because their synagogue belongs to Satan. 10 Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer.

The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you.

You will suffer for ten days.

But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life.

11 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.

Whoever is victorious will not be harmed by the second death.

The Message to the Church in Smyrna

8 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Smyrna.

This is the message from the one who is the First and the Last, who was dead but is now alive:

9 “I know about your suffering and your poverty—but you are rich!

I know the blasphemy of those opposing you.

They say they are Jews, but they are not, because their synagogue belongs to Satan. 10 Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer.

The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you.

You will suffer for ten days.

But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life.

11 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.

Whoever is victorious will not be harmed by the second death.

This is the shortest of the seven messages that Jesus gave to the churches in the book of Revelation.

It’s also worth noting that Jesus had no critical words for them.

He simply commended them and encourage them.

Smyrna was an actual congregation in Asia Minor.

At this time in history Smyrna, along with Ephesus was a center of paganism and false worship in fact Smyrna was n=known for its loyalty to Rome—was renowned for the worship of Caesar.

It was almost like a contest among the occupied territories of Rome as to who would build the best shrine to Caesar.

And it turned out that Smyrna won the contest.

An d were known for their emperor worship and they declared that, “Caesar was Lord.”

The followers of Jesus in Smyrna, however, refused to say “Caesar is Lord” instead they would say “Jesus is Lord” and that was an offensive, countercultural message in the city.

See Smyrna was a tough place to be a Christian.

If you took a stand for Jesus Christ, you would pay the price.

But the church of Smyrna was not only under persecution from the pagan Romans who wanted them to worship Caesar, but they were also being harassed by Jews who were out of fellowship with God.

Jesus called them “a synagogue of Satan.”

And in all this Jesus tells His people in vs 10 “be faithful until death, and I will give you a crown of life.”

At this time Jesus was not giving them happy news about their future on earth.

He didn’t tell them to think positive, He told them to stay faithful.

Why?

Because He knew that even more suffering was coming their way.

And so it did.

The believers in Smyrna, as well as the Christians in Rome itself, suffered greatly for their faith.

Thousands upon thousands of Christian men, women and children were put to death simply because they would not say “Caesar is Lord” Roman historian Tacitus wrote the tragic record about what happened to them:

Besides being put to death they were made to serve as objects of amusement; they were covered with wild beast skins and torn to death by dogs.

Some were crucified and some were set on fire to serve to illuminate the night when daylights failed.......Or tied to stakes in Nero’s gardens while he drove around in his chariot,......gloating over the dying agonies of his victims.

I can’t imagine how horrible this was.

The emperor Nero began to tyrannize the church of Jesus Christ, but the persecution actually intensified under Diocletian.

But it didn't work out so well for Rome, did it?

You can visit Rome today the sites of the old Roman world and what would we see?wreckage and remains.

A column here, a viaduct there, a piece of the Roman road appearing and disappearing under turf or drifting sand.

BUT the church of Jesus Christ?

Is alive and well, all over the world.

Jesus said and the gates of hell will not prevail against His church (in ).

Instead of destroying the church, the Roman emperors actually strengthen it.

The persecution has a purifying effect, and nominal, halfhearted believers left the church.