The Suffering Church | Revelation 2:8-11

Scripture

• Revelation 2:8–11

About this sermon

Introduction: There is BLESSING in suffering. But the only way to BELIEVE that — sincerely believe that — is to have saving faith and as a result to believe the Bible. Suffering doesn’t LOOK LIKE BLESSING. In fact, it can be exceedingly ugly. Suffering doesn’t FEEL LIKE BLESSING. It can challenge us in a way that threatens to shake us. But our God has made clear in His word that His people are blessed when we suffer in the way of righteousness. We are blessed when we suffer with Christ. We are blessed when we suffer for the truth. We are blessed when we suffer in faith. WHEN WE KNOW THIS, AND BELIEVE THIS, THEN SUFFERING IS SOMETHING WE CAN REJOICE IN. ESV Matthew 5:10 "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. ESV 1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. We see an example of this in our Lord’s message to the church at Smyrna. It is no accident that the only two churches that receive nothing but commendation from Christ would be churches experiencing heavy suffering. God uses suffering to purify His church. God allows suffering to prove us, to purge from us that which is not pleasing in His sight and to establish in us what is real and lasting. Here we meet with a church that pleased Jesus. What does the Lord see in this church and what does He say to this church? I want us to see that He ENCOURAGES this church, and He does so in FOUR WAYS. 1. Encouraged by the Lord’s person (vs.8) 2. Encouraged by the Lord’s perfect knowledge (vs.9) 3. Encouraged by the Lord’s preparation (vs.10) 4. Encouraged by the Lord’s promise (vs.11) I. ENCOURAGED BY THE LORD’S PERSON (v.8) Jesus encourages His church by the knowledge of Himself. There is comfort in His self-description. A. THE FIRST AND THE LAST This is a clear claim of deity. ESV Isaiah 44:6 Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: "I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. ESV Isaiah 48:12 "Listen to me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I called! I am he; I am the first, and I am the last. And Christ will say this again in the book of Revelation. ESV Revelation 22:13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." To worship Jesus is to worship the true and living God. To stand against idolatry, to reject any and every other so-called god, is to be faithful to Jesus. This church existed in a city in which this was especially challenging. The city of Smyrna, just like Ephesus, was a place FULL of idolatry. Much of the suffering of the Christians in Smyrna would have been directly from their rejection of that city’s idolatry. Alan F. Johnson — “Smyrna was also a center of emperor worship, having won the privilege (over eleven other cities) from the Roman Senate in AD 23 of building the first temple in honor of Tiberius. Under Domitian (AD 81–96) emperor worship became compulsory for every Roman citizen on threat of death. Once each year a citizen had to burn incense on the altar to the godhead of Caesar, after which he was issued a certificate. Barclay (Seven Churches, 29] quotes a request for such a certificate, and the certificate itself: To those who have been appointed to preside over the sacrifices, from Inares Akeus, from the village of Theoxenis, together with his children Aias and Hera, who reside in the village of Theadelphia, we have always sacrificed to the gods, and now, in your presence, according to the regulations, we have sacrificed and offered libations, and tasted the sacred things, and we ask you to give us a certification that we have done so. May you fare well.

Topics

• Suffering & Trials
• Bible Study
• Church & Fellowship
• The Church
• Prophecy & End Times