Faithful
Until Death
Steve W. Reeves
INTRODUCTION:
A.
“The choice is yours. Confess Caesar as Lord or face death.” Those seem to be extreme words for 21st century Christians in America. Even though western culture is
growing increasingly hostile towards Christianity we do not usually encounter such
extreme measures.
1. This is not the case in some parts of the world.
2. It certainly was not the case in the Roman Empire near the end of the first century.
B. The book of Revelation was addressed to Christians who encountered persecution
on a regular basis.
1. Each of the seven churches addressed in chapters 2 and 3 had endured some
type of persecution.
2. Of these seven churches it was the church in Smyrna that seems to have suffered
the greatest hardship..
C. Along the ancient postal road that ran from Ephesus to Laodicea, Smyrna was the
second stop.
1. It was located approximately 35 miles north of Ephesus.
2. The town of Smyrna was said to be the crown of Asia Minor. For
All of its natural beauty, however, the architects who planned it did not provide
infrastructure. The sewage system was extremely poor. Open sewage often ran
down the streets.
3. It was an old city that had been destroyed by several natural disasters. It had been
rebuilt 290 years before Christ. Today it is a city in Turkey called Izmir.
4. In Roma times it had a great inland harbor. It was a center of science and
medicine. It was a free city and was a stronghold of pagan worship.
a. There were temples to numerous deities in Smyrna.
b. It was a center of emperor worship. During the reign of Domitian worship of the
state and emperor increased. Every year every citizen had to burn incense to
Caesar and receive a certificate certifying they had paid allegiance to the
emperor. Failure to do so could result in torture and death.
c. There appears to have been a Jewish community in Smyrna. They repeatedly
informed and incited Romans to attack Christians.
5. “Smyrna” is a Greek word associated with Myrrh.
a. Myrrh was a fragrant ointment that came from a thorny tree.
b. We immediately recognize it as one of the gifts brought to Jesus by the Magi
(Matthew 2:11).
c. Myrrh was mixed with wine and offered to Jesus on the cross (Mark 15:23). .
d. Myrrh was used to anoint the body of Jesus after his death (John 19:39).
e. How ironic that myrrh was obtained by crushing and extracting the oil from a tree
of thorns. Isaiah 53:5 says concerning the suffering servant, “He was crushed for
our iniquities.”
5. Although the city was prosperous those who refused to confess Caesar as Lord
were ostracized and cut off from the wealth. Thus, the Christians were known for
their poverty.
D. There are three key parts of the letter to the church in Smyrna.
I. THE PERSON OF JESUS
A. Each of these letters begins with a description of Jesus. These are the same
descriptions that are found in chapter 1
B. In his address to the church in Smyrna Jesus began, “The first and the last, who
was dead, and has come to life” (vs. 8).
1. This was used in 1:17, “When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And
He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the
last,”
2. This title was the Old Testament description of YAHWEH.
a. Isaiah 41:4-‘“I, the Lord, am the first, and with the last. I am He.”
b. 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. and there is no God besides
Me.”
c. Isaiah 48:12- “Listen to Me, O Jacob, even Israel whom I called; I am He, I am
the first, I am also the last.”
2. It is used in Revelation 22:13 (final chapter of the book).
C. All of these titles describe the supremacy of Jesus. Now, notice the next statement
in verse 9, “I know your tribulation and your poverty.”
1. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords knows.
2. The Alpha and Omega; Beginning and End knows.
3. Almighty God – knows.
4. How comforting it must have been for these downtrodden people to realize that
God was aware of their suffering.
D. You and I can draw great comfort from the realization that Jesus knows our
heartaches, sorrows and difficulties. J. Lincoln Hall wrote eloquently of this in his
song, “Does Jesus Care?”
II. THE PROBLEM OF PERSECUTION
A. Jesus knew of the difficulties these people were experiencing. Verse 9 mentions
three specific threats. .
1. Their tribulation
2. Their poverty
3. The abuse they suffered by those who said they were Jews but were not.
4. They faced opposition on three fronts.
a. Romans
b. Pagans
c. “Jews”
B. The entire backdrop of Revelation is that of persecution.
1. In 1:9 John wrote about his exile on Patmos. He was there because of the word
of God and testimony of Jesus. We can only imagine the hardships he must have
suffered.
2. Each of these seven churches in Asia was suffering from some form of
persecution. However, Smyrna seems to have received an extra dose. Perhaps
the reason for this is that they were remaining faithful. Only two churches among
the seven do not receive any rebuke. These are Smyrna and Philadelphia.
Ephesus had left its first love. Pergamum was tolerating false teaching, Thyatira
was affected by the wickedness of Jezebel. Sardis was dead and Laodicea was
lukewarm.
C. Jesus and the apostles realized that persecution would be the “rule” rather than
the “exception.”
1. Matthew 5:10-12 - “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of
righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people
insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you
because of Me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in
the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
2. John 16:33 – “In the world you will have tribulation but take heart I have
overcome the world.”
3. Acts 8:1 – “In that day a great persecution arose against the church in
Jerusalem.”
4. Acts 12:1-2 – “Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who
belonged to the church in order to mistreat them. 2 And he had James the brother
of John put to death with a sword.”
5. 2 Timothy 3:12 – “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be
persecuted.”
D. Persecution does not destroy the church. It makes it stronger. David Platt in his
book, Radical, tells of worshipping with a group of believers in a persecuted
country. They were forced to meet secretly. As they prayed their tears ran down on
the concrete floor. They worshiped with great sincerity and dedication. Platt
compared their dedication to those who are in the modern, “mega-church” climate
in our nation. What a difference there is in the level of sacrifice and commitment.
III. THE PROMISE OF FAITHFULNESS
A. Jesus has several promises for these persecuted people.
1. Do not fear what you are about to suffer.
a. God often says, “Do not be afraid.” In Psalm 23 David wrote, “I will fear no evil
for You are with me.”
b. God does not promise that we will never encounter difficulty or persecution.
He does promise that He will not leave of forsake us.”
2. “Be faithful unto death.”
a. Jesus is not only saying, “Be faithful as long as you live.” He is also saying,
“Be faithful even if it results in your death.”
b. Revelation 2:11 – “He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.”
B. What was the result of their faithfulness?
1. A “stephanos.” “Crown of Life.”
2. 2 Timothy 4:6-8, “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the
time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the
course, I have kept the faith; 8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day;
and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
CONCLUSION:
A. Polycarp is one of the most famous Christian martyrs from the early church.
1. He was a contemporary with some of the apostles. It is throught that he was taught
by John at Ephesus.
2. He lived to be 86 years old and was an elder of the church in Smyrna.
3. He was arrested for failing to pay homage to Caesar. He appeared before the
proconsul Quadratus and was given the option of saying, “Caesar is Lord,” or being
burned at the stake. He had seen this done before. Some say he was the 12th
martyr from Smyrna.
4. Reportedly he replied, “Eighty six years I have served Him and He has done me no
wrong. How can I now forsake my Lord.” With those words He was burned alive.
5. His death encouraged others to live faithfully for the Lord.
B. None of us knows the extent to which persecution might occur. In some cities of our
nation the social and cultural climate is so anti-Christian it is difficult for believers to
meet. What we can be assured of are the things Jesus told this ancient church. We
do not have to fear. He is with us. He will reward us with a crown of life.
