The Church of Smyrna – “The Crown of Life” (Church Part II)

Sermon Title: The Church of Smyrna – The “Crown of Life”

Good News Statement: God Requires Us to be His Church

Preached: Sunday, January 21, 2024 at Dogwood Prairie UMC & Seed Chapel UMC

Pastor Daniel G. Skelton, M.Div.

 

Scripture (NRSV): Revelation 2:8-11 Today’s scripture reading comes from the Book of Revelation. The Book of Revelation is filled with hope, beasts, seven trumpets, seven stars, seven lampstands, seven seals, seven churches, seven bowls, and a lot of symbolic imagery that gets people confused and at times a little scared, which is why Jesus tells John in the opening chapter, “Do not be afraid” (Revelation 1:17). When writing to the Seven Churches, we get a glimpse of what church we need to be—a church without fear but filled with love. Our reading comes from the Book of Revelation, Chapter Two, Verses Eight thru Eleven. May the hearing and reading of this scripture add understanding and meaning to your life.

 

The Message to Smyrna

⁸ “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of the First and the Last, who was dead and came to life:

⁹ “I know your affliction and your poverty, even though you are rich. I know the slander on the part of those who say that they are Jews and are not but are a synagogue of Satan. ¹⁰ Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Beware, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have affliction. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. ¹¹ Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Whoever conquers will not be harmed by the second death.

 

Revelation 21:4; Hebrews 10:34; Matthew 10:28; 2 Timothy 1:7; 1 Peter 5:8; Luke 22:31; 1 Peter 1:7; Proverbs 3:5; Galatians 5:22-23; Psalm 1:1; Isaiah 41:10; James 1:12; 1 Corinthians 9:25; Acts 14:22

 

This is the Word of God for the People of God; And all God’s people said, “Thanks be to God.”

 

 

Introduction:

Last week, we began our journey of becoming Christ’s church by being invited to think about two questions: “Who are we as a church?” and “What does Christ need us to do as a church?” To help answer these questions, we turn to the Seven Churches of the Book of Revelation. We began our journey of exploring the Seven Churches of Revelation, by visiting the city of Ephesus. The city of Ephesus was once the capital city of Rome in the province of Asia. It was conquered by Rome in 190 B.C.; and it was known for its commerce and trade, the home of a strong and powerful government, and it has been noted that it was visited by more visitors than any other city during that time. A majority of those who journeyed to the city sought to worship at the temple or church in the heart of the city. Why? Because the Apostle Paul is said to have worshiped there as he worked with the church for two years.

For 30 years, the Church at Ephesus appeared to be excelling on all levels, as Revelation 2:1-7 informs us: they were committed to sound doctrine and guarding against false teaching, they sought to do good works in the community around them, they ferociously defended the glory of Christ’s name above all other names, and they staunchly defended against moral compromise. On many fronts, they appeared to be the perfect church, if such a thing existed. Yet for all they were doing well, Jesus had one thing against them: they had left their first love, Jesus Himself; and therefore, needed to repent.

It’s no secret that the Church of Ephesus was doing good things. Jesus tells John to write down the good things that Ephesus has been doing so that future readers would be blessed with the wisdom of what it takes to go from doing good things to doing great things. In order to do great things, we need to embrace the love of Christ and to seek repentance of our past transgressions. There needs to be love in what a church decides to do. No matter the church and no matter the individual, over time each can drift away from God. But as the church and as an individual, we have the wonderful opportunity to return to God and act in love. As the Beatles famously sang, “All you need is love…Love is all you need.”

As we accept the invite that Jesus extends to the Church of Ephesus, to return to him, repent of our sins, and love him with our whole heart, mind, body, and soul, let us keep in mind the words of Paul to the people of Corinth. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:2, “And if I have prophetic powers and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains but do not have love, I am nothing.” We need to return to our first love, Christ, if we want to move mountains, if we want to make a difference, if we want to reach people where they are, if we want to fill our pews, if we want to be the church that God needs us to be.

The Church of Ephesus needed to return to their first love because they realized they no longer wanted to be nothing: they wanted to be something. They wanted to be the church God needed them to be. With God’s love we are everything and more. And with God’s love in our church, in our ways, in our gatherings, and in our visions and in our missions, we are on the road to go from doing more than good things: we are on the road to doing great things. Are you ready to put the love of Christ back in the church and in the pews?

Similar to the Church of Ephesus, John encounters another church on his journey to understanding the revealing of Christ which has done good things but has fallen short in the eyes of Christ. We now visit the second church mentioned in the Book of Revelation: The Church of Smyrna. The Church of Smyrna isn’t lacking Christ’s love, but it is struggling to overcome the hardships of life: moments of suffering, moments of setbacks, and moments of trials and tribulations. In addition to these hardships, people around the church didn’t see eye to eye with what the church had been called to do and who the church was. The Church of Smyrna is our reminder that if we want to be the church God needs us to be, then we must be willing to be “strong and courageous” (Joshua 1:9) and be a church that conquers hardships by being overcomers and wearers of the “crown of life.”

 

Body

Smyrna, once a main exporter of myrrh, is located about 45 miles north of Ephesus along the western coast of modern-day Turkey. The city was founded as a Greek colony around 1,000 B.C., and has been destroyed by both natural and manmade catastrophes several times throughout its history. The most recent catastrophe taking place on September 9, 1922, when Turkish armed forces entered Smyrna with deliberate intentions to destroy or expel the Greeks and any other Christian population, and ending on September 13, 1922, with the burning of the entire city. During the time of John, 90s A.D., the city’s population was near 200,000. Today, the city hosts over 2,000,000 people and is now named Izmir. Around 600 B.C., the city had a temple dedicated to the Goddess Athena—the Goddess of wisdom, handicraft, and warfare—and in 195 B.C., the city built another temple dedicated to the Goddess Roma—a patronage to the city of Rome.

Although the city of Smyrna was founded in 1,000 B.C. as a Greek colony and home to a Jewish synagogue, the Church of Smyrna was likely established, according to Biblical Archeologists, between 53 and 56 A.D. during the work of Paul at Ephesus. Remember, Paul was in Ephesus for two years according to Acts 19:10, “This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.” We don’t have any other mention of the Church of Smyrna in the New Testament other than in the Book of Revelation. Even though the Church of Smyrna is only mentioned here, doesn’t mean we should disclose of its actions and consider it less significant than other events and places in the Bible. The Church of Smyrna is mentioned for us to learn from and to help us become the church God needs us to be: a church filled with overcomers wearing the “crown of life” in times of tribulation.

Bringing the Church of Smyrna into the present, it was experiencing tribulation because people were saying that it had a lack of faith in Christ. The believers in Smyrna were living a life of faith, and those who did not believe reacted in such a way that caused the believers to suffer persecution. Some believers suffered more than others; some lived in fear; some were put in prison; and some experienced death. Today, some believers live in areas around the world that are hostile to Christianity: being put in prison for their faith, beaten and tortured for their faith, property destroyed for their faith, and in some cases lives taken for the faith. What the Church of Smyrna experienced almost two-thousand years ago, the church of today, around the world, is experiencing. Christians around the world are going through what so many experienced all those years ago.

The Church of Smyrna experienced persecution and the believers grew spiritually stronger from it. Their faith was proved to be real as they persevered and it encouraged others to remain faithful. No matter the case, every believer is encouraged to keep the faith and to know that one day there will be an end to the seemingly endless time of suffering in tribulations. As John noted in Revelation 21:4 when describing the New Jerusalem, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away” that is what the Church of Smyrna was longing to experience through its faith. Always remember God is in control no matter how out of control things may appear to be.

Movement One: YOU ARE RICH BECAUSE OF YOUR FAITH IN CHRIST

Let’s revisit our text. Jesus tells John to write, “I know your affliction and your poverty, even though you are rich. I know the slander on the part of those who say that they are Jews and are not but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer” (Revelation 2:9-10a). Do not fear what you are about to suffer as you are rich because of your faith in Christ.

Jesus recognizes that the Church of Smyrna is not financially wealthy. As a matter of fact Jesus bluntly tells them that they have afflictions and are experiencing poverty. On top that, Jesus recognizes that the Church of Smyrna is dealing with people who are telling them they are believers but aren’t, who are faithful but aren’t, who have repented but have not, and who seek to follow the church but don’t won’t to. This opening description of the Church of Smyrna reminds me of a scene from the Andy Griffith Show. In this scene Ben Weaver has noticed that items are disappearing from his store and is convinced that a shoplifter is at work. Barney decided to disguise himself to try and catch whoever is responsible. When Andy, the sheriff, arrives to the store, Barney, Andy’s depute, is dressed in a disguise and posing as a manikin to try to catch the shoplifter. As shoppers enter the store, Barney’s disguise fails: people from the town recognize Barney and a few of the ladies even suggested that the manikin Barney was much better looking than the real Barney. No matter how the Church of Smyrna disguised itself and no matter the disbelief from those outside the church, Christ saw the real Church of Smyrna: a church that was rich and church that was not going to suffer.

What sort of “richness” is Christ talking about? The writer of Hebrews sums up this opening description quite well: “For you had compassion for those who were in prison, and you cheerfully accepted the plundering of your possessions, knowing that you yourselves possessed something better and more lasting” (Hebrews 10:34). The richness that lived within the Church of Smyrna is not earthly richness or an accumulation of earthly possessions. Rather, their richness came from their faith. Their richness came from their love of Christ. Their richness came from knowing that what they have been called to do: they are doing what Christ needs them to do even though they are poor and experiencing hardships. The Church of Smyrna is not letting earthly issues and problems get in the way of showing their faith to those in their community and beyond. Because of their rich faith and commitment to Christ, they will not suffer; instead their tears and hardships will be wiped away.

As a church, we are called to be like the Church of Smyrna. We are called to do what we can to maintain our rich faith, to maintain our commitment to Christ, and to maintain our love for those who do and do not worship with us. Earthly issues and problems are no match for the mission that God has placed upon our church. People will disagree with us. People will challenge us. People will even disguise themselves to try to lure us to follow them; but we are stronger than those people because our faith is rich in Christ. We don’t need to put on a disguise. We simply need to be the church God needs us to be.

People will take notice and listen when they witness words of faith backed up by acts of faith. When a person they respect shares the gospel and they see that a person walks the walk and talks the talk, they will listen and believe. The believers in Smyrna were doing just that. They chose to look past the tribulation and insults and the physical and emotional poverty to the spiritual riches in Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior. As a church, we must see past what we think is hindering us and see how God is working through us and our faith. After all, Jesus on several accounts tells those who he heals, “Your faith has saved and healed you.” The richness of our faith is what will motivate us to be the church God needs us to be. How can we show our rich faith with those around us? How can we showcase our faith beyond the walls of this church?

Movement Two: THE DEVIL IS A SELF-SERVING LIAR, AND NO MATCH FOR GOD

Jesus through John makes another bold claim when considering the ways and means of the Church of Smyrna. Jesus told John in Revelation 2:10b, “Beware, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have affliction.”

Believe it or not, we have already heard similar words to what John is told to share with the Church of Smyrna. Matthew 10:28 states, “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, fear the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” We are told through Matthew to fear the Devil. In the Gospel of Luke we learn that the Devil wants to separate us or sift us out from those who follow Christ when Christ talks directly to Simon: “Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat…” (Luke 22:31).  In 2 Timothy 1:7, we read, “For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.” God did not create us to run from the Devil: God created us to stand up against the Devil. Peter, on two occasions, warns us, “So that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:7) and then he notes, “Discipline yourselves; keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Simply put, the Devil is out there. But the Devil is not match for God.

The second lesson the Church of Smyrna teaches us is just that, the Devil is out there but is certainly no match for God. John makes it clear that it was the devil who was testing the believer to see if they would sin and turn away from faith in Jesus. The Devil was tempting the believers to reject or blame God for the suffering they were experiencing. The Devil is a liar and deceiver, and he will take every opportunity to use a situation, person, or experience to suddenly—or slowly and methodically—pull you away from God. But the Devil’s power and authority is limited.

We have all endured the works of the Devil in our life. We have sinned. We have been prideful and boastful. We have leaned on the luxuries of lust and guilt. We have questioned God’s authority in our life. We have walked away from God. We have been angry with God. We have lied to God, and broken promises with God, and we may have even used God’s name in vain. At some point in our life, we have probably even disobeyed the commandment to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. The Devil succeeded in our life: he sifted us out and won our attention for that moment and in that moment, the Devil found victory.

As a church, we are not excused from the works of the Devil because we are surrounded by four walls. The Devil is still at work in our life wherever we go. Remember, the church is not a building, it’s the people; and based upon the previously mentioned scripture versus, the Devil works on the spirit and faith of the people; and therefore the church. As a church we need to be strong, we need to be resilient, we need to embrace the spirit of love and self-discipline, we need to keep alert and mindful of what is happening around us, and we need to practice genuine faith. But how do we do that as a church? As a church, we pray for the protection of God; we pray for the strength to overcome the Devil’s temptations; and we pray and worship together as God’s chosen people. When we come to church, we leave all our worries and stresses and anxieties at the door or at the foot of the cross and tell the Devil, “Not today. Not here. I belong to God.”

The Church of Smyrna realized that they are always going to be tested by the Devil. But because they were rich in faith, they knew that the Devil was no match for God. God would prevail. There is victory in Jesus! As a church, we cannot let the Devil distract us from what we have been called to do. Our faith is stronger than any work of the Devil because our faith comes from God. We must not let the “no’s” coming from those around stop us from doing the “yes’s” of God. How is our church going to strive to overcome the tests of the Devil and be a place and space where the Devil is not welcomed?

Movement Three: BE AN OVERCOMER

John concludes the description of the Church of Smyrna with these words, “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10c.) There are two things we need to consider from this verse: First, be faithful until death, and second, if we are faithful we will receive the crown of life.

First, what does it mean to be faithful? It means several things. To be faithful we must “trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own insight” (Proverbs 3:5). It means living out and practicing the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). It means not following the advice of the wicked or taking the path upon sinners tread or sitting in the seat of scoffers (Psalm 1:1). It means that we must not fear but believe God is with us, knowing that the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses is our God, accepting that God will strengthen us and help us, and will uphold us by his victorious right hand (Isaiah 41:10), and it means that with God in our life our faith can heal and save us. To be faithful is to know that God is in your life today and every day and you can’t live without Him.

Too often, we get caught up in the pleasures of the world that we become misguided and lost; and therefore forget what it means to be faithful to the one who made us in His image and breathed life (ruach) into our lungs. When I record my messages, I begin by reminding the people that God is not someone or something that we only go to when we feel like we need Him. God is not meant to be placed in a box, shoved under the bed, put in the attic, hidden in the basement, or covered by clothes in a closet only sought after when we need Him. Rather God, is meant to be taken out of the box, removed from under the bed, brought up from the basement and down from the attic, and uncovered from all those clothes in the closet because God is with you wherever you go. Your faith, like God, is with you: it lives within you and within the church. We are called to be faithful, not just when we want or choose to be faithful, but to be faithful every day of life until death. Every day, through our faith, we are the church. To be faithful means you want to be the church God has called you to be. The Church of Smyrna, against all odds and against constant persecution, remained faithful to God for all their days.

Second, if we remain faithful, we have the wonderful opportunity to receive the “crown of life.” In Greek there are two words that are used for the word crown. First, krones means “crown or wreath.” It refers to a crown similar to those that were placed upon the heads of champions. For example, if you remember watching the 2004 Summer Olympic Games hosted in Athens, Greece, you may recall that those on the podium received an olive wreath for their great achievements. A similar thing was done at the 1896 Olympic Games.

Second, stephanos, another word for “crown” means “wreath, crown, reward, honor, renown, fame.” This is the “crown” mentioned to the Church of Smyrna, and this is the crown that we are called to wear as we become the church God needs us to be. When we allow our faith to guide us, we receive the reward of eternal life, we give God the honor and glory He deserves, and we become renowned in the love of Christ. Both James and Paul talk about the “crown of life.” James states, “Blessed is anyone who endures temptation. Such a one has stood the test and will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12); and Paul notes to the people of Corinth, “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever” (1 Corinthians 9:25). I don’t know about you, but I certainly want to receive a crown that will last forever. I certainly want to see our church receive a crown that exemplifies the faith and mission that God has given us. This crown will not perish because this crown is Jesus Christ: it is his love, his salvation, his mercy, and his grace in our life.

From our faith and from our crown of life, we receive what is needed to be an overcomer. The Church of Smyrna was a group of believers that are considered overcomers. They overcame the negative attacks of society. They overcame the intense pressures to reject Jesus and follow the Devil. They overcame verbal and physical abuse. They overcame the temptation to accept the pleasures of the world and instead remained faithful in Christ. They overcame the lies of false religions. They overcame the fear of death and gained the crown of life. The world needs to see and witness this kind of faith and spiritual boldness. The world, this community, needs to see and witness the church that God has called us to be. What is the church that God is calling us to be?

Each one of us is considered an overcomer. We have overcome heartache. We have overcome storms and battles in our life. We have overcome disappointment and struggle. We have overcome defeat and exhaustion. We have overcome pain and grief. We have overcome disagreements. We have overcome uncertainty and loss of faith. And the list goes on. Each one of you has overcome so much in your life, because you never lost sight of God; and God never lost sight of you.

Just like us, our church is considered an overcomer as well. We overcome struggles, we overcome poor sermons and lame jokes offered by the Pastor, we overcome events and ideas that sound good but don’t turn out well, we overcome unpredictable circumstances and situations, and we overcome what others may say about us. We have overcome so much and the best part is, is that we have done it together and we are still here. Our faith and commitment to Jesus Christ is what heals and saves us and guides us to be God’s church. We must not give up, but be an overcomer and wear the crown of life.

Conclusion:

Smyrna was a city that was devoted to Rome and the worship of the emperor. The believers may have submitted to the civil laws of Rome, but they refused to worship or offer sacrifices to the emperor. This refusal to worship the emperor brought intense pressure on the believers but they did not give up on the mission that God laid before them. The believers living in Smyrna experienced tribulation on every side. The Church of Smyrna, like many of us, experienced hardships but they did not give up.

As a church we learn important lessons from the Church of Smyrna. First, we may not be the biggest church or the wealthiest church, but we are rich in faith; and from this faith God is helping us to be His church for his people. Second, the Devil is constantly trying to convert us, but the Devil is no match for God. As a church we will be tempted, we will be tried, and we will go through moments of tribulation and struggle, but we must remember that we are God’s church, followers of Christ’s words, and proclaimers of the Good News, and that the Devil can’t touch us when we put our trust in God. And third, we are overcomers! We are a church that has and plans to be here for many generations. We have been granted the “crown of life” because God knows what we are capable of doing.

The Church of Smyrna is more than a church; it is a call to action to restore our faith in God and to put our faith in action: to find ways to be the church God needs us to be. How can we be overcomers today so that what we do has an impact tomorrow? Have faith. Wear the Crown of Life. And be God’s overcomer. As Luke reminds us, “There they strengthened the souls of the disciples and encouraged them to continue in the faith; saying, “It is through many persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).

Let it be so…

 

Closing Prayer:

Dear God, we want to be your church. We seek to be rich in faith. We ask that you guide us on paths of righteousness. And we graciously request that you help us to be overcomers. O God, we are your church and that is what we want to be. O God, tell us and show us our next move as we continue to find ways to wear your “crown of life.” In your Mighty Name we pray, Amen.

 

Benediction:

We are a faithful church. We are a church where God is present. We are a church filled with overcomers. And we are the church seeking to be your church, O God. May the Lord bless you and keep you; May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; and May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26). In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit go forth finding ways to be rich in faith. And all God’s people said, Amen. Amen. Amen.