Smyrna: A Church that Overcomes—Isaiah 41:8-13; Rev. 2: 8-11
We continue this week looking at the seven churches in Revelation. We consider this week the church at Smyrna, a church which God proclaims will overcome the trouble and opposition against it. Smyrna was a large city of 100,000 people or more right on the coast of modern-day Turkey. It was the closest to the Island of Patmos where the writer of Revelation was exiled. Smyrna was a city with a small Jewish population, was very politically and religiously close to Rome, and was wealthy from commerce. Because of those close ties to the Roman Empire, the city would have been very hostile to a Christian presence that stood in opposition to Rome. John, who is writing from his exile on Patmos, would have felt a close kinship with this church as he, too, was oppressed by Rome.
This church was a church of overcomers. They faced opposition and were not destroyed by it. Indeed, John says they would inherit a crown of life for their suffering here. His words draw upon the Beatitudes which say that blessed is the one who is persecuted for righteousness’ sake. There are two big lessons on suffering and oppression the congregations of today can learn from the church at Smyrna: first, do not let suffering and oppression consume you with fear; second, let faith move you from the hope of overcoming to a mission of overcoming.
There’s an old saying in my family I’ve shared with you before, “When in danger or in doubt, run in circles, scream, and shout.” Very often when we encounter opposition, turmoil, or suffering in life, we are tempted to respond this way—with fear and worry. The same is true of the church at Smyrna. The letter in Revelation warns them, “Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer.” Our instinctive mental and physical responses to opposition are often fear, fighting, or flight. But God’s message to the church at Smyrna is to hold fast without fear or worry for what would come. They are further reminded that “if you remain faithful even when facing death, [God] will give you a crown of life.”
The prophetic words of Isaiah echo this encouragement: “Don’t be afraid for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” Over and over the Bible give stories, reminders, and lessons that run counter to this fight, flight, and fear response. Instead, we are told to stand fast, not give up the faith, and remember that whatever powers of hell or scheme of man might come our way that in the end a crown of life awaits us.
How do we do this? How do we hold fast in the face of struggle and turbulence? We must let faith move us from the hope of overcoming to a mission of overcoming. I often hear people who are about to face a great struggle say, “Well, I hope I get through it.” Now this is not a biblical hope, like hope in Christ, or the hope rooted in God’s power. This is a hope which says, “I’m already resigned to total failure, but maybe something miraculous will happen.” That’s not how we approach struggles and oppression. There must be a sense of resolve in us. The letter in Revelation says to the Smyrna church, “But if you remain faithful even while facing death…I will give you a crown of life.” That is, if you remain faithful.
When faith is at work in us, the maybe, the possibly, the hopefully becomes a certainty. Faith should move us from a place of simply hoping for the best to a mission that we will overcome, succeed with God’s help, and find the strength to lift up others in the process. The church at Smyrna faced strong opposition. The writer here notes that they are suffering and live in poverty. They are blasphemed and spoken of harshly. They are oppressed by false religious authorities who use their religious positions to win political favor and clout. The writer even predicts that they will be imprisoned and face death. This was a grim reality for the early church.
In our Sunday School we talked about the martyrdom of Stephen and how this set off a wave of oppression of the early church. They faced imprisonment, false trials, illegal death sentences, cruelty, suffering, and all manner of terrible things. And yet the found a mission to overcome through their faith in God. You know sometimes my smart mouth gets me in trouble. I had someone whine to me a couple weeks ago that the church was under attack and persecution. I responded, “Until you have stood opposite a lion in an arena or a burning stake, please don’t say you’re persecuted. It cheapens what our forebearers suffered for Christ’s sake.” I can tell you the rest of that conversation did not go well.
But that doesn’t mean we don’t face struggles, suffering, and pain in our daily lives whether it is religious persecution or personal struggles. These nitpicky, irritating, incessant things will rob you of joy and suck the very life right out of you till there’s only anger and frustration. Revelation’s message to the church at Smyrna celebrates their ability to stand firm in the midst of turmoil and attacks. They are commended for a faith which makes overcoming a mission for them. And in that overcoming they will testify to the strength and power of God as seen in them through the risen Savior who is with them each step of the way.
In the 1950s and 1960s a gospel song became the rallying cry of the Civil Rights movement. That song said, “We shall overcome someday. Deep in my heart, I do believe, we shall overcome someday.” As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. drew on the words of that hymn he said in a sermon four days before his assassination, “With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.” There was a resoluteness and strength in his words. Overcoming life’s struggles was a mission, and it was a mission that would not be deterred.
The words of Isaiah ring true when we live in faith and have a mission to overcome like the church at Smyrna, “You will look in vain for all those who tried to conquer you. Those who attack you will come to nothing. For I hold you by your right hand—I, the Lord your God.” To the ones who suffer and strive and face such things with strength, steadfastness, and faith, God promises a crown of life. But ultimately we can find a hope beyond wishful thinking that is grounded in God’s promises that (as the hymn says) because Jesus lives, we can face tomorrow. Whatever toils, troubles, and struggles come your way, lean into your faith, and know that God is with you and will hold you up.
Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/416759503127079