SERMON: THE PERSECUTED CHURCH

29 May 2011

I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Revelation 2:8-11

8 “To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9 I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.

11 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.


-- "Is this the day I die?" -- this is the first thought that crosses the mind of Li Wan, a Chinese Christian, every morning when he wakes up -- “Is this the day I die?
-- and although Li Wan is a fictional character in the book, “Safely Home,” by Randy Alcorn -- these words, or words very similar to them, cross the minds of real-life Christians when they wake up every morning in countries like China, Sudan, Indonesia, Pakistan, and other nations where Christians are persecuted for their faith

-- it is sometimes hard for us as American Christians to realize the extent of persecution that is going on in this world -- every Sunday, we gather together for worship -- we get up and drive to our places of worship -- we join with other believers and gather in public places to praise and worship our Lord
-- but, for millions of other Christians throughout the world, this is a dream -- when they worship, they have to come together in secret -- in small numbers -- to avoid the spying eyes of the Government -- they have to gather together in hidden places because they face the constant threat of arrest and persecution for their faith
-- for example, just last Sunday, 25 members of an underground church in China were arrested by the Government -- their crime? -- they came together just like this for a worship service
-- the American church tends to become too wrapped up in its own affairs and the politics of our country to recognize the plight of our brothers and sisters in restricted nations -- while we are quick to cry “Persecution” when the federal district courts rule the National Day of Prayer unconstitutional or when local governments refuse to rezone an area to allow a church to expand, we don’t know what true persecution is
-- just last year, 100 million Christians faced some form of discrimination or persecution because of their faith -- and a 2010 Catholic report stated that 75% of all religious persecution in the world today is directed towards Christians -- more Christians are being martyred and persecuted for their faith right now than at any time in the history of the world
-- in this year alone, we have witnessed increased hostility in China towards the underground church as pastors and members have been arrested and tortured for their faith -- we have read about Christians in Iran who were arrested and accused of “activities against the government” -- we have seen riots in places like Indonesia and Nigeria -- and we have seen the direct killing of Christians in the Sudan and Egypt and other countries
-- as Mark Seddon -- a journalist for Britain's Independent newspaper stated -- "We may be witnessing a new age of Christian persecution"

II. The Persecuted Church
-- this morning, I want us to spend some time thinking about the persecuted church -- about our brothers and sisters in Christ who are in constant threat for their faith
-- persecution is nothing new in the Christian church -- we read about it first in the Book of Acts, as the Jews persecuted the followers of Jesus and forced them to relocate from Jerusalem to Antioch
-- we read about it in the letters of Paul and John and Peter -- and we read about it here in Revelation in Christ’s letter to the church at Smyrna
-- before we look at this letter, let me give you a little background on the city of Smyrna - Smyrna was known as the crown of Asia -- commercial center of Asia Minor -- major stop on trade route between Persia and India and Rome
-- it was a very wealthy city that knew its place in the world -- it knew its importance relied on trade with Rome and, as a result, it was heavily involved in emperor worship -- in other words, most of the people in the city viewed the Roman emperor as a god, and worshiped him in addition to a myriad of other gods
-- at the time this letter was written, the Christians in Smyrna were starting to suffer from external persecution -- both from the pagans who worshiped the Roman emperors and from Jews who were opposed to the Christian sect
-- many scholars believe that the church in Smyrna was symbolic of the early period of persecution in the Christian church from about 100 AD through 312 AD -- in other words, even though this letter was given to the Christians at Smyrna in the time of John, the words of this letter were for the persecuted church as a whole

-- let's look now at this short letter from Christ to the church at Smyrna
-- verse 8

8 “To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again.

-- Jesus knew what was going on in the town of Smyrna -- He knew of the persecution they were suffering -- He knew that they lived in constant fear of death -- so He begins His letter to them by reminding them of who He was
-- He tells them here in verse 8, “I am the First and the Last -- I am the one who died and came to life again."
-- these words were given to reassure them in their faith -- He was reminding them that the persecutions they were going through were only a moment in their life -- that even though some of them would face death, He had already overcome death -- and that death would not be the end of their life but the entry into a new life with Him
-- the words of Christ remind us of the message that God gave the church at Corinth through the Apostle Paul -- listen as I read 1 Corinthians 15:54-58

54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”[a]

55 “Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”[b]

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.


-- that is what Christ was telling the church at Smyrna here in verse 8 -- “stand firm -- let nothing move you -- not even the threat of death -- because I have overcome death and I stand with you”

-- verse 9

9 I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich!

-- the persecutions that the church in Smyrna faced affected the life and the livelihood of its members -- because of their faith, this church had little wealth or resources --they were poor by earthly standards
-- as the trade center of Asia, Smyrna had a workman's guild that monitored the activity of all the craftsman and tradesman in the city -- when someone stood up and opposed the status quo -- when they opposed worshiping the emperor as god -- then they were boycotted or shut out of opportunities for work
-- and, because the Christians in that time were bold for their faith, they were being forced out of the workplace and weren't able to make a living
-- so how could Christ say they were rich in the midst of their poverty? -- because they were storing up treasures in Heaven and not on earth -- in Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus tells us, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
-- every time the church stood up for Christ against emperor worship -- every time the church suffered trials and persecutions because of their faith -- they were storing up treasure in heaven
-- their wealth -- their riches -- their focus -- was not on this world but on the world beyond -- and their faith was considered rich by Jesus

-- look back at the second part of verse 9

9b. I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.

-- people who say they are Jews but are really a synagogue of Satan -- while we are not entirely sure of what was going on in the church at Smyrna, we can make a guess as to what Jesus is referring to here in this second part of verse 9 based on what we see today in the persecuted church

-- first, He could be referring to the ongoing persecution of Christians by the Jews -- at this time, Christianity was evolving into its own religion, but in a lot of places it was still considered a sect of Judaism -- in fact, in the eyes of the Romans, Jews and Christians were lumped together and seen as one and the same
-- based on the words of Christ, we have to assume that the Jews in the synagogue were spreading lies about the Christians to the government officials and to the people of the city -- not unlike the lies that caused the Christians to be blamed for burning Rome under the Emperor Nero
-- these lies -- this slander -- resulted in greater pressure against the Christians and caused the government to increase their hostility towards these believers
-- we’ve seen the same thing recently in Pakistan -- when a bookstore owned by a Christian started growing and affecting his business, another bookseller falsely accused the Christian of burning the Koran -- this lie and accusation of blasphemy against Islam inflamed the local Muslims -- they formed a mob and burned down the Christian’s store and chased the man and his son home in fear for their lives while the local police stood by and did nothing
-- these types of lies and slander is common in the persecuted church today

-- secondly, Jesus could be referring to the false Christians who had infiltrated the church -- now, we’re all familiar with the fact that some people who attend church are not really Christians -- they may sing the same songs and pray the same prayers and listen to the same sermons but in their heart, they have never accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior -- many times, these people come to church only to be seen or to make connections for business or political reasons -- this is not what I’m talking about when I’m talking about false Christians in the church
-- a common problem in the persecuted church is the presence of spies -- of people who profess to be Christians in order to join a church but who, in reality, are working for the government and gathering information to assist in the persecution of the church
-- we see this quite often in places like China, where the underground church is firmly established and the government is taking drastic steps to remove it -- in China, the government will send in people disguised as Christians -- Judas Christians -- to find out what they can about the church -- who its pastor is and who its members are and when it meets -- so that they can provide this information to the government
-- this could be what Jesus is talking about in this verse -- but, regardless, it was obvious that the church at Smyrna was undergoing intense persecution and affliction and that its members were struggling to survive

-- verse 10

10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.



-- Jesus tells this church, "I know what is going on -- I know what you are going through -- I know that there are more persecutions to come -- but...don't be afraid -- don't be afraid -- I am with you -- and if you are faithful -- even to the point of death as I was -- I will give you the crown of life"
-- Christ was telling this church to hold on -- that more persecutions were on the way -- but that He would be there with them through it all
-- persecution was one of Satan's first tactics in his war against the church -- the Apostolic church was wreaking havoc on Satan's worldwide dominion -- people were getting saved and turning to Christ in record numbers -- so Satan knew something had to be done -- and he thought that he could just stamp out Christianity through persecutions -- both from evil world rulers and from the established religion of the day
-- but, it didn't work -- the more the church was persecuted -- the more it grew

-- Watchman Nee, one of the great Chinese pastors of the 20th century, ministered to a growing church in China during a period of persecution just like this -- the communist government would send spies to his church to make sure that he wasn't preaching anything against the government -- and in their eyes, preaching Christ as Lord and Ruler of everything was treason against the government
-- so one Sunday, Watchman Nee didn't say a word -- he just grabbed a glass of water off the table and looked like he was trying to crush it with his hands -- he started shaking it and shaking it and all the water spilled out -- finally, he threw it on the ground and it shattered -- and then he took his heel and ground it against the glass -- breaking it up into smaller and smaller parts -- and then he ended the service and sent everyone home
-- the government spies didn't have a clue what had just happened -- but the true believers did -- the government of China was trying to stamp out Christianity -- but every time they tried to destroy a church by crushing it with their heel -- it didn't go away -- it just spread into more and more pieces and it grew and grew and grew -- just like the glass in Watchman Nee's sermon delivered without words
-- this is exactly what happened with the persecuted church represented by the church at Smyrna -- the more Satan tried to persecute them and wipe them off the face of the earth, the stronger they became and the more the message spread

-- one thing that is really interesting here is Jesus’ statement that the church would suffer 10 days of persecution -- obviously, the word “day” here is meant symbolically -- this is not 10 literal days but 10 periods of history
-- in fact, if you read church history, you will find out that the early church went through10 major periods of persecution, just as Christ said -- and, during each of those periods of persecution, the church actually grew larger and stronger

-- verse 11

11 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.

-- he who overcomes -- he who persists under persecution -- he who holds strong to the word of God -- never breaking and never failing to give God glory and honor -- he will not be hurt by the second death
-- here's an important spiritual truth -- how many times should a person be born? -- twice -- once through natural birth -- the second time through supernatural birth -- we call this being born again
-- now, how many times should a person die? -- the answer here is once -- we all die a natural death -- unless the Lord comes for us first, every person in this room will one day die and leave our earthly body behind -- but only the unbelievers -- only the non-Christians will suffer the second death
-- flip over to Revelation 20

6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

-- the second death is eternal separation from God -- the second death is eternity in Hell -- and it is suffered only by those who don't believe in Jesus
-- so, Jesus tells the believers at Smyrna -- "don't be afraid -- the world may persecute you -- they may take away all your worldly wealth and all your material possessions -- they may say all kinds of evil about you -- they may take away your very life -- but if you remain faithful -- if you stand fast to the word and the promise I have given you, you will be overcomers and you will not suffer the second death"

III. Closing
-- now, the thing I really want you to get out of today’s message is that the experience of the church at Smyrna is being experienced by hundreds and thousands of other churches throughout the world today
-- right now, our brothers and sisters in Christ are facing afflictions and persecutions just as the Christians in Smyrna did 2000 years ago -- they are losing their jobs and their homes and their businesses -- they are being ridiculed and mocked -- they are being arrested and beaten and tortured -- and many are losing their lives
-- persecution takes many forms -- but it is a fact that should propel the church in America to action

-- so, what can we do to help our brothers and sisters who suffer daily under the afflictions and trials of persecution?

-- first, we educate ourselves -- that is the whole purpose of Secret Church -- to give us a feel for what it might be like to be in a church where you have to sneak in to worship Christ -- to be in a church where you are constantly looking over your shoulder for the police to come in -- where you are never sure if the person who is next to you is a fellow believer or a spy who will be betray you to the authorities
-- there are many organizations that are dedicated to getting the word out about the persecuted church -- Voice of the Martyrs -- Open Door -- Jihad Watch -- Christian Freedom International


-- go to their sites -- read their information -- learn about the true extent of persecution that you will never hear about in the media

-- second, we give -- we give our resources in support of the persecuted church -- those organizations that I just mentioned are active in restricted nations around the world reaching out to those who are imprisoned and are being unjustly persecuted
-- they can use your money -- they can use your time -- they can use you -- to help take care of men and women just like us who are being persecuted for their faith
-- third, we get active -- we write and call our elected officials -- we ask that our government get involved in human rights issues in places like China and Pakistan and Indonesia -- we ask our government to take a stand on behalf of religious persecution of any kind -- and we support the leaders who do so
-- another way to get active is to write letters to persecuted Christians -- if you go to the Voice of the Martyrs site, they have prisoner awareness sheets with information on Christians that you can write letters of support to and who you can add to your daily prayers -- it was because of a letter writing campaign to three Christian prisoners in Iran that led to their release just this week
-- you put your letter together online -- and the computer will translate it so that you can print it out and mail it to bring encouragement to a Christian suffering in a prison in a restricted country
-- think about the encouragement that John’s letter of Revelation brought to the church at Smyrna -- you can bring that same encouragement to another person by just letting them know that you cared enough to write them

-- and, finally, we pray -- while we may never see the face of any of these men and women who are being persecuted for their faith, God does -- He sees them and He hears their cries and He moves on their behalf
-- in Ephesians 6:18, Paul tells us to keep on praying for all the saints
-- through our prayers, we touch the throne of Heaven and put a hedge of spiritual protection around these faithful churches -- pray that the eyes of their enemies might be blinded to their presence -- pray that the hearts of the leaders in their countries might be changed -- pray that the faith of these men and women would be made stronger and would not falter -- pray that they would stand firm and overcome all the trials and afflictions that might come their way
-- if you do nothing else, pray -- for prayer changes everything

-- we’re going to close in prayer right now -- and I ask you to join me in prayer for the persecuted church and for the blindness of America Christians to the plight of the underground church
-- God is calling us to make a difference in the lives of these people -- and we must begin today
-- let us pray