BY DAVID ODOM
We just recently started a series at church on the seven churches of Asia. In this week’s sermon we preached on the letter that was sent to the second of the seven churches, Smyrna, and you can find the text in the second chapter of the book of Revelation.
In the city of Smyrna, that is now known as modern day Izmir, Turkey, it was the most brilliant of all the cities mentioned in this book of the Bible. The city was a port city known for its trading and its economy was booming. It was also known for its schools of science and medicine. Smyrna was also known for its loyalty to the Roman Empire and the Roman god of Caesar. While the city was very much alive and doing well, the Church of Smyrna was not thriving like those around them, but was just merely surviving. In fact, most of the people were without jobs and homeless from what the Bible tells us. Jesus was speaking to them in this passage, telling them that he knew of their works, tribulations, and their poverty. So, they were definitely going through some very trying and difficult times in their lives. However, they were still doing great works and witnessing to others around them despite everything that was going on around them. They were a church that had nothing at all to offer, they were just surviving. Many of the Jews of that time blamed the poverty of the church from not bowing down to the Roman god Caesar.
The next few words of that passage that followed Jesus’s acknowledgement of their hard times were wrapped in red letters and read “but thou art rich.” Looking at the church in its current state and with the physical eye, there was nothing rich about them. But, Jesus was looking at them through spiritual eyes. Even though they didn’t have anything at all and they were being persecuted the Church of Smyrna had not forgotten their first love like the Church of Ephesus had. They were still doing and carrying out the works of Christ. We always tend to look at people’s lives and somehow relate their spiritual well being with the material things that they possess in their life. Jesus, however, saw their hearts and knew they were still serving him in the midst of all the trials. The trials in our life are usually the toughest and most trying times in our life, but spiritually it’s when we seem to skyrocket our faith to another level. It’s in the tribulations that we grow the most.
Our community just lost a local hero of the faith in Dr. Josh Wandell. Since 2013 and his diagnosis of ALS, he had fought the toughest battles of his entire life. But, have you seen the entire community and beyond covered with the “Faith Over Fear” signs? Have you seen the troops rally around him as they prepared for another 5k race or marathon to encourage him in the fight and in hopes that soon a cure would come for him or at least a cure would come because of the warrior he was. Maybe it was the many different events and stages that God allowed him to speak and share his testimony. Maybe it was the very difficult words he proclaimed everywhere he went: “Faith Over Fear.” He stopped praying for a cure for the disease, but prayed that God would use him to share his story of faith. All of this to show that his greatest impact on those around him didn’t come in the prime of his life, but in the trials and tribulations that defined a true warrior of faith.
The Church of Smyrna was much like Dr. Wandell. Its members were going through tough times, but God was pleased with what they were doing. He wrote this letter to the church not to correct them like he did with others, but this letter was to encourage them to keep fighting the good fight of faith.
Jesus even mentioned in the scripture “Do not fear” and he mentioned the suffering would continue for 10 days. This was to let them know even though they were suffering and persecuted and he saw their great works, it was also to let them know that the suffering wouldn’t last one minute or one day longer than God would allow it to. Everything we encounter goes through the hands of a Holy and just God. It also leaves us with a final note to be faithful to the end, even until death. If we finish the race strong he promises a “crown of life” would await us. I don’t know exactly how it all happens but I believe that Josh Wandell finished the race strong and he gained his “crown of life” this past week based on the life that he lived and his passion for sharing the gospel through the testimony that God gave him. I believe that his heart was that everyone would come to know Jesus. I believe that he would tell us to finish the race strong so we could win our “crown of life.”
I think that he changed more lives in his trials than we ever will in our prime, but I think that he would call each and every one of us to carry on the legacy that he left behind. I hope this has been an encouragement to finish the race strong no matter what is going on in our life and to be faithful till the end. God Bless!