FBC Daily Devotions

Read Revelation 2:9.

Do you know what it’s like to be the underdog? No doubt the church in Smyrna did…

It is interesting that while the city of Smyrna was very prosperous, the church was apparently not. That really is the only way to interpret the statements regarding their poverty. Jesus is not reprimanding them for being spiritual poor and yet materially rich. On the contrary, He is saying that while they may be poor materially, they are very rich spiritually. I mentioned yesterday that perseverance in the faith is often easier for those suffering hardship than for those experiencing prosperity. Certainly for the Smyrnans, their impoverished state did not adversely affect their faith. Imagine the temptation they must have experienced living in such materially rich surroundings. In many ways, we live in a similar setting with the U.S. being one of the most prosperous nations on the planet. The temptation to fit into the culture or even worse, be governed by our culture is a tremendous struggle for many of us. As a friend once said to me, “It wouldn’t hurt to have less.” He said that knowing that doing without can help one’s growth not only in faith, but as a person as well.

In addition to the material temptations, the church experienced the persecution and slander of a group of Jews who were either so far off course from Judaism as to be Jews in name only or that they were not truly the children of Abraham due to a lack of faith in Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:16, 29). In either case, their antagonism toward the church was such that Jesus calls them a “synagogue of Satan” (not a term that would apply to all Jews, but specifically to these antagonistic ones). In the early years of the Church, the distinction between Jews and Christians was blurry at best. Christianity was often seen as a sect of Judaism by outsiders. To have the Jews slander what appeared to be their own people may have only cornered the small church into their perception as a disruptive cult. Surely, too, these “Jews” made it difficult to spread the gospel, perhaps even causing some to pull away from the Church. If you’ve ever felt like a little kid being picked on by big bullies, or if you’ve ever been looked down upon for being poor or deprived, I suspect you can understand a little of what this church may have suffered.  

Maybe you feel like that now. If so, you’re in a good place according to Jesus who says in Matthew 19:30 – “But many who are first will be last, and the last, first.”  The apostle Peter writes, “…but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.” You may feel like an underdog right now, but somehow, I think God has a heart for the underdog.

We are more likely to persevere in the faith through suffering than through prosperity. At least that seems to be true of the church at Smyrna who is the only church to not receive criticism or a warning from God. As we look more closely at this message to the church at Smyrna, take a minute and read the full message in Revelation 2:8-11.

What do we know about the church at Smyrna? The city was located about thirty-five miles north of Ephesus in what is today the region of Izmir in Turkey. Of the seven cities in this revelation, Smyrna was the most splendid, the pride of Asia. She was the wealthiest of the cities, and like Ephesus was a seaport town. Unlike Ephesus, however, which lies in deserted ruins, Smyrna is still a flourishing seaport today despite a history of siege and numerous changes in rule. In terms of early Christianity, Smyrna was reported to be one of only two cities (the other being Rome) to have direct lineage to the Apostles[1]. Not that this is important to us today, but it is worth noting that the church at Smyrna was held in very high esteem in the first and second centuries.

Jesus begins His message to the church with words of encouragement – which they were going to need based on Jesus’ forthcoming words. He tells them He is the first and the last – perhaps a reminder of His eternality, that nothing began without His presence and knowledge and nothing will finish without it either. Nothing they’ve experienced, nothing they are experiencing, and nothing they will experience is without the presence and knowledge of God. He goes before them as the First, and He follows behind as the Last. He describes Himself as having died but raised to life. Despite the suffering He endured, He conquered death. What more could He be for us – the One who is always present and the One who conquered the worst of humanity? Each of us will face certain difficulty ahead in life. It gives us hope to know that the One who is always with us knows what lies ahead and assures that we will one day be raised to life with Him. If we are to suffer in this life, it is encouraging to know that we are hardly alone in it. Remember that the next time you face hardship.

Thinking back over Sunday’s message, what things did God impress on you? How can it make a difference in your life this week?

GO BACK

Read Revelation 2:5-6.

In our passage today, Jesus’ message is very simple: go back to doing what you used to or else I’ll remove your usefulness. Wow, pretty rough message, huh? I suppose that’s what happens when a group gets sidetracked. Fortunately, they have their own history and experience to go back to. Looking at the early church at Ephesus in the book of Acts, they were a church that cared deeply for Paul as we see the elders of the church in tears over Paul’s departure. If their affection for Paul was any indication of the love that flowed through the church in her early years, they were certainly a church that cared deeply for others. Apparently that characteristic was no longer prominent by the time John’s revelation was given.  

Going back to the things we did at the beginning… do you remember what your life in Christ was like in your early years? I realize many had their first years in Christ as a child, but think back to a time when you had a certain seriousness about your faith as an adult. How does your faith differ now? Hopefully it is more mature in all aspects. But consider if your faith has drifted from its original course. Were the things of greatest importance then still important today?

One thing that is true of me is that today my life is filled with more responsibilities than in my early years as a Christian. One would think that with less time now I would focus on the things that were of utmost importance and eliminate the less important things. In reality, life seems to take on its own direction (usually random), and before long the week is over without having given thought to the things that might have mattered more had I given it more thought. Take some time to consider if the things that were important then (and by that I mean of kingdom significance) are still important today. Consider if your life is gotten out of balance and if so, go back to the things you did at the beginning.

WHERE IS THE LOVE?

Read Revelation 2:4.

With every strength, there always seems to be a counter-weakness. While the Ephesians were tireless in their efforts to remain holy and doctrinally pure, they missed the all important matter of love. (I find it ironic that yesterday I spoke of these things as being necessary in the church because they were expressions of loving God. Apparently their zeal became a source of pride rather than an expression of love for God. Oh, the dangers of working so hard at something and losing sight of the reason!)

Jesus says they “left their first love.” They walked away. They left it out of their ministry. The Greek word for “left” means it was an intentional act. They didn’t just drift away; they chose to leave it out. Maybe it was a knee-jerk reaction to the intense battle for truth and an increase in the number of false teachers on the circuit. Maybe they feared that too much “touchy-feely” in the ministry might dilute an emphasis on the truth. Maybe they were too hard on those struggling with sin and rather than help them through it, they merely kicked them out. Whatever was the case, they left their first love.

Let me break for a moment and say that when some read “you have left your first love” they think of Christ; that is, they left their first love, Jesus Christ. After all, He is to be our first love above all else. But in the Greek, the word for “first” carries the idea of “at the beginning.” In other words, they left the love they had at the beginning. And certainly the church some 30 years earlier was known for its love (Eph. 1:15-16).

The Ephesian church, perhaps in its effort to remain faithful to the Word in thought and deed, lost sight of their true mission. In their passion for holiness and truth, they did not see that loving others was non-negotiable. Paul said to the Corinthian church — guilty of similar zealousness, but for the gifts of the Spirit — if I “do not have love, I am nothing.” (1 Cor. 13:3)  Love was not just a ministry alongside teaching and protecting, it was to infiltrate every aspect of ministry. It was the reason for teaching. It was the reason for holiness.

We all have areas in which we are zealous. For some it is studying God’s Word, for some it is serving those in great need, for some it is purging sin from their midst, and still others reaching others with the gospel of Christ. These are all non-negotiables. But the greatest non-negotioable is love. Everything we do must be soaked in love.

What are you zealous for when it comes to your faith in Christ? How is love manifested in your zealousness?