Letter to Smyrna | Revelation 2:8-11 | 2nd June 2024

This sermon unpacks Jesus' words of encouragement to the Church in Smyrna. They are experiencing abject poverty, blasphemy, imprisonment, and death. 

Jesus encourages them first by introducing himself as the eternal, suffering, and death conquering one. It is by remembering these truths about who Jesus is that the Christians in Smyrna and Christians today can remain faithful despite facing tribulations. 

Jesus who knows, sees, and cares about their difficulty circumstances ends the letter by offering two further encouragements. Firstly, he declares these Christians rich! Despite their abject material poverty they are spiritually rich through their Union with Christ. Secondly, he declares that they will receive a crown of life from Jesus himself after they die. This eternal crown will never perish and will be a permanent reminder we are the bride that Jesus the groom is coming to claim. 

Lord, may you help us imitate the fearless and faithful devotion to you demonstrated by the Church in Smyrna.