A Snare of Compromise
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Point: If you are doing well, Satan will tempt with a snare of compromise. He who overcomes the snare, will receive the promise of eternal life and new name in the Kingdom of God.
Ever been snared by compromise? As we’ve seen over the last couple of weeks, Satan loves to bait the followers of Christ with snares to compromise our faith, beliefs, morals, values, and ethics. The Church of Ephesus remained faithful and exposed false teachers and teachings, but fell out of love with Jesus. Faith became a religious duty, empty of love and gratitude for who Jesus is and what he has done. The ones who overcome will eat from the tree of life, representing eternal life.
The Church of Smyrna was a poor church that was faithful in the face of persecution, and even death. It was not condemned for anything, but encouraged to remain faithful, even in the face of a time of trial and tribulation to come. Polycarp, was a church father who would not turn his back on Christ, and died in the flames stating he was thankful to do so as a follower of Christ. Those who would be faithful in trial and tribulation will receive the crown of life, another representation of eternal life.
Both the Church of Ephesus and Smyrna faced of against the false teachers and teachings of the Nicolatians and the Doctine of Balaam. One focused on conquering the people from inside the body itself; the other on compromising with the world, mixing that which is holy with the world - it’s ways and values. Neither church fell, but here the Church of Pergamum has been compromised.
Pergamum was known as “the seat of Satan” by God. It was a great religious center housing temples dedicated to Augustus, the goddess Roma, Asklepios, the god of healing, symbolized by a snake on a pole, and the altar of Zeus, one of the Wonders of the World, and the largest altar in the world. The worship of the emperor and imperial cult was also strongly emphasized and required.
The Cult of Asklepios found it’s center in Pergamum. Asklepios was celebrated with hundreds of temples throughout the Roman Empire. Asklepios was recognized as a miraculous healer and divine guide. Asklepios was also promoted as savior and healer in debates with Christianity by Celsus and Julian.
Asklepios was the son of Apollo and the mortal Coronis. Apollo killed Coronis, and gave Asklepios as a baby to Chiron, a centaur, who raised him and taught him the healing arts. Asklepios was struck down by Zeus, but was raised up to the status of a god and thus worshiped.
As the affluence of the times grew, the cult of Asklepios grew as well in popularity. A large health spa complex, supported by a school of medicine was established, led by Galen, the leading physician during that time.
Pergamum was also an intellectual center, housing a 200,000 volume library, rivalling the great library in Alexandria. Neoplatonism flourished from the 3rd to 6th centuries here; an intellectual mysticism founded by Plotinus; by which unification with the One can be attained by contemplation, achieving a state of ecstasy.
Antipas, a faithful follower of Christ, sealed his witness and testimony with his life. Jesus refers to him as the “faithful witness”, a title he carries Himself. He would not be caught in the snare of compromise.
“And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.
“ ‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality.
So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’
Living where the throne of Satan is.
Survive by:
Holding fast to the name of Jesus - where His name is:
Honored - Acts 19:17
Revered - Phil 2:10
Believed upon - John 1:12
Invoked - John 2:23
Do not deny Jesus’ faith - 1 Tim 5:8
But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
What out for the trap the scandal of Satan to throw you off.
False Teaching/Teachers - Video: Bishop William Murphy
Mixing with the world
To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.
What does the Apostle Paul mean by this? That “I become all things to all people so that I may win some”? Does he mean that when trying to win people to Christ to employ whatever means needed? Whether they are good or bad, sinful and sinless? By no means the Apostle Paul would say! In fact he preaches,
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?
What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you,
and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”
Do not be yoked to the things of this world, even if to win an unbeliever to Christ. Do not become an alcoholic to win an alcoholic. Do not become a drug addict to win the addicted. Do not sell your flesh to win the prostitute. Do not sacrifice your God values, to entice one who values the world. In order to become relevant to the worldly, do not become worldly. You have no business in doing such a thing as Adam and Eve found out after taking a bite from the forbidden. As we were reminded last week,
Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned?
The Apostle John writes, if we are willing to carry the fire of the world in our chest, we do not love the Father.
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
Are we carrying the fire of the world in our chest, thinking that 1) if I do so, I will win the stranger to Christ. He/she will respect me because I was willing to compromise my values and beliefs to show them how much I care for them and love them. Ask just about every unequally yoked married couple, one being a Christian, typically the woman, and one the unbeliever: does the unbelieving spouse respect them more or less, because they gave up their faith in Christ, His trust, and His commands?
Well they didn’t give up their faith, they still believe in Jesus, and may or may not go to church. Just because they may not attend church anymore, does not mean they have stopped believing in Him. But they have stopped following Him and His commands. The believer has disobeyed God’s command, not to be unequally yoked. Believing that they know better than God, and that God will forgive them, which He will do as long as you agree with Him that it is wrong, and not His way; but repentance and confession does not release you from the consequences one’s disobedience.
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.
For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind.
The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways, and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.
Disaster pursues sinners, but the righteous are rewarded with good.
Consequences of Compromise
One, Jesus is no longer Lord. If He was, you would have obeyed His command. If you are willing to compromise His Lordship over your life, what else will you be willing to compromise? Jesus says,
And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
Everyone who does not do so, is the opposite of a wise man, he/she is a foolish man, who builds their house upon sand, and will be washed away by the consequences of their foolishness. Jesus calls us to repent, change our mind, our attitude, our direction, agree with Him and confess the sin. Though the consequences of that decision will still be felt or experienced (i.e. David and Bathsheba, Moses striking the rock, Peter denying Christ).
Two, the Enemy gains a weak spot to strike. Any complete harmony you wish to have in your marriage is already compromised because God is not number one. God cannot bless a marriage that is an afront to Him. Paul said, what business does God have with Bilial, meaning personified wickedness, being Satan. Nothing! If God is not worshiped and given the glory of being number one in your marriage, why would He give you the Glory in your marriage?
“Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet?
Are two people with different values, beliefs, faith able to walk together in parenting, sexual expectations, and marriage expectations? Challenging for sure, and somewhat unlikely.
Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”
Now is your unbelieving spouse a bad person? Most likely not, by our human standards, because you married him or her. But bad company concerning God’s standards, and the best He wants and desires for you and me? Yes, bad company because God has already been removed from the number one spot in the relationship between the man and woman. If God is not in the number one spot, then Satan is. And this goes for any relationship between people. Even with things - like money, toys, work, power and influence. If God is not number one in our relationship to those things, Satan will be.
A repeat of last week when we were reminded by Jesus, that if something causes you to sin, and remove God from the position of number one in your life, remove it, shut it down, shut it off, give it up.
And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire.
And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.
Three, you have sacrificed yourself to Dualism. Dualism is two principles independent of one another, opposed to one another. Dualism is to hold fire in your chest and hope your clothes will not get burned. It is to have two masters, which Jesus says it is impossible to have, because one will eventually override the other, the one you are drawn to.
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
What association does God have with Satan? Nothing. The believer with the unbeliever? Nothing. Are you willing to sacrifice yourself on the altar of Dualism? We have more than enough of a battle with ourselves, under normal circumstances, than to involve oneself with an unbeliever. Jesus commands us to be holy as He is holy,
but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
You shall be holy to me, for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine.
Leviticus 20:26 is echoed by Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:17 again, the words of God.
Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you,
How many of us can proclaim that we have victory over the old man or woman, and are now righteous and holy? How many of us have worked out our sanctification to the point that we could proclaim ourselves completely clean and restored to health as God originally created us? Have you been resurrected from the dead? Are you without sin? Then you are not yet righteous and holy! But if you claim you are clean from sin, I got news for you, you just did.
Anybody get angry? Would you say it is always righteous anger or some unrighteous anger? Anybody have victory over anger, you do not get angry at anyone or anything?
Anybody have success with jealousy yet? You never ever get jealous of what anybody else may have or received? That God may have chosen to bless another with, or allow them to have, and not you? Jealousy is misplaced anger. You think you are jealous of what the other person has or received, when you are angry that God gave it to them in the first place and not you.
What’s my point? We are already men and women struggling to battle dualism within our own person. Why would we want to complicate matters by being unequally yoked with the world, it’s values, it’s morals, it’s worldview, it’s ways, it’s worshipers, and it’s Prince further? We have enough on our plate with trying to remain faithful to Christ, keeping in step with His Spirit, and loving and accepting ourselves as where we are and where we want and desire to be. Why do I still do the things I don’t want to do, and the things I want to do, I cannot do? Why can I not understand this? Anybody identify?
For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.
We have a cursed dualism from birth, that we will continue to struggle to overcome, as we attempt to follow Christ, in our own strength, but yet for the grace of God, we live in Christ, are saved by Christ, empowered by Christ, as we learn to trust Christ. Have you fully trusted Christ with everything? Have you learned to fully trust His favor for you? Trusted in His strength? His opinion of you? The value He sees in you?
Fourth, we sacrifice the good of God.
When we fall into the snare of Satan, that we know best, we sacrifice the good of God.
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
What is Satan’s goal in setting a snare, a stumbling block? To destroy you, and everybody he can take down by doing so. By embracing compromise with the world, we open the door for Satan to destroy us, and those we love and care for.
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.
Why would you and I ever want to compromise with the world, and give Satan the Grande Canyon in order to destroy us? To toss the good of God aside, the blessings of His promises? Why would we want to invite God’s correction and discipline? Why would we want to live with the consequences of selfish desires and actions that bring God no glory?
Division among the body
Repent or God with correct sharply.
Change your mind
Have sorrow
Or be corrected
To the one who conquers, who overcomes is eternal life and a new name.
Hidden Manna - John 6:48-50
I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.
White stone with a new name -
White stones were given to victors at the games for enterance to the banquets. Those without a white stone, were not given access to the banquets.
Luke 14:15-24 - The Great Banquet
There is an invitation for each to attend, but no excuses are received for not attending. It is a place of rest from what we have had to do, while on the earth.
So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.
Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.
And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”
The new name is given to those who hold fast to Jesus’ name; referring to the Holy Spirit’s work of conforming believers to the holiness of Christ Romans 8:29.
The nations shall see your righteousness, and all the kings your glory, and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give.
You shall leave your name to my chosen for a curse, and the Lord God will put you to death, but his servants he will call by another name,
so that he who blesses himself in the land shall bless himself by the God of truth, and he who takes an oath in the land shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten and are hidden from my eyes.
The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.
The manna and white stone suggest different types of eternal blessings and rewards for each situation and person.
