Revelation 2 12-17 Reading someone else’s mail - Avoid the mold

What are we watching? Video of mold.

In Omaha, Jimmy asked us to look at his bathroom. He had discovered mushrooms growing behind his toilet. On the surface it did not look so bad, but hidden only slightly beneath the surface was this.  PICTURE of mold. Water had been leaking from a cracked toilet, creating the ideal condition for the growth of mold. Over time this mold had crept through three layers of subfloor, creating a mass of decay and a health impacting mess.

Toxic black mold can be recognized by its dark black slimy appearance. You may see dark splotches in your wall board, ceiling tiles or under your linoleum. You may not see any indication of toxic black mold if it is in your attic or in between your walls. Toxic black mold needs extremely wet conditions to grow. If you have had a flood or a long term leak that went undetected you can grow toxic black mold.

Mold can cause mild to severe health problems in individuals exposed to it. Some of the symptoms that can affect a person are a runny and stuffy nose, skin rash, watery eyes, headache, throat irritation and nausea. Toxic black mold, which is the most widely publicized, can cause severe health problems such as lung disease, learning disabilities, memory problems, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Some of the health problems will be reversed once the individual moves out of the home that is infected.

Mold removal costs can vary from $500 to $30,000. In worst case scenarios it can be even more. The actual average cost you will pay to a mold remediation specialist, "for one wall that is contaminated, is about $3,000.00"

The loss of value in your home if it has toxic black mold is determined by the extent of the mold. There have been homes where the mold was so wide spread the entire home had to be destroyed and rebuilt. In most cases however, the mold can be removed by just removing one wall or floor and replaced with new. Check your home disaster insurance policy to see if they cover mold infestation. If the mold is able to be cleaned up you may be fine. However, in some states, you will need to disclose on the sale of the home that it had toxic black mold at one time.

The best situation is to stop it from ever beginning. While mold spores exist everywhere, deal with the catalyst for mold growth – moisture – and it will never infest the house in the first place.

This is true in the church as well. We continue to look at the churches in Revelation. Today we will look at the letter to Pergamum. This church embraced Christ. But they false doctrine, cultural compromise, and sin were infesting their body. Christ warns to reject the world’s culture, and live and teach only the truth that they had received from God. Do not compromise or else Christ Himself will get in their face.

I. Avoid the mold: In the midst of cultural pressure

A. Pergamum: A worldly culture (Religious)   Rev 2:12a, 13a

(ESV) Revelation 2 12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: … 13 “ ‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. …

Map + PICTURE OF PERGAMOS Hill 2X

1. A significant fortress on a hill

2. Major library – second only to Alexandria – jealous and refused papyrus, so developed velum, or skin to write on

3.  Temple of Jupiter – Religious

Pictures 5X

4. A worship center “Satan’s throne – religious/social/governmental mixture

a. Jupiter – looked like a giant throne – smoke billing from it seen for miles around

1) Throne of Satan

B. Pergamum: A worldly culture (Medical/Social)  Rev 2:12a, 13a

Picture

a. Aesclepius – Snake worship – healing center – spend the night – if you are lucky enough for  a snake to touch you in the night you will be healed –

b. People came to the Asclepion for “holistic” treatment that included recreation, theater, music, sports, fasting, late–night runs in the nude, mudpacks, cold and hot baths, potions, herbs, dream interpretation, etc.

c. Single snake climbing a pole used for EMS

Picture

C. Pergamum: A worldly culture (Political)  Rev 2:12a, 13a

1. Emperor worship

Make our leaders larger than life – deify them

Pictures 2X

a. Imperial worship – Worship of the Roman emperor or more accurately early is was a deification of Rome itself. The problem Rome faced was how to weld this vastly diverse empire into a self-conscious unity. There was no unifying force like that of a common religion but none of the national religions could conceivably have become universal. Caesar worship could. It was the one common act and belief which turned the empire into a unity.

b. It should be noted that Caesar worship was not initially imposed on the people from above. It arose from the people themselves; Caesar worship began as a spontaneous outburst of gratitude to Rome. It had large support from the people, especially in the area of Asia Minor.

c. So once a year everyone in the Empire had to appear before magistrates to burn a pinch of incense to the godhead of Caesar and to say: 'Caesar is Lord.' In return he would receive a parchment that declared your loyalty.

d. To refuse to burn the pinch of incense and to say: 'Caesar is Lord,' was not an act of irreligion; it was an act of political disloyalty. Only the Jews were exempt.

e.  After he had done that, a man might go away and worship any god or goddess he liked, so long as that worship did not infringe decency and good order; but he must go through this ceremony in which he acknowledged the Emperor's divinity.

f. However, no Christian could give the title Lord to any other than Jesus Christ. This was the center of his creed.

g. While only the madman Caligula had taken Caesar worship seriously, Domitian becoming emperor in AD 86 demanded worship of himself throughout the empire, calling all who refused “athiests”. Widespread national persecution of all who refused to worship him began under his reign.

h. Pergamos had petitioned and received the right to be the center for emperor worship in Asia Minor.

i. Tremendous pressure existed in Pergamum to perform the yearly ritual.

II. Avoid the mold: Embrace Christ the victorious warrior

A. Christ the powerful warrior  Rev 2:12b

(ESV) Revelation 2 12 12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.

1. Be on the winning side

2. Ultimate weapon of destruction

a. Large broadsword

b. Pierce and slice both ways

c. Destroy

B. Christ the rightful judge        Rev 2:12b

1.  – The capital punishment sword

III. Avoid the mold: Reject foundational compromise

A. Not all bad - Lived faithful in a hard place  Rev 2:13a

(ESV) Revelation 2  13 “ ‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. …  

1. A hard place to live as a Christian dwell where Satan dwells - conflict

B. Not all bad - Held fast in persecution           Rev 2:13b

(ESV) Revelation 2  13 “ ‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faitheven in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.  

1. The place of early martyrdom – note: my martyr

2. Understands the difficulty

3. Had held on to faith in Christ in the face of persecution

C. But - Doctrinal compromise  Rev 2:14-15

(ESV) Revelation 2 14 But I have a few things against you: you have somethere 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. 15 So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

1. Nicolaitans

a. Later Christian tradition linked the Nicolaitans with Nicolaus of Antioch, one of “the Seven”

1) Free to do whatever you like

2) Just because you can doesn’t mean you should

D. But - Cultural compromise    Rev 2:14b

(ESV) Revelation 2 14 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 idolsand practice sexual immorality. 15 So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

a. Antinomian life-style, flaunting their “freedom” in a manner not unlike that of certain elements in the church at Corinth

b. Okay because you are forgiven

c. Okay to go to the feast of the idols – likely more than buying food at the market – Observe sexual immorality / drunkenness / all types of sin – not the place where you really have a place to witness / destroy your witness / lead to your own sin

E. But - Sinful compromise Rev 2:14c

(ESV) Revelation 2 14 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. 15 So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

a. Committing sin – sexual immorality

b. Progression – wrong doctrine / cultural compromise / sin

c. Christ hates it – that should be enough

IV. Avoid the mold: Return to truth living

A. Turn from compromise – repent       Rev 2:16a

(ESV) Revelation 2 16 Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth.

1. Stop it

2. Change your thinking

3. Begins in the mind

B. Or else He will oppose you     Rev 2:16b

(ESV) Revelation 2 16 Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soonand war against themwith the sword of my mouth.

1. No option

C. Respond            Rev 2:17a

(ESV) Revelation 2 17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. …

V. Avoid the mold: Receive a better blessing

A. Hunger satisfied          Rev 2:17b

(ESV) Revelation 2 17… To the one who conquersI will give some of the hidden manna, …

1. Compare to meat from idols / sexual fulfillment

2. Supernatural sustenance – God provided

3. Inner nurture

4. Satisfied / enduring

B. Access   Rev 2:17c

(ESV) Revelation 2 17 … 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.’

1. Ancient jurors signified innocence by casting a white pebble

2. A Thracian custom of marking every good day by a white stone

3. An amulet or charm to ward off evil

4. According to rabbinic lore precious stones fell from heaven with the manna

5. a stone in the breastplate of the high priest (or perhaps to the Urim

6. Likely - A token for admission to the banquet

a. Distributed to the poor in Rome by the emperors to insure a regular supply of corn,

b. Given to the victor at games

c. Given to gladiators who had won the admiration of the public and had been allowed to retire from further combat

C. Intimate relationship Rev 2:17d

(ESV) Revelation 2 17 … and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stonethat no one knowsexcept the one who receives it.’