Pergamum: A Compromised Commitment

Introduction

If you have your Bibles, find Chapter 2 of Revelation and put your finger there, and I want to take you Exodus, Chapter 20. The reason I want to take you here is because we better understand the significance of God’s message to Churches in Asia Minor. Most people know that the Israelites found themselves enslaved by the Egyptians for nearly 400 years. God heard their cries and delivered from Pharoah. God delivered them out of slavery. After redeeming them from slavery, He brings them to Mt Sinai and there gives Moses the 10 Commandments. Pay attention here to the first 4 verses and the first 2 commandments:

English Standard Version Chapter 20

20 And God spoke all these words, saying,

2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

3 “You shall have no other gods before me.

4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

I want you to clearly see something here. First as sort of a Preamble, The LORD says, “I am the LORD your God who brought you out of slavery...” This isn’t God holding some sort of carrot over the Israelite’s heads, it is reminding them of where they came from. They were in the world, they were in a pagan place full of pagan gods and pagan worship. They are no longer a part of that. The first two commandments specifically, tell the Israelites that they will only worship God and have nothing to do with the pagan culture and worship God delivered them from in Egypt. Sounds pretty reasonable right?

Egypt was a land of almost infinite deities. For the Israelites, the idea worship was perverted and unclear, because they had been exposed to the madness of the worship of idols in Egypt. Even though they they said they were set apart for God their tendency is to hold onto polytheism and paganism. God tells them they are out of the pagan world and will not live or worship that way any longer. And so, even while Moses is on Mt Sinai, the Israelites are at the foot of the mountain worshiping a golden calf. Everyone says they must’ve been pretty stupid, right? Hold that thought.

If you go from Exodus over to the next book in the Bible (one of my favorite Old Testament Books), the book of Leviticus. The Book of Leviticus is essentially a manual for the nation of Israel on righteousness and worship. God admonishes the people of Leviticus over 125 times in the first 16 chapters alone to be pure and throughout the book, the Phrase “be holy as I am holy” appears over 50 times.

In fact, in Chapter 18 we find the issue of nakedness and sexual immorality. 20 And you shall not lie sexually with your neighbor’s wife and so make yourself unclean with her. 21 You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord. 22 You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination. 23 And you shall not lie with any animal… on an on… 24 “Do not make yourselves unclean by any of these things, for by all these the nations I am driving out before you have become unclean,

Why all this? The reason God has instructed Israel this way is to renovate, if you will, man’s tendency for worldly and pagan living and worship (and let me also say these things are not separable). This is a call for separation from sinful, pagan culture which includes sexual immorality. Now there are those who would say, “Big Deal. That’s Old Testament. We’re under New Testament, right?” This is where so many err. It’s early replacement theology. No where does the Bible tell we were exonerated from the Law. In fact, Just the opposite:

English Standard Version Chapter 5

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

(Matthew 5:17-18)

God’s expectation for his people to be separated - or holy - has never diminished; in fact the cross has underscored it

English Standard Version Chapter 4

Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

(1 Peter 4:4)

English Standard Version Chapter 2

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.

(John 2:15)

The Church today is no different from Israel then. We are called to be holy and have nothing to do with the world and the immorality of the world. There is a tendency for churches today to make church be comfortable for culture. We don’t want to offend or make someone feel uncomfortable. Since when do we want someone to feel comfortable with being a sinner? There’s a church here in town that says, ‘you don’t have to believe to belong?’ The Church, including some in this church have an idea that we should be entertaining; frivolous. If we could just contort church to something close to the world, we could get sinners in the door.

Church, really should be alien to the world. We don’t think the way they think, we don’t talk the way they talk. We separated unto God. He delivered us out of the slavery of our sin. We don’t entertain the world we were delivered out of to make anyone feel comfortable in their sin. We want people to flee from their sin.

As the pagan world becomes more hostile to the truth of God, as it becomes more hostile to the people of Gos and churches compromise. We don’t want to be persecuted, they don’t want to be rejected, and so we court the world by being like the world.

Now we come to Revelation Chapter 2 and read a letter from Jesus to a church that was doing just that.

The City of Pergamum

12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: (Rev 2:12).

Pergamum is the 3rd Church to receive a letter from Jesus. Ephesus was the first and was commended for its faithfulness to doctrine and rejecting false teachers, but corrected for losing its first love, Jesus. Ephesus was viewed as the mother church of the other churches. Next was Smyrna, about 30-40 miles north of Ephesus. Smyrna was a faithful church, persecuted for its faithfulness to Christ, it received no condemnation. They were persecuted by imprisonment, being impoverished, and even to the point of death.

Pergamum was small town about 100 miles north of Ephesus; Smyrna was about halfway between Ephesus and Pergamum. Jesus opens with, “The words of him who has the sharp 2-edged sword...” Pergamum had a library containing over 200,000 parchment books. It was among the largest collections known to the world, other than Alexandria. It was the center of culture and learning. But the learning was not impressive to Jesus; it was repulsive. This liberal, pagan philosophy was being cut down by the sword of God’s tongue.

There were many temples in Pergamum, but 3 are most notable: 1.) There was a massive altar to Zeus located there at its highest place. Pergamum was the first city to build a temple for worship of Caesar Augustus. And once a year, like in Smyrna, every citizen was required to offer a sacrifice of incense to Caesar and proclaim, “Caesar is Lord.” Another temple of Pergamum was the temple to Asclepios, a serpent god of healing. It was a vile, pagan, cultured, educated place to live. It was also sort of the capitol of Asia Minor for Rome. Michael Wilcock writes: “If Ephesus was the New York of Asia, Pergamum was its Washington, for there the Roman imperial power had its seat of government.”

Jesus’ Commendation to The Church

So Jesus opens with some strong words. “‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edge 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. (Rev 2:13)

Jesus’ identification as the one who has the sharp two-edge sword is a reference to the superiority of God’s word as we mentioned from chapter 1:18, but also we see that in Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Pergamum for all its education, culture, religion, medical advances, and its library was a vile place to Jesus. Pergamum was a center for emperor worship and pagan worship, often characterized by sexual licentiousness, prostitution, homosexuality, bestiality, orgies, drug use, and wild parties. It was centered around pleasure and self gain. I want be blessed by the gods. I worship the gods for a better job, more happiness, more wealth. Whatever will make me happy. Sound familiar?

Jesus called it a place of Satan’s throne. Can you imagine? I want you to understand, to walk the streets the city and the culture were a place of prominence. On the outside it was a beautiful, contemporary city. Spiritually it was corrupt, evil, and where Satan set up his throne. Paul tells us that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14). Just because our culture appears as a place of contemporary bliss, doesn’t equate with godliness. Thus was the case in Pergamum.

Despite the fact they lived in such a difficult city, the Church was faithful. “Yet you hold fast to my name.” They did not deny the faith. Even when Antipas was killed. I find it interesting that Jesus calls Antipas, “my faithful witness.” Of all the notable people in history and in the Bible, Antipas is a man who is known by God and named by God because he remained faithfuls

Jesus’ Correction to the Church

English Standard Version Chapter 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.

The church had two problems. The first was it had a teaching problem. The second, as a result of the teaching, was a morality problem. Which goes back to what I said at the beginning of the message.

First Jesus tells the church that there were teachers who were holding to the teaching of Balaam. Balaam means, “not of the people.” We find Balaam in the Old Testament, Deuteronomy 23 as a renowned sorcerer. Like most false teachers, he after people’s money using his divination and trickery. The story in Numbers 22 to 24 tells us that as Israel is near the end of the wanderings, the King of Moab is concerned as Israel is near the boarder of Moab. Everyone heard about what happened in Egypt and God’s power, so Balak hires Balaam to curse Israel.

Balaam tries three times to curse Israel and he can’t do it, so he comes up with Plan B. Balaam gathers some women from Moab to seduce the Jewish men with sexual relationships and intermarriage. The relationships lure the men back into idolatry and immorality - paganism. The plan works and removes Israel protection with God as they are seduced with immoral relationships and away from God. God told Israel, to be holy, pure, and have nothing to do with pagan immoral practices. “Be holy as I am holy.” Balaam isn’t able to use curses and divination against the people, but he leads Israel away with their lust.

That’s how it is, isn’t it? Satan can’t touch you but he knows he can tempt you with your weakness and the greatest weakness in our culture is our lust. Especially for me, but women are just as vulnerable, just in different ways. We want people to come and hear the message, but the message is not alter or watered-down to help you feel more comfortable about God. There’s a place in town here that says, “You don’t have to believe to belong.” Tragic.

This is what was happening in the Church at Pergamum. There were people who were teaching the church sensuality and immorality. They were attending pagan feasts which would be brimming with homosexuality, bestiality, incest and prostitution, and then coming to church. Worse yet, they were teachers and leaders at the church in Pergamum. 1 Peter 4:17 says, “Judgement begins in the house of God” and apparently the church has not taken action to correct the brothers or sisters who were openly sinning. People don’t like when I confront them about sin: I’ve had people leave and say all kinds of things about me.

Jesus’ Command to the Church

English Standard Version Chapter 2

16 Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

The command of Jesus is pretty straightforward: “Repent.” Turn the other way. Stop. Stop tolerating worldly compromise, especially when it comes to immoral behavior. It doesn’t take much for one to find that today. Our media, movies, celebrities, and popular culture are no different than the immoral and pagan worship of sex and idolatry. Jesus is clear. Have nothing to do with it. If you can’t keep yourself accountable with what you watch on TV, get rid of it. If you are finding yourself in a place of constant compromise find someone to help hold you accountable

Compromise never happens quickly. Like a ship that finds itself off-course because it was a degree off its compass, so it is with our hearts. But thankfully, we have an advocate and helper to hold onto:

English Standard Version Chapter 6

19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,

(Hebrews 6:19).

Christians find themselves in danger when they think they can hold on with their on strength and start letting go of their dependence on Christ. Compromise is seldom offensive to others, but it is the fist step to total disobedience to God. Our anchor is Christ and the word of God is the chain. When you start compromising in God’s Word for your own pride, you are a ship that is adrift at sea.

For those adrift and who refuse to repent Christ says he will make war against them with the sword of his mouth. What does he mean? He means that you will be judged by the measure of Scripture. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want be a war with God.

Jesus’ Commitment to Overcomers

I love this. There is always hope with Christ Jesus. His commendation: “You live by Satan’s throne.” His correction, “You are compromising on false and immoral teaching.” His Command, “Repent.” And now, his commitment:

English Standard Version Chapter 2

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.’

There are two things Jesus promises to those who repent and turn back to God. For the person who doesn’t have one foot out and one foot in still courting the world. You are sold-out for Jesus. There is Divine Provision and second there is Divine Favor. First he promises manna. You remember the Israelites traveling in the wilderness and God provided for them manna. Supernatural food. Strength and sustenance from Christ Jesus, the Bread of Life. You will live your life with the fullness of God’s abundance.

The reference to the White Stone is best understood to the games that were held. Victors were given a white stone with their name inscribed on it. It was a symbol of victory. It identifies you as an overcomer and a victor. In the military there is a tradition of challenge coins. A coin could come from a unit commander or even someone higher and it would be given as an award for merit.

The white stone could also be alluding a vote of acquittal where a black stone or white stone would be cast for criminal cases. Lastly a white stone would be to a ticket for admission to a theater, which was also common in that day. All of these apply well to the believer’s victory in Christ. A victor as the overcomer of the world, an acquittal from guilt, and an admission into the eternal Kingdom of God - the marriage supper of the Lamb.

I’m not ignorant or under any illusion. I know there are people here and in the sound of my voice that are compromising their faith right now. “He who has ears let them here.” Repent and you will be an overcomer; given a white stone of victory. It will have your name - a unique name. A name given to you by God. You who are cherished and loved by God; though you were an enemy to Him. While you were yet a sinner Christ died for you.

Take it to the Cross