A compromising church called to be faithful

Introduction

There is a church that lives in a very hostile environment, they have enemies on every side. Members of their congregation have been killed, yet they have remained faithful to their Lord and Saviour. They have not denied him.

Yet they have begun to tolerate people among them promoting heresy and living in open sin. They have decided that so long as they remain faithful as individuals it doesn’t matter what others are doing in their church.

What would the Lord Jesus say to such people?

Do you think he would say its ok, so long as you remain faithful as individuals it doesn’t matter what others in your church believe and practice?

Or Do you think he would command the faithful ones to apply church discipline and to be seperate from those who are sinning?

We find the answer to this question in this letter to the church at Pergamos.

Now although this letter was written to a real church in the first century, it touches upon issues that churches will face until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

There is a constant danger for churches that were once faithful to compromise a little bit, to tolerate a little bit of heresy, or small amount of sin, and before they know it they are no longer a faithful body of believers.

This was the problem that was facing the church in Pergamos and it is something that churches in every age need to gaurd against. How did the Lord Jesus address the church to deal with this issue?

What can we learn from this letter to prevent this happening to us?

We are going to look at this letter together to find the answer.

I. The church and its Lord v.12

Firstly, then in v.12 we have the opening of thew letter here we learn about the Chruch and we learn something about who Jesus is.

a) The church

“And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write;”

The Lord Jesus begins his letter in the same way that he does the others. He announces the leader of the specific church he is writing to. The letter is addressed to the angel or leader of the church in Pergamos.

Pergamos was a city in the Roman province of Asia, which is modern day Turkey. The city was a centre of religious worship, both pagan and emporer worship. This fact made it difficult to be a Christian in this city as we shall see as we go through this letter.

b) The Lord

After addressing the church, the Lord Jesus describes himself. He does this in each of the letters and the image he uses of himself has a specific purpose for what he is about to say.

In this letter he refers to himself as “He which hath the sharp sword with two edges.”

Here the Lord Jesus is refering back to the description of himself in Chapter 1. There we read that he has a sharp two edged sword that comes of his mouth. This is not a literal description but is refering to the fact that the judges the nations by the word of God.

In Hebrews 4:12 we read “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword”

Again in Ephesians 6 v.17 we read “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”

The sharp two edged sword that Christ has shows that he is the judge of all the earth, he will judge sin, he will punish all disobedience. The standard that he judges by is the word of God.

In each letter he describes himself in a way that is relevant to that particular church, he we see he highlights his role as judge and punisher of sin. There could be two reasons for this in the letter. Perhaps both are true.

The Lord is comforting his people that he will judge their enemies and punish them for their sin against his church, the Lord is warning that this church will be judged and punished if it doesn’t turn from its sin.

App-

Here the church at Pergamos found a reason to be encouraged and fearful. Encouraged because the righteous judge of all the earth was their Lord and he will judge their enemies by the word of God. There will be justice.

But, fearful because as we keep reading it is clear they have problems that they need to repent of or they will face the Lord’s judgement themselves.

Here we find a double application for ourselves. We should be encouraged because the judge of all the earth shall do right. Our Lord is the one who has the sharp two edged sword, he will judge the earth by God’s word and so we know that justice will be served and the wicked will perish.

Yet, we should also fear, because this judge of all the earth calls his people to be faithful. Therefore we must not comprimise with sin in our lives.

After the opening of the letter the Lord Jesus goes on to commend them for the good they have done.

II. They were once faithful v.13

In v.13 the Lord commends them for the good things that are true about the church.

a) faithful

Firstly we see that they were faithful even though they dwelt in a place that was in the grip of spiritual darkness.

V.13 says “I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name...”

Here the Lord Jesus commends them for the fact that they have held to his name even though they live in a place where satans seat is.

What did he mean by Satans seat? The Lord Jesus could be refering to a few things by this description of Pergamos. There was an altar in the city dedicated to Zeus which was shaped as a throne, perhaps the Lord was refering to this. There was also a temple dedicated to emporer worship, perhaps the Lord was refering to this. Maybe he was referring to all of the evil practices that went on in the city and for this reason described it as a place that the devil holds sway, that is where he sits.

However you interpret the phrase where satans seat is, the point is they are living in a hostil environment and are surrounded by those who practice evil.

Yet, the Lord says depsite this, you have held fast to my name.

b) undenying

Next, we see that they did not deny the faith even when their lives were in danger.

v.13 continues “and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.”

There was a faithful Christian called Antipas who was killed for his faith in Jesus, yet the other CHristians did not deny the faith to escape death themselves, rather they remained faithful to Jesus.

App- For these things the Lord Jesus commends the church. They remained faithful even when they were in danger of severe persecution.

Here we have an example for the church to follow today. Increasingly we may feel that we are dwelling where Satans seat is, it seems our environment is becoming gradually more hostile to the Gospel. What should we do?

Hold fast to the name of Jesus, and whatever the church may face we must never deny the faith, but openly confess that Jesus is Lord. This was what the church at Pergamos was doing, we must do the same.

Although the Lord could commend them for their past faithfulness, he also had a few things against them.

III. They had started to compromise v.14-15

We see in the verses that follow they had begun to compromise.

a) doctrine of balaam

v.14 says “But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.”

Here the Lord Jesus highlights a problem with the church. They have people among them who have false doctrine, which is resulting in them commiting sin.

The Lord refers to an incident that took place in the book of Numbers. In the book of Numbers we read that King Balac called a prophet named Balaam to curse the children of Israel as they were going through the wilderness to the promised land. Instead of cursing them, the LORD made Balaam bless them.

However we read in Num 25:1-3 that Balaam gave advice to Balac to make the women of Moab commit fornication with the men of Israel and make them sacrifice to their gods. The point was so that the LORD would punish Israel for their sin. Which was what happened.

The Lord Jesus is using that as an example of what is going on in Pergamos. They have people in the church who are teaching the people to eat things sacrificed to idols and to comiit sexual immorality.

They were probably saying something like this ‘You are not under the law now but under grace. Therefore it doesn’t matter if you do these things.’

However, the Lord Jesus says otherwise.

b) Nicolaitans

The Lord Jesus continues in v.15; “So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.”

Here the Lord Jesus refers to another group within the church who held to the false teachings of the Nicolaitans.

This was a group who apparently followed Nicolas who is mentioned in Acts 6:5. He was once faithful, and was chosen to help serve the widows in the church in Jerusalem alongside the first martyr Stephen.

However, he had become an apostate and was teaching false doctrine. The doctrine was probably very similar to that mentioned in v.14.

It was antinomianism. Without law. Live how you please, God will not judge you, you are not under law but under grace. The Lord Jesus says in v.15 that he hates this false doctrine.

The point the Lord Jesus is making in these two verses is not that the whole church had become like this but that there were a small group among them who hold to the false doctrines and are commiting these acts of sin. The Lord Jesus is rebuking his church for not dealing with the problem but allowing it to continue unchecked.

App- We see here that it is not enough for a group of Christians to say well we are faithful so what if there are other members of our church who believe heresy and live in open sin.

This was the stance of the church at Pergamos and the Lord Jesus rebuked them for it and we shall see in a moment that he was going to judge them if they did not repent.

This is a message that needs to be proclaimed loud and clear among many churches in our land today. There are so many places with faithful believers who are happy to put up with a few in the congregation who believe heresy, actively promote it and live according to it.

The point here is that the cancer needs to be taken out before it infects the whole body. This was what Pergamos was not doing. This is what many churches in our land have not done.

This is what a faithful church must do, if it is to remain faithful. Deal with the problem of false teachers, promoters of heresy. Come out from among them and be ye seperate.

Next we see why the church must not tolerate heresy or sin among them.

IV. Threat of judgement v.16

In v.16 we see the way forward and we see what would happen if they did not take it.

v.16 says “Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.”

a) way forward

The way forward was to turn backward. to turn away from what they were doing. The Lord Jesus commanded them to repent.

This should be seen as a call to repentance to the ones who are believing, promoting and practicing the false doctrine. the Lord is calling them to turn away from their sin and to be obedient to the Word of God.

But, this should also be seen as a call to repentance to the rest of the church who are putting up with them and not excercising Church discipline.

What would happen if they did not repent?

b) judgment

The Lord Jesus said “Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.”

If there was no repentance the Lord Jesus promised a swift judgement would come. He says that he will come unto them and fight against them with the sword of his mouth.

What did he mean by that?

The Lord Jesus meant he would judge them according to the word of God. He will give them the just punishment their sin deserves.

Here we see the goodness and the justice of the Lord Jesus. He is good, loving and merciful. This is why he is issuing this call of repentance, he is giving them a chance to do the right thing.

But, we also see the justice and holiness of the Lord Jesus, he will not let unrepentant sin go unpunished. In this case compromise with false doctrine which leads to immoral behaviour.

App- The application for the church today is clear for us to see isn’t it. Those who teach false doctrine and live openly sinful lives must repent. Turn and believe the truth of the Gospel and seek to be holy.

Those who are compromising and allowing such practices to go unchecked need to repent of their lethargy and their ability to put up with these things. They must stop turning a blind eye and the church leadership should administer the appropriate church discipline.

If they do not then their judge will be the Lord Jesus himself, he will fight against them with the sword of his mouth, he will judge them righteously according to the Word of God.

This fact should strike fear into the heart of anyone who is doing these things. Yet next we see that the Lord in wrath remembers mercy.

V. Promise to overcomers

In v.17 as we see in the other letters the Lord after warning the church he gives a wonderful promise to those who are faithful and overcome.

The Lord Jesus says “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.”

a) a promise to all who hear

First we must notcie that this promise is for all people, everyone who overcomes, in other words everyone who is a true believer in Jesus Christ, they look forward to what is promised here.

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches;

This promise is for all who hear and obey, but what is the promise?

b) a promise of eternal life

We see the promise is given in two parts.

First the Lord Jesus says “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna”

THe one who overcomes, through repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ they will receive from him the hidden manna. What did he mean by that?

We get a clue if we look at the words of Jesus in the Gospel of John.

John 6:32:33 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.”

Again in John 6:47-51 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. 48 I am that bread of life. 49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

We see then this hidden manna is a reference to eternal life which the Lord Jesus gives to thise who repent and believe, this life is made available because of his death on the cross and his resurrection.

That is enough, yet the promise continues.

c) a promise of eternal rest

and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

Here we see that the Lord will give those who over come a white stone and a new name.

What does this mean?

At the time when this was written it was common to recieve a special stone which would grant you entry to certain feasts. The stone was like a ticket that was used to enter the feast, without the stone you could not partake.

Perhaps the Lord Jesus is saying that he will give the one who overcomes a place at the heavenly feast in the kingdom of God. The one who overcomes will sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

Not only that, but the Lord will give them a new name, that only he will know.

This suggests that the person will have a close and unique relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. The one who overcomes belongs to Jesus, they are his. If you were adopted into someones family, you would receive a new name.

The Lord Jesus here is saying that the one who overcomes will be mine. I will know him, he will know me.

App- This would have been a great encouragement for those who were being faithful. They would receive all of the spiritual blessings, in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

Every faithful believer today looks forward to these same blessings. Eternal life, entry to the kingdom of heaven, adoption into the family of God and a unique relationship with him.

If you are here today and you know you will not enjoy these because you have not repented and believed in Jesus, then I urge you to do so, do it today.

Conclusion

In this letter we have a church that was once faithful but had started to compromise. What was the Lord’s message to them? It was a two pronged message.

The message-

Firstly, was repent or I myself will judge you according to the Word of God.

Secondly, the one who overcomes will have eternal life, they will be partakers of the heavenly feast and they will be adopted into God’s family.

It was a message of judgment and mercy, of warning and promise.

The Lord’s message to chruches today is the same. Tolerating heresy and sin among members of the church is not an option. There must be church discipline.

If not the Lord will judge those who compromise.

Those who obey in this matter will receive all the spiritual blessings in Christ.