Remember The Two Edge Sword

CrossFire I want to come to you tonight and remind you that our highest authority is not me or another preacher, its not the president, vice president, its not a judge or a legislator, its not mom its not dad, its not a teacher or a principal, our HIGHEST authority in life is God’s Word.

In a moment we will be reading from Revelation chapter 2 in a moment, go ahead and turn there.

Before we take this any further I want to give you several key verses that remind us of the power that is God’s Word.

1 Timothy 4:13 (NLT) — 13 Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them.

2 Timothy 3:16 (NLT) — 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 (NLT) — 13 Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God—which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe.

2 Peter 1:21 (NLT) — 21 or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.

2 John 9 (NLT) — 9 Anyone who wanders away from this teaching has no relationship with God. But anyone who remains in the teaching of Christ has a relationship with both the Father and the Son.

**KEY- Hebrews 4:12–13 (NLT) — 12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.

**KEY- Revelation 1:16 (NLT) — 16 He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance.

Psalm 119:130 (NLT) — 130 The teaching of your word gives light, so even the simple can understand.

Psalm 119:11 (NLT) — 11 I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Psalm 119:105 (NLT) — 105 Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.

Isaiah 40:8 (NLT) — 8 The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.”

POINT- Knowing God’s word, it is a big deal.

It is authority.

ILLUSTRATION- Tanner Cross.

It is our light.

ILLUSTRATION- One of the more nerve wracking expereince I had was getting gear set up for back to school conference late late at night. I was in the attic wedged into a tight high place and my flashlight stopped working.

Its how we know how to please God

ILLUSTRATION- When I would travel and preach I would often have a note of some of the snacks I like.

Revelation 2:12–17 (NLT) — 12 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Pergamum. This is the message from the one with the sharp two-edged sword:

KEY- Why does Jesus introduce himself as, “the one with the sharp two-edged sword?” Because Jesus is God and the word of God is sharper than the double edged sword.

13 “I know that you live in the city where Satan has his throne, yet you have remained loyal to me. You refused to deny me even when Antipas, my faithful witness, was martyred among you there in Satan’s city. 14 “But I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel. He taught them to sin by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin. 15 In a similar way, you have some Nicolaitans among you who follow the same teaching. 16 Repent of your sin, or I will come to you suddenly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it.

MAIN POINT- Tolerating teaching that is contrary to God’s word for any reason will bring disaster not salvation.

POINT- There is a lot in this text that we don’t know, but what we know for certain is the complaint that Jesus had against the church was tolerating teaching that was not from God’s word.

We don’t know exactly what Jesu meant by, “I know you live in the city where Satan has his throne…”

KEY- It may have been because Pergamum was a center of pagan religion, it could be because we know Pergamum had massive throne like altars dedicated to the Roman god Zeus. We know that Pergamum was the center for the ancient Babylonian priesthood, we are not sure why Jesus called it that.

We don’t know exactly why the church began to tolerate teaching that was contrary to God’s word.

Perhaps it was ignorance, or maybe it was not wanting to offend anyone…

1. Jesus knows and understands the conditions we may be in, YET he expects us to confront what conflicts with his word.

Revelation 2:13 (NLT) — 13 “I know that you live in the city where Satan has his throne, yet you have remained loyal to me. You refused to deny me even when Antipas, my faithful witness, was martyred among you there in Satan’s city.

KEY- Christ starts out with a word of affirmation that leaves them with no excuses, just the opportunity to change.

He says I see how you have made your identify myself, even to the point of death! And you are doing it in a place where Satan has his throne…

KEY- Jesus mentions Antipas!

Revelation 3. What Jesus Knows about the Church at Pergamos (13)

Antipas is one of the great almost-anonymous heroes of the Bible. History tells us nothing about him except for here. “It is much no ecclesiastical history makes mention of this martyr Antipas, which argues him to have been a person but of obscure note in the world; but Christ seeth and taketh notice of those little ones who belong to him, though the world overlooks them.”

DEFINE- Antipas means “Against All”

ILLUSTRATION- My good friend Pastor Joey is from Boston and so that makes him a big New England sports fan… Living in Philly we were very close to the stadiums in the city. I have been to several Philly games with Joey, but he was not shy about being a New England fan… We’d go to see the Phillies play the Boston Red Sox and you know what jersey Pastor Joey would be wearing? A Red Sox jersey. We’d go watch the 76ers play the Celtic and there is Joey with the green jersey on… It’s one thing to wear that Jersey up in the New England area, it’s a whole other thing to wear that into a Philadelphia stadium.

KEY POINT- Jesus was commending the church on their loyalty, that even in the city where Satan has his throne you would identify with Christ.

KEY POINT- You can identify with Christ, but if you don’t identify with his word there is no relationship with God.

2 John 9 (NLT) — 9 Anyone who wanders away from this teaching has no relationship with God. But anyone who remains in the teaching of Christ has a relationship with both the Father and the Son.

KEY- The affirmation that Christ gives the church would also strip them of their excuse when Jesus would say I have this complaint against you. Now the church can’t say, you don’t understand where we are from, you don’t understand what it is like.

POINT- Jesus knows what the condition of your school is like. You know how I know this? Because he knows every teacher, faculty, janitor, student in that building and he loves each one of them. He knows their hearts.

This is why we can not tolerate or accept what is in conflict with God’s word.

MAIN POINT- Tolerating teaching that is contrary to God’s word for any reason will bring disaster not salvation.

2. Jesus reminds us that we have a choice to be tolerant or to be intolerant.

Revelation 2:14 (NLT) — 14 “But I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel. He taught them to sin by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin.

POINT- Tolerance and intolerance in and of themselves have nothing to do with love.

“Now before I go even the slightest bit further on this point let me be so very clear… While we were still sinners Christ died for us everything we do must be out of love, rooted in love, consumed with love…

If you involve yourself with harassing others, putting others down for any reason, involved with bullying someone… You are doing a HUGE disservice in the kingdom of God.

KEY- We are called to love people NO MATTER WHAT!

John 13:34 (NLT) — 34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.

Jude 22–23 (NLT) — 22 And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. 23 Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.

Now you are thinking it seems like you are telling me I am to be “intolerant” but I am supposed to love I’m so confused, what are you saying…

ILLUSTRATION- I have a friend who is lactose intolerant. Which means if he consumes any dairy it is going to have some serious issues…

KEY POINT- We as believers can not tolerate what is in opposition to God’s word. Now every scenario has different appropriate measures for refusing to tolerate what is in opposition to God’s word. Sometimes we need to be active in sharing truth in love, sometimes we need to resist it by excusing ourselves, sometimes we need to make personal sacrifices to abstain from even getting close to what is in opposition to God’s word. Sometimes we need to demonstrate God’s word even bigger than before.

But most importantly we can never be in support or complicit with teachings that are in opposition to God’s word.

I have found that sometimes as a follower of Christ when I hold to the teaching that is found in God’s word and resist and fight and speak against teaching that is in opposition to God’s word I am called, “intolerant.”

Typically what that person means is they believe I am denying someone’s humanity and the reason they believe that is in some cases people have linked their sin to their identity. It’s who I am…

KEY- It is a very dangerous thing whenever we link our identity to anything else other than a child of God.

POINT- God’s intolerance for sin is so significant and so serious that it resulted in the death of Jesus. If God was so intolerant of sin before the death of Jesus believe me he is just as intolerant of sin after the death of Jesus.

KEY POINT- God will not tolerate sin, it would greatly impact his holiness and his perfection. But he will love a sinner.

3. Jesus shows us that tolerating teaching that is in opposition to God’s word has serious consequences.

Revelation 2:15–16 (NLT) — 15 In a similar way, you have some Nicolaitans among you who follow the same teaching. 16 Repent of your sin, or I will come to you suddenly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

POINT- It weakens our message and

1 Peter 4:17 (NLT) — 17 For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God’s Good News?

4. Jesus reminds us that when we are careful to follow and teach his word there is a great reward.

Revelation 2:17 (NLT) — 17 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it.

Conclusion…

Are you prioritizing God’s word in your life?

Is God’s word your highest authority?