Be faithful: be free

Revelation 2:12-17 - The Church at Pergamum

No Compromise with Sin

Intro

A hunter went out into the forest to shoot a bear. With winter fast approaching he planned to make a warm coat out of the bearskin. Soon he saw a bear coming toward him, he raised his gun and took aim.

"Wait," said the bear, "why do you want to shoot me?"

The hunter replied: "Because I am cold."

The bear replied "But I am hungry, so maybe we can reach an agreement."

In the end, the hunter was well enveloped with the bear's fur, and the bear had eaten his dinner.

Don't compromise with bears! More about that later.

Scripture: Revelation 2:12-17

We are in Revelation again and Jesus has appeared to John in all his resurrected victorious glory. And Jesus has a word of redeeming judgment for John to send to the churches under his care, these seven churches in Asia Minor.

12 “To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:

These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. 13 I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.

14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. 15 Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

17 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.

Explanation

What is the story in Pergamum?

As bad as Smyrna... worse. Very heart of Emperor worship, and temples to Zeus, Athena, Dionysus and Asclepius. The altar to Zeus was 40 feet high! Huge religious center, beautiful Greek city. Satan apparently had a Synagogue in Smyrna, but he has a throne here in Pergamum. That's a symbol of authority, of power and ruling, a symbol of presence. "You live where Satan has (presently, now) his throne." and later: "where Satan lives!"

Yet, amazingly, they were faithful. True to Jesus' name, faithful. They did not renounce the faith, they were faithful unto death, even, in the case of Antipas. And the church fathers write about other martyrs in Pergamum, Christians who were faithful unto death as the persecution got worse.

So speaking to a church of people in tribulation and difficult circumstances, hard to be a Christian there in Pergamum, holding on to the name of Jesus... but...

A few things against you

And really, it's a few people against you. Some among you...

What about Balaam?

14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. 15 Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

Okay, Sabbath school story time. The Israelites under Moses had just demolished the Amorites. Still east of the Jordan at this point, not in the promised land, just on their way there. The Moabites are next, King Balak knows it and seeks out Balaam who is able to curse people. He sends people for Balaam who asks God if he can go, God says no, Balak sends again, God says okay go. Balaam goes, God puts an angel in the way, Balaam gets mad at the donkey, the donkey finally complains about the beatings, Balaam has a little argument with the donkey, God reveals the angel who says "do only what God says." Sounding familiar? Three times Balak takes Balaam to different hills and offers sacrifices hoping that Balaam will curse the Israelites and three times God makes him bless the Israelites.

Then, apparently, Balaam does something off-screen the consequences of which show up later. Balaam really wanted all those rewards Balak was offering, so he came up with a plan. We can't curse the Israelites, God won't let us, but you could, Balak, put temptations in front of the Israelites to make them sin and get in trouble that way. God won't be unfaithful to them, but you could probably get the Israelites to be unfaithful to God. Sure enough, apparently Moabite bulls are delicious and Moabite woman are hot because the Israelites succumb to both. They indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite woman and go and eat sacrificial meals to Moabite gods.

So the teaching of Balaam is to put temptation to sin before God's people, get them to compromise with sin, get them to be unfaithful to God. This story of Balaam and the false teaching of Balaam was a familiar one, so no one would claim to be a Balaam follower in John audience. Instead...

So who are the Nicolaitans?

You also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. This is the only real explanation we get of what the Nicolaitans were. But it is similar in kind to what Balaam did.

Putting it all together with the situation in Pergamum, here is the best of what I have been able to understand of the Nicolaitans. They were practicing and teaching outward observation of temple rites like sacrificial meals and temple prostitution in order to dodge Christian persecution. Particularly with regard to emperor worship.

Now, nobody really believes the emperor is divine, but you do what you have to do. It is a social grace, it is being a good citizen, it is being polite and respectful of government. It is what you have to do to get along. And after all, Paul said eating food sacrificed to idols was alright, right? And what's a little sexual immorality here and there, we all slip up and sin, right? There is forgiveness and freedom for that in Christ Jesus. Amen?

Here is the beauty of the Nicolaitan position. Just a wee little bit of sin, nothing unforgivable, and all of this persecution nonsense goes away. Remember what the Roman governor said to Polycarp in Smyrna? A few words and a pinch of incense. What are we talking about here? Going to a party basically. Sacrifices were like giant barbeques, they burn part of the meat, cook the rest on the altar as the sacrifice, and every digs in. So far so good. There are some prostitutes there, it is part of the party. We are now conditioned to think of prostitution as sinful and wrong, but this was common practice everywhere in Roman worship. It is a celebration of life, of reproduction and all that.

It's a party, if you show up, partake a little, you have done your civic duty in the eyes of the government and you're fine. You're not one of these "disruptive" Christians, these anti-social abnormal Christians. A little negotiation, a little compromise with the world goes a long way.

A little compromise with sin goes a long way. Yeah, maybe longer than you think.

What's the problem?

What is the flaw in the argument? We just might hear this argument today, we just might use this argument today, so what is the big deal?

The problem is that sin is the bear, and you do not compromise with the bear! You do not compromise with the bear because the bear eats you. You do not compromise with sin because sin enslaves you.

Sin always enslaves! Sin enslaves, and Jesus came to free us from that enslavement. Imagine his pain when we return to sin again. We keep slipping back into those chains.

Sin always enslaves. There is no compromise possible. No negotiation.

Jesus gives us Freedom from sin, not freedom to sin. Freedom from sin, not freedom to sin. Jesus tackled the bear and tied him up, don't climb into the bear's mouth! Jesus broke the chains of sin that held you enslaved and imprisoned, don't wrap yourself up in them all over again... on purpose!

2 Peter 2 refers to followers of the way of Balaam, "who loved the wages of wickedness."

20 If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. 21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. 22 Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.”

Stay out of your vomit! Stay out of those chains. There is no compromise with sin... sin always enslaves!

Do we have enough metaphors floating around? No compromise with sin.

And here I am not talking about when you are wondering or questioning if something is sinful. This is intentional sin. You know it is sin, you know it from Scripture or the Holy Spirit has convicted you previously that this is a sinful activity. It causes you to place something else before God, so it has become idolatrous (lots of things can be sinful that way). It causes you to lust, or be proud or envious. You know it is sinful, but you go and do it anyway.

Stumbling block to others

Now you really want to make Jesus mad? Take the mistakes you are making, your own compromises with sin, enslaving yourself to sin on purpose. Now teach others to do the same. Jesus is going to fight you!

I'm not even kidding:

By against you... I mean I am coming to war

Jesus hates the practice of the Nicolaitans. To the Ephesians he writes:

6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

and what is he going to do about it?

16 Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

Jesus saves some incredibly strong language, here and elsewhere, for those who lead others astray. Stumbling blocks will come, but woe to the person through whom they come (Matthew 18:7). Here, you are leading my people astray, I will come and fight you! I will bring justice. I will bring speak words of judgment, that is what the sword out of the mouth signifies. A sharp-double-edged sword, symbol of Roman justice in the hands of a true Sovereign, the Ultimate King. It maybe unclear to you at times where the sin lives, you may have muddled and confused yourself with compromise, but Jesus' words of judgment are about to make it very clear!

Do not compromise with sin, do NOT lead or teach others to compromise with sin. And all of us find ourselves in the role of teacher at times. Possibly in official positions here at church, possibly as a parent, certainly as a model to those around us. It is an incredible responsibility and should you be afraid as a result? Yeah! You have to approach every teaching opportunity with fear and trembling because of this responsibility.

Don't pick a fight with Jesus. He only looks skinny in the paintings. Jesus is ripped and he has a sword in his mouth. Instead, the church is to reject that compromise with sin, stay faithful and...

To the one who is victorious

17b To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.

That's the reward? What is going on here?

Hidden manna

Manna, from God's provision for the Israelites wandering in the desert, is the symbol of God's provision. To a people whose livelihoods are threatened due to persecution, I think this is simple provision, both now and eternal. Don't compromise with sin to make a buck, God will provide.

White stone with a new name?

Is the pressure one of guilt or shame in the eyes of men, government, or God? In certain courts of the period, where a whole body or council got to vote on the guilt of the accused, they would vote using pebbles. Black pebbles cast a vote for condemnation, white for acquittal. Jesus here casts the ultimate vote of acquittal: you are free! Not guilty. I became guilt that you could go free.

Is the pressure one of reputation? In an honor based society, this was key. The idea of one's "name" is all tied up with one's reputation before others. The reputation or name of a Christian was trash in the midst of persecution. Garbage. Jesus gives a new name, a new reputation, a new fresh gleaming white start. I hope my secret name is something amazing, like Aristopheles... or Steve.

Provision, Acquittal and Reputation.

We are talking Full and complete redemption. Jesus considers every aspect of recompense and redress for the wrongs done to us. We don't have to compromise with the world to try and get what we feel we deserve. Jesus has got it handled, he has it all sorted.

Just be faithful and don't get conned back into the chains of slavery.

Application

Last week we talked about faithfulness. Be faithful unto death. Faithfulness to Jesus includes no compromise with sin. You can't just say the words, the people in Pergamum held to the words, they held to the name, but some among them started compromising in deed, in action.

Being faithful unto death requires no compromise with sin. No negotiation. Stay free from sin, be free. There is no compromise with sin.

Returning to the example of faithfulness we used last week, the Bible uses marriage as a metaphor for our relationship to God. In that relationship we are the spouse who has been unfaithful and God has forgiven us and brought us back into faithful relationship.

Now imagine that was Anna and I. And imagine for the briefest moment that I had been unfaithful with some Jezebel. STUPID, but I repent and the amazing Anna forgives me and we work to rebuild our relationship.

My being faithful to Anna requires no compromise with Jezebel over here. I don't hold hands with Jezebel. I don't hug Jezebel once in a while. I don't call Jezebel once every two weeks. I don't go near, think about, talk about, write to, fantasize about, compromise or negotiate with Jezebel! Ever!

Jesus not only feels the pain of unfaithfulness when we flirt with sin, he sees the weight of the chains we wrap around ourselves. It is one thing to trip over sin. Ooops, I panicked in the moment and lied. It is an entirely different matter to purposefully engage in a strategy of sin. These are the compromises with sin we make, usually to either bring pleasure or to make life smoother.

The first issue with the Nicolaitans was idolatry. Putting something else in God's place. Idolatry in our culture often takes the form of consumerism, materialism. How about gluttony? When we turn to food or money or stuff for the help or solace we can only find in God, that's idolatry. When we worship other things or people with our time or attention, that is idolatry. BUT we do it even if we know it's wrong because it makes things better or easier for the moment. If I can just focus all of my attention on making money for 10 years, than I will be able to follow God, support the church, love my neighbor. But what is the truth?

There is no comprise with sin. Sin always enslaves.

At least sexual sin isn't a problem in our day. At Promise Keepers over 50% of the men in attendance were involved with pornography within one week of attending the event. These are men of God, leaders in their churches. They are certainly men who know that this is wrong, sexual sin in the same category as that of the Nicolaitans. But they likely have a time and a place and a computer and intention at some point of pursuing sin for the purpose of pleasure. They are purposefully engaged in a strategy of sin. And it ENSLAVES them. It will or has enslaved you. Sin always enslaves. There is no compromise possible.

Men and women, idolatry, sexual immorality, pride, envy, greed, fill in the blank:

There is no compromise with sin. Repent and be faithful. Remove temptation, confess your sin, get accountable to someone. Repent and be faithful. Give yourself a new image, the one from 2 Peter 2 and Proverbs 26:11Don't be enslaved, be free. Be faithful.

I said this last week: Next Step church is a church of faithful people. You are holding onto the name of Christ amidst pressures of a secular and sinful world, amidst the temptations and tribulations of the evil one, amidst the chaos of life. You are faithful.

But some among you...

You know it is sin. The conviction of the Holy Spirit is there, and ultimately that is how we recognize sin. It isn't my job to make you feel guilty. God puts his finger on that particular activity and He has said before, and He says this morning: "that is sin. That is idolatry. That is sexual immorality. That is unfaithful to me."

Can you see how it enslaves you? Can you see how it could and does consume you? Can you see how it pains your Savior to see you playing with the chains of slavery? Can you see how it might teach others and lead others into sin?

What pressures bring you to that compromise? Is it about money, need or greed? To the one who is victorious, Jesus will give some of the hidden manna, divine eternal provision. Is it about shame or guilt? Jesus casts the white stone of acquittal, he has purchased freedom. Is it about reputation or status? You get a new start, a clean slate, and maybe your secret name will be something amazing, like "George" or "Hazy Tawesome."

Sadly, most churches are filled with people wearing chains of slavery to sin like they are the fashion accessories. Could we be a church with no chains? A people that are free. A people ready to march into battle rather than crawl into slavery. A church that is faithful to the name of Jesus, faithful to the freedom of Jesus, faithful to the righteousness of Jesus. A church that is faithful and a church that is free.

Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.