Don't Get Blind-Sided
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Intro:
Hit from the blind side.
To attack or hit from an unexpected direction or from an area that is unprepared.
If you’ve ever said, “I never saw that one coming,” you’ve been blind sided.
Listen Up!
Listen Up!
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:
Pergamum
Actual capital city of the Asia Minor region. ~35 miles NE of Smyrna. On a plateau about 1,000 feet above the valley.
Site of largest library outside of Alexandria. 200,000 + volumes (handwritten)
Temples to Zeus, Athena (victory goddess), Asclepius (serpent god of healing).
29 BC, Augustus allowed city to build a temple to the emperor’s cult.
Proconsul had the “right of the sword.” Allowed to sentence to death and to execute.
“Thus says” to the leader of the church in Pergamum. Links Christ’s words with Yahweh. Divine message.
All the components of active antagonism to disciples of Christ are present.
Mandatory emperor worship
Unbelieving Jews
intersection of idolatry, commerce and citizenship
Two-edged sword.
The true authority. Greater than any political leader.
Sword: Common NT metaphor the Word of God.
17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
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.
15 From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress.
Jesus as the incarnate Word
Jesus judges the churches when necessary and punishes with His Word.
Note: The church knew about these threats to their faith. Obvious and relatively straightforward.
We know the obvious threats in our culture to our faith.
Understanding the Risks
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.
Satan’s throne/city
Commonly considered to refer to a famous altar to Zeus on the city’s acropolis. Perhaps to the city’s status as a center for the imperial cult.
The demand to name Caesar as Lord was beginning to lead to martyrdom.
Jesus names the source of their tribulation: It is Satan.
4 Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.
2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.
Remained loyal
“Holding fast” to the name of Jesus. They were true their original confession of Jesus as Lord.
Refused to deny - Did not give up the faith/loyalty in spite of persecution.
Name = reputation.
Martyr
Likely Antipas died as a result of refusal to give in.
“remained loyal, held to the name” sounds very similar to martyr. The church was witnessing to their faith in Christ by their testimony (word and deed).
The church was prepared to meet the obvious threats head on, even to the death. (This is NOT the blind side hit.)
Hit From the Blind Side
Hit From the Blind Side
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.
Generally, the complaint dealt with those whose witness did not reflect faith and loyalty to Christ.
Satan weakens the church from the inside out when an attack on faith does not work. (THIS is the blind side attack.)
We can usually see an external attack coming at us.
Appeals to our self-worship, our temptations, our idols (including sexual) often work.
threats to our sanctification and holiness are worse than the threat of suffering or execution.
These are attacks from the blind side.
1 While the Israelites were camped at Acacia Grove, some of the men defiled themselves by having sexual relations with local Moabite women. 2 These women invited them to attend sacrifices to their gods, so the Israelites feasted with them and worshiped the gods of Moab. 3 In this way, Israel joined in the worship of Baal of Peor, causing the Lord’s anger to blaze against his people.
Hired by King Balak to curse the Israelites but God wouldn’t allow it.
Instead, influenced the Israelite men to commit sexual sin with Moabite women (pagan).
This lead to idol worship.
Trip up = stumbling block. Gk. skandalon
Nicolatians - Unclear, but logically connected to the actions of the followers of Balaam.
Name means “conqueror of people.”
Summary would be that the Pergamum Christians were being influenced to attend pagan temple feasts (food sacrificed to idols) and then participate in ritual temple prostitution.
Long a prohibition from the elders of the early church.
29 You must abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. If you do this, you will do well. Farewell.”
Paul calls this food offered to demons.
19 What am I trying to say? Am I saying that food offered to idols has some significance, or that idols are real gods? 20 No, not at all. I am saying that these sacrifices are offered to demons, not to God. And I don’t want you to participate with demons.
28 (But suppose someone tells you, “This meat was offered to an idol.” Don’t eat it, out of consideration for the conscience of the one who told you.
Jesus rejects this completely. These practices lead disciples away from faith in Christ and damaged their witness.
Be Prepared
Be Prepared
16 Repent of your sin, or I will come to you suddenly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
Inaction is sinful, too.
Interesting that the threat of consequence isn’t limited to those practicing evil but also at the church for tolerating it.
The fight is based on knowing the Word. Not giving up on loving people or the Lord (see Ephesus) but on knowing how to love them enough to confront sin and recognize it in ourselves.
The answer isn’t difficult. When we discern the threat, we are prepared to defeat it. Just like a blind side guard sees the defensive player coming at him. It’s not a surprise.
A New Name
A New Name
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.
Manna
32 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. 33 The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
White stone - tesserae
White - purity, absolution of sin, grace
pebble, voting pebble. Had the name of the person being voted for on it.
Could be black (against, conviction) or white (for, acquittal).
Maybe to allow entrance?
Given to victor in the games allowing them to live at public expense for the rest of their lives.
New name -
adoption into the family of God?
New name at citizenship in the realized kingdom?
Name that is exclusive to the individual.