What is Jesus saying to His Church? (4)

…Lest we fall

Revelation: Unlocking the Scriptures for You Chapter Two: A Call to Be Faithful (Revelation 2:1–3:22)

Two students took an important oral exam before a battery of professors who no longer accepted the trustworthiness of the Scriptures. The views of these teachers differed vastly from the Biblical position on a number of subjects. One of the students went along with the professors. Their lines of questioning made clear their views, and the one student agreed every step of the way. He passed the exam with flying colors. The other student, however, felt compelled to bring up evidence in the opposite direction. He defended the Scriptures, and refused to support the conclusions advocated by his professors. He failed the exam and did not receive the advanced degree he was working for. The next day, however, the student who was failed happened to meet one of the examining professors on a street corner. After an embarrassing period of silence, the professor made a declaration. Referring to the other student who had taken the exam, he said, “He didn’t believe anything enough to stake his life on it.” The inference was a high compliment to the student who, in this instance, had suffered loss in academic credits, but had left the realization that his faith in Christ was more important than life itself to him.

It’s easy to overlook the struggle that the early church had in keeping the faith. They faced persecution on every side. Many of them were rejected by their families. For many it cost them their livelihoods, but to what cost would they follow this new found faith?

Let’s read Revelation 2:12-17

Revelation 2:12–17 NLT

“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Pergamum. This is the message from the one with the sharp two-edged sword: “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. “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. In a similar way, you have some Nicolaitans among you who follow the same teaching. Repent of your sin, or I will come to you suddenly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth. “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.

Pergamum or Pergamos

Let’s take a quick look at the city of Pergamum.

Life Application New Testament Commentary (The Message to the Church in Pergamum / 2:12–17)

After leaving Smyrna, a letter carrier traveled along the coast of the Aegean Sea for about forty miles. Then the road turned northeast along the Caicus River. About ten miles inland stood the impressive city of Pergamum, built on a hill one thousand feet above the surrounding countryside, creating a natural fortress. Rivaling Ephesus as the leading city in the region, Pergamum had become the capital of the province of Asia and the center of Asian culture. It was proud of its links with Rome.

Life Application New Testament Commentary (The Message to the Church in Pergamum / 2:12–17)

Pergamum was the center of four of the most important gods of the day—Zeus, Athene, Dionysus, and Asclepius. The city’s chief god was Asclepius, whose symbol was a serpent and who was considered the god of healing. People came to Pergamum from all over the world to seek healing from this god.

It was a place where there was much spiritual warfare. In verse 13, Jesus said that it was the city where Satan had his throne.

I want to say this with grace and yet I need to be really clear. We live in a time in history where temptation is rampant around us. There is more access to information both good and bad, the truth and lies whether blatant or subtle.

Satan will set up his throne wherever people allow him to. He is not only aiming for our next generation, but he is aiming for each generation. Even though we don’t see temples built to idols as in 1sr century Pergamum, let’s not be asleep at the wheel.

We mustn’t fear, but we must be alert.

1 Peter 5:8–9 NLT

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.

James 4:7 NLT

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Revelation 12:11 NLT

And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.

1 John 4:4 NIV

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

How does Jesus describe Himself?

Revelation 2:12 NIV

“To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword.

What do we know about this double-edged sword?

Hebrews 4:12 NLT

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.

A sword was a weapon of war. Revelation 1:16

Revelation 1:16 NLT

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.

This represents authority and judgment. (LANTC) Revelation 19:15 says

Revelation 19:15 NLT

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 has all power and authority in heaven and on earth. He has given us authority to wage war in His name. I believe that there is power in the name of Jesus.

2 Corinthians 10:3–5 NIV

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Even though Satan’s throne was in Pergamum, Jesus had a double-edged sword to say, “There is no kingdom or throne that could stand against the power that is in the name of Jesus.”

The Compliment

Revelation 2:13 NIV

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.

I know where you live

As a child, we’d be out for a drive in the country. To me it seemed like a radius that was probably 30-40 miles. I’d ask my dad, “Who lives there?” Dad had lived long enough and was well travelled around our area. It would be quite rare that he wouldn’t know who lived at a certain farm.

I knew quite a few farms around Whitewood, especially the ones on our School Bus route, but Dad knew many in all directions from our farm. It probably helped that he went to youth group south of Kipling. He married Mom who was from Wawota. He lived between Broadview and Whitewood, and he had to run for parts in many different directions. We didn’t have Amazon at the time.

Compared to Jesus, Dad knew nothing. Jesus knows where you live. He knows everything that you face. He hears your prayers. He watches over you.

Psalm 32:8 NLT

The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.

You remain true to my name

There is no record of who Antipas was, but he was martyred for his faith.

The believers in the church of Pergamum had suffered persecution, but they had stayed true to the name of Jesus. They hadn’t renounced their faith.

In 2 Timothy 4:1-5 Paul encouraged Timothy to stay true. This is what he said,

2 Timothy 4:1–5 NLT

I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he comes to set up his Kingdom: Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths. But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.

Paul asked people to pray for him that he would boldly proclaim the gospel. We need that same boldness. It can be easy to sit back and say nothing when we need to speak.

We need to hold on tightly to the hope we have in Christ. Let’s not be tossed around with new doctrine, but let’s test what we believe to see if it stands up to the word of God.

Let’s not renounce our faith but let’s be found in Christ not having a righteousness of our own but one that come from having faith in Jesus and what He has done.

Let’s look at Jesus’

Stern Rebuke

Revelation 2:14–15 NLT

“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. In a similar way, you have some Nicolaitans among you who follow the same teaching.

Compromise

Not everyone in the church in Pergamum was guilty of eating food sacrificed to idols, but they were turning a blind eye to this sin.

In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul addressed eating food sacrificed to idols. Basically he said that as long as you didn’t know, eat with thanksgiving, but if someone tells you that it was sacrificed, for their sake, you shouldn’t eat it.

It was very common in 1st century cultures to sacrifice to idols and then sell food in the market places. Much of the meat that was sold had been sacrificed.

Balaam & Balak

We have the story of Balaam and Balak in the book of Numbers 22-25. Balaam was hired by Balak the king of Moab to curse the people of Israel. Whenever Balaam went to curse the people of Israel, God prevented him and instead he blessed them.

Finally, he gave Balak advice to cause the people to sacrifice to other gods and to have sexual relations with the Moabite women. This angered God.

Exodus 34:12–17 NLT

“Be very careful never to make a treaty with the people who live in the land where you are going. If you do, you will follow their evil ways and be trapped. Instead, you must break down their pagan altars, smash their sacred pillars, and cut down their Asherah poles. You must worship no other gods, for the Lord, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you. “You must not make a treaty of any kind with the people living in the land. They lust after their gods, offering sacrifices to them. They will invite you to join them in their sacrificial meals, and you will go with them. Then you will accept their daughters, who sacrifice to other gods, as wives for your sons. And they will seduce your sons to commit adultery against me by worshiping other gods. You must not make any gods of molten metal for yourselves.

Divided loyalties

Is there anything that we set up in our hearts that take us away from God? God desires that we love Him with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength. He wants nothing to come between us and Him.

The church had compromised by getting involved in worldly practices. It appears that they were trying to be in the world and yet worshipping God at the same time.

I’m not here to judge your heart today, but will you ask the Lord to search you and examine you to see if there is any offensive way in you and lead you in the way everlasting?

Jesus’ exhortation

Revelation 2:16 NLT

Repent of your sin, or I will come to you suddenly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

Repent of your sin or I will come suddenly

Repent means to change our mind, will, and actions about sin. Let’s reconsider what we are doing, stop and do what is right.

Repentance is more than just being sorry, it is mourning over sin, changing our minds, and turning away from sin.

David prayed a prayer in Psalm 51 that sums up repentance.

Psalm 51:7–13 NLT

Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me— now let me rejoice. Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. Then I will teach your ways to rebels, and they will return to you.

David didn’t stop at asking for forgiveness. He wanted to change, and he wanted to teach others to return to the Lord.

Lord, don’t let us stop at forgiveness, but teach us to bring others to you.

He will judge with the sword of His mouth

God’s desire is that we come to repentance. He is merciful and yet He is the One who will judge the living and the dead. Only God has the power of life and death. Only God has the power to save or to condemn.

John the Baptist said this,

Matthew 3:11–12 NLT

“I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.”

Jesus’ Promise

Revelation 2:17 NLT

“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.

Let’s have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying: To everyone who is victorious…To everyone who is an overcomer…To those who hold true and do not compromise, there is a promise.

Three things:

Manna, a White Stone, and a New Name

Manna

This represents provision.

2 Peter 1:3 NLT

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.

In the wilderness, God provided manna to sustain His people.

Physically

Philippians 4:19 NKJV

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

I believe that this can be healing, provision for our needs, provision so that we can help others. Give and it shall be given to you.

Spiritually

Jesus said,

John 6:35 NLT

Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Are you hungry, Jesus is all that you need. This world cannot fill this hunger. We can try to fill it with money, work, possessions, and even pleasure, but these will not satisfy. Come and eat of the Living bread from Heaven.

A White Stone

White represents purity. When I think of Stone, I think of the Stone that the builders rejected has become the Cornerstone.

Life Application New Testament Commentary (The Message to the Church in Pergamum / 2:12–17)

Small stones served many purposes in ancient times. Some were given to the poor to help them obtain food, like food stamps. Some were used as invitations to a banquet. The invited person would bring along the stone in order to be admitted. Each stone would have an invited person’s name on it.

One day, all who are victorious will be invited to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. All whose names are in the Lamb’s book of Life will be welcomed in to that great feast.

A New Name

A name often defines us. One day we will be given a new name. That name will define us: Child of God, overcomer, good and faithful servant.

We will spend eternity with Christ because of all that He done.

Let’s pray!