Revelation 2:12-17

Subject: Chastisement
Scripture: Revelation 2:12-17
Sermon: “The Compromising Church”

Introduction:
A.  Dorothy L. Sayers: A Careless Rage for Life: The dogma we find so dull—this terrifying drama of which God is the victim and hero—if this is dull, then what, in Heaven’s name, is worthy to be called exciting? The people who hanged Christ never, to do them justice, accused him of being a bore—on the contrary, they thought him too dynamic to be safe.
       It has been left for later generations to muffle up that shattering personality and surround him with an atmosphere of tedium. We have very efficiently pared the claws of the Lion of Judah, certified him “meek and mild,” and recommended him as a fitting household pet for pale curates and pious old ladies. Those who knew him, however ...objected to him as a dangerous firebrand.

B.  The world and the church today have so trivialized Jesus Christ that we have come to the opinion that He is not the power judge and jury of the church and we can compromise with the world or watch other in the church compromise with the world and there will be no judgment – to this false belief, John writes to the church at Pergamum

Bible Background:
A.  The Letters to the seven churches
1.  Seven letters appealing for vigor and vigilance – he will neither spare nor despair of the churches
2.  Teaching about practice precedes doctrine here unlike most epistles where doctrine precedes practice
3.  Linguistic procedure: a Greeting, a title of Christ, a section headed “I know” usually introducing praise, a criticism of the church (except Smyrna and Philadelphia), a warning, an exhortation, a promise
4.  Linguistic pattern: Churches 1 and 7 are in grave danger; 2 and 6 are in excellent shape; and 3-5 are in the middle, neither good nor bad
ILL Weirsbe:
(a)  Ephesus was the careless church
(b)  Smyrna was the crowned church
(c)  Pergamum was the compromising church
(d)  Thyatira was the corrupted church
(e)  Sardis was the feeble church
(f)  Philadelphia was the faithful church
(g)  Laodicea was the foolish church

B.  The City of Pergamum
1. City existed from about 5,000 BC; so from about the beginning of time
2. Mysian city about 15 miles from the coast and lay between two streams which fell into the Caicus about 4 miles away – earliest city built on hill 1000 miles which later became the Acropolis for the later city – became important when it was the capital of the Attalids in 241 BC
3. Called Asia’s greatest city – existed for 250 years before John wrote Revelation – 190 BC the Romans assisted in the expulsion of Antiochus which led to the last king who bequeathed Pergamum to Rome in 133 BC – today the Turkish city of Bergama which does not have the glory of the former city – impressive 1000 feet above the valley – huge library (200,000 handwritten volumes) was second only to Alexandria – Mark Antony later sent this to Queen Cleopatra of Egypt – parchment was invented by Pergamum to provide writing material for their library put of Egypt but Pharaoh learned of an attempt by Pergamum to get Alexandria’s librarian to leave and he refused to send more papyrus so Pergamum made them from animal skins – animal skins used for paper was called pergamenized – important center of culture – city was the birthplace of Galen who was second only to Hippocrates as the most famous physician in ancient times – city also a place of worship esp. emperor worship putting Christians in grave danger but instead of one day a year, here it was every day – Antipas martyred for refusing to worship the emperor
4. Not the important commercial cities of Ephesus or Smyrna but the Capital of emperor worship in 29 BC as a temple was dedicated to Augustus then to Trajan and a third to Severus – throne of Satan
5. Pergos = tower and gam = gamos = union, marriage

C. The church
1. No record of its founding – Paul went through Mysia on 2nd missionary journey (Acts 19:10)
2. In Smyrna, Satan was like a roaring lion seeking to devour the church but here he appears as an angel of light seeking to seduce the church
3. Worldliness seems to have a quaint, old-fashioned ring to it – the user-friendly, seeker-oriented, market-driven church doesn’t preach against worldliness because this makes unbelievers uncomfortable which is poor market strategy – Bible condemns worldliness as the serious sin it is – since believers are not part of the world system (John 15:19 “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.) they must not act as though they are – Rom 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect; Tit 2:12 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age; Jas 1:27 This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world; 4:4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 1 John 2:15 Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever. – church of Pergamum was much like the church today

Transitional Sentence: The message of Jesus to the church in Pergamum tells us that Jesus will chastise us if we compromise with the world

I.  The Power of a Confessing Church  Revelation 2:12-13

A.  Power in God’s Word  Rev 2:12
1. Repeats “sword” from 1:16 – issues from His mouth (v. 16; 19:15, 21) – “sword” = romfaia = large sword used for cutting and piercing while macaira was used for a short sword or dagger (16” or shorter) – Prov 5:4 But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword.; Ps 146:6 Who made heaven and earth, The sea and all that is in them; Who keeps faith forever – Isa 49:2 And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword; In the shadow of His hand He has concealed Me, And He has also made Me a select arrow; He has hidden Me in His quiver
2. Sword = word of God = Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.; Eph 6:17 The Sword of the Spirit . . . which is the Word of God – here this sword in the mouth of Jesus pictures Him as judge and executioner (19:15)
3. This is a very threatening introduction – disaster loomed on the horizon for this worldly church – short step from compromising with the world and forsaking God altogether and facing His wrath – compromising church like the church from 4th century to 7th century – AD 313 emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan granting religious freedom to the Christians and ending 250 years of savage persecution – he adopted Christianity and made it the religion of the empire – now Christianity merged with the roman state – church married the political system so that worldliness was synonymous with the church – today is much the same
4. Christ = sword = picture of a warrior who has defeated his enemies in battle and pronouncing judgment upon them – depicts the higher authority of Christ even over Rome’s ability to capital punishment

B.  Power in Our Witness  Rev 2:13
1. Dwelling place = throne of Satan – not in real pristine situation for living the Christian life – throne of Satan may refer to a number of things, uncertain: could have been the altar of Zeus or Asklepios, god of healing whose sign was a snake and people would lie on the floor of the temple and hope that one of the snakes would slither by and touch them as a sign that the god had healed them – symbolic of Satan (Rev 12:9, 14, 15, 20:2) – Pergamum was leading center of emperor worship = great threat to believers (2 Cor 4:4)
2. Lit. “You are strong” = hold My name = firm in the faith – they maintained their faith – in the face of this Satanic opposition these Christians continued to “dwell” = hung in there
3. Didn’t deny the faith = didn’t deviate from the truth of God’s Word – Matt 16:18 “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it. – no amount of Satanic opposition can destroy the church
4. Nothing known about Antipas apart from this text but probably a leader of the Pergamum church – tradition says he was roasted to death inside a brass bull during the persecution instigated by Domitian – Martyr – paid the ultimate price for his refusal to compromise – Lord rewards him with a title given to Christ in other parts of Revelation (1:5; 3:14)

II.  The Problem of a Compromising Church  Revelation  2:14-15

A.  Problem of Compromising Doctrine  Rev 2:14
1. Jesus knows their difficulties but that is never an excuse for sin – remained loyal to Christ and Christian truth but all was not well
2. Allowing those who held to false teaching to be a part of their group – believing false doctrine – light view of false doctrine today – confronting them and if they refused to repent putting them out of the church (Titus 3:10 Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, 11 knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned. – failed to practice church discipline (Matt 18:15-18)
3. OT figure = Following the teaching of Balaam (Num 22-25) – Balak tried to get Balaam to curse Israel for money but God would not let him; so he came up with another plan to corrupt them with a stumbling block of idolatry and adultery – used Moabite women (Num 31:16) and this plan succeeded (Num 25:9 where God killed 24,000!) – Jude 11 Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. 12 These men are those who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted; 2 Pet 2:15 forsaking the right way they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness, 16 but he received a rebuke for his own transgression; for a dumb donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet; 2 Cor 6:14 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? 16 Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. 17 “Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE,”  says the Lord. “AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you
4. These taught that they could be involved in sexual immorality and attend pagan feasts and still join the church to worship Jesus Christ – Jas 4:4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.; 1 Pet 2:11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul. Acts 15:29 that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell.”

B.  Problem of Compromising Discipline  Rev 2:15
1. NT figure = Nicolaitans which was the same as Balaam teaching Christians could participate in pagan orgies and be politically correct
2. The majority of Christians didn’t participate in either of these errors, but by tolerating the groups and refusing to exercise church discipline, they shared their guilt with brought the Lord’s judgment

III.  The Pertinence of a Changing Church  Revelation 2:16

A.  Call to Repentance  Rev 2:16a
1.  “I will come soon” occurs 5 times in Revelation (2:15; 3:11; 22:7, 12, 20)
2.  The only remedy for sinful behavior is to repent = change of mind resulting in a change of behavior – tolerance is lauded in our culture, tolerating heretical teaching or sinful behavior in the church is not a virtue but a sin – Jesus gives them the call to purge the Nicolatans – call to get them out and stop having people believe that they are saved and going to heaven too!

B.  Call to Retribution  Rev 2:16b
1. Failure to repent will bring God’s punishment
2. Jesus will make war with the church! (Num 22:23) – 1 Cor 5:6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? 7 Clean out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed; Rom 10:13 for “WHOEVER WILL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD will be saved.” 14 How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GLAD TIDINGS OF GOOD THINGS!” 16 However, they did not all heed the glad tidings; for Isaiah says, “LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. 2 Tim 2:24 And the Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, 25 with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

IV.  The Promises of a Conquering Church  Revelation 2:17

        Introduction: hear Christ’s words and heed them – 1 John 5:4-5

A.  Gift of Hidden Manna  Rev 2:17a
1. Manna transliteration from Hebrew man hu = “what is it?”
2. Promises to give them hidden manna = honey-flavored bread with which God fed the Israelites during their years of wandering in the wilderness (Exod 16:14f) and it was memorialized in Exod 16:33 by keeping a jar of manna inside the Ark of the covenant in their travels
3. This “hidden manna” represents Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life (John 6:48-51) who provides spiritual sustenance for those who put their faith in Him – hidden manna symbolizes all the blessings and benefits of knowing Christ (Eph 1:3)

B.  Gift of White Stone  Rev 2:17b
1. White stone might be linked to the Urim and Thummim on the breastplate of the high priest – stones used to determine God’s will and represented the right of the high priest to request guidance from God for the leader who could not approach God directly – to some this is a promise of knowing God’s will, or eternal life
2. But most likely has to do with the Roman custom of awarding white stones to the victors in athletic contests. A white stone, inscribed with the athlete’s name, served as his ticket to a special awards banquet – so Christian will get the marriage supper of the Lamb – new unknown name – new not in time, but qualitatively different (ME glorification?)
ILL Mark Moring, editor of Men of Integrity. Men of Integrity: It was late, and my young sons, Peter and Paul, had been in bed for at least an hour. My wife and I had just returned from our Bible study group, and I snuck into the boys' room to say good night.
   "Dad, can I have some ice cream?"
   "No, Peter, it's late, way past bedtime."
   "But Dad, you promised."
   He was right. Peter had asked for ice cream earlier in the day, but we didn't have any. And I had said, "I'll get some for you later, I promise."
   Dinner came and went. We cleaned up the kitchen; the boys picked up their toys. The sitter arrived. And my wife and I left for Bible study.
   I'd forgotten all about the ice cream. But Peter hadn't.
   So, even though it was after 10 o'clock, I hopped in the car, drove to the convenience store, got a half gallon, and hurried home.
   Peter and I enjoyed that chocolate-vanilla swirl together. After all, I had a promise to keep. – God never forgets and always keeps his promises

Conclusion:
A.  Warning: maintaining the path of compromise ultimately leads to judgment

B.  Choice: Command to hear and obey – promises to the overcomers results in special privilege which have to do with our eternal joy and eternal life