VII – Book of Revelation

A Sermon Series

“Creeping Toward Compromise”

Revelation 2:12-17

Introduction

1 John 2:15-17 “Do not love the world or 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 desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

The church is constantly fighting against the culture and it’s influence upon us. The church in Pergamum are told that they faithfully say they are Christians, even when it is very dangerous to do so, but they are dangerously close to compromising what it means to “carry His name.”

 Prayer

Jesus Has Some Words For the Church (v. 12)

12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.

Earlier Jesus is described as walking amongst seven lampstands, where the lampstands are said to be churches. As Jesus walks among these seven churches he has a letter specifically written for them (Ephesus is faithful in duties, but cold in heart, Smyrna is warned of tribulation that is coming and they are commanded to remain faithful, even “unto death.”) Now Jesus turns his watchful eye toward Pergamum. In each of the letters to the churches, Jesus is described, and in that description is a clue that helps us understand and interpret the message to them.

Here Jesus is described as “him who has the sharp two-edged sword.” – This is the same wording as earlier in Rev. 1:16, “. . . from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword . . .” and in 2:16 if they don’t repent of their sin, Jesus will “war against them with the sword of my mouth,” and later in Rev. 19:15, “. . . From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. . .” The Word of God has two edges. On one side there is salvation and on the other side is judgement. When Jesus says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6).

It is the good news that Jesus has come to give those who place their faith in His name salvation (he is the way). But to those who reject His name and seek to go to God some other way, then there is judgement. Jesus’ Word brings both salvation for those who believe, and judgement for those who do not. He sets the standard for truth and righteousness.

(v. 12) This is a picture of judgement. Jesus is described walking amongst the churches, who is eternal and is over life and death, who now comes in judgement – He judges with the words from His mouth.

Holding Fast to the Name of Jesus (v. 13)

13 “‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.

Jesus tells each of the seven churches that He “knows . . .” For Ephesus it was that Jesus knew of their faithfulness, and for Smyrna Jesus knew of their tribulation, poverty, and the slander being said against them. For Pergamum, Jesus knows “where you dwell,” where “Satan’s thrown is,” and “where Satan dwells.” “Yet,” in spite of the fact that they live where Satan lives, they “hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith” –

One person in the city of Pergamum is highlighted, “even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you” – Jesus is described as being “the faithful witness,” Revelation 1:5 and later in 3:14 Jesus is again described as “The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness.” Jesus gives this person who died as a martyr (Antipas), the same title of faithful witness.

“To deny the faith in the face of death would be to declare that one believes life in the here and now is better than Jesus, better than having the life he promises, which cannot be defeated by death. By holding to Jesus’ name and not denying the faith, even when Antipas was killed for the faith, the Christians in Pergamum declare that Jesus is better than life.”[1]

Old Lies Repackaged in a New Day (vv. 14-15)

14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. 15 So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

Jude v. 11 “Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error and perished in Korah’s rebellion.” Balaam’s story is found in Numbers 22-25. A Moabite king named Balak wanted to hire a prophet of the Lord, named Balaam to curse the Israelite army. Balaam taught Balak how to destroy God’s people. He created a plan that they threw in front of God’s people and they stumbled over it.

Balaam originally sent them away, but the more he thought about it the greedier his heart became. Balaam then returned to the king and said something like, “I can’t curse them (God had told him not to do it), but I have a plan which will cause God to curse them for you (for a fee of course). So, Balaam arranges for women to invite Israelite men to a big sensual feast. Fornication took over and the curse of God came upon His people, resulting in 24,000 Israelites being judged and killed. Balaam used his spiritual insight to obtain material gain.

2 Peter 2:15-16 says, “They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, 16 but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.” Balaam’s error was that he used his position as a prophet to lead God’s people into destruction “for the sake of gain.”

Both the “the teaching of Balaam,” and the “teaching of the Nicolaitans,” are to be rejected by God’s people, yet they are allowing these teachings to make their way into the church. While we don’t know exactly what the Nicolaitans taught, by comparing them as John does, we know that the teaching would have the same result in the end.

False teaching leads to idolatry which leads to immorality.

They are both teachings that create ways “so that they might,” do things their hearts desire (sexual immorality and eating foods sacrificed to idols/idol worship). There is a loosening of morality and an acceptance of what is culturally acceptable.

The sin of idol worship and fornication often go together – and it is a combination that has repeatedly been a stumbling block for God’s people.

(v. 13) commends the church for holding up Jesus’ name, “Yet you hold fast my name,” and in times of persecution they did not deny Christ, “and you did not deny my faith.” While at the same time there is a danger of this compromising with culture that is a serious threat to the church. False teachers are hanging around that are advocating a lifestyle that results in idolatry and immorality. And once the church gives over to this, the name of Christ becomes compromised.

How the Church lives is a direct reflection on the name of Jesus.[2]

For and OT example got to Exodus 20:7 “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.” How big of a deal is taking the Lord’s name in vain? Leviticus 24:16 “Whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.”

All of the verses that deal with “using the Lord’s Name” are rooted in the idea of a relationship. He is our God, and He allows us to be called His people – He allows us to use His name (and all the privileges that goes along with it). I am a child of the King of Eternity – that attachment has privileges but it also has responsibility and a need to guard it.

(Exodus 20:7) “in vain,” means “empty,” “nothing,” “worthless,” or “to no good purpose.” We are forbidden, therefore from taking the name of God (or taking up the name, or bearing the name) in a manner that is wicked, worthless, or for wrong purposes. The most obvious way of doing this is to blaspheme or curse the name of God.

Later in Jeremiah 23:25 “You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech, and so profane the name of your God: I am the LORD.” If they offered their children this way, they were to be stoned. God did not want His name associated with this way of living. You can’t live and be associated with the One True God and call yourself His people, while sacrificing your children to a another (false) god. When you carry the Lord’s name (when you attach yourself to Him) – then how you live your life, has God’s reputation associated with it.

The consequences of thinking God to be something He is not is eternally devastating. If you, his child, curse His name, (OT) or hold to a false teaching, that leads to idolatry in your life, that then leads to immorality, (NT) then how will the world ever understand who God truly is? This church is standing on the edge of compromise.

Don’t Substitute the Gift that God Intends to Give You (v. 16)

16 Therefore repent.

Jesus’ command to the moral compromise they had made was to turn from it (immediately).

The parallel between the Israelite men and the church in Pergamum

If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

In Numbers 25, the conclusion of the Israelite men giving over to the trap set for them by Balak resulting in the curse of God killing 24,000 people. Is God serious about His name and it being attached to a group of people – yes. If the Israelites were to be “a nation of priests” who represented Him to the world, then they would have to follow His ways, and “hold fast my name.”

God has always set a standard for those who use His name are expected (commanded) to follow. Again, the sword coming from the mouth of Jesus is a symbol of judgement. The church that drifts too far into false teaching, idolatry and immorality will face the judgement of God.

It is interesting to note who is being commanded to repent. It says, “Therefore repent” or “you must repent” is given to an individual[3] (the angels of the seven churches), and then in the same verse it says, “and war against them,” which is the church as a whole. So who needs to repent of this sin, the leadership or the church? Both.

Matthew 18:15-20 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” The false teaching in the church in Pergamum has to be dealt with or the judgement of Christ is coming – so who deals with it?

The leadership and the church together repent and push it out. The church should listen to what the Spirit is saying to them. As a member of a church you have both an individual responsibility to represent Christ, but there is also a collective responsibility to represent Christ and relate to other believers within the church.

God Gives What False Teaching, idolatry, and Immorality Can Not Give.

To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’

 “the one who conquers” is promised two things, 1) hidden manna and a 2) white stone. Manna was God providing for His people in the wilderness. There were rules related to when to collect it, how much to collect, but at the end of the day, God provided food for His people for forty years. They did not have to worry about starving, and when they complained about it, He gave them quail meat.

The white stone is an old word for pebble, “and was used in the courts of justice, black pebbles for condemning and white pebbles for acquitting.” And a name would be given to them, that only God and them shared.

There are two things that people crave: 1) I want to feel safe (food, water, security, the future, etc. ) what do I need to do to make sure I have what I need, my family needs, and that I am secure in the world? 2) I want to feel intimacy with other people. I want to be known. In marriage there is an intimacy that is only to be shared between a man and his wife. Everything else is a false substitute. Why are people addicted to pornography, or commit adultery, or any other sexual sin? Because they crave intimacy with another person.

Satan offers substitutes to these two things 1) a false sense of security – focus on this world, because that’s all there is. Believe in yourself and your wisdom and your ability to discern truth. Worship idols and they will give you what you need. All of these things keep us focused on right here and now. 2) a false sense of intimacy – immorality is a lie because it has the appearance of being known but it is false and the person ends up feeling used and empty. These lies always leave you craving more yet never having enough.

In this life we have a name, and there are people who know us partially, but in the life to come we will be given “a new name,” Your creator will tell you how he intended for you be, and when he writes that new name on the pebble and hands it to you, and you open it and read it – you will feel fully known. Your God “gets you” completely. There will be a complete feeling of being know.

But until we enter into eternity, those who lift up the name of Jesus, and seek to be His faith witness, will constantly feel the pressure to fit into the mold of this world, Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

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[1] James M. Hamilton Jr., Preaching the Word, Revelation, The Spirit Speaks to the Churches (Wheaton, Illinois; Crossway Publishing, 2012) 88.

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_q5fkTY8Yk 5:09 to 6:26 For an example of a compromised teaching. This pastor’s teaching will lead to idolatry and immorality.

[3] Second person singular