Don't Get Blind Sided Series

Blind Sided

lanny smith

Seven / Pergamum / Revelation 2:12–17

Intro:

• Hit from the blind side [IMAGE].

• Generally, to attack or hit from an unexpected direction or from an area that is unprepared.

• Well known as a football term to describe the left tackle for a right-handed quarterback.

• [ONSCREEN] If you’ve ever said, “I never saw that one coming,” you’ve been blind sided.

• As scary as it would be to have a 300 lb pass rusher coming at you, there’s something even worse out there.

• It’s to not see a spiritual problem until it’s too late.

• King Jesus has words for a church that has kept the faith in trying circumstances. All of the battles from their culture are met head-on.

• But it’s the blind side that concerns Jesus.

Listen Up!

Revelation 2:12 NLT

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.

Ephesians 6:17 NLT

17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

• Jesus as the incarnate Word

• Jesus judges the churches when necessary and punishes with His Word.

Understanding the Risks

Revelation 2:13 NLT

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.

2 Corinthians 4:4 NLT

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.

Ephesians 2:2 NLT

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).

• Note: The church knew about these threats to their faith. Obvious and relatively straightforward. (This is NOT the blind side hit.)

• We also know the obvious threats in our culture to our faith.

• It’s the blind side hits that can destroy us from the inside out.

Hit From the Blind Side

Revelation 2:14–15 NLT

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.