Pergamum -- The Compromised Church (Faithful Where Satan Sits) Series

# INTRODUCTION — FAITHFUL WHERE SATAN SITS

As we begin this morning, before we listen to what Jesus says to Pergamum, let’s take just a few minutes and review where we have been.

We started our study by stepping into Revelation chapter 1.

Jesus revealed Himself to His church.

We saw Him walking among the lampstands. We saw Him holding the stars in His hand. We were reminded that the church is not the light — the church is the lampstand. Jesus is the light.

Revelation 1:3 gave us the pattern — what we must do with these letters to the churches: Read. Hear. Heed.

We then saw what Jesus had to say to the church in Ephesus.

Ephesus was hardworking. Discerned. Doctrinally sound. Resistant to false teaching. They were busy for Jesus — but no longer burning for Jesus.

Jesus called them to renewal with three simple words: Remember our first love. Repent of our ways. Do what we did at the beginning.

Last week, we saw in Smyrna a church that was suffering. Jesus told them that He knew that they were being persecuted and pressured from every side. Yet, through His power, they were not crushed. Jesus did not tell them how to escape suffering. He taught them how to endure: Remember the Victor. Stand Firm. Trust the Promise.

This morning, we turn our focus to the church at Pergamum. Before we get into the letter itself, let’s take a moment and learn about the history of this powerful city from Lineage Journey.

Video Ill.: Pergamos — The Compromised Church by Lineage Journey

In Revelation 2, Jesus says:

12 “To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:

These are the words of Him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. 13 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.

14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that || they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. 15 Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.

|| 17 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it. (Revelation 2, NIV)

Pergamum was a powerful city. A political capital. A center of learning. A center of religion.

Temples filled its skyline. Emperor worship shaped its culture. Pagan practice was normal.

Jesus described it this way in verse 13:

13 I know where you live — where Satan has his throne…. (Revelation 2, NIV)

This was not hidden evil. It was celebrated evil. Institutionalized idolatry.

And yet — the church was there.

They had endured pressure. They had witnessed martyrdom. They had remained publicly loyal.

But as we listen carefully, we discover something unsettling: You can stand firm under persecution and still drift under persuasion.

So this morning, let us listen carefully.

Because the question is not, “What kind of church are we?”

The question is, “Are we listening to what Jesus is saying to His church?”

And the first thing He reminds Pergamum of is this: Who holds the sword.

# 1. THE GLORIOUS TITLE OF JESUS

As we begin, Jesus reminds us of His power and authority. We see the glorious title of Jesus. In verse 12, we read:

12 …These are the words of Him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. (Revelation 2, NIV)

Jesus is the bearer of the sharp, double-edged sword.

The double-edged sword. A weapon of war. A symbol of strength. An instrument of death. Yet, throughout Scripture, the double-edged sword not just a physical weapon. It is a reference to the Word of God.

The sword represents authority — the authority to judge, to divide truth from error, to declare what is right and what is wrong.

And to the church in Pergamum, this imagery would have landed with tremendous weight.

In the Roman world, authority was symbolized by the sword. The one who held the sword held the power to judge. The power to condemn. The power to execute.

Rome claimed that authority in Pergamum.

But Jesus reminds them of something critical: Rome does not hold the final sword.

He does.

Not the courts of the land. Not the emperor. Not the political system.