Intro-comparing the Ephesus church, orthodox but with out love, vs. Pergamum and Thyatira, compromise and tolerance.
How do we feel when we Jesus described as “He who has the sharp, double-edged sword”? It’s a nice feeling if we know that Jesus is fighting for us against our enemies. And that he does. But what about if that sword is turned in our direction? To the church? To us personally?
Let’s review quickly what Jesus looks like in His glory from 1:12-16.
Read 1:12-16 This is Jesus Christ exalted. The imagery is first century- all of John’s readers would very quickly realize that this Jesus isn’t someone you can mess with. Explain each aspect very quickly.
Hebrews 4:12 also tells us this:
12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
A major theme of the Book of Revelation is how do we stand up under pressure? Are we going to hold on or are we going to capitulate and engage in the same lifestyle and sin as al the rest of the people around us.
What kind of pressure are you under? I don’t mean pressure to perform well or to get everything done that needs to get done. I mean pressure to do something that you know is sin. This pressure could be coming from the outside, from someone who holds an unfair advantage over you. It could be coming from a dating relationship. You don’t want to do what that person is wanting you to do but you find it very hard to hold up. You may be suffering because of your resisting.
Another kind of pressure could be coming from the inside, from yourself. You are fighting that urge, that drive to do something you know does not please God. And you know that if you give in, you are going to feel really bad about yourself.
My hope is that today we will begin see Jesus not just as our Savior and Friend, which He is, but also as our Judge who has the right to say to us “But I hold this against you.” While today it may be popular to be “tolerant” and understanding of people engaging in various lifestyles, clearly Jesus is not tolerant of our engaging in sinful lifestyles.
Today I want us to do three things:
1. Examine our own lives for areas we have compromised in either our belief or our personal morals and
2. to seriously come to realize Jesus does not tolerate our sin
3. to look at the promises Jesus offers us if we will overcome.
The churches in Pergamum and Thyatira had a problem with tolerance. While they had some good things going for them, they had seriously compromised in their both their theological beliefs and their personal morals. Jesus sternly warns them to repent.
Let’s look first at Pergamum. Pergamum was the capital city of Asia and housed the world’s second largest library in Roman Empire with 200,000 volumes, second to Alexandria. The word parchment comes from the city’s name.
Where Satan has his throne. A number of very difficult things were going on for Christians here.
1. There was the great altar of Zeus there where animal sacrifices were made 24 hours a day. Meet in marketplace sold from there.
2. The city was also the center for the worship of a god called Asclepius, the god of healing. At this god’s altar hospitals were built where sick people would come and stay in hopes that the sacred snakes would come out of the temple and heal them. Today our medical profession uses the symbol of this religion, the two intertwined snakes climbing a staff with wings on it.
3. Perhaps worst of all for the Christians was that Pergamum was the center for the imperial cult for all Asia. Caesar Augustus had huge altar built to himself there in 29BC. If a person did not bow down and worship his image she or he could be put to death. It seems that this had already happened to Antipas.
So Pergamum was a city very hostile to Christians who worshipped Jesus alone and who would not take part cultic rituals or any of the sexual immorality that was often part of these rituals.
Maybe where you live Satan has a throne… (personalize this)
People who hold to the teaching of Balaam. – these were people in the church who seduced people with a theology of moral compromise.
Numbers 25:1 While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, 2 who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate and bowed down before these gods. 3 So Israel joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor. And the LORD’s anger burned against them.
In chapter 31 of Numbers it is clear that Balaam counseled the women of Moab to lead the men of Israel astray. So very likely this teaching one that seduced the men into sexual immorality.
Vs. 15 the teaching of the Nicholaitans- it isn’t really known what this teaching was but many scholars think it was a Gnostic philosophy that held that the physical world is evil and the spiritual world is good. Since they were forgiven then the evil flesh didn’t really matter. And since flesh didn’t matter, they could go ahead and engage in immorality because what really mattered was spirit.
While these religious/philosophical beliefs may sound strange to us living in the 21st Century, the reality is, people back then rationalized just like we do. “Oh, it’s ok for me to do this or that, even though the Bible calls it sin, because that just doesn’t apply to me. Don’t we all do this… we convince ourselves that it really is ok for us indulge ourselves with sin. It’s amazing how our minds work and how we deceive ourselves.
American idol- Hollywood-leaders who bring us down.
Pornography- issue of compromise for so many today
To the one who overcomes- the one who is victorious, who prevails, who wins. Greek- nikew, nike shoes, swoosh symbol on chest.
I will give some of the hidden manna- I will offer two plausible interpretations for this.
1. Moses took some of the manna that God fed them with in the desert, put it in a jar, and placed it inside the Ark of the Covenant (Ex. 16.32. This was to remind Israel in later years of how God fed them and led them through the desert. God will feed and lead us in when we are in the desert of temptation and the wilderness of suffering. The manna is hidden because it is not something that human eyes can see, it is spiritual.
2. There was an ancient Jewish legend taken from 2 Maccabees that held that the prophet Jeremiah, in 586 BC when the temple was destroyed, hid the ark of the covenant in a cave on Mt. Sinai. The legend was that when Messiah came, an angel would come and place the ark in the new Messianic temple in Jerusalem. So this hidden manna, which was inside the ark, alludes to the Second Coming of Christ when He sets up his Kingdom and feeds his children Himself.
A white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it-
1. White stone could be like a charm that pagans wore with the name of their god on it to ward off evil spirits. For Christians under the persecution it would be a name for Jesus that he would know and his persecutors wouldn’t. Kind of like when we gave out small rocks several years ago that had scripture verses on them.
2. White stone could refer to a practice by trial jurors in those days where the juror would cast a white stone (innocent) or a black stone (guilty). The white stone for believers would mean that God has ultimately declared us innocent, even if the world declares us guilty and puts us to death.
3. There was the known practice of giving someone a white stone as a token for admission to something like a banquet or victory feast, even to allow someone like a gladiator to retire. There is a sense of victory in this.
If the new name is the name of the believer, not Jesus, then it is more personalized.
Isaiah 62:1-5
For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet,
till her righteousness shines out like the dawn,
her salvation like a blazing torch.
2 The nations will see your righteousness,
and all kings your glory;
you will be called by a new name
that the mouth of the LORD will bestow.
3 You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD’s hand,
a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
4 No longer will they call you Deserted,
or name your land Desolate.
But you will be called Hephzibah,
and your land Beulah;
for the LORD will take delight in you,
and your land will be married.
5 As a young man marries a maiden,
so will your sons marry you;
as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride,
so will your God rejoice over you.
Thyatira- check time. Read
Go over vs. 23, 25
Morning star- symbol of Roman sovereignty. Symbol of Venus on their flags boasting they were invincible. Jesus Christ is sovereign, even over Rome. Even over your situation.
Conc: Come to the one who, by His Spirit, makes you an overcomer. His promise to you that he will give you the 1. hidden manna. 2. white stone 3. ruling over nations, 4. the morning star. Relation to Communion.
