Confronting the Compromising: The Church of Pergamum
Introduction: Last week we talked about comforting the suffering church, this week we talk about confronting the compromising church. Spurgeon once said that “it is no trifling thing to be a church member. I could earnestly wish that certain professors (of Christ) had never been members of a church at all.” Their conduct outside the church may be tolerated because they don't know any better, but once they learn that “faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of God.” and yet they still do not abide by his word or his spirit, this is the state of those who are not Christians but say they are.
In 1978 Jim Jones, an ordained minister took his congregation from California to Jonestown, Guyana. When U.S. Congressman, Leo Ryan heard about the suspicious activities of Jim Jones he flew out to Guyana and tried to leave with four members who wanted to defect but Jones learned about it and sent people to kill them and as they were trying to leave the airport they were shot dead. Jones realizing the gravity of murdering a U.S. Congressman implemented a per-rehearsed death pact. He laced fruit punch with cyanide and 914 people were killed.
A movie was made about the events that took place surrounding Jim Jones but there was one horrifying scene that re-enacted something that happened way before Jim Jones left to go to Africa. He stood before a congregation in Indianapolis and held up a Bible and said “Is this the word that you listen to? Is this the word you obey?” the congregation said “yes, it is we listen to God's word.” He then threw the Bible down and stepped on it and shouted “From this day forth you listen to this mouth and what Jim Jones says, and not that book!”
We hear that and it makes us mad and it makes us confused. It makes us mad that anyone would do such a thing, but it's confusing how anyone after seeing such blatant blasphemy would say “Okay, I will obey Jim Jones and not the Holy Bible from now on.” I'm sure you would walk out and take as many with you, that you could. And rightfully so, because once you forsake the word, you forsake the one who gave it. Today we look at a church that had to be confronted because of their compromise with the world
Transition: Jesus comes to the church of Pergamum bringing three types of words: first, words of consideration, followed by words of confrontation, and finally he brings words of consolation
I. Jesus comes with words of Consideration
“To the angel of the church of Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double- edged sword.” v. 12
Pergamum was the opposite of Ephesus. Ephesus did not tolerate wicked men, but they lost their love for Jesus. Pergamum tolerated wicked men, but never lost their love for Jesus. Unfortunately they didn't lose their love for anything else either. They were like the seed planted in the thorns, their inability to weed out the 'desire for other things' like false teaching and immorality from their own garden was choking out the light of Christ. And Christ greets them with the most deadly weapon there is- the Lords' sword, what better sickle than the word of God to cut away what hinders our growth?
“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates it to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
-Hebrews 4:12
The word of God is the double edged sword. It is so sharp it can divide your sin away from you and force you to look at it. And since it has two edges you can not escape it. Left or right it gets you. If you hear it with a hard heart it condemns you, If you listen with an open heart, it convicts you. If you listen with a submissive heart it convinces you. But he does not bear the sword in vain. Christ doesn't carry it for no reason. He takes all things into consideration, and then says: “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, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city- where Satan lives.” v.13
You heard that right, Satan lived in Pergamum. As far as sin goes, Pergamum had to be the worst city for a Christian to live in. Because wherever Satan lives there will be sin, there will be temptation, and there will be persecution. Jesus takes into consideration where they lived. If he notices all the advantages in where we live, He will also notice all the disadvantages we have in where we live as well. We don't have to say “Look at what I have to work with.” “Look at where I am” He knows it already and considers what your up against. He considers the fact that Pergamum is sharing space with the devil and commends their loyalty, in spite of it. They weren't ashamed to be called Christians. Just as a wife is not ashamed to carry her husbands name. The church wasn't ashamed to carry the name of her Bridegroom, Jesus. Considering the circumstances it was pretty amazing they didn't renounce his name. They were loyal even when Antipas, their fellow Christian was martyred, who tradition says was roasted alive in giant bronze kettle.
Today, Christians remain true even in the midst of such idolatry, immorality, and Satanic fascination. But it is a real war with real consequence. Pergamum lived where Satan had his throne and so do we. Right here in our state, we see monuments to the devil trying to replace the ten commandments, once we knocked that down they simply moved the monument to Detroit. Pornography is worse now than ever before. We can't even pray before football games or at graduation ceremonies, if we do, we can't pray in Jesus name. Our military chaplains can't have crosses because that might offend Muslims.
The movies today that are suppose to be family friendly are anything but family friendly. The t.v. Channel T.V. Land that brought us the Andy Griffith show, I love Lucy, and Bonanza, now brings us shows like “Soul man” a black pastor who is anything but holy. And if that didn't go far enough, a new “comedy” show called “impastor” depicts a gambling addict on the run stealing the identity of a gay pastor. According to Christian site onemillionmoms.com It not only depicts pastors in a bad light but the whole show is based on lies. The t.v. Show “Breaking Bad” glorifies using, making, and selling meth. (That's just what people in Oklahoma need to see /sarc). A new Fox t.v. show called 'Lucifer' depicts the devil as a simple misunderstood good guy with a bad rep, bored with living in hell and taking up residence in Los Angeles to start a night club. None of this is a surprise, when you live where Satan has his throne.
“The god of this age (world) has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” -2 Corinthians 4:4
The devil is the god of this age or the god of this world and those who refuse to make Jesus their Lord and Savior, make Satan their Lord by default, whether they believe in him or not. We live where Satan lives and this world ain't big enough for the both of us, so there will always be conflict between the true church and the devil. Ephesians 6:12 says “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world and against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
Emperor worship in Pergamum was worse than in Smyrna. You would die if you refused to worship the emperor. It was okay if you didn't worship the Greek gods, but it was deadly if you didn't worship Caesar.
Rabbi Jonathan Cahn author of the New York Times best seller 'The Harbinger' and 'The Mystery of the Shemitah' makes a compelling case that the throne of Satan found in Pergamum was the actual altar that was built for the Greek God 'Zeus'. This throne of Satan or altar to Zeus was reproduced (powerpoint ill) and put in a museum in Berlin, Germany. The same design of “altar of Zeus” or “throne of Satan” was later adopted and rebuilt by the German architect Albert Speer in 1934 at the request of one man named: Adolf Hitler. He would stand upon it and pronounce “the final solution” referring to the destruction of the Jews. (Interesting: The same year this 'Throne of Satan' was reconstructed was the same year that Hitler was born. 1889)
Transition: Death is the only thing that is pronounced on the throne of Satan. There is no reason to compromise with it. If you play too close to the edge, eventually you will fall in. This is why Jesus follows his words of consideration with words of confrontation.
II. Jesus comes with words of Confrontation
“Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.” v. 14,15
It wasn't just them allowing the teaching of Balaam but also the Nicolaitans. They were essentially turning a blind eye to the immorality, false teaching and sexual sins that was going on inside their own house.
Balak, a Moabite king that hated Israel, hired the prophet Balaam to curse Israel and none of his curses would work. As a matter of fact every time Balaam cursed them Israel was blessed instead. Balaam then tells the king that if he really wants to curse Israel, he should teach the women of his country to seduce the men of Israel to marry them and then they would begin to follow the pagan gods of their pagan wives. The idea worked. As a result, Balaam effectively made something once pure, impure, by defiling it by integration.
A subtle deception is lurking out there to embrace the values of the world more than the values of God. A deception to stop listening to this “old” book and start listening to enlightened minds and eloquent mouths that pretend to know more than than His word. A deception that says 'the church must come along with the world to get along with the world.' A deception that says 'the church must be like the world, to win the world.' and if it doesn't, then the church will be abandoned, lose members and will become irrelevant. The way I see it, the church has tried that and is already irrelevant. And it should be irrelevant when it forsakes the word of God to become like a world of men!
Clyde Kilough wrote last June “The evidence is weighty and undeniable—Western Christian religion is crumbling, its authority and influence is fading, its adherents are disengaging. The erosion started slowly, but has picked up steam. Christianity as we know it is becoming irrelevant.” (Clyde Kilough: lighthopeandtruth.com)
It's no secret that according to research, the evidence is overwhelming that western Christianity is in decline. An MIT study of those who had NO religious preference in 1990 doubled in 2010. The question isn't 'Is western Christianity in decline?', the question is “why”? It seems that from the beginning of the church, man has constantly tried to alter the church. You know . . make it “better”. As if Jesus needed our help to improve his church. To think that we can make his church better, is arrogant and presumptuous. If it worked for the apostles in Acts, it will work today. We have tried to re-invent and re-invent and re-invent the church by making one concession after another with the world so much so that we are now losing people and everyone is wondering why? Spurgeon once said “That very church that the world likes best is sure to be that which God abhors (despises).”
I would much rather stick to the true gospel and have a few in church than to compromise with the world and have a thousand, anyway. Worldliness can not win people to Jesus, His word wins people to Jesus. It isn't the duty of the church to reflect the world. It is the duty of the church to reflect Christ. How wrong headed is it to think that we can “out-world” the world to win the world to Jesus?
This worldly church was confronted with a choice: repent or have Christ declare war on it. Compromise ultimately leads to judgment.
“Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.” v. 16
They were told change their attitude about allowing sinful practices to go on in the church. And if they wouldn't make his enemy, their enemy, Jesus would then make them his enemy also. You prove you are for him or against him by what you allow in your life, and in your church. And if it continued Jesus promises to fight against them himself by his word.
Transition: There is a reason that we are told to “come out from among them and be separate” and to “not conform to the pattern of this world”. It isn't to keep us from life, it is to keep us from death. That is why He ends this confrontation with consolation.
III. Jesus comes with words of Consolation
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.” v. 17
As our relationship with Christ matures our interests in the world becomes less and less. As our love for Christ increases our love for the world decreases. If they were to repent and overcome to the end they would receive the hidden manna that had been put in the ark of the covenant. Jesus said He was 'the bread of life'. He sustains our life on earth and will be our reward in Heaven.
It is this verse that inspired the hymn: 'A new name in glory'. Jesus promises to give a white stone with a new name written on it. The adopted children take on their parents name and so do we. The white stone has been open to interpretation but the one explanation that makes the most sense to me is the fact that the custom of the court was that a white stone was given to those who were acquitted of a crime. Some note that their names were not written on them, to me it makes this explanation all the more plausible. Christ would write a new name on it, a new name in glory.
Conclusion: It's interestingly appropriate that the name Pergamum or Pergamos, is derived from the Greek word 'gamos' meaning marriage because it seemed they were more married to the world than to Jesus. The thinking persists today that we can live in sin, die in Christ, and go to Heaven. “Its okay to be involved in idolatry, sexual immorality, just ask for forgiveness.” Paul confronts that thinking head on in Romans when he asks the rhetorical question “should we sin more that grace may about?” then He emphatically answers “By all means, NO!”
Have we blurred the lines between the world and Christianity to the point that no one including ourselves can tell the difference? Are we married more to the world than to Jesus?
No matter whether you admit it or not. Someone sits on the throne of your heart? I know it can be difficult. Believe it or not, You can live in the devil's den and not belong to the devil. We are all living there now, but the important thing is not whether we live where he does, the important thing is who lives in us?
Who has throne of your heart? Whoever sits on the throne of our heart, determines our destiny. Who do you want to determine your destiny, the devil promises nothing but death, while Jesus promises not only life but to have life more abundantly.
