“To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.
“‘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. 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. So also, you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. 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.’” [1]
Some who listen will have read the book, “Satan Is Alive and Well on Planet Earth.” [2] The book, authored by Hal Lindsey during the 1970s, was part of a literary genre popularised during that era. Lindsey’s book was sensationalistic, to be certain; however, because it was sensationalistic should not mean that the general premise of the book should be ignored. Lindsey was correct in asserting that Satan is alive and well on planet earth! For those individuals who argue that Satan is an imagination born in the fevered mind of Christians, come with me on some of the forays into satanic territory. If there is no devil, who is this malevolent creature that continually assaults the people of God? Who is this who exalts himself and opposes everything that is good and godly?
The comforting rejoinder to this knowledge, especially for followers of the Risen Son of God, is that the Lord will, and does, appoint churches to minister where Satan dwells. These churches are meant to be lighthouses, rescue centres for those who are lost and under condemnation. These churches are meant to withstand wickedness and shine the light of Christ the Lord into the darkened corners of this fallen world. Churches are meant to serve as hospitals for the wounded and dying, resisting evil and promoting righteousness. C. T. Studd assuredly displayed the Spirit of the Master with his justly famous quote, “Some wish to live within the sound of a chapel bell; I wish to run a rescue mission within a yard of hell.” [3]
Nevertheless, we must never lose sight of the truth that Satan is a powerful being. Neither may we become casual about his malevolence, his hatred of all things good and godly. Satan intends to kill you, if you are a child of the Living God. Jesus identified Satan as “the ruler of this world” [see JOHN 12:31]. Added to this designation is the fact that Paul identified Satan as “the god of this world” [2 CORINTHIANS 4:4]. Until the Lord binds Satan and casts him into “the bottomless pit,” [see REVELATION 20:1-3], our ancient foe will seek to destroy and injure God’s holy people, halting the advance of the Faith, if possible. God, for reasons of His own, allows the evil one to roam the earth, tormenting saints and opposing righteousness.
Addressing the Church in Pergamum, the Risen Son of God says, “I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is.” This was a congregation situated in a critical location, though we must wonder whether they truly realised how essential their presence was. Similarly, I am convinced that we don’t always recognise the vital position we occupy in this place where the Son of God has situated us. I wonder whether any congregation can, during the days of their service before the Master, realise the impact they are exerting. Likely, it will only be in eternity that any of us will be able to recognise the impact of our service in the Master’s cause. Now, join me in an exploration of the life of the Church of Pergamum and what the Lord said about their life as a community of faith. Join me so that we may draw rich encouragement of what the Master is doing through our lives now.
THE COMMENDATION — “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” [REVELATION 2:13]. Whenever possible, the Risen Son of God commends His people for their righteous acts and for their courageous stand in the face of demonic opposition. Of the messages to the churches in the Roman Province of Asia, only one church receives no commendation, and that is the Laodicean assembly; all other churches addressed are commended for those acts that the Saviour recognises as laudable.
I note that the Risen Lord uses what is sometimes called the “kick-pat” method when dealing with His people—He gives us a pat on the back for doing what is praiseworthy, and He gives us a swift kick in the backside when we need to be motivated to do what is right. The Master uses a similar method in dealing with us as a congregation and as individuals. He praises us for honouring Him through obedience and reproves us when we act presumptuously.
The Christians addressed in this letter were not simply passing through Pergamum; Pergamum was their home, and they would have to live there no matter how challenging life might prove to be for them as followers of the Risen Saviour. What is somewhat disconcerting, is that as He dictates the letter, the Son of God acknowledges that Satan also lived in Pergamum! In the precise place where the Master of the assembly had placed His people, Satan not only was dwelling there, but he was reigning there! Satan exercised sway in Pergamum, and those saints who lived there were required to confront the wicked one.
The evil that was resident in Pergamum was influential even throughout the surrounding region. To be sure, the saints in Pergamum had been appointed by the Risen Lord of Glory to conduct their ministries, actually standing firm, in what many would be tempted to call an impossible situation. This is a reminder that though evil is not restricted to one location, it is often a fact that wherever there is a higher concentration of people, evil seems to thrive.
In a parable delivered in the presence of many people wishing to follow Him, Jesus told of a nobleman who charged his servants, “Engage in business until I come” [LUKE 19:13b]. That is precisely the charge to the faithful, though it is difficult sometimes to believe that the churches of this day have actually gotten the message. Churches are charged to conduct the Lord’s business until He returns. Churches are appointed to represent Christ in the midst of the darkness of this fallen world. A congregation of the Lord is designed to be the Body of Christ. When people see the congregation ministering—conducting the Lord’s business, they should see Christ at work. His hands, His voice, His tender care should be evident in the manner in which the assembly works. Too often, we have transformed the Body of Christ into an organisation, a mere society meant to meet governmental ideals. The assembly of the righteous is the congregation of the Lord; it is the Body of Christ. And we should conduct our lives accordingly.
The congregation in Pergamum dwelt where Satan was dwelling. Without necessarily planning to do so, the congregation fulfilled the vision of C. T. Studd, noted British missionary. One famous quote attributed to Studd testified, “Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop, within a yard of hell.” This congregation occupied a vital position in Christ’s Kingdom. What is especially commendable is that they didn’t run from the responsibility—they stayed at the task though it was difficult. The challenge of ministering where Satan dwelt did not dissuade them from continuing to serve the Master!
Let me speak pointedly to the people of this congregation. Whether we recognise it or not, we have been situated near to the mouth of hell. Men and women move inexorably toward the precipice, stumbling into eternity. Without the clear testimony of the faithful, there shall be no escape for these multitudes as they pass into a Christless eternity. When I first moved to this community, people came to me privately, cautioning me that our community was a centre for devil worship. My response then was, “If this is so, then we are precisely where God wishes us to serve.” That remains my attitude to this day.
As I have said on previous occasions, I wore the uniform of a United States Marine a younger man. We were imbued with an attitude of “can do,” an attitude that instills willingness to innovate, adapt and overcome all challenges whatever the situation. Illustrating this attitude are famous quotes from Marine leaders. During the march to the Yalu River in Korea, when informed that his battalion was surrounded by the enemy, Colonel Chesty Puller responded, “We’re surrounded? That simplifies the problem!” In another instance, when Colonel Puller was notified that the Marines were surrounded, he responded, “All right, they’re on our left, they’re on our right, they’re in front of us, they’re behind us … they can’t get away this time.” Colonel David M Shoup, when asked for a sitrep during the fighting for Tarawa, replied, “Casualties many; percentage of dead not known; combat efficiency: we are winning!” I am not glorifying war, but I do honour the attitude that refuses to surrender because times are tough. Followers of the Saviour are in a battle, and when the enemy opposes righteousness and godliness, the child of God must not flinch, but stand firm and seek God’s eternal glory.
What did this congregation in Pergamum do that the Saviour found commendable? This is an important question since it will instruct us in what is pleasing to the Lord—and surely, we want to please the Master. In short, the congregation stood firm in the face of opposition and persecution. Our great cities teem with people, and they sometimes appear to attract those who are intent on doing what is wicked, what is evil. May I suggest that though this is generally true, God always has His people living in those same locations. The congregation that ministers in the midst of the city occupies a critical location in God’s economy. However, that assembly must be aware of the danger that always threatens their continued existence—the danger that they will compromise the Faith. Undoubtedly, we need to encourage churches to penetrate the darkness of the cities, but those who serve in the cities must not allow themselves to be compromised.
The congregation in Pergamum had experienced opposition and persecution. Multiple reasons that such opposition might be expected could be marshalled. The Romans had made Pergamum the capital of the Province of Asia. It was the cultural centre for the region. Moreover, Pergamum was one of the great religious centres. The city regarded itself as the guardian of Greek worship and the Greek way of life. In light of these facts, the presence of worshippers of the Christ would at the least be an embarrassment to the powerbrokers of the city; at the most, the presence of followers of the Risen Saviour would be a threat to the image of the city that prevailed in the minds of many people. Quite naturally, because they held fast to the Name of the Risen Saviour, the congregation in Pergamum would be opposed by the wicked.
We don’t know who Antipas was nor why he is identified as God’s faithful witness. What is obvious is that this man sealed his testimony with his life. Whoever he was, he refused to deny the Saviour when pressed to do so, and his faithful adherence to the Faith is honoured. The word that is translated “faithful witness” is the Greek term mártus. Transliterated, we will recognise the word as our English term, “martyr.” The word “witness” spoke of a “martyr.” Because of the opposition, the intense persecution experienced by the believers in these early days of the Faith, those who were persecuted, and especially those who were killed because of their faith in the Risen Saviour, were said to be witnesses, martyrs. Within a very short time, those who were killed because they followed the Son of God were said to have been martyrs. They were witnesses, giving testimony of their confidence that Jesus was the Son of God through yielding up their lives. Just because someone is killed does not make them a martyr; it is those who hold fast to the Faith of Christ the Lord to the point of death that are recognised as martyrs.
Antipas is by no means the first martyr, but he certainly qualifies as an early martyr. The earliest martyr appears to have been Stephen. Perhaps it will be beneficial to recall Stephen’s stance when his life was threatened, his testimony before a mob of religious zealots. You will no doubt recall how Stephen was haled before the Jewish Council because of his faithful declaration of Jesus as the promised Messiah.
“Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. Then they secretly instigated men who said, ‘We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.’ And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, and they set up false witnesses who said, ‘This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.’ And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
“And the high priest said, ‘Are these things so’” [ACTS 6:8-7:1]?
Thus challenged to respond, Stephen delivered his defence, aided by the Spirit of God. He walked those who heard him through Bible history, concluding at the last by declaring, “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it” [ACTS 7:51-53].
The response of the mob of religious zealots presaged what multiplied believers would experience throughout the centuries that followed. “When they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, ‘Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’ But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ And when he had said this, he fell asleep” [ACTS 7:54-60].
On May 14, 2018, twenty brown coffins adorned with white flowers were slowly borne down the ramp of a Libyan plane that had just arrived in Egypt. Waiting on the tarmac was a crowd of Coptic priests, standing alongside a robed choir of Coptic Christians. The sounds of bells and songs floated above the coffins holding the earthly remains of twenty Egyptian Christians who had been beheaded by ISIS three years earlier. [4]
On the following day, May 15, the families gathered inside the Church of the Martyrs of Faith and Homeland to lay their loved ones to rest. The church was built in the village of Aour, where most of the martyrs had lived. The church was built to memorialise the faith of these martyrs. Who among us who witnessed the vile actions of Muslim killers can forget the images portrayed on the nightly news back in 2015. Twenty-one Coptic men, twenty Egyptians and one Ghanaian, kidnapped by Muslim executioners; and the Copts were forced to kneel in the sand on a Libyan beach. Each of the condemned men was wearing an orange jumpsuit and each one was executed by beheading. In releasing the tape to the world, the Muslims didn’t attempt to mask the prayers of those who were executed, almost all of them praying aloud, “Ya Yesua irhamni,” “Jesus, have mercy on me.” [5] The vile video produced by the craven Muslim zealots was a brutal reminder that martyrdom is not some event restricted to the distant, forgotten past. Witnessing for Christ with one’s life is very much a part of the Faith to this day.
As was true in the early years of the Faith, so the argument holds true to this day. The Christian apologist, Tertullian, wrote, “Kill us, torture us, condemn us, grind us to dust; your injustice is the proof that we are innocent. Therefore, God suffers that we thus suffer… a taint on our purity is considered among us something more terrible than any punishment and any death. Nor does your cruelty, however exquisite, avail you… The oftener we are mown down by you, the more in number we grow; the blood of Christians is seed.” [6] God works in the midst of His tormented people. The Living God brings glory to His Name through the suffering of His people.
There is a linguistic issue in the text that should be noted. John uses the aorist tense, indicating that the martyrdom of Antipas was something that occurred once. John is not implying that the congregation in Pergamum underwent continuous persecution. Instead, John’s language makes it apparent that Antipas’ death was a singular event. It is reasonable to think that Antipas’ killers intended his death to intimidate other believers, coercing them to cease witnessing, to compel them to go underground in their worship. This is not to suggest that social intimidation was not ongoing in Pergamum; it is merely observing that physical violence had not necessarily become a part of the fabric of life in the city.
With the passage of twenty centuries, it is impossible to know what is meant by the reference to Satan’s throne, though it is obvious that from the Lord’s perspective, the evil one held sway in some particular way over the life of the city. We are on solid ground if we understand that this congregation faced serious opposition, even if it was not sustained or violent. All within this congregation had witnessed one of their own sacrificed to the bloodlust of wicked people; they had witnessed some within the assembly who paid a dreadful price for bearing the Name of the Master.
THE CENSURE — “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. So also, you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans” [REVELATION 2:14-15]. Though they were commended for holding fast to the Name of the Master, and though they were commended because they had not denied the Faith despite pressure to turn away from pursuing the will of the Master, the assembly did receive divine censure. The Lord censured this church for tolerating dissemination of error in their midst and for tolerating some who openly practised error.
These two verses raise several questions. Who was Balaam? What did he teach Balak? Who are the Nicolaitans? I suppose we don’t really have to know the answers to these questions to get the sense of what is being said; but knowing the answers to these questions will certainly enable us to more fully appreciate Christ’s concern. We sometimes imagine that error that threatens churches in this day is something new, something that has never been seen before. However, upon examination, we discover that sin has a dull sameness. It always appears reasonable on the surface; it always seems attractive at the first. However, it still remains that, “The wages of sin is death” [ROMANS 6:23a].
Balaam as was true of Jezebel named in Christ’s censure of the congregation in Thyatira [REVELATION 2:20], refers to someone from outside the community of Faith. In fact, Balaam was received as though he was a prophet of the Living God. Both Balaam and Jezebel were foreigners, individuals who insinuated themselves into the fabric of the Faith in order to lead the people of God astray. We remember Balaam as the one who was hired to curse Israel. An enemy of the people sought out Balaam, believing that if they hired him they could curse God’s chosen people. Let’s refresh our memory of how Balaam is introduced in the Pentateuch.
“Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. And Moab was in great dread of the people because they were many. Moab was overcome with fear of the people of Israel. And Moab said to the elders of Midian, ‘This horde will now lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.’ So Balak the son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River in the land of the people of Amaw, to call him, saying, ‘Behold, a people has come out of Egypt. They cover the face of the earth, and they are dwelling opposite me. Come now, curse this people for me, since they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them from the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed’” [NUMBERS 22:2-6].
When we are introduced to Balaam, he already has a reputation that has extended far beyond the borders of the country in which he dwells. His reputation is that of one who has power with God. His blessing was as the blessing of God, and His curse was as the curse of God. He was seen as a powerful individual.
Of course, as the account continues, God does intervene, debarring Balaam from going to Balak. When eventually despite God’s warning Balaam does go to Balak, God intervenes again to warn him against cursing Israel. Though ostensibly Balaam was acting with God’s permission, it becomes obvious that he secretly harboured the thought that he could devise a way in which he could curse Israel and secure wealth for himself. This was that occasion when the angel of the LORD appeared to warn Balaam, and the appearance of the angel was revealed because the donkey on which Balaam rode spoke to him. I’ve often commented that I am less surprised by the donkey speaking then I am that Balaam carried on a conversation with her.
Repeatedly, Balaam attempts to obtain God’s permission to curse Israel. Each time, God keeps him from cursing His people. Behind the scenes, however, Balaam still sought to receive the wealth he had been promised if he would curse Israel. At last, he appears to have hit upon a stratagem that worked, bringing divine censure upon Israel. Here is what is written.
“While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So, Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel. And the LORD said to Moses, ‘Take all the chiefs of the people and hang them in the sun before the LORD, that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel.’ And Moses said to the judges of Israel, ‘Each of you kill those of his men who have yoked themselves to Baal of Peor’” [NUMBERS 25:1-5].
The perceptive individual will ask, “What did Balaam have to do with this?” Thank you for raising the question. Late in the book, we learn that Moses led Israel to attack Midian, killing the kings, and we read that at the same time, Israel “killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword” [NUMBERS 31:8b]. At the conclusion of that war, Moses was stirred to anger because the armies had spared the Midianite women. He said, “Behold, these, on Balaam’s advice, caused the people of Israel to act treacherously against the LORD in the incident of Peor, and so the plague came among the congregation of the LORD” [NUMBERS 31:16].
Now we can understand the evil that Balaam represented. This is the reason that Peter, inveighing against false teachers, warned, “They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing” [2 PETER 2:14-15].
Echoing Peter, Jude writes, “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” [JUDE 11].
Balaam appeared superficially to be a prophet of God. However, his motivation was wealth rather than God’s glory. When we consider all the evidence, and especially when we view it in light of John’s revelation, we see that the Lord’s censure focused on the fact that Balaam taught the enemies of Israel to put a stumbling block before the Sons of Israel. Balaam induced God’s people to embrace the evil of idolatry and immorality.
Surely, such practises don’t occur among the churches today, do they? Let me focus attention on one such evil that is openly propagated even among evangelical churches in this day. The prosperity gospel, the teaching that promises material blessing to those who know the secret practises, exhibits precisely the teaching of Balaam. The idea that God’s goal for us in this life is perfect health, total happiness and financial gain is nothing short of Balaamism, idolatry of the basest sort. Spiritual descendants of Balaam such as Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland, Paul Crouch, Creflo Dollar, Jesse Duplantis, Benny Hinn, Paul Yonggi Cho and Joyce Meyer, each of whom propagates the idea that wealth is the essential evidence of faith.
Proponents of the prosperity gospel put man in the driver’s seat and reduce God to a sort of cosmic bellhop. In the theology of those teaching this prosperity gospel, the primary role of the Living God is reduced to that of ensuring that our desires are fulfilled now, provided we have enough faith. These modern-day idolaters put their own peculiar spin on Jesus words recorded in JOHN 10:10b: “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” They see the abundant life as a life of comfort and ease. Indeed, Christ Jesus does give abundant life, but the life Jesus gives is independent of circumstances.
A diagnosis of cancer, a loss of your savings through a financial reversal or a child’s rebellion does not diminish the abundant life the child of God has in Christ. In the same way, a miraculous healing, a financial windfall or the return of a prodigal won’t transform the abundant life we have in the Son of God. Abundant life rests in the Risen Son of God who is Lord over the good things of life and over the terrible things that may come into our life. [7]
Your worth, your value in the eyes of the Son of God, are not related to what you perceive to be blessings. Before you had done anything to either deserve blessing or to deserve condemnation, the Son of God gave His life for you. Jesus sacrificed Himself so that you could receive the blessings of life eternal. Have you ever considered how this plays out in your life in light of what Paul wrote to the Roman Christians?
In ROMANS 9:6-11, the Apostle has written, “It is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but ‘Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.’ This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. For this is what the promise said: ‘About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.’ And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls.” I understand that the passage is focused on election; however, God determined to bless before Isaac was born. In the same way, God determined to bless you before you were born. His calling is for your eternal good, not your earthly comfort!
Randy Alcorn has perceptively noted, “The prosperity gospel has poisoned the church and undermined our ability to deal with evil and suffering. Some churches today have no place for pain. Those who say God has healed them get the microphone, while those who continue to suffer are shamed into silence or ushered out the back door.” [8]
When Job suffered because Satan was raining down hellish torment on the godly saint, his wife foolishly urged the saint, “Curse God and die” [JOB 2:9b]! The tortured saint’s response is instructive to each child of God. “Should we accept only good from God and not adversity” [JOB 2:10 CSB]? That is an appropriate question for any child of God to ask when they are hurting. “Should we accept only good from God and not adversity?” We are quick to acknowledge that God is the Giver of “every good and perfect gift” [see JAMES 1:17]. We must train ourselves to be just as quick to acknowledge that nothing comes into the life of God’s child that has not been permitted by a Father too wise to make a mistake and too good to needlessly hurt His beloved child.
I am not suggesting that the pain you experience at any given time can be ignored, nor do I mean to minimise what you may be called to endure. I do mean to encourage you to lift your eyes to the Father who loves you. Always remember that “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” [1 CORINTHIANS 10:13].
James has perceptively observed, “We consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful” [JAMES 5:11].
Allow me to focus again on the prosperity gospel that has become so popular in this day. Though some might wish that the preacher would be silent concerning the grave danger to the spiritual health of the churches of our Lord, it must be stated that the prosperity gospel is tantamount to idolatry; and one great tragedy of idolatry is that throughout the Word of God we see that idolatry is closely associated with sexual immorality. The individual who reduces the Living God to a means to secure her own desires is susceptible to surrendering to her base sexual desires with time. People of a certain age will remember the scandal of the multiple televangelists who embraced sexual immorality. When their proclivity for sensual sin was exposed, they were toppled from their thrones atop the television programming. Succumbing to their sexual proclivities did not, however, lead them to give up the proclamation of the prosperity gospel in most cases. Many continue proclaiming faith in faith in order to secure anything that a mortal soul could ever want. The desire sought is strictly physical, whether the one pursuing this unholy gospel seeks wealth or ease of life or freedom from opposition. What is not sought is God’s glory, God’s honour.
The condemnation the Lord pronounced against the congregation at Pergamum was divine censure that arose because the assembly had compromised with evil. There is righteous compromise—coming to agreement by mutual consent in order to ensure peace and to advance the welfare of either party. However, the compromise against which I warn, and which the Risen Master condemned in Pergamum, was concession to wickedness for a momentary cessation of pressure. This was concession to wickedness, throwing in the towel on doctrine and morality. This was sacrifice of the permanent on the altar of the temporary. For the sake of momentary peace, the assembly was prepared to compromise with what they knew to be evil.
THE CHALLENGE — “Repent! If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. 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” [REVELATION 2:16-17].
Long years past, the noted London preacher, Joseph Parker, attested, “The preacher whose little message is ‘Repent,’ had best pledge his head toward Heaven.” God calls His people to repentance, just as He calls the lost to repentance; and if the preacher will honour the Living God, he will call all who hear to repentance. The redeemed need to repent when they have begun to imagine that they can live as though they had no responsibility to honour the Lord. The lost need to repent concerning their rejection of the grace of God to pursue their own twisted desires. Repentance is still a message that must be proclaimed if we will honour the Master.
It seems overlooked in many messages today, that the Risen Lord called most of the churches addressed through John to repentance. Ephesus needed to repent and do what had been done at the first [see REVELATION 2:5]. Thyatira tolerated a woman who needed to repent of her sexual immorality, and the cost of her failure would be catastrophic [see REVELATION 2:21-22]. Sardis was called to repent because they forgot what they had received [see REVELATION 3:3]. Laodicea was in need of repentance because they trusted in their own wealth rather than trusting in the Risen Saviour [see REVELATION 3:19]. In this case, Pergamum was called to repent because they allowed errant doctrine to be disseminated within the assembly [see REVELATION 2:16]. That five of the seven churches were warned to repent is indicative that repentance may be a woefully neglected heard among the churches of this day. Is it possible that New Beginnings Baptist needs to repent? Is it possible that we need to examine our love and our service and repent?
Repentance, for the lost, means that they change their attitude concerning the Living God. Repentance means that they turn from pursuing what pleases their own fallen nature and seek to please the Lord God. Repentance for the saints means that they must return to a previous situation when they first began to walk with the Lord. Repentance for a child of God means that he or she will shake off the encrustation from the contamination gathered by living in the world, encrustation that hinders their effective service and drags them down to the level of the world. This is the thrust of the encouragement delivered in the Letter to Hebrew saints of the Diaspora. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” [HEBREWS 12:1-2].
In short, repentance compels the one repenting to change attitudes and actions. Relating this concept to the churches addressed in the Apocalypse, if Ephesus will repent, the saints will again do what was done at the first. If Pergamum will repent, the assembly must refuse to allow errant doctrine to be disseminated. If Thyatira will repent, the congregation must cease tolerating Jezebel and the teaching she has delivered. If Sardis will repent, the believers must recognise what they have received. If Laodicea will repent the church must cease trusting in its own wealth. There will be a measurable transformation with repentance.
I acknowledge that repentance will be painful because it requires confession of sin and our refusal to continue taking the easy path. Repentance is painful because it strips away pride and casts the penitent onto the mercy of God. Many of the saints shrink from repentance because of the pain associated with stripping away pride, pride that has attached itself to life; pride that adheres so tightly to our lives. And yet, if we will know the blessing of the Lord God in our life, if we will see Him blessing us as a community of faith, we must turn from what we have been doing, turn to Him in full dependence on His grace, even as we invite His Spirit to scrape away the encrusted barnacles that have been hindering us in our service before Him.
As we move toward the conclusion of this present year, as we near the day when there will be no further opportunities to serve the Saviour, I ask, “Is it time to repent?” Amen.
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[2] Hal Lindsey and Carole C. Carlson, Satan Is Alive and Well on Planet Earth (Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI 1972)
[3] Quoted by Stephen Ross, “Charles Thomas (C. T.) Studd,” https://www.wholesomewords.org/missions/biostudd.html, accessed 20 June 2018
[4] Claire Evans, “The 20 Egyptian Martyrs: Home at Last,” 05/21/2018, Persecution: International Christian Concern, https://www.persecution.org/2018/05/21/20-egyptian-martyrs-home-last/, accessed 24 July 2018.
[5] “The 21 Egyptian Martyrs of Libya,” Friends of Sion, March 2, 2015, http://friendsofsion.org/index.php/2015/03/02/the-21-egyptian-martyrs-of-libya/, accessed 24 July 2018
[6] Tertullian, “The Apology,” in Latin Christianity: Its Founder, Tertullian, Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe (eds.), S. Thelwall (trans.), vol. 3, The Ante-Nicene Fathers (Christian Literature Company, Buffalo, NY 1885) 55
[7] Cf. Veneetha Rendall Risner, “Job and the Prosperity Gospel, 05.28.2015, https://danceintherain.com/2015/05/28/job-and-the-prosperity-gospel/, accessed 27 July 2018
[8] Randy Alcorn, “The Poison of Prosperity Gospel,” October 8, 2014, https://www.epm.org/blog/2014/Oct/8/poison-prosperity-gospel, accessed 28 July 2018
(+) A PDF version of the final edit of this message will be found after Sunday, 28 October, 2018, at https://newbeginningsbaptist.ca/category/sermon-archives/.
