# 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.
He alone holds ultimate authority. And that authority is expressed through His Word.
A Texas-Sized Sword (Revised/Summarized)
By Sermon Central
(From a sermon by William Akehurst, God’s Sword, The Cross of Jesus Christ, 7/16/2011)
Copied from Sermon Central
There is a story told by William Akehurst about driving through Texas and seeing the enormous cross along Interstate 40 near Groom.
His young son said something unforgettable: “Dad, that huge cross looks like a huge sword that God took from heaven and drove into the earth.”
What a powerful image.
The Cross is God’s sword.
At the Cross, judgment fell. At the Cross, sin was exposed. At the Cross, victory was secured.
The Cross declares that God alone defines truth.?
God alone defines sin. God alone defines salvation.
And this is where it meets us.
Pergamum lived in a city where authority was claimed by Rome.
We live in a culture where authority is claimed by many voices.
Culture claims authority. Academia claims authority. Government claims authority. Popular opinion claims authority.
But none of those hold the sword.
Jesus does.
Culture does not define truth. Academia does not define truth. Government does not define truth. Popular opinion does not define truth.
Jesus defines truth.
And His Word cuts through compromise.
His Word exposes mixture. His Word protects His church. His Word calls us back when we drift.
Before Jesus confronts their tolerance and compromise, He establishes His authority.
Because only the One who holds the sword has the right to correct the church.
And that same sword — the Word of Christ — still speaks today.
# 2. THE COMMENDATION — COURAGE UNDER PRESSURE
Second, this morning, Jesus continues in the letter, giving a commendation — they had courage under pressure.
In verse 13, Jesus says:
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. (Revelation 2, NIV)
The commendation begins with the same two powerful words Jesus spoke to Smyrna — “I know.”
I know where you live. I know where Satan has his throne. I know that you have remained true to me. I know you did not renounce Me.
I know.
Two very comforting words spoken by our Savior.
He knew the spiritual climate of Pergamum. He knew the pressure they were under. He knew the physical danger that came with publicly professing their faith.
Pergamum was saturated with idolatry. Emperor worship was expected. Pagan temples dominated the skyline.
When Jesus says “where Satan has his throne,” He is describing a city where evil was not hidden — it was organized, normalized, and celebrated.
And yet — the church was there.
They had not denied His name. They had not abandoned their confession. Even when Antipas was martyred, they remained loyal.
That was courage under pressure.
And Jesus noticed it.
But you know, many believers today understand that kind of tension.
Some work in universities where biblical conviction is mocked.
Some work in offices where faith is dismissed.
Some work in environments where drinking is normalized. Sexual immorality is casual. Integrity is negotiable. Faith is considered outdated.
It’s even true in some families.
It can feel like standing, even living, in the middle of Satan’s throne room.
But Jesus says, “I know where you live.”
He knows the isolation. He knows the sideways glances. He knows the subtle pressure to blend in. He knows the temptation to stay silent.
He does not say, “Withdraw.” He does not say, “Blend in.”
He says, “Remain true to My name.”
Remain true.
We may live and work where Satan sits. But we belong to where Christ reigns.
And Jesus says: “I know.”
# 3. THE CONCERN — COMPROMISE AND MISPLACED TOLERANCE
Third, this morning, there was a concern — compromise and misplaced tolerance.
Jesus said in verse 14 and 15:
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. (Revelation 2, NIV)
After commending their courage, Jesus shifts. “Nevertheless,” He says.
Nevertheless. A word that should make us sit up straight.
They had endured persecution. They had not denied His name. They had remained publicly loyal.
But something was happening inside the church.
“There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam….”
A similar problem with which Ephesus had been dealing. From back in the Old Testament, we learned that when Balaam could not curse Israel, he instead corrupted Israel from within.
When opposition failed, seduction succeeded.
Instead of attacking from the outside, he invited from the inside.
And this was exactly what was happening in the church in Pergamum.
Eat what the culture eats. Join what the culture celebrates. Participate without conviction.
It was not open rebellion. It was gradual accommodation.
And Jesus says, “You are tolerating it.”
That is the key word.
He does not rebuke the entire church for believing it. He rebukes them for allowing it.
Then He mentions the Nicolaitans.
They taught that believers could adapt to the culture and still faithfully follow Christ.
William Barclay, in his commentary, wrote: “They were seeking to adjust Christianity to the level of the world rather than lift the world to the level of Christianity.” Pg. 115
And here is where this becomes very current.
Today, we are constantly told that love equals affirmation. Love means agreement. Love means acceptance. Love means never calling anything wrong. Love means tolerance.
But that is not how Scripture defines love.
True love does not celebrate what destroys souls.
Josh Howerton, senior minister at Lakepointe Church in Dallas, TX, spoke powerfully about tolerance and its impact on the church. Listen to what he said:
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1122987506515684
Video Ill.: Josh Howerton
Josh Howerton video transcript:??Everyone agrees that some level of intolerance is a good thing. Is it OK to smoke in a cancer hospital? No. Then you’re very intolerant. Is it OK for convicted sex offenders to become become kindergarten teachers? No. So you believe in intolerance. We’re all on the same page. What I’ve noticed, though, is everybody believes in intolerance. They just don’t like it when that intolerance applies to something that they are doing. We’re actually gonna go even a layer deeper. Just please buckle up. Tolerance is the satanic counterfeit of repentance. Repentance says I’m wrong and I need to change myself. Tolerance says you’re not wrong. You just need to accept yourself. Tolerance is mentioned 3 to 5 times in the Bible depending on your translation. ?It is only ever mentioned as something negative that God rebukes. And, this flows from the heart of the love of the father. You gotta get this. It’s because Jesus loved the man called Legion that he refused to tolerate the demons harming the man and commanded them to come out.
Because there are some churches in our country who they have adopted the world‘s conflation of love and intolerance. There are some churches, even churches, where everyone is welcome except the Lordship of Jesus and everything is tolerated except clear Bible teaching. When that happens its the job of faithful shepherds to warn people “watch out, man, please run away and get your kids under solid faithful Bible teaching.” Every time I do that people are like, “Josh that’s mean. That’s mean.” Here’s what I would say, “No no here’s what’s mean: allowing somebody to continue teaching something that if believed will send somebody to hell. That’s me.” And I just decided, like I was watching my people embrace like all these worldly ideologies that were contrary to the Word of God, destroying families, hurting souls. And, I just decided in 2021 I just went, “never”. It was a repentance moment. I just went, “never again God. I will never do that again out of fear of man." And I just started getting really clear about what the word said, about the things that the world was saying. Bro, I got canceled more times that year than CNN plus subscriptions. It was like every week. It was a boom, boom, boom, boom boom boom boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. And, here’s what people kept saying, is what they kept saying, “hey Josh quit poking the bear.” Well here’s what I would say to that, “the bear you’re talking about is the one that’s devouring the sheep of Israel. I’m not trying to poke it. I’m trying to kill it.”
Tolerance is the satanic counterfeit of repentance.
Tolerance says, “You are not wrong. Just accept yourself.” Repentance says, “I am wrong and I need to change.”
Now hear this carefully.
We are absolutely called to love people.
We are called to welcome sinners. To extend mercy. To show compassion. To be patient and kind.
But we are not called to redefine sin. We are not called to rewrite Scripture. We are not called to affirm what Christ forbids.
Pergamum’s failure was not that they loved people too much.
It was that they tolerated teaching that would harm them — that was in direct opposition to the Word of God.
Jesus calls, “Repent.”
We may not be compromising our actions. We may be upstanding citizens, model Christians, looking good. But are we compromising our beliefs?
This morning, have we stopped proclaiming the truth of the Word of God because we fear being labeled?
Have we grown quiet where Scripture is clear?
Have we confused being loving with being tolerant?
Pergamum stood firm when threatened. But they bent when persuaded.
And persuasion is often more dangerous than persecution.
And this is where the letter turns. Because whenever Jesus exposes drift, He does not leave it unaddressed. He calls for repentance.
# 4. THE WARNING — THE SWORD THAT CONFRONTS
And so, fourth this morning, Jesus gives the warning — He will wield His sword that confronts.
In verse 16, Jesus said:
16 Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth. (Revelation 2, NIV)
Repent or face the consequences.
A stern warning and a strong call to repentance.
Turn back. Realign. Return to the truth.
Refuse? Well, then we will feel the full power of the sword of His mouth — His word.
He will confront error with truth. He will confront distortion with clarity. He will confront corruption with the authority of heaven.
This is not uncontrolled anger. This is holy correction.
And we must understand something important: When the Word of God confronts us, it always produces one of two outcomes:
Conviction — leading to repentance.
Rejection — leading to judgment.
The Hebrew writer captures this perfectly in Hebrews 4:
12 For the word of God is alive 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. (Hebrews 4, NIV)
The Word of God — The double-edged sword — penetrates. It divides. It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Absolutely nothing is hidden. Nothing is concealed.
When the sword of His Word is drawn, it cuts through pretense.
That sword, though, that confronts is also the sword that protects.
The Word exposes sin — but it also seals redemption. The Word convicts — but it also comforts. The Word purifies — but it also preserves.
Jesus loves His church too much to allow silent drift.
He will not let compromise settle in without confrontation.
Because tolerance that destroys souls is not love. Correction that calls to repentance is love.
# 5. THE PROMISE — HIDDEN MANNA AND A NEW NAME
Finally, after the warning comes the promise — hidden manna and a new name!
Jesus said in verse 17:
17 …To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. (Revelation 2, NIV)
Let us talk about that hidden manna for a moment.
Manna was a word that the people of Israel knew well.
From William Barclay’s commentary, The Daily Study Bible: The Revelation of John, Volume 1, The Saint Andrew Press, pp 116-117.
When they wandered in the wilderness and had no food, God fed them with bread from heaven. Manna fell with the morning dew. Every day, He provided exactly what they needed.
And when that season passed, the memory did not.
God instructed Moses to take a jar of manna and place it inside the Ark of the Covenant — in the Holy of Holies — as a testimony of His provision.
Years later, when Solomon’s temple was destroyed, Jewish tradition says something remarkable. The rabbis told a story that before the temple fell, the prophet Jeremiah hid the jar of manna away in a secret place. And they believed that when the Messiah finally came, Jeremiah would return, the hidden manna would be revealed, and God’s people would once again taste the blessings of the coming kingdom.
Whether legend or tradition, here is what mattered: To a faithful Jew, “hidden manna” meant the blessings of the Messianic age. It meant restoration. It meant fulfillment. It meant God keeping His promises.
Jesus says to Pergamum, “To the one who overcomes, I will give hidden manna.”
In a city filled with idol feasts — In a culture inviting them to eat at false tables — Jesus says do not trade My table for theirs. Do not compromise for temporary satisfaction. Remain faithful — and I will feed you Myself.
The hidden manna is not just bread. It is Jesus Himself. He is the true bread from heaven. He is the sustenance of the Kingdom. He is the fulfillment of every promise.
Pergamum was tempted to eat what the culture offered. Jesus promised something infinitely better.
We can refuse the table of compromise today and feast at the table of the King forever.
Jesus continues in verse 17:
17 …To the one who is victorious…, 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)
To the believers in Pergamum, this image would have meant something powerful.
In the ancient world, stones were often used in courts of law. A black stone could signify guilt. A white stone could signify acquittal.
White meant innocence. White meant acceptance. White meant vindication.
Pergamum was a city of courts and authority. Roman officials exercised the power of the sword there. Verdicts were handed down. Judgments were pronounced.
Jesus says there is a higher court. We may stand condemned by culture. We may be mocked for our convictions. We may be labeled intolerant, narrow, or outdated. But the final verdict does not belong to the world. It belongs to Jesus. And to the one who remains faithful, Jesus says, I will place in their hand a white stone.
Acquitted. Accepted. Justified.
And then He adds something even more intimate: There will be “a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.”
Throughout Scripture, when God gives a new name, He is declaring a new identity.
Abram became Abraham. Jacob became Israel. Simon became Peter.
A new name means a new status. It means we are no longer defined by our past. No longer defined by our failures. No longer defined by what the world called us.
We are defined by Christ.
In a culture eager to rename them — idolater, traitor, enemy of Rome — Jesus promised a better name.
Today, the world may mislabel us. Jesus renames us.
The world may exclude us. Jesus invites us in.
The world may pronounce judgment. Jesus declares us His own.
And notice — this name is personal. It is “known only to the one who receives it.”
This is not public applause. This is intimate belonging.
This is not cultural validation. This is divine affirmation.
Pergamum was tempted to seek acceptance at the tables of the powerful.
Jesus offers something infinitely greater:
A place at His table.
A verdict from His throne.
A name spoken by His voice.
This morning, we must not trade hidden manna for idol feasts. Do not trade a white stone for cultural approval.
Remain true to His name. And one day, He will give us a new one.
# CONCLUSION — STAND FIRM WHERE SATAN SITS
This morning, Pergamum teaches us something sobering and something hopeful. It reminds us that it is possible to be brave publicly and yet compromised privately.
They endured persecution. They did not deny Christ. Yet they tolerated teaching that was slowly eroding their faith.
So the question is not whether we have suffered for Christ. The question is whether we have slowly adjusted for comfort.
Pergamum also reminds us that Satan’s strategy is often subtle. He does not always attack. Sometimes he invites.
He does not always persecute. Sometimes he persuades.
Where are we being invited to adjust? Where are we being nudged to soften what Scripture makes clear?
Where have we confused tolerance with love?
The church must lift the world — not lower itself to the standards of the world.
We are not called to rage at culture. We are not called to retreat from culture. We are called to remain faithful within it.
We may work in places that celebrate what God forbids. We may sit in rooms where Christ is ignored. We may feel alone in our convictions.
But we do not belong to that throne. We belong to Christ.
And here is the truth Pergamum must remember — and we must remember:
Stand firm in truth — the King still holds the sword.
His Word still defines truth. His Word still confronts compromise. His Word still protects His church.
If there is compromise — repent. If there is drift — return.
This morning, I pray that we do not trade eternal reward for temporary acceptance. My hope for our church is that we do not trade hidden manna for fleeting indulgence. May we not trade a white stone for cultural applause. Do not trade a new name for temporary approval.
We may live where Satan sits. But the King still holds the sword.
So stand firm in truth.
Because the question is not, “What kind of culture do we live in?”
The question is, “Are we listening to what Jesus is saying to His church?”
Read.
Hear.
Heed.
And remain true to His name — even where Satan sits.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
