IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT THE RIPPLE OF TODAY’S LIE IS TOMORROW’S WAVE AND NEXT YEAR’S FLOOD! GOD NOT ONLY TOLD US, BUT REQUIRES US TO ALWAYS TELL THE TRUTH!
THE SAME IS EVEN REQUIRED OF US FOR MAN MADE LAWS. IN A COURT OF LAW A WITNESS WHO COMES BEFORE THE JUDGE AND JURY IS REQUIRED TO PLACE THEIR HAND UPON THE BIBLE AND MAKE A PROMISE THAT THEY WILL TELL THE WHOLE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH.
THE PURPOSE OF A WITNESS IS NOT TO EXPAND UPON, FABRICATE OR EVEN DILUTE THE TRUTH. THE PURPOSE OF A WITNESS IS TO TELL THE TRUTH!
LEAVE IT TO THE LEGAL COUNSEL TO INTERPRET. LEAVE IT TO THE JURY TO RESOLVE. LEAVE IT OT THE JUDGE TO APPLY. THE WITNESS IS CALLED ON TO JUST TELL THE TRUTH!
ALLOW THE WITNESS DO MORE OR LESS THAN THE TRUTH THEN THE WITNESS CONTAMINATES THE OUTCOME. BUT LET THE WITNESS TELL NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH AND JUSTICE WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO BLOSSOM!
THE SAME GOES FOR US AS CHRISTIANS WHEN WE MINISTER AS WITNESSES FOR CHRIST. WHEN WE ACCEPTED CHRIST AS OUR SAVIOR WE MADE A PLEDGE, JUST LIKE THE WITNESS IN COURT, TO BE HIS WITNESS AND TELL NOTHING BUT THE HONEST TRUTH.
WHEN WE WITNESS AS CHRISTIANS THE BENCH MAY BE ABSENT AND THE JUDGE UNSEEN, BUT THE BIBLE IS STILL PRESENT AND THE WATCHING WORLD IS OUR JURY. WE HAVE BEEN SUBPOENAED BY JESUS TO TESTIFY ON HIS BEHALF.
ACTS 1:8, "YOU WILL BE MY WITNESSES IN JERUSALEM, IN ALL OF JUDEA, IN SAMARIA, AND IN EVERY PART OF THE WORLD." JUST LIKE WITNESSES IN A COURT ROOM, WE ARE CALLED TO TESTIFY AND PROCLAIM THE TRUTH OF CHRIST AND GOD’S WORD TO THE LOST AND DYING WORLD.
OUR TASK AS MINISTERS IS NOT TO ADD SOMETHING THAT ISN’T REALLY THERE OR TO EXPAND OR DETRACT FROM THE WORD. OUR TASK IS TO TELL THE TRUTH. PERIOD!
ONE THING TO NOTE, THERE IS ONE BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A WITNESS IN COURT AND THE WITNESS FOR JESUS CHRIST. THE WITNESS IN COURT EVENTUALLY STEPS DOWN FROM THE WITNESS CHAIR. BUT THE WITNESS FOR CHRIST NEVER DOES BECAUSE THE WORD OF GOD AND THE WAYS OF CHRIST ARE ALWAYS ON TRIAL. SPIRITUAL COURT IS ALWAYS IN SESSION, AND WE REMAIN UNDER OATH UNTIL WE DIE!
TELLING THE TRUTH WITHOUT ANY ADDITIONS OR SUBTRACTIONS OR WITHOUT ANY INFORMATION ADDED TO IT TO FAVOR OUR OPINION IS NEVER AN OPTION.
IT WAS NEVER AN OPTION FOR JESUS EITHER! ISAIAH 53:9, "HE HAD DONE NOTHING WRONG, AND HE HAD NEVER LIED." JESUS WAS CONSTANTLY HONEST. HIS EVERY WORD WAS ACCURATE, HIS EVERY SENTENCE TRUE. NO ALTERING THE INFORMATION OR FABRICATING THE SITUATION AND NOT ONCE DID HE SHADE THE TRUTH.
JESUS DIDN’T EVEN AVOID THE TRUTH! HE JUST SIMPLY TOLD THE DIRECT, HONEST TRUTH ABOUT EVERYTHING! NO DECEIT WAS EVER FOUND IN HIS MOUTH. GOD EXPECTS THE SAME FROM US, BECAUSE AFTER ALL, OUR FATHER HAS A VERY STRICT HONOR CODE.
ALL THROUGH THE BIBLE IS THE EXACT SAME THEME: GOD LOVES THE TRUTH AND HATES DECEIT! PROVERBS 12:22, "THE LORD HATES THOSE WHO TELL LIES BUT IS PLEASED WITH THOSE WHO KEEP THEIR PROMISES."
PROVERBS 6:16-17, "THE LORD HATES…A LYING TONGUE." PSALM 5:6, "[GOD] DESTROYS LIARS…[AND]HATES THOSE WHO KILL AND TRICK OTHERS."
YES, IT’S TOUGH, IT’S HARD, AND IT MAKES US FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE TO THINK THAT WE ARE BEING HELD TO A HIGHER STANDARD AND HELD ACCOUNTABLE TO SOMETHING THAT IS SO STRICT!
GOD WANTS US TO BE JUST LIKE HIM AND BECAUSE HE ALWAYS SPEAKS THE TRUTH WE MUST SPEAK THE TRUTH. WHEN GOD MAKES A COVENANT, HE KEEPS IT. WHEN GOD MAKES A STATEMENT, HE MEANS IT. SO WHEN GOD PROCLAIMS THE TRUTH, WE CAN BELIEVE IT!
SO, WHEN IT COMES TO THE PURE TRUTH, INSTEAD OF ASKING "WHY DOES GOD DEMAND SUCH HONESTY?" WE SHOULD BE ASKING OURSELVES, "WHY DO WE TOLERATE SUCH VAST AMOUNTS OF DISHONESTY?"
FOR EXAMPLE: WE WANT OUR BOSSES TO LIKE US, SO WE FLATTER THEM. SOME WOULD CALL THAT "BROWN-NOSING," BUT GOD CALLS IT A LIE! WE WANT PEOPLE TO ADMIRE US, SO WE EXAGGERATE. WE CALL IT "STRETCHING THE TRUTH A LITTLE," BUT GOD CALLS IT ALL A LIE!
LIES ARE NOTHING MORE THAT A COMPROMISE OF THE TRUTH. A COMPROMISE OF THE TRUTH ALWAYS LEADS TO DEATH. IT MAY NOT BE PHYSICAL DEATH BUT THE DEATH OF A MARRIAGE. MARITAL DECEPTIONS ARE THE TERMITES IN THE TRUNK OF THE FAMILY TREE.
COMPROMISING THE TRUTH WILL RESULT IN THE DEATH OF OUR CONSCIENCE. THE TRAGEDY OF THE SECOND LIE IS THAT IT IS ALWAYS EASIER TO TELL THAN THE FIRST ONE.
COMPROMISING THE TRUTH WILL RESULT IN THE DEATH OF OUR FAITH. WE NO LONGER BELIEVE THAT GOD’S WORDS IS COMPLETELY TRUE. WE BELIEVE OUR OWN DEFINITION OVER GOD’S ORIGINAL MEANING. DEAD FAITH FINDS TERMS LIKE CONFESSION AND REPENTANCE HARD TO PRONOUNCE.
COMPROMISING THE TRUTH WILL RESULT IN THE DEATH OF OUR WITNESS. A COURT OF LAW WILL NOT LISTEN TO THE TESTIMONY OF A PERJURED WITNESS. NOBODY WOULD!
A LOST AND DYING WORLD WILL NOT LISTEN TO THE TESTIMONY OF A CHRISTIAN WHO HAS FALSIFIED THEIR OWN WITNESS FOR CHRIST.
THE CHRISTIAN AT WORK CAUGHT USING THE COPY MACHINE FOR PERSONAL USE. THE CHRISTIAN WHO MAKES A PROMISE AND THEN "BACKS OUT" AT THE LAST MINUTE. THE CHRISTIAN WHO CAUSES A SCENE AT THE GROCERY STORE OVER A CLERK WHO MAKES A PRICING ERROR.
EXAMINE YOUR HEART! ASK YOURSELF SOME TOUGH QUESTIONS! WILL GOD BLESS MY DECEIT? WILL GOD, WHO HATES LIES, BLESS A STRATEGY BUILT ON LIES? WILL THE LORD WHO LOVES THE TRUTH, BLESS A BUSINESS VENTURE BUILT ON FALSEHOODS? WILL GOD HONOR A CAREER OF SOMEONE WHO MANIPULATES OTHERS? WILL GOD COME TO THE RESCUE OF THE CHEATER? WILL GOD BLESS MY DISHONESTY?
EXAMINE YOUR HEART! JESUS WAS GIVING THE SAME COMMAND TO THE CHURCH OF PURGAMOS. CHRIST KNEW THAT THE CHURCH HAD COMPROMISED THE TRUTH. THEY WERE LIVING A LIE!
GOD WAS SYMPATHETIC FOR THEIR LIVING CONDITIONS. HE KNEW IT WAS A HOSTILE AND DIFFICULT PLACE TO LIVE. AFTER ALL, PERGAMUM WAS REFERRED TO AS THE PLACE "WHERE SATAN HAS HIS THRONE."
EVEN THOUGH GOD WAS SYMPATHETIC HE MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT THIS WAS STILL NO EXCUSE FOR COMPROMISING THEIR TESTIMONY. WHAT SATAN COULD NOT ACCOMPLISH AT PERGAMUM THROUGH INTIMIDATION, SUFFERING AND DEATH FROM OUTSIDE THE CHURCH, HE ACHIEVED FROM WITHIN.
WHAT HAPPENED WITHIN THE CHURCH AT PERGAMUM WAS THAT CORRUPT PEOPLE STARTED COMING TO CHURCH AND BEGAN TO SLOWLY INTRODUCE FALSE IDEAS. OVER A PERIOD OF TIME THROUGH INTIMIDATION, THREATS AND DECEIT THESE CORRUPT TEACHERS WERE ABLE TO "CONVINCE" THE OTHER CHURCH MEMBERS THAT GIVING IN TO THEIR BELIEFS WAS THE "WISEST" POLICY.
IT WASN’T VERY LONG BEFORE THE FLOCK OF PERGAMUM HAD STRAYED FROM THE GREAT SHEPHERD. THE CHURCH HAD DONE AWAY WITH HER LAW, ORDER AND DISCIPLINE AND EMBRACED THE FREEDOM OF LAWLESSNESS.
SOON THE CONGREGATION OF PERGAMUM WAS HEARD COMPROMISING THEIR HERITAGE AND THEIR STANDARDS. THEY BELIEVED THAT JUST A LITTLE IDOLATRY, OR A LITTLE IMMORALITY, OR A LITTLE COMPROMISE OF THE TRUTH COULDN’T REALLY HURT ANYTHING!
IN FACT, BY ADOPTING THIS ATTITUDE, THEIR COMPROMISE MADE CHRISTIANITY ALL THE MORE TOLERABLE IN A PAGAN CITY. BUT JESUS SAID THAT HE HATED SUCH FALSE DOCTRINES WITHIN HIS CHURCH.
JESUS KNEW THAT JUST THE SLIGHTEST BIT OF COMPROMISE WITH WORLD STANDARDS COULD SEND THE CHURCH INTO A TAIL SPIN TOWARDS ULTIMATE DESTRUCTION.
THE CHURCH STARTED BELIEVING THE LIES OF THESE FALSE TEACHERS AND BEGAN CAVING IN TO THEIR THREATS AND DEMANDS. THEY COMPROMISED WITH PAGAN MORALITY AND DEPARTED FROM THEIR BIBLICAL FAITH.
SO, WITH CHRIST’S CHURCH IN A BIG MESS WHAT DID HE DO? HE CALLS UPON THEM TO REPENT! THE COMMAND INCLUDES BOTH A CALL FOR THE ENTIRE CONGREGATION TO REPENT, AND A SPECIAL THREAT TO THE CORRUPT MEMBERS IF THEY REFUSED TO REPENT.
THE ONE THING WE MUST PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO HERE IS THE FACT THAT THE COMMAND TO REPENT WAS FOR EVERYBODY! SINCE THOSE WHO DID NOT INDULGE IN THESE COMPROMISES STILL TOLERATED THE OTHER CHURCH MEMBERS WHO DID, THEY, ALONG WITH THE GUILTY, NEEDED TO REPENT AND TURN BACK TO GOD. GUILT BY ASSOCIATION!
THE CHURCH OF PERGAMUM WAS WARNED ABOUT THIS! IF THE CHURCH DIDN’T RID HERSELF OF THESE FALSE TEACHINGS AND WOULD CONTINUE TO COMPROMISE THE TRUTH, JESUS WARNED THEM THAT HE WOULD COME BACK WITH WORDS THAT WILL BECOME LIKE A SWORD!
THE SWORD IS REFERRED TO HERE AS A SYMBOLIC REPRESENTATION OF THE WORD OF GOD’S TWOFOLD ABILITY TO SEPARATE BELIEVERS FROM THE WORLD AND TO CONDEMN THE WORLD FOR ITS SIN. IT WAS A SWORD OF SALVATION AS WELL AS A SWORD OF DEATH!
JESUS TELLS THEM IF THE CHURCH WOULD JUST FORSAKE THESE PAGAN IDEAS AND REPENT OF THEIR SINS OF COMPROMISE, THEY WOULD BE PROMISED HIDDEN MANNA AND A WHITE STONE WITH A NEW NAME WRITTEN ON IT.
THE HIDDEN MANNA WAS A PROMISE THAT GOD WOULD BE THEIR UNSEEN SOURCE OF SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL NOURISHMENT AND STRENGTH. THEY WOULD RECEIVE THE ASSURANCE OF GOD’S INFINITE BLESSINGS TO COME.
THE WHITE STONE REFERRED TO WHAT THEIR NAMES WOULD BE INSCRIBED UPON. THIS INSCRIPTION WOULD BE A "NEW NAME" FOR THE BELIEVER SIGNIFYING THAT THEY HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED BY GOD AND WOULD BE ABLE TO SHARE IN HIS ETERNAL GLORY.
THE MESSAGE TODAY IS ENTITLED "THE TRUTH ABOUT PERGAMUM" BECAUSE THE CHURCH HAD COMPROMISED IN THE AREA OF MORALITY AND SOUND BIBLICAL TEACHING. THEY HAD ALSO FAILED BY DEVIATING FROM THE PURITY OF DOCTRINE THAT IS REQUIRED OF EVERY CHRISTIAN.
WHAT IS OUR CHALLENGE TODAY? GET BACK TO THE BIBLE. GET BACK ON OUR KNEES IN PRAYER. GET BACK TO SUPPORTING THE CHURCH AND HER DOCTRINE. GET BACK INTO THE RIGHT WAY OF THINKING.
GET BACK TO LOVING AND SUPPORTING ONE ANOTHER, GET BACK INTO A RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST. GET BACK TO MAKING THE THINGS OF GOD A PRIORITY. WILL WE ACCEPT THE TRUTH FOR US TODAY?
