7 Churches Pergamum

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Introduction

The title of today's message is called "Married to the World." It's the seven churches and this one is number three. It's Pergamum. Some translations call it Pergamos. I go with Pergamum 80% of the time.

Revelation 2:12-17 is our text. And this one's pretty powerful:

"And 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 would hold to the teachings 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 to the teachings 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."

The City of Pergamum

The city of Pergamum was the capital city of Asia Minor. When we talk about these churches, they're real legitimate places that existed in ancient times. Looking at the city gives us a little bit of context to roll with. This was the capital city, and it was renowned for its political power, its intellectual achievement, and its pagan worship. It was a wealthy city given over to luxury and fashion.

There are two special features that caused Pergamum to stand out in its time:

1. The Great Library

First, there was a 200,000 volume library there. Now, that may not sound like a lot of books to us in our days, but when you consider every page of every book was handwritten on papyrus or parchment, it was quite the achievement. Along those same lines, Pergamum was the place where parchment was actually invented. Parchment was a type of writing material developed from animal skins and far stronger than papyrus which was made from reeds.

2. The Pagan Temples

The second feature that made Pergamum stand out was its pagan temples. There was a temple in Pergamum to Esle, a god of healing and medicine. Now, this is going to get wild. It's beyond gross what I'm about to tell you. His temple was filled with snakes. And when a person needed healing, they would go there to that temple, lie down on the floor, and spend the night there. And if a snake crawled across them during their stay, they were considered healed. I don't know what doctors they had back then, but this is not for me.

There were other temples in Pergamum devoted to the emperor worship cult as well. Once each year, every Roman citizen was required to walk into one of these temples, place a pinch of incense on the altar, and say, "Caesar is God." Of course, Christians refused to do this. So, a severe persecution arose.

And on a hill outside the city, there was a massive altar dedicated to Zeus, the supreme ruler of the gods. In fact, it was said that it was 100 feet square and 40 feet tall.

It's to this Christian congregation in this city that Jesus addresses the letter. They were a church in desperate need of a word from the Lord.

Jesus Comes with His Word

So when Jesus comes to them, he comes as one having "the sharp sword with two edges." We learn in Revelation 1 that this comes out of his mouth. What is that? What's going on with this? It's a clear, can't-argue-with-it, stone cold picture of the word of God.

Ephesians 6:17 says this, "And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God."

Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of the soul and the spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."

It's hard to miss, isn't it? That's the word of God. The word of God is our weapon to defend and to conquer. Whenever you hear me say we're here to proclaim, we're not here to debate, this is the why. The word is the unleashed tiger on the soul. And just because some jack wagon wants to put the scriptures down doesn't change my approach one millimeter. Why? Because I've tasted and I know that it is good.

Jesus comes to them declaring that he has a word for them from God. Now, as you study these verses, we discover that this church in Pergamum, they were doctrinally pure, but they had drifted into compromise. Jesus calls them to come back to the right path.

In these verses, there is a word for our hearts today. There is always the danger that we too might drift from center. There is a danger that we might hold the right doctrines but still drift into compromise with the world around us. That is the epidemic that the Christian industry suffers from and is all around us. Many YouTube channels and podcasts are nothing more than grifters trying to sell you on the idea that God's word can be compromised and you can turn it into your own little genie in a bottle. That's what God is. And that compromise with the world, well, that's actually God's will for your life.

Be careful what you consume in the name of Christianity in this day of awful deception running wild. It's easier and easier to flood the market with content because the point of entry is not what it was even 10 years ago, 20 years ago, and for sure not 30 years ago. Anybody with an iPhone can upload to YouTube and try to build a following. So be careful because the market for Christianity is flooded. It's flooded.

How to View These Letters

Let me remind you of what these letters are and how they can be viewed because some people only view it prophetically:

1. Prophetically

The seven churches represent the seven different church ages in history. That's not really that bad, but it's not the only thing going on here. It represents the last 2,000 years. And in that prophetic timeline, Pergamum pictures the undermined, compromised church between the years of 313 AD and 600 AD.

2. Practically

These letters were sent to literal real congregations that were actually functioning at the close of the first century. It's historical fact. While they were written to real churches existing in that day, they still speak to every church in existence today—a church that wants to make Jesus's name great. These letters speak to us with the volume cranked to 10.

3. Personally

These letters speak to congregations, oh sure. But we should also be mindful that the Lord has a word for the individual in these letters as well. He has something to say to you and me about our relationship with him. And isn't that why we're here?

Words of Appreciation

In verse 13 Jesus says, "I know your works." Jesus knew all about this church, where it was, what it was doing, what it was facing. He knew them intimately. And we need to remember that he knows this church intimately, too. He knows. And we need to remember that everything there is to know about us as a congregation, Jesus knows. And what he's doing here is he's going to give them words of appreciation to start.

He Knows Their Situation

It says "where Satan's throne is." The church operated right in the middle of the city chosen by Satan as his headquarters on earth. Now, regardless of what some people think or what some preachers preach or what some songs say, Satan is not now, nor has he ever been in hell. He dreads that place more than any lost person ever has. When he's sent to hell, it's going to spell his eternal doom. And he knows it. Look up Revelation 20:10 in your spare time.

In our time, in our day, Satan is free and operates as the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4) and as the prince and power of the air (Ephesians 2:2). In other words, Satan is active in our world and he has a seat of power somewhere. Where is it today? I don't know. Might be New York, Las Vegas, DC, Moscow, Tehran, I don't know. Could be any of a thousand places.

But these words are used to let the people know that Jesus knows they are living in a tough place. He knows where they are and he has a word just for them. You know what? He knows your situation too. He knows when you are in a difficult marriage. He knows when you have family issues. He knows when you have fractured relationships. He knows when you face persecution at your job, at school, at home, or even at church. He knows the pressure society places on the dedicated children of God. He knows. He cares. He is there. And he will help you.

Hebrews 13:5 doubles down on this. It says, "Keep your life free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'" Is that good news?

Hebrews 4:15-16, just for a little extra sauce on the slice here: "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are yet without sin. So let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." That is what we need to remember because he sees it.

He Knows Their Allegiance and Faithfulness

We are told that the Pergamum folks "dwelled." There are two words that translate "dwell" in the New Testament. One means to take up a temporary dwelling. The other one, the one that is actually used in this text, means to settle down, to stay, to take up permanent residence.

These people had settled down in Pergamum and they were not running away from the trouble around them—they were going to stick it out. They set a good example for churches existing during this time. Far too often we allow the world to cause us to run and hide in fear or we don't want to say something because we're scared we're going to hurt somebody's feeling who hates us anyway. It's crazy. But they are trying to do their best to survive when the culture is trying to drive that church into oblivion.

But the church in Pergamum was doing a couple of things right. And Jesus commends them for it:

1. They Held Fast to His Name

That's big doings. This church was not ashamed of the name of Jesus. His name was the most divisive name in history. Still is. Yet his name is the only name, Acts 4:12 says, whereby men must be saved.

You know, there are some churches you can go to and you can sit through an entire service and you never hear the name of Jesus mentioned. That's sad. That's a disgrace. We need to make much of that name. We need to sing it, shout it, preach it, tell it. We ought to be marked as a Jesus church. When folks come here, they ought to hear about Jesus. We're not here to promote our coffee, our donuts, how nice we are—although the coffee, donuts, and you guys are really nice. I mean, it's all good, but that's not what we're here to promote or our pastor or anything else you want to name. We're here to exalt Jesus. We need to be in the business of lifting up the name of Jesus.

2. They Did Not Deny the Faith

This church was doctrinally pure. They held to the fundamentals of the faith and Jesus praised them for it. Now, there are some non-negotiable truths in Christianity, and I'll get to that in just a minute. But there is plenty of room for liberty in our service to the Lord. We don't all have to live by the exact same opinions. If you have a problem with that, read Romans 14 and 15 sometime and that'll settle the matter for you.

However, there are some things that are non-negotiable. If you do not hold to certain things to be true, then you're probably not a Christian no matter what you say. The ancient church held fast to the faith. We must as well.

So what are those fundamentals?

The inspiration of the scriptures and its final authority
Original sin and the virgin birth of the savior
The sacrificial death of the savior on the cross
The victorious resurrection of the savior over death, hell, and the grave with the victory

And we need to take our stand on these precious truths. Far too many groups are turning away from this and swiftly sliding into apostasy.

Now, regardless of what everybody else does or says, we must take our stand on the final authority of the word of God. I'm the Bible idiot. This is all I have left with my journey here on earth. It's all I want to be about because I know I've seen the saving power of the word of God. And I've seen people twist it to their own demise, yet they think it's to their own benefit.

He Knows Their Sacrifices

Their stand for Jesus had been costly. Even when this church was undergoing severe persecution, they stood for the Lord and for his word. Jesus mentions a man by name of Antipas. He's called a faithful martyr. History tells us that Antipas refused to offer that pinch of incense to Caesar. Because of his refusal to worship Caesar, Antipas was killed in a most horrible way. In spite of this, the Christians in Pergamum held fast to their witness. Jesus applauds them for their stand.

Words of Confrontation

If you start feeling dizzy, it's because the tables are about to turn. When the Savior looks at this church, he finds some things that please him. Yeah, you bet. But is everything to his liking? I don't think so. Having offered them words of appreciation, he now gives them some words of condemnation. He confronts the compromise in the church. And then he tells them about the consequences of that compromise.

The Compromise

The name Pergamum means "married." As we look at what Jesus points out about this church, we're given a glimpse of a church that has fallen into a state of compromise with the world. This church held on to pure truth with one hand and they embraced the world with the other. They are literally in unequal yoke with unbelievers. And Jesus confronts them about that in these verses.

1. Corruption in the Membership

Here's what he says is wrong with the church. He says there's corruption in the membership. He tells them that in their number hold to the doctrine of Balaam.

You know who Balaam was? Balaam is one of the strangest characters in all of the pages of the Bible. He's an enigma. It's a real mystery. On one hand, he's a man intimately acquainted with God. He knew about God, God's character, even talked with God. And on the other hand, he was motivated by greed and he was guilty of leading the people of God into immorality and idolatry. His story can be found in Numbers chapters 22 through 25. And actually part of it extends to chapter 31.

But let me just give you a 10,000-foot view for context. In those verses, Balak, the king of Moab, wanted to curse the nation of Israel. And so he called Balaam to come and do the dirty work. He promises him wealth and promotion for his services. Four times Balaam tries to curse Israel. Each time the Lord turns curses into blessings. Don't miss this. Now, when it seems his attempts to curse Israel has failed, Balaam apparently suggests that since they can't curse Israel, they should corrupt them. This is accomplished by leading them off into idolatry and immorality, thus bringing the wrath of God down upon them.

Basically the doctrine of Balaam is wickedness and worldliness all while holding on to the right doctrine. The church at Pergamum was tolerating people in their midst who claimed to be Christians but who lived like the world around them. Jesus was not pleased with these things.

Same problem is happening in the modern church. There are many who believe that since you are saved by grace and kept by Christ, you can live any way you please. It's no wonder that society has no respect for the church, the visible church. It is no wonder there is no power in the church anymore. We live as we please without regard for the clear commands of the Lord. Sorry, not sorry.

Here's the fact. This is the fact of the matter. If you are saved, you will not be like the world around you. Sorry. You shouldn't be that harsh. Better to hear from me on a comfortable Sunday than hear from the Lord himself if you stand in front of him in 15 minutes.

If you are saved, you will walk differently. You will talk differently. You will have a different set of standards than what the world has. And if you can just wander around adopting the world's attitude about substance abuse, sex, video, and audio content, are you saved?

When Jesus saves a soul, he creates a new creature, then the enemy comes to try to take that away. And there's a constant battle going on between the two dogs that live inside of you. The Spirit-filled dog and the fallen nature dog. And I've told you this before, what the old seminary professor told me one time, and I never forgot it. Which one wins that battle today? The one you feed the most.

You are saved. You are a new creature. You are a new creation. You are held in the grip of Jesus now for eternity. Second Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come." For people to find this from their fallen nature and go from lost to saved is the greatest experience of the human condition during the 70, 80, 90 years we may have on this planet. Jesus changes everything about a saved person's life authentically saved. They are now different and they live like it whether you like it or not.

There are clear standards of living as a Christian that the word of God lays out for us. Now, we can either do them or we can ignore them and prove that, you know, we still have too big of a foot in darkness.

And you know what some people do? Some people spin this truth I'm telling you, they spin it off into what's called sinless perfection. I met a Nazarene pastor one time just in passing. He was a friend of a friend of mine and you know how you run into somebody at Panera or whatever. Hey, this is Bill from such and such. I ended up talking for about two or three minutes with these guys and he said this and I didn't mean to laugh right in his face, but I did. He said, "Yeah, I had trouble with my car this morning. I got so mad I almost sinned for the first time in 17 years."

Yeah. So, I just kept my mouth shut. Didn't say anything. Come on. Of course, I lit the dude up. You know, I can't go 17 minutes most days without sinning. I'm constantly having a battle of fight, which is why I got to recenter and focus myself on what is Jesus calling me to do. Not my will, but your will. Lord God, you're the author of this life. I'll go where you want me to go. I'll do what you want me to do. And that wins out because the spirit of God says it must be this way.

I am not thrilled with what God has put me through a lot of times, but the other times I am joyful and thrilled that he's got this. If you are saved, live like it. If you are not, then do whatever you want to do.

2. Confusion in the Leadership

The church in Pergamum had something that a good ground church simply can't have. And if this issue arises, it must be dealt with. What is that issue? It's confusion in the leadership.

Pergamum had confusion in leadership. It says others there held the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. Now, as we discovered back in Revelation 2:6, the word "Nicolaitan" means "to conquer the people" and probably refers to a priestly class that had developed within the church. And they had just kind of put themselves up on everything.

Now, I want you to notice something really cool. Don't miss this part. It was called "deeds" in verse six of chapter 2. And now in verse 15, same thing. It's called "doctrine." It started out with the leadership in the church elevating themselves above everyone else and it turned into a doctrine in that fellowship.

Now God has established certain offices within the church and these offices are to be respected and listened to. That is something that we stand by. They've got to be carried out. The offices have to be carried out according to the word of the Lord.

For instance, we have a leadership team. I have called them what the Bible calls them, elders. They have a biblical office and they are to be respected and honored when they fulfill the demands of that office. If they don't fulfill their obligations, they should resign or be asked to step down. That's real.

I'm the pastor of this church. When I preach the word of God and I preach it correctly and I've gone through it all week and I know that what I'm sharing with you is good bread, it would do you well to listen and adjust your life to it. Not because I'm preaching, who cares about me? But because this office is mandated by the Lord in this church, I am the leader, but I am not the Lord. No one in this church should be placed on any kind of high pedestal whatsoever. We're all co-servants.

We must always be sensitive to staying on mission and maintaining the alive, free, accepting, loving way we have while standing firm on the truth.

The Consequences

In verse 16, Jesus shows us that he confronts the consequences of the church. He tells them straight up, repent. This word means to change the mind. Repentance is really a change of mind that results in a change of direction. It's literally turning around. If there's no repentance, you've got a false conversion. We just want you to have a personal relationship with the Savior. What does that mean? That means false conversion unless there's real repentance and a new creature has been created by the spirit of God.

See, this church in Pergamum, they had corruption and confusion in their midst. And Jesus is coming to this church and he says he's going to fight against those who trouble it.

Notice another thing in verse 16. I want you to notice a change in pronouns. From "you" to "them." What does that mean? That's telling us straight up that the Lord knows who belongs to him and who doesn't. He will come to his church and afflict those who are not really his people, but who would bring trouble into the church. Those who will not repent, they're going to have to face the Lord.

Hey, bottom line, it's a fearful thing to be found on the wrong side of the Lord. It's a dangerous business to be found fighting against and causing trouble in the church.

The Lord loves his church and he loves her so much that he died to redeem her. Jesus is not going to stand idly by if someone wants to attack his bride. Any man worth his salt would never stand by while his wife is attacked, either verbally or physically. Any man worth his salt would defend her. Jesus Christ will not tolerate those who attack His bride. Keep that in mind.

Words of Promise

As we head for home today, the promises of Jesus is that he wants to fill us with his words of promise. In verse 17 is really pretty special, like incredibly special. The Lord makes some precious promises to the overcomers in the church—those who walk with him in spite of the dangers, in spite of the defections, they can expect some precious things from his hand. And so he offers special privileges and provisions.

Hidden Manna

What does it mean when he says he offers us hidden manna in verse 17? See, in the Old Testament, when the children of Israel wandered through the wilderness, God fed them by sending manna down from heaven. Some of this manna was gathered and kept in a golden pot in the ark of the covenant. Ancient Jewish tradition says that when Israel was taken into captivity by the Babylonians, Jeremiah hid this pot of manna and when Messiah returns, he will feed the people of Israel again. This manna is a picture of God's precious promise to feed his children.

You see, a big chunk of the congregation in Pergamum were idolators. They worshiped in religions that thrived on secrets and mysteries. The early Christians were excluded from the secrets and mysteries. Jesus says, "You don't need their secrets. Walk with me, and I will take you into a special place and feed you something this world knows nothing about."

Now, redeemed, saved children of God might be excluded from many things in this world, but we have a place we can go. We can enter into his sanctuary and live under his wings. When we're there, he feeds us this excellence that the world cannot imagine nor duplicate. Have you tasted it? He has some things just for his children. Another way the Bible says that is you get eyes to see and ears to hear.

The world and those deceived in their walk with Christ have to always be searching for ever deepening experiences. Jesus as stated in scripture is never enough for some folks. They go always out trying to fill themselves up with different Jesus this, different experiences that. But let me tell you something. The true saint of God is content to be alone with his or her Lord. Jesus, as stated in scripture, becomes enough. He gives us a place that he's provided. He's feeding us on his word and we're enjoying his presence.

I want to share with you from Psalm 27. It's a very special psalm to me:

"The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid? When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war rise against me, yet I will be confident. One thing I have asked the Lord that I will seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble. He will conceal me under the cover of his tent and he will lift me high upon a rock."

He promises his people a place of escape and refreshment even during the most difficult times.

The White Stone

And here's the big thing. He gives us some privileges. Not only will he provide for the overcomers, he will grant them some special privileges not enjoyed by others. Do you know about the white stone?

The Lord promises to give his faithful ones a white stone. What did that mean? Reality check. This does not mean much to us until we understand the special meaning for the people of the ancient days and we say, "Oh, wow. That's incredibly cool for us."

The white stone is huge and we always let it pass right by us. Now, there are several uses of white stone in ancient times and their meanings that are attached to the white stone, but I want to point out a few and I hope they'll speak to you:

1. Symbol of Judgment

White and black stones were used to indicate judgment in ancient courts of law. When a judge rendered his verdict, he would place a stone in the container and at the appropriate time, he would roll the stone out, thus rendering his judgment. A black stone indicated a judgment of guilt while a white stone indicated a judgment of innocence. Jesus is telling these people that they might be blackballed by the world but they were innocent in his eyes. He had taken all the black stones against them and he had washed them white in his blood.

2. Symbol of Citizenship

White stones were often used to signify citizenship. A white stone was often given to people who had proven their allegiance to the city. Do you see Jesus honoring those who live for him as citizens in his heaven?

3. Symbol of Victory

White stones were used as a symbol of victory. They were given to those who had won a victory in one of the ancient games. Those white stones were called tessera and they allowed the owner free access to all public entertainment. Jesus allows his victors access to the glories of heaven.

A courageous gladiator would be given a white stone that had a special two letters put on it—S and P. That stood for spectacus and that meant his valor has been proved beyond all doubt. So Jesus promises to honor all of us who take a stand for him.

4. Symbol of Friendship

White stones were also a symbol of friendship. Often two friends would take a white stone and they would break it in half when they met. And after years they could place the halves together, signifying their lasting relationship. It was called a tangible way to show they still cared and were still loyal to each other.

5. Symbol of Access

White stones were also used to gain access. When a wealthy person would throw a party, they would sometimes give their invited guests a white stone. And when it came time for the celebration, the person who presented a white stone was granted access to the banquet. Jesus allows his people the access to the greatest banquet of all time, the marriage supper of the lamb in Revelation 19. And you know what I call it, right? We're going to party in the new Jerusalem. It's going to be awesome.

6. Symbol of Intimacy

Another cool thing about our white stones, Jesus promised his overcomers that their white stones would contain a new name which no man knows. This is a promise of intimacy. It was customary in that day for guests at a dinner to have a white stone placed at their seat. And when they were seated, they could look under the stone and there'd be a private message from the host. It was a way for the host to share an intimate thought with each one of the guests in the middle of a chaotic dinner. Jesus promises those who are faithful to him that he will reveal himself to them in a personal intimate way.

Listen to me now. He is my savior and I hope he is your savior too. I have a relationship with Jesus you cannot have. You have a relationship with him that I cannot have. We're all saved the same way. But he has done things in, for, and to me that he hasn't done in, for, and to you. And he has done things in, for, and to you that he hasn't done in, for, and to me. We have a special relationship. And those who walk with him and are separated from the world will see this intimacy heightened and taken to new levels as the years go by.

The Call to Decision

We've covered a lot of territory in these verses. And I just wonder, is your relationship with Jesus supposed to be straight up? Are you actively being more intentional and distancing from the world in order to love him and him alone and to be stronger in your faith? Or has your life been invaded by the doctrine of Balaam? Do you profess to know Jesus while you're living for the world? If so, you need to repent or he will come and fight against you.

I sometimes say daily in keeping with repentance. Why? Because every day I get sucked into some of the world's mumbo jumbo. It's hard not to in the culture we live in. So daily, in keeping with repentance, we serve the Lord.

Maybe you need to come to Jesus for salvation for the first time. He's still saving those who come to him by faith. Come as you are, leave changed. Maybe you'd like to take some time this week and pray for your church. In a day when so many churches are abandoning the right path, we must have the will to stay the course for the glory of God.

If he has spoken to your heart, you need to get together with Jesus today and speak with him today. Turn to Jesus today. Come to him and get a new life, a clean slate, and he's going to give you a white stone with a new name written on it. And that means something.