Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

Looking back through church history, we see that even some of our most brilliant and beloved heroes have been caught in culturally acceptable but biblically condemn-able practices.

For instance, the great reformer Martin Luther had once loved the Jewish people.

He argued that the Jews had been prevented from converting to Christianity by the proclamation of what he believed to be an impure gospel by the Catholic Church, and he believed they would respond favorably to the true Gospel if it were presented to them gently.

He expressed concern for the poor conditions in which they were forced to live, and insisted that anyone denying that Jesus was born a Jew was committing heresy.

But near the end of his life the great reformer Martin Luther wrote a horrific tract, “On the Jews and Their Lies,” where he denounced Jews and even urged their persecution.

In the tract, he argues that Jewish synagogues and schools be set on fire, their prayer books destroyed, rabbis forbidden to preach, homes burned, and property and money confiscated.

They should be shown no mercy or kindness, afforded no legal protection, and "these poisonous envenomed worms" should be drafted into forced labor or expelled for all time.

He also seems to advocate their murder, writing "We are at fault in not slaying them".

Luther's prince during this time, John Frederick, Elector of Saxony, had previously issued a mandate that prohibited Jews from inhabiting, engaging in business in, or passing through his realm.

Earlier in Luther’s life, he showed a passion to introduce these Jews to the true Messiah, but he became disillusioned by their continual rejection of Jesus and the Gospel.

As time went on, Luther became blind to his culture’s hatred of the Jewish residents, which fostered his own distaste and bred his very own hatred of Jews.

Luther had finally succumb to the norms of his day and was caught in culturally acceptable but biblically condemn-able practices.

Nearly 400 years after it was written, the Nazis displayed Luther’s On the Jews and Their Lies during Nuremberg rallies, and the city of Nuremberg presented a first edition to Julius Streicher, editor of the Nazi newspaper Der Stürmer (The Striker), the newspaper describing it, on Streicher's first encounter with the tract in 1937, as the most radically antisemitic tract ever published.

As people of God who live in a particular time and place, we must beware of the ways we might operate considering that we can live with significant blind spots.

It is so easy to take for granted the norms of our culture and practice the very things that the Bible condemns.

Transition:

As we continue our expository journey through The book of Revelation, we find ourselves at a point where Jesus issues a warning to a church that allowed the culture to change their habits.

Scripture Reading:

Revelation 2:12–17

About ten miles inland stood the impressive city of Pergamum, built on a hill one thousand feet above the surrounding countryside, creating a natural fortress.

Rivaling only Ephesus as the leading city in the region, Pergamum had become the capital of the province of Asia and the center of Asian culture.

It was proud of its links with Rome.

Pergamum was the center of four of the most important gods of the day—Zeus, Athena, Dionysus, and Asclepius.

The city’s chief god was Asclepius, whose symbol was a serpent and who was considered the god of healing.

People came to Pergamum from all over the world to seek healing from this god.

The city was also a center for the imperial cult—emperor worship.

While Smyrna had built temples to the emperor, Pergamum was the first city to receive permission to build a temple dedicated to a governing emperor, Augustus, whose temple was built in 29 B.C.

In the church at Pergamum, things were worse than at Smyrna.

Though the church members seem to have been facing similar spiritual warfare from Satan (v.

13), a faithful one named Antipas had already died (v.

13).

Also, a viewpoint called the teaching of Balaam (v.

14; see Nm 22–25), which is equated with the teaching of the Nicolaitans (v.

15), had a strong foothold in the church.

Those involved were to repent of their sinful behavior of eating things sacrificed to idols and engaging in sexual immorality (v.

14).

Transition:

The problem in the church of Pergamum was leniency toward those within the church who were compromising their faith with the idol worship and sexual immorality of pagan worship.

Compromise can be good and is often needed in some contexts, but never in the context of the basic principles and commands of YHWH’s Word.

We will again look at three key aspects we find here as a pattern in these letters to the seven churches.

In like manner to the previous couple weeks, the first thing we will look at is Christ

I.

The Proficiency of Christ (vv.12-13)

Just as the sword was a symbol of Rome’s authority and judgment, Jesus’ sharp, double-edged sword represents God’s ultimate authority and judgment.

The proconsul of Pergamum had been granted by Rome the rare power known as “the right of the sword,” meaning that he could perform executions at will.

To the church in this city, Christ described himself as the one who has a sharp two-edged sword (1:16) This apparent metaphor is used in the NT for the penetrating power of the word of God: Heb.

4:12

Jesus is essentially saying here in Revelation: only He has ultimate power over life and death.

There’s a story of a missionary serving in North Africa who, by his circumstances, understands this idea clearly.

Similar to this church in Pergamum, this missionary found himself surrounded by those who wanted him dead on a daily basis that go by the name of Muslims.

Probably just like all of us here would be, this missionary was very fearful of his life quickly ending in murder—just as the threats made to him had promised.

He prayed anxious prayers that his life would be spared until one day as he was working in his wood shop there, a saw blade came loose and flew next to his head just barely grazing him as it stuck into the wall behind him.

This missionary believes this near miss is an answer to his prayers!

Instead of fearing Muslims coming in and killing him, he learned from that saw blade that he ought to be fearful of the One who really has control of his life and death.

From that point on, he went on to minister fearlessly among the Muslim dominated area trusting that God will determine the time and the manner in which he will die.

“I know where you dwell”

These believers faced strong local governmental and demonic pressure, not too dissimilar to the direction of America’s future.

God knew them and their dangerous situation.

He was there with them.

“where Satan’s throne is”

As the center for four idolatrous cults, Pergamum is labeled by Jesus the city of the great throne of Satan.

Idolatry is satanic.

“you hold fast My name”

This is a PRESENT ACTIVE INDICATIVE.

It shows the significance of His name as representing the character of His person.

Believers trust by calling on His name, and worship by calling on His name, and persevere by calling on His name—we already saw this with Smyrna’s church.

But here, surrounded by the worship of idols and of the Roman emperor as god, the church at Pergamum refused to renounce its faith.

“Antipas, My witness”

Great, who is Antipas?

We know nothing else about this man except what we read here.

The “My witness” title given him is the same title John uses for Christ in his Gospel.

The term “witness” can mean “martyr” (cf.

11:3; 17:6).

Tertullian said that Antipas was roasted in a brazen bull, but this is simply later tradition.

Transition:

The believers refused to deny Christ, even after Satan’s worshipers had killed one of their members.

It was not easy to be a Christian in Pergamum.

So what’s the problem?

II.

The Problem at Church (vv.14-15)

Jesus commends his church for persevering in faithfulness in spite of persecution, but now warns them not to compromise with this idolatrous and immoral culture.

“But I have a few things against you”

Just as with 5 other churches, Jesus had a negative statement to address following his praise of them.

I think he is showing that righteous living in some areas does not excuse sin in others.

“because you have there some who hold to the teaching of Balaam”

Okay don’t believe what Balaam says!

Who’s Balaam??

You might remember from the O.T. that Balaam was a true prophet of God (cf.

Num.

24:2)

who attempted to curse Israel and who beat a donkey that YHWH caused to speak.

Balaam was lured into helping with compromise within the people of Israel.

He is condemned in both the OT and the NT (cf.

Num.

31:16; 2 Pet.

2:15; Jude 11).

“who taught Balak”

Okay, who is Balak??? Well, also in the same account of Balaam’s donkey riding days, we learned Balak was one of the early Kings of Moab who is the one that ordered Balaam to curse Israel to get rid of them

“to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel”

And what was the stumbling block?

Well after the failed attempts to curse Israel, it was Balaam’s suggestion to Balak to have the children of Israel in the fertility worship of Baal (cf.

Num.

25:1–3).

Just as with Israel here in Numbers, there was a continuing cultural temptation to the sexual worship practices of first century pagans.

“to eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality”