Pergamos

Brethren, we have started a series going through the counseling that Christ gave His churches in the book of Revelation. So far, we've gone through two of the churches, the church in Ephesus and the church in Smyrna. Today, we're going to go through church number three, the church in Pergamos. As I made mention in the other two sermons, attitude is very important for us as Christians. Attitudes are the father of our actions.

Attitudes are mental blueprints. Our actions come about as a result of building on those blueprints. In those other two sermons, I quote it, and I'll do it again. I'm not going to turn there, but 2 Corinthians 10, verse 5, where it says, "...casting down arguments in every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ." So here we see where our thoughts need to be well-ordered.

Our thoughts need to be lawful. They need to be godly. And we need to be building on those thoughts, those righteous thoughts. Also it says in Ephesians 2, verse 10, again, I will not turn there. I'll read it for you. "...For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." So as we have the proper attitudes, we can then build and do the works that we have been created to do, the good works in Christ Jesus.

Therefore, it's incumbent upon us to take a look at a set of attitudes that are so helpful for us to build properly. As I made mention, we can go to the Beatitudes. That would be a great place for us to go. Or we can take a look at the attitudes that God has for us that Christ discussed with the churches in the book of Revelation. So the theme of this series is this. Christ counsels His church to develop seven foundational attitudes. Now, there are plenty more attitudes, but seven of these are foundational.

We took a look at the message to Ephesus. The attitude there, remember, the church in Ephesus was a very active church, very zealous church, but they were starting to waver in their love for God. And so the attitude there is, Godly zeal must be reinforced with Godly love. Then we took a look at the message to the church in Smyrna. They were a persecuted church, heavily persecuted, so much so that God didn't feel—Jesus Christ didn't feel a need to give them any sort of correction.

They had enough on their plate. And so the attitude there that Christ has for them and for all of us is to remain faithful to true values despite opposition. Now, that brings us to the church in Pergamos. With the other two churches, I gave a ballpark set of dates in terms of when that church era was. For the church in Ephesus, 31 to 135 AD. Again, these are ballpark figures. For the church in Smyrna, 135 to 325 AD. Again, we're not going to stake our salvation on any of that. Those are ballpark figures that some historians have put forward for those church areas.

For Pergamos, the ballpark dates here would be 325 AD to 1000 AD. 325 AD to 1000 AD. I'd like to read you a little bit about the background to the church in Pergamos. This first quotation comes from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary. In its early history, Pergamos became a city-state, then a powerful nation. It stood as a symbol of Greek superiority over the barbarians. Great buildings were erected, and a library containing over 200,000 volumes was established. Back in the day, that was a tremendous library, one of the greatest on earth.

The only one greater was the library in Alexandria. Continuing on from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, quote, The Egyptians, concerned with this library which rivaled their own at Alexandria, refused to ship Papyrus to Pergamos. As a result, a new form of writing material, Pergamina Charta, or parchment, was developed in Pergamos.

In the days of the Roman dominance through Asia Minor, Pergamos became the capital of the Roman province of Asia. In a gesture of friendship, Mark Anthony gave Pergamos' library to Cleopatra, and its volumes were moved to Alexandria. One notable individual that was born in Pergamos was a fellow by the name of Galen. This is not the Galen we know up north. He's not that old. Galen was a very famous doctor, physician, second probably only to Hippocrates back in that day.

He performed astounding operations for its day, including brain surgery. It was astounding, the implements that he devised and developed, but his birthplace was Pergamos. I'll read you just a little bit more from The Seven Epistles of Christ by Taylor G. Bunch. I quote, The city was named for the lofty hill in which the ancient city was built. The name therefore means tower, height, or elevation, and carries with it the idea of exaltation.

It was an exalted city. The lofty hill in which the ancient city was built and from which it took its name was an immense rock rising 1,000 feet abruptly out of the broad fertile valley. The walls of the elevation were almost perpendicular, except on one side, where there was a steep and narrow passageway to the top, which was easily fortified and guarded. Because of its natural defenses, the city of Pergamos was considered an impregnable stronghold.

Lysimachus, a very well-known general in times past for the Greeks, deposited his treasure valued at 9,000 talents because he considered the safest place in the kingdom. For 250 years, Pergamos was the official capital of the province. It was also the seat of the commune of Asia. From Pergamos, the decrees of the Caesars were executed throughout the province. This gives force and meaning to Christ's introduction to the church in Pergamos, where it said, These are the words of him who wields a sharp sword with a double edge.

The broad, double-bladed Roman sword was known as the cut-and-thrust sword. It was the emblem of the highest official authority, carrying with it the power of life and death. And this power was vested in the pro-councils of the province who lived in Pergamos. The governor wielded the sword of Rome from its impregnable fortress. According to Pliny, Pergamos was also the seat of a Roman Supreme Court.

To this city, prisoners were brought forth for trial from all parts of the province, and were sentenced by the power that administered life and death to all.

So basically, as you take a look at the physical surroundings of the city of Pergamos, it was a very impressive city. Got your attention. And of course, from there, you had the Roman rule taking place throughout the province, which gives meaning to what we're about to read. Let's turn over to Revelation 2. Revelation 2, verses 12 through 17, gives Christ's counsel to the church there in Pergamos. Revelation 2, verses 12 through 17. The attitude that Jesus Christ counsels the church in Pergamos is this. Be uncompromising in your loyalty to God. Be uncompromising in your loyalty to God.

We're going to see as we go through these verses that various people in Pergamos were very loyal.

Just as Smyrna had their share of persecution more than their share, some of that was also true of the church and the people in Pergamos. That was true for some of the people. But one of the issues that we're going to find in the city of Pergamos that Christ counsels that church about and therefore us about as well, because all seven of these messages are for us today. One of the big issues for that church was compromise. Compromise. That's something you and I don't want any part of in Christ counsels this church and us today about that. So let's start in by reading verse 12 of Revelation chapter 2. And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, these things says, He who has the sharp two-edged sword. So Christ identifies Himself in this way, having a sharp two-edged sword. Now we may mention in the background that because Pergamos was the authority of the seat of a Supreme Court and a ruling place for the Roman Empire from that city in the hands of Rome, that the double-edged Roman sword was emblematic of power, emblematic of authority. Let's turn to the book of Romans, Romans chapter 13. Put a marker there in Revelation. Romans chapter 13 verses 1 through 4.

Revelation 13 verse 1, Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.

So here we're looking at earthly authorities that God has put in place. Therefore, whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For the rulers are not a terror to good works but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you'll have praise from the same. Notice verse 4 now, For he is God's minister to you for good, but if you do evil, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. Does not bear the sword in vain. The sword again representing authority, representing power. So when Jesus Christ was talking about how He wielded the sword, He wanted to make a very specific point. Going back now to Revelation chapter 2, the people in Pergamos understood the double-edged Roman sword. They understood the power that they were under, the Roman power, and they were to have an appreciation for that power. But here in Revelation chapter 2 and verse 12, in red letters in my Bible, Christ very much wants the people to realize there's a higher power than the Roman power in Pergamos, and that higher power is God's power, Christ's power. The power of Rome might be satanically powerful, but God's power trumps that.

God's power trumps that. Let me quote from Barkley's daily study Bible. I quote, The risen Christ is called, He was a sharp two-edged sword. Roman governors were divided into two classes, those who had the right of the sword and those who had not. Those who had the right of the sword had the power of life and death. On their word, a man could be executed on the spot. Humanly speaking, the pro-counsel who had his headquarters at Pergamum had the right of the sword, and at any moment he might use it against any Christian. But the letter bids the Christian not to forget that the last word is still with the risen Christ, who has a sharp two-edged sword.

Let's take a look now at Hebrews chapter 4. Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 12.

Hebrews 4, 12.

For the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword.

Sharper than whatever Rome might bring. It's God's sword. It's God's word. God's word is truth.

John 17, 17. For the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword.

Piercing even to the division of soul and spirit and of the joints of marrow, and as a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

So Rome might wield the sword on earth, but Jesus Christ is the one who reels the ultimate sword. And as we go back to Revelation chapter 2, let's notice toward the very end of Christ's counsel to the church there in Pergamos, Revelation chapter 2 and verse 16.

Repent, or else I'll come to you quickly and we'll fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

The sword of my mouth. In your notes, you might want to jot down Isaiah chapter 11 and verse 4.

Isaiah 11 and verse 4, there is the idea, there's a messianic prophecy, how the Messiah will judge with discipline from his mouth. That's found in Isaiah chapter 11 and verse 4.

And incidentally, one of the reasons I'm going through these seven attitudes is because, in my mind, this prepares us as we begin to go through the book of Isaiah, which, after we're done with this series, will start immediately in with the book of Isaiah once a month. Okay, we go back now to we're still in chapter 2 of Revelation. Let's continue on here with verse 13.

I know your works and where you dwell, where Satan's throne is, and you hold fast my name, and have not denied my faith, even in days in which Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. Now, a number of things happening in this verse, let's kind of take it apart bit by bit. I know your works where you dwell. I know you works where you dwell. The word dwell here is unusual in a sense of how it applies to Christians, because the word dwell here is strong. It's number 2730. That word means to have one's permanent residence in a place. Permanent residence. They lived where Satan's throne is. It says that twice in that verse or emphasis. They weren't just passing through. Typically, when the Bible is talking about us as the people of God, it uses Strong's number 3939, which is talking about being a sojourner. But here, these people in Pergamos dwelt there permanently. It was their permanent residence.

Barkley's Daily Study Bible has an interesting comment about that. I want to quote it, because I think it's very insightful. Here is something very important.

The principle of the Christian life is not escape, but conquest. We may feel it would be very much easier to be a Christian in some other place and in some other circumstance, but the duty of a Christian is to witness for Christ where life has set him.

God has planted us in various places. In our case, He's planted us in the Chicago metropolitan area. He wants us to grow here. We dwell here, and we certainly want to be a light to those around us. We're not living in California. We're not living on the East Coast. We're living here. We're living in the Midwest. And it is our duty to be the best Christian, to be the best light, to be the best example that we can be. In Christ's day, I know your works.

And some of these folks, some of our brothers and sisters here, were doing great works. Here you see this story here of this man called Antipas, who was martyred. Now, I'm not going to get into what tradition says about his martyrdom. It's quite grisly. And we've got some young ears in the audience. But you can Google the name and see what tradition says about this man's death. Very grisly. And so obviously, this was a church just like Smyrna, also new persecution, new hard times. And yet they had works. They had some good works where they dwelt.

But there was also, as we see here, we'll skip the idea here about Satan's throne for a moment. It says, you hold fast. Verse 13, you hold fast to my name, present tense. You hold fast. You're doing that. And you've not denied my faith, even in the days in which Antipas was my faithful martyr who was killed among you. So they are holding fast, present tense. They are doing what they need to be doing. They're not denying the faith. And remember what happened in Smyrna.

In a church in Smyrna, because it was such a high visibility to Rome, people said, well, look, you've got a choice. We can take your life, or throw a few grains of offering into the fire on behalf of the emperor, we'll let you live. Some of them were burned at the stake. Some of them were stuffed inside of animal skins and so forth. All sorts of awful things done to them. Again, young ears, we're not going to go through all that. But here we see people who are holding, some people holding fast, not denying the faith. Not compromising.

Not compromising. Even under the most dire of circumstances.

You know, as I was preparing for the series of sermons, I also went back and was looking at our old correspondence course lessons, which I would encourage you to do, beginning, I think, lesson 49 and going for the next, I think, four lessons, talking about what our people, what our brothers and sisters did in history and what they had to go through and how they held fast to the name.

And in many cases, when it's talking about that specifically, it's talking about the church of God. The church of God. And have not denied the faith, even when death was the consequence. Put a marker here. We read earlier from Hebrews. Let's go back to Hebrews chapter 11.

Hebrews chapter 11, starting here in verse 35. Now, here we've got Old Testament Christians, if you want to refer to them as a Christian. Old Testament faithful. So what we have here is something that is historical in nature, in Hebrews chapter 11, but it's also prophetic in nature, much like what we see in Revelation chapter 2, who was historic and prophetic. Hebrews chapter 11 verse 35. Women received their dead race to life. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance. Annapas didn't accept deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trials of mockings and scourging, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were slain with the sword, and on and on and on it goes. So here we see a group of people that were faithful. They had works, they had good works. But now we go back to Revelation chapter 2. We skipped a little something that we're going to go return to, revisit.

Revelation chapter 2 verse 13. I know your works, where you dwell, where you've got your permanent residence. Notice where Satan's throne is. And at the end of that verse, it talks about where Satan dwells, twice for emphasis, twice for emphasis. Not only was Pergamos the seat of Roman government, Roman Supreme Court, it was also the seat of religion. Pergamos, I'm quoting now from the Bible exposition commentary, Pergamos had the first temple dedicated to Caesar and was a rabid promoter of the imperial cult.

The city also had a temple dedicated to Asculapius, if I'm pronouncing that correctly.

Asculapius, the god of healing, whose insignia was the entwined serpent on a staff.

Now, we see that every time we're on a road and we see an ambulance or something, we see that that pole with the snake around it, right? That's Asculapius. Easy for me to say.

So, Satan here is the author of counterfeit. He's the author of compromise. And he certainly wanted that to take place with God's people. God's people, in many cases, can't be thrown up by a direct frontal assault. But so many times what will happen is from within things start to take place. We saw that ourselves back in the early 1990s to the mid-1990s.

Now, let's continue on with this idea of counterfeits and that sort of thing. Compromise. The Temple of Zeus, one of the wonders of the ancient world, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, was in the city of Pergamos. It was also known as the Temple of Asculapius. The followers of Asculapius called that God Savior. He was a counterfeit of Christ. Now, does any of this ring? Do you remember something else from your your Bible studies about a serpent on a pole? Does that bring back some memories?

Let's take a look over here in the book of Numbers, chapter 21.

Numbers, chapter 21. And again, we're going to see here God's mind. We're also going to see the mind of Satan as Satan wants to counterfeit something of God. Numbers, chapter 21, verse 5.

Numbers 21, verse 5. And the people spoke against God and against Moses, Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our souls loathes this worthless bread.

They loathe, they hated the manna. So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, and many of the people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord that he might take away the serpents from us. So Moses prayed for the people. And then the Lord said to Moses, Now here is God's counsel. Make a fiery serpent. Set it on a pole.

And it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live. So Moses made a bronze serpent, put it on a pole. And so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when they looked up at the bronze serpent, he lived. Now there's a part of us that takes a look at this and say, What is God doing here? Isn't a serpent a symbol of Satan?

Why are we putting that thing on a pole and making people look up to it?

Like to read, you know, we heard from the UCG online commentary and the sermon that I want to take a page out of that same book and turn to the section here in Numbers and read the section because it's really very clear what's happening. This is the UCG online commentary, the section on Numbers 21, verses 5-9. Quote, When their ingratitude leads them to declare that they detest the God-given manna, sustaining them, calling it worthless, God sends them deadly, fiery serpents. In terror and agony, the people quickly repent, asking for Moses' prayers on their behalf. God's instruction, then, is remarkable. He tells Moses to make a bronze image of a serpent and set it upon a pole to instruct the people to look upon it to be healed. Biblically, the serpent is a symbol for Satan. Compare it to Genesis 3, it says, in Revelation chapter 12, verse 9. Yet the New Testament tells us that this raised bronze serpent is a type of Jesus Christ who is lifted up in crucifixion and that looking up to his sacrifice gives us life.

Let's pause in this for a moment. Let's turn over to John chapter 3.

John chapter 3, verses 14 and 15.

My Bible, all read lettering.

John 3, 14. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so the Son of Man can be lifted up, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

So now we begin to see what God was doing in the Old Testament. We understand the New Testament fulfillment. I want to continue on now reading from the UCG online commentary. So how could a seemingly satanic symbol represent Christ? The devil, remember, was the original sinner and the instigator of sin among our first human parents, Adam and Eve.

That being so, we may view the serpent as a symbol of sin or the sinful nature.

Mankind as acquired from Satan. Compare Ephesians 2 to and Romans 8, 7. In sacrificing himself for us, Christ bore our sins and its penalties. Isaiah 53, verses 4 through 6. Indeed, the Bible says that he became sin for us. 2 Corinthians 5, 21. And as sin separates us from God, Isaiah 59, 2, Christ could not be in the Father's perfect presence at the moment he bore our sins and endured its ultimate penalty of death. Thus, in bearing our sin, Christ could properly be depicted with the image of a raised serpent. When we look upon Christ's death by crucifixion for our sins and His resurrection, from that death into new life, we can have the penalty for sin removed from us and be granted new life. So here we see Satan doing his very best to use things of the world to have the people in Pergamos, and for that matter anywhere, compromise, where Satan's throne is. Let's go back now to Revelation chapter 2.

So we see that Satan's throne is there because of it being a provincial capital, provincial seat of a Supreme Court for that region. But notice something else. I'm quoting again from the Seven Epistles of Christ, but also, also, in the 58 lesson correspondence course, lesson number 50, page 7 and 8.

It also bears witness to what I'm about to read to you. And I quote, When Cyrus captured a city of Babylon, anciently, we discussed that when we went through the book of Daniel, when Cyrus captured a city of Babylon, the ancient seat of Satan's counterfeit system of religion, the supreme pontiff of the Caledean mysteries and his retinue of priests fled from that city and ultimately made their residence where? In Pergamos, the Babylonian system transferred from Babylon to Pergamos.

Here they established their Babylonian worship and made the kings of Pergamos the chief pontiffs of their religion. When Adilas III, the last of the priest kings, died in 133 BC, he bequeathed both his royal and priestly offices to the Romans. A century later, Caesar became both emperor of Rome and Pontific's Maximus of the religion of the empire. He was given divine honors, which he handed down to his successors. These were later assumed by the popes, the supreme pontiffs by ecclesiastical Rome.

Thus, and this is quoted both in our correspondence course and in The Seven Epistles of Christ, thus, Pergamos became the connecting link between the two Babylons, the ancient and the modern, where Satan's throne is, politically, religiously.

They were told, as we look at verse 13, to hold fast. They were told not to deny the faith.

Some were very good upon doing that, others not so much. First Thessalonians, let's turn there. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5.

1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and verse 21. 1 Test all things. 2 Test all things. 3 Hold fast what is good. 4 Test things biblically. 5 Test things against the Scriptures. 6 Hold fast that which is good. 7 That which is scriptural. 8 That which is biblical. 9 That which comes from the mouth of God. 10 So they were told to do that.

So now we go back to Revelation chapter 2, and we've seen some positive things about this church, but now we're going to see where they begin to stumble. Some begin to stumble, not all. Some.

Here in chapter 2 verses 14 and 15, let's read them both and we'll go back and analyze. Verse 14, But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.

Verse 15, Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.

So here we see where some in a church, although some were faithful, some began to compromise.

Some began to have the thought, Let's go along to get along. Now, next time I speak on this subject, as we look in the church in Thyatira, I take a little bit more particular interest because as you go through the correspondence course, you can see where God's church, where the predominant locations of the church was.

The Thyatira era, a lot of it was taking place in Italy.

In Thyatira, one of their chief issues is that in trying to win the world, they became the world.

That's something I think, brethren, it can be a danger for us today. In trying to win the world, we can become the world. And I think in so many ways, this was also happening at church in Pergamos. They felt they were open-minded, maybe much like the church in Corinth. They felt they were progressive. In prayer, they felt they were tolerant, but they were compromising, and Christ was not pleased with that at all. They were compromising themselves morally. They were compromising themselves theologically. Let's take a look at verse 14.

But I have a few things against you because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Baalak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.

Story of Balaam is found in Numbers 22-25. Not going to turn there.

Here we see where Balaak, whose name means empty, he was the king of Moab.

Israel was coming his way. He saw that any of the nations that were trying to fight against Israel were being conquered. They were being conquered by the great God.

Balaak realized he couldn't just go and attack Israel and be successful. He needed another strategy. He knew he needed a spiritual strategy to defeat this people that was coming at him, lest his people be displaced. And so he called for Balaam. His name means destroyer of the people. Balaam's strategy was to get the children of Israel to commit sexual sins to sin so that God would get angry and God would take them on. That was the whole concept of what was taking place. And so the idea here is, you know, immorality. Now, again, I may have mentioned a moment ago about Corinth.

In the church in Corinth, you know, we have those books that were written in the mid-50s AD.

You know, Revelation here was written in the mid-90s AD, many years later. This is one of the things that God has, you know, God's people always need to be careful about, is that sort of, you know, our morality. Again, for us today, look at what we have to contend with. You know, on TV, things we hear even in radio, the kind of music that's available. You know, all the media. Be very careful about the stumbling block Satan would like to put in our way. Let's turn to Romans chapter 12. People here in Pergamos were not remembering this lesson. Now, the book of Romans was written sometime in the mid-50s AD. Again, Revelation was written 40 years later. Here in Romans chapter 12, something very well known to all of us, but the church there, some of the people in the church in Pergamos, were not obeying this counsel. Romans chapter 12, Romans 12 verse 1, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, a sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, not compromising in any way, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world. And that's one of the things that was happening in Pergamos. They were being conformed to the world. They were going along to get along, and do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Book of James, written in the late 40s AD. Let's go to the book of James. Jesus Christ hath brother and apostle.

Book of James chapter 4.

James 4, 4. Adulters and adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be the friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. So this is what was taking place for some in a church there in Pergamos.

Satan was not going to use a frontal assault and be very obvious. He was going to work from within. Work from within. And he's very good at that. Very, very good at that. The frontal assault that he tried didn't work very well with Annapas and others. But they were compromising. Verse 15, Revelation chapter 2.

The Nicolaitans. The Nicolaitans. We saw them earlier in the same chapter.

I'm going to quote, don't typically quote, from the Catholic Encyclopedia.

But we're going to do so here. The Catholic Encyclopedia says this. We don't know a whole lot about these folks, but here's what the Catholic Encyclopedia says. These Nicolaitans led lives of unrestrained indulgence. The doctrine of Nicolaitans was one of no-law, unrestrained indolence, promiscuity, false grace.

False grace. Have we seen any of that in the last number of years?

We saw plenty of that in the mid-90s, didn't we? People saying what grace was.

You know, very much an antinomian philosophy.

Now, in chapter 2 here of Revelation, verse 6, notice something. This is talking to the church there in Ephesus, Revelation 2.6. But this you have that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. So the members, God's people in Ephesus, what a no part of this.

But by the time we get to the church here in Pergamos, we see that things have changed.

Verse 15, you have those who hold present tense. They're holding that doctrine that Christ hates.

So again, you, as a congregation, have stood tall for the truth of God. You know, back in the, you know, as far back as probably late 80s, things are being preached from the home office from, well, Pasadena, not the home office from Pasadena, about, and I remember so much getting the, what do they call it, pastor general's report. And I saved those things. And I was taking note. And then, you know, when finally, you know, in my mind, I left the employee of Worldwide Church of God in April of 1995. Could have left sooner than that. Some did. I didn't. My philosophy was, is that I'm always been appreciative of the fact that God has been very patient with me. I saw all the wrong as you saw all the wrong. I saw a doctrinal heresy as you saw all a doctrinal heresy, but I was hoping that God would himself correct the story. When it became apparent that wasn't what God was going to do, that's when I resigned. That's when I resigned. And I remember going through, then reading various of the pastor general's reports and worldwide news and seeing how those things were. You saw a definite flow taking place. Let's turn our attention to Deuteronomy chapter 12. But brethren, you saw that and you stood tall for the truth. If we are indeed living in the last times when Christ returns, we're going to have more tests. Just like Smyrna, just like Pergamos, we're going to have more tests along these very same lines. Deuteronomy chapter 12. Verse 28. Observe and obey all these words which I have commanded you. This is Deuteronomy shortly after the giving of the law. Observe and obey all these words which I command you that may go well with you and your children after you forever when you do what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God. When the Lord your God cuts off from before you, the nations which you go to dispossess and you displace them and dwell in the land take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them. Now, of course, this is exactly what Balaam and Balaq were trying to accomplish after they are destroyed from before you that you do not inquire after their God saying, how do these nations serve their gods? I will also do likewise. You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way. We quote this probably most every December, don't we?

We quote this virtually every Easter season, don't we? Or principles like this. You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way for every abomination to the Lord which he hates they have done to their gods for they burn even their sons and daughters into fire to their gods. Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it. You shall not add to or take away from it.

Yet, unfortunately, this is what was taking place in Pergamos. 2 Corinthians chapter 6.

2 Corinthians chapter 6.

Verse 15. What accord is Christ with Belial? What part is a believer with an unbeliever?

Don't compromise. And what agreement has a temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said, I will dwell in them. Next week we've got Pentecost, where no longer does Holy Spirit just dwell with us, walk with us. He is in us. I will dwell in them and walk among them and be their God and they shall be my people. Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean and I will receive you. I will be a father to you and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.

Don't touch the occursed thing. Don't compromise.

One more scripture along these lines. Galatians, I read this all the time, but it's good to have this deeply edged in our minds. Galatians chapter 1 verse 6.

Galatians chapter 1 verse 6.

I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different gospel, which is not another, but there are some who trouble you and want to be heard the gospel of Christ. False grace, cheap grace. But even if we are an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what you've, than what we have preached to you. Let Him be accursed. And as we've said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let Him be accursed.

Brother, there are certain dangers that are inherent with compromise. Let me enumerate a few of those for you.

Compromise typically doesn't occur quickly.

Many times, if we're not careful, we hardly notice the change. It's like the boiling water and the frog. It's by baby steps. It's by half steps. It's by a little here and a little there. So it sneaks up on you.

Compromise always lowers God's standards.

Standards that the person whose standards are being lowered once held important.

Now, not so much so.

Compromise might even be seen, excuse me, compromise may not be seen as offensive, because some might view it as being loving.

Note the church in Corinth. They felt they were being loving toward the sinner, yet it was hurting the whole church.

Compromise will eventually lead you to accept once you once rejected.

There's a quote here I have, and I don't know where this came from, but I think it's really holds a great deal of truth. And I quote, it has well been said that what one generation tolerates, the next generation will accept.

What that generation accepts, the next generation will celebrate.

A lot of truth in that.

It has well been said that what one generation tolerates, the next generation will accept. What that generation accepts, the next generation will celebrate.

Okay, we go back now as we begin to end this sermon and our discussion about the church in Pergamos. Let's go back to Revelation chapter 2.

One more verse to go through.

One more verse in Revelation.

We're going to go someplace else in a moment.

Revelation chapter 2 verse 17. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I'll give him of the hidden manna to eat, and I'll give him a white stone, and on that stone a new name written, which no one knows except him who receives it.

The idea here for the compromises is to repent.

And one of the greatest places that I turn to when I'm looking at that subject, 2 Corinthians 7, which we've covered in the past. But if we go over to the book of Joel, Joel chapter 2, one of the great definitions of my estimation of the definition of repentance.

Joel chapter 2 verses 12 and 13. Now therefore says the Lord, turn to me with all your heart, all the heart, not a part of it, not a little sliver of it. Turn me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping and with mourning.

In other words, we're really into it. We are spiritually into it. We're fasting.

Rend your heart and not your garments.

Again, we don't want something that's just on the outward. We want the inward man, the inward woman, to be fasting and weeping and mourning and being broken up over sin. Return to the Lord God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness, and he relents from doing harm.

So we are told in Revelation that we are to repent.

And notice what Elsa says there, Revelation chapter 2 and verse 17. It says, He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

And as I may mention, we view, I view anyway, these seven churches as seven historical eras.

Also, any of these attributes for any of these seven churches could be in our congregation today, in any congregation anywhere, where God's people get together. And so it's incumbent upon us to listen to the counsel of Jesus Christ for all of these churches.

And it says, He who has an ear to hear. He who has an ear to hear. 1 Corinthians chapter 2.

I'll obviously be keeping you over just a few minutes, not too long. 1 Corinthians chapter 2.

Verse 9. 1 Corinthians 2.9. But as it is written, I has not seen nor ear heard, nor has entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him, but God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, just the deep things of God. So we are the ones who do have the ear. We can hear because God has opened up our ears to be able to hear. Verse 11. What man knows the things of a man except the Spirit of the man who is in him? Even so, no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.

And you have that Spirit of God. Now we have received not the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. So when it says to the churches, you know, having ears to hear, we have that privilege. We have that ability because God has granted us His Holy Spirit. It says in Revelation 2, verse 17, to him overcomes Elgiba the hidden manna to eat. In the Old Testament, they received physical bread to sustain themselves as they were preparing to, at some point, arrive at the promised land.

John chapter 6 is the scripture we read every year at Passover. John chapter 6, starting here in verse 47.

We are also given manna. We are also given bread, as you and I are not going to an Old Testament promised land, but we're going to a New Testament, New Covenant kingdom of God.

John chapter 6, verse 47. Most assuredly I say to you, he who believes in me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Christ is that manna. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven that one may eat of it and not die. It is spiritual in nature. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If he want to eat so this bread, he will live forever. And the bread which I give him is my flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world. So the hidden manna that we receive is Jesus Christ. We receive an understanding of who he is, what he is, what his life meant as we have given ourselves to him. It says he's going to write our name in chapter 2 of Revelation, verse 17, and I'll give him a white stone. A white stone. Going back to the background to this city, one of the things that Pergamos was known for was their parchment. They invented his stuff, and yet here it says, Christ says to them, I'm not going to write your name on parchment that will disappear. I'm going to put your name on something that lasts for all time. We would say today we're going to etch it and grant it, but here's a white stone, white symbolizing righteousness. And it says here, I'm going to give him a new name, him or her a new name. Well, that new name is the name of God. Delisandro has been a pretty nice name. I like Delisandro, but I like the name of God even more. And I'm going to enjoy the fact when my name literally is God, and the same thing is true for you. But that only comes, brethren, to the Christians who overcome, to the Christians who remain faithful, who hold fast against the encroachments of the world. It only comes to those who don't compromise. It comes to the Christians who, like Annapas, is willing to give his life. In our case, we lay down our lives for the truth of God day in, day out, as a living sacrifice. Day in, day out, as a living sacrifice. When that takes place, and it says here, to him who overcomes, I'll give us some of the hidden manna to eat, and I'll give him a white stone, and on that stone a new name written which no one knows. People of the world don't understand. People of the world don't, we saw in 1 Corinthians chapter 2, eye has not seen, ears not heard. Why? Because God's not working with them. But God is working with us. We have a new name which we know, because we're God's kids. Because we're God's kids.

The church at Pergamos turned to the world. Let's make it a point that we turn to God in all things.

So the message for the church at Pergamos be uncompromising in our loyalty to God.