We will be in the second chapter of Revelation this morning. And as you are turning there, I want to want to transfer you back in time. I want to take you on a little bit of a journey with me. I want you to imagine that you live in the first century, walking the streets, feet dirty, a little bit dusty. Up ahead you see the city city called Pergamum.
I don't know if they referred to as Pergamians or the Pergamites, but the city of Pergamum is before you and you step in and you enter through the gate and you begin your journey down the long main road. At first, you encounter the sanctuary of Deita or Deer. This is a sacred site that is dedicated to the goddess of agriculture. And as you continue on your journey, up next, you would run into the sanctuary of Hera.
Continuing on your journey, you run into what is known as the temple of Dionis. Dionis is the temple that is dedicated to the god of wine, the god of theater. It is here where you will be taught what it means to be sexually immoral. That's the goal. But all of these temples, these sanctuaries pale in comparison to what is up ahead because we're not done.
On our journey through this long winding road. So, as you're walking through Pergamum and you see sanctuary, sanctuary, temple, you're about to kind of go up the hill and onto the beginning part of the upper Acropolis. And there before you is the monumental altar to Zeus. Massive in stature, a focal point of Pergamum.
In fact, so much so day and night on looking at this altar, smoke is billowing from this altar, continual sacrifice day after day, night after night to appease Zeus. In fact, this altar is so massive up to 100 bulls can be sacrificed at a time on this altar. But we're not done yet. Now we enter the upper Acropolis to where you see the temple to the goddess Athena.
This contains the famous Pergamum Library which is known to be second only to the great library of Alexandria holding up to about 200,000 scrolls. The goddess Athena is very closely tied to the altar of Zeus. So what do we have? Sanctuary of Deita, sanctuary of Hera, temple of Dionis, altar of Zeus, temple of Athena.
But that is not the end. As we reach the very top of Pergamum, we see at the peak of the mountain range, the Traan temple, the crowning jewel of Pergamum, of this city which holds about 200,000 people, glistening white marble. It shines from the mountaintop.
It is the oldest temple in all of Asia Minor. Built and erected in 29 BC offering everything to Rome. This is showing Rome is authoritative. It looks over everything. Rome has superior authority in Pergamum. An intentional symbol, six significant temples of idolatry is what you will see on your journey through the street of Pergamum.
Now, we have to understand Pergamum has the same land footprint as Diamond Valley, Alberta. It's not Calgary. Diamond Valley. Temple after temple after temple. And in the middle of all of this idol worship, there is a church, the church in Pergamum.
And we get to read about this church in the second chapter of Revelation. Jesus himself writing a letter, picking it up in verse 12 through verse 17. And to the angel of the church in Pergamum writes, 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 Antipus, my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you. You have some there who hold the teaching of Balum, who taught Bailo 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 the teaching of the nicicoatans.
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 you some. I will give some of the hidden mana, 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. This is the letter to the church in Pergamum.
And we're just going to follow the flow of the text. In fact, I'm quite encouraged and I trust that as you were maybe in your small groups, maybe you read this church beforehand, I I trust that there was actually quite a bit of encouragement that comes off of this text. First off, we see verse 13, I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. And then later on in this verse, where Satan dwells. No doubt as we journeyed through Pergamum, there is altar after altar, temple after temple upholding the worship of Satan.
Satan has a clear authority. Satan has clear presence in the city of Pergamum. It it it's it's rampant. It is there. And yet, what do we see? The commenation for this church. I know where you dwell, says the Lord. I know Satan has authority. I know his presence is everywhere among you. Yet, he says, you hold fast my name. You hold fast.
This is he's getting across here. You are firmly committed to me. There's no wavering here with most of you. And I say most, not all. Well, you're going to get there in a minute. Most of you are holding fast to my name. Even in the days of Antipus, my faithful witness who was killed among you. Now, we don't know much about Antipus.
In fact, the only thing we know from scripture is what is written right here. So, what do we know for sure? Antipus was a faithful witness who was martyed. That's what that's what we know. In fact, he doesn't feel like he has to explain who Antipus is because everybody in Pergamum would have known exactly who he is. Church history and church fathers have some writings on him. Some say that he was the leader or perhaps the pastor of the church in Pergamum.
Some say he was a leader in the church in Pergamum. We we don't know we can't make any statements on that. What we do know is he was he was a faithful witness of the Lord and he was killed as a martyr for the name of Christ. And even then and I and it's fascinating. He says he was killed among you. See, it's one thing, I think, for us to look across the world and have a heart for the persecuted church, which which we should.
We know believers are being killed in North Korea. We know that it's wild over there. It takes a lot to stand firm for the name of Christ where you're being persecuted and threatened and killed. But if we're honest, that's that's distant from us, right? We we have no no personal connection. It would be a whole different ballgame if Matt Martins was killed in our midst for the sake of Christ.
All of a sudden, it's a whole different ballgame. Would we hold fast even in that moment? Right? We bring it a little closer to home. And this is what this church is commended for. You are holding fast my name. Even though Antipus was killed for my name. You saw it. You were aware of it. It was among you. And yet the Lord Jesus says, "You held fast. Pergamum. You are commended for being fully committed though you dwell where Satan dwells.
This is not the first time. This is a regular thing that we see throughout the scriptures. This this call, this command to hold fast. Join me if you will in second Thessalonians. 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. Listen to what it says. Picking it up in verse 13, we read, "But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers who are beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits to be saved through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.
To this he called you through our gospel so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us either by our spoken word or by our letter. Here's the the commenation or the the command or the call to the Thessalonian church. You have the gospel. You've been called. You've been sanctified. Therefore, no matter what's going on around you, stand firm and hold fast.
If you're with us through our Thessalonian series, you know this was a church that was highly persecuted, hated by the Jews, and yet they're commended. Why? Because they held fast. They weren't swayed by the persecution, the hatred, the turmoil. No, no, no. They were a church who stood firm. We read this in the book of Hebrews. Hebrews chapter 4, picking it up in verse 14.
Here's what we read. Since then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens. Jesus the son of God. Let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in the time of need. Notice based on who Christ is.
We have a high priest who passed through the heavens. Jesus the son of God. Because of who he is, let us what? Hold fast to what we confess. Hold fast to the faith because Christ can sympathize with us when we're weak. Lord, I am weak. There is temptation that is coming again and again. I cannot stand. And he says, I know what it's like. Hold fast because you hold to me. Again in chapter 6 as Sandy read for us picking it up in verse 18.
So that by two unchangeable things in which it's impossible for God to lie. Oh, that would bring comfort and hope to us. It's not that he doesn't lie. It's impossible. There are things he can't do. What can't he do? He cannot lie. For which it is impossible for God to lie. We who have fled our re for refuge might have strong encouragement to what? Hold fast to the hope set before us.
Because of the salvation we have in Christ, because of the hope we have in Christ, the call of the believer is to hold fast, stand firm, not waver in what we know. Though the culture around us says the church should do this, you should do this. You should waver. You should let go of your convictions. The Lord says do not even in the face of death. Hold fast.
This church is wonderfully committed to that. I know where Satan dwells. The Lord says Satan has power. Satan has authority in Pergamum. Yet even though Antipus was murdered and martyed, you held fast and for that you are commended. I find it interesting that all of these churches are set in Asia Minor at this time, which is modernday Turkey, right?
Did you know I did a little bit of fun fun? Not really fun. I did some research. So I I went to Open Doors USA. It's basically a if you want to know about the persecuted church, Open Doors is you can find out who's being persecuted and what and they have the top 50 worst countries to be a Christian in. North Korea number one, Somalia number two, and on and on it goes.
Modernday Turkey is 41. So, modernday Turkey is still hating and persecuting the church. So, this hasn't changed in this area. Yet, the call is still stand firm. We are called, my friends, to hold fast. Jobs. I I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna put something out there. I'm guessing that none of us have faced potential death for standing for Christ in this room. I'm guessing I could be wrong.
So why is it that we waver? Why is it that we seem to struggle to stand firm? I would venture to guess that we in our Canadian society love our comfort perhaps a little too much. We don't want to rock the boat. We maybe operate with a little bit of fear like if I lose my job, what am I going to do? As if the Lord doesn't own a cattle on a thousand hills and has promised to take care of his people.
One of those things that we have to we have to wrestle with. And so can we say no matter what that we will hold fast, stand firm, but verse 14, but I have a few things against you. You have some there who hold the teaching of Balum, who taught Bailo 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 the teaching of the nickelutans. So even though this church is commended for standing firm, there are some within the church. We're never told how many. Who were never told the lot, but clearly enough that the Lord Jesus must address the problem that there are some who affirm and uphold the teaching of Balum and Bao who put a stumbling block before the nation of Israel so that they would eat food, sacrifice to idols, and practice sexual immorality.
So think about this for a moment. You have some in the church who affirm idol worship and sexual immorality. They affirm what Balum and Bao taught. Now, I want you to join me. You can, we're not going to read the entirety of Balam and Bal's account. That is Numbers chapter 22 really through 31. So, but I want you to go back with me. So, let's see what what what did Balum do? So go back with me to Numbers.
We're going to pick it up in verse 22 or pardon me, chapter 22. As you're turning there, a little bit of context. The nation of Israel has been freed from slavery. They were under the Egyptians. Under the Egyptians, they would have been taught rampant sexual immorality. They would have been taught rampant idolatry, polytheism. That would have been for about 400 years. That's what they would have known and been taught and been inundated with for 400 years.
Generation after generation, this is all they would have known. So the Lord himself steps in, sets them free from that through all the the plagues. And now he's they're wandering in the wilderness. They've had the command given at the mount of Si. They've even in their wilderness, what's happened is they've they've conquered various peoples and nations and they're they're a a formidable enemy. They are strong. They are capable of winning wars and and defeating kings.
And that's what's happened up to chapter 22 of the book of Numbers. And then you have this king, king of Moab, Bailo. And he sees what's happened with the nation of Israel. And he is full of fear. He's scared that the nation of Israel is going to do to his city, what they've done to all these other cities. So what does he do? He calls on Balum. Okay, let's pick it up here.
Chapter 22, verse 4. And Moab said to the elders of Midian, "This horde," this talking about the nation of Israel, "This horde will now lick up all that is around us." As the ox licks up the grass of the field, so Balo the son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, sent messengers to Balam the son of Bior at Pthor, which is near the river in the land of the people of Amma, to call him, saying, "Behold, a people has come out of Egypt.
They cover the face of the earth, and they are dwelling opposite me. Come now, curse this people for me since they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them from this land. For I know that he whom you bless is blessed and he whom you curse is cursed. So what does Bailo do? He calls on a wicked pagan seer whose name is Balum. What's Bum do?
Balam is willing to do whatever the highest bidder will ask him to do. Oh, Bailo will pay me this. I'll I'll curse people all day long. He'll give me the most money. This is what this is what he did as a job. Okay? He was wicked. He was pagan. He would do whatever he could for the highest bidder. So, Bailo is like, "If you curse Israel, I'll be able to defeat them." We're not going to read all. There's a talking donkey in this account. There's the Lord's sovereignty in changing the oracles to a blessing for Israel.
There's there's a lot going on. But I want to draw our attention here to Numbers chapter 25 picking up in verse one. While Israel lived in Chhatim, the people began to with the des with the daughters of Moab. These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.
So, Israel yolked himself to Baal of Pior, and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. So, what's happened? The nation of Israel being saved from sexual immorality and idol worship is now yoking themselves as the Lord says to Moab. Notice what it says. Began to with the daughters of Moab. They were taking Moabitete women as their spouses.
They were going directly against what God had commanded. Now, if you were with us for Ezra and Nehemiah, you remember that one of the most significant judgments of God to the people at that time was that they had intermarried with other nations. This is what's happening here now. Why? The question should be asked. Why would they do that? Why would they be freed from this, turn their back on what they were freed from, and go back to sexual immorality and idol worship? Well, great question.
And join me in numbers 31. Remember in 25 Israel yolked himself with ba of what? Pure. Remember the name pure. Chapter 31 verse 16 tells us this. Behold these on whose advice? Balam's advice caused the people of Israel to act treacherously against the Lord in the incident of Peor.
And so the plague came among the congregation of the Lord. Balum on his advice led the nation of Israel astray from worshiping their god, from saying no to sexual immorality, from saying no to idol worship to worshiping other gods, to running sexual immoral lives.
That's what they were doing. And so jumping into Pergamum, what was happening? The same thing. There are some in the church that are upholding what Balum taught. They are upholding Balum and Bailo as if this is a good thing. Promoting idol worship, promoting sexual immorality. This is a significant condemnation on the church in Pergamum. They also uphold the teachings of the nickelans. We see them come again.
One church didn't like it. This church supports the nickel. Could you imagine being freed from all of this wickedness, all of this that the Lord's judgment and the Lord's wrath is setting upon. Could you imagine being freed from that and then turning back and going to do it again? It sounds ridiculous, does it not? And yet we do the same.
And yet we do the same. Go with me to Ephesians chapter 5. There's more we could say about Balum and Bailo, but for the sake of time, we're going to move on from him. If you want more reading, there's lots written in Deuteronomy, Joshua, Isaiah, Peter.
There's lots of texts you could you could go to. And I encourage you, but I want to draw our attention to Ephesians chapter 5. I want to pick it up in verse one. Therefore, Paul writes to the Ephesian church. Be imitators of God as beloved children and walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you as is proper among the saints.
Let there be no filthiness, no foolish talk, no crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure or is or who is covetous, that is an idoltor, has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words. For because of these things, the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
Therefore, do not become partners with them. For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. For the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. What is the call that the Lord through the hand of Paul is writing to the church in Ephesus?
Have nothing to do with darkness, nothing to do with idolatry, nothing to do with sexual immorality. Why? Because that's who you were. That's who you were. That is not who you are. Oh, that it would never be said of the saints at Gateway Bible Church that we are okay with any form of sexual immorality, that we are okay with any form of idolatry.
Oh, would we remove all of that from our midst because we, my friends, if you are in Christ, have been redeemed from that. You've been redeemed. You have been atoned for. You have been reconciled with this holy God through the blood of his son. Would we never have a desire to turn back to what we were saved from? And yet we always have this draw this temptation that we seem to kind of play with a little bit.
Be like, I know sexual immorality and pornography and adultery and lust and I know all of those things are bad, but I've got it caged in my backyard. I've I've got it taken care of. It's good. I might play with it a little bit. But I've got it. I've got it covered. Would it not even be, as the scriptures say mentioned among us?
And when we see it as loving brothers and sisters who are called to a holy living, when we see it, what does the text say? But instead, what? Expose it. For when it is exposed, it can be dealt with. Would we not be like the church in Pergamum who is okay with unholiness in the church in our lives and in our church.
We could go Colossians chapter 3 talks about the same thing as Paul is writing. He says, "Put off this and put on this. Put off sexual immorality. Put off adultery, greed, covetousness. Put these things away from you." Would we be a people who increasingly hate what God hates and love what God loves? Finally brothers sisters I want to end on good note.
Go to Revelation 2:1 17. Not only are we called to hold fast, we're called to reject and hate our former life, never to go back like a dog going to his vomit. We are also called to look to the victory that awaits. Take a look at verse 17. 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 mana, 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. I can just imagine for a moment the church in Pergamum receiving this letter and hearing that they are commended for standing firm. Yeah. The Lord acknowledges you. You are living where Satan dwells, where his throne is.
He is active in your midst. Yet you're holding firm. And in that some of you may die. Some some of you Antipus did. Some of you are probably going to die. Yet, when you do, what does he say? I will give you some of the hidden mana and the white stone. This is beautiful. I pray and I trust strengthening and encouragement for each one of us.
When you stand firm, when you hold fast against a culture that is championing you to fail and you hold fast, you receive Christ, the hidden mana. Join me in John chapter 6. John chapter 6.
There's lots going on. This is some of the most difficult teaching in some people's ears. This is where he teaches this and many of his followers leave him because they're like, I don't get it. I don't like it. This is weird. But here Jesus says in verse 47, "Truly, truly I say to you, whoever believes in me has eternal life. I am the bread of life." In other words, you partake of Christ, you have eternal life because you're partaking of the bread of eternal life.
I am the bread of life. Jesus says in verse 48, "Your fathers ate the mana in the wilderness, and they died." This is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever, and the bread that I will give him, for the life of the world is my flesh. To partake in Christ is to receive eternal life.
That means that upon your last breath here is your first breath there. That means you have this eternity to look forward to living in his presence. To be able to gaze upon the Lord unveiled for all eternity. Oh, that that would be our truth that we hold to when things suck, when things are awful and nothing is going our way.
There's death that is rampant. There's heartache that is rampant. There's disunityity and turmoil. Would we be a people so focused on the eternal life that awaits us because we partake of Christ to the one who conquers. I will give the hidden mana and I will give him a white stone with a name or an inscription that no one knows except the one who receives it.
I actually love this doing some study on this. He doesn't describe what the white stone is because everybody in Pergamum would have understood what the white stone is. Now there's there's lots of different potentials for what the white stone is. Because it's the white stone and it has a name or an inscription that is engraved onto it. This is referring to a stone that an athlete in a competition or if you are victorious in the in the Roman games, if you win and you are standing and you're victorious, you receive a white stone with your name or an inscription on it.
And then you take that white stone and you get access to the victory celebrations. Without that white stone, you receive no celebration. You do not receive the the victory and get to join the party. But with that white stone, with your name engraved on it, your inscription, you get entrance into the victory celebration. And I'm going to tell you, those who have this stone with a new name, a reference back to Isaiah 56, Isaiah 62, that the Lord will give a a new name to his people.
Oh, the the victory celebration, my friends, that awaits the believer who stands firm and holds fast. The victory celebration of the one or for the one who rejects his old life and pursues with all their heart holiness and righteousness is greater than any Stanley Cup celebration, any Major League Baseball championship celebration, any type of celebration you can think earthly is Nothing doesn't reflect on the radar.
Does nothing compared to the celebration of being welcomed into glory and hearing the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant." Oh, would that be the longing of our hearts that we would live lives on this earth that have a singular focus to look in the Lord face to face and he says, "Well done, good and faithful servant.
Welcome to the victory celebration." Would that not strengthen you to endure all trial, all person? What can man do to you? You can take your life. Okay. There's a celebration that awaits and I get to be with the Lord for eternity. Oh friends, Gateway Bible Church.
Would we be a people who hold fast? Would we be a people who hate our sin? And would we be a people who long to live this day knowing what comes? That we'd be a people who pursue holiness, righteousness, endure hardship for the sake of the victory that is ahead. Would that be markers of our lives and us as a church?
Let's pray. Father in heaven, we come before you humbled by your majesty, thankful for your loving kindness towards us. Lord, when we struggle, when we wrestle with going back to our old lives, would you bring swift conviction? Would you increase our dependence on you, oh Lord? That we would have no longing, no desire, no inkling for our former darkness, but that we would pursue and walk as children of the light, Lord.
And we recognize this day we cannot do it on our own. We need one another. So help us to be dependent on you and reliant on those around us who will strengthen us and push us towards holiness and live like there's a victory celebration coming for us. It is in Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Transcribed automatically from YouTube captions, so names and words may be misheard.
