WEBVTT 00:00:01.832 --> 00:00:03.432 Amen. Thank you Isaac. 00:00:03.432 --> 00:00:03.866 Thank you. 00:00:03.866 --> 00:00:05.000 Worship team. 00:00:05.000 --> 00:00:08.266 Appreciate you guys serving us this morning. 00:00:08.266 --> 00:00:12.400 And it's great to be with you today as we gear up for a week of VBS. 00:00:12.400 --> 00:00:16.100 How many of you are helping this week in some way or another? 00:00:16.100 --> 00:00:17.565 Great. That's a lot. 00:00:17.565 --> 00:00:20.399 It's like half the church. Awesome. 00:00:20.399 --> 00:00:23.265 Yes, it's going to be a big week, so be praying for kids this week. 00:00:23.265 --> 00:00:27.000 This can be a very spiritually significant moment in the life of our children. 00:00:27.000 --> 00:00:28.800 I know it was for me. 00:00:28.800 --> 00:00:37.365 I mentioned to someone earlier today that'll go unnamed that, yes, I even attended here as a kid, and they said, we've been doing VBS that long? 00:00:37.365 --> 00:00:41.500 I said, I said, yeah, and longer, even if that's imaginable. 00:00:41.500 --> 00:00:43.600 But it's a great program. 00:00:43.600 --> 00:00:50.165 People from all over this area come and know that it's going to be done well, and that Christ is going to be at the center of everything we do. 00:00:50.165 --> 00:00:55.033 And I'm so grateful for the leadership and so many who pour in time to that. 00:00:55.033 --> 00:00:58.600 Today we're going to continue looking at the seven churches of Revelation. 00:00:58.600 --> 00:01:02.000 We're working our way through these seven churches that are listed. 00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:14.500 We've looked at Ephesus, we've looked at Smyrna. This week we'll look at Pergamum, and there's this study that has occurred in a number of different settings that I think helped set up the theme of this message. 00:01:14.500 --> 00:01:16.200 There's different spins on it. 00:01:16.200 --> 00:01:23.000 The one that came to mind for me was it's presented as, hey, we want to gather a group of people to do some market research. 00:01:23.000 --> 00:01:26.465 We want to get your response to various things and see what you think. 00:01:26.465 --> 00:01:29.865 And so people come, they gather in a room and we'll ask you a series of questions. 00:01:29.865 --> 00:01:31.299 If you agree, stand up. 00:01:31.299 --> 00:01:34.200 If you disagree, just stay seated. 00:01:34.200 --> 00:01:39.500 And so they'll ask questions that are obviously right one way or the other. 00:01:39.500 --> 00:01:40.766 There's no gray area. 00:01:40.766 --> 00:01:42.865 It's super obvious. 00:01:42.865 --> 00:01:49.632 But here's what one person in the room doesn't know that everybody else in there is in on it. 00:01:49.632 --> 00:01:57.465 You know, they pose it as we want to do market research, but really we want to see how one person will react when everyone else acts different than you think they would. 00:01:57.465 --> 00:01:58.799 How will they react? 00:01:58.799 --> 00:02:03.165 Will they go along with what they know to be right, or will they go along with what everyone else is saying? 00:02:03.165 --> 00:02:08.032 And so they'll ask a question like the sky is green. 00:02:08.400 --> 00:02:10.800 If you agree, stand up if you don't stay seated. 00:02:10.800 --> 00:02:15.366 And of course, because they're all in on it, everybody in the room will stand up. 00:02:15.366 --> 00:02:20.265 And then the one person who's not in on it wonders what is going on. 00:02:20.265 --> 00:02:21.265 And in fact, you might. 00:02:21.265 --> 00:02:25.699 I've read studies like this, and when I first started reading them, I thought I wouldn't be me. 00:02:25.699 --> 00:02:27.300 I'd never go along with that. 00:02:27.300 --> 00:02:29.866 I would be the first to say, Y'all are crazy. 00:02:31.400 --> 00:02:33.599 What do you think you would do in that situation? 00:02:33.599 --> 00:02:35.599 They want to see what would people do. 00:02:35.599 --> 00:02:41.665 And a lot of people find themselves going, okay, always thought it was blue, but everybody else thinks it's green. 00:02:41.665 --> 00:02:43.099 Have I missed something? 00:02:43.099 --> 00:02:52.265 And in the study I read in particular, every single person stood up with everyone else who said the sky's clearly green. 00:02:52.265 --> 00:03:03.665 The social pressure to conform can be so overwhelming that even when you think, man, I know this has always been true, but everybody else is saying the opposite is true. 00:03:03.665 --> 00:03:06.900 You go, I guess I gotta I guess I'm the crazy one. 00:03:06.900 --> 00:03:10.832 I guess I've got to go along with what they're saying. 00:03:10.832 --> 00:03:15.000 How do you resist the pressure to conform to the culture? 00:03:15.000 --> 00:03:18.265 Because the pressure is enormous. 00:03:18.400 --> 00:03:20.866 It's gigantic, whether you realize it or not. 00:03:20.866 --> 00:03:22.500 It is all around you. 00:03:22.500 --> 00:03:29.800 And we're going to see in Pergamum five ways that they resisted the pressure or handled the pressure to conform. 00:03:29.800 --> 00:03:35.000 So if you have a Bible, turn to Revelation chapter two, and we're going to read verses 12 through 17. 00:03:35.000 --> 00:03:46.366 And as I read those, if you would stand with me just as of a respect for God's Word, as I read, starting at verse 12, Revelations at the end of your Bible, if you don't have a Bible, we have those out in the lobby. 00:03:46.366 --> 00:03:51.800 You're welcome to grab one Revelation, chapter two, verse 12. 00:03:51.832 --> 00:03:59.633 And to the angel of the church in Pergamum, write the words of him who has the sharp two edged sword. 00:04:00.233 --> 00:04:03.066 I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. 00:04:03.066 --> 00:04:04.832 Yet you hold fast my name. 00:04:04.832 --> 00:04:07.199 And you did not deny my faith. 00:04:07.199 --> 00:04:14.699 Even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was killed among you where Satan dwells. 00:04:14.699 --> 00:04:17.399 But I have a few things against you. 00:04:17.399 --> 00:04:29.466 You have some there who hold the teaching 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 practiced sexual immorality. 00:04:29.466 --> 00:04:34.033 So also you have some who hold the teachings of the Nicolaitans. 00:04:34.300 --> 00:04:37.300 Therefore repent. 00:04:37.300 --> 00:04:43.365 If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. 00:04:43.466 --> 00:04:50.632 He who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches, to the one who conquers. 00:04:51.000 --> 00:05:00.665 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. 00:05:00.665 --> 00:05:02.000 You can be seated. 00:05:06.199 --> 00:05:07.300 Pergamum. 00:05:07.300 --> 00:05:13.865 As we've looked at these various cities, Pergamum is in the same region which is now modern Turkey. 00:05:13.865 --> 00:05:17.165 Western Asia would have been considered at the time. 00:05:17.165 --> 00:05:20.000 And Pergamum has a context. 00:05:20.000 --> 00:05:22.033 Every city has a context. 00:05:22.033 --> 00:05:24.833 And I've written in your notes a couple of those we want to look at. 00:05:24.833 --> 00:05:26.899 There's a political context. 00:05:26.899 --> 00:05:31.233 Pergamum was the Roman capital for the region. 00:05:31.233 --> 00:05:36.033 Of course, Rome went through and conquered a lot of areas and set up their own capitals in certain areas. 00:05:36.033 --> 00:05:43.432 And so even though Ephesus was probably the larger, more influential port city, we talked about it a few weeks ago. 00:05:43.432 --> 00:05:48.500 Pergamum was the political capital, maybe kind of like the difference between Louisville and Frankfort. 00:05:48.500 --> 00:05:53.466 So you've got the big influential city, but you also have the political capital as well. 00:05:54.565 --> 00:05:58.300 You also had the religious context, the cultural context. 00:05:58.300 --> 00:06:04.800 So we already looked at Ephesus and how it had, of course, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the temple to Diana. 00:06:04.800 --> 00:06:09.399 Of course, it was hugely influential in the religious context, but so was Pergamum. 00:06:09.399 --> 00:06:13.632 In fact, one thing that happened interesting with Pergamum, with Smyrna, with Ephesus. 00:06:13.632 --> 00:06:33.199 And if you want to bring the map up and just highlight this reality, these three cities were on the basically on the western coast, and they often vied for the most Roman attention, maybe kind of like whenever the NBA expansion happened many years ago now and a team was up in cities reviewing, can we get an NBA team here? 00:06:33.199 --> 00:06:36.365 You know, Louisville and Memphis kind of came down to two of the finalists. 00:06:36.365 --> 00:06:40.266 And of course, obviously we didn't end up with a pro team, but Memphis did. 00:06:40.266 --> 00:06:42.399 That's because we're similar sized cities. 00:06:42.399 --> 00:06:44.699 Similar interests were revived for the same thing. 00:06:44.699 --> 00:07:00.833 And so in the religious context, many times the emperor would say, we want to put a new temple in a city and the cities would fight over who's going to get it, who's most important, who's going to get the honor of putting up another temple, and usually Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum. 00:07:00.899 --> 00:07:08.432 These three cities were usually in the front leading ranks of who's going to end up with this temple, who's going to be the most important. 00:07:08.432 --> 00:07:11.865 And Pergamum often was the one who received that highest honor. 00:07:11.865 --> 00:07:14.632 So they had a bit of pride about themselves, were important. 00:07:14.632 --> 00:07:16.000 Politically. We're the capital. 00:07:16.000 --> 00:07:17.632 We're important spiritually. 00:07:17.632 --> 00:07:21.065 We get the important new fancy temple here. 00:07:22.233 --> 00:07:25.966 They also had an academic context. 00:07:25.966 --> 00:07:28.000 This shaped the culture as well. 00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:33.432 They had what was the second largest library in all of the ancient world at the time. 00:07:33.432 --> 00:07:35.500 The largest would have been in Alexandria. 00:07:35.500 --> 00:07:38.699 They had something like 200,000 volumes, which is a lot of books. 00:07:38.699 --> 00:07:41.665 That may not sound like a lot for a library. 00:07:41.665 --> 00:07:50.766 I mean, our southwest library has like 120,000 books, you know, but how many of those are kids books with a few pages and and just a few pictures? 00:07:50.766 --> 00:07:51.833 It's a whole different era. 00:07:51.833 --> 00:07:54.266 All those books were handwritten to. 00:07:54.266 --> 00:08:00.100 So to have that many books, I mean, most everyone never even owned a book in their home. 00:08:00.100 --> 00:08:01.065 You couldn't have afford it. 00:08:01.065 --> 00:08:03.100 They were so expensive. 00:08:03.100 --> 00:08:05.233 So they had that as their context as well. 00:08:05.233 --> 00:08:09.565 In fact, this really helped shape the city in significant ways. 00:08:09.565 --> 00:08:16.966 So just a little bit of book history, which I know everyone has been praying, would happen this morning, but just hang with me for a second. 00:08:16.966 --> 00:08:24.632 The main writing material at the time would have been papyrus, which was just reeds from Egypt that were sliced and layered together and glued together. 00:08:24.632 --> 00:08:27.800 But what happened was Egypt said, we're not going to keep shipping these out to everyone else. 00:08:27.800 --> 00:08:29.233 I don't know exactly why they did that. 00:08:29.233 --> 00:08:31.800 I'm guessing it was a power play control play. 00:08:31.800 --> 00:08:36.899 Imagine if someone who had control of all the silicon chips said, yeah, no, not for everyone else anymore. 00:08:36.899 --> 00:08:38.365 Just just me. 00:08:38.365 --> 00:08:42.700 We all have to scramble and figure out what are we going to do? 00:08:42.700 --> 00:08:46.765 How are we going to power our computers, laptops, whatever? 00:08:46.765 --> 00:08:51.166 Well, Pergamum was in this quandary, of course. We've got the biggest library. 00:08:51.166 --> 00:08:52.432 We're trying to create more books now. 00:08:52.432 --> 00:08:54.666 We don't have access to the main writing material we've used. 00:08:54.666 --> 00:08:55.865 What do we do? 00:08:55.865 --> 00:09:01.100 They were the first to really develop the art of crafting what we call parchment, which was just animal skin. 00:09:01.100 --> 00:09:02.066 They would use animal skin. 00:09:02.066 --> 00:09:06.865 And of course, here's what often happens that ended up becoming a much better product. 00:09:06.865 --> 00:09:08.666 It lasts a lot longer. 00:09:08.666 --> 00:09:15.600 I mean, leather lasts longer than grass, so you can imagine they came out better through it. 00:09:15.600 --> 00:09:19.600 The interesting thing is the name Pergamum is actually the Latin word for parchment. 00:09:19.600 --> 00:09:33.600 So their city is really named after a writing material, again highlighting their academic prowess, their academic ability, their commitment to knowledge, to education. 00:09:33.600 --> 00:09:38.365 And so this city had you could say there was a lot of levels of pride within this city. 00:09:38.365 --> 00:09:46.765 There was a lot for them to take pride in, and there was a lot that would influence the culture around them. 00:09:46.765 --> 00:09:55.899 And we have to wonder, how would a church hold up in the midst of that culture, because you also have the Emperor cult. 00:09:56.365 --> 00:10:05.899 Of course, we know that various temples were put there, but also emperors were put up, held up as god, so a lot was crashing down on them. 00:10:07.600 --> 00:10:09.166 How do they respond to all this? 00:10:09.166 --> 00:10:20.033 Let's look back at verse 13 and see how Jesus responds to where the situation in is and what the culture is like there. 00:10:20.033 --> 00:10:20.899 Look at verse 13. 00:10:20.899 --> 00:10:27.000 He says, I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. 00:10:28.100 --> 00:10:30.633 This is how Jesus describes Pergamum. 00:10:30.633 --> 00:10:33.700 This is the place where Satan's throne is. 00:10:33.700 --> 00:10:36.066 And here's the first point in the outline for you to be aware of. 00:10:36.066 --> 00:10:38.832 How do you stand up to the pressure to conform to the culture? 00:10:38.832 --> 00:10:41.166 First, know your situation. 00:10:41.166 --> 00:10:42.865 Know your circumstances. 00:10:42.865 --> 00:10:45.966 Be aware of where you're rooted and seated. 00:10:45.966 --> 00:10:49.000 Don't be naive to all the pressures that are around you. 00:10:49.000 --> 00:10:56.000 And if you grow up in a certain culture, you can come to think that's how it is everywhere, without realizing the things that are right or wrong about the culture. 00:10:56.000 --> 00:10:58.166 You want to be like the men of our first Chronicles. 00:10:58.166 --> 00:10:59.765 We want to be aware of the times. 00:10:59.765 --> 00:11:00.700 Understand the times. 00:11:00.700 --> 00:11:06.466 You want to be a student of the culture around you so that you're not naive and you're aware of what's going on. 00:11:07.899 --> 00:11:11.832 And so this city has a nickname because of the culture around it. 00:11:11.832 --> 00:11:14.966 And a lot of cities have nicknames, right? 00:11:14.966 --> 00:11:15.832 I'll mention a few. 00:11:15.832 --> 00:11:17.633 You tell me if you know what the city is. 00:11:17.633 --> 00:11:19.600 Hopefully the first one is pretty obvious. 00:11:19.600 --> 00:11:22.466 There's the Derby city. 00:11:22.466 --> 00:11:23.066 Louisville, right. 00:11:23.066 --> 00:11:24.600 Good job. You got that one. 00:11:24.600 --> 00:11:27.600 What about the Windy City? 00:11:28.166 --> 00:11:32.566 Chicago, the Big Apple, New York? 00:11:32.566 --> 00:11:34.765 Good. Y'all have left Louisville. 00:11:34.765 --> 00:11:36.633 This is encouraging to see. 00:11:36.633 --> 00:11:37.500 Let's see. 00:11:37.500 --> 00:11:42.399 What about the gateway to the West Saint Louis. 00:11:42.399 --> 00:11:46.432 Good I heard a little more mumbling there like I don't did I take geography or not? 00:11:46.432 --> 00:11:47.466 What. 00:11:47.466 --> 00:11:47.700 Okay. 00:11:47.700 --> 00:11:48.265 Here's one. 00:11:48.265 --> 00:11:49.365 This is in Kentucky. 00:11:49.365 --> 00:11:51.765 This is a city in Kentucky. 00:11:51.765 --> 00:11:54.966 I'll be surprised if anybody knows this, but this is legitimate. 00:11:56.066 --> 00:12:00.966 This is the city known as the barbecued mutton capital of the world. 00:12:01.100 --> 00:12:05.832 Oh my gosh, half of y'all yelled out Owensboro! That's amazing. 00:12:05.832 --> 00:12:10.700 Okay, maybe y'all have a little too much fascination with barbecue. 00:12:10.700 --> 00:12:13.200 I'm guessing there's some of that going on. 00:12:13.200 --> 00:12:14.700 Here's another one. 00:12:14.700 --> 00:12:16.200 Toad suck. 00:12:16.200 --> 00:12:17.765 You heard of that nickname? 00:12:17.765 --> 00:12:20.033 That's actually the name of a city in Arkansas. 00:12:20.033 --> 00:12:22.232 Someone just said that's actually the name of the city. 00:12:22.232 --> 00:12:23.000 That's not a nickname. 00:12:23.000 --> 00:12:24.365 That's the actual name of the city. 00:12:24.365 --> 00:12:26.466 And they have a whole festival around it. 00:12:26.466 --> 00:12:28.700 That explains a lot about Arkansas right there. 00:12:28.700 --> 00:12:31.466 I live there for a while, so it's okay. 00:12:31.466 --> 00:12:34.466 What about this one Sin City? 00:12:37.100 --> 00:12:44.799 And how telling is that that so many new right away, a city called Sin City. 00:12:46.600 --> 00:12:48.299 We went through there one time. 00:12:48.299 --> 00:12:50.966 I won't ask for a show of hands for who's been there. 00:12:50.966 --> 00:12:56.399 We went through once we were driving from Louisville to California. 00:12:56.399 --> 00:13:00.700 We were going to do a mission summer mission trip in Santa Cruz, and I thought, hey, we're going through. 00:13:00.700 --> 00:13:03.100 Let's at least stop. 00:13:03.100 --> 00:13:06.365 And we walk through one of the casinos. 00:13:06.399 --> 00:13:09.399 And I just thought, how depressing. 00:13:10.232 --> 00:13:15.066 I mean, everyone was zoned out, totally focused on their machine or whatever. 00:13:15.066 --> 00:13:23.799 And they looked all of them looked miserable and sad, you know, they they portray it as this amazing place to go and find happiness and joy. 00:13:23.799 --> 00:13:26.000 And everybody looked miserable. 00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:27.765 And I'd heard the food supposed to be great. 00:13:27.765 --> 00:13:29.966 So I thought, let's at least get something to eat before we get out of here. 00:13:29.966 --> 00:13:31.899 The food was terrible. 00:13:31.899 --> 00:13:36.799 I guess when you feel miserable, you can be convinced that anything's good. 00:13:36.799 --> 00:13:39.799 We left there, and I'm never coming. 00:13:40.033 --> 00:13:41.299 Never coming back here. 00:13:41.299 --> 00:13:43.566 I mean, apart from a mission trip or something. 00:13:43.566 --> 00:13:49.399 But it did made me think, man, how big of a challenge do the churches have here to reach this culture? 00:13:50.865 --> 00:14:01.466 All the mega churches are in Dallas, in Houston, but Vegas, I mean, that's a whole much harder place to reach people. 00:14:02.500 --> 00:14:09.200 And Jesus says to a place that is called Satan's throne, he says to them, I know where you are. 00:14:09.832 --> 00:14:11.666 I know where you are. 00:14:11.666 --> 00:14:14.666 I'm aware of what you're facing. 00:14:14.765 --> 00:14:17.232 I know it's not easy. 00:14:17.232 --> 00:14:20.799 I know you have a lot stacked against you. 00:14:20.799 --> 00:14:23.799 I'm not going to leave you alone. 00:14:24.500 --> 00:14:26.500 Be aware of your circumstances. 00:14:26.500 --> 00:14:28.666 Understand your circumstances. 00:14:28.666 --> 00:14:33.365 Be ready to stand up against what the culture is throwing against you. 00:14:33.365 --> 00:14:38.700 Now, why does he use the phrase Satan's throne? 00:14:38.700 --> 00:14:39.466 Why would he use that? 00:14:39.466 --> 00:14:47.765 In particular, I already mentioned the religious context, and so there were a number of significant temples there, all who point back to this idea. 00:14:47.765 --> 00:14:51.232 One of the first ones would be they had a large altar. 00:14:51.232 --> 00:14:53.966 They called it because it was open, built, open, even though it was huge. 00:14:53.966 --> 00:14:57.600 It was probably as big as our sanctuary and altered. 00:14:57.600 --> 00:15:00.966 A Zeus, who was probably the main Greek god. 00:15:00.966 --> 00:15:07.899 And Zeus was known for being able to transform into a serpent when needed to hide or deceive people. 00:15:07.899 --> 00:15:11.666 It was part of his trick of what he could do. 00:15:11.666 --> 00:15:17.633 Also, the second probably most prominent temple there was to a guy named Asclepius. 00:15:17.765 --> 00:15:23.265 And you know who he is, even if you don't know, Asclepius was the Greek god of healing. 00:15:23.265 --> 00:15:27.466 And so his temple was what was probably one of the first versions of an early hospital. 00:15:27.466 --> 00:15:28.633 People would come there to get healed. 00:15:28.633 --> 00:15:32.265 In fact, they would even use the word, they would come there to be saved. 00:15:32.265 --> 00:15:35.066 But look at the picture of Asclepius here. 00:15:35.066 --> 00:15:38.966 This is a picture of a statue of Asclepius. 00:15:38.966 --> 00:15:40.600 And you could see he's got a step. 00:15:40.600 --> 00:15:43.200 But can you tell what's climbing up the staff there? 00:15:44.265 --> 00:15:49.666 A serpent, in fact, this is what the symbol that you'll see. 00:15:49.700 --> 00:15:56.832 Put up that next image in many of our modern medical symbols, this image of healing. 00:15:56.832 --> 00:15:58.700 But of course. 00:15:58.700 --> 00:16:06.399 And by the way, I'm not saying that anyone, if you're in the medical profession and have this patch on you, I'm not saying you're worship and Satan, okay. 00:16:06.399 --> 00:16:08.265 By the way, not saying that at all. 00:16:08.265 --> 00:16:19.166 But in this context, at that time, in that culture, it's an interesting coincidence that he calls them, you live at Satan's throne. 00:16:19.166 --> 00:16:25.633 You're in the place where, at the end of the day, Satan has control over the cultural and religious environment. 00:16:25.633 --> 00:16:29.399 There was an emperor cult as well where people would worship the emperor. 00:16:29.399 --> 00:16:35.100 The emperor would even describe himself as God and Savior use the same words. 00:16:36.299 --> 00:16:40.466 So that's the context in which that's a tough place to be. 00:16:40.466 --> 00:16:44.966 All the pressure around you is saying, these are who we worship. 00:16:45.799 --> 00:16:48.600 Satan's throne. 00:16:48.600 --> 00:16:51.000 Now, how did the church respond to that? 00:16:51.000 --> 00:16:54.000 Look at the second part of verse 13 here. 00:16:54.500 --> 00:16:59.765 He says, I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is, yet you hold fast my name. 00:16:59.765 --> 00:17:02.633 You did not deny my faith. 00:17:02.633 --> 00:17:10.165 Even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness who was killed among you where Satan dwells. 00:17:10.965 --> 00:17:14.465 So first point, be aware of your cultural context. 00:17:14.465 --> 00:17:20.465 But second, you don't have to give in your circumstances. 00:17:20.465 --> 00:17:23.633 Don't demand to compromise, right? 00:17:23.665 --> 00:17:32.465 Just because you live in Vegas or wherever, where the circumstances all around you and the pressure is to conform, you're not required to give in. 00:17:32.465 --> 00:17:37.633 You don't have to give in, even though it feels like everyone around you is saying give in change. 00:17:37.633 --> 00:17:38.432 Go with the norm. 00:17:38.432 --> 00:17:40.766 Conform to the culture. 00:17:40.766 --> 00:17:41.865 You don't have to. 00:17:42.965 --> 00:17:45.965 And Jesus here commends them. 00:17:46.465 --> 00:17:47.965 They stayed steadfast. 00:17:47.965 --> 00:17:50.200 They stayed committed to Christ's name. 00:17:50.200 --> 00:17:58.566 Even in the midst of all that pressure to conform, even in the midst of one of their own being executed for the faith. 00:17:58.566 --> 00:17:59.365 Antipas. 00:17:59.365 --> 00:18:01.833 His name means against all. 00:18:01.833 --> 00:18:06.232 He stood up, against all pressures, against his faith. 00:18:06.232 --> 00:18:08.599 He stood firm. We don't know who he is. 00:18:08.599 --> 00:18:11.099 It's the only mention of him. 00:18:11.099 --> 00:18:12.232 He stood firm. 00:18:12.232 --> 00:18:15.900 He set the example and they stayed firm. 00:18:15.900 --> 00:18:19.665 You don't have to submit to the culture to conform. 00:18:20.599 --> 00:18:23.865 I had a friend who shared a story when he went to college. 00:18:23.865 --> 00:18:30.299 He joined a fraternity, and he went through all the stuff that you do to be a part of the fraternity. 00:18:30.299 --> 00:18:37.432 And the very last step and by the way, none of them knew this, the very last step before they finally say, okay, you're official, you're in is. 00:18:37.432 --> 00:18:40.400 They lined them all up and they started with the first guy. 00:18:40.400 --> 00:18:43.700 They handed him a bottle of champagne, and you said, you got to chug the whole bottle. 00:18:44.665 --> 00:18:50.665 And so of course the first guy does it, the second guy does it, the third guy does it, and some of them are send it right back up. 00:18:50.665 --> 00:18:53.599 You know, it's a lot to take on fourth guy. 00:18:53.599 --> 00:18:59.566 And finally it gets to him and they hand him the bottle and he holds it up and he shouts with excitement. 00:18:59.566 --> 00:19:02.566 And then he just pours it out. 00:19:02.599 --> 00:19:04.766 And of course half of them are cheering. 00:19:04.766 --> 00:19:06.400 Half of them are booing. 00:19:06.400 --> 00:19:10.965 Why are you ruining our a moment our event. 00:19:10.965 --> 00:19:13.700 And he didn't know what that would mean, by the way. 00:19:13.700 --> 00:19:15.566 He was excited to be a part of this fraternity. 00:19:15.566 --> 00:19:18.232 He had two good friends who were down the line from him. 00:19:18.232 --> 00:19:19.665 He didn't know. 00:19:19.665 --> 00:19:20.865 Maybe they're not going to let me in. 00:19:20.865 --> 00:19:23.900 I don't know, but I know I can't be a part of this. 00:19:23.900 --> 00:19:25.066 This isn't right. 00:19:27.700 --> 00:19:29.400 Well, it keeps going down the line. 00:19:29.400 --> 00:19:34.000 Couple more guys, they go ahead, they get the party going again, they follow along, they conform. 00:19:34.000 --> 00:19:39.066 It gets to his two friends who are with him and they do the same as him. 00:19:39.066 --> 00:19:42.066 They hold up the bottle and pour it out. 00:19:42.465 --> 00:19:49.865 And they said, and I've heard them say, you know, I don't know if I would have done that if not for him going first. 00:19:49.865 --> 00:20:00.266 I thought I had to conform, but when I saw his courage, when I saw him take a stand, and of course they end up letting all three of them in the fraternity still. 00:20:00.266 --> 00:20:04.299 And he ended up having a significant ministry influence in that area. 00:20:04.299 --> 00:20:05.700 But here's the here's the thing. 00:20:05.700 --> 00:20:11.500 You don't have to conform to the culture around you, even though everything around you says you better or you're out. 00:20:11.500 --> 00:20:20.599 You know, it might seem like the end of the world if I don't get into that club or if I don't get that job or whatever, you don't have to conform. 00:20:20.599 --> 00:20:23.599 God will work it out. 00:20:24.700 --> 00:20:27.665 And so he commends them. 00:20:27.665 --> 00:20:30.066 But now look what happens real quick. 00:20:30.066 --> 00:20:33.066 Right from that he gives them a warning. 00:20:33.400 --> 00:20:34.766 Yes. You stood firm. Yes. 00:20:34.766 --> 00:20:35.865 But here's a warning. 00:20:35.865 --> 00:20:38.633 Look at verse 14. 00:20:38.633 --> 00:20:41.633 But I have a few things against you. 00:20:41.665 --> 00:20:54.900 You have some there who hold the teaching 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. 00:20:54.900 --> 00:20:59.566 So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 00:21:00.165 --> 00:21:04.365 Here's the third point in terms of how we stand up to the pressure of the culture to conform. 00:21:04.365 --> 00:21:08.400 Number three walk humbly in the midst of success. 00:21:08.400 --> 00:21:11.365 Walk humbly in the midst of success. 00:21:11.365 --> 00:21:12.700 They have had success. 00:21:12.700 --> 00:21:15.400 God is praising Jesus, praising them for standing firm. 00:21:15.400 --> 00:21:18.400 And yet also they've let some other areas slip. 00:21:18.400 --> 00:21:21.066 It's easy to feel like I've got it all figured out. 00:21:21.066 --> 00:21:22.099 I'm doing great. 00:21:22.099 --> 00:21:24.299 And then you find yourself slipping in other areas. 00:21:24.299 --> 00:21:28.465 Don't break your arm trying to pat yourself on the back for how great you're doing. 00:21:29.965 --> 00:21:34.799 Oftentimes, Colby, our student pastor who often helps preach up here as well. 00:21:34.799 --> 00:21:39.833 He's preaching at a camp this week for students before they have their student camp coming up. 00:21:39.833 --> 00:21:41.833 But many times we'll hear a story. 00:21:41.833 --> 00:21:48.700 You'll see him in the news to some well-known pastor or ministry leader, will make poor decisions and have to step away from ministry. 00:21:48.700 --> 00:21:55.432 We'll hear the story, and inevitably, we'll end up in his office or my office talking about it, lamenting. 00:21:55.432 --> 00:22:00.099 Sorry about the situation, sad for the situation, but there's always a moment where we pause and go. 00:22:00.099 --> 00:22:05.232 Some variation of except for the grace of God, there go I. 00:22:05.900 --> 00:22:07.700 I'm no better than that guy. 00:22:07.700 --> 00:22:10.400 I'm not somehow more holy and spiritual. 00:22:10.400 --> 00:22:15.299 I'm not above that kind of sin unless God goes before me, protects me. 00:22:15.299 --> 00:22:21.165 We try to, in the midst of seeing public sin and being aware of it, walk in humility. 00:22:22.400 --> 00:22:26.232 And what happened here with the church in Pergamum? 00:22:26.232 --> 00:22:34.200 For whatever reason, they let it slide in a couple of areas, and specifically it mentions Balaam. 00:22:34.232 --> 00:22:35.799 This is going to take a second to unpack. 00:22:35.799 --> 00:22:36.865 You might remember this story. 00:22:36.865 --> 00:22:40.633 Balaam is the one who was on the donkey, and the donkey talk to him. 00:22:40.633 --> 00:22:41.633 We talked about that. 00:22:41.633 --> 00:22:47.566 If one of your animals talks to you and you talk back, that should be a huge red flag, right? 00:22:47.799 --> 00:22:50.000 You should realize something wrong is going on here. 00:22:50.000 --> 00:22:52.865 But he just kept going with the conversation. 00:22:52.865 --> 00:22:55.865 But the setting there was that Balak. 00:22:55.865 --> 00:23:02.000 Israel had come into his country, and he didn't like that Israel was on their way to populate in the Promised Land. 00:23:02.000 --> 00:23:07.066 This was after in the midst of the Exodus, and Balaam was kind of a prophet for hire. 00:23:07.066 --> 00:23:10.000 You could hire him and he'd come in and curse whoever you wanted. 00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:11.099 Are you paying him enough? 00:23:11.099 --> 00:23:12.633 You're like a politician, right? 00:23:12.633 --> 00:23:13.299 You pay me enough. 00:23:13.299 --> 00:23:14.766 I'll say what you want me to say. 00:23:14.766 --> 00:23:16.865 I'll curse whoever you want. 00:23:16.865 --> 00:23:17.766 Call up Balaam. 00:23:17.766 --> 00:23:18.566 Get him in here. 00:23:18.566 --> 00:23:20.833 We got a curse, the Israelites. 00:23:20.833 --> 00:23:25.766 Balaam comes and he says, let me tell you, for whatever reason, usually I'm all for hire. 00:23:25.766 --> 00:23:26.799 I'm all about the cursing. 00:23:26.799 --> 00:23:29.599 Not this time I've been constrained. 00:23:29.599 --> 00:23:31.833 I can't curse the people of God. 00:23:32.865 --> 00:23:33.799 Balak didn't like that. 00:23:33.799 --> 00:23:36.000 Tried to convince him. 00:23:36.000 --> 00:23:37.299 Ultimately he doesn't. 00:23:37.299 --> 00:23:40.665 As far as we know, he doesn't curse the people on behalf of Balak. 00:23:40.665 --> 00:23:43.665 But however, here's what happened. 00:23:43.700 --> 00:23:46.266 Look back at the passage of what it says. 00:23:46.266 --> 00:23:55.865 Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols, practice sexual immorality. 00:23:55.865 --> 00:24:02.266 And so the inference here, we got to infer a little bit, because when you look back at the story in Numbers, you see how it ends up. 00:24:02.266 --> 00:24:07.099 But the inference here is Balaam said, I can't outright condemn them. 00:24:07.232 --> 00:24:10.066 But let me give you an idea how to mess them up. 00:24:10.066 --> 00:24:12.633 Let me give you an idea how to set them off course. 00:24:12.633 --> 00:24:23.099 And in numbers, chapter 25, it talks about how the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab, and they began to sacrifice to their idols as well. 00:24:25.032 --> 00:24:28.032 Let me just here's how you can do it. 00:24:28.232 --> 00:24:32.599 In fact, there's a quote here in your notes from David Jeremiah. 00:24:32.599 --> 00:24:40.432 It says it this way when Satan couldn't crush the church, he can corrupt it through compromise. 00:24:41.633 --> 00:24:49.766 A lot of times it's it's easier to stand up against an outright attack to your faith, against an obvious temptation to sin. 00:24:49.766 --> 00:24:51.165 That's a lot easier. Many times. 00:24:51.165 --> 00:24:53.599 Not always, but a lot of times it's so obvious. 00:24:53.599 --> 00:24:54.700 You go, hey, that's not for me. 00:24:54.700 --> 00:24:58.665 But the subtle little compromises. 00:24:59.965 --> 00:25:00.799 Dennis Rainey said. 00:25:00.799 --> 00:25:05.232 Life is full of temptations disguised as small choices. 00:25:05.232 --> 00:25:09.299 It's those subtle little compromises, and they don't seem that big a deal. 00:25:09.299 --> 00:25:15.833 And we take a step and you just take another small one, and then there's just another small one. 00:25:15.833 --> 00:25:21.665 And before you've taken so many, before you know it, you don't even know what the core of your faith is anymore. 00:25:21.665 --> 00:25:23.032 It's chipped it away. 00:25:24.965 --> 00:25:30.365 And so with Balaam, he mentions two in particular that they are struggling with. Right. 00:25:31.900 --> 00:25:42.465 eating food sacrificed to idols and practicing sexual immorality, there's two specific areas where they had allowed things to slip. 00:25:42.965 --> 00:25:48.766 And I think a question we have to ask here before we get to those two things. 00:25:48.900 --> 00:25:54.633 Is there any area where you are causing a stumbling block to someone else? 00:25:55.165 --> 00:26:00.665 Sometimes in the church we find ourselves, maybe we're not getting our way or in relationships or friendships. 00:26:00.665 --> 00:26:10.232 So I'm going to find a workaround to get them to do the thing I want, or to get them to stumble or to set them off course. 00:26:11.432 --> 00:26:17.232 This is a good moment to do a little self-reflection and ask God, is there any way I am acting like a Balaam? 00:26:18.833 --> 00:26:19.566 Instead? 00:26:19.566 --> 00:26:22.465 As church members, we need to be building one another up. 00:26:22.465 --> 00:26:28.400 And if we have differences going to one another and seeing, how can that draw us closer together and cause unity? 00:26:28.400 --> 00:26:32.633 And I think this church, for the most part, does a great job of that. 00:26:32.633 --> 00:26:40.400 I've seen it over and over again, where people who are at odds through that difference drew closer together. 00:26:41.900 --> 00:26:45.400 Jesus gives them one action point here. 00:26:45.500 --> 00:26:46.566 What do you do? 00:26:46.566 --> 00:26:51.599 How do you continue to fight the temptation to conform to the culture? 00:26:52.833 --> 00:27:02.900 Look in the next verse, verse 16, therefore one word repent, repent. 00:27:02.900 --> 00:27:08.165 If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. 00:27:08.165 --> 00:27:10.766 The simple command is just to repent. 00:27:10.766 --> 00:27:15.432 In fact, that word showed up in Ephesus as well. 00:27:15.700 --> 00:27:18.200 I know your deeds. Repent. 00:27:18.200 --> 00:27:21.965 Repent just means simply turn around, which is real important. 00:27:21.965 --> 00:27:25.000 It's not just stop, of course stop. 00:27:25.165 --> 00:27:28.700 But if you're walking towards the edge of a cliff, yes, you need to stop. 00:27:28.700 --> 00:27:33.066 But we also want you to turn around and back up far away from it. 00:27:33.066 --> 00:27:36.766 Don't just stay on the edge of temptation. Repent. 00:27:36.766 --> 00:27:38.500 Turn around. 00:27:38.500 --> 00:27:39.965 Go the right direction. 00:27:39.965 --> 00:27:41.833 Stop going the wrong direction. 00:27:46.200 --> 00:27:57.500 And so I think this is an important point to also ask in what ways have you allowed compromise in the areas of sexual immorality and idolatry? 00:27:57.599 --> 00:28:06.833 The very things that the church in Pergamum was wrestling with, that they had allowed to creep in even though they were standing firm? 00:28:06.833 --> 00:28:10.833 We won't worship Asclepius, we won't worship Zeus, we won't worship the inverse. 00:28:10.833 --> 00:28:17.365 But in their practices, they didn't look all that different than some who did. 00:28:17.365 --> 00:28:19.432 You got to ask yourself, how do I look? 00:28:19.432 --> 00:28:22.500 Just the same as everyone else around me who doesn't claim Christ? 00:28:22.500 --> 00:28:26.165 Will people look at my life and see a difference? 00:28:27.200 --> 00:28:28.665 That's a hard question. 00:28:28.665 --> 00:28:33.799 That's even as I'm saying that I don't really like hearing it myself. 00:28:35.633 --> 00:28:38.900 What ways have you allowed sexual immorality to creep into your life? 00:28:38.900 --> 00:28:40.700 Is it in a relationship? 00:28:40.700 --> 00:28:45.865 Is it someone at work that you spend just a little bit longer talking to than you should? 00:28:49.599 --> 00:28:51.432 Is it something you're looking at online? 00:28:51.432 --> 00:28:58.000 And maybe it's not outright evil, but it's on the line and you've convinced yourself it's okay. 00:28:58.000 --> 00:29:01.000 It's not that bad. 00:29:03.000 --> 00:29:04.099 Or what about idolatry? 00:29:04.099 --> 00:29:05.799 That's a harder one for us. 00:29:05.799 --> 00:29:07.165 What are you worshiping? 00:29:07.165 --> 00:29:10.400 What have you put before Christ in your life? 00:29:10.400 --> 00:29:16.266 If about anything you say, if I don't have that, I don't have life. 00:29:17.266 --> 00:29:20.266 You've put that before Christ. 00:29:20.500 --> 00:29:24.766 It could be a family member, a relationship, a job. 00:29:24.766 --> 00:29:27.766 It could be money, status. 00:29:29.299 --> 00:29:33.665 You know, probably know what it is. 00:29:33.766 --> 00:29:35.200 Repent. 00:29:35.200 --> 00:29:40.299 Let this be the day where you repent of those we say no longer. 00:29:40.299 --> 00:29:42.099 Do whatever it takes. 00:29:42.099 --> 00:29:45.099 Do whatever it takes. 00:29:49.000 --> 00:29:59.032 And then lastly, we have the fifth way that you stand firm in the midst of the pressure to conform, the overwhelming pressure to conform. 00:29:59.900 --> 00:30:01.165 Look at verse 17. 00:30:01.165 --> 00:30:07.766 He who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches, to the one who conquers. 00:30:07.766 --> 00:30:17.000 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. 00:30:17.000 --> 00:30:20.900 Here's the last way you stand up to the pressure to conform. 00:30:20.900 --> 00:30:23.900 Hold on to the promise of life. 00:30:24.700 --> 00:30:27.066 Hold tightly to the promise of life. 00:30:27.066 --> 00:30:36.599 Because it can feel like in the midst of that pressure to conform, it can feel like when you're pouring out the bottle or whatever it means for you, it can feel like life is now over. 00:30:36.599 --> 00:30:38.665 This is the end for me. 00:30:38.665 --> 00:30:42.900 I thought I would find hope and joy in this thing and now it's over. 00:30:43.165 --> 00:30:46.165 But there is the promise of life. 00:30:46.200 --> 00:30:48.432 He mentions two things here in particular. 00:30:48.432 --> 00:30:51.099 He says the hidden manna. 00:30:51.099 --> 00:30:56.232 And that's a reference back to Exodus chapter 15, which is in unit 16, in your notes. 00:30:57.333 --> 00:31:06.066 What happened is when they brought the Ark of the covenant into the temple, at first they also put a few items in it so that they would be remember what God had done on their behalf. 00:31:06.066 --> 00:31:09.066 One of them was a jar full of manna. 00:31:09.299 --> 00:31:11.333 Hide the manna in the ark. 00:31:11.333 --> 00:31:15.066 We will always have it with us as a remembrance of God's provision. 00:31:15.066 --> 00:31:27.400 And of course, we know at the feeding of the 5000, I am the bread of life, a direct contrast to the bread Moses provided temporary passing here for a day gone. 00:31:27.400 --> 00:31:29.333 Jesus says, I am the bread of life. 00:31:29.333 --> 00:31:31.700 I am where you will find real life. 00:31:31.700 --> 00:31:35.333 And so don't eat the meat sacrificed to idols, which means you go hungry. 00:31:35.333 --> 00:31:41.299 But ultimately you're going to find full satisfaction in me. 00:31:42.099 --> 00:31:44.766 Also, he mentions the white stone. 00:31:44.766 --> 00:31:48.032 I will give him a white stone with a new name written on the stone. 00:31:48.032 --> 00:31:58.200 So at this time, whenever there was an election per se, when you entered into the arena where the election would partake, this didn't happen everywhere, but many times it was this custom. 00:31:58.200 --> 00:32:00.032 When you walked in, you would be given. 00:32:00.032 --> 00:32:12.766 In fact, the word translated here as stone most often was translated as pebble or vote, and you would often be given a small white pebble. 00:32:12.799 --> 00:32:14.599 This was your entrance ticket. 00:32:14.599 --> 00:32:17.500 This signified you're a citizen, you belong. 00:32:17.500 --> 00:32:19.432 You can place a vote. 00:32:19.432 --> 00:32:24.400 And then when it came time to place a vote, you would drop that pebble. 00:32:24.400 --> 00:32:28.000 And if you were for it, if not, you would retain it. 00:32:28.000 --> 00:32:29.566 You would hold on to it. 00:32:30.566 --> 00:32:45.232 And so the imagery here is that Jesus, and this may sound maybe two reductionist, but Jesus has called you in as a citizen and says, you are a part and you are mine. 00:32:46.500 --> 00:32:53.299 In fact, on that stone, it's not just a generic one I give to whoever I put a new name on there. 00:32:53.299 --> 00:33:07.432 Oftentimes when people maybe like the pope or historically kings, when they enter into that role, they say, I'm taking on a new name because I'm going, I'm setting up myself as this is a whole new life that I'm establishing. 00:33:07.833 --> 00:33:10.032 I had a friend, I remember him sharing this story with me. 00:33:10.032 --> 00:33:15.865 He had come to Christ and he had lived a life, a crazy life, drugs, fighting. 00:33:16.566 --> 00:33:21.299 And he was in the courtyard on campus and watching a friend of his preach. 00:33:21.299 --> 00:33:24.099 And a guy came up and just started yelling at him. 00:33:24.099 --> 00:33:27.566 And he said to the guy, hey, man, you know, what's the deal? 00:33:27.566 --> 00:33:28.865 Settle down. 00:33:28.865 --> 00:33:41.066 And this guy started into my friend, and my friend said, let me tell you a week earlier, I would have ripped this guy's head off, but Christ had changed me. 00:33:41.066 --> 00:33:44.700 He had given me a new name, and I knew I can't act that way anymore. 00:33:44.700 --> 00:33:46.333 And by the way, I don't have to. 00:33:46.333 --> 00:33:48.432 I don't have to react. 00:33:48.432 --> 00:33:57.900 I can pray, I wanted to, but I don't have to because my name is in Christ and my name is Christian. I follow Jesus. 00:33:57.900 --> 00:34:03.400 And so he turned to that guy and said, hey man, it's going to be all right. 00:34:03.400 --> 00:34:05.633 It's going to be okay. 00:34:05.633 --> 00:34:08.632 And just deescalate it. 00:34:10.166 --> 00:34:12.965 If you know Christ, you have that new name. 00:34:12.965 --> 00:34:15.300 You know that you act different than you used to. 00:34:15.300 --> 00:34:18.865 Even when you want to revert, you still know I can't. 00:34:18.865 --> 00:34:20.199 I'm new in Christ. 00:34:20.199 --> 00:34:21.465 He's changed you. 00:34:21.465 --> 00:34:25.000 How many of you have experienced that change like we've seen this morning? 00:34:25.000 --> 00:34:26.565 The baptisms. 00:34:26.565 --> 00:34:28.199 Man, praise the Lord. 00:34:28.199 --> 00:34:31.500 You don't have to live in your own ways anymore. 00:34:33.266 --> 00:34:37.500 Thank you Jesus for the way that you have changed our lives. 00:34:38.333 --> 00:34:41.965 Thank you for these ten people who were baptized today. 00:34:41.965 --> 00:34:44.300 I pray they would walk in the newness of that. 00:34:44.300 --> 00:34:51.266 The joy of that, the power, the victory, the new citizenship in heaven. 00:34:51.632 --> 00:34:57.400 And I pray this week when these children, we have over 200 kids already signed up. 00:34:57.766 --> 00:34:59.900 Man, God, would you work in their lives this week? 00:34:59.900 --> 00:35:10.400 Would we see them come to know you at a young age and walk faithfully with you for a lifetime to avoid so many of the harms of sin that many have had to experience. 00:35:10.400 --> 00:35:12.300 Would you stir this week? 00:35:12.300 --> 00:35:16.000 Would we see many more baptisms in the coming weeks? 00:35:17.166 --> 00:35:18.666 Thank you Jesus for this church. 00:35:18.666 --> 00:35:24.032 Help us to stand firm in the midst of this culture to fight for faithfulness. We love you. 00:35:25.565 --> 00:35:28.565 Amen.