Feb. 09, 2025

Background:

• The way that some dress, speak, and dance forgets the holy righteousness of God
• They have forgotten about keeping things holy and righteous
• They have compromised and given up
• Worldliness is being more concerned with the worldly things than spiritual things
• Since believers are not part of the world system, we must not act as if we were
• The world loves its own, but if you are different, then the world will not love you...the Lord chose us (John 15:19)
• We are to be separated from the world in speech and appearance
• Don't be a friend of the world and an enemy of God (Romans 12:2; James 4:4)

Key Sermon Points:

1. The destination of the letter

• Pergamos was a city and famous for a library
• The church of Pergamos failed to heed against warnings of worldliness
• Pergamos means tower or elevation
• Each local church is married to Christ and must be kept pure (2 Corinthians 11:1-4)

2. The description of the Lord

• A sharp two-edge sword (Hebrews 4:12)
• The Word of God is a sword and able to judge the intent and the heart
• Jesus is coming as a Judge about to execute judgment
• The Pergamos church was facing imminent judgment
• God is serious about keeping the church holy and pure

3. Jesus diagnoses of the church

• Despite their circumstances, some of the believers were faithful to Jesus
• Jesus recognized that
• Some of the believers were mingling in the world
• Satan's throne could be the city (2 Corinthians 4:4)
• It's hard to live where sin is all around, but some kept themselves separated & held fast to the Word of God and Jesus
• It is not easy to be able to stand firm in the midst of people on you and mocking you

4. The concern Jesus had

• Some held false teaching
• There were people that believed in false doctrine (ie. a false church in the real church)
• Many Christians today make lite of doctrine (the truth and who God is)
• They tolerated what was happening in the church and refused to exercise church discipline
• They became a stumbling block
• Balak was a prophet for hire, who was hired to curse God's people...but God would bless those that Balak tried to curse
• Some tainted the blood by intermingling with Moabite women...and thus they had a divided heart
• They were sexually immoral and serving idols
• To say nothing is to be part of the problem!
• We have to make a choice: we have to stand for right and righteousness
• The church didn't discipline and thus shared in the guilt
• We all have a sin problem
• The Nicolaitans were giving people a license to sin, which God hates

5. A warning and a promise from Christ

• The only remedy is repentance, to change one's mind and behavior
• To turn from sin and turn toward God
• Repentance must happen for forgiveness to take place
• God gave them grace to repent
• Those who live for Christ will give them power to overcome and something special that will stand fast and hold to his name
• We must be married to Christ and not the world
• We must stand for right and righteousness!
• When we fail to discipline, then God will
• We should not compromise, but remain steadfast