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okay take your Bibles this morning and turn to Revelation we’re looking at Revelation 2 verse 12-1 17 as we move through this great book that is more up to date than tomorrow we could learn many things that the Lord wants us to know about how to live in the world that we live in no matter how crazy it gets let’s pray Lord this morning as we come to your word we thank you that we have the privilege of having your word of being able to read it hear it preached study it carry it around with us and I pray Lord that we would never ever take that for granted and I just pray Lord that not just carrying your word and reading your word but actually getting an understanding of your word so it applies to our our everyday life so Lord your goal for us we know by the spirit of God is to for us to live holy and godly in the middle of a perverse and crooked generation and I pray that you would enable us to do that that we would be the lightbearers that we would be the ones who would be the Witnesses in our families and on our jobs and in our communities and even in our churches so Lord the the light never gets diminished and people are always drawn to Jesus Christ for real genuine salvation and real conversion and brought into the family of God and made new by the spirit of God and by the word of God God I pray that for us as a church and Lord to always remind us who we are and I pray this in Christ’s name Amen Let me just read the passage this morning in Revelation 2 verse 12-1 17 it says in the angel and to the angel of the church in pergamum right the one who has the sharp two-edged sword says this I know where you dwell where Satan’s Throne is and you hold fast my name and did not deny my faith even in the days of antibus my witness my faithful one who was killed among you where Satan dwells but I have a few things against you because you have there are some who hold the teaching of balum who keep teaching Balo to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel to eat things sacrifice to idols and to commit acts of immorality so you also have some who in the same way hold to the teaching of the nicians therefore repent or else I am coming to you quickly and I will make 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 him who overcomes to him I will give some of the Hidden mana and I will give him a white stone and a new name written on the stone which is which no one knows but he who receives it now in this passage of scripture we come to a place and remember that that Jesus is standing in the first chap three chapters of Revelation in the middle of his church and he’s talking to his church he’s evaluating the church and he’s giving accurate judgment to the state of the church as we saw in chapter 1 verse number 20 it says As for the mystery of the Seven Stars which you saw in my right hand and the Seven golden lampstands the Seven Stars are the Angels of the seven churches and the Seven lampstands are the seven churches so Jesus Christ is the head and Sovereign over his church and as head he walks among the lampstands you didn’t know that Jesus W walked among the churches do you to evaluate to see how they’re doing and he holds the Seven Stars The Messengers or the elders the leaders of the churches in his right hand so the the lampstand represents the church so there is a is a revelation from God concerning the church and he says the church is like a lamp stand the lampstand holds the light so the church holds the light and shares the light in the area that local church actually sits and the one great mission of the church is to share the light you’re going to hear the Lord say if you don’t bear the light then I will remove the lampstand if you look at the verse five of Revelation Chapter 2 it says or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place so the lampstand that’s the mission to Bear the light and the gold is the value Christ died for the church the church is valuable to him you are valuable to Christ and we know that the the seven is always a symbol of uh the Church of Jesus Christ that constitutes uh local bodies and and of course the number seven represents a completion so that here in all these seven churches it really represents the entire church so he’s talking about the whole Church of Jesus Christ whose main mission is to share the light so Jesus says to the Apostle John John I would like to speak to the church and when when you get get it John then give it to the churches give the message to the churches and so Jesus is talking to his church so that they as lightbearers can fulfill their mission in these latter days until the end so this Lord’s day we proceed to the second warning but the third Church so turn with me of course you should be in your Bibles now in chapter 2 verse number 12 it says to the angel of the church in pergam right now it’s important to have some background information when we consider uh the Church of pamman we have to know where people live what’s going on where they live the city of pergamum means parchment uh this is where of course parchment was manufactured and pergamin was one really one of the largest libraries in that part of the world apart from the library in Alexandria it was the official capital of Roman province of Asia for two and a half centuries and of course it was 7even miles north of samarina and an early geographer named strabo called this area of peram the richest land in myia in that Asia Minor it was a natural position of strength combined with its religious significance as a temple site so it was a desirable place to store wealth it was a very wealthy City and in fact and usually its wealth was used to build temples and altars to Greek gods the shrines of Esopus is there that was the noted God of healing and health and attracted many uh people to that Empire not only to uh observe and worship but also to study medicine and of course we know that particular symbol is also used today under umen um yenus pergam uh really attained the height of power and Glory he stru he constructed the altar of Zeus which stood on a hill 800 feet high and above the city it could be seen for miles and it it is an image of an altar and if you notice in verse number 13 of chapter 2 it says where Satan’s Throne is especially since pergamum was the chief Center of worship for the four greatest pagan gods Zeus Athena dianus and Esopus however it may be that in Revelation it is also referring to that in pergam it was the center of Emperor Worship in Asia at that time that means that if you consider that that if Satan’s Throne is there that means he picked that place to set up camp that he already captured the religious institutions and the political institutions so he is in full control of what’s going on there in pergamum so pergamus was really fam is for the worship of the god of healing and it had a center four Healing Arts the center had a medical school and trained celebrated Physicians throughout history and of course here the god Esopus Esopus was worshiped and the idol Esopus was shaped like a serpent a symbol still used of course in the medical profession today now I’m giving this background information because it is directly related to the second warning given to this church and the second warning is this don’t compromise with the world don’t let the C culture press the church into its thinking or into it into Its Behavior that’s the message compromise have you ever thought of compromise I heard a story once of compromise and the story went like this a man started in a fishing business and he hung a sign out of his business and the sign said fresh fish for sale today he invited his friends to the opening they all congratulated him on the Enterprise but one suggested his sign might be improved and said and he said why today of course it’s today not yesterday or tomorrow so the man of the fishing business removed the word a second said why for sale everybody knows that you have a store that sells fish so we they know it’s for sale so he removed that word another complain why the word fresh your integrity guarantees every fish to be fresh and finally only fish remained on the sign but the objector says why the sign I smell your fish two blocks away see the church that tries to satisfy everybody ends up by pleasing nobody in fact the world expects the church to be different when the church is just like it they says oh okay but when the church is different they expect that so put your sign up and stand by it compromise is trying to satisfy everyone but when it comes to truth especially the word of God you must put up the sign of Truth and stand by it however that is not an easy thing to do especially when we live in a society where truth is very much in question everybody has their own truth and every truth is seems to be as valid as the next person’s truth well that can’t be true there’s only one truth matter of fact there’s only one truth in everything else is a lie everything else is false but still a Christian has to hold to the the truth and stand by it now I want you to be aware how much influence the culture the culture actually has upon the church so at least you can examine how the world and its culture demands can it actually press itself on the church and even get into the church and become part of the thinking of the church and so now the Lord is examining this church and so let’s look first at as the Lord is using the same outline in all these churches let’s look at the character Christ character highlighted highlighted in verse number 12 notice what it says the Church of pergamum to the one who has the sharp two-edged sword says this so what does that mean here that means that Jesus Christ is the judge in this instance that Jesus is the one with the great sword this two-edged sword the sword of his mouth symbolizes the judg that can come when he speaks the word the church was facing a sobering examination from King Jesus and in this case the church was toying with the world and as a result religious compromise immoral sinful practices entered into the church and became normal in the church the word of God the Bible says here is a sword it is a weapon weon both of on the offense and the defense it is in the hand of God able to slay both sin and sinner it is a sharp sword that means that no heart so hard that it cannot cut it it can divide aunder between Soul and Spirit as it says in Hebrews its sharpness is the symbol of omnipotent power which will devour the Lord’s enemy when it descends in judgment also the Bible says the sword is two-edged it turns and cuts every way there is an edge of the law against the transgressor and there is the the edge of the Gospel against the the despiser and there is an edge to make a wound and an edge to open in a Fester wound in order to cause healing there is no escaping the edge of the sword of the Lord Jesus Christ if you turn the side to the right hand it has an edge on that side if you turn to the left hand you fall under the edge of the sword on that side it turns every single way the word of God cannot be escaped that’s the point Point either it will cut to save or it will cut for judgment so the sword for the faithful because there’s two groups in this church there’s the faithful group and there is the Unfaithful group The Sword for the faithful group inspires courage and trust and it dispels fear that they would be under the Judgment of that sword but for the Unfaithful now these are people in the church claiming to be Christians claiming to believe in Jesus claiming to follow him well for the Unfaithful the sword presses them to repent because they were more in tune with the world’s system and the culture under the power of the evil one than hearing and holding to the word of God God so that is the character highlighted here before we look at the Commendation to the church and this is the next thing in verse number 13 what is the Commendation well Jesus really gives a two-fold commendation so Commendation for some of the faithful because remember some are not Jesus is faithful to his faithful ones and he’s faithful to them right where they live wherever they live and notice what it says in verse 13 I know where you dwell I know where you dwell you have to consider that Jesus knows who you are he knows where you live he knows where you dwell and Jesus knows what you’re facing and he knows it with an intimate knowledge now where does the church reside it says in verse number 13 I know where you dwell where Satan’s Throne is so the Lord knows it is a very hard to live for him as Lord where there is direct satanic opposition against Believers the Lord knows that and the church was sit situated in a very dangerous environment Satan’s Throne was there and probably referred to pergamum as the chief Center of worship for for the top gods of that time Satan dominated and influenced the city he considered it his ruling throne and say established himself at pergamum as a permanent resident Satan did not simply reside in pergam him uh his seed of power for nothing his power was active so that he can actually rule as king and his rule was active in both the religious realm and the political realm which is he’s doing today too he’s very active in the religious realm matter of fact that’s where he deceives the most because truth supposedly is supposed to be being dispelled to people and of course the political realm we can all see that happening crazy stuff going on today he’s behind all of it so that’s his mode of operation to and his goal is this to get people to worship him instead of the true and living God to follow what he says and not what the Lord says and if you can get the church to do it well the world is no problem and you know what does he get the church to do it yes so in other words we have to be strong and and faithful to the word of God and to the truth and we can conclude that these Christians were directly up against Satanic opposition and they knew it now how would you respond how would you respond how do how do we respond now in the in the day in which we live well these Believers did respond and they’re a good example for us today so here’s the positive Commendation this is what they are doing right in other words and this is good and right for all Christians in all ages and here’s the first first Commendation notice verse number 13 that Christians must be faithful where they live to defend Christ’s name notice what it says you hold fast my name so another words they kept holding to the correct teaching about Christ to hold fast jesus’ name included the Revelation by which Jesus Christ was made known and by faith believed in in which the believer constitutes the desire to follow Jesus and confess him as Lord for the rest of their life that’s the cost of being a Believer it’s not popular it’s going to become less popular to be a believer so to hold fast God’s name means not to pollute it or to defame it or to profane it now how does one actually pollute to fame profane the name of God well by living an ungodly Life by living an immoral idolatrous life that compromises with every novel teaching blowing through the world oh we accept everybody we accept everything you believe just come just come and we accept you now the question would be is God concerned about his name now he expects his church to be concerned about his name but what happens or how does God think when we’re not concerned about his name because we’re not living a Godly life and a holy life and continuing to hold to truth well I want you to take your Bibles real quick go to Ezekiel chapter 36 and I want you to notice something in in Ezekiel this is in incredible because God’s people Israel was supposed to do something you know what they were supposed to do they were supposed to live before the other nations in a way that honored God that’s what they were supposed to do isn’t that what we’re supposed to do today if we’re going to be lightbearers that’s what we’re we’re supposed to do notice in Ezekiel 36: 21-23 notice what it says I can’t give you the whole history behind this but God called the nation his people to live in a way before the Nations and they didn’t do it look what it says in Ezekiel chapter 36: 21 but I had concern for my holy name which the house of Israel had profaned among the Nations where they went verse 22 therefore say to the house of Israel thus says the Lord God it is not for your sake oh House of Israel that I am about to act but for my Holy Name which you have profane among the Nations where you went I will vindicate the Holiness of my great name which has pro has been profaned among the Nations which you have profaned in their midst then then the Nations will know that I am the Lord declares the Lord God when I prove myself holy among you in their sight so what did what didn’t they do they didn’t live for God they didn’t do what the Lord said and God was giving him everything so that would take place they didn’t do it so the question is is God concerned about his name emphatically yes he is but he wants his people to be concerned about his name by the way they live so a faithful Christian represents the true and living God in the place where they live by living a different life a different life of Hope Holiness and adhering to sound Biblical teaching that honors the lord’s name in thought in speech in Word In Deed in lifestyle can’t have two things going on as a Believer you got to be the same all the time not perfect but the same heading in the direction to want to honor God and honor his name and wherever you go you honor his name so that means where where you go I can’t do what other people do I can’t speak the way they do I can’t pursue what they do so I may lose out on some things some may may you but you know what that’s what God wants us to do and that’s what makes us different and believe me the world wants us to be different not in a direct way but in an indirect way they expect us in other words to be different oh you’re a Christian oh oh then you read the Bible oh yes of course do you go to church every single Sunday and Worship the Lord oh yes I do that do you witness to people oh yes I’m starting to witness to people are you Faithful in your family are you being a a better husband now that you’re with Christ or a better wife now that you’re with the Lord are you raising your kids to love and uh know the Lord and teach them the ways of the word of God are you doing those things yes I’m doing those things but if the world detects you’re not doing them they won’t believe you and if you’re not doing them God knows you’re not doing that see being different God is commending the church for being different for holding fast his name but there’s a second Commendation notice in verse number 13 the first one of course Christians must be faithful where they live to defend Christ’s name secondly Christians must be faithful in their witness notice what it says and you did not deny my faith so under tremendous pressure they did not deny the essential gospel message that Jesus Christ is Savior and Lord and He is the master of my life now that Jesus is God the pre-existent Son of God who became flesh who dwelt Among Us at a fixed point in real history and then in his love he demonstrated on the cross for Sinners died in their place took the wrath of God for them satisfi the Justice of the father and then ascended to the father and now in heaven seated at the right hand of the father he’s praying for his church he’s preparing a place for us that where he is we may go and he’s ready to come back and get the church see this testimony that they were saying they were saying this your gods are not Lord and your Emperor is not the Lord but Jesus Christ Alone is the Lord not only do I profess that I witness that every day in my life so they stood true that Emperor worship was false and that the reality was that Satan wanted people to worship him through all these other means and not Christ himself so they continued to say curios Yus which means simply Jesus is Lord see they were saying yes to God’s rule yes I’m willing and I want to be ruled by the Lord that’s what I want in my life my faith means in in the the phrase here in the passage means the faithful Christian did that faithful Christians did not deny the doctrine of Christ even under the threat of holding to Christ could mean death you see see the threat looming over them in this church was if you continue to hold to Christ as Lord then you could lose your occupation you can lose not only OCC your occupation your wealth you can lose your family and yes you can lose your very life that Christians are not to compromise the truth to accommodate to the culture and to the pressure of the world systems and and I even include this to the pressure of the Neo Christian the new Christian and the new Christian they have emerged today from those who set aside scripture or twist or redefine scripture to accommodate cultural Trends let’s redefine it so it makes it easier to take can’t do that can’t do that right and yet people do it right it’s happening all the time in the world compromisers tend to be open-minded that’s what they say they tend to be Progressive they tend to be tolerant but I tell you what they’re not tolerant and tell them the truth and they’ll be in your face screaming at you while you’re such a narrow-minded person because you hold to the truth but you know what that’s all right that’s all right because if you know the truth they can say anything and do anything it’s not going to change your position with Christ it’s not going to change your destiny it’s not going to change uh anything at all with your relationship with the Lord and that’s the most important thing even if they take your life now we don’t necessarily live in with a thought that maybe I can die for Christ today but these people did and there may come a time that I don’t think it’s too far to think that may happen it’s happening in other countries and in the world that more Christians are being martyred today than ever in human history and we hear nothing about it nothing about it is it coming here I believe it is so Christians are not the compromise and notice the example that’s given in verse number 13 look at the example here’s an example of faithfulness in a hard place if you look at the end of verse number 13 their Pastor was killed for his faithful witness for Christ he was not willing to tolerate or compromise the church’s testimony to Bear the light and the true message of the gospel of Christ notice what it says that even in the days of anpus my witness my faithful one who was killed among you where Satan dwells you think Satan wants to kill Believers you better believe he does you better and if he could he would but the Lord notice the Lord didn’t stop this martyrdom he didn’t stop it and why didn’t he stop it because Antipas had an eternal perspective on life he knew where he was going in fact when you when you think of it what does the what does the Bible say about how God looks at death what does he say in Psalms precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Godly ones why they’re going to be with him they’re going to be out of this world out of this mess all right and then also in Revelation when we get there it says and I heard the voice from Heaven saying in Revelation 14:13 write blessed are the Dead who are in the Lord from now on yes says the spirit so that they may rest from their labors for their deeds follow with them see in other words that for me to live as Christ is what to die is gain that that that that that thinking is not from the world that thinking is from the Holy Spirit from the word of God see that’s the way we think we have an eternal perspective on life we know where we’re going I pray you know where you’re going when you die whether it’s today or tomorrow or 10 years or 100 years from now Christ himself in fact in scripture is called the faithful martus the faithful witness and where did his faithful witness lead to a cross on C on Calvary to die in our place so to those who are faithful to him he gives nothing less than his own name to them that’s what he does what we can glean from this portion of scripture is that culturally often the the culture often tests our faith and to what we believe and how we live also many of the pressures of life come from Satan himself and remember this that he we a web within cultural structures and ideologies with the intention of being a stumbling block to Believers that’s what he does and believe me he is good at it he is good at it we have to be good at the word of God we have to be better at the word of God and know what he’s doing so some in the church because of the cultural pressures we’re doing the opposite and we’re saying no to the rule of God our own culture accommodates this thinking and the result has been it has not just thrown God out of about everything but this satanic system working in the mystery of iniquity behind the scenes has gagged and bound him and has said to him we will not conform to your natural and spiritual Norms like family and gender and religion and morality you are not Lord and Master Of Our Lives we are master of our own life and that philosophy is called cultural relativism see usually when it comes to morals it is the moral code of of a society that determines whether a certain action is right and wrong usually it is held that there is no moral truths or Universal truths that hold for all people at all times everywhere so then that means that it would be arrogant for us to judge the conduct of other people instead we we should adopt an attitude of Tolerance toward the practice of other cultures the mindset often expects and sometimes even demands that Christians be tolerant while they themselves are intolerant and often very hostile when others don’t agree with their lifestyle choices see without Brethren without the standard set by the one who is all wise and loving and all powerful then in reality one cannot know what is right and wrong for everyone until Because unless they follow God’s standard and God’s standard because he is the creator his standard is for everyone at all times everywhere and for the followers of of Christ it’s not merely merely a theory instead it’s really a true standard to live by our standard is the authoritative the inherent the infallible the trustworthy word of God which gives us Timeless and Universal principles to live by the word of God is God breathed religious and and social and cultural views moral views change from generation to generation from year to year from day to day see Jesus Christ had a serious complaint against this church because some were holding instead of the true doctrine of Christ which leads always to practical Holiness and a Godlike lifestyle some were holding to a false doctrine of Christ which was manifest in their Unholy and ungodly lifestyle see true Doctrine true doctrine that rises from the word of God by the Holy Spirit always leads in the direction of a holy life always leads in the direction of a Godly life it never leads out of that it leaves into it in fact in in the Epistle of Ephesians what does it say there it says we’re we’re chosen for salvation and for Holiness we are elect before the foundation of the world that we would be holy and blameless so we’re elected to be holy we’re not elected to Believe In Christ and then go live our life any way we want into moral immoral conduct and just do anything and believe anything we want and accept everything no we don’t do that we honor the Lord we hold to his name we hold to the doctr true Doctrine that’s what we do as Christians that’s what the Lord is commending in the church but notice back in your Bibles in Revelation chapter 2 verse 14 and 15 here’s the criticism and condemnation that the Lord has towards his church notice what it says in verse 14 but I have a few things against you a few things against you we’ll look at those in a moment that means the state of the church is that they were tolerating two groups of Heretics those who hold to the teaching of balum and the Nicolo nicians notice what it says in verse number 14 behold these caused the sons of Israel through the Council of balum to trespass against the Lord in the matter of poror so the plague was among the congregation of the Lord now see balum is is really a a picture of a false teacher teachers who promote the thought that there was nothing wrong with Christians conforming to the world standards and what’s the first thing the Lord has against them notice verse 14 it says that they have listened to and given into the compromised a compromised morality who hold to the doctrine of balum now the doctrine of balum had to do with several things this compromised morality included two things if you notice in the text to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality that these false teachers by repetition by repetition in verse number 14 which is a really a key thing it says and they hold to the teaching of Baum who kept teaching repetition is key to get people to believe something that’s even false so this is what happens here what the people actually got engaged in several things after this repetitious teaching slaying animals offered to Idols then eating Pagan food and Pagan religious rituals and then secondly engaging in sexual activities with Pagan women related to their religious practices see they gave in and they allowed the influences of pergamum stronghold of idolatry to seduce them to compromise and what did they compromise well and or why did they compromise it’s really simple why would you why would you allow that if you know the truth well this is the reason why and this is where compromise comes in it’s really quite simple why they would compromise it saved them from trouble in other words one commentary put it like this let’s go along to get along did you ever hear that before for let’s go along to get along see we know that we are starting to compromise when we do what the world applauds when accepting what we once found repulsive when consenting to what was once wrong and sinful but now it is all right to do and there’s a long list of those things so if a culture or a world system or the Neo Christians say it’s all it’s all right it’s it’s all right to have children transition into a gender that they were not born in if it means lopping off body parts and accommodating them then that is a good and a loving thing to do no need to get parental consent for that no matter how insane and irrational that is the true church must expose it as evil and affirm the Divine standard and what is the Divine standard that God created man in his own image in the image of God he created him male and female see God has given from the beginning only two genders male and female there’re not 47 genders as some are claiming so if the culture has already placed women in all kinds of positions they seldom occupied before and move them away from the main role they were created for to influence their home then it would be no problem placing women as Elders in God’s Church which is only mandated for biblically qualified men no matter how much pressure is put upon God’s Church to set aside the doctrine has no big deal to argue when scripture has not changed from its original intention if you read the passages it’s a trustworthy statement If any man aspires the office of overseer he aspires a good work and the overseer then must be above reproach the husband of one wife he must be one who manages his own household well keeping his children under control with all dignity if a man does not know how to manage his own household how is he going to manage the church see God has first dibs on pronouns right the proper use of pronouns that men are he and women are she right now it’s always clear when you get the scripture oh that’s pretty clear that’s clear matter of fact most people know it’s clear but they just go along with it if the neoch Christian say that we should welcome and affirm and I’m pressing the worm affirm the sexually immoral into the church membership who are confessing Christ and living in a habitual immoral life at the same time and if you don’t accommodate them and affirm them you’re unloving well Brethren you see see where I’m kind of getting to that this is the side society which we live in we have to hold to the truth because all false teachers prove Pro to have similar qualities that one of them are they have the ability to persuade others that their position has equal or Superior validity to what that person presently holds to they do it through what persistent teaching repetitious teaching you know some have called this Mass formation you ever hear of mass formation Mass formation is really when 30% of the population is moved to believe a new narrative propagated 24 hours a day seven days a week by the secular-minded information machine a repetitive brainwashing to condition people in order to get them to believe the new Nar narrative regardless if that narrative is true or not true that’s what happens Satan’s been at that for a long time he really has in fact false teachers use inflated words that are empty for speaking out arrogant words of vanity it says uh in 2 Peter 28 they are good at speaking by using flowery language Excellency of speech often lofty stories coupled with descriptive phrases and yet their words are puffed up lies Hollow because it is only their own ideas and opinions in other words they’re full of hot air they have inflated words about their own insights to breathe that too often as toxic air it will lead to no good thing so what do they teach divide people by hate race education by economic status by approving Smash and grab crime with no punishment by promoting transgender ideology by promoting abortion on demand no matter what age the child is by changing the vocab and the meaning of words that’s what they do and Satan has been about it this thing for a long long long time and so when we think about these things we have to remember that this is a perverted path because it says in scripture they put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel that’s a stumbling block to get you to think other than to to start saying you know maybe that’s not that bad maybe that’s all right letting the church we we’ll let that one in that’s not a big deal do you know what happens when that starts happening everything else starts happening when culturally accepted practices are LED into the church that are not are sinful and they become normal and everyone starts believing it and accepting it and even practicing it that’s what the Lord is saying to the church you’re doing this balum has taught bik how to lead Israel into sinful ways that does not honor my name and ends up actually in that case with balum when God held judgment on them 24,000 people died because God held judgment on and if it was not for one man who took a spear and thrusted through man and a woman who were living that lifestyle before the nation of Israel he threw he cast his Spirit through them and they both die and God said okay stop it after 24,000 people died so in other words if that happens and the sword of God’s spirit is against that then that’s the result that’s the first thing and notice the second thing in verse number 15 and this they have not only listen led to this repetitive teaching and it caused to compromise morality but now also they listen to it and they it leads to a compromised theology to hold it says to the doctrine of the nians now it’s very similar this doctrine of balum and nians are very much alive today man we don’t recognize those needes but the same thing it leads to giving up the truth and living any way you want that’s what leads to and so that’s what’s going on here it says in verse number 15 so you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the nicians Nicholas means one who conquers the people matter of fact the church father irus who was the Disciples of the Apostles writes that Nicholas who was made a deacon in the church was a false believer and became an apostate and because of his credentials he was able to lead the church astray like balum he led the people into immorality and to wickedness and to defame the name of God so in other words this teaching of the nicians involved immorality and assaulted the church with sensual Temptation even Clement of Alexander says they abandoned themselves to pleasure like goats leading a life of self-indulgence their teaching perverted Grace and replace Liberty with license in other words Doctrine mattered little Behavior mattered less so both these teaching walk softly on immorality and sound Biblical teaching with like intermarriage with unbelievers as it was in the Old Testament and compromis with Pagan worship so the bottom line is for money uh and pleasure and power they compromise the truth because not only does John bring up uh balum and the results of what he did but also Peter brings it up the Apostle Peter and Jude brings him up and what what what did Jude say like balum they will do anything for money they will do anything for money they love to earn money by doing wrong so in other words follow the money and you will figure out who’s getting paid off right it’s still the same today so the habitual practice of that which God is opposed is a failure to take sin seriously and be sure of this any compromised morality and theology will destroy the witness of the church and invite the very Swift Judgment of God so the end result of false teaching it’s not only compromise but it’s dimming the light of the Gospel which the church is supposed to uphold and what does it lead to it leads to judgment it leads to destruction it leads to death that’s what it leads to and not a good death not a death where somebody dies and they’re precious in God’s sight a debt that sends them away from God forever in eternity now saying that just look at verse 16 here’s the counsel that comes with a warning it says therefore repent that’s the first thing repent to get right with God or lose out when Believers tolerate worldly and Pagan views and sinful practices the church faces the possibility of losing their testimony and influence in the world the church fails to be different when it compromises with the world and notice notice this what happens if the church does not repent what does it say in our text it says or else I am coming to you quickly and I will make war against them not against the whole church against this group of Believers so-called professed Believers that were seducing the church giving into compromise letting these things in and corrupting the truth of the word of God and defaming the name of God that’s what they were doing could you imagine that the the sword of Christ coming against those who claim to be be in Christ his word what what is his word there’s truth and Power in the word of God in the word of God there is conviction of sin in the word of God there is the invitation always the invitation that leads people to the demonstration of the love of God centered in the Cross of Christ that everybody anyone could be rescued if they believe in Jesus and there is this this assurance that comes from the word of God that Jesus is the only way one must be saved there is no other way that very thought of it being uh exclusive is very very offensive to the world and then there’s a last thing there’s the last thing verse 17 Christ really challenges with a two-fold promise now the promise is not for those who are Unfaithful the promise is not for those who are compromised the promise are those who hold the name of Christ and are witnesses for Christ to the end even their life notice what it says in verse 17 he who has an error let him hear what the spirit says to the church vers es to him who overcomes to him I will give some of the Hidden mana and I will give him a white stone and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it see in other words Christ will sustain his faithful ones with spiritual food it says here hidden Mana I will give some not all some of the Hidden Mana meaning meaning of course Mana is the food it was the Heavenly food sent by God to the children of Israel in the wilderness and it typifies spiritual food provided by the word of God now in contrast to those in the world who offer a sacrifice to eat the food offered to idols instead Christians are going to enjoy the Heavenly food which comes to them from the bread of life Jesus Christ himself see he sustains us with the food of the word of God that’s what he does and then secondly notice white stones I will give him a white stone that’s hard to interpret but I I believe that Christ will receive his faithful ones stones were used in ancient times to render a verdict uh a whit Stone a person would be acquitted quiddle and a black stone somebody would be condemned or some would suggest that like it’s like an entrance ticket into a Heavenly Feast well whatever the meaning here it’s hard to nail it down I I believe that we know that is the Lord receives and accepts his faithful ones right he says I will give it this is a direct right from the word of God himself I will give it and and in any case the stone points to acceptance and victory in Christ Jesus the high priest who has offered himself on our behalf to be saved so false Doctrine and worldliness all always go hand in hand with worldliness leading the way Christians today tend to forget that if I want to call it modernism was not first of all a theological agenda but a methological agenda every modernist we’re not trying to hit at the core of biblical Faith which it’s really not even happening today it’s simply Satan is simply trying to do this he’s trying to make Christianity more palatable to the entire world come in we’re just like you is that true that’s not true does doctrine actually divide people yes because EI there either there’s truth and error there’s nothing that between right you so you you have to hold to the TR to the truth and I pray that we never get to the place where Jeremiah Prophet Jeremiah in the Old Testament the prophet said this an appalling thing an appalling and a horrible thing has happened in the land that the prophets prophesied falsely and the priests rule on their own authority and my people love it so so when that happens then that is exactly what’s happening here is that this compromise has gotten into the church so Jesus is talking to his church and why is he talking to them in this way this is direct language this this really shoots from the hip it gets to the core of the heart why is he saying this so the lightbearers of the church can fulfill their mission that’s why that the the foundation for Christ’s call of repentance is the Lord is coming and he is the righteous judge he’s coming with a sharp sword if you don’t repent so there’s really several things number one get right with Jesus today if you don’t know him but if you’re a Christian and your thinking has been more influenced by the world and what the world is saying is the right thing to do and not by the word of God you need to repent too and you need to get to the place where you say I want to know so much of the word of God I want to be saturated in my mind and heart by scripture so when I hear error I know it immediately and not that I would know it and hate the person dispelling it but I would want them to see the light of the Gospel that I see and come to Jesus Christ as their lord and savior right that’s what we want that’s what we want let’s pray Lord thank you this morning Lord the word of God often is very hard but Lord thank you that truth is hard but when we receive it as truth it transforms us it sanctifies us it makes us more like you it leads us to a life of godliness it helps us to discern between what is true and what is not it enables us Lord to stand firm and I pray Lord as we do so that we can uphold the name of Jesus Christ and we can go out into this world and be good Witnesses for Christ and as we do that Lord you would strengthen us knowing that we have a hope that you are for us and that you’re going to feed us with your word and you’re to accept us into your presence thank you for those things those are the promises that will never fade away and I pray this in Christ’s name