151011 God Knows and Loves

Revelation 2:12-17  “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword. ¹³ “ ‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. ¹⁴ But I have a few things against you: 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. ¹⁵ So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. ¹⁶ Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. ¹⁷ He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden 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.’

Jesus, in dictating the letter to the church at Pergamum, gives these encouraging words, “I know where you dwell…”. One thing that seems to be easily forgotten is that God knows everything! You can fill in the blank with anything after those words “God knows”. Yet, we go about our day-to-day activity forgetting that truth. If we kept that truth on the top of our agenda we would be slower to take certain actions and quicker to repent when we step out of line. When Jesus tells the church that he knows he then goes on to speak of good and bad things that he knows about the church.

God’s knowledge about us and our activities is total! There is nothing hidden from him. From the time of our conception to eternity God knows us! The Bible says that he fit us together in our mother’s womb. I have heard prayers being offered asking God to come into our presence. Every moment of every day we are in his presence and we need to remember that. God knows…

Where we live. Listen while I read from Psalm 139:1-4. O Lord, you have searched me and known me! ² You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. ³ You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. ⁴ Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.

 David knew how completely God knew him and since his song was included in the Bible it shows that God knows us.

God knows us completely because he has searched us. The prophet Hanani confronted Asa King of Judah and told him, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and from throughout the whole earth, to give strong support those whose heart is blameless toward him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9) This passage does not say that God is searching for something he has never known before it tells us that God is actively working on behalf of those who put their faith and trust in him.

When we wake in the morning God is there! As we get up and begin our day God is there! Whatever we think God already knows! Before we speak he knows our needs! At the same time he teaches us through his Word that he wants to hear our requests. The Bible says that we are “in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let (our) your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6) God chooses to hear our requests even though he knows already what we need. The church in Pergamum needed to know that God had not forgotten them and that he knew where they lived. Friends, please remember, God knows where you are all the time. God also knows the struggle that we have because of our inherited sin. In every region God knows…

Where Satan’s throne is. Listen while I read Ephesians 2:1-3. And you were dead in the trespasses and sins ² in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— ³ among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

We need to remember that Satan’s throne is not confined to first century Pergamum. Satan’s throne is everywhere people are. The spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience is the prince of the power of the air. Satan’s throne takes on many different forms and shapes. In our day and time it can be a false religion, or cult. His throne also can be a bar, or club, as easily as it is an apostate church. The many closed church buildings in our area are evidence of a great falling away from the faith that began about 100 years ago. Satan’s throne is in a dying church wherever it is.

However at Pergamum…

They held fast and did not deny. Listen while I read the words of Jesus in Matthew 10:28-33. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. ³⁰ But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. ³² So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, ³³ but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

In a casual reading of this passage it is possible to think that the one we are to fear is Satan. That is not the case is all! Satan may be able to kill the body but he cannot kill the soul. That is the realm of our Heavenly Father God.

The church at Pergamum feared God more than Satan. Not a cringing fear but a fear filled with awe and reverential respect for our Lord. Because of that respect for God the church at Pergamum held fast and did not deny their faith in. They had already passed through a period of persecution in which one of their own was killed. We do not know anything else about Antipas since he is only mentioned this once in the Bible. The reference to him is very powerful. He is, according to Jesus, “my faithful witness”. Antipas would have, as Stephen did a couple of generations before, seen Jesus standing at the right hand of God the Father welcoming him into heaven. He would have been welcomed and honored as a martyr.

Even though they were under persecution, and one of their number had died for the faith, they still held fast to His Name and refused to deny the faith.

Today, across the Muslim world there are people who give their lives rather than denounce the Lord Jesus. In our own country as recently as the last two weeks one of the servants of Satan went into a community college and ordered Christians to stand and make themselves known. Then he shot them down. We are told that at Columbine high school, in April 1999, students refused to denounce Jesus before they were killed.

Yet the people at Pergamum were not perfect…

They tolerated wrongdoing. Listen while I read about a similar situation from 1 Corinthians 5:1-5. It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. ² And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. ³ For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. ⁴ When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, ⁵ you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

The church at Pergamum certainly knew about the discipline that needed to be done at the church in Corinth. They would have also known Jesus’ instruction in the case of one who needed discipline. None of this would have been strange to them because by the time Revelation was written the rest of the New Testament was pretty well known.

Jesus had taught that if someone sins against us we must go to him privately and if he refuses that, take someone as a witness, and if he refuses that, bring them before the church for discipline. In Corinth the sin was very similar to that in Pergamum. Jesus says that they were holding to the teaching of Balaam, the false prophet, who led the people of God to honor idols and practice sexual immorality. They also tolerated a group of people that is only referred to as “the Nicolaitans”. We do not know, in fact, what these people practiced except that it was in opposition to Christ. The church at Pergamum tolerated wrong. We need to examine ourselves from time to time to be certain we are not led into the same trap. Since they are guilty of such wrong…

They should repent. Listen while I read from 2 Corinthians 7:9-10. As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. ¹⁰ For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.

This passage refers to the same situation that the 1 Corinthians 5 passage referred to. The church had tolerated an egregious sin. A man had taken his father’s wife as his lover. Since she is not referred to as his mother we have to assume that she was his stepmother.

After Paul wrote the first letter to the Corinthians the church was grieved with a godly grief and their treatment of the situation led to repentance. A repentance that leads to salvation without regret.

Paul had felt grief over the sin that they publicly allowed to be in the church and he grieved over the fact that he had to speak to the church about it. But his grief was turned to joy when he found that they had also caught the grief and repented. The repentance was for the whole church and specifically for the man who had committed immorality. The result was God’s salvation rather than death!

The church at Pergamum needed to also repent of what it had tolerated and then put an end to such practice in their midst. We do not know what course the sin at Pergamum took only that it was idolatrous and sexually immoral.

If the church did not take the lead Jesus promised that he would soon come to them and war against the sinners in their midst with the sword of his mouth. The Bible teaches us that the sword of his mouth refers to the Bible itself.

The Bible is the guide as to how to deal with every problem. Now when Jesus says that he will come to them he’s not talking about the second coming in power. Here, Jesus is talking about visiting the church with the kind of discipline that needs to occur.

I spoke earlier of closed church buildings. I believe that many of them, if not all, were closed by Jesus himself as a result of leaving their first love or having tolerated obvious sin in their ranks. That being the condition does not preclude the idea that the church building that was once inhabited by godly people should not be brought back as a place of worship. They once represented springs of the water of life and might be restored again.

The conqueror will be rewarded. Listen while I read 1 Corinthians 15:56-58. The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁵⁸ Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

The church at Pergamum joined with the other six that the letter of Revelation was written to in that they had in their midst conquerors. The victory does not come about by the faithfulness of the conqueror. The victory does not come about because of the generosity of the conqueror. The victory does not come about because of righteousness done by the individual who is called the conqueror.

The victory comes about through our Lord Jesus Christ! We are more than conquerors through him who loved us and gave himself for us! Sin brings death but righteousness brings life. We are not saved by any righteousness of our own but we are saved by everything he did, and does, for us. The Lord Jesus took our sins into his own body. He had no sin of his own that he should die for. And as a result of his act of substitutionary sacrifice we become the righteousness of God in him.

There are many who hold that the seven churches of Revelation represent seven periods of time in the life of the church. I believe every letter contains truths that apply to every church described in history as well as every church existing today. We need to recognize that like Pergamum Satan dwells today and will continue to do so until Christ comes again! Toleration of evil occurs in present-day churches and has occurred in the past. Repentance is not just a salvation experience it is a sanctification experience as well. We need to repent every time we fall short! Have you repeated today? The Bible tells us that if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness. When we call on the Lord he always hears us and will forgive us when we ask with a repentant heart.

All scriptures quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

151004 The Good and the Bad

Revelation 2:8-11 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.

⁹ “ ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. ¹⁰ Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. ¹¹ He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’

Smyrna is located on the western tip of modern-day Turkey. It was one of the most important cities in the province of Asia. There seems to have been a large Jewish population there during the early years of the church. This letter directed to the church at Smyrna is one of the shortest of the seven letters. Jesus commends the church for its stability and warns the church of a soon coming persecution. Then he encourages them to be faithful unto death. In fact, Smyrna was the location of the first known martyr after the completion of the New Testament. That martyr was Polycarp who was the pastor of the church there.

Polycarp had grown up in Smyrna and certainly knew the apostle John. He may have been the pastor of the church there at the time John received the Revelation. We’re not sure why the Romans decided he must die. He was more than 86 years old at the time of his execution. We know that because he said that he had served the Lord Jesus for 86 years and Jesus had never done him wrong. When he was taken to the stake where he would be burned to death he refused to let them fasten him to the stake. He said that the God who enabled him to endure the fire would enable him to stay in the fire. One of the soldiers that was present saw the agony of the fire on this godly man and he drew his sword and reached into the flames to end Polycarp’s agony. This happened in A.D. 156. About 60 years after the writing of the Revelation.

In a wealthy city surrounded by civil and religious opposition the church at Smyrna continued to serve their Lord through…

Tribulation and poverty. In that magnificent chapter 8 of the letter to the Romans Paul talked about the tribulation visited on the Christians. Turn with me to Romans 8:35-39. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ³⁶ As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” ³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The early Church, wherever it was located, suffered ongoing persecution and as a consequence often lived in poverty. Satan has always tried to cause the Church to somehow bring dishonor on its Lord. From the time Abel was born Satan worked to destroy the seed of the woman. He began with Cain killing Abel and went on to try to cut off the believing line that would eventually produce the Messiah. When the Messiah did appear Satan tried to tempt him into defeat and having failed to defeat him in temptation he set out to discredit Jesus. Having failed at that he stirred up his followers to crucify Jesus.

Jesus wanted the church at Smyrna to know the same things that Paul wanted the Romans to know — in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

The church in Smyrna was persecuted and poverty stricken…

Yet, rich. Tragically we usually measure riches with property or money in the bank. There are other riches we must remember! Turn with me to Ephesians 3:14-19. For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, ¹⁶ that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Even in poverty or prison, or even death, the church must remember that we are rich. Jesus had said in the Sermon on the Mount that the meek are blessed and will inherit the earth (Matthew 6:5). And we must also remember that if we are children of God then we are heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ. The things we suffer now are not worth comparing with our future glory (Romans 8:15-18) along with the church in Smyrna, in Christ Jesus, we are rich!

We should not be surprised at that. Like the church in Smyrna we will be…

Lied about. Turn with me to 1 Peter 2:11-12. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. ¹² Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

Jesus had said that we would be hated, ostracized, and lied about. And when that happens Jesus said we are a blessed people (Luke 6:22). We need to be certain that our conduct is above reproach. We should never be guilty when charged with wrongdoing. The opposition should always have to lie in order to charge the church of Jesus Christ with evil.

We can look further in Peter’s first letter. Turn with me to 4:14-17. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. ¹⁵ But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. ¹⁶ Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. ¹⁷ For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?

Jesus wanted the church at Smyrna to know that it is a blessing to be persecuted in the name of Christ. Peter enlarged on the idea that if we are insulted because we are Christians we will be blessed. We need to be certain that when we suffer unjustly we will not be ashamed. Instead we are to glorify the name of Jesus. There will be times of persecution coming for the church — even in America. Jesus told the church at Smyrna the same thing he would say to us…

Do not fear. We are to have an active part in getting fear out of our lives! Turn with me to Colossians 3:14-17. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵ And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

When we have put our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ the Holy Spirit comes to live in us. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We have a responsibility to put on love like a garment which is the beginning of the fruit of the spirit. And, along with love, we have to take action in allowing the peace of Christ to rule in our hearts. When the word of Christ dwells in us richly we will be able to admonish one another in all wisdom and have thankful hearts towards God.

There will be times when we suffer for righteousness sake. Let’s go back to Peter to see what else he has to tell us. Turn with me to 1 Peter 3:14-15. But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, ¹⁵ but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.

When we do suffer we are to honor Christ above all the things of the world. We must always be prepared to defend ourselves against anyone who asks for a reason for our hope.

A long time ago I heard someone ask the question, “If you are arrested for being a Christian will there be enough evidence to convict you.” I am afraid that there are times in my life when I might not be convictable.

When we face opposition we must always be gentle and respectful. Never give back anger for anger or argument for argument instead we are to let peace be the obvious outlook of your life.

The church at Smyrna was seriously warned that they would soon face opposition. They, and we, must keep in mind that Jesus was there in the beginning and will be there in the end. We must remember that Jesus died for our sins and came back to life. We must remember that he knows what our tribulation is really all about. We must remember that in Christ Jesus we have all the riches we will ever need.

There will be persecution and in the end we will receive the crown of life and have the privilege of casting it down at the feet of Jesus the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Yes there will be persecution but it will be a…

Limited persecution. Turn with me to the words of Jesus found in John 16:33.  I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.

Jesus told the church at Smyrna that they would suffer by being thrown into prison and tested. He went on to say that they would experience tribulation ten days. I don’t believe that phrase represents a real period of time. I believe what Jesus is communicating to the church is that their persecution and tribulation will have limits on it.

Around the world today the Christian church is being persecuted in one way or another. This evil will come to an end and we will be more than conquerors through him who loves us. Jesus said we should have peace in him even in tribulation because he has overcome the world.

For everyone who serves the Lord Jesus Christ there remains…

The promised crown. Turn with me to James 1:12. Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

James was one of the earlier books to be written so it may have been as much as 60 years before the book of Revelation was written. Already James was seeing the opposition rising across the Roman Empire. James wanted his hearers (and us) to know that without a doubt temptation and trial would lead to a crown of life for those who love Jesus and stand the test.

Then John admonishes them to hear what the Spirit says to the churches. They are to…

Pay attention. Much like the apostle Paul admonished the church at Ephesus. Turn with me to Ephesians 6:16-20. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; ¹⁷ and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, ¹⁸ praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, ¹⁹ and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

No matter what we encounter along the path of life we need to be alert with all perseverance. We do this with faith granted to us by our Lord Jesus at the time of our salvation. We should become good swordsmen in the army of God. The Bible is the sword we use to face the enemy in our day-to-day walk. Friends, it is very important that we know how to use the Bible in our struggles.

When I read that the apostle Paul needed prayer that he would have courage I am humbled. If Paul needed prayer I need it much more! So please pray for me that I will speak the word of God with boldness at the right time and in the right way.

Things are often worse than they seem and at the same time things are often better than they seem. Every true Christian will from time to time suffer persecution of one kind or another. In our modern day it might just be in the form of workplace discrimination. We may confront slanderous charges of being in fearful opposition to situations that are clearly laid out in Scripture. While all this is going on we need to remember that Jesus Christ is the first and the last and died for our sins and came back to life. When it looks bad for us we need to remember that we have read the last chapter and we win! Have you put your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ? Are you ready to face him in the judgment? In all these things we are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus our Lord. And that promise applies to those who have put their faith in him for their future.

All scriptures quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.