Do you recall hearing some descriptors given of people which help explain what they are like? Here are some examples:
If I were to say, “That person is like the Incredible Hulk,” that tells you something about them, right?
If someone says, “That person is a regular Martha Stewart,” some of you know what that means.
If I were to say someone has more money than Elon Musk, you would know that they’re very wealthy.
If I said, “That person is tougher than Chuck Norris,” or “That person is manlier than John Wayne,” or “She’s more talented than Taylor Swift,” some of you know what I mean.
Well, in today’s passage, we hear Jesus speak of two people from the Old Testament who are used as examples of what the churches in Pergamum and Thyatira were experiencing.
Let’s remind ourselves that we are talking about the seven churches mentioned at the beginning of the Book of Revelation. We’ve already talked about two.
Today, we’re talking about Pergamum and Thyatira.
Pergamum was a major city in Asia Minor, once one of the most important until it was surpassed in influence by Ephesus.
After Ephesus became more prominent, Pergamum transitioned to become sort of a center for learning and culture.
Thyatira was not a prominent city like some of the others mentioned in Revelation. However, it was a center for manufacturing and trade.
In our passage today, Jesus will have a message for the churches in Pergamum and Thyatira.
Today’s sermon is entitled “Meet the Characters of Pergamum and Thyatira.”
Let’s look at the passage together, but before we do, let’s pray and ask God to speak to us.
(prayer)
Ok, let’s go to Revelation 2:12-29:
12 “Write to the angel of the church in Pergamum: Thus says the one who has the sharp, double-edged sword: 13 I know where you live—where Satan’s throne is. Yet you are holding on to my name and did not deny your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness who was put to death among you, where Satan lives. 14 But I have a few things against you. You have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block in front of the Israelites: to eat meat sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality. 15 In the same way, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 So repent! Otherwise, I will come to you quickly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
17 “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name is inscribed that no one knows except the one who receives it.
18 “Write to the angel of the church in Thyatira: Thus says the Son of God, the one whose eyes are like a fiery flame and whose feet are like fine bronze: 19 I know your works—your love, faithfulness, service, and endurance. I know that your last works are greater than the first. 20 But I have this against you: You tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and teaches and deceives my servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat meat sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to repent of her sexual immorality. 22 Look, I will throw her into a sickbed and those who commit adultery with her into great affliction. Unless they repent of her works, 23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am the one who examines minds and hearts, and I will give to each of you according to your works. 24 I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who haven’t known “the so-called secrets, of Satan”—as they say—I am not putting any other burden on you. 25 Only hold on to what you have until I come. 26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works to the end: I will give him authority over the nations
—27 and he will rule them with an iron scepter; he will shatter them like pottery—
28 just as I have received this from my Father. I will also give him the morning star.
29 “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Alright, that’s our passage. Now, I want us to meet some characters who are part of this passage.
First, let’s . . .
I. Meet Antipas.
Ok, Antipas is sort of a minor character in this passage, but he represents something significant: persecution.
Persecution is when we are harmed for believing in something. In this case, Antipas was harmed for believing in Jesus.
First, notice in verse 12 that Jesus reminds the church who He is. Among other things, He is “the one who has the sharp, double-edged sword.”
The Church in Pergamum (and the church today) must remember that Jesus is mighty, powerful, and in charge.
Notice that Jesus says that He knows where they live, and He calls where they live “where Satan’s throne is.”
Likely, what Jesus is referring to is the presence of idol worship and evil practices in Pergamum.
In fact, this may have even been a reference to a large altar of Zeus that was in the city. This altar would have been used for the worship of false gods, which, of course, is evil and sinful.
So, Jesus refers to the city as an evil place. In fact, it’s so evil that he points out that this man, Antipas, was put to death there in that evil place.
Yet, notice what Jesus says in verse 13. He says, “Yet you are holding on to my name and did not deny your faith in me.”
When we think of this man Antipas, when we think of the Christians in Pergamum, we should be encouraged by their faithfulness in the midst of difficulty and persecution.
Even today, there are Christians who stand faithful to Jesus, even if it means losing their lives. In places like Iran, Nigeria, North Korea, and more, people can be put to death for following Jesus.
Church, as we learned last week, followers of Jesus are to be faithful to the point of death.
Be encouraged by the story of Antipas.
Next, let’s . . .
II. Meet Balaam.
Some of you may remember Balaam from the Old Testament.
Balaam is most famous for an incident where his donkey spoke.
However, there is another incident with Balaam that is surely what Jesus is referring to here in Revelation 2.
Numbers 31:16 speaks of this sin of the Israelites; it says:
“Yet they are the ones who, at Balaam’s advice, incited the Israelites to unfaithfulness against the Lord in the Peor incident, so that the plague came against the Lord’s community.”
So, Jesus is saying that as Balaam led the people of Israel to sin, so also there are some among the Church in Pergamum who are leading people to sin.
The sin of Balaam had to do with idolatry and immorality. So, also, the sin of those in Pergamum had to do with idolatry and immorality.
Let’s focus on these two things quickly:
Idolatry has to do with giving something the attention that we should give to God, and immorality has to do with rejecting God’s good design and doing something else.
Listen, church: This is a temptation for us, isn’t it?
We are tempted to sin through idolatry. We may not set up a false god and worship it, but we do allow other things to capture our attention and devotion when we should be giving that attention and devotion to God.
In the same way, we are tempted to practice various types of immorality in our lives, aren’t we? We allow things to enter our eyes, ears, and thoughts that are despicable in the eyes of God.
Whether it’s impurity, hatefulness, arrogance, worldliness, greed, pride, laziness, apathy, anger, prejudice, or whatever, we ought to avoid every type of immoral behavior. We ought to avoid everything that is a rejection of God’s good design.
Look at what Jesus says will happen to those in the Church in Pergamum if they don’t change. Look at verse 16:
“So repent! Otherwise, I will come to you quickly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth.”
Let me assure you that you do not want Jesus fighting against you. We do not want Jesus fighting against our church.
So, let us learn not to repeat the sin of Balaam or of those in the Church in Pergamum.
Next. . . .
III. Meet Jezebel.
More of you are probably familiar with the name “Jezebel” than “Balaam.”
If someone is called a Jezebel, it normally means that she is an evil woman.
Indeed, the Jezebel of the Bible was an evil woman.
She was a non-Israelite princess who married King Ahab of Israel. As queen, she helped lead Israel into idolatry and immorality.
In addressing the Church in Thyatira, Jesus says that there was a Jezebel among them.
He says that this Jezebel deceived the servants of Jesus to commit idolatry, and immorality.
Jesus also said that He had given her time to repent and she chose not to.
As with the other times when Jesus calls the churches to repent, there are consequences when they do not.
In verses 22 and 23, Jesus says:
“Look, I will throw her into a sickbed and those who commit adultery with her into great affliction. Unless they repent of her works, I will strike her children dead.”
Church, we must pause to acknowledge the serious consequences of not turning away from our sin.
Jesus is full of grace when we repent. At the same time, He is fierce in His judgment when we do not repent.
He says that this woman will go to her sickbed, which is basically a stretcher; He’s saying that she will die.
Further, He says that her children, which likely refers to her followers, will also die.
What will happen as a result of these actions? Jesus says in verse 23:
“Then all the churches will know that I am the one who examines minds and hearts.”
Everyone will know that Jesus is serious about sin when they witness Him judging sin.
This reminds me of when one of my older kids says to my youngest, “Dad is serious. You better listen to him.”
Jesus is serious about sin and judgment. We better listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
Finally, let us . . .
IV. Meet the Morning Star.
Jesus doesn’t only have concerns, does He?
To the Church in Pergamum, Jesus says in verse 13:
“You are holding on to my name and did not deny your faith in me.”
To the Church in Thyatira, He says in verse 19:
“I know your works—your love, faithfulness, service, and endurance. I know that your last works are greater than the first.”
So, Jesus knows that there are some who are being faithful.
In fact, look what Jesus goes on to say in verses 24-28:
24 I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who haven’t known “the so-called secrets, of Satan”—as they say—I am not putting any other burden on you. 25 Only hold on to what you have until I come. 26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works to the end: I will give him authority over the nations—
27 and he will rule, them with an iron scepter; he will shatter them like pottery,—
28 just as I have received this from my Father. I will also give him the morning star.
This is fascinating, isn’t it?
To those who are faithful till the end, to those who conquer, Jesus will give them authority over the nations. They will rule with Jesus.
Isn’t that awesome?
Then, notice that Jesus says that He will give them the “morning star.”
Now, we don’t know exactly what the morning star is in this context.
We can talk more about the “morning star” when we dig deeper on Wednesday night.
However, it’s clear here that it’s used in a good way as something good that Jesus will give to those who are faithful.
Minimally, we know that this “morning star” refers to something good and beautiful that Jesus will give to those who are faithful to Him and His ways. Isn’t that wonderful?
So, we must remember that Jesus will judge lack of repentance, and He will reward faithfulness.
That takes us to our bottom line:
Bottom Line: Jesus sees and judges the churches.
Jesus sees all, and He will deal with all. He sees the churches. He sees our church.
Jesus sees when we are unfaithful. He sees when we do not repent. He sees when we put other things in His place. He sees when we pursue that which is immoral.
Jesus also sees when we are faithful. He sees our sacrifice. He sees when we forgive one another. He sees when we are generous. He sees when we stand on truth. He sees when we strive to be unified.
Jesus will judge sin, and He will reward faithfulness.
Let us trust in Him, and let us examine ourselves.
Challenge yourself this week in this way:
Weekly Challenge: Examine yourself and examine our church.
How are you doing when it comes to faithfulness?
How are we doing when it comes to faithfulness?
Where do you need repentance?
Where do we need repentance?
(Gospel presentation)
(closing prayer)
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