Once a Tomb, Forever a Triumph

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This is a sermon preached by Rev. Kenton Shaw for the Easter Sunrise Service at Wayside Community Church on March 31, 2013.

I Was the Dead Man

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This is a message given on Easter Sunday that recounts the resurrection stories of Jesus, Lazarus and Pastor Les.

Written Excerpts:

I WAS THE DEAD MAN

Rev. 1:18 “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of hell and of death.” (See also Jn. 11:40-44; Eph. 2:4-6)

Introduction:

For my message today, I thought I would bring a very different kind of sermon from what I normally give. I want to tell you three stories that are based on the Bible passages that were read earlier in the service. I have tried to imagine what we might hear if we could have a conversation with Jesus and with Lazarus based on the texts that were read.

Imagine you are getting acquainted with someone for the first time and they are trying to identify themselves by placing themselves in the context of an event or story that you’re already familiar with. For example, if you were to meet George Beverly Shea for the first time he might say, “Do you remember Billy Graham? Well, I was the man that led the congregational songs for his crusades.”

So, for today, I am going to use my imagination a little and try to tell the stories of Jesus, Lazarus and me. For all of us can say the same thing: “I was the dead man.”

Jesus

Hello, John. You have been a long time servant of mine, but I know you’re having trouble recognizing me right now. I look quite a bit different now than I did the last time you saw me. John, I am sure that you remember all the events that took place in Judea and Jerusalem when I, your Master, Rabbi, and Lord, was teaching around the villages and towns of Judea. You remember the places we went and the miracles I performed.

You have literally spent your entire life writing about me and telling other people about me, but now I look drastically different.  Now, that I have been back in heaven with God the Father, and have been glorified with Him, my appearance is not very much like it was then. The vision you’re having of me now is intimidating, and frightening, yet it is glorious. Don’t be afraid, John. I am the same person you ate with and talked with and traveled with. I am the same Jesus.

I’m sure that you remember the events at the end of my earthly ministry when the religious rulers at the Temple had me arrested and tried for blasphemy because I said that I was the Christ, the Son of God. I know that all those memories are still vivid in your mind as those events unfolded so rapidly. You and all the other disciples were scattered and disoriented and didn’t know what to do or where to go.

The suffering and agony that I went through was almost more than any human being can bear. But I willing gave my life because there was a world that needed rescued and redeemed. In a much shorter time than normal, I died on that day on the cross. I was placed in a tomb with the expectation by my enemies that it would be the end. They thought it would be the last time they would see me. I was left in the tomb by my friends and disciples with the fear that it was the end. But, on the third day I rose again, victorious over death; just like I said that I would! I came out of the grave even before the stone was rolled away. The Father sent angels to move the stone just so everyone could see I was no longer there.

Yes, John, I am living now. I was the dead man, but I am alive forevermore!!!

Lazarus

Oh, hello. My name is Lazarus. I am the brother of Mary and Martha from Bethany, just outside of Jerusalem. All three of us were very close friends with the well-known prophet from Nazareth, called Jesus. Many people referred to him as Jesus – the Christ, because they truly believed that he was the “Anointed One,” the Messiah of God.

Probably the one event that most people remember about me was the time that I became very, very sick. My sisters sent word for Jesus to come quickly, because they didn’t think I had long to live and they wanted the miracle worker to come and heal me. Jesus didn’t come that day or the next day. I couldn’t hold on any longer. My life and breath slowly slipped away.

My body was placed in a tomb and, as I understand it, I laid there for four days. Four days, mind you! Of course, I wasn’t aware of what was going on. My family and friends filled me in on the details later, but Jesus finally showed up after I had been in the grave for four days.

I can tell you this. At some point I suddenly started breathing again and I regained consciousness. I felt my body responding to a voice calling to me from outside the grave. There was no way that I could stay in that cold dark place. The voice of God was calling me out of the grave back into the world of life.

Yes, my new friend, I can tell you my name is Lazarus. I was the dead man, but now I am alive; I’m alive!

You know, the most amazing thing about it all is this. You would think that everyone would be happy that Jesus could raise someone back to life from the dead. You would think that everyone would be happy for me to be alive again. Well, if you thought that, you’d be wrong. You see, Jesus had enemies that were already trying to think of ways to bring his ministry, his power and his influence to an end.

Well, as word began to spread like wildfire that Jesus had brought me back to life from the dead, the same people that hated Jesus and wanted to find a way to kill him were actually conspiring and plotting to kill me as well. Can you imagine that? They wanted to kill me just because I kept telling people “I was the dead man, but now I’m alive.”

Lester

For my third and final story, I introduce myself. My name is Lester. I grew up in the rural area of northwestern Pennsylvania. In many respects my life was just like most other people. I was raised in a good home with loving parents. I had the privilege of having two parents who loved the Lord Jesus Christ and they made sure that I attended church services regularly (that always meant “every time the doors were open”).

Because I was in church every time the doors were open, I heard a “ton” of good preaching while I was growing up. I really can’t remember a time when I didn’t have a desire deep in my heart to be a good person and to follow God. But I had a problem. The older I got, the more I realized that there was something else in my heart that was fighting against God and His way. I was constantly struggling with desires deep within that did not want God’s will or God’s way.

The Apostle Paul describes my condition very accurately in Ephesians 2 where he writes, “You were dead in your trespasses and sins.” I was constantly stumbling and yielding to temptations when I had intended to live right. I knew there were attitudes and traits in my heart that was contrary to God’s Word and commands. I was controlled by lust, greed, and all kinds of sinful passions. I couldn’t wait until I was old enough to get away from my parents and the church and go do my own thing and live my own life.

I was dead in my sins. I was dead to God’s Spirit. I was dead to the way of truth and righteousness, but one January night during a winter youth revival I felt the Holy Spirit calling me once again to surrender to Christ.“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which he loved me, even when I was dead in my trespasses, he made me alive with Christ… and he made me sit together in heavenly places with Christ.”

Hallelujah! I was the dead man, but now I am alive! I was lost, but now I am found! I was blind, but now I see, I was doomed for hell, but now I have a home waiting in heaven! I used to want my own will and my own way, but now I want God’s will and I want God’s way. Praise God!

Conclusion:

You know who Jesus is. He was the dead man but today He is alive forever!

You know who Lazarus is. He was the dead man but Jesus brought him back to life.

You know who I am. I was dead in my trespasses and sins, but Jesus rescued me, He saved me, He gave me spiritual life!

You too can have a resurrected life. God can and will do the same for you that he has done for millions of others! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

A Cross for a King?

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This is a sermon that ties the events of the Triumphal Entry with the crucifixion. It emphasizes the need for disciples of Jesus Christ to be willing to take up their cross to follow Him.

Written Excerpts:

John 19:19 (NKJV) Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Introduction:

I am sure that the Scripture reading this morning was a familiar story to nearly everyone here. We know all about the Lord’s ride into Jerusalem on the donkey. We are familiar with the way the people laid down their garments and palm branches in the path where Jesus was traveling. We have read the accounts of people shouting praises to the Lord as he rode into the city.

We know from the description given in the Gospels that at least some of the people were apparently “connecting the dots” between Jesus’ actions and the words of the OT prophets concerning the Messiah. They apparently recognized that His actions were a fulfillment of specific prophecies regarding the coming Messiah, and they began to cry out “Hosanna” – “Save we pray.” They hoped that this miracle-working prophet would be the God-sent deliverer to rescue them from the oppression of their enemies. Surely He must be the new king sent from God for the salvation of Israel.

But let’s go back even farther into the story of Jesus’ life. In the Gospel record of Jesus’ birth, we read even then of various people who made reference to the title of “king” in connection with the new baby born in Bethlehem. Remember the words of the Wise Men who traveled from the East. When they arrived in Judea, they went to the current king, King Herod, and asked, “Where is he that is born king of the Jews?”

Although the title of “King” is not a title that Jesus used for himself, we know from all that Scripture teaches that He truly was a king and still is the King of kings today.

All of us who are familiar with the Scriptures remember that it was only a few days later when some of these same people who had hailed Him as a king and deliverer and savior are now railing instead if hailing. They are now crying out for His execution rather than for His salvation from their oppressors.

The title that I have chosen for the message is offered in the form of a question: “A cross for a king?”

How unfitting or unseemly for a king to be placed on a cross!

For the rest of our time today, I want to explore just two main thoughts for your consideration and reflection.

I. Jesus really was a king.
II. Jesus willing accepted His cross.

I. Jesus really was a king.

I’ve already mentioned how the Wise Men said they were looking for the one who was “born king of the Jews.” Even Simeon and Anna, the two saints in the temple who saw Jesus as a baby, made statements that indicated they knew He was the Messiah; even though they didn’t actually use the word “king.”

I’ve also mentioned the behavior of the people as Jesus rode into the city of Jerusalem. I’ve pointed out how their comments and shouts indicated their awareness that He was fulfilling prophecy from the OT (esp. Zech 9:9) and at least some of them believed that He was the King that God had promised so long ago.

Going on through the events of the arrest and trial of Jesus, we find many more references to the title of King. His accusers told Pilate that He claimed to be King of the Jews. (Lk. 23:1)

Pilate asks Him if He is King. Three of the Gospel writers simply record, “It is as you say.” John goes into more detail regarding Jesus' answer. 

John 18:34-37 (NKJV) ³⁴ Jesus answered him, "Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?"
³⁵ Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?" ³⁶ Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here."
³⁷ Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king.

Jesus acknowledges that He is a King, but His present kingdom is not of this world.

Pilate refers to Jesus as King of the Jews several times as recorded by all four Gospel writers.

Pilate puts inscription over Jesus’ head on the cross, “King of the Jews.”

Pilate refuses to change it when Jews tell him to write, “He said he was king of the Jews.”

Rev. 19:16 “… a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”

All that we have been saying points to the fact that Jesus Christ truly was a king. But, he was not just A king, He was THE King; THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

II. Jesus willing accepted His cross.

Certainly, all down through history, there have been other legitimate kings that have died horrible deaths; some may have even been crucified. Yet, this one is different. He was not helpless. He could have avoided the cross. He could have overcome all of His enemies.

“He could have called ten thousand angels to destroy the world and set him free.”

Death on a cross was considered the worst kind of execution a person could suffer. Yet, here Jesus was, a King headed to the cross – the fate of the worst kind of criminal.

He knew in his heart and mind that the cross was necessary for the salvation of the world. He knew that he must accept the cross in order to save the human race. He willing accepted his cross and his death, so that you and I could live.

Conclusion:

This brings me to the concluding thought that has been on my mind these last several days.

If Jesus, the truly legitimate King of kings and Lord of lords, willingly accepted His cross and surrendered His own will, His comforts and even His life, then how much more should I be willing to do the same?

“The disciple is not above His master.”

Jesus told His disciples at various times, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.”

take his cross. This is to obey and identify with Jesus even unto death, not simply to bear some particular burden imposed by the Lord. (The Reformation Study Bible.)

Jesus uses the phrase anticipatively, in view of the death which he himself was to die. This was one of those sayings described in John 12:16, which the disciples understood not at the first, but the meaning of which was revealed in the light of later events. The figure itself was borrowed from the practice which compelled criminals to bear their own cross to the place of execution…. (Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament.)

The cross was an instrument of violent and painful execution. To “take the cross” was to carry the horizontal beam of the cross out to the site of execution, generally past a jeering mob. In rhetorically strong terms, Jesus describes what all true disciples must be ready for: if they follow him, they must be ready to face literal scorn and death, for they must follow to the cross. (The IVP Bible Background Commentary – New Testament.)

In our Wednesday night Bible study, we have been studying about spiritual disciplines, which essentially addresses the issue of “denying ourselves” in order to follow Christ more closely.

Taking up the cross is another issue. It is a supreme willingness and determination to obey and follow Christ even to the point of death; whether the “death” is spiritually to our own selfish will or literally and physically dying for our faith.

This week is often referred to in Church History as Holy Week. It reminds us of the path that Jesus took the last few days leading up to His crucifixion. As we contemplate what He has done for us, let us re-commit ourselves to be His disciples even to the point of scorn, persecution and death.

Jesus said, “Whoever will lose his life for my sake and the gospel, the same shall save it.”

Let us close our service by singing the hymn:

In the Cross of Christ I Glory  # 328

Revival Is Imperative

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This is a sermon based on Revelation 3:1-6 which speaks about the church in Sardis. The theme of the text is regarding the need for the church to come alive and be revived.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

Today we are continuing our series of messages from Revelation concerning the seven churches in the province of Asia during the time of the Roman Empire.

Sardis is the next church that is mentioned by the risen Christ. It was a city that was located approximately 33 miles south of Thyatira. It was situated on the Pactolus river in the middle of the Hermus Valley and the foot of Mount Tmolus.

Several centuries earlier, before either the Greek or Roman Empires, Sardis was a city of splendor, wealth and power. It had been situated on a plateau that was part of Mount Tmolus, and had been considered unconquerable. Eventually the city spread down into the valley by the river, and it basically consisted of two cities, one in the valley and one on the mountain. At the time of John’s writing, Sardis was wealthy but degenerate. Even the once-great citadel was now just a monument on top of the mountain.

I want to follow the same basic outline that we have been using in this series, so we will begin by looking at

I. A Word of Revelation (v. 1)

He who holds the seven spirits and the seven stars.

This was something we discussed in the first chapter…

This is probably a reference to the Holy Spirit. The number seven is included because it is a significant number throughout scripture; symbolically emphasizing perfection, completion and universality. It is further argued by some scholars that the number seven refers to the diversity or fullness of the Holy Spirit’s gifts and operations in the church/world.

“Seven Stars” – We are told that these represent the seven “angels” or messengers of the seven churches.

The Lord is revealing himself as the one who oversees the ministry of the Holy Spirit and holds the churches in His power and control.

II. A Word of Commendation (v. 4)

In the messages to the churches mentioned previously, the “word of commendation” came before the “accusation,” but not in this case.

The accusation comes first in the case of Sardis, which we will get to in just a moment.

The commendation goes to just part of the congregation. It does not consist of a list of “works” that they have performed in obedience to and for the glory of God. It is simply a positive statement of affirmation for those who have are not dead.

There are some who “have not defiled (soiled) their garments.”

Possibly a reference to the practice of giving white robes to baptismal candidates after they came out of the water to symbolize their new life. This would refer to the one who had not forsaken his or her baptismal vows of faith, obedience and devotion to the Lord.

Jas. 1:27 – part of the description of “pure religion” included: keeping himself or herself “unspotted from the world.”

God always has a remnant of faithful people in every generation who remain true to their original commitment to him and do not allow themselves to be deceived, entangled, or soiled by the ungodly influences of the world around them.

Even in the midst of decline and “death” it is possible to stay alive and live pleasing to the Lord!

III. A Word of Accusation (v. 1, 2b)

This is a very simple, straight-forward accusation that comes from the Lord.

“I know your works and you have a name (reputation) that you are alive, but you are dead.”

And, “I have not found your works perfect (mature, complete) before God.”

(Barclay) This church was not practicing any heresy, and it was not under attack (persecution) from the outside.

It had simply died spiritually. One dies by simply not doing the things that sustain life. Nourishment; Exercise; Purpose; etc. – these are the things that promote life. Without these, life will ebb away and death will certainly come.

IV. A Word of Exhortation (v. 2a, 3)

Watch – (Barclay) Probably a direct reference to the history of the once-great citadel of Sardis that sat upon the plateau of the mountain. It was considered impregnable, unconquerable because of its position. However, twice in its history it was conquered because the enemy found a way to scale the mountain side and enter the city which was unguarded and no one was watching. (They felt there was no need to watch.)

In verse 3b, the Lord says He will come like a thief when they are not watching. Very similar to the parables Jesus used to tell about the coming of the Lord. Seems to be an obvious implication of coming judgment.

Strengthen – exercise the things that promote health and life.

Someone said many years ago, “What does one have to do to lose his soul? Nothing.” The point was, loss of spiritual life and vitality is the natural process when one does nothing to preserve, strengthen and invigorate his or her life.

Remember – pres. impv.; keep on remembering how your received the gospel.

Hold fast (Keep) – pres. impv.; (Barclay) do not stop keeping (obeying) the commands of the gospel that you understood from the beginning.

Repent – aor. impv.; describes one definite or completed action; “there must be a time when a person decides to be done with the old way and begin with the new.” (Barclay)

Conclusion:

As we have mentioned from the very beginning of this series, we are looking at these words of prophecy with the understanding that they were written to a specific people in a specific time for a specific purpose. However, we also understand that every prophecy in Scripture has a valid application to the believers in every age. This message is no exception.

How sad for a church, called by the name of Jesus Christ, to have a reputation of being alive. (There must have been plenty going on in this church to give the impression to outsiders and others that there was life.) Yet, in spite of what others thought, the Lord looks at the church and declares it is dead!

We can look around us and point our fingers and assume that this only applies to others, but not us. However, we are just as vulnerable to dying out spiritually as any other congregation ever was. And, we will die also if we don’t take the admonition and exhortation to heart.

We also need to watch; strengthen; remember; hold fast; and repent.

Couple of quotes I’ve seen posted on facebook lately.

“Spiritual awakening means that the faithful become fiery, the decent become dynamic, and the acceptable become excellent. But, most of all, we become disgusted with our evil, and totally dissatisfied with our good.” Quoted from, "Critical Mass - A Strategy for a North American Revival” by Mario Murillo

I'm sick to death of the so-called Christianity of our day. What's supernatural about it? When do people come out of the sanctuary awed and can't speak for an hour because God has been in glory there? Dear God, as soon as they get out, they're talking football, or sports or something or there's going to be a big sale downtown or somewhere. We are not caught up into eternity!                                    - Leonard Ravenhill

May God help us to recognize the danger of dying spiritually. May He grant us the fervent desire to take the necessary steps to keep revived in our hearts even as the world around us becomes more and more pagan.

No Compromise - Part 2

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This is a sermon based on the text in Revelation 2:18-29 that contains the message given by Jesus Christ to the church in Thyatira. It speaks of the coming judgment for the "permission" the church has given for a church leader to teach heresy and compromise.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:
Don't Negotiate With Satan (Sermonhall.com) “A hunter raised his rifle and took careful aim at a large bear. When [he was] about to pull the trigger, the bear spoke in a soft soothing voice, "Isn't it better to talk than to shoot? What do you want? Let's negotiate the matter." Lowering his rifle, the hunter replied, "I want a fur coat." "Good," said the bear, "... I only want a full stomach, so let us negotiate a compromise." They sat down to negotiate and after [while] the bear walked away alone. The negotiations had been successful. The bear had a full stomach, and the hunter had his fur coat! ….”

This little parable has a point that is applicable for every follower of Jesus Christ. The hunter could represent the Christian and the bear could represent our enemy, Satan. Satan is always offering “negotiations” for the people of God to avoid following Christ in every detail and every area of life. However, the testimony of untold thousands of spiritual casualties show that negotiating with the Devil guarantees certain spiritual death and ruin sooner or later.

Last Sunday we tried to cover the passage found in the previous verses of Rev. 2 regarding the church of Pergamos. We emphasized the fact that the risen and glorified Christ urged the church in the town of Pergamos to repent from integrating the evil, seductive and sensual practices of the world into their worship of God. In spite of all the good they had done and the measure of faith that was still active in some of their members, they had compromised and assimilated practices that were dishonoring to God and shameful to the name of Jesus.

Our study today focuses on the message that Christ offers to the church in Thyatira. The message is so similar to what we learned last week regarding Pergamos, I decided to use the same title and just refer to this message as part 2! So let us turn our attention to the last portion of chapter two in Revelation and see what God would say to us today.

As we have been doing with each of the cities mentioned so far, we need to take a little time to learn about the city called Thyatira. (Details and descriptions of this town and setting come from Zondervan Pict. Bible Dict.; The Daily Bible Study Series by Wm. Barclay; Beacon Bible Expositions, T.E. Martin; The Revelation Explained, F.G. Smith)

The city of Thyatira is located about 48 miles southeast of Pergamos (farther inland from the Aegean Sea) and was situated on the road that runs from Pergamos, to Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.

It was not a very prominent city in comparison to the other six mentioned here, but it was a city consisting of great commerce and business, especially with woolen goods and the dyeing industry. (Lydia, the seller of purple, was from Thyatira. Acts 16:14)

There were an extraordinary number of trade guilds in Thyatira, which could be compared to trade unions in modern times. “These were associations for the profit and pleasure of people employed in certain trades.” (WB)

Thyatira was also the site of a Roman garrison manned by Macedonian troops and serving as an outpost to help protect Pergamos.

I. A Word of Revelation (v. 18)

In each of the seven messages to the churches, the risen and glorified Christ begins with a description that reveals a unique truth about himself to the recipients of the message. In this segment, Christ says, “These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass” This description of the Lord is repeated from what was given in chapter one, verses 14b and 15a.

These words are also the same as the words used to describe the angelic messenger who came to Daniel in a vision after Daniel had been seeking God and fasting for three weeks (Dan. 10:6).

Here in Revelation one and two, the description is applied to Jesus Christ and is apparently meant to represent divine attributes. It appears again later in Revelation (Ch. 19) as a description of the Lord when He returns from heaven on a white horse to finally conquer the enemies of God.

“flaming eyes” – probably a reference to the penetrating vision of God that sees everything, including the motives and intentions of every heart. (cf. verse 23, “…I am He who searches the minds and hearts….) [KJV, “reigns and hearts”]

(Matthew Henry) “…signifying his piercing, penetrating, perfect knowledge….” (A. Clarke) “To denote his omniscience, and the all-penetrating nature of the Divine knowledge.”

There is absolutely nothing that escapes the gaze, attention and knowledge of an infinite God.

“feet like fine brass” – Bible scholars believe that this represents the idea of stability or permanence, power and majesty.

(A. Clarke) “An emblem of his stability and permanence…” (Barclay) “…must stand for the immovable power of the risen Christ.” (A. Barnes) “Perhaps indicative of majesty and glory as he walked in the midst of the churches.”

And so, to a congregation of people who claim the name of Jesus, but have compromised and changed the standards of godly behavior, the glorified Lord Jesus Christ is reminding them that He sees all, He knows all, and He remains strong and permanent amidst all of the change they have accepted.

It certainly would be wise for us to keep this in mind today. The Lord still “searches the minds and hearts” of every individual and intimately knows not only what we say and do, but He knows why.

II. A Word of Commendation (v. 19)

There is really not much difference in the words of commendation given to this church than that which was given to the previous one in Pergamos.

A. He knows their works

Love, faith, service and endurance all seem to be subordinate to the word “works.” (Jameson, Faussett, Brown)

Therefore, we could understand this verse to be saying, “I know your works that spring from a heart of love and deep faith and flourish in the form of service and perseverance or endurance.”

At any rate, these words describe the kinds of qualities that any church congregation would love to be known for.

B. They have made significant progress in all areas.

The last phrase of the verse seems to portray the meaning that their works in all these manifestations are greater now than they were before. There has been significant improvement and progress in living out their Christian faith.

Again, what congregation would not want to have this said about them? It certainly ought to be the goal of every individual and every congregation to be more mature, more productive and more Christ like than they have ever been in the past.

(Barclay) “On the surface the Church at Thyatira was strong and flourishing. If a stranger went into it, he would be impressed with it… Here is a warning. A church which is crowded with people and which is a hive of energy is not necessarily a real Church. It is possible for a church to be crowded because its people come to be entertained instead of instructed, and to be soothed instead of confronted with the fact of sin and the offer of salvation; it may be a highly successful Christian club rather than a real Christian congregation."

III. A Word of Accusation (v. 20)

But… (Nevertheless) The “other shoe drops,” as we might say, and the Lord moves away from the commendation to clearly and strongly state His accusation against them.

The glaring fault that He had against them was their willingness to tolerate the teaching and practice of boldface error in their congregation. The problem was a woman referred to as “Jezebel” who apparently was in some type of leadership position and was teaching the Christians to “eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit fornication.”

This was nearly identical to the accusation that was levied against Pergamos. The woman was called, “Jezebel,” as a way of comparing her to the wife of King Ahab in the OT who persuaded her husband to allow her to bring her pagan gods, idolatry and practices from her homeland and incorporate them along with the worship of the God of Israel.

In the book of Acts we learn that the most basic guidelines the Apostles required of the Gentile converts in the infant church included abstaining from eating food sacrificed to idols and from fornication or immoral behavior. (Acts 15:29)

Writers describe one of the potential problems in this city was the fact that large numbers of people would feel it necessary to join the trade guilds in order to “avoid commercial suicide.” These guilds no doubt offered common meals that would include meat that had been consecrated to an idol, and they would engage in all kinds of drunken revelry and immorality. (Barclay, ZPBD, et. al)

It is not clear whether the reference to “fornication” should be understood literally as sexual immorality or as spiritual infidelity.

Some believe that the phrase “the depths of Satan” (v.24), could very well be a reference to a common heresy during that era which claimed that Christians should experience every kind of sin… and accommodate themselves to the world. (Barclay)

This apparently was a perverted way of not only emphasizing the belief that the body was evil (Gnosticism) but also promoting the belief that such behavior exalts the grace of God. (cf. Rom. 6) The practice of faith that does not take a stand for things that are holy, right and godly, will eventually fall for anything that the evil hearts of men and women may clamor for.

IV. A Word of Exhortation (vv. 21-25)

In this section Christ starts off by citing evidence of His mercy, gives a description of coming judgment, and then concludes with encouragement for the individuals who have not compromised.

A. Mercy is offered in order to inspire repentance. (v. 21)

The Lord reminds the people of this congregation that He mercifully gave this ungodly “Jezebel” ample time and opportunity to repent, but she failed to do so.

The Bible makes it clear that many people mistake the mercy of the Lord as the sanction or approval of the Lord. (Romans 2:4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?) When God withholds judgment, it is for the purpose to granting opportunity for repentance and conversion. But, many people assume His lack of judgment is a mark of approval.

B. A day of judgment will come. (vv. 22-23)

The risen Christ warns that judgment will come in various ways. It will involve sickness, tribulation and even death.

“children” (23) – probably means followers or disciples of “Jezebel”.

C. All the faithful saints must continue to endure. (vv. 24-25)

For the people in Thyatira who have not compromised and been taken in by the error of this notorious teacher, Christ encourages them to keep on in their faithful obedience and don’t give up.

“no other burden” – seems to be a similar statement and thought as shared in Acts 15, when the Jerusalem Apostles / leaders said they would put “no other burden” on the gentiles besides the three basic guidelines, “no meat offered to idols, no eating of blood, no meat from strangled animals, and no fornication [sexual immorality].”

In other words, the Lord is telling them something like this, “I am not interested in giving you a whole catalog of rules to live by. I am just asking you to avoid the immoral and pagan practices advocated by this woman and keep doing all the other positive things you have been doing.”

Conclusion:

Have you ever wondered why birds do not fall off their perches when they fall asleep?

The Power of the Bended Knee Birds go to sleep on their perches, but they never fall off. This is because of the tendons in the bird's legs. They are so constructed that when the leg is bent at the knee, the claws contract and grip like a steel trap. The claws refuse to let go until the knees are unbent again. The bended knee gives the bird the ability to hold on to his perch so tightly. Isn't this also the secret of the holding power of the Christian? Daniel found this to be true. Surrounded by a pagan environment, tempted to compromise with evil, urged to weaken his grip on God, he refused to let go. He held firm when others faltered because he was a man of prayer. He knew the power of the bended knee. … When we hold firmly to God in prayer, we can rest assured he will hold tightly to us. --Rollin S. Burhans

I hope and pray that the seriousness of this message to the church at Thyatira will motivate each one of us to prayerfully live as close to God as we possibly can, and not be contented with “hanging out on the fringes.”

Let us sing our closing song as a prayer: Whiter Than Snow

No Compromise

(To download this message, click on the title above. To listen now online, click on the play button of the audio player shown above.)

This is a sermon that is part of a series of messages based on Revelation 2-3. This message is about the message that was given to the church of Pergamos and emphasizes God's desire for His church to remain pure and holy; not compromising or accomodating with ungodly and pagan practices.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

We have been following the messages in Revelation 2 that Jesus sent to the churches in Asia (Turkey). We are studying these messages with the understanding that they should be interpreted and applied the same as other prophetic scriptures in the Bible. That is, we should recognize that the message was given originally to a specific audience and contained a direct meaning for those original readers or hearers. However, we believe that the prophecies have additional applications to all Christians in all time periods as we try to take the messages and rightly apply the principles to our current time and place.

We have studied the message to Ephesus which emphasized the importance of maintaining the fervency of love for God and not allowing our devotion to grow cold and die out. Last week we looked at the message to Smyrna which emphasized the opposition and persecution that the believers were enduring and the admonition for them to remain faithful even until death, but do not fear what man could do to them.

Today, we are moving on to the third church that is mentioned – Pergamos.

What do we know about Pergamos? Pergamos (or Pergamum as it was also called) was another city in the general region of Turkey. It was situated about 60+ miles directly north of the city of Smyrna. It was the northernmost city of all seven that are mentioned here in these chapters.

Pergamos was not a coastal (harbor) city, and therefore did not attain to the same commercial greatness of either Ephesus or Smyrna, which both were closer to the sea and were important trade cities. However Pergamos surpassed both of the other cities as a cultural center. (Barclay)

The city was important even before the days of the Roman Empire and was a capital city for previous kingdoms. Then, in 133 B.C., the king of this city and the region willed his dominions to the possession of Rome. Even then, it remained the capital of the Roman province of Asia. (Barclay)

It was built up on a conical hill and maintained impressive power and prestige. Even prior to the time when the city was bequeathed to Rome, Pergamos was the location of a renowned library and the city came under the wrath of Ptolemy when a Pergamene king tried to persuade the librarian from Alexandria to come and work for them in Pergamos. (Barclay)

As a result, an embargo was launched against Pergamos to prevent papyrus from being purchased for the library. Therefore, out of necessity, parchment was invented from the skins of animals and some centuries later became much more popular and prominent than papyrus because it was more durable. (Barclay)

We’ll have more to say as we go on regarding some additional characteristics of this place called Pergamos.

Let us turn our attention now to the message that Jesus Christ gives to the church in Pergamos. As we noted in prior messages, Jesus follows a pattern in each of these messages and I have identified the pattern like this: a word of revelation; a word of commendation; a word of accusation; and a word of exhortation.

I. A Word of Revelation (v. 12)

Here again, Christ uses an interesting description of himself to identify some quality or characteristic about himself that we need to understand.

“…him who has the sharp sword with two edges.” (cf. 1:16)

(Barclay) Roman governors were divided into two classes: those who had the “right of the sword” and those who did not. The “right of the sword” gave the governor the authority over life and death and the right to execute anyone. The Roman leader based in Pergamos would have had this authority, so this could be a reminder to the Christians there that Christ’s authority and power was greater than the Roman proconsul.

Other writers refer more to the idea that is implied by various other passages in the Bible where the word of God is symbolized by the sword:

• Eph. 6:17 “… and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.”
• Heb. 4:12 (NKJV) For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
• Revelation 19:15 (NKJV) Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

It seems to me that Jesus Christ is revealing the fact that He is the Word of God revealed in the flesh (John 1:14) and He has the same power that God’s word has always had. His Word has the power of creation and the power of destruction. He speaks and worlds come into existence that did not exist before. He speaks and calms the storms. He holds all things up (together) by the Word of His power. When He returns he will strike the nations by simply speaking their demise into reality.

This is the One who has taken notice of their condition and made an assessment of them. He has the authority and the power to do with them whatever He chooses or wishes.

II. A Word of Commendation (v. 13)

A. He knows their works

We mentioned last week that this is a phrase that appears in all of the messages to all seven churches. It seems to be a reminder that God intimately knows all about every detail of our lives. He knows all of our actions and keeps a record. The Word teaches that we all will be judged some day for the deeds done in this life. (1 Peter 1:17; Rev. 20:13-13)

B. He knows their environment.

“…where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is.”

This phrase tells us that Jesus knows all about the environment in which this church exists. He understands the darkness and the level of wickedness and evil that the believers contend with on a daily basis.There are a number of ideas among Bible scholars about what this phrase refers to including:

• Temple of Zeus with a throne-like altar on a crag above the city. (Zond. Pict. Bible Dict.)
• Temple of Asclepios (god of healing), whose temples were the closest thing to hospitals in the ancient world. This god was referred to as “Asclepios the savior” by many. The emblem of this god was a serpent wrapped around a stick. (Barclay)
• Temple dedicated in 29 B.C. as first provincial temple for the worship of Roman emperors. This “emperor cult” worship led to the practice of men required to confess Caesar as Lord under threat of death. (Barclay)

All of these were probably adequate reasons for this city to be called Satan’s seat. None-the-less, Jesus is acknowledging the extreme adverse conditions in which they were required to live out their faith.

As Jesus prayed in John 17… that the Father would protect the disciples from the evil (One) in the world, even though He did not remove them from the world.

“The darker the night, the brighter the light shines.”

(Barclay) “The principle of the Christian life is not escape, but conquest.”

C. He knows their strong faith

“You hold fast my name.”

“You have not denied my faith…”

These people had faithfully held onto their allegiance to Christ, and their apparent confidence in the truth. They had not given up their confession of faith in the Lord. They had remained strong in their beliefs even in the midst of strong persecution and opposition. One example of which was the martyrdom of Antipas.

Some believe that Antipas might have been a pastor of this church.

“martyr” – same word that is normally translated “witness.” Because of the persecution and frequency of death, it was often assumed that a true witness would suffer death for Jesus.

III. A Word of Accusation (v. 14-15)

In spite of all the good things that the Lord has said about them, he goes on to bring a word of accusation against them for their blatant failures.

The point that seems to stand out to me so much is the fact that all the while these people were maintaining the right “theology” or the right terminology and were apparently willing to “die” for their faith, yet they were apparently not willing to stand against those in their “congregation” who had adulterated the practice of their faith to include various practices of sensuality and immorality.

(Barclay) [These wayward members] sought to persuade Christians that there was nothing wrong with a prudent conformity with the world’s standards.

They were compared to the OT figure, “Balaam who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit fornication.”

(F.G. Smith) “When Balak desired Balaam to pronounce a curse against Israel, God by various means miraculously prevented Balaam’s doing so; but Balaam craftily instructed Balak to make use of the women of Moab to seduce the men of Israel to sacrifice to their idols and to indulge in the licentious accompaniments to such idolatry.”

(Bible Background Commentary) Other nations could not destroy Israel, but Balaam knew that if he could subvert their morals, God would withdraw his blessing and judge them….

“Those who hold the teachings of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.” (God hates the “thing” – i.e. teachings, not the people.)

Nicolaitans were mentioned earlier in connection with Ephesus, but I didn’t really talk about them.

The writers of early church history described these people as living their lives in “unrestrained indulgence,”  “shameless in uncleanness,” and “[they] abandon themselves to pleasure like goats.” (Barclay)

I fear that we are living in a day and age when the church is accepting more and more of the practices of the world into its fellowship with little or no objections. We seem to be simply agreeing that this is the way the world is now. But God’s Word still stands for biblical morality and standards of righteousness and holy living.

The verses we read during our Scripture reading earlier clearly stated that God expects His people to be different than the ungodly and immoral practices going on in the rest of the world.

IV. A Word of Exhortation (v. 16)

Jesus gives a very short exhortation to these people living in Pergamos…. REPENT!

He is making it very clear that He wants them to stop the way they are going and make a turnaround.

The Bible tells us that godly sorrow brings repentance. Believers who have strayed from the truth of holiness and godliness and have incorporated worldly standards of morality and sensual living need a God-given sense of sorrow and remorse for their compromise and sin. Then, they need to repent; turn around and straighten out the areas of fault and compromise in order to once again line up with the truth of God’s Word.

Conclusion:

I think this passage of Scripture reminds us of the importance of having God search our hearts and see if we are cutting corners and compromising with the philosophies and practices of the world.

We need God’s Spirit to reveal to us any tendencies to accommodate the spirit and practices of our society in order to avoid any stigma that might accompany our faithful obedience to God’s standards of holiness and righteousness.

Our closing song is a prayer that asks God to search us and reveal any spiritual need in our hearts. Let us sing this prayerfully and honestly before we close this service this morning.

Cleanse Me Oh God

Faithful until Death

(The audio recording of this message is not available due to technical difficulties.)

Rev. 2:10 “… Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

Introduction:

We are continuing our series of messages based Revelation 2 – 3 that contains the messages from Jesus Christ unto the seven churches in Asia (modern-day Turkey).

Last Sunday we spoke about the message sent to the church at Ephesus regarding their glaring fault of forsaking their original love for Christ. At one time they demonstrated a fervent love for the Lord, but by the time John was writing this book, they had left (walked away) from the kinds of attitudes and behaviors that would have nurtured their love and kept it fresh and vibrant.

Now, we are giving attention to the second message that was directed to the church in Smyrna.

Let me just briefly review a couple of introductory points that I shared last time.

The word “angel” should probably be understood as a word that describes the person who would be delivering the message to the believers, such as a pastor or church leader. We also spoke about the possibility that even though these seven churches did actually exist in the first century, there is a likelihood that the number seven is meant to emphasize the Christian church in its entirety or as a complete group.

We mentioned that these messages had specific meaning to the original audiences to whom they were written, but they also apply to all Christians in all generations. This means that the descriptions of these seven churches, would also accurately describe individual believers and churches in every historical period of the church at large.

(Descriptions of Smyrna from Wm Barclay & F.G. Smith) The city of Smyrna, just like the other churches mentioned, was located in Asia Minor about 45 miles north of Ephesus.

Smyrna was considered the loveliest city of Asia and was called by some, the ornament, the crown and the flower of Asia. The long, narrow, land-locked harbor off the Aegean Sea ended in the heart of the city and was one of the safest harbors most easily defended in the time of war. The city of Smyrna was a free city and its loyalty to Rome dated well before the period of Rome’s ascendance to status of empire. It was a city of great trade as well as religious, and cultural eminence. It laid claim to being the birthplace of Homer. Its magnificent architecture was displayed in the many temples to pagan deities.

(Matthew Henry) Smyrna is perhaps the only city out of the seven that is still known by the same name.

As we mentioned last week, we have noticed that the messages to these seven churches all follow a similar pattern in each one. That pattern includes a word of revelation; a word of commendation; a word of accusation; and a word of exhortation.

There are a couple of deviations from that pattern and one of the deviations is the fact that two of the churches did not receive any accusation from the Lord. One of those was the church we are reading about today, Smyrna, and Philadelphia was the other one. Neither one of these received a word of accusation or condemnation, but only praise and support.

Let us take a look now at the “words” the Lord offers to the believers in the town of Smyrna.

I. A Word of Revelation (v. 8)

Revelation 2:8 (NKJV) "…These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life…”

As we pointed out last week, the message to each church begins with a statement that reveals an important quality about Christ that reveals His divine attributes or qualities. There are two aspects of self-revelation that the Lord gives here in verse 8.

A. First and Last

This is a title that the believers (and the Jews) would have recognized as a title for God.

Isaiah 44:6 "Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God.

They were to understand that Jesus Christ was there in the very beginning and would always continue to be; just like the God of Abraham in the O.T. This would be a very relevant point to the Jews in this city who opposed the Christians.

This truth would undoubtedly be a comfort to these believers during times of opposition and persecution. They would not face anything in their present or future, but what the Lord would be right there accompanying them through every event.

B. Was dead, but is alive.

(Barclay) The structure of this sentence in the original Greek gives the idea of one who has “passed through the experience of death” and “came to life again” by experiencing the resurrection from the dead.

How comforting these words must be to the people who were facing severe persecution and death as predicted just a couple of verses later. Jesus Christ had already experienced death and had risen again in victory over death and the grave, so He could provide the grace for these followers in their time of great need.

Certainly we can receive hope and inspiration from these words as well. The same Christ that provided such bold assurance to these first century Christians, is still available for you and me today!

“Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Heb. 13:8)

 II. A Word of Commendation (v. 9)

Revelation 2:9 (NKJV) I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.

A. He knows their works

“I know your works” – this is a statement that the Lord gives to every one of the churches.

The Lord reminds the saints at Smyrna that He knows all about them and the efforts they have put forth to serve Him and obey Him even in the midst of stiff opposition.

We must realize dear friends that our “works” are wide open to the eyes of the Lord, whether good or bad. He intimately knows all that we do whether it is for His glory or not; whether it is promoting righteousness or not; and whether it is from a pure motive or not.

B. He knows their tribulation.

(Barclay) The Greek word used for “tribulation” literally means “crushed beneath a weight.” (Thayer) The word is defined by the terms, pressing and pressure.

The kind of persecution and opposition they were facing on a regular basis undoubtedly felt like being pressured or pressed by a heavy weight until the point of being crushed. I can’t really imagine what they must have been going through. I read stories of Christians even today who are persecuted for their faith and it is hard to grasp or mentally comprehend. These people were serving the Lord in spite of these fierce tribulations.

C. He knows their poverty.

(Wm. Barclay) There are two Greek words for “poverty.” One describes the state of a man who has nothing superfluous. The other one describes the one who has nothing at all. It is this second term that is used here.

This is probably a literal reference to their economic situation. Various writers describe this kind of situation to stem from two possible causes (or more likely from both causes):

ð     The Gospel of Jesus Christ has always appealed more to the people of lower economic status because of the hope it offered for a better life after this earthly life has ended. The adverse living conditions of those in poverty made the heavenly world seem all the more attractive.

ð     They were also in poverty due to the fact that they were the objects of attack and confiscation of their earthly goods by those who despised their faith and their loyalty to Christ.

In spite of their poverty by the standards of the world and society around them, the Lord says they were rich! How satisfying it is to know that even though the children of God may be poor by the world’s standards, they can be wealthy by God’s standards because of their spiritual faith and their relationship with Jesus Christ.

What a stark contrast there is between this church and the one we will be studying in a few weeks: Laodicea. It was a congregation that said they were rich, but God says they were poor.

I don’t know about you, dear friends, but I’d much rather have God say I am rich, than to have influential people of the world honor me for my wealth. I’d rather be spiritually wealthy and physically poor than to have all the riches of this world and be bankrupt in my soul. “I’d rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today.”

D. He knows their enemies.

“…those who say they are Jews and are not.”

(Barclay) If you recall in the book of Acts, it was the Jews in several different towns that caused the mobs and rulers of the cities to rise up against the Christian missionaries. There are at least 4 cities where this is described. (See Acts 13:50; 14:2, 5, 19; 17:5)

(Albert Barnes) …they indulged in a bitterness of reproach, and a severity of language, which showed that they had not the spirit of the Jewish religion; they had nothing which became those who were under the guidance of the spirit of their own Scriptures. … and the meaning here is, that although they were of Jewish origin, they were not worthy of the name.

Some have suggested that the name “synagogue of Satan” was an accusation that some Jews levied against the Christians, so here the term is returned against them. (Bible Background Commentary)

III. A Word of Exhortation (v.10)

Revelation 2:10 (NKJV) Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

A. Do not fear.

Has anyone ever told you, “Cheer up, things could be a lot worse!”

My Dad used to say, “They told me, ‘Cheer up, things could be worse.’ So I cheered up, and sure enough, they did get worse!”

It seems to me that the words of Christ to the saints in Smyrna could be paraphrased in the same way – “You’ve been suffering already for your loyalty to Me, but you’re going to suffer more than you already have.” “So, do not be afraid.”

In the Gospels, Jesus is quoted as saying, “Do not fear him who can kill the body, but fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body.” Now He is providing encouragement to the believers that they need not be afraid what man can do to them. There is imprisonment awaiting them, and more tribulation and finally death for some.

“ten days” – Some say it is figurative language denoting a short period of time (Barclay) and some believe it was symbolic language probably meaning ten years (FG Smith). In any case death was included as the possible end of it all.

One of the pastors of this church, Polycarp, was a disciple of John. Polycarp was martyred for his faith about mid-way through the second century.

B. Be faithful.

The key for them was to remain faithful in their loyalty to Christ and the truth of the Gospel.

Several sources I used referred to the martyrdom of Polycarp. He was given many opportunities to save His own life if he would only declare “Caesar is Lord,” and deny Christ.

Rather than forsake His Lord, Polycarp willingly went to be burned at the stake as many of the local citizens carried the wood to be laid around his body for fuel. His dying testimony included these words, “Eighty and six years have I served Him and He has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?”

If they stayed true to God, then He would grant them life that was eternal – life that would far outweigh the physical death they might have to experience for their undying allegiance to their King Jesus.

Conclusion:

As we close this morning, I want to encourage each one of us to take heart and look up to the Lord in faith and confidence. The Lord knows you works, your suffering and tribulation, your poverty and need. He knows all about those who are His enemies and would do their best to turn you away from obedience and faith.

 He knows all about these things in our lives that try our faith and our endurance. He also knows every detail of the future. He knows what every one of us will go through before we leave this world. But, He is the First and the Last! He has always been and always will be!

He was put to death, but He rose again and conquered the enemy. His victory is available for every one of us because He is the same yesterday, today and forever. Praise God!