Through the book of Revelation, the Lord tells us of the various things that happened to the 7 churches. The Lord didn’t take away these problems but allowed them to continue to happen in the church. This isn’t for us to doubt His existence but for us to be able to face thee problems. The Lord doesn’t want us to be defeated because of these problems, but to be victorious over them.

In the previous sermon, the problems that existed in the church of Ephesus and Smyrna were discussed. The problems in the church of Pergamos will be discussed now.

1. Church of Pergamos
   Rev 2:14-15
   The church in Pergamos faced two problems:
2. Some held on to the doctrine of Balaam
   Balaam taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the Israelites to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit secual immorality.

Num 25:1-3, 9
Why the people of Israel easily enticed to worship Baal? Because Baal was more powerful than the Lord? Did Baal perform more miracles? Give more grace and blessings? In reality, the answer is no to all these questions. But the attractiveness of eating, drinking and being Merry associated with Baal worship was enticing. The joy they derived was sexual in nature. Because of that the daughters of Moab enticed the children of Israel. “If you worship Baal together with me, then you can ‘play’ with me.” The people of Israel weren’t able to withstand this temptation. To ‘play’ with them, they had to worship Baal.

It’s not that they don’t understand the word of God or that the power of the Lord is great, but when faced with these temptations, they weren’t able to overcome. They chose to give into their lusts and let their desires loose. They told the people of Israel, “You can play with us but you must worship Baal.”

And this is what they did. This incurred the rest wrath of the Lord. As a result, 34,000 lives were taken.

So the teaching of Balaam is that we can both worship the Lord God and also commit harlotry with the people of Moab. People in the church of Pergamos held on to this teaching: they’re able to worship God AND worship idols. They were faced with great pressures from the Roman government at that time. They had to bow down to the statue of the Romans. They aren’t able to continue holding on to their faith and worship this idol. They were afraid to be persecuted and unwilling to suffer persecutions for the Lord. Because of that they started to accept the doctrines of Balaam. They felt they bowing down before the statue of the Romans was just showing respect for the rule of the Romans. And the requirements of the Romans weren’t too many. They just needed to bow once to the statue, make offerings and proclaim Caesar is Lord and they can go back to worship their own God. Just a moment of compromise and they’re able to resolve their problems. But how are they going to be able to face the judgement of God?

The believers of Smyrna didn’t worship the statue of the Romans and were hence persecuted. They rather submit to the commands of the Lord. And the Lord praised them. But the believers in Pergamos held on to the teachings of Balaam and were joined to the idols. They were hence rebuked by the Lord.

In church today, will there be people who worship God on one hand and idols on the other hand? Maybe without persecutions and threats now, we won’t do that. But when persecutions come? We can’t think of this problem only when it comes. Think about it now. Think clearly and make a decision. Then we can be like the 3 friends of Daniel. “King we do not need to consider anymore. We have thought about it clearly. Even if we were to be thrown into the fiery furnace, we won’t worship your statue.” Many people won’t be able to hold on to their faith because they only consider the problem at that point in time. The moment we’re not firm, we’ll waver left and right and fall. But if we’ve already made the decision: I will only submit to the teachings of the Lord and never the teachings of Balaam. I’ll only worship the true God and not idols.

Sadly in a True Jesus Church in another place, their preacher wrote this on Facebook:
Exo 20
v3 “Apart from Me you shall have no other gods.”
v5 “You are not to bow down to them for I am a jealous God.”
The preacher said that what’s critical is not the action of bowing down but whether you treat the thing you bow down to as God. He says that during funerals when the family bows down to the deceased, they don’t treat it as God. Forbidding bowing down is just the teaching of the church and not the Bible. Members of the church liked his Facebook post. But God clearly doesn’t like this. God wrote that first commandment v3 “Apart from Me you shall have no other gods.” and second commandment v5 “You are not to bow down to them for I am a jealous God.”

If God only meant that treating something else as God is wrong, then why did God write the second commandment not to bow?

Does it mean the second command is irrelevant and can be taken away? The commandment of God is absolutely clear. Don’t bow down to any of these idols. But man still wants to twist the command of God. “What’s crucial is not whether you bow down or not but whether you treat the thing you bow down to as God.” Those who bow before the deceased will like this teaching. But it’s not the teaching of the Lord but that of Balaam which allows you to worship both God and idols.

Another point of the teaching of Balaam is being able to love money. To get wealth, you can compromise with the world. The believers in Pergamos want to conduct business. To do so, they needed to participate in business association kind of events which were closely related to the worship of idols and sexual immorality.

The teaching of Balaam says that living in this world requires money to live. Since we need money, we can partake in all these activities. But these are people who love the world and give in to their flesh. Christians can participate in all sorts of activities and business networking, but you can say no to participating to activities related to idol worshipping and sexual immorality. We have to make a stand and make it clear. There’re things we can compromise and take a step back on. There’re things we cannot at all. If we don’t compromise when we can compromise and compromise when we can’t, we have got it mixed up.

Second problem in the church of Pergamos

1. Held on to the doctrine of the Nicolaitans
   Who are the Nicolaitans? Two possibilities. Meaning of the word Nicolaitans is ‘those who are above men’. Nicolaitans could refer to those who hold high positions and authority. Because of that they create hierarchies in church. They used authority to rule and oppress the members, going against the teaching of the Lord.

Matt 20:25
The Lord Jesus says the rulers of the Gentiles lord over men. But it shouldn’t be the case for us. Whoever desires to be great, let him be a servant. Just like the son of Man came to serve and not to be served.

The Nicolaitans were people God hates. Those who elevate themselves so highly and lord over others.

Rev 2:6
The believers in Ephesus were on the side of the Lord. They hated what the Lord hated, the Nicolaitans. So they were praised by the Lord.

But the church of Pergamos loved the Nicolaitans and so were rebuked by the Lord.

Another explanation of who the Nicolaitans were are those who held on to the belief that you can sin however you want in the flesh because it won’t harm the soul. When you have the experience of sinning in the flesh, it’ll help you to know how to overcome sin. Those who like to give in to their desires embrace this. “If I haven’t committed this sin how will I know what it’s about and be able to overcome it?” “If I don’t go to hell how can I save those in hell?” They think they’re walking on the right way but aren’t. They think their soul won’t be harmed but their souls are being killed.

Many churches went against the Nicolaitans but the church of Pergamos didn’t. The teachings of the Nicolaitans weren’t able to be grounded in the church of Ephesus because their deeds were hated. The church of Ephesus preserved the believers in the church and so they didn’t turn to these beliefs. Because every believer had this commission: these type of teachings that cause death to our soul has no place in our church.

If this is something only the ministers hold on to, would it be effective? If so, the teachings of the Nicolaitans would’ve found its way into the church of Ephesus. But because a majority of the church hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans, it was a powerful force that preserved the church.

But why were the teachings of the Nicolaitans able to find a footholds to be a teaching in the church of Pergamos? There were some who rejected it, held fast to God’s name. But they weren’t able to preserve others but only themselves. This tells us that to understand and hold on to the teaching is not something only ministers have to do. Every believer has to do this. If we do that, people who preach heresies will find no grounding in the church. You have the authority to make a stand in what you believe in. If you intentionally tell us not to express their stand, you’re just trying to blur the lines. There’re certain things we have to close and eye and pretend we don’t know, don’t need to make a stand.

“Eh the vegetables today so salty…wonder who cooked.”
We don’t need to find out who cooked it “Wah give us all high blood pressure!”
Trying to find problems.
Having such courage is of no use. It’s ok if one meal has higher salt content. But as long as the truth is concerned, we have to be courageous and express our stand.

That’s why the Lord allows us to see the believers in Ephesus and Pergamos. Both are churches of the Lord but Ephesus rejected while Pergamos accepted the teaching of the Nicolaitans. The Lord allowed both to happen. For us to make our stand. This is our test. When Jesus comes again, are we able to stand before the judgement seat of the Lord?

Rev 2:16
Repent or I will come to you quickly and fight against them with the sword of My mouth.

While Pergamos did wrong, the Lord didn’t reject them immediately. He gave them a chance to repent. But if they don’t, He’d fight against them with the sword of His mouth. The word of God is a double edged sword. It can save and free us from the bondage of sin. But if we don’t repent, the sword will judge us.

Rev 2:17
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.”’
The Lord desires we become victors of these problems. Perhaps we have been tempted and our faith shaken. But today is a chance for us to turn back. A chance of repentance. We must overcome all this.

For many people, it’s not that they don’t understand the word of God. But that they aren’t able to overcome their feelings/emotions. There were people amongst those who held on to the teachings of Balaam and the Nicolaitans who did so because people they loved did so. They were harmed by their emotions. It’s good to have emotions for others. Loving your wife is good. But loving the wife of another is sin and harms others! Similarly loving the Lord and His teachings is good and will save your soul. But loving those who have gone apostate will harm your soul.

You have to be the one who makes the final decision.

He who has an ear let him hear! The Holy Spirit has also been given to us to move us. But the Holy Spirit will only move us and won’t coerce us. Maybe we hear a sermon and resolve in our hearts but after stepping out of church our resolve fails. It’s easy to resolve, its hard to hold on to our resolve all the way to the end.

As a victor, we must hold on to our resolve to the end. Then we’ll get the hidden manna.

According to tradition:
Before Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the holy temple, prophet Jeremiah took the manna in the golden urn and buried it in the mountains. Nobody knows where it is and it’s become the hidden manna. When the Messiah appears, the hidden manna will appear as well. The Jews hence have the concept that when the hidden manna resurfaces, the Messiah will come. The Messiah is Jesus and He has come! But nobody could recognise Him as the hidden manna. Jesus said, “Your forefathers ate manna in the wilderness and died. I’m the breed of heaven and he who eats of this bread will never die.” Jesus openly proclaimed He’s the hidden manna! He who believes in Him will receive everlasting life.

Jesus says, “To him who overcomes, I’ll give him some hidden manna that he May have eternal life.”

“I’ll also give him a white stone!”
This white stone is used in a jury in a court. White stone indicates innocence while black stone indicates guilty.

Acts 26:10
“cast my vote against them”
The word ‘vote’ is the same as the word ‘stone’ in Revelation.

When the Lord gives a person the white stone, it means the Lord acknowledged you’re a victor. If you say you are a victor it’s of no use. On surface you may appear like a victor but what our heart thinks is not known. But our Lord knows all things. If He gives us this white stone and pronounces us a victor, then we are.

On the stone, a new name is written which no one knows except him who receives it. This name is Jesus’ name (Rev 14:1).

John 17:11
Apart from those who received this stone, the name is only known to them and no one else. Why would no one know the name Jesus? This is reality. Many people today know Jesus. Christmas is coming and even people who aren’t Christians celebrate it. They think it’s the birthday of Jesus. People know Jesus but don’t know Him we God who came in the flesh. Many Christians believe Jesus came in the flesh but don’t believe He’s the Heavenly Father. Saying so is heretical. Because to them the Heavenly Father and Jesus are separate entities. Philip was confused too. Philip said, “Show us the Father.” And Jesus said, “If you have seen Me you’ve seen the Father.”

That’s why only those who receive the white stone will know who Jesus is. God won’t force us. We can choose to believe what our head has reasoned out.

But if we believe, we’ll receive the white stone which has the name of Jesus. This shows we truly are victors. The name on the stone shows we belong to the Lord and will be with Him forever. We must become overcomers.