The Misaligned Church: The Church at Pergamum
The Misaligned Church: The Church at Pergamum
Key Bible Verses
Revelation 2:12-17
Digging Deeper
The Church at Pergamum reminds us that loyalty to the Gospel holds us to a higher standard that goes beyond words and outward appearances. We need an ever-vigilant and deep commitment to consistently living out true biblical teachings in our daily lives. Jesus requires us to be steadfast in our faith, even in the face of adversity and challenges, and to be on guard to face and address false teaching.
Strength and courage are also needed as the world throws temptations at us and our culture seeks to compromise what we believe and know to be true. Our responsibility is to remain faithful to God’s word and keep His commandments. True loyalty to the Gospel requires sacrificing personal desires and determination to follow God’s will.
Like the Church at Pergamum, forgiveness and repentance may be needed when loyalty has wavered and we have strayed from the way Jesus taught. Jesus reminds us that His love and forgiveness are always available to those who repent and that He will reward those who are victorious over sin and false teaching.
What Not To Miss
Main Point:
Revolutionary living requires ACTIONS that are ALIGNED with our AUTHORITY.
Jesus reveals answers to the following key questions concerning the Church at Pergamum:
What was in alignment?
What was out of alignment?
What needs to be done to bring back alignment?
What happens when alignment does or does not happen?
1. What was in alignment? (Revelation 2:13)
In Satan’s City, in the epicenter of Satan’s stronghold, the Church in Pergamum remained true to Jesus’ name.
Satan’s stronghold was characterized by idolatry, political power, immorality, and healing.
The Church at Pergamum remained true and faithful to Jesus in the days when persecution was severe.
The Church at Pergamum held onto their identity in Jesus amid idolatry and immorality. This means they held true to their identity in Jesus, their belief in Jesus, their behavior in Jesus, and their actions in Jesus, and thus, they imaged Jesus well.
2. What was out of alignment? (Revelation 2:14-15)
The spirit of Balaam, through the Nicolaitans, had entered into the church body and was beginning to deceive and derail some of God’s people. (Story of Balaam and Balak in Numbers 22-24)
The Church at Pergamum and her leaders let poisonous, wayward, carnal teachers come in and teach things that would lead God’s people astray.
This teaching was that they could live a compromised life, and it formed a compromised, less-distinctive church.
3. How do they get back in alignment? (Revelation 2:16a)
The Church at Pergamum needs to repent.
Wayward teaching leads to a wandering people. Wandering people leave the wondrous Savior.
Allowing such teaching to exist ultimately threatened the identity of the Church. If tolerated and left to infiltrate the church, this compromised teaching would jeopardize the integrity of God’s people.
When things are done against who we are and what we are called to image, that’s hypocrisy. The three options for dealing with Christian hypocrisy are repent, reimagine, and relapse.
4. What happens when they do or don’t get back in full alignment? (Revelation 2:16,17)
If they don’t repent, Jesus will come and wage war against the Church at Pergamum—even though they were faithful in Satan’s stronghold.
Jesus knows that faithfulness will not last if the false teaching is not dealt with. Therefore, Jesus comes in judgment.
To those who repent, remain faithful, remain pure, remain integrity, and are aligned with Jesus, Jesus will give the victorious hidden manna and a white stone.
As we consider Pergamum, we need extended prayer to do the following:
- Repent
- Renew
- Recommit
Make sure your actions align with your authority—Jesus!
Life Application
Consider what it means to be loyal to the Gospel of Jesus Christ this week. Make a list of areas where we need to repent, renew, and recommit our faith as we live in a culture that does not hold the same biblical values that we do. Pray for courage as we remember that no matter how difficult circumstances may be when we stand up for the Gospel, Jesus is always with us and will never leave our side. He promises to reward us when we repent of sin and are victorious over false teaching.
Small Group Discussion Questions
When did you have to fight for something right?
What were the positive things that were said about the Church at Pergamum?
What were the negative things that were said about the Church at Pergamum?
What are the consequences of not repenting from their sin?
How does this message apply to the church today?
Daily Devotional Bible Passages
Day 1: Repent-Acts 3:19; 1 John 1:8-9; Luke 13:3
Day 2: False Teaching-2 Timothy 4:3-4; Acts 20:28-30; 1 John 4:1
Day 3: Sin-2 Chronicles 7:14; Isaiah 1:18; Romans 3:23-24
Day 4: Loyalty to God-Romans 8:28; Acts 5:29; Colossians 3:2
Day 5: Faithfulness-1 John 1:9; Psalm 36:5; 2 Thessalonians 3:3
Prayer
Lord, I pray for the strength and courage to remain loyal to You. In a world filled with distractions and temptations, help me always to stay true to Your teachings and not allow anything false to enter my faith and cause me to sin. Like those at the Church at Pergamum, enable me not to deny You in any aspect of my life. May I always proudly proclaim my love for You and Your Gospel. I pray for the strength to resist any pressure to conform to the ways of this world that go against Your teachings. Give me the wisdom to discern between right and wrong and any false teachers, and the conviction to stand firm in what I know is truth. May my loyalty to You be a shining example to those around me and inspire others to seek You and follow Your ways.
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