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Advent Productions

Benjamin Ng

Balaam, Balak and the Nicolaitans

Father in heaven, thank you so much for this time that we have to come and study your Word again together.

And though we're in lockdown, Lord, I'm so thankful for this internet connection.

I pray that you would please preserve it so that we can have an effective time of study together today.

Please guide us with your Holy Spirit, speak to us through thy word, O Lord, and lead us into all truth, that we might be transformed into your image this day.

The title of our sermon this morning is Balaam, Balak and the Nicolaitans.

We are continuing our study in the 7 churches.

Rain has just preached the first 2 churches and now this morning we are going to be looking at the third church found in Revelation chapter 2 and verse 12.

The Bible says this, And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, these things saith he which hath the sharp sword with 2 edges.

So now we're looking at the church of Pergamos.

And the word Pergamos, the name Pergamos means height or elevation.

And it was in 323 AD that Constantine now declares the Roman Empire, the Roman nation, as a Christian nation.

Of course he had a fake conversion so to speak, but now the persecution of the Christians during the the Roman era where they were thrown into the Colosseums and and used as entertainment, now all of a sudden Christianity is thrown into the limelight and more widely accepted and overnight it seems like persecution stops.

And as a result, the Christian church, it relaxes its efforts and its watchfulness is also relaxed as well.

But how is Jesus introduced here in Revelation chapter 2 and verse 12?

These things saith he which hath a sharp sword with 2 edges.

And so in other words, God wants His people in this church to fight.

But what does the sword represent in the Bible?

Well, let's go to Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 12.

For the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of a heart.

Furthermore, in Ephesians 6, verse 17, take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

So God wants His people to fight with His Word, with the Bible.

Somehow they've not been fighting, they've stopped, they've relaxed.

You know in the Church of Ephesus we read this in Revelation chapter 2 and verse 2 I know thy works and thy labor and thy patience and how thou canst not bear them which are evil, and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles and are not, and hast found them liars." This church, they could detect liars and false apostles.

But then what happened in the next church?

In Smyrna in verse 10 it says, Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer, that behold the devil shall cast some of you into prison, and that ye may be tried and ye shall have tribulation 10 days.

Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life.

People, they were going through suffering in the church of Smyrna.

People were being attacked for the faith that they believed in and so they held on.

Their love and their devotion to God was strong.

But now in Pergamos, the church has been elevated, the church has been exalted, and there seems to be peace and prosperity.

It seems that everybody is okay with the Christian religion now and they let their guard down in this time of peace.

And so Jesus says, I am that sharp sword with 2 edges.

Even where Satan's seat is, and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days where an Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth." There's a few things that we have to look at here in this verse.

Well, in Revelation chapter 12 verse 9, we are told that the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent called the devil, and Satan.

He's also known as the devil, and he's also known as a dragon.

And it's interesting that in Revelation 13 verse 2, we see this beast.

This beast was like to a leopard, his feet were as the feet of a bear, his mouth as the mouth of a lion.

The dragon gave him his power and his seat and great authority.

And if you have studied Revelation 13 before, this beast with 7 heads and 10 horns, we know this none other than to be the papacy, the Roman Catholic Church.

And it says there in Revelation chapter 2 that there was people there that held fast the name of Jesus and that they did not deny their faith.

You know, friends, to hold fast means you don't let go.

And there are people that were weeded out of the church to some extent because they didn't want to endure the persecution.

But now there's this relaxing atmosphere, this time of peace and prosperity, and it's easy to relax your watching, and especially your faithfulness.

There's a group that is holding fast to faith.

His name was called Antipas, who was faithful, faithful to the point of death.

He was a first, or 1 of the first probably, Christian martyrs.

But you know, friends, what does the word antipas mean?

Not the Father in heaven, but there was a group of people on the earth that was asking them to call them, asking others to call them, Father.

And we know what religion that is, isn't it?

But you see, we are told in Matthew 23 in verse 9, Call no man your father upon the earth, for 1 is your father which is in heaven.

Jesus Christ, I mean not Jesus Christ, the Father in heaven of course, God our Father.

And so what we're seeing is the characteristics of the papacy rising up already in the Church of Pergamos.

What else is taking place in this church?

But I have a few things against thee, Because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of who?

Balaam, and taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

There was in this church elements of people that we know from the Old Testament, Balaam and Balak.

God spoke to him directly and even as he was going into apostasy, God still spoke to him to try to save him.

He is famously known for the man who spoke to a donkey.

The donkey spoke to him and the amazing thing was he replied to a speaking donkey and didn't think twice about it.

You see, he had a conversation with a dumb animal.

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Balaam, Balak and the Nicolaitans

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