99% • 1.7 million pieces of first class mail lost each day. • 200,000 people getting the wrong drug prescriptions each year.
99% • Drinking water unsafe 3 days a year. • 2 million people would die from food poisoning each year. Galaxie Software, 10,000 Sermon Illustrations (Biblical Studies Press, 2002).
Revelation 2:13 esv 13 I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is.
The Seven Churches of Revelation
Sacred Way to Pergamum
Pergamum Sacred Way with Acropolis
Altar of Zeus – Pergamum
Roman Man in Armor Statue
Temple of Emperor Trajan
Stonecutters during the reign of Emperor Diocletian, refused to carve an image of Asklepios were executed for their faith. (Mounce, Revelation , 96, n. 36). John F. MacArthur Jr., Revelation 1 – 11 , MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999), 86.
Revelation 2:12-17 esv 12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write : ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.
Revelation 2:12-17 esv 13 “‘I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith[a] even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
Revelation 2:12-17 esv 14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality.
Revelation 2:12-17 esv 15 So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth.
Revelation 2:12-17 esv 17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’
structure 1. Problem: 2. Solution: 3. Application:
“Teaching of Balaam” – Revelation 2:14 = Numbers 22 – 25
“Pagan food and pagan women [make for] powerful tools…” (Blaiklock - Seven Churches, 39). Robert H. Mounce, The Book of Revelation , The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1997), 80.
Numbers 25 esv … the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. 2 These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3 So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel…
Numbers 25 esv 6 And behold, one of the people of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman to his family, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the people of Israel… 7 When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the
Numbers 25 esv priest, saw it, he rose and left the congregation and took a spear in his 8 and went after the man of Israel hand into the chamber and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman through her belly. Thus the plague on
Numbers 25 esv the people of Israel was stopped. 9 Nevertheless, those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand. 10 And the LORD said to Moses, 11 “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my
Numbers 25 esv wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy. 12 Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace, 13 and it shall be
Numbers 25 esv to him and to his descendants after him the covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the people of Israel.’ ”
Wake up to the reality that the world and the church were locked in a fight to the death Craig S. Keener, Revelation , The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1999), 131.
James 4:4 esv 4 Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.
Revelation 2:16 esv 16 Repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth.
Romans 12:2 esv 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 8:5 esv 5 For those set their minds on the things of the flesh ... live according to the flesh, but those set their minds on the things of the Spirit….who live according to the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 10:5 b esv 5 … take every thought captive to obey Christ,
Mindset = the heart attitude that steers the course of our life. Douglas J. Moo, Romans , The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2000), 257.
Christ’s Call To Discipleship J.M. Boice, Moody, 1986, pp. 122-23 Galaxie Software, 10,000 Sermon Illustrations (Biblical Studies Press, 2002).
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