A ROTTEN OMELETTE

WE’VE GOT MAIL #3/7 Stockwell Road MBC
July 26, 2009 MW

A ROTTEN OMELETE
Revelation 2:12-17

INTRODUCTION:
A. These two chapters in the Book of Revelation contain 7 letters written to 7 Churches located throughout Asia. They are love letters written by the hand of John from the heart of God. Jesus had a word for each of these churches and He also has a word for us as well. You see THEY GOT MAIL and today WE’VE GOT MAIL. There are 3 ways that we need to view these letters this morning.
1. PROPHETICALLY…each one represents a different time period in Church history; Pergamos represents the time from 312 AD to around 500 AD. This is from the time of the first Pope to the beginning of the Dark Ages.
2. PRACTICALLY…a letter to the Church at Pergamos is a letter to Stockwell Road MBC.
3. PERSONALLY…Churches are made of individuals, of families of people.

B. I have some dear preacher friends that love to go eat at IHOP at all hours of the night. I love IHOP and I love to get an omelet when I go…breakfast, lunch or dinner I’m going to get an omelet. What if the chef, making a three egg omelet, used 2 good fresh eggs and one rotten egg? What would that make the omelet? Rotten, of course! It doesn’t matter if he put the two goods one in first, last or divided them up…that one rotten egg will spoil the entire thing. Doesn’t that kind of sound a little bit like where Paul said in 1Cor. 5:6, “Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?” This is what compromise is like for the Lord’s people and for the Lord’s Church. Compromise is like that rotten egg or just a little bit of leaven, and it will ruin a lot.

C. Pergamos was the Washington DC of Asia Minor at this time. It was known as the greatest city of Asia Minor. It was the political, educational and religious center of the Roman world. Papyrus was invented there and there was a library that contained over 200,000 volumes of handwritten scrolls. The entire bossier parish library system only has 182,000 and the central branch contains 82,700. They had the first temple dedicated to Ceasar and many other gods, including one to Aesculapious, a god of healing. His symbol was a snake intertwined upon a staff…still a medical symbol in use today. Pergamos was a wealthy city and a very beautiful city. In this major city of Asia Minor was the MBC of Pergamos. This little Church had to endure a lot of hardships but the Lord came to them as the one with the sharp two edged sword. He came to them as the powerful and sharp Word of God because they needed a word from God to combat their compromise.

BODY:
I. HE RECOGNIZES OUR COMMITMENT
vs. 12-13, Eph. 6:17, Heb. 4:12
note: These folks lived in the midst of a roman society and had grown well accustomed to the sharp two edged swords of the Roman guard. They were encouraged to not fear the sword of men but rather to fear the sword of God…His Word. Eph. 6:17, Heb. 4:12
A. Commitment to Be a Servant in Spite of Opposition

B. Commitment to be Steadfast in Spite of Opportunity

II. HE REBUKES OUR COMPROMISE vs. 14-15
note: “but” is a good word here because while the Lord acknowledges the good he also recognizes the bad. He rebukes the compromise that He found in Pergamos. Compromise is something that we see all of the time but one thing that we must NEVER compromise on is the TRUTH of the Word of God. While doctrinal compromise isn’t an issue in Stockwell Road MBC I believe it is the lives of too many of God’s people. Notice the compromise of Pergamos.
A. Compromise Among the Membership v. 14
--the story of Balaam is a story of compromise. He was hired by Balak to curse the Nation of Israel. God stopped him with the talking donkey. The truth is that Balaam couldn’t have done anything to destroy Israel from the outside…but he could from the inside. He convinced them to intermarry with the heathen and this lead to compromised families which led to a corrupted Israel.

B. Compromise Among the Leadership v. 15
--The doctrine of the Nicolaitians was the intrusion of “preacher rule” in the Church…this why Pergamos represents the time of the beginning of the papal rule of the roman catholic church. The Lord gave two divine offices to His Church: Pastors and Deacons.
1. the role of Pastors
2. the role of Deacons

III. HE RECALLS OUR CHARGE vs. 16-17, I Peter 1:15
A. To Realize His Desire for Our Lives and His Church

B. To Repent of Our Sinful Attitude Towards Compromise

C. To Receive from Him
1. hidden manna—the provision and blessings of God
2. white stone
a. being proclaimed not guilty—judge’s white stone
b. being invited to a dinner

CONCLUSION:
A man once said, “You can’t run with the goats Monday thru Saturday and expect to come into Church Sunday smelling like a sheep.”
This is the spirit of compromise that describes too many of the Lord’s people today. Does it describe you?