Freedom River Church Sunday Message 6/3/18
Channel: Freedom River Church
Date: 2018-06-03

Pergamos
The Worldly Church
Revelation 2:12-17

Who is the letter from?

In each of the letters to the Seven Churches, John uses a direct quote or an inferred characterization from his description of Jesus in Chapter one. (Compare 2:12 with 1:16) This letter is not from John or an angel or a scribe. The author of this letter is Jesus
Christ!

(12) – “…the sharp sword with two edges.” – This is not a lightweight fencing or battle sword. This is a sword used by an executioner to separate the head from the body. Jesus is speaking to the fact that the Church at Pergamos has a cancer that is not something that you can live with and treat. There must be a complete separation of the sickness from the body.

What is the sword?

According to Ephesians 6:17, the “…sword of the Spirit…is the Word of God.” The sword is the Word of God that we commit to the Holy Spirit to fight our battles for us. But notice, this sword has two edges.

The two edges are used for two different purposes.

1. One edge is used to separate you from unbelief. Hebrews 4:11-12
When you hear the Word of God preached, it does all that verse 12 says it does; thereby, separating you from the sin of unbelief. This saves your soul and turns you to Christ. This is the “Gospel Sword.”

2. The second edge cuts you off from salvation and the opportunity to be redeemed. Revelation 19:14-15
The purpose of the “Gospel Sword” is to separate you from unbelief. If you will not allow the first edge to separate you from your sin, then, the second edge will be used in judgement to separate you from Him! 
Bob Dillon wrote a great song (1979) that states, “You’re gonna have to serve somebody. Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord, but you’re gonna have to serve somebody.” Jesus is saying, “If you refuse to be cut off from the Devil and serve me then, in judgement, you’re gonna be cut off from Me to serve and perish
with the devil.”

Who is this church to whom the letter is written?

 In AD 312, Constantine, the Roman Emperor - After receiving a “vision” of a cross in the sky and hearing a charge to “go forth and conquer,” sailed from Britain, marched over the Alps, and, under the banner of the cross, conquered the armies of the enemies. Because he was certain that God had given him the victory, he repealed the Christian persecution orders of former Emperors. He
placed Christians in high positions in the Empire and proclaimed “Christianity” to be the national religion of Rome. He literally married the Church to the State. Although it may first appear that this was a great Godly effort, corruption and wickedness in the professing church rose to such a height that the infidel historian, Edward Gibbon, wrote, “The history of the church is the annals of
hell.”

 The history of the church is the annals of hell. - The church became the home of heathendom. Pagan feast days became Christian festivals; pagan gods became Christian saints; pagan rituals received new life as Christian rites; and pagan priests and nuns became the ordained servants of the church. In short,
paganism was baptized and incorporated into Christianity.


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