This is what John was supposed to write as he's writing these seven churches. And remember, he wrote to the church at Ephesus first, which was closest to the Isle of Patmos. And then once you go about 35 miles up north from there, you hit the church of Smyrna. Then you go about 55 miles more up north, and what you hit is the church at Pergamos. I want you to notice in God's word as we read about these churches, it starts in verse 12. And the Word of God says, And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, These things saith he, which hath a sharp sword with two edges. Now here the message is to the church, the angel, the messenger of the church. in Pergamos, but I want you to notice down in verse 17. He says, He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Now the message in particular was to the church at Pergamos, but it was supposed to go out to all the churches. In other words, it's more like a circular letter. And each one of these letters, all seven of them, they start out with the things which John saw. And what John saw, he references back in chapter one of how there is a description of Christ. And each one of these churches are addressed with this particular description of Christ. Each one is a little bit different though. So he's writing the things which he saw. What did he see? there was a sharp two-edged sword. Look back in verse 16 in chapter 1. And he had in his right hand seven stars, and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword. And so here, these things saith he in chapter 2 in verse 12, he which hath the sharp sword with two edges. You remember what the Word of God says over in Hebrews chapter 4. And down in verse 12, for the word of God is quick, or it means alive, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit of joints and marrows, and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart. You remember what the word of God says in John 1. In verse one, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God, and that's talking about Christ. Christ is the Word, and as he speaks, he shows forth that two-edged sword. That's the Word of God. It cuts deep, and it cuts quick. Listen to what it says over in 2 Corinthians 10. In 2 Corinthians 10 and down in verse 3, For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Our weapons of our warfare are not carnal. We use the sword of the spirit. This word for sword, if I'm not mistaken, it's a Greek word, moikos, and it's like a short sword, like for hand-to-hand combat. It's not one of the long swords. It's more like a dagger type thing. And it's like in the shape almost like a tongue, you would look at it. So here, Christ is using a weapon, and the weapon that He uses is the very Word of God. Look in Revelation chapter 19, another reference to this. Revelation 19, and look down in verse 13. It talks about Christ when He comes back again, and He was clothed with a vesture, dipped in blood, and His name is called the Word of God. The Word of God. Christ used the Word of God. He was the Word of God. And what He used was the Word. And you know what? Here is our example. We are to use the Word of God. Our weapons are not carnal, but they're mighty unto God to the pulling down of strongholds. The Word of God, it's alive and it is powerful. And don't underestimate the power of that weapon which God has given to us. Notice he's writing to the church at Pergamos in verse 12 in chapter 2. Now this city Pergamos was the capital of Asia for about four centuries. That's a long time. That made it really the center or the hub of all the cities that are in Asia. All of them like to boast that they were the greatest, they were the best, and everything else. But Pergamos was a little bit different because it was what was considered the capital of Asia. Therefore, I want you to listen to some facts concerning that city. At one point, it had 200,000 volumes of books. Now that, in that day and time, made it like a, you might say it's a university town. It's a place of knowledge. It's a place where there was a lot of worldly wisdom. There was a lot of books written and they had it recorded. As a matter of fact, if I'm not mistaken, it was Mark Anthony and Cleopatra that actually took the books from there and brought them over to Egypt when they conquered it. But here in that city, they had different temples and different altars. One of the big altars that they had was the Great Altar to Zeus. And it was found right before you go to a temple that was dedicated to Athena. There was another temple, and it was the temple of, let's see if I can pronounce this one, Aesculapius. Now, Aesculapius, this temple, was for the god of healing. Another name for Aesculapius was Aesculapius Soter. That means the God of healings, our Savior. They looked to healing as being the Savior. That was their God. Boy, aren't a lot of people looking for that today. You know what? Our healer is God. The God, not a God. The emblem that they were known by was a serpent. Now that's kind of interesting when you think about it, because if you look at the medical emblem today, what do you find? You find a serpent. You know how the snake's on the little emblem there? And this dates way, way back. So here, in this place of Pergamos, they had many different pagan temples. Another temple that they had was one that was dedicated to the Caesar. It was the first temple built to the Caesar. And the Caesar would often go to Pergamos to dry out. In other words, he was a drunk from what I read. So here he would go there and this is a place where they worshipped Caesar. Now the problem with this church at Pergamos because it was a place of a lot of man's wisdom. It was not so much what we believe, but it's the way we live, is what they thought. If we live right, then everything will be all right. Now make sure you understand what I'm saying. Here is their problem. It's their way of thinking. It's not so much what we believe, but it's the way we live. And if we live right, everything will be all right. You know what? You cannot know how to live right unless you know the Word of God. You cannot know how to live unless you read and study the Word of God. If you listen to man's wisdom, you can listen how to live. If you listen to man's reasoning, you will learn the worldly way of living. But we must be instructed by God. In other words, what they were doing, they were putting a big emphasis upon the way you live your life. And they de-emphasized doctrine. One of the things they brought out in here, they got off in doctrine. They have two doctrines that are mentioned in this one short letter. That's the doctrine of the Nicolaitans and the doctrine of Balaam. They had allowed those doctrines, false doctrines, to infiltrate that body. So here, our Lord says, and to the angel of the church in Pergamos, write, these things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges. And then he begins the present works of that church of Pergamos, and he begins it like he's written the previous letters. I know thy works. The Lord knows every work, New Life Baptist Church does, just like he knew every work that Pergamos was doing. But notice here, they are faithful. They are faithful in the face of persecution. They are being persecuted, but notice here in verse 13, I know thy works and where thou dwellest. I know where you're located at, even where Satan's seat is. Now the word for seat here is the word throne. Now you think about a throne. Here is where one rules from. Satan's throne at this particular time was located in Pergamos. Now think with me for a moment. Here's this church at Pergamos. Satan's throne is in that city at Pergamos. You know what that tells us? It tells us that Satan is not omnipresent. He is not omniscient. I'm telling you, he's no fool neither as far as wisdom. He knows a lot. I believe he can move quickly, but he is not omnipresent. He has a throne where he is given some dominion. There are some people that I've talked to lately, one of them online, a Messianic Jew online, and he believes that Satan is in absolute control of this world. I talked to somebody not too long ago who said this, if God's in control, he sure is doing a sorry job. I thought, oh my soul, that's blasphemous. Let me tell you, God is in absolute control Satan's on a leash, and we know his end. And though things might seem crazy and like havoc's all breaking loose, God has not abdicated the throne. He is still upon the throne. Satan has a throne, yes. He's called the prince in power of the air, but he is not omniscient, he's not omnipresent, and he's not omnipotent. Only God feels that description. Here, notice what it says. I know even where Satan's throne is, and you hold fast my name. Thou holdest fast my name. In other words, they had the profession of faith. They had the faith, and they held to the faith, and have not denied my faith. Even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful Now, Antipas was a member of the church at Pergamos. Not a lot is known concerning that. I believe it's in the book Martyrs' Mirrors, which we've got back here in the library. It talks about an Antipas that was a man who was martyred. He was put inside a brazen bull and they heated that thing up and basically roasted him in that bull. Whether that's the same Antipas, possibly so. but he died a martyr. He says, who was slain among you where Satan dwells. Let me tell you, Pergamos would have been a very difficult place to serve the Lord, to be faithful unto the Lord. Pergamos held to the truth, but they had a problem. Notice it says in verse 14, But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat the things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit Fornication. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. In other words, what they did, they had truth, but they allowed in their membership, in their body, people that held false doctrine. Now, you know what? If we allowed people to join New Life Baptist Church that is often doctrine, the Lord would have something against us there too. Here he is the one who has the sharp sword with two edges. And therefore he rebukes this church at Pergamos because they had the doctrine of Balaam. Now what is the doctrine of Balaam? He tells us right here. Balaam, you remember back in the Old Testament, about around Numbers 25, Balak wanted Balaam to curse the children of Israel. God would not permit him to curse the children of Israel. So what did Balaam do? Balaam put a stumbling block before the men of Israel. What kind of stumbling block was that? He got the beautiful heathen women to go prancing through Israel with their pretty bodies. And they got goo-goo-eyed and they committed fornication, and they intermarried, which led them into sacrificing to idols. They became unequally yoked. They allowed worldliness into their lives. What Balaam did, he deceived them to mislead them. He knew they would fall by deceit. And that's exactly what happened. They intermarried, intermingled with unbelievers. They allowed that doctrine to even come into their church at Pergamos. The Nicolaitans, also the doctrine or the teaching of the Nicolaitans, which God hates, it says, They allowed that to come into the church. Now, what was the doctrine of the Nicolaitans? Nicao means to rule over, to overlord. Laos, Laotans, which would be people, it's basically lording over the people, ruling over the people. And so here they've allowed false doctrine to infiltrate their church. And what our Lord told them to do, He tells them to repent. He says, notice in verse 16, repent, or else I will come unto thee quickly and I will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. Now, how were they to repent? The church at Pergamos, if they had false teaching going on within the church, they had allowed people with false doctrine worldliness. How were they to deal with that? Let me tell you, they deal with it the same way we would deal with it in our day and time. They needed to practice church discipline. Church discipline is a difficult thing to do at times, but it's a serious matter. That means they needed to exclude some members that didn't need to be a member of that church, that body. You can find over in 1 Corinthians 5, Titus 3, and how it talks about how you are to discipline members that have false doctrine or that are worldly in their life. Every child of God, every believer is a priest unto our God. It's what it says back in chapter one, I think it's in verse six. every one of us who are children of God, we are priests unto God. Now let's relate that to Balaam. You remember how Balaam misled the children of Israel? Do you remember how they got into a big dance and everything? Look back in Numbers 25. Numbers the 25th chapter. In Numbers 25, notice it says in verse one, and Israel bowed in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods, and the people did eat and bowed down to their gods. And Israel joined himself unto Baal Peor, and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel. The Lord said to Moses, take all the heads of the people, hang them up before the Lord against the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel. Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one of his men that were joined unto Belpeor. And behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses, in the sight of the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle congregation. And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, took a javelin in his hand. He went in after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust them both through, the man of Israel and the woman, through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel." Notice who took the lead as far as disciplining this corruption that had entered into Israel. It was the priest, Phinehas, led in judging that sin which stayed the wrath of God. Our Lord tells the church at Pergamos, repent or else I will come to you quickly. In other words, church discipline is a very serious, serious matter. And it needs to be dealt with if there are people, as far as members in the body, that need to be disciplined. The Lord said, it's such a serious matter. If you don't deal with it, I'm going to come and I'm going to fight with the sword, that two-edged sharp sword with his mouth. And then he tells of the things that are to come. And he says in the closing part of that letter, he says, he that hath ears to hear, let him hear. In other words, those who are spiritual, they can understand the things that he's saying. If you've got ears to hear, hear what the Spirit has said unto the churches. And then he gives this ending, which talks about the future. To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knows, saving he that receives it." Here, notice it says, to him that overcometh. The word overcometh is the word nico, nicoti. It's the word where we get nika'o from. Nika'o means overcome. Who are the overcomers? The overcomers are those who are children of God, who are true believers. They are genuine in their faith. they overcome the world. To him that overcomes what he promises, he promises to give to eat of the hidden manna. Now what is the hidden manna? There's some hidden manna here we get to eat is what the Word of God is telling us. I want you to look back in Hebrews chapter 9. In Hebrews chapter 9, look down in verse 2. Hebrews 9 and verse 2, the Word of God says, For there was a tabernacle made, The first wherein was the candlestick, the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary. And after the second veil, the tabernacle, which is called the holiest of all, which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant, and over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercy seat of which we cannot now speak particularly. Now, when these things were thus ordained, the priest went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. Here, the manna that Christ gives to eat, the hidden manna, you look inside the Ark of the Covenant, there is manna hidden in there. Here, this manna, it's in a golden pot. Now all this is symbolic of Christ. I want you to look back, if you would, to John 6. In John 6, look down in verse 31. John 6 in verse 31, There in God's Word we read, our fathers did eat manna in the desert, as it is written. He gave them bread from heaven to eat. This is that manna. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which comes down from heaven and gives life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life. He that comes to me shall never hunger, and he that believes on me shall never thirst. I want you to notice if you turn over further in that chapter, look down in verse 53. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, except you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoso eats my flesh and drinks my blood hath eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood dwells in me, and I in him. As the Living Father has sent me, and I live by the Father, so he that eats me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven. Not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead. He that eats of this bread shall live forever. These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. Many, therefore, of his disciples, when they heard this, they said, This is a hard saying. Who can hear it? When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Does this offend you? What, and if you shall see the Son of Man, ascend up where he was before? It is the Spirit that quickens, or makes alive. The flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you that believe not, for Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not and who should betray him. Here is the manna. The manna is Christ himself. And we feed upon Christ. And oh, how much more rejoicing when we are in his presence to him that overcomes, according to the word of God. In Revelation, chapter two, he says, I will give to them to eat of the hidden manna. And I will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth, saving him that receives it." Now, what is this white stone that He's going to give? Those who are overcomers, that means they're believers in Christ. If you were to go back in the Old Testament, what you would find, the high priest would have in his breastplate Urim and Thummim. They're stones. The Urim literally means lights. The Thummim means perfection. I want you to look back in Exodus chapter 28 and down in verse 30. In Exodus 28 and down in verse 30. Notice here it's described, and thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be upon Aaron's heart when he goes in before the Lord. And Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the Lord continually. Here, the Urim and the Thummim is what the priest wore. That's what's going to be given unto us. It's going to be knowledge to the person who is named at the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now we know in part when he comes, how much greater will our knowledge be to those who overcome. We are more than conquerors through him that loved us. The word conquerors means overcomers. Hupere nikomen, that word nikao, overcome. We are more than conquerors through Christ who loved us. Here, notice, because they were off in doctrine as far as allowing the false doctrine come in, the way you combat that is with truth. Christ combated it with truth. He sets an example for us, even so, We need to use the truth of God's word. I pray each and every one here knows they're an overcomer because of Jesus Christ. Let's have a word of prayer. Father, thank you for your word. We thank you for the fellowship we can have with one another, but most of all with you. And Lord, we desire you to be glorified through your word. Help us to discern truth. Lord, help us to judge error according to your truth. We pray that you would guide us by your Spirit. Give us a hunger for more truth and righteousness, that you might be glorified for Christ's sake. Amen.