Faithfulness Amidst Cultural Temptations: Lessons from Pergamum

1) "And what you start noticing is that there's a whole lot more going on behind the scenes than they want you to see. They're going to show you just enough to make you believe. There's a lot more going on behind the scenes. And today we're going to talk about, I would say it's a letter that addresses something very similar to that. So today we're going to be going from Smyrna all the way north to Pergamum. It's just a couple of miles north, and Pergamum is no minor city. This is one of the major. It's one of the major centers of advancement and development in Asia Minor." [49:05] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2) "Rome is offering peace and safety, art, technology, culture, financial opportunity for anyone with half a brain. A little bit of intuitiveness, right? It's there. They're addressing the big questions of life that everyone's going to ask at some point. They have a lot of temples that prove that. There are things to do, things to learn, people to see, books to read, shiny new things around every corner. How many opportunities for someone to feel as if they have a purpose, a future, that they're necessary, and, at the most basic, safe. But the writer begins the letter saying, saying, I know where you live. I mean, who wouldn't boast about living in such a place? But Pergamum wasn't exactly what it claimed to be." [54:55] (69 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


3) "Now, in the midst of this city, there are these small communities of Christians, just believers. A lot of them are Jewish, some of them are Gentile. Maybe it's more Gentile and some are Jewish at this point. And it's important to remember that these communities of Christians, we call them the church, right? But these aren't big box churches. They're not churches that are, you know, huge and immense. And I would even say that nothing like this, if one of them were to walk in here, they would have been like, wow, what do y 'all do? What are y 'all doing in here? Because to them, it was a group of 20 here, maybe 10 over here, maybe 15 in that little group, 30 over there, maybe five or seven. They're small little communities together. Rural churches, I guess you could say." [57:21] (50 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


4) "These are groups that consist of families. Some of them are primarily family units, and then they have some extras peppered in here and there. Some of them are a ragtag group of misfits, side by side with some well -connected people. But they've all had an experience with God. They've had an experience with the Holy Spirit. And they don't know what to do with that other than to believe and to follow. These are people who, once they've had this experience, they are determined that they are going to live differently than those people that are around them. How often do we wake up in the morning and think, I'm going to live differently today. And if so, what does that look like? But they truly were this alternative society." [58:16] (51 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


5) "Now in this city, Pergamum, what they did is they decided they're going to devote themselves to helping one another, to living for the common good. That seems to be what a lot of those believers did, as they lived for the common good. And the thing that Lynn read this morning, they shared with one another, as they had need, they broke bread together. And that breaking bread wasn't just this little pinch of a wafer that we do on a Sunday morning. This is really a full meal. It's breaking bread. It's this act that's not only every day, but it's spiritual, it's sacred. They're sharing life together around a table." [58:16] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


6) "But what they were doing is that they weren't getting ahead of one another. They weren't trying to use one another for social gain or financial gain. They weren't oppressing one person so they'd feel better about themself. They weren't loaning money with interest. They were loaning money or just giving it away without any interest at all. They'd give whenever people needed. They'd open their home to stranger and friend alike, even if it meant it might make them suffer financially. They loved and accepted one another, whether you're rich or poor or a slave or a free man or a woman. They loved. And by the way, this is still the power of Christ -centered churches today." [59:49] (46 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


7) "And what it comes down to is the fact that Pergamum has a purity problem. And we know the city has a purity problem. But now we're seeing the church has a purity problem. People are staying strong, but they were becoming comfortable and embracing more and more of the culture around them. You know, the shiny and beautiful things that the culture was offering. You know, they were worshiping the gods of power. They were worshiping the gods of beauty. Worshiping the gods of entertainment." [01:06:05] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


8) "And our culture today is not all bad. You know, there are some amazing things happening around us, too. You know, medical advancements and art. Literature that gets at the heart of deep questions and starts conversations for us of faith and love with our neighbor. But there are also aspects of our culture that do not lead us to Christ or to love. It leads us to discriminate. It leads us to look down on others. To write some people off as lost and without hope. Some aspects of our culture that lead us to use one another for our own purposes, whether social or financial. Or to use one another for pleasure, whether they're live or on video." [01:06:41] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


9) "Sometimes I wonder if we put more of our faith in our governing authorities than we have in Jesus himself. And no matter what kind of peace or prosperity the principalities and powers offer, it's not a pure peace. There's always something more going on behind the scenes. You know, purity is not a pure peace. It is more about resisting the cultural current and less about trying to, as I heard this week, to baptize the power and principalities. What I mean by trying to baptize the principalities and powers, what I mean by that is that sometimes we try our best to co -opt the government into doing our bidding as the church. And it may offer some sort of a compromise. That's very alluring. But you need to know the principalities, the powers, the government is never going to choose the way of Jesus fully, ever. No matter where it is." [01:09:04] (59 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


10) "Purity matters. Jesus has offered us a new life, a new start, a clean slate. And I know many of you have already accepted that. And you're doing your best every day, relying on the grace of God. And I know some of you have not. For those of you who have, don't waste this. Don't give up. Stand strong. Do not get co -opted by your culture, no matter how alluring or safe it may offer. If you're moved to hate or to fear or to insecurity or to anger, no, that is not Christ. So stand out and live differently. Love above and beyond. Give more than you think you can. Don't be lured by such things that lead to a self -centered, life. Instead, repent. And for those of you who have not chosen, there's still time. Repent. Stand strong. And through the power of Jesus, you too will be victorious. Amen? Victorious through the power of Jesus." [01:16:29] (78 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)