It would be a vast understatement to say we are living in challenging times. For those who a few years ago were convinced that the economy was the only issue that mattered, these days mock them. Added to the horrific war and the threat of world-wide terrorism are the turbulent winds of change in ideology, theology, religious denominations, education, and morality. Many who felt secure living in a nation reaping the results of Christian influence are now feeling threatened by the onslaught of political correctness and its accompanying pressures. Unsure of what Muslims really believe, we feel overpowered by the possibility of being conquered by another culture. For many baby boomers, time has caught up. Mortality must be faced. For the younger generations, the cost of taking care of an aging population is daunting. Who will be able to pay for a college education in 10 years? Who will be able to pay for health cost in five years? And what about the church? What relevance does it have to people who don’t even believe in the authority of the Bible? It seems that people just believe whatever they want with no regard to a biblical framework.

Well, it is a challenging time in which to live, but not as much as in the days of the church at Pergamum. In the book of Revelation we have their testimony. First, we should mention the nature of the book itself. The Revelation of Jesus Christ was written by John the apostle in apocalyptic style. That is a type of literature that depends on symbols to convey truth to the readers in a way that shows the victory of God’s purpose over the enemies of God. Usually it included a vision with an angelic guide to explain the symbols in the vision. It was a common type of literature in the first century A.D. To treat it with any kind of dignity, we must interpret it in light of what it meant to the original readers. It was written for them first. Any insights we gain from the book must be consistent with the original message. Otherwise we are guilty of using the texts in a magical way. It was written to some real churches that were facing some real challenges. Believers in Christ were being tormented by both Jerusalem and Rome. Jews and Romans together had conspired to eliminate Jesus and later to eliminate His followers. Churches in Asia had been planted by Paul and others and needed a message from their Lord in order to survive and thrive in their pagan settings. The book of Revelation met that need. It still holds comfort and encouragement for believers involved in the struggle to represent the kingdom of God in the midst of the kingdoms of this world.

JESUS WALKS AMONG THE CHURCHES

The first thing that strikes us is that Jesus walks among the churches. He knows what is happening and He cares. He didn’t just birth them and leave them to grow up and face their battles alone. He wants them to know the benefits of the new covenant that He has ratified in His death and resurrection. He makes it clear (though using symbols) that He is all they will need. His multifaceted inheritance is theirs, and they only need to embrace it. In His letter to the church at Ephesus, He tells them He knows their works and comments on their progress and challenges. In Smyrna, He tells them He knows about their suffering and offers the only comfort that matters. In Pergamum, He says He knows their environment. He is aware of the religious influences that have the atmosphere charged with satanic power. He says that Satan’s throne is there. That is serious.

It was a city of cults. Zeus was there. So were Athena and Dionysius and Asclepius. All of these attracted many followers, but probably the most influential cult was that of Caesar the emperor. He demanded to be called lord and was the deadly mixture of religion and civil power gone wild. We can easily see why the Christian belief that Jesus alone was Lord would be a problem in that environment. Truly those early Christians were facing challenges that are not common to the average American church goer. We have our struggles but none of our towns have been called by Jesus, "the city where Satan dwells." I do think it is interesting that He didn’t say it was Satan’s city. He lived there but the ownership still belonged to the One who paid the price for the redemption of creation. No one lives in a city owned by Satan. And the rightful owner of all cities is encouraging His people to claim them back for Him. He being among them is sufficient to get the job done. That is a point of these letters.

LIVING ON THIS SIDE OF PERGAMUM

Though we live this side of Pergamum we do live in a fallen world not yet fully enjoying the redemption Jesus purchased in His death. So we have our own challenges.

Challenge #1: Isolation. Isolation is one major influence in our culture. As New Testament believers, we don’t have a majority who share our values. We have been taught culturally that the individual is all that matters, and in our intent to protect our privacy, we have succumbed to an isolation that starves us to death. Not letting others into our private world keeps us from experiencing the grace God has provided in them. We have incorrectly concluded that we can have a vertical relationship with Jesus without a matching horizontal relationship with other believers. So we hurt alone while demanding that some institution such as the government or the church come to our aid on our terms.

Challenge #2: Insignificance. Another powerful feeling that attacks us is insignificance. It seems that the work most of us do in the kingdom is pretty hidden. There are only a few stars of the stage, and it looks like our fifteen minutes of fame will never come. Only a few seem to respond to us, and the progress seems so small. No crowds chant our name or demand our gifts. We are left to work with kids or old people or sometimes with no one at all. Who cares if our house is straight or our yards are kept? What good is all the Bible knowledge we have accumulated? No one will even miss us if we stop going to church or the Bible study.

I must be reminded that Jesus grew up in insignificance. I won’t mention His lowly birth place, or His humble home town, or the blue-collar followers He could get to listen to Him. You remember how His kingly entry was on a donkey. His death was outside the city walls in the place of criminals. His tomb was borrowed. His followers were few. BUT His work was not unnoticed by the One that matters. What seems like insignificance to us may just be the most important to Him. We have to have our minds adjusted to His perspective if we are to thrive in our culture.

Challenge #3: Influenced. The other word I will use to describe our current challenges is influenced. It is impossible to live passively in a culture and not be conformed by it. That is why Paul exhorted the church in Rome:

We are pressured to fit the mold of the American Christian. It is a combination of materialistic values and religious formality. We believe being good is the goal of religious life and being comfortable is the goal of life on the earth. We tend to reduce everything to mental concepts and accept them as our basis of eternal security. We have separated the spiritual and secular and celebrated our ability to compartmentalize our behavior. We can live double lives, alternating between Sunday saints and Tuesday executives whose bottom line is the bottom line. We seem more concerned about staying within the boundaries of political correctness than in line with the teaching of Jesus, though we will sing about Him again next Sunday. We shop for our spirituality in any shop that offers excitement or peace. We refuse to use our minds for fear that we might lose the precious but fragile faith that guarantees our entrance into heaven. When many are asked about the seeming ineffectiveness of the church they respond by saying the devil is still in charge of the earth and there is nothing we can do until Jesus comes back again to rescue us from our pitiful condition. Existential meaninglessness and theological escapism have left a vacuum in our souls that money and comfort cannot fill. The American dream has been sold as the gospel, and the customers are replete with more problems than their hope can survive.

JESUS WALKS AMONG HIS PEOPLE

But Jesus knows where we live! He still walks among His people. Actually, without the symbols we know that He lives in us. He never leaves. He still desires to release His new covenant blessings on us. You are in the right place for now. If you weren’t, He would have moved you. He can do that you know. Remember how He moved Phillip when He needed him in Egypt. Phillip was doing fine in Samaria, but one Ethiopian needed one passage of scripture explained. So God moved Phillip from the stage to the stagecoach. But he left one who then influenced a whole continent. Since you are where you are assigned for now, your focus should be to "hold fast the name," "keep the faith," and "watch out for synthetic religion" (See Revevelation 2:12-17). Your locale is not nearly as important to your usefulness as your focus. None of us need move six inches in search for God’s place. He is in us. That makes every place sacred. He will deploy His people according to His plan. Our job is to occupy until relieved.

His presence guarantees our victory. He offers hidden manna (vs. 17) to those who trust Him. It is better than the bread supplied for the Israelites in the wilderness. He had told His disciples earlier that He, Himself was the bread that comes down from heaven. It is hidden from those who only want to satisfy their hunger. It is available to those who live in fellowship with the source of all life. They will get the nourishment others never see. Living in the unknown and unrecognized arenas does not discourage the one who has hidden manna. And then there is the white stone with the new name on it. (vs,17) In those days a person on trial would receive a black stone if considered guilty and a white one if acquitted. The new name is that of the new King. He started a new race. He began a new creation. He oversees a new kingdom. He lives in a new temple. His people have a new name…a new identity. He has declared Himself their God and responsible for all their needs. Their glory is in believing the new age has dawned. Though others from the outside may never know their true identity, they know and they can never be intimidated by the ignorant.

We live somewhere this side of Pergamum. Ours is a valid struggle, but if Jesus cared for Pergamum and they could thrive there, we have great hope. We can transform our culture because we are part of a heavenly culture. Our King rules over all, even the cities where Satan dwells.

Revelation 2:17 (ESV)