A Daily Walk

John Randall: Pastor John Randall has us consider what kind of life we're living. Are you living a faithful life? Are you living a compromised life? Have you begun to tolerate those things that God says, I hate that? I hate it because of what it does to people's lives. I hate it because of the fruit that comes from it, it's all rotten. And I hate to see what it does to people that I died for. That's the question, compromised life or a sold-out life. You know you, better than anybody else, and God knows you and he knows me. What kind of life are you living?

John Randall: Calvary South OC welcomes you to A Daily Walk. Today, Pastor John Randall resumes his series in Revelation as we conclude our look at the Lord's letter to the church in Pergamum. Now, this particular church was like many churches today. What started as a small drip of false teaching has turned into a flood of deceit. They were compromising. The solution to this problem hasn't changed over the last 2000 years. Let's find out what God's word has to say on the matter. Here is Pastor John with today's study in Revelation chapter 2 verses 12 through 18.

John Randall: How does the church go from teaching the Word of God to censoring it? How does the church move from preaching the Gospel to preaching critical race theory? How does the church turn from undermining the essential doctrines of the Christian faith? How does that happen?

John Randall: Here's how it happens. Quite simply, it happens like this. It starts with wanting to be popular in this culture. And desire turns into acceptance, and acceptance turns into accommodation. And before you know it, you can have a big church filled with a bunch of non-believers following a false teacher, a false teacher who supplements God's truth for man's truth. A false teacher who tells people to follow their heart and pursue their own personal happiness instead of holiness. That's how it happens.

John Randall: And today we see this happening even in the church.

John Randall: Like the believers in Pergamus, we can make a good confession of faith, show a degree of loyalty to Christ, but it's more of a theory than it is a reality.

John Randall: There was a stumbling block of compromise with idolatry and sexual immorality. And what happens is we then attempt to serve God, but in the process we've allowed the prevailing cultural standards to shape our thinking and our lifestyle. And we end up forgetting the exhortation given to us in Romans chapter 12 when the Apostle Paul wrote so profoundly, "Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is good, pleasing, and the perfect will of God."

John Randall: Most people today, if they walk away from Christ, it's not because he's failed them or because the Word of God proves to be untrue, but because of the love of this world. In short, the doctrine of Balaam pulls them away. But it doesn't stop, folks, with just one compromise. It wasn't just the doctrine of Balaam, but it was also the doctrine of the Nicolaitans.

John Randall: Pergamus tolerated, embraced, and even entwined themselves with the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which Jesus said in verse 14, "I hate it." They entwined themselves with the things that God hated. They embraced it.

John Randall: We're first introduced to this doctrine of the Nicolaitans in Ephesus in chapter 2 verse 6, when Jesus wrote to the church in Ephesus. The doctrine of the Nicolaitans is closely related to the doctrine of Balaam. It was a belief marked again by immorality and idolatry. Theologically speaking, the Nicolaitans took the grace of God for granted. They were those who would gladly sin so that grace could abound. They misunderstood God's grace. They felt the liberty to do whatever they wanted regardless of the warnings and prohibitions within God's word. The result was the distinction between the world and the church was almost nonexistent. You just couldn't tell the difference.

John Randall: The church had married the world and lost its impact. Listen carefully, worldliness, compromise, and tolerance had rushed into this church like a flood and she was on the verge of drowning, and Jesus was throwing out a life preserver saying, "Take it and be saved."

John Randall: If you're a student of church history, you know that there have been seasons in the church when this compromise, not only today but even back then, began to surface. You see, the devil made a tactical change. He realized that persecuting the church, it only caused it to grow. It had the opposite effect.

John Randall: And so he adopted the old adage, if you can't beat them, join them, and then beat them. I mean, that was the goal. And so he ended up assimilating with the church, infiltrating it. It was after the death of the emperor named Diocletian that a new emperor historically came into power, his name was Constantine. Take you back a little bit historically for a moment.

John Randall: And history tells us that Constantine, when he came to the throne, he had a vision of a cross that was burning. And he heard the Lord speaking, saying, "In the sign of the cross, go forth and conquer." And so he converted to Christianity, and Christianity became the state religion. It was actually acceptable to be a Christian. It wasn't illegal any longer.

John Randall: But this became the beginning of disaster within the church, as history records when Christianity became the official religion of Rome. Constantine, he still held on to his pagan practices and traditions and he mingled them within Christianity. Even on their currency, it said on one side there were Christian symbols, and you flip the coin on the other side and there were pagan symbols.

John Randall: Constantine showered favors upon the church, declared an edict of toleration, interesting, for believers in Christ. And the government was then tied into the church, and then the church began to compromise and the church began to weaken its witness in the world. And you know what followed? I'll tell you what followed.

John Randall: And if you get offended by this, I'm sorry, this I'm just recording this is history. So, I'm not telling you something maybe you don't know, maybe you don't know it, I'm not sure. But listen, you know what happened when when this took place? Well, in AD 300, prayers for the dead were instituted. In AD 375, worship of saints and angels was instituted. In 431, the worship of Mary began. In 593, the doctrine of purgatory was introduced. And in AD 600, prayers were directed to Mary. All of these false doctrines, not found in the Bible anywhere, they're not here.

John Randall: But they were added. And so what happened is the church began to compromise. That's one example, but there are many more even to the present time. And as the church continued in this time of compromise, it became more Roman, less Christian. And the church was married in that sense to Rome.

John Randall: In the history of the next three centuries of the church, you can look back at church history and you can see a record of more corruption in the church and a departure from biblical doctrine in attempt to combine Christian theology with pagan philosophy. But what makes matters worse is this.

John Randall: At this time in church history, the church began to lose its focus and awareness of the return of Jesus Christ. The church of the first three centuries was fervent, evangelistic, but when Christianity began to compromise, they felt the kingdom would come then and there and it was to be ushered in, and this interpretation brought not just a lack of evangelistic fervor, but an unbiblical view of the nation of Israel, suggesting that God was somehow done with the nation of Israel. They were cast off forever. The roots of replacement theology began to grow and surface.

John Randall: It wasn't until 1400 years later that the return of Jesus Christ would once again be emphasized. And that's something that needs to be emphasized especially right now, the return of Christ.

John Randall: But folks, the truth is, we find today compromise in the church. We see churches departing from sound biblical doctrine, those who are claiming to be progressive in their theology and they deny the major essential doctrines of the Christian faith, including the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It's easier when you look at this, we can say, "Oh, man, those guys can't believe they're comp..." Yeah, there's people like that. "Oh, they're compromising. Oh, man, I tell you, right on, Pastor John, preach on that. Yeah, that's good. Amen. I know a lot of people that need to hear this. Hold on."

John Randall: It's easy to look at others and call out the obvious compromise and departure from scripture. But folks, listen, we need to look at ourselves. We need to allow the Lord to look at us, to search our hearts. Where are we at today? Where are we compromising? Where have we allowed this world to weaken our witness? Are there any cultural lies that we have bought into and embraced?

John Randall: You know, in the Old Testament, there's a prime example of compromise. A man by the name of Lot. Lot was the nephew of Abraham. Do you know Lot? Lot decided that he was going to leave Abraham and move to a new city called Sodom. You know, Sodom and Gomorrah? And so it says he first he pitched his tent towards Sodom. He didn't go in, he just kind of moved closer to it. And then it says he was in the gate of Sodom. And then he was living there. And then eventually he had compromised to the point that when God was about to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot tried to warn his family and they did not believe him, they thought it was a joke. And why did they think that? Because he had lost his witness. He had compromised over and over again. You see, Lot wasn't concerned with doing the will of God, but instead, he tried to find a way to compromise with the world, but it never worked.

John Randall: Folks, compromise eventually leads you to accept what you once rejected and even thought repulsive. It's been well said, listen carefully, "One generation, what one generation tolerates, the next generation will accept, and what that generation accepts, the next generation will celebrate." And that's what we're seeing today.

John Randall: This is what happened to the church in Pergamus, and this is what is happening to some places in the church today. Oh friends, but the Lord doesn't leave them there. He doesn't leave us there. He gives a strong word of exhortation as the letter comes to a close. He tells them how to get right with God.

John Randall: He gives them an antidote. Notice what it says in verse 16. Jesus said, "Repent or else I will come to you quickly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth."

John Randall: The word repent is the Greek word metanoia and it means to have a change of mind that results in a change of behavior and a change of life. There is a sense of urgency in the words of Jesus. Another translation declares describes it this way, "Stop right now, turn around, and reroute your life."

John Randall: Have you ever been off track? And hear the words rerouting, rerouting, rerouting, rerouting. Some men, we just don't want to listen to that. What does this thing know? I, I know where we're going. Rerouting. Your wife's like, "Reroute, reroute!" I don't need to reroute. Guys, listen to the directions. But here's the thing.

John Randall: The Lord is saying that to some today. Hey, listen, you're on the wrong road. You are the road that you're on, the trajectory that you're going. Listen, you are going to end in destruction. And the Lord is saying to you right now, it's time to reroute. And rerouting starts with repenting. It starts with changing your mind which changes your life. That's what needs to happen. Repent. Why is this so important? Because, look at the words of Jesus. Jesus said, "Repent or else." Did you see that? Did I did you it's in there. He said, "Repent or else." The Lord gives this church that he loves an ultimatum. He loved them and he warned them. He said, "If you don't repent, listen, this is what's going to happen." He's pleading with them. He said, "I'm going to come to you quickly and fight against you with the sword of my mouth."

John Randall: The Lord is saying, if the church doesn't repent and get right, then he's going to have to be forced to stand against the church that is standing against him. Folks, we don't want to be a church that's standing against Jesus. We want to be a church that's standing with Jesus.

John Randall: Friends, I've got great news. It's not too late to turn it around. It's not too late to reroute with the Lord's help. You may have compromised. You may be compromising right now. In fact, you may have plans after church already in your mind how you're going to compromise. And the Lord's saying, "Hey, listen, I know where you dwell, I know where you're going, you need to reroute right now. You need to reroute."

John Randall: It's not too late. At the close of his correspondence, Jesus puts forth an exhortation coupled with a powerful promise, and we're almost through. Look at what it says in verse 17. "He who has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To he who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna to eat, and I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written, which no one knows except him who receives it." Now, notice what Jesus says. First of all, if you have ears, listen. Most people have ears, but not everybody listens. Some people have very selective hearing when it comes to God's Word. They hear what they want to hear, they take what they want, and they reject what they don't want. "I love God's love. He is so loving." Yes, he is. He's 100% love, and he's also 100% righteous and just and holy. That's the God that we serve. Don't just take a piece out of it. Don't just approach the Bible like a celestial salad bar. "I'll take grace. In fact, can I get a little more grace? Hold the judgment. I don't want that. And I'll take more grace, more." And they never they're just going to pick and choose what they want and make what they want, but it's not accurate. There's some things you left out that are equally important.

John Randall: But here he says, "If you can hear what I'm saying, respond, listen, and here's the promise, if we will respond, if we will repent and get right and turn from compromise." First of all, the Lord says this, "I'm going to give you the hidden manna." You're like, "Hidden manna, what's that?" "Well, hidden manna? What is manna?" It's interesting you say what is manna because that's what the word means, "What is it?" Manna.

John Randall: That takes us back to the Old Testament, the book of Exodus. Again, nation of Israel wandering around the wilderness. Remember what happened? How are you going to feed all those people? The Lord said, "Every single day I'm going to provide manna that's going to come down from heaven and they're going to be able to have it." Every single day they would wake up, could you imagine get out of your tent and just go pick up the manna? It's available, it's accessible for you. There's manna. There's plenty to go around. Manna. Not too many recipes you could have. Mannacotti? I mean, manna... Sorry. Manna cakes? I mean, all kinds of stuff. But that's what they had.

John Randall: Needless to say, it was bread come down from heaven. Stay with me, don't lose it, and may that not be the only thing you remember from this message. Why do I say these things? Pray for me.

John Randall: But when you come to the New Testament, Jesus also talks about this manna in John chapter 6. And listen, he likens the manna to himself. When he said this, Jesus said, "Most assuredly I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven." Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me shall never hunger. He who believes in me shall never thirst. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and are dead." But then Jesus said, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven, and if anyone eats of this bread, he'll live forever. And the bread that I shall give is my flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."

John Randall: Perhaps the hidden manna, yeah, praise the Lord for that. Perhaps the hidden manna that is referred to here is Jesus himself. Fellowship with Christ. Spiritual nourishment of believers both now and throughout all of eternity. We get to experience all the blessings of knowing Jesus. The hidden manna. Oh, but there's a second promise.

John Randall: The Lord said, "I'll give you a white stone and on that stone will be a new name which nobody knows except the person who it's given to." Again, there are differing opinions as to what this stone represents. Some say it refers to that Old Testament tool that was used by the priests called the Urim and the Thummim. It was something that would was used to determine the will of God. Therefore, they say this stone represents knowing the will of God, perhaps.

John Randall: Others say it might be a stone of acquittal that was used at a trial. When this stone was presented, it meant that you were forgiven, that you were not accountable. You were redeemed as it were. Others say the stone is a representation of the diamond, the most precious stone, symbolizing God's precious gift of eternal life to believers.

John Randall: Other scholars liken it to the Roman custom of awarding these kinds of stones to victors at an athletic contest. And on that stone would have the athlete's name, and it served as his ticket to a special awards banquet. In this view, Christ promises the overcomers entrance to eternal victory and celebration in heaven. Hey, listen, whatever it is, I I I would like one of those.

John Randall: And it says here that it's going to have a new name on it that nobody knows except the person that's given to. I have the given name Randall. This is the family that I was born into. But when you think about it, in heaven, listen, I have a new name. I've been adopted into a different family altogether. I have the name of Christ placed upon me, and so do you if you're a Christian. It's a guarantee, the gracious gift of being an heir, an eternal heir with Christ, and all that belongs to him because we've been adopted into his family, guys.

John Randall: You say, "I had a terrible family life." Well, how about entering into a new family? With a perfect heavenly Father that loves you perfectly.

John Randall: I think of two scriptures in closing. In Revelation 19, when it says at his second coming that Jesus had a name written that no one knows except himself. Revelation 22 verse 4, this is what it reminds me of when it talks about this white stone and a new name given to the individual. It says this in Revelation 22:4, it says, "They shall see his face, and his name shall be on their foreheads." It's a symbol, a sign of ownership. I belong to Jesus. My life is his. I'm part of his family.

John Randall: Listen, regardless of the exact understanding of these rewards mentioned, the overall picture, folks, is that we remain faithful without compromise, holding fast to what we know and believe, not just in our minds, but within our lives, which will result in a reward from the Lord Jesus Christ upon his return.

John Randall: So friends, where are we today in light of this text? Are you living a faithful life? Are you living a compromised life? Have you begun to tolerate those things that God says, "I hate that"? I hate it because of what it does to people's lives. I hate it because of the fruit that comes from it, it's all rotten. And I hate to see what it does to people that I died for. That's the question, compromised life or a sold-out life. You know you better than anybody else, and God knows you and he knows me. What kind of life are you living?

John Randall: Listen, if you're living a compromised life today, and you want to get right with God, you want to reroute, today's the day. Today's the day to reroute by repenting. And the Lord's not saying, "You better reroute or else. It's come, oh, I'm coming for you." It's not like that. It's more of a pleading of the love of Jesus saying, "Reroute your life, reroute your life. Don't you see where you're headed? Don't be deceived, don't buy into the narrative of this culture that's lying to you. Reroute, come back. No longer live a compromised life, but a sanctified life."

John Randall: And that wraps up Pastor John Randall's message on the compromising church and this is A Daily Walk. Perhaps the Lord has helped you identify an area of compromise in your own life. As John said, "It's time to reroute." Don't rush away, Pastor John will be back in a moment. Hear this message in Revelation online at adailywalk.org. Catch what you may have missed in the series 2 at adailywalk.org or at onplace.com. Well, how's your devotional life these days? We'd like to recommend Oswald Chambers devotional My Utmost for His Highest. For a cost of $18, you'll receive the updated language gift edition. Now, these rather brief scripture-based readings will both comfort and challenge you in your daily walk. Discover what it means to offer God your very best for his greatest purpose. Call us at 877-242-0828 or go to adailywalk.org. And if the Lord is leading you to take an active role in this ministry through a one-time gift or ongoing support, allow me to direct you to our website. That's a good way to donate to the ministry and it's super convenient as well. You can donate safely and securely at adailywalk.org. And while we're on the subject of devotionals, I should mention The A Daily Walk Devotional. A great way to start the day. These short videos are released each day at adailywalk.org, and I think you'll find them encouraging. Now, let's return to Pastor John.

John Randall: Let's pray together, church. Heavenly Father, these things that we read this morning are challenging, they are convicting, they cause us to look ourselves into the mirror of the Word of God and see where we need to change, what needs to be altered. Things that we have, Lord, justified, rationalized that you say there is no rationalization for that. There's no justification biblically for that. Lord, remove those blind spots, Lord, today. Lord, let your Spirit speak right into those areas right now this morning. Lord, and I pray that there would be those today that would choose to reroute, choose to repent, to get right, to turn and live. Some for the first time, others coming back. Lord, whatever the case might be, Lord, I ask by your Spirit that you would do it today in Jesus' name. Amen.

John Randall: We'll continue to look at the letters that were written by Jesus to the seven churches in Asia Minor next time on A Daily Walk with Pastor John Randall. This program is made possible through your generosity and brought to you by Calvary South OC.