Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

Optimism and Pessimism

Pessimism, when you get used to it, is just as agreeable as optimism.

—Arnold Bennett, Things that Have Interested Me

The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds; and the pessimist fears this is true.

—James Branch Cabell, The Silver Stallion

I came to the conclusion that the optimist thought everything good except the pessimist, and that the pessimist thought everything bad, except himself.

—G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy

The place where optimism most flourishes is the lunatic asylum.

—Havelock Ellis, The Dance of Life

Two men look out through the same bars:

One sees the mud, and one the stars.

—Frederick Langbridge, A Cluster of Quiet Thoughts

If we see light at the end of the tunnel,

It’s the light of the oncoming train.

—Robert Lowell, “Since 1939”

an optimist is a guy

that has never had

much experience

—Don Marquis, archy and mehitabel

Rosiness is not a worse windowpane than gloomy gray when viewing the world.

—Grace Paley, Enormous Changes at the Last Minute

I am an optimist, unrepentant and militant.

After all, in order not to be a fool an optimist must know how sad a place the world can be.

It is only the pessimist who finds this out anew every day.

—Peter Ustinov, Dear Me

All is for the best in the best of possible worlds.

—Voltaire, Candide [Inc Merriam-Webster, The Merriam-Webster Dictionary of Quotations (Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, 1992), 297–298.]

Main Thought: Finding the pathway from peril to prosperity is simple: just turn around (repent).

Sub-intro: Bring those just joining us briefly up to speed.

The text, like all Scripture, is up to date; and the instruction and appeal like that which characterizes all inspiration is pertinent.

It involves the Speech of God’s Son, The Seat of God’s Adversary, and the Stedfastness of God’s Servant.

[William Bell Riley, The Bible of the Expositor and the Evangelist, New Testament, Revelation Vol. 1, vol. 19, The Bible of the Expositor and the Evangelist (Union Gospel Press, 1932), Re 2:12–13.]

Body:

I.

The Peril Among the Pergamos Church Plant (Rev.

2:12-13).

A. The Letter's Opening (Rev.

2:12).

1.

The Pastor at Pergamos

2. The People of Pergamos

The city of Pergamos ... meaning “height,” was so named because of its location on a promontory above the river Caicus.

About fifteen miles from the Aegean Sea and fifty miles north of Smyrna, Pergamos became prominent under the Attalids (3rd century BC), and strongly supported Rome.

It had a great library of approximately 200,000 volumes rivaling the Library of Alexandria, and shortage of papyrus from Egypt necessitated Eumenes of Pergamos to invent parchment (pergamenum),331 and gave derivation to the new writing material.

Pérgamon was a significant religious worship center, which continued the Caesar cult, and practiced the worship of Zeus at the Great Altar of Pergamon.

South of the Acropolis was the Asclepieion, or the Sanctuary of Asclepius, the god of healing, characterized by a serpent twined around a tree branch.332

The combination of Roman allegiance and blatant paganism produced an ungodly attraction for many, and a tremendous temptation to Christians of the first century.

{[331 Parchment is limed calfskin (in contrast to tanned leather), with vellum as its highest grade.]

[332 Merrill C. Tenney, ed., “Pergamum, Pergamos,” The Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publ.

House, 1963), pp.

637-638.]

[Thomas M. Strouse, To the Seven Churches: A Commentary on the Apocalypse of Jesus Christ, Selected Works of Dr. Thomas M. Strouse (Bible Baptist Theological Press, 40 Country Squire Rd., Cromwell, CT 06461, 2013), 109–110.}}

3. The Prosecutor of Pergamos

Note - The Thracian Sword of Judgment

...having a twofold bearing, a searching power so as to convict and convert some (Rev 2:13, 17), and to convict and condemn to punishment others (Rev 2:14–16, especially Rev 2:16.... [Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol. 2 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 556.]

B. The Lord's Observations (Rev.

2:13).

1.

He Knows the Pastor's Works

Illustration - Company Policy in some venues of security work, the supervisor’s know exactly where their workers are working, and what dangers may be prevalent.

2.

He Knows the Pastor's Digs

Note - One of Satan’s biggest battlegrounds is the Pastor’s home.

3.

He Knows the Location of Satan's Throne

a.

The Pastor Remained Anchored to the Lord's Name

Note - Jesus, Name Above All Names.

b.

The Pastor Remained Anchored to the Lord's Faith

Although some may think that the expression “Satan’s throne” alluded to the Great Altar to Zeus or the Asclepieion (all ancient cities had their pagan deities), it probably referred to the fact that Pergamos was the center of Roman emperor worship.

Prophetically and historically, the fourth world power in Daniel’s interpretation of the image was Rome (cf.

Dan.

2:32-44),337 and it was through this kingdom that the devil would have the greatest diabolical control and most powerful influence.

Paul hinted at the Roman requirement to call Caesar “lord”338 and Jesus “accursed” in his First Epistle to the Corinthians (I Cor.

12:3).

With great sacral society pressure, the church members at Pergamos nevertheless held fast to Christ’s “name” (to.

ónomámou) and had not “denied” ...339 “my faith” (tein pístin 340 mou),341 the Lord revealed.

The name “Christian” (Cristianós) had a certain stigma to it, and could possibly cause weak believers to be ashamed, Peter admonished (cf.

I Pet.

4:16).

{[337 Strouse, But Daniel Purposed in His Heart: an Exegetical Commentary on Daniel, pp.

45-47.]

[338 Dominus et deus.]

[339 This aorist verb comes from árnéomai and is employed 31x in the TR.

Peter had denied the Lord and repented of this sin (Jn.

18:25; 21:17).

The church at Philadelphia did not fall into this temptation (Rev.

3:8).

Paul gave severe warning about denying the Lord (cf.

II Tim.

2:12-13).]

[340 For the first of four times (also Rev. 2:19; 13:10; and 14:12), John employed the noun pístis in his apocalyptic work, but never using pístis in the Gospel of John and only once in I John (5:4).

Conversely, he used the verb pisteúw one hundred times in the Gospel and ten times in I John, but never in Revelation.

Apparently to John, faith was an activity and not merely a status or statement.]

[341 This construction seems to be an objective genitive (i.e., the faith about me).] [Thomas M. Strouse, To the Seven Churches: A Commentary on the Apocalypse of Jesus Christ, Selected Works of Dr. Thomas M. Strouse (Bible Baptist Theological Press, 40 Country Squire Rd., Cromwell, CT 06461, 2013), 111–112.]}

c.

The Example of Antipas, the Lord's Faithful Witness

i.

Who Was Slain Among the Local Congregation

Simeon Metaphrastes has a palpably legendary story, unknown to the early Fathers, that Antipas, in Domitian’s reign, was shut up in a red-hot brazen bull, and ended his life in thanksgivings and prayers.

[Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol. 2 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 556.]

ii.

Jesus Knows Satan's Digs

DWELL, DWELLERS, DWELLING (place) A. Verbs.

- 1. oikeo (οἰκέω, 3611), “to dwell” (from oikos, “a house”), “to inhabit as one’s abode,” is derived from the Sanskrit, vic, “a dwelling place” (the Eng.

termination —“wick” is connected).

It is used (a) of God as “dwelling” in light, 1 Tim.

6:16; (b) of the “indwelling” of the Spirit of God in the believer, Rom.

8:9, 11, or in a church, 1 Cor.

3:16; (c) of the “indwelling” of sin, Rom.

7:20; (d) of the absence of any good thing in the flesh of the believer, Rom.

7:18; (e) of the “dwelling” together of those who are married, 1 Cor.