https://www.bible.com/events/49114562

Church of the Nazarene – Harrisonburg & East Rock

Sunday July, 30 – GO

Transformed by God to bring hope to others through Christ.

Today we pause our summer series to have a specific focus ahead of Best Week Ever, which includes Vacation Bible School! Over the next week, hundreds of individuals will be involved in ministering to others in tangible ways. As we prepare to embark on this journey together, we focus on the specific call for all believers to ‘GO’.

In Hebrews 11 we read a noteworthy list. Of all the things one could be known for, this is the list that matters the most. These are men and women who displayed incredible faith.

These are people who faced some of the most difficult obstacles, but they chose faith.

Hebrews 11:8-12

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

We see the faith of Abraham and Sarah mentioned not once, but several times.

“By faith…” (verse 8)

“By faith…” (verse 9)

“By faith…” (verse 11)

Why did they have this level of faith?

Because they “considered him [the Lord] faithful” (verse 11)

They acted on their faith because they knew God was faithful.

They didn’t believe their circumstances, they believed God.

They didn’t believe what they saw, they believed what God said.

The call to ‘go’ was not unique to Abraham and Sarah. Jesus himself instructed his disciples, and all those who would follow after Him, to ‘go’.

Matthew 28:18-20

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

To go isn’t always easy, but to go is always good.

Even though we are called to go, our actions often suggest we are embracing the opposite: to stay.

Why? Because of our comfort, our busyness, and even our fear.

Instead of the church being a place of encouragement and challenge, where believers grow and then are commissioned to go out, far too often the church becomes a holding ground. It becomes a place where comfortable, busy, fearful and even selfish people gather and gather and gather…and stay.

Reflecting on the words of Jesus from Revelation 2:10, what does it mean for us, HIs church, to ‘be faithful’ right now?

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Church of the Nazarene – Harrisonburg

The Seven Churches of Revelation Part 4

Church in Pergamum

Today we continue our teaching series called “The Seven Churches of Revelation”

Over the next several weeks we will seek to understand the importance and relevance of this text in our lives today. Just like the rest of our Bible, we believe that Revelation is valuable and integral to our faith- It’s there for a reason.

Through this study we want to hear and understand the warnings and instructions to these churches. As we do that, we also want to discern how we can learn from these warnings in our lives and through our local church.

Our desire is to renew and refine our vision of life and what the church should be. Our series is specifically focused on Jesus’ words to the 7 Churches in Asia minor

Today we continue with the Church in Pergamum, found in Revelation 2:12-17.

Pastor Allen Jackson

If we don’t pause to hear what Jesus is saying then we won’t be prepared for what’s ahead of us…

Revelation 2:12-17

“To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives. Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.

Hebrews 4:12

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

REPENT!

This is an imperative command

2 Corinthians 6:14-17

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”

Warren Wiersbe

The churches are made up of people, and human nature has not changed.

SYNCRETISM:

co-opting Jesus into the worldview of my culture.

Dr. Michael Goheen

Most Christians are in the majority of becoming more and more de-Christianized by all sorts of unconscious pressure; paganism now holding all the most valuable advertising space.

Pastor Allen Jackson

We have stopped being over-comers and have become a church filled with overlookers.

1 John 2:15-17

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

REPENT AND BE ALL IN,

OR YOU’RE NOT IN AT ALL

Dave Gilbert (COTN)

God did not give this prophecy (Revelation) so that we would be smarter, but that we would be surrendered.

SCRIPTURE FOR FURTHER READING

1 Corinthians 6:13-20

13 You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16 Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”[b] 17 But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit. 18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

Revelation 22:14-15

14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts (occult/witchcraft), the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood (lies)

Philippians 3:7-9

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.

Hebrews 10:26-27

26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.

Luke 10:27

27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

1 Kings 18:21

21 Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people said nothing.

Matthew 6:24

24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Romans 12:1-2

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

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If you ever have questions or need help with online giving, please let us know: finance@cotnaz.org

Thank you for your partnership in the Kingdom of Christ!

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Church of the Nazarene – East Rock

The Seven Churches of Revelation Part 4

Church in Pergamum

Today we continue our teaching series called “The Seven Churches of Revelation”

Over the next several weeks we will seek to understand the importance and relevance of this text in our lives today. Just like the rest of our Bible, we believe that Revelation is valuable and integral to our faith- It’s there for a reason.

Through this study we want to hear and understand the warnings and instructions to these churches. As we do that, we also want to discern how we can learn from these warnings in our lives and through our local church.

Our desire is to renew and refine our vision of life and what the church should be. Our series is specifically focused on Jesus’ words to the 7 Churches in Asia minor

Today we continue with the Church in Pergamum, found in Revelation 2:12-17.

Revelation 2:12-17

“To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives. Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.

As Jesus looked at the Church at Pergamum, he knew all the things that were going right- How hard they had worked and strived for his name- They never denied him. But he also saw the crack of compromise growing in their midst.

Some of the things that were considered normal in the culture were becoming normal in the church. There was a crack of compromise forming.

Today many churches are splitting due to cracks of compromise. Compromise of biblical truth and the authority of scripture has caused immense confusion and pain for so many.

Jesus is warning Pergamum, he is warning us.

Today, will you hear Jesus urgent invitation to repentance?

Revelation 2:13

I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.

Pergamum was a city that was overflowing with pagan idols and gods to be worshiped- so much so that it’s identified in our text as where Satan’s throne is.

Pagan idolatry and ideology were literally surrounding the church, yet they had not denied their faith in Christ. Not even in the face of martyrdom.

The church is praised and commended that they had held firm to the faith.

Yet, while all of these things were going right- there was a crack forming that threatened to bring it all down.

Revelation 2:14-15

Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

You can summarize the doctrine of Balaam this way: “If you can’t curse them, corrupt them. If you can’t get them to reject their God completely, get them to reject parts of the Truth.”

This is how Jesus likens those in the Church at Pergamum who are teaching compromised truth.

Often Within the worship of the pagan God’s sacrificed animals were divided up and served for a meal in a celebration. Temple prostitutes and other illicit acts were engaged as a form of worship and allegiance to these deities.

Things unfitting for the church to be supporting and involved with.

They weren’t explicitly denying Jesus, but they were not exclusively following him either.

Revelation 2:16

Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

Jesus calls for decisive action against compromise within the church.

Repentance is a forsaking, a turning away from the sin they were engaged.

If they fail to take his warning seriously, Jesus says that he will fight against them with the sword of his mouth. This imagery is indicative of the word of God- the truth of Scripture

Revelation 2:17

Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.

As Jesus closes out his exhortation, he reminds the hearers in Pergamum that there is a great reward and life ahead for those who are victorious over sin and compromise.

We have said time and time again that Revelation is a Jesus letter, full of hope, and that hope is clear in this passage.

To those who remain faithful, to those to repent from compromising with the world, there is the promise of eternity free of persecution, suffering, and death.

Jesus calls us to lift our eyes from ease or pleasure of compromise to the horizon of hope offered by Him alone.

Today as we would read this letter, we too want to be aware of compromise in the church, as well as in our lives.

I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that the church in America is already showing the cracks of compromising.

Stories of denominations wrestling with current issues around sexuality, social justice, politics. Compromise is present, and we here today in Elkton VA are not immune to that danger either.

The cultural pressure to be tolerant and accepting of other perspectives is all around us.

The pendulum in the American Church as swung way out towards compromise under the veil of tolerance and acceptance. We have elevated the acceptance of people’s feelings and preferences over what God clearly says in his word.

When that happens, we are committing idolatry, we are giving credit and authority to the cult of popular culture. And just like the Fury 325 roller coaster, it might take a while before that crack turns into a disaster. But make no mistake friends, when we forsake the word of God, disaster is ahead.

Will we as God’s people in 2023 repent of compromise? Will we address the cracks before disaster strikes?

We must be a welcoming safe space for all people to come and hear about Jesus- but we must not change our message or our convictions to accommodate sin.

Will we give ourselves to reading, knowing, and yes LIVING out his word- even in the face of trial and persecution?

To those that will endure- there is the sure hope of life eternal with Christ Jesus. May that be us.

Giving at COTN

If you ever have questions or need help with online giving, please let us know: finance@cotnaz.org

Thank you for your partnership in the Kingdom of Christ!

Giving