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RockPointe Church
How the Mighty Fall | Revelation 2:12-28
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RockPointe Church - Central Campus
4503 Cross Timbers Rd, Flower Mound, TX 75028, USA
Sunday 9:00 AM
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https://www.rockpointechurch.org/openingdoorsHOW THE MIGHTY FALL:
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1: Hubris Born of Success
2: The Undisciplined Pursuit of More
3: Denial of Risk & Peril
4: Grasping for Salvation
5: Capitulation to Irrelevance or Death
The danger zone is when things are growing and look good from the outside but internally there's problems leading to death.
This can happen in companies as well as churches, as we will see in the churches of Pergamum and Thyatira.
The question underneath it all is this: Is Jesus actually enough?
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1: Hubris Born of Success
2: The Undisciplined Pursuit of More
3: Denial of Risk & Peril
4: Grasping for Salvation
5: Capitulation to Irrelevance or Death
The danger zone is when things are growing and look good from the outside but internally there's problems leading to death.
This can happen in companies as well as churches, as we will see in the churches of Pergamum and Thyatira.
The question underneath it all is this: Is Jesus actually enough?
"The church is not actually Satan's primary target. Jesus is. But Jesus defeated Satan at the cross and walked out of the tomb, and the enemy can't beat him. So Satan goes after what's dearest to Jesus instead – his bride. Satan's supreme object is to hurt Christ and Christ's cause. You personally are of no interest to him. It is only as you relate to Christ that you assume significance in the enemy's eyes."
These seven letters resemble royal edicts (similar to our modern day performance reviews). Let's look at seven features for each church:
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1. Context
2. Commendation
3. Condemnation
4. Correction
5. Charge
6. Congratulations
7. Comparison
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1. Context
2. Commendation
3. Condemnation
4. Correction
5. Charge
6. Congratulations
7. Comparison
Context: Pergamum
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Revelation 2:12
- 2nd-largest library in the ancient world
- Held "the right of the sword," Rome's own authority to execute.
- Temples to Caesar, Zeus and Asclepius
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Revelation 2:12
- 2nd-largest library in the ancient world
- Held "the right of the sword," Rome's own authority to execute.
- Temples to Caesar, Zeus and Asclepius
Commendation: Pergamum
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Revelation 2:13
- Church tradition holds that Antipas was sealed inside a hollow bronze bull that was then heated until he died.
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Revelation 2:13
- Church tradition holds that Antipas was sealed inside a hollow bronze bull that was then heated until he died.
Condemnation: Pergamum
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Revelation 2:14-15
- Jesus doesn't condemn their fear, He condemns what some of them did with it - they tried to find a loophole out of costly obedience.
- Fear will find endless ways and countless shortcuts to avoid the faithful path forward.
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Revelation 2:14-15
- Jesus doesn't condemn their fear, He condemns what some of them did with it - they tried to find a loophole out of costly obedience.
- Fear will find endless ways and countless shortcuts to avoid the faithful path forward.
Correction: Pergamum
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Revelation 2:16
- Tolerance of sin is not a biblical virtue.
- Don’t believe a lie, don’t live a lie and don't keep peace with a lie.
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Revelation 2:16
- Tolerance of sin is not a biblical virtue.
- Don’t believe a lie, don’t live a lie and don't keep peace with a lie.
Charge: Pergamum
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Revelation 2:17a
- For Pergamum, conquering meant refusing the loophole - standing firm against the pressure outside and getting honest about the compromise inside.
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Revelation 2:17a
- For Pergamum, conquering meant refusing the loophole - standing firm against the pressure outside and getting honest about the compromise inside.
Congratulations: Pergamum
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Revelation 2:17b
Two gifts, aimed at exactly what Pergamum was trying to find outside of Jesus:
-- They were trying to find satisfaction through immorality, but Jesus offers hidden manna that will truly satisfy.
-- They were trying to find safety through idolatry, but Jesus offers a white stone of friendship, acquittal and kingdom entrance.
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Revelation 2:17b
Two gifts, aimed at exactly what Pergamum was trying to find outside of Jesus:
-- They were trying to find satisfaction through immorality, but Jesus offers hidden manna that will truly satisfy.
-- They were trying to find safety through idolatry, but Jesus offers a white stone of friendship, acquittal and kingdom entrance.
Comparison: Pergamum
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Where are you compromising or taking a loophole to try to find satisfaction and fulfillment outside of faithful, and sometimes costly, obedience to Jesus?
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Where are you compromising or taking a loophole to try to find satisfaction and fulfillment outside of faithful, and sometimes costly, obedience to Jesus?
Context: Thyatira
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Revelation 2:18
- Thyatira was a manufacturing and trade hub with more guilds than any city in Asia.
- Thyatira also worshiped Apollo as the city's divine guardian, and its people believed the emperor was Apollo's living incarnation — "son of the high god."
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Revelation 2:18
- Thyatira was a manufacturing and trade hub with more guilds than any city in Asia.
- Thyatira also worshiped Apollo as the city's divine guardian, and its people believed the emperor was Apollo's living incarnation — "son of the high god."
Commendation: Thyatira
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Revelation 2:19-21
- In Thyatira, to work your trade you had to belong to a guild, and guild membership meant guild banquets — meat sacrificed to the guild's god, drunkenness, sexual immorality as the accepted order of the evening. Skip the banquet, lose the guild. Lose the guild, lose your ability to feed your family. Refusal meant real, visible financial loss.
- Jesus names the false teacher "Jezebel" on purpose, after the queen who convinced Israel it could worship Yahweh and Baal side by side. Elijah's answer to that was: "How long will you go limping between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; if Baal, follow him" (1 Kings 18:21).
- "The human heart has the capacity for only one all-encompassing, all-embracing allegiance."
- Notice what Thyatira's sin actually was, most of the church didn't follow Jezebel - they tolerated her (a classic collins' stage three denial of risk and peril).
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Revelation 2:19-21
- In Thyatira, to work your trade you had to belong to a guild, and guild membership meant guild banquets — meat sacrificed to the guild's god, drunkenness, sexual immorality as the accepted order of the evening. Skip the banquet, lose the guild. Lose the guild, lose your ability to feed your family. Refusal meant real, visible financial loss.
- Jesus names the false teacher "Jezebel" on purpose, after the queen who convinced Israel it could worship Yahweh and Baal side by side. Elijah's answer to that was: "How long will you go limping between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; if Baal, follow him" (1 Kings 18:21).
- "The human heart has the capacity for only one all-encompassing, all-embracing allegiance."
- Notice what Thyatira's sin actually was, most of the church didn't follow Jezebel - they tolerated her (a classic collins' stage three denial of risk and peril).
Correction: Thyatira
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Revelation 2:21-23
- Hope is found in the mercy extended before judgment begins.
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Revelation 2:21-23
- Hope is found in the mercy extended before judgment begins.
Charge: Thyatira
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Revelation 2:24-25
- His charge isn't a longer list of demands. It's just: hold on, keep fierce grip on Jesus.
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Revelation 2:24-25
- His charge isn't a longer list of demands. It's just: hold on, keep fierce grip on Jesus.
Congratulations: Thyatira
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Revelation 2:26-28
- The rewards match the temptation. They wanted status, security and success which a shallow and sinful version of it could be found in their guilds but a true, pure, lasting and spiritual version is available in Jesus.
- Jesus + something else isn’t completeness; it’s a compromise.
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Revelation 2:26-28
- The rewards match the temptation. They wanted status, security and success which a shallow and sinful version of it could be found in their guilds but a true, pure, lasting and spiritual version is available in Jesus.
- Jesus + something else isn’t completeness; it’s a compromise.
Comparison: Thyatira
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A packed calendar of good works is not the same thing as a clean conscience, and it is entirely possible to be commended by everyone around you while Jesus himself has something against you. Ask yourself, is Jesus enough for you, or is there another version of "success" your seeking?
If Jesus wrote a letter to you what would He say?
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A packed calendar of good works is not the same thing as a clean conscience, and it is entirely possible to be commended by everyone around you while Jesus himself has something against you. Ask yourself, is Jesus enough for you, or is there another version of "success" your seeking?
If Jesus wrote a letter to you what would He say?