Big Idea Sermons: Everything a Busy Pastor Needs to Write 52 Sermons

By Paul Cannings

The pastor’s life never goes as one would imagine it. The highs are much greater and heartfelt than you anticipate; the anxiety and stress are deeper and last longer than you expect. Add to this mix the possibility of working a full time job in addition to pastoring, and you can see why a pastor's time is in such great demand.

What if you could hold in your hand a resource that would jump start your sermon writing process, allowing you to save time and still deliver a trustworthy sermon?

Dr. Paul Cannings, once a young pastor himself, remembers the days of struggling to balance it all. Now he has written a helpful guidebook that provides everything a pastor or lay teacher needs to write an effective, moving, and biblically sound sermon for each of the fifty-two weeks in the year. In Big Idea Sermons, Dr. Cannings clearly lays out the key components of a good sermon by including sermon outlines, series, background information, illustrations, holiday messages for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Mother's and Father's Day, and more. He also includes references to the Hebrew and Greek texts for further validation. By working with the original languages, Dr. Cannings proclaims the gospel in a clear, engaging, and trustworthy manner.

Pastors, preachers, lay teachers, and anyone in position to preach a sermon or teach a lesson: Big Idea Sermons is here to help. All that you need to write a good sermon is included. Be sure to read, meditate, and pray so you may use this resource wisely and effectively.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BH Publishing Group
• Release date: Mar 1, 2018
• ISBN: 9781462774630

Paul Cannings

DR. PAUL CANNINGS is the Founder and Senior Pastor of Living Word Fellowship Church in Houston, TX. Since 1994 (beginning with four couples), he has provided spiritual leadership to over 2,300 members and has implemented the vision and mission of cultivating a united community of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ. In 2001, Dr. Cannings founded Power Walk Ministries, a national and global leadership training resource. Through this ministry, he conducts conferences and consults with pastors on how to Biblically train their staff. Dr. Cannings holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy/Theological Studies in Religion and Society from Oxford Graduate School in Dayton, TN, with course work at Oxford University in England, and a Th.M in Christian Education from Dallas Theological Seminary. The author of ten books, Dr. Cannings can be heard on KHCB 105.7 FM in Houston on A Quick Word for Todays Living, The Pastor's Study, and The Pastor's Corner, where he hosts a live Q&A program. For more information please visit powerwalkministries.org.

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Sermon Series 1

Rethink Church

Safeguard the Church

Matthew 16:13–19

General Overview of the Passage

Along His travels, Jesus decided to stop in the middle of Caesarea Philippi, a fully functioning pagan society. The city had Greek mythological influence, pagan worship, and even a place for people to worship Caesar. It was here that Jesus asked a question to His disciples—His most devoted followers and the men He poured His life into for almost three years. The question that He asked is an action that has no completion and whatever people are going to say will continually be said. When disciples provide Christ the answer, what they say will be a repeated action that is continuous with no end in sight. So the wrong answer to the question will continue to be the wrong answer. The right answer will continue to be the right answer.

Peter answers that Christ is the Son of the living God, meaning Christ is deity, the promised Messiah. He is independent of everything yet begotten by the Father. Christ blessed Peter because the revelation of who Christ is in the midst of a pagan, godless world was a supernatural revelation. God revealed to Peter the true nature of Christ.

Christ again uses a mood in this verse that says what He is saying is continuously going to be said. Christ tells Peter that this confession of faith, which was influenced by God, is a revelation from God that demonstrates that Peter is to become a mass of a rock. This means that the influence of the Holy Spirit upon Peter’s life is the same experience that the church is going to be built upon (John 14:16­–17; Acts 2:1–13; Rom. 8:1–25). It also means that Peter is going to be the primary leader of the disciples (Acts 10:23–48; 15). Christ, however, is still the person who builds the church (Eph. 1:22–23; 4:11–13). It is Christ who provides salvation. He is the Word and the church is His body; He is the one who calls pastors, and as a result of His death and resurrection the Holy Spirit will come as our Helper and Advocate, our peace and Comforter. So even though this revelation establishes Peter, Christ is the true Rock (1 Cor. 10:4).

The gates of Hades will try to pollute God’s Word. Satan sends wolves, false teachers in the church who have selfish ambitions (Acts 20:28–30; 2 Tim. 3:1–9; 1 John 2:18–24). Satan even seeks to imitate Christ (2 Cor. 11:12–15). Christ protects the church that is truly committed to Him because Christ’s power is greater than anything Satan can do (Eph. 3:10). Christ supplies the keys to the gate (2 Tim. 3:17; 2 Pet. 1:3–4), but the authority to open and close the gate is in the hands of the disciples.

Historical Background

Establishing Context

Jesus stopped in the most unusual place to ask this question. Caesarea Philippi was a place devoted to the worship of a pagan god called Pan. Herod had a temple set up for the worship of Caesar. The city was some twenty-five miles from the Lake of Galilee and about seventeen hundred feet higher, hence the need to stop along the way (Matt. 15:21); it lay near the source of the Jordan, at the Old Testament Dan, the northern boundary of ancient Israel.¹

Christ has always been associated with being the Rock. He is the Rock, His work is perfect (Deut. 32:4). The Lord is my rock and my fortress (Ps. 18:2). For who is God, except the Lord? Or who is a rock, except our God? (Ps. 18:31). "A living stone (1 Pet. 2:5)."² There are several times He is mentioned as the Rock (Ps. 118:22; Isa. 28:16; Acts 4:10–12; 1 Cor. 2:1–2; 3:11; Eph. 2:20). "The word refers neither to Christ as a rock, distinguished from Simon, a stone, nor to Peter’s confession, but to Peter himself, in a sense defined by his previous confession, and as enlightened by the ‘Father in Heaven.’"³

Jesus talks about Hades and mentions that to get to Hades you have to go down. So it seems like Hades is down in the earth. According to Jesus, Hades is down (Matt. 11:23), and it is a prison to which He holds the keys (Rev. 1:18).⁴

Gates are very important to the Jews. They serve as a kind of City Hall for a major city. The elders sit at the gates, as we can see in the case of Boaz and Ruth.

The gates can also be a place of commerce (Deut. 16:18; 17:8; Ruth 4:11). Christ talks about the gates as a place of authority. The same idea is attached to keys. "Keys here refer to the authority to admit into the kingdom¹ (Matt. 23:13), based on the knowledge of the truth about Jesus (16:16)."²

What Does the Context Mean?

Even though the disciples walked with Christ and saw all the miracles and heard Him teach, they could not identify Him as the Christ without God’s revelation. If the Spirit of God does not illuminate the Word of God, we would not be able to know Christ or be the church (1 Cor. 2:10–15). Bible knowledge alone only puffs up (1 Cor. 8:1). The Word of God needs to be brought to light as we walk in the light. Once the church has experienced Christ it then holds the keys to keeping Satan out of its doors. When Christ is placed first, a church truly becomes the church of the living God.

It is the church that serves as a covering, protecting the believer from Satan (Eph. 3:10), equipping them with the armor of God (Eph. 6:11–17) and strengthening each believer through spiritual gifts. The church is the only organism that Christ is attached to and will redeem.

Sermon Subject and Title

Sermon Title: Safeguard the Church

Big Idea: The church is an organism that is shaped, empowered, and finds its authority from the lordship of Christ exercised through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Sermon Outline (Matt. 16:13–16)

A. Keep Christ First (vv. 13–16)

1. The church must be made up of people who are saved.

2. Knowledge alone does not put Christ first (John 6:41–43; 1 Cor. 8:1). Pharisees, Scribes rejected Him (John 5:39–40).

3. Christ is first when believers commit to be His disciples. Christ must move from Savior to Lord.

4. Sincere believers of Christ truly come to know Him (2 Cor. 4:4; Anna, Luke 2:36–38; Simeon, Luke 2:25–32; 1 John 2:3–6).

B. Allow the Holy Spirit to Illumine the Word (v. 17; 1 Cor. 2:10–15)

1. Christ told Peter that flesh and blood did not reveal Christ to him, but His Father.

2. The Spirit comes into those who accept Jesus as the Christ (John 10:9; 1 John 4:2; Eph. 1:13–14).

3. The Holy Spirit illuminates our lives to have a true experience of Christ (Rom. 8:9–16).

4. The Holy Spirit helps us to understand the deep things of God (John 14:26; 1 Cor. 2:10–15).

5. Spiritual blindness remains if we do not practice the things we know (Eph. 4:17–23; 2 Pet. 1:3–11).

C. Christ Must Shape and Establish the Church (v. 18a; 1 Cor. 3:10–11)

1. Christ is the Rock, the foundation, the cornerstone and the head of the church (1 Cor. 3:10–15; 10:4; Eph. 2:20–22).

2. Christ builds the church and it belongs to Him.

a) He is our salvation.

b) He is the Word.

c) Spiritual gifts shape the church to be His body (Rom. 12:3–8; 1 Cor. 12).

d) He calls pastors (Eph. 4:11).

e) The Holy Spirit guides us into truth (John 14:16–17; 16:13). Jesus is the truth (John 14:6).

3. Satan and his forces use many gates:

a) Pollute the Word (1 Tim. 4:1–4).

b) Send wolves into the church (Acts 20:29).

c) False apostles and workers (2 Cor. 11:13–16).

d) Selfish ambition (James 3:13–15).

e) Anger (Eph. 4:26–27).

4. Christ protects the church that is truly committed to Him because Christ’s power is greater than anything Satan can do (Eph. 3:10).

D. We Must Use the Keys, His Word (v. 19)

1. The keys (the Word of God) are supplied by Christ (John 17:20–21).

2. The keys open the truths of God for believers. Truth sets us free (John 8:31–32).

3. The keys provide access to the kingdom of heaven (God’s rule) within the hearts of believers on earth (Luke 17:21).

4. The keys provide authority to handle church discipline issues (Matt. 18:17; 1 Cor. 5:1–5; 2 Cor. 2:8; Titus 3:10).

5. The keys make sure that whatever is being bound or loosed has been approved in heaven (Matt. 16:19; 18:15–18).

Author’s Comments

Comments

What about our church looks like Christ? I cannot recall a time when Christ said to sing songs everyone likes, to make sure worship does not require too much time, to make sure the preacher never talks about money, and that he does not say things that offend those who attend. So why is it that these and other issues are struggles that dominate what many believers seek to receive from church?

In this passage, Christ focuses on the essentials. The essentials to all that a car has are the engine, transmission, brakes, and electrical system. Without these essentials, having a battery and gas becomes useless. Christ does not ask the question before many of the crowds He spoke to, but only to the men He took time to disciple. This is definitely an essential because one of the first things He told His disciples is to go make disciples (Matt. 28:18–20). Christ told Peter that the only reason he recognized Christ is because of the Father illuminating his mind. Christ must always be the head of the church (Eph. 1:22–23). It does not matter who has been in the church the longest, who gives the most, or who speaks the loudest; what matters is that the instructions of Christ, through His Word, are implemented accordingly (John 15:1–111). Another essential is that the Holy Spirit, the Helper of Christ (John 14:16–17), must be in a person’s life (they must be saved; Rom. 8:9–11) so that the Word of God can be illuminated (1 Cor. 2:10–15) and the believer can experience the influence and power of God.

Another essential is the Word of God, often called the keys. Since the believer is committed to be a disciple, they have a heart for the Word like the Bereans (Acts 17:11–12; 1 Pet. 2:1–2). There must be a serious commitment to preach in season and out of season (1 Tim. 3:15; 2 Tim. 4:1–4). The New Testament church structured itself accordingly. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers (Acts 2:42). When these elements are totally functional in the church, Satan is resisted and the believers experience God’s powerful protection. When we have the essentials in the church, the music and décor can then lead to celebratory worship.

Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God. (Eph. 5:17–21)

The church must secure the essentials because if it does not, the lampstand is removed (Rev. 2–3). If the Word becomes corrupted, Satan takes over (2 Cor. 11:14–15; 1 Tim. 4:1–4), leaders become wolves (Acts 20:29–30), believers’ lives become darkened (Eph. 4:17–21), believers are not healed from struggles or sicknesses (James 5:13–18), believers are misled by those who have only a form of godliness (2 Tim. 3), and the church can become divisive, destroying the lives of those who attend (Rom. 16:17–18; 2 Thess. 3:14–15; Titus 3:9–11). The essentials hold the church together because, as Paul says:

According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. (1 Cor. 3:10–15)

The church may be vibrant, based on our evaluation, but there is no Christ if He chooses to vacate the building:

And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: ‘I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God.’ (Rev. 3:1–2)

This does not mean that the church needs to be boring and the pastor does not seek to keep the message interesting and the service lasts three hours. God does not like a dull church (Deut. 28:47–48). When Christ spoke to the Samaritan woman, He told her to worship Him in spirit (small s) and truth (John 4:24). He loved how vibrant the Samaritans were on Jacob’s mountain, but they did not use the historical books in the Bible, so they lacked truth. The Jews used all the books but lacked spirit. Christ wanted both.

We must function with a deep commitment to let the church be the church. When Christ’s headship is essential and there is one Christ, when the Holy Spirit is not quenched (1 Thess. 5:12–22), when there is one Spirit, and when the Word of God is applied truthfully, all believers grow into the nature of Christ and there is unity (Eph. 4:12–13; 2 Pet. 1:3–4). There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all (Eph. 4:4–6). The powerful influence of the Holy Spirit that binds the body together blesses God (Ps. 133).

Application

Unless Christ is the center of everything that is done in the church, there is no point to doing anything. It is like believing a person has experienced salvation but doesn’t believe in the resurrection. It is like wanting to live but preferring not to have a heart, lungs, or brain. Is that even living?

Christ must be purely who He is (1 John 4:4), or He is not Christ at all. So when we worship Him, we need to come to know Him and experience Him. Reading the Bible while practicing it is essential; loving others while serving them is essential (John 13:35), so that we become more like Christ and, therefore, become His church functionally.

Illustrate It

It was said that more and more people have less time for church. It’s almost as if there are too many alternatives on Sunday. And as people are working harder and longer during the week, Sunday is their only day off. With the world becoming more impersonal, people would rather stay home and watch television.

The church is the only place that Christ is the head of and the place He is directly attached to (Eph. 1:22–23). It is the place to call the elders to pray to be healed; it is the place where you find all the spiritual gifts that serve to strengthen a person in a broken world; it is the place where a pastor/teacher resides to mend broken lives; it is the place where Christ wants His death remembered; it is the pillar and foundation of truth; it is where the nation of God gathers each week; and it is where love matters most.

Why do believers come to it with a watch, a complaint, no time to serve, and with a critique? It is because they have become so influenced by the world that church has lost its taste. It is like a young man in college who drank beer so much that the taste of water became bitter.

H. W. Beecher says that some churches are like lighthouses, built of stone, so strong that the thunder of the sea cannot move them . . . The light that shines from these churches is the light of Christ shining through his believers. Sinners are not reached solely through the church’s ceremony, pomp, beautiful music or largeness—they are reached through the Christ-likeness of its individual members.¹

Return to Your First Love

Revelation 2:1–7

General Overview of the Passage

Christ speaks to the seven churches through an angel. The identity of the angel is not completely clear. Jesus’ message shows Jesus as holding, with a determined grip, seven stars, which represents the seven pastors in these churches (1:20). These pastors serve as lights to the world. They can also be presented as a single cluster of stars that shine as one with one unified message. He holds these stars in His right hand demonstrating a position of honor and equality (the church represents His headship and body). Christ walks among the churches. His walking demonstrates that the Lord continually patrols the churches and is always on the spot when He is needed; His presence is not localized but coextensive with the church. His walking also implies that He provides constant and vigilant supervision. His holding of the stars and His continual walking among the churches also demonstrates His power and authority. We see that He walks with this kind of authority among the seven churches. As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lamp-stands are the seven churches (Rev. 1:20 nasb).

Christ, after affirming that He lives among the churches, lets them know about their accomplishments. He compliments them for their hard work that is filled with sweat and fatigue, their endurance, steadfast behavior that is consistent due to their hope in God. He commended them because they did not tolerate evil men, but tested their hearts to see if this was good or evil. Many were proven false, and their longsuffering was not just because of life issues. It was based on their commitment to live for Christ’s sake. They did this consistently without tiring of being faithful or giving up because these various tasks were strenuous and exhausting.

Christ knows the details of this church because He said that He was walking among them. He found them lacking a very important element (Rev. 2:4):

Thou hast ‘remitted’ or let down thy early love; that is, it is less glowing and ardent than it was at first. The love here referred to is evidently love to the Saviour and the idea is that, as a church, they had less of this than formerly characterized them. In this respect they were in a state of declension.¹

Christ challenges the church to return to their first love and partake of the tree of life so that He does not take away their lampstand.

Historical Background

Establishing Context

These seven churches (Rev. 1:4, 11) are themselves lampstands (Rev. 1:12) reflecting the light of Christ to the world (Matt. 5:14–16; John 8:12) in the midst of which Christ walks (Rev. 1:13).²

The interpretation for the angel (or messenger) of the church has had challenges. Some people believe it is a reference to the writer of the book as the apostle John. Others believe that John is speaking to the pastors of the church. Some have taken it to be a reference to the bishop over the elders, but the fact that angelos is in each church indicates that interpretation would not work. The interpretation that has the least difficulties is that the angel or messenger is the pastor of the church (Gal. 1:8; 4:14; 1 Tim. 5:21).

The church of Ephesus had a very sound reputation for confronting sin, false apostles, and evil men, and were known for their perseverance and endurance in the name of the Lord. But, sound doctrine and perseverance are inadequate without love. Whether love for other Christians (as in 1 John; cf. works—Rev. 2:5, 19; hate—2:6) or for God (Jer. 2:2) is in view is not clear.³

"The ‘tree of life’ which was first mentioned as being in the garden of Eden is now in the Paradise of God. Although the ‘tree of life’ was used to symbolize

the law¹ in later Jewish teaching, this vision alludes to Genesis 2:9 and a restoration of paradise (on which cf. 2 Corinthians 12:2–4). Each of the promises in these oracles to the churches is fulfilled in Revelation 21–22."²

What Does the Context Mean?

We must preserve the church God built so that we bless Him and are continually blessed. Christ, who continually walks among the seven churches, says that they must totally turn from their ways and eat from the tree of life. If they have a change of heart and go back to the things they first did He will not remove His presence from among them.

Sermon Subject and Title

Sermon Title: Return to Your First Love

Big Idea: God’s very nature is love, so being busy doing many great things in ministry without the manifestation of love means nothing.

Sermon Outline (Rev. 2:1–7 nasb)

A. The Way It Was (v. 1)

1. Holds—The churches are in Christ’s grasp and they will remain there continuously. This is a present active participle.

2. Right hand—This is a place of honor and equal dignity.

3. Walks—Christ is persistently, vigilantly, and continuously walking among the seven churches. The churches are continuously monitored by Christ.

4. Says—This is a message they must pay attention to always. Said in the present tense indicative, meaning what is being said is a continuous act that is habitual.

B. The Issues to Resolve (vv. 2–3)

1. I know—Christ has a full divine knowledge and experience that provides Him a comprehensive understanding of what is taking place in the church. This is a perfect active, which means that Christ’s knowledge is complete and is a set condition.

2. Labored/perseverance—The members of the church were diligent in service to the point of fatigue, straining with all their might and never fainting. This is an accusative, which means that Christ’s knowledge directly relates to recognizing the service in the church.

3. Did not tolerate evil men—They stood up against false apostles who did not demonstrate a godly character. These men continuously and habitually called themselves apostles (present active indicative).

4. They desired a pure and sound church and were faithful to it.

5. Hated the Nicolaitans—They did not support those who preached spiritual liberty, ate foods sacrificed to idols, practiced idolatry and immorality.

6. Perseverance/endured—It did not matter what trials or tribulation they experienced; they remained steady in their godly character. Have is in the present active indicative, meaning they continuously and habitually endured all that was against them.

7. Did not grow weary—They were in a set condition of not becoming so weak that they faint (perfect active indicative).

8. Christ loved them—He was among them, but He would not lower His standard.

C. We Must Refresh Our Ways (vv. 4–5)

1. Left—There is a movement which was continuously away from truly loving Christ.

2. Their first love—Compared to Acts 20 and Ephesians—even though they were trying to do the right things to keep the church sound—they had lost their love for Christ and their unselfish desire to do His complete will (Matt. 22:36­–40; John 14:15).

3. Left their first love—The Jews were committed to laws of Moses and all that Judaism became, but they still crucified Christ. A person can become deeply committed to all the traditions they believe should be a part of the church and neglect the Word of God working in and through their lives.

4. Remember—(present active indicative)—This is a continuous act of making sure they do not forget.

5. Fallen—They were in a state of decline even though it was a theologically sound church. The perfect active means that their state of decline remains this way.

6. Repent—This is a one-time decision to change, to go in a completely different direction, to make a decisive break from present actions.

7. Consequence—The taking of the lampstand. Unless they repent, Christ will remove His presence from the church.

D. Live as Overcomers (vv. 6–7)

1. Who has ears—This is a believer who continuously wants to hear what Christ has to say.

2. Let him—Christ commands them to allow each person the opportunity to make a one-time decision to repent.

3. Hear—Must have a mind willing to change.

4. Tree of life—The person who repents to Christ experiences all that eternal life provides.

5. Paradise—This person experiences rest and eternal bliss, a life of peace.

Author’s Comments

Comments

The church of Ephesus was the most important church in Rome. It was a church that experienced a great founder, the apostle Paul (Acts 20:27–31) and great preachers and teachers in Timothy, the apostle John, Apollos, and Priscilla and Aquilla. The church was known for sound doctrine and functioned as a great example to other churches. Their commitment to the Word became more Pharisaic in the sense that they made sure the Word was not polluted, but failed to love Christ and one another. It is like some marriages where the couple becomes committed to their marriage but does not have the same warm love they had for each other when they first met. Even though they are married, are they in love?

Application

We must preserve the church God built so that we bless Him and are continually blessed. Christ, who continually walks among the seven churches, says that they must totally turn from their ways in order to eat from the tree of life.

If they have a change of heart and go back to the things they first did, He would not remove His presence from among them. One of the first things they did was to love God, by obeying His Word, and to love one another.

Illustrate It

At the peak of his career, Michael Jordan’s father died. Shortly after this, Michael decided to accomplish his childhood dream—he wanted to play baseball. He played for one season, and even though he was excited to live his dream, he decided to go back to his first love, basketball.

We may love our church, but we are not the head of it. We are the body; Christ is the head. We need to focus on growing up in His nature, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, because if we abide in Him, His love will abide in us, and as the Father loved Him we will be loved by God as well (John 15:8–10). Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets (Matt. 22:36–40).

Stand for Truth while Disarming the Enemy

Revelation 2:12–17

General Overview of the Passage

Christ says to the pastor that He knows—meaning He has a full knowledge and experience—that Satan remains in this city and has a lot of influence. Christ comes to His church with a sword purposely constructed to cut with both edges (Heb. 4:12). This sword can cut into a person’s soul to examine thoughts and motives. It can cut into a person creating so much damage that it creates judgment upon them for all the evil they have done. The impact is complete and can determine their eternal destiny. In the midst of a city where Satan dwells, God speaks to His believers to hear a message from Him. This is a place that He dwells (Rev. 1:20; 2:1), but He is threatening to leave it.

The believers remained focused with clear intent and a strong grip on following God’s purposes, His character, and the authority of the name of Jesus Christ. They did not reject or turn against their knowledge and conviction concerning the gospel. They sustained their commitment to Christ even though people who lived in the city were expected to worship the god of Pergumum. This led to Antipas, a member of the church, being murdered. The mob probably did this to honor the god Aesculapius. Antipas, possibly an officer in the church, was praised for being a true, trustworthy, and steadfast servant of God.

Christ, however, said He had a few things against them. The church had become caught up in the teachings of Balaam, who advised the Midianite women how to lead the Israelites astray (Num. 25:1–2; 31:16; Jude 11) when God did not allow him to curse the Israelites. He found a way to get the men of Israel to break two of God’s laws, thus causing a just God to respond. Balak, the king, instructed Balaam to curse the Israelites in fear that they might defeat him, whereas the Nicolaitans taught about liberality, which led to believers participating in idol worship, eating food given to idols, and practicing immorality.

They were people in the church who persisted in continually teaching these doctrines with a strong conviction. They persisted in seeking to persuade the believers of the church to believe in these doctrines. This, like in the case of Balaam, had become a trap leading believers into ruin. Apparently, the leadership of the church did little or nothing to stop it. These leaders (Antipas being an example) seem to have been committed to the Lord, but they did not prevent false doctrine from persisting in the church.

Christ instructs them to reject these acts and turn back to a committed walk with Christ. He says that if they did not, He would come quickly. Christ would command a war or fight against these false teachers with the sword of His mouth. Christ seems to indicate that He, personally, is going to bring upon them His judgment.

These believers, who experienced the difficulties of life in Pergamum, were provided by Christ a white stone with a new name inscribed upon it. This means that His judgment of them found them righteous and He would allow them in His presence.

Historical Background

Establishing Context

The church of Pergamum was in a city that was really pagan. It was a place where the god of Zeus was worshipped. It was a rich city but immoral. It was known for its two-hundred-thousand-volume library. It manufactured parchments that became known as pergamena. This is where we get the name parchment.

Because of the widespread idol worship they were against Christians. This is why Antipas was brutally murdered. This adversity led to the slaying of Antipas. Antipas was said to have died either as result of being put in bronze kettle and burnt to death or was attacked by a mob and murdered to honor their god.¹

False teaching slipped into the church. This was the teaching of Balaam—the same teaching that was experienced in the wilderness. Balaam could not curse Israel so he got the Moabite women to be with Israelite men. This immorality led to God going against Israel rather than Balaam cursing them.² There

was also false teaching by the Nicolaitans who wanted the believers to walk contrary to the Word of God by eating food offered to idols. The Nicolaitans sought to encourage believers to live liberated from the law. This includes eating idol food, practice idolatry and immorality. This N.T. church allowed this kind of teaching.¹ Because the church was tolerating these teachings, Christ warned them that He has the sharp two-edged sword (Rev. 4:12b).

A new name written on the stone . . . (Rev. 2:17 nasb). There was special significance about these stones. White stones used for medical purposes were associated with Judea; and perhaps most significant, jurors used black stones to vote for a person’s guilt but white ones to vote for innocence. The Old Testament associated change of name with a promise (e.g., Gen. 17:5, 15).²

What Does the Context Mean?

We must be conscious of and must never tolerate false doctrine (1 Tim. 4:1–5). We should never, because of the pressures of new and popular religious movements, compromise the truths of God’s Word. It does not matter if this leads to persecution and isolation from the rest of society. As sanctified believers being separated unto God, we should never let feeling so different cause us to give up trusting and believing the truth God’s Word provides. Christ will judge those who teach false doctrine and will reward those, who despite the pressures and popularity of false doctrine, live in the truth of His Word as overcomers.

Sermon Subject and Title

Sermon Title: Stand for Truth while Disarming the Enemy

Big Idea: Our commitment to live for Christ does not remove our responsibility for being our brother’s keeper by holding members accountable when they teach false doctrine. When we seek to keep the church’s doctrine pure, Christ blesses us not just here on earth but also eternally.

Sermon Outline (Rev. 2:12–17 nasb)

A. In Truth, They Stood under Pressure (vv. 12–13)

1. Church—God’s called-out people separated unto Him (Phil. 2:14–16).

2. Cults—Stronghold for Satan; like Daniel, commanded to worship false gods; Satan creates confusion while God is peace.

3. Has the sharp sword—Has here is a present active verb meaning that Christ continuously has this sword.

4. Sharp sword—Serves to separate believers from the world, critically examine thoughts and motives, and judge those believing false doctrine.

5. I know—Christ has a completed state of knowing and complete understanding of all that is taking place here (perfect active indicative).

6. Keep the faith—They persisted in living out the character and nature of Christ; Antipas—trustworthy, reliable, steadfast servant who may have been be a leader in the church.

B. The Truth Challenged under Pressure (vv. 14–15)

1. Unlike Ephesus—God had a few things, not one thing (Rev. 2:4), He held as concerns for the church at Pergamum.

2. Against—God set Himself to oppose the church.

3. Hold—False teachers persisted in their teaching (demonic influence; 1 Tim. 4:1–5), and the church did nothing about it. This is something they are doing continuously to the point it has become a habit (present active accusative). The accusative means that this is the direct reason Christ will set Himself against the church.

4. False Doctrine

a) Balaam—Got the men of Israel to be with Moabite women; turned God against a nation.

b) Balak—A king afraid of God’s powerful nation sought out a prophet to curse God’s people.

c) Nicolaitans—Liberality, idol worship; did not like conservative Christians. They were pressuring them to change by practicing idolatry and living an immoral lifestyle.

C. Overcomers, Blessed by the Truth (vv. 16–17)

1. Repent—Regret what was done, turn with determination—once-and-for-all decision (aorist) to do the will of God. This is a command (aorist imperative).

2. Christ comes quickly—Christ not threatening to take His lampstand. He will war against the church. Christ’s coming is continuous and it needs to be received by these believers (present passive verb).

3. War against with sword—Double edge (v. 12); long sword—very destructive.

4. Overcomers—Repented, stayed focused like Antipas.

5. Hidden—Secure, protected by Christ.

6. Written—It is inscribed on the stone and it is permanent and they must receive it once provided (perfect active passive).

7. White stone—Spared God’s judgment; banquet admission—Messianic feast, not outer darkness.

8. New nature—Mature in faith; transformed because they remained faithful.

9. No one knows—Only the person who receives this reward has a complete knowledge of what was provided (perfect active indicative).

Author’s Comments

Comments

You know people ask, Is the pastor preaching this Sunday? or Which praise group is singing on Sunday? or What series is the pastor on? but I am not sure if they ever ask whether or not Jesus

Reviews for Big Idea Sermons

[Rem Caspillan · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I am amazed by this book’s content. Very helpful! Thanks to the author, great work, indeed!