What's Your Struggle? Oppression

Revelation 2:12-17 The Church In Pergamum
Have you ever just felt oppressed spiritually?  Maybe it was a place you entered and you just felt like your skin was crawling and you had to get out.  Maybe it was surrounding a movie or an event or even a person and you just had this strange feeling come over you and you had to leave or get away, quick.

Imagine living in the hometown of Satan.  If Satan and his demons are like a gang, they hold their territory very well.  They are very protective of it and will come against anything or anyone that tries to push them out.

Maybe you know what it's like to be the property of Satan.  To be in his territory or be a part of his gang.  Now maybe you didn't swear a blood oath with a chicken head, but you did live apart from Jesus and in line with the devil and his ways.  Perhaps Satan ensnared you with an addiction years ago and it's hold on you has been difficult, if not proven impossible up to this point, to be free of.  Maybe he snared  you with an unplanned pregnancy and a marriage to someone you never intended to be with for more than one night.  When you live in Satan's wheelhouse it's oppressive.

That's the situation for the church in Pergamum.  They lived "where Satan has his throne." Satan's realm is earth, he is confined here.  He is also unable to be everywhere present, as God is and he doesn't know everything, as God does.  He also is not all-powerful like God is.  That means that Satan must have, on this earth somewhere, a base of operations from which to attack, destroy, kill, maim and steal.  Where that was, Pergamum was right in the middle of it.

Imagine trying to to plant a church in such a spiritually dark place.  There is only one word that can describe it, oppressive.  The church in Pergamum not only existed here but they struggled to thrive, to remain true to the Name of Jesus to not renounce their faith even in the face of fierce opposition that resulted in the martyrdom of a man named Antipas who was killed because of his faith in opposition to Satan on his own territory.

Though they remained true to the Name of Jesus in this dark place they struggled so much with oppression that they let some other things slide.  Namely, they begin to think that as long as they didn't renounce the name of Jesus or their faith even if they were enticed to dabble in the sexually immoral practices of those surrounding them in the city it was okay.

You know the draw, to attend church, give your offerings maybe even serve a little, claim to be a Christian but then actively participate in sin.  You know you shouldn't but it's not a big deal, others are doing it you're sure so it's okay.  Oppression works that way you know.  Tempting you to give a little and then sinking it's hooks in and causing you to sink further and further into it.  Soon you're living a double life, pretending to be a follower of Jesus, but acting like a follower of Satan.

Look, I get it.  I'm inundated with sexual explicit material all the time.  It's not always easy to avoid or even to stop.  And that is really the struggle, sin never stops.  Satan never takes a day off.  He never leaves you alone.

If you're struggling with oppression remember that comes only from the enemy.  Satan wants to keep you oppressed because you're easier to control that way.  He wants to convince you that as long as you live like a Christian on the weekend you live like a sinner during the week.  The Church in Pergamum certainly knew what this was like.

Take a minute to read this passage in Genesis 4.  I had to go way back to just the second sin ever committed.  Satan's kingdom was still the earth at this time but there were far fewer people for him to focus on.  He was able to oppress Adam and Eve's oldest son Cain into seeing his brother Abel as a threat.  He oppressed Cain with envy and jealousy and fear.  Cain eventually killed his brother Abel, but before he did God had a conversation with him in verses 6-7 that may do you well to read today.