The Church at Thyatira
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The Church at Thyatira
The Church that tolerated Sin
Rev 2:18-29
Ephesus: The Church that lost its first love.
Smyrna: The suffering church.
Pergamos: The compromising church.
Intro: In the book of Acts we see of the city of Thyatira. (Acts 16:14-15) Lydia the seller of purple cloth was living in Philippi when Paul, Silas, and Timothy where there spreading the gospel. Lydia became their first convert there. It is possible that through her testimony the church at Thyatira was started. We don’t this for a fact, but there is the possibility that Lydia’s testimony might have played a part in the founding of the church at Thyatira.
One thing we do know for sure is that it was a woman that played a prominent role in the foundering of the church. Her false teaching had made a ship wreck of the church.
The big problem was that the church tolerates it. They tolerated sin.
The Introduction. VS 18
18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, ‘These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass:
1. The letter from Jesus to John to the angel (messenger, pastor) each letter starts out with who it is to and who it is from. (Jesus) He gives a different description of himself in each letter.
These things saith the Son of God
1. It doesn’t get much clearer than that. The letter, the message is from the Son of God, Jesus himself.
Who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire.
1. This description of his eyes like a fire specks of a burning indignation and purifying judgment.
a. He is also telling them and us that nothing is hidden from his view. Jesus is able to penetrate the secrets of our hearts. You can’t hide your secret sins from God. There is nothing about you that he doesn’t know, even our innermost thoughts.
And his feet are like fine brass
1. Burnished bronze. Polished and shiny. In scripture this is always a symbol of judgment. As he looks down on the church of Thyatira and sees how the wickedness had grown from the satanic seed sown by the woman Jezebel, judgment must begin.
a. How did she end up there? Matt 13:25 “But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares (false wheat) among the wheat, and went his way”
I. The Commendation. VS 19
19 “I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first.
I know thy works. He knew your works, he knows your heart, and he knows your intentions.
a. The works a Thyatira.
Love, benevolence.
Service: Attendance
Faith:
Patience: Endurance.
And the last to be more than the last.
b. Their love for the Lord was greater than it had been in the first. (Ephesus)
c. This was a Church that loved the Lord and loved serving him. The Lord gave then their commendation, but it was short. Now comes the condemnation,
II. The Condemnation. VS 20-23
20 Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.
21 And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent.
22 Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds.
23 I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.
Revelation 2:20 (NKJV)
20 Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.
Notwithstanding: Opposite direction. The Lord goes from the good news to the bad news.
1. Look at the few things. (Few but strong) It all has to do with a woman named Jezebel.
a. Jezebel may have been her real name or a name given, (Benedict Arnold) we see the similarities in her and the Jezebel in I & II Kings
b. Jezebel of the Old Testament. The daughter of a pagan king, she married Ahab and brought the worship of Baal into the nation. (Sexual morality) She was a wicked evil woman that would destroy anyone that got in her way. But God had his judgment on her in the end.
c. There was a Jezebel in the church at Thyatira.
Because thou sufferest that woman names Jezebel
Sufferest: To let be or permit.
2. Look at the problem.
a. She called herself a prophetess. (An inspired woman)
b. Told note, “called herself” not called by God.
c. She was allowed to teach.
VS20b
Revelation 2:20 (NKJV)
20 Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.
1. Seduce: Through her false teachings she was leading the church into sin.
a. Sexual sins. She had a great influence on the people, she brought sin into the church and nothing was done about it.
b. She had some of the people fooled, but the Lord was not fooled.
c. There are people in the churches today that may not be seceding people into fornication like Jezebel. But there are people with a silver tongue that seduce people into believing in them, and their ways.
d. Jim Jones. Youth pastors or directors, children ministry directors, Sunday school teachers, Etc. If they are teaching false teaching it is sin. It should not be tolerated.
e. Praise God that we have a loving patience God.
VS 21
21 And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent.
1. Gave her “space” a space of time, an opportunity to repent.
a. God had patience with the one that was causing problems in his church. He gave her the opportunity to repent but she refused.
b. These letters are dealing with 7 churches that existed in that day. But it also deals with churches today, and with lives of individual people.
c. There are people that are lost that the Lord is calling to salvation, calling them to repent, but they keep on refusing. How long will he be patient with that person?
d. There are people in churches today, because of their sin they hindering the church from moving forward. God is giving them the chance to repent. How long will he be patient with them?
f. How long was he patient with this Jezebel? However long it was, it was a sufficient time of the Lord.
g. How will he be patient with the churches today? How long will he be patient with our country?
h. He s patient, but there will be time for judgment. Rom 2:5
VS22
22 Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds.
I will cast. Ballo means to throw, intense, violent.
It shows that the process for judgment has already begun.
And them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
1. First we see God’s patience, giving those that had committed adultery with her the chance to repent.
a. But if they did not they would pay the price, judgment would come down on them. The word tribulation here s talking about severe affliction.
b. When look at what is going on here, sexual immorality, and it is today. Elab
c. Look at all the problems it causes today. SID’s Judgment.
VS 23
Revelation 2:23 (NKJV)
23 I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.
1. Everyone that imitates Jezebel’s activity (children followers) is in danger of death at the hands of Christ. That is how serous his is about sin.
a. The warning is for the church, the warning is for unbelievers. (Hypocrites in the church that are playing the part of a believer) the warning is for believers that are totally out of fellowship with Christ. (Someone can be in church and still be out of fellowship with God)
VS 23b
1. The purpose behind this judgment, remember God has a purpose behind everything he does.
a. What he is saying: Two keys words: reins: inmost minds, their intentions. Hearts:Thoughts.
b. Jesus is saying no church can hide from me. If the sin that happened at Thyatira happens in others churches, no they do not repent I will give what they deserve. What did they deserve? Death according to VS 23
c. This is how much God hates sin.
d. Christ died to purchase the church and present it to a blameless God. Eph 5:27
e. When the church becomes polluted with sin, Christ gives the church the opportunity to repent. If they do not repent. VS 5 Remove thy candlestick.
f. Or he may remove them completely. Elab
according to his works”
III. The Reward. VS 24-28
Encouragement.
VS 24
24 “Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden.
1. There were those that the church that did not go to the ways of the teaching of Jezebel.
a. You have done great, you have did not go the ways of the devil.
b. I will out the same burden on you.
c. How many churches, how many Christians can hear those words from the Lord?
VS 25
25 But hold fast what you have till I come.
1. This is a great message to the faithful at Thyatira.
That which ye have Go back to VS 19
Hold fast To use strength
a. He was telling the church then and he is telling churches and believers that are standing strong on the Word of God. You keep on keeping on. Preach the word, live a holy life, don’t live like the world.
b. I’ll be back one day.
VS 26,27
26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—
27 ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’— as I also have received from My Father;
1. Without getting into too much detail, this is talking about God’s righteous Kingdom on earth. 1000 year reign
a. Here is the point I want to get across. Reward for being faithful.
VS 28
28 and I will give him the morning star.
Morning Star Rev 22:16
1. Jesus is the morning star. If you are a believer he will be your one day.
a. But if we are believers isn’t he already your? Yes but we have detractions. Elab
b. In heaven there will be no distractions.
c. I belong to Jesus now, but will never experience all that he is until the day I see Him.
IV. The Warning. VS 29
29 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’
1. Listen to what I have to say.
a. First n these verses we know what the Lord thinks about a church to tolerates sin. He will come down on them with fierce judgment.
b. But we also see Christ the morning star. Rewarding the faithful.
The choice is yours.
God hates sin, but he sent His Son to die for your sins.