Seven Churches

Tough Love

What a great series this has been and I have loved all the Bible nerdy stuff. But it is not just for the head knowledge it reveals the life of the Scripture and how that impacts us today. So here is how this morning is going to go. We will dive into the context do some Bible nerdy stuff and then we will attempt to build a cultural bridge from this first century letter written to the seven churches and see how that might impact us in this church today. Are you ready!?!? We have a saying around here.

We Get Into The Word

So the Word Gets into us

Let me give the whole message and what we are going to cover in one sentence.

Thyatira’s message teaches that God’s grace calls us to resist cultural pressures and false teaching, with Jesus promising eternal authority to those who persevere.

For some of you, you can take your nap now and check out. I hope for those who have a hunger to grow in their relationship with Jesus you will lean in. For those who desire more intimacy with Jesus that you will hang with me for a little bit and we will see how this letter can shape us today.

4 Map SLIDES

FLYBY VIDEO

SLIDE OF THE FOLLOWING BULLETS

The longest letter out of the seven letters

Address ALL of the churches

Incorporated into the Roman province of Asia in 129 BC, under Pergamum’s administrative center.

Rebuilt after a 27 BC earthquake with aid facilitated by Tiberius in 24 BC, reflecting civic pride and imperial support.

Located at a major road junction, connecting Sardis (35 miles southeast) and Pergamum (25 miles northwest), serving as a roadhead.

Milestones, “seven miles from the most spledid and greates city of Thyatira” like one from the Domitian era, note distances to Thyatira, highlighting its trade route importance.

Renowned for textiles, especially purple dye from madder root, cheaper than Phoenician murex. (e.g., Lydia, Acts 16:14 “A God-fearing woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, was listening. The Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying.” ).

Trade guilds (wool dealers, dyers, weavers, tanners, coppersmiths) were influential, hosting banquets tied to pagan rituals.

Primary deities: Apollo Tyrimnus and Artemis Boreitene, featured on coins, with Apollo linked to the imperial cult.

SLIDE PICTURES of Apollo the next slide of Jesus

Apollo was the son of Zeus, so he was called the son of god

Jewish community likely present, descended from Mesopotamian settlers around 168 BC.

Acts 19:10 “This went on for two years, so that all the residents of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord.”

Christianity arrived in the 50s AD via Paul’s Ephesus ministry (Acts 19:10), with early Christians publicly declaring faith by the third century.

So with a start in building our cultural bridge lets begin to go through our text and see what Holy Spirit has for us today. Before we do that I want to play a short clip from the comedian Nate Bargetze that is funny but will also show us about drawing a line with conviction and without compromise.

VIDEO

Revelation 2:18–19 ““Write to the angel of the church in Thyatira: Thus says the Son of God, the one whose eyes are like a fiery flame and whose feet are like fine bronze: I know your works—your love, faithfulness, service, and endurance. I know that your last works are greater than the first.”

The Church’s Commendation: Strengths to Celebrate (Rev. 2:19)

Described as the “Son of God” with “eyes like blazing fire” and “feet like burnished bronze,” symbolizing authority and judgment.

Possibly alludes to Thyatira’s metalworking industry and contrasts with Apollo, asserting Christ’s supremacy.

Jesus KNOWS

We at some point in our relationship with Jesus, need to face the reality that He knows our motives and intent. We can try to hide behind the mask of self deception, but Jesus see’s right through it

Praised for “WORKS, love, faith, service, and perseverance,” with works greater than before.

Your “works” show your theology

Your belief must turn to action

Thought grenade. Thyatira was growing things were going right. Are you in a season where everything is going right? Maybe you are in a season of Jesus being patience with you and He is waiting for you to repent. This goes for me and all church leaders, the question we have to wrestle with is Jesus waiting for us to repent of something?

Unlike Ephesus (Rev. 2:4), “abandoned your first love,”Thyatira’s love is vibrant but faces a different challenge.

Let’s continue in our narrative and look at what Jesus is calling out.

Revelation 2:20–21 “But I have this against you: You tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and teaches and deceives my servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat meat sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to repent of her sexual immorality.”

Confronting Compromise (Rev. 2:20–23)

Scholars are not sure if this woman was named Jezebel or there simply was a woman who Jesus put the label Jezebel on. More than likely people were not naming their daughters Jezebel because of the negative connotation with it.

The fact that Scripture tell us that “she calls herself a prophetess” is a bad sign.

A prophetess, possibly symbolic, named after the OT Jezebel

So lets do a really quick character survey of Jezebel from scripture.

1 Kings 16 Ahab marries Jezebel

1 Kings 18 Jezebel kills the Prophets of Yahweh (850), Elijah and the prophets of Baal have a BBQ competition

Jezebel doesn’t REPENT even after God shows is power and might.

1 Kings 19:2 “So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “May the gods punish me and do so severely if I don’t make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow!””

Now we will see how Jezebel now considers herself to be elite and disclaims her own husbands authority.

1 Kings 21:8–10 “So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal. She sent the letters to the elders and nobles who lived with Naboth in his city. In the letters, she wrote: Proclaim a fast and seat Naboth at the head of the people. Then seat two wicked men opposite him and have them testify against him, saying, “You have cursed God and the king!” Then take him out and stone him to death.”

The fruit of her self absorbed life was her death.

2 Kings 9:30–37 “When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard about it, so she painted her eyes, fixed her hair, and looked down from the window. As Jehu entered the city gate, she said, “Do you come in peace, Zimri, killer of your master?” He looked up toward the window and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” Two or three eunuchs looked down at him, and he said, “Throw her down!” So they threw her down, and some of her blood splattered on the wall and on the horses, and Jehu rode over her. Then he went in, ate and drank, and said, “Take care of this cursed woman and bury her, since she’s a king’s daughter.” But when they went out to bury her, they did not find anything but the skull, the feet, and the hands. So they went back and told him, and he said, “This fulfills the Lord’s word that he spoke through his servant Elijah the Tishbite: ‘In the plot of land at Jezreel, the dogs will eat Jezebel’s flesh. Jezebel’s corpse will be like manure on the surface of the ground in the plot of land at Jezreel so that…”

If you spend some time in the church world there are some words that get used that you wouldn’t normally use in your “normal” everyday conversations. A term that can get used in the church is a “spirit of Jezebel.” You won’t find this term found in Scripture, so I want to be clear that I am walking a very fine line here for a few moments. This idea of spirit of Jezebell does come from this bibical character that I did a very quick survey of. There are some observations we can make of Jezebel and possibly see if we are exhibiting any of these behaviors. I will suggest 4 for our conversation today. Also one final note, this idea of a Jezebel spirit is not just for women, this includes men as well.

Consider themselves Spiritually Elite

Look for the fruit

Whose kingdom are they building?

Elevates their word above THE WORD

We are called to be Holy

Live by conviction

a Jezebel will make you compromise by their words

Has a disclaim for all Authority that is not there own

Lack of Honor towards others

Anarchy

Narcissism

Pride

Refuses to Repent

This Jezebel was promoting eating food sacrificed to idols and sexual immorality, likely tied to trade guild banquets.

Influences some Christians to compromise, risking economic ostracism by refusing guild participation.

Guild membership was economically critical but involved pagan meals, creating a dilemma (Acts 15:20; 1 Cor. 10:19–22).

Refusing participation was “economic suicide,” tempting believers to tolerate compromise.

In your workplace, you may face pressure to bend your ethics during a project. This can lead to compromising your values for the sake of meeting deadlines or pleasing colleagues. To combat this, set clear boundaries for yourself regarding what you will and will not do. Consider creating a personal mission statement that aligns with your Christian values, and refer to it whenever you're faced with a moral dilemma at work. This practice not only strengthens your resolve but also serves as a witness to your integrity among your peers.

Sometimes, the workplace demands can spill over into your home life, causing you to work late and ignore your family. This compromise can damage your relationships. To address this, establish a firm end to your workday and communicate that boundary with your family. Use that time to engage in family activities rooted in your faith, like evening prayers or Bible readings. This not only nurtures your family's spiritual life but strengthens their bond, ensuring that your work commitments do not compromise your family responsibilities.

Lets continue in our text.

Revelation 2:22–23 “Look, I will throw her into a sickbed and those who commit adultery with her into great affliction. Unless they repent of her works, I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am the one who examines minds and hearts, and I will give to each of you according to your works.”

For me personally I found it interesting that John chose to use the word throw

she will be cast into a “bed” of suffering, and her followers (“children”) face consequences unless they repent (Rev. 2:22–23). Not sure if this is actual children that were born from pagan practices or if this is symbolic of followers of this Jezebel, but one thing is clear God gave them time to repent and they didn’t and the consequence is death.

“Searching hearts and minds” (Rev. 2:23) underscores Christ’s omniscience, impacting all churches.

Jesus knows our hearts and minds and we will see the fruit of this.

Revelation 2:24–25 “I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who haven’t known “the so-called secrets of Satan”—as they say—I am not putting any other burden on you. Only hold on to what you have until I come.”

Hold Fast and Overcome

It is clear here that not everyone was okay with what what happening in Thyatira

Those rejecting Jezebel’s “deep things of Satan” (mocking gnostic teachings) are urged to “hold fast” until Christ’s return (Rev. 2:24–25).

No additional burden imposed, emphasizing grace amid pressure.

What did they have, they had the one TRUE Gospel

Revelation 2:26–27 “The one who conquers and who keeps my works to the end: I will give him authority over the nations— and he will rule them with an iron scepter; he will shatter them like pottery—”

Promises to Overcomers:

Authority over nations with a “rod of iron”

Psalm 2:8–9 “Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance and the ends of the earth your possession. You will break them with an iron scepter; you will shatter them like pottery.”” We are sharing Christ’s reign.

Revelation 2:28–29 “just as I have received this from my Father. I will also give him the morning star. “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Numbers 24:17 “I see him, but not now; I perceive him, but not near. A star will come from Jacob, and a scepter will arise from Israel. He will smash the forehead of Moab and strike down all the Shethites.”

representing Christ or eternal hope, contrasting with

Isaiah 14:12 “Shining morning star, how you have fallen from the heavens! You destroyer of nations, you have been cut down to the ground.” ’s fallen star.

The main dangers to the church Thyatira was indifference.

Nothing DEVOURS and CONQUERS God’s people faster than COMPROMISE.

Compromise must always be impossible where the truth is essential and fundamental.

Charles Spurgeon

It is compromise on the little issues that leads to greater downfalls.

Jerry Bridges

Don’t get comfortable with SIN

Lessons for Today’s Church

Balancing Love and Vigilance:

Thyatira’s strength was love, but its weakness was tolerating false teaching, unlike Ephesus’s loveless orthodoxy.

We must embody truth and grace,

being “tough in vigilance and tender in tolerance” .

All TRUTH with no Grace is mean.

All GRACE without truth is meaningless.

John 1:17 “for the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

Resisting Cultural Compromise:

Like Thyatira, we face pressures to conform (e.g., ethical compromises, cultural relativism).

Jesus’ approval must outweigh wealth or status (Rev. 2:19).

Salvation requires enduring faith, not just a one-time decision (Rev. 2:26; cf. Heb. 10:19–31).

God rewards faithfulness with eternal authority and fellowship with Christ.

Discerning False Teaching. False prophets like Jezebel appeal to desires (2 Tim. 4:3–4).

Test teachings against Scripture, rejecting those promoting immorality or idolatry.

If they are not talking about Jesus’ deity, death, resurrection, and faith alone only comes through Jesus, then it is false teaching.

Conclusion

Recap: Thyatira teaches that love must be paired with discernment and perseverance to resist compromise.