Church of Thyatira

Just in time for Pride Month

Article 1 - June 30, 2021

The Methodist Church has become the largest religious denomination in Britain to permit same-sex marriages.

A vote to change the definition of marriage at the Methodist Conference on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed by 254 in favour with 46 against.

Freedom of conscience clauses mean ministers will not be forced to conduct such weddings if they oppose the move.

Same-sex marriage is not allowed in the Church of England or the Roman Catholic Church.

However it is welcomed in the Scottish Episcopal Church, the United Reformed Church and the Quakers in Britain.

The Methodist Church is Britain's fourth largest Christian denomination with about 164,000 members across more than 4,000 churches.

Church officials hope the first same-sex weddings in Methodist chapels will take place in the autumn.

The Rev Sam McBratney, chair of the Dignity and Worth campaign group, said it was a "momentous step on the road to justice" after many years of "painful conversations".

"Some of us have been praying for this day to come for decades, and can hardly believe it is now here," he said. "We are so grateful to our fellow Methodists for taking this courageous step to recognise and affirm the value and worth of LGBTQ+ relationships. "We reassure those who do not support this move that we want to continue to work and worship with you in the Church we all love." However in an emotional debate, Carolyn Lawrence, a former vice-president of the Methodist Conference, warned there was a "significant minority" of Methodists who were "planning on leaving or resigning their membership" as a result of the vote. "Today is a line in the sand for many people and seen as a significant departure from our doctrine." https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-57658161

Article 2 - April 30,2022

The United Methodist Church’s Council of Bishops, ending a five-day meeting Friday, acknowledged the inevitable breakup of their denomination — a schism that will widen this weekend with the launch of a global movement led by theologically conservative Methodists.

The breakaway denomination, called the Global Methodist Church, will officially exist as of today. Its leaders have been exasperated by liberal churches’ continued defiance of UMC bans on same-sex marriage and the ordination of openly gay clergy.

Bishop Thomas Bickerton, who became the Council of Bishops’ new president Friday, described the launch of the new movement as a “sad and sobering reality.” Bickerton said he regrets any departure from the United Methodist Church and values the denomination’s diversity of thought.

https://www.columbian.com/news/2022/apr/30/united-methodist-church-split-official-as-of-today/

What does this have to do with our text today?

Stand with me as we look at what the church in Thyatira is facing.

Text: Rev 2:18-29

I want you to consider the sin of this world works and the culture delivers it to us this way.

1. Wickedness wants us to live like something evil is good.

Homosexual marriages are okay as long as they are based on love.

Seeking after material possessions is okay as this is a sign of God's blessing.

Doing away with the bible is okay as long as you are in communion with God and relying on his spirit's revelation.

All these are evil, but seem to be good.

2. Wickedness wants us to live like God’s Word is outdated.

Consider the culture of Thyatira.

Though not easily fortified, Thyatira was on a major trade route and was well known for its trade guilds - there were carpenters, dyers, sellers of goods, tanners, weavers, tent makers, etc all making a living from their trade. You might remember Lydia in Philippi. She was a trader of fine cloth and came from Thyatira. She was infact one of Paul's first converts when he visited Thyatira on his second missionary journey (Acts 16).

Now these guilds were somewhat similar to our trade unions 15 to 20 years ago. It was very difficult for the blue collar tradesmen and women to make a living unless they were a part of one of these guilds. They differed from trade unions, however, in that they were linked with the worship of other gods. Each guild had its particular guardian god and as a member, you would be expected to attend all its functions and participate in its activities which included offerings, feasts and often immoral behaviour. The members of the church in Thyatira were torn between making a living on the one hand which meant having to be part of the guilds and on the other hand staying faithful to Christ and his standards.

Lets read the passage and see what God had to say to those, living in Thyatira and what God wants to say to us today.

COMMENDATIONS FOR THE CHURCH (vs19)

Christ says that this church was to be commended for they

1) were a loving church

2) they were a serving church

3) they were a faithful church

4) they were a growing church - their patience and works were more now than ever.

Like the churches before in this same list this church sounds like an ideal church - what could Jesus have been angry with? What could have prompted the use of the name "Son of God" and the images of fiery eyes and feet of bronze?

The answer is in the next verse (vs 20)

Revelation 2:20 KJV 1900

Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

CONDEMNATION OF THE CHURCH (vs 20-23)

Despite the growth and the apparent faithfulness, love and ministry seen in the church, they were being misled doctrinally. There was a woman who Jesus called Jezebel who was calling herself a prophetess, but was misleading the people.

What is a prophet? .... The simplest definition of a prophet is one who speaks for God.

NOTICE: She calls herself a prophet. God does not call her a prophet.

This can either be foretelling the future or forthtelling the Word of God. A true prophet has authority because their words come from God either through direct revelation or straight from the Word of God. A false prophet has mislaid authority which does not come from God. This so called prophetess in Thyatira was not a prophet at all. Why? Because what she was proclaiming as coming from God was contrary to God's word.

Like an apple with a worm in it. This church looked good on the outside, but inside it was rotten. We often look at other churches and say - God is really doing something in their midst - they are loving. Look at all the people flocking to their services. They are reaching out to the community and really making an impact. People are changing. But you can't judge a book by a cover.... filled with love and faithfulness - but they were rotten on the inside because they were following wrong doctrine.

What was this wrong doctrine that this prophetess was teaching? We read in Vs 20 that it

led people to practice fornication

eat food sacrificed to idols

both of which were clearly condemned in the Word of God. It is likely that this prophetess was teaching that it was alright to be part of the trade guilds - "After all," she'd say "you need to make a living and God doesn't expect you to starve. Don't be worried, - God has told me its alright - It is alright to go and be a part of the guilds and participate in the immoral and idolatrous worship that occurs in their meetings - after all we live by grace and are not under the law any more." And who were the rest of the church to disagree with what was being said - they weren't prophets were they?

Further indication of what was going on is indicated in the fact that Christ called her Jezebel. She was a queen of Israel at the time Elijah was a prophet. She was a wicked woman and was the pagan daughter of a pagan king and had no business being married to Ahab, the King of Israel. When she became queen, she turned first the heart of her husband, then the hearts of Israel, to the worship of Baal.

The name Jezebel reminds us that King Ahab did so much to steer the people of God into the worship of Baal. Who among other god’s were fertility god’s. So when Jesus wanted to draw a correlation to someone teaching fornication in a church you look back at Jezebel.

Her first official act, as recorded in Scripture, was to kill the prophets of the Lord (1 Ki 17:4). She was no seductrous - her ways were blatantly against God. She did away with God's spiritual leaders and replaced them with the prophets of Baal. She was definitely not to-be trifled-with. While Elijah was happy to face up to 850 prophets of Baal and Asherah on Mt Carmel, you might remember fhat he fled when he heard Jezebel was after him.

Jezebel replaced God's word as given through his appointed prophets with a counterfeit one given by the prophets of Baal and Asherah. She sought to replace the worship of God completely with the worship of other gods and introduced idolatry once again to the people of Israel.

Do you see the similarities here between the Jezebel of Old Testament times and the prophetess in Thyatira? Both tried to replace God's authoritative word with a poor substitute.

Anytime you try to replace God’s Word you are trading for a poor substitute.

Understand my friend we only have one sure foundation. We cannot afford to replace it with what sounds good, what sounds right, we cannot replace it with the way we were always taught. We are to stand on the Word of God. I think we should be suspect of someone who has a word from God that he has received today. We aren’t out here wandering around waiting for the Holy Spirit to speak to us. We are faithfully obeying God’s word.

There are some other similarities between the two. Both were given opportunity to repent. Jezebel had Elijah proclaiming the truth about God, but she refused to listen. The prophetess of Thyatira also was given the chance to repent, but she refused. God is a gracious God, even when it comes to such vile offenders who do so much damage.

Another similarity exists in their judgements. Jezebel of the Old Testament was condemned by God - listen to it in 1 Ki 22:23-24 And also concerning Jezebel the LORD says:

1 Kings 22:23–24 KJV 1900

Now therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil concerning thee. But Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of the Lord from me to speak unto thee?

She was sentanced to death and those who followed her and her husband were also condemned to die. Compare the judgements pronounced on the Jezebel of Thyatira (Rev 2:22-23).

Revelation 2:22–23 KJV 1900

Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.

Levels of Judgement:

She will be cast into bed

all that commit adultery with her…

This could be speaking directly of her sin - maybe she was a part of these guilds and she is in this sin herself.

This could be speaking of those that are helping push this same idea.

The third level… Kill her Children, this is speaking of those that have listened to her doctrine.

Center it on Christ:

Revelation 2:18 KJV 1900

And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;

Son of God - The Christ The messiah the second person of the God head. This is not the groom talking, not the creator, This is the God of heaven. He is the judge.

eyes like flame - “i know your works” nothing is sliding by Jesus. But eyes of fire point out that not only does Jesus know what you are doing but he knows why you do it.

Revelation 19:11–13 KJV 1900

And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

feet like brass - This the Holy Savior like purified brass

But brass is his judgement.

Sick bed

Great Tribulation - those who joined her were worried about not fitting in the guilds. Hey there is something worse.

Kill her children

Do you think Jesus is a softer God than the God of the OT.

Do you think that God will judge Jezebel and not judge this compromiser with the world.

Christian it is imperative that we keep the works of God. That church that loves the Gospel even when it falls out of favor with the world around us. Reject their acceptance and keep the works of God.

It would be better for us to be in Christ’s favor than his judgement so tune out the reasoning of the false claims in the culture and even some in the church.