The Danger of Compromise
Revelation • Sermon • Submitted
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· 91 viewsAnother threat facing the Church and Christians is the threat of compromise--compromise with the world, its values and teachings. This can be so subtle and deceiving. We can convince ourselves that we are following Jesus while also following the ways and values of the culture around us. What does this look like today in our lives? How do we respond to it? How does Jesus help us? This passage written to the Church at Thyatira will help us answer these questions.
Notes
Transcript
Please turn to Revelation 2. Revelation 2:18.
We are not to the weird stuff YET in the book of Revelation. In this part of the book, Jesus is addressing 7 real churches that existed in history—and we know that the # 7 in the book if a number of completion, perfection, so we believe He is also addressing churches today.
and really we have been answering this question--
What does a healthy church look like?
so far we have seen:
Ephesus 2:1-7 Love God and Others Genuinely (first love!_
Smyrna 2:8-11 They endure suffering for Jesus joyfully (persecution)
Pergamum 2:12-17 They keep God’s truth faithfully (confront false teaching)
4. Thyatira… see if you can add to this...
18 “To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.
19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.
20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.
21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.
22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways.
23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.
24 Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you,
25 except to hold on to what you have until I come.’
26 To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—
27 that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’—just as I have received authority from my Father.
28 I will also give that one the morning star.
29 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
What is the main message—if we had to summarize Jesus’ words...
God wants a church that has an undivided loyalty…a church that doesn’t compromise with the world.
or if we are going to finish that neat little outline:
that lives purely to God.
purely in 2 senses:
holy — set apart—like God different than the world. God’s passions and priorities
purely in the sense that their lives are completely committed to Him.
A Church without compromise with the world’s values.
in some ways—the church was doing well. vs. 19
19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.
but then we see the problem.
20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.
a false teacher, a false prophet of some kind, Jesus calls her Jezebel had come into the church.
She is called Jezebel because Jezebel shows up in the OT in the book of 1 Kings.
She is the wife of King Ahab—a non-Israelites, a foreigner; Ahab marries her to create a political alliance. And she is one of the most wicked and evil leaders—leading God’s people astray, having people killed, bringing idolatry into Israel.
Jesus says that the church is allowing someone like her, tolerating her influence in the church, and her influence is growing into compromise.
Compromise is not new—it is something we face all the time. The pressure to be like and conform to the world is big rather than to be like Jesus.
I want to you today 3 signs of compromise—how do you know you have compromised or are on the path to spiritual compromise? And how do you respond?
Signs of compromise:
1. Sign #1: Idolatry (vs. 20)
look at vs. 20 again:
20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.
and idol is a substitute for God. it is worshipping anything more than God.
One writer (Nancy Guthrie) says it like this:
Blessed: Experiencing the Promise of the Book of Revelation Jesus Knows What You’re Willing to Tolerate
Thyatira was a market city and was “dominated by trade guilds that oversaw its various industries: wool, linen, dyes, clothing manufacturers, leather works, pottery, bakers, and bronze works.” Each guild paid homage to pagan gods. Christians who worked in these trades would have been pressured to participate in sacred festivals to these pagan gods, which would have included eating meals in their temples and participating in sexual liaisons with temple prostitutes.
So there was pressure that if you were going to do business and survive financially, you had to join these trade groups, offer sacrifices together (that’s what eating the food sacrificed to idols was)
so they were participating in these displays of idol worship literally...
and this false prophet was encouraging them— “You have to — to survive…maybe she said “it’s not a big deal.”
but probably the deeper idols-was more like social acceptance..fitting in...
or prosperity and money and success (don’t blame them)
Application: one of the sure signs of compromise in our lives is idol worship too. No—we don’t go to the pagan temples like they did and literally offer sacrifices..
and our idols are NOT literal statues...
but it’s worth asking this question: What is the #1 passion and priority in my life RIGHT NOW? Jesus said Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength? What are you loving right now with your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Think of some of the things are culture encourages us to worship…that we think they will make us prosperous and happy...
What are they?
Money… (security, significance, acceptance, power) or a certain standard of living. How many of you wished you had more money? I am going to raise my hand. Money has a power over us. if we just have more.
romance…if I just find Mr. or Miss right, I will truly be happy. That is a crushing way to live—you are putting a lot of pressure on that person to really be God for you—and no one can be that for you except God.
Possessions…
Achievement… that’s one I constantly fight. The need to achieve…that if you achieve something you feel good for a while, and then it fades, and you have to achieve a little more.
Politics can be a type of God…and we know because if someone disagrees with me politically, they are not just wrong; they are evil. It feels like they have violated core beliefs—it feels like they have violated my worship. (DEMONIZE AND HERO-IZE)
Acceptance or fitting in...
a hobby like hunting or fishing or perhaps sports—or even youth sports for our kids—that can be idol at times…I feel that allure as a parent.
a type of drug could be or an addiction of some kind…pornography or lust could be that...
even good things—ministry can be an idol. even our family—which we are called to love—but if my kids are more important than God—that’s a problem…I want parent them well—because I will also be intervening to save them, or always punishing them b/c they aren’t living up to my standard.
idols promise us so much—IF WE JUST HAVE THEM we think we will feel good, have life,
AND IT IS SUBTLE = Jesus + the idol a mixture!
AND it can be so tricky to spot our idols. we deceive ourselves.
let me give you some tests— HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR IDOL IS...
Relational Test—ask someone close to you. Turn to your neighbor— “What do you think my idol is honey?” I dare you to ask it? AND THEN LISTEN.
Resource test—what do you spend your resources on? follow your money, your time, energy—you will see your idols.
the dream test—what do I find myself fantasizing about?
the emotions test---
emotions are gifts given by God.
but say money is your idol—if you lose money, you will be sad, but if it is your idol—you will be depressed—maybe want to kill yourself for weeks....
if something threatens your money, you might be mad, which is normal, but if someone gets in the way, you will be enraged—you will want to kill them.
if there is a chance you might lose your money, you will be worried (which is normal), but if it is your idol, you will obsess and can’t sleep for days.
what are your big emotions right now—and is it possible they are attached to idols?
one sign of compromise is idolatry. and we will fight this until the day we die.
another sign is
2. Sign #2: Sexual immorality (vs. 20)
20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.
it was common to go to pagan temples and use a temple prostitute to “worship” the gods or goddesses. This false prophet was teaching that they could join in and still be a Christian.
one writer wonders: Essentially, the message of this person to those in the church was that they could do everything their fellow citizens of Thyatira did.
I have to wonder: when encouraging them to go ahead and participate, did she perhaps add, “Jesus knows your heart,” suggesting that Jesus would judge their hearts to be in the right place even when their bodies were invested in sexual immorality.” (Guthrie, Blessed, page 73)
one sign of sure compromise is that we are engaging in some type of sexual immorality.
what does that mean?
sexual immorality is the Biblical word to describe any type of sexual lusts or thoughts or actions that go against God’s standard for sexuality.
God’s beautiful design for sexuality is 1 biological man and 1 biological woman in the holy covenant of marriage.
and we are tempted to compromise all the time...
Stats:
Consider some stats of what our country and culture say about Casual Sex: According to a new survey by Pew Research (2021), half of self-identified Christians in America say casual sex is sometimes or always acceptable. The survey defined casual sex as sex between consenting adults who are not in a committed romantic relationship.
and more than 1 in 3 Evangelicals would say casual sex is ok.
and then When thinking about sex in a committed relationship but not married:
A majority of self-identified Christians (57 percent) say sex between unmarried adults in a committed relationship is sometimes or always acceptable. and 46% of Evangelicals say it ok as you are committed, consenting adults.
Consider some of these stats on the use of pornography—from Barna Research Group and their book the Porn Phenomenon.
and most of us I imagine are not going to a literal temple to have sex with temple prostitutes.
B/c our temples are our digital devices. We have so much accessibility.
Barna Group:
Perhaps the most sobering finding from the study is the reality of how accepted viewing porn has become in our culture today, particularly among teens and young adults. Around half of adults 25 and older say viewing porn is wrong (54%), and among teens and young adults 13-24, only a third say viewing porn is wrong (32%). This posture toward porn among younger Americans is confirmed by how they talk about porn with their friends: the vast majority reports that conversations with their friends about porn are neutral, accepting or even encouraging.
according to this study, at least 1 in 3 Americans seek out Porn once per month. notice it says “seek out.” not just view—b/c sometimes pop-ups, unsolicited images can come on your screen or phone. (60% come across it unintentionally)
In terms of frequency of viewing porn—age, gender, and faith made a big difference.
so for example—if you are younger (age), male (gender), and not a practicing Christian (faith)
that was the highest category of those who seek out porn. 72% of males ages 13-24 who are not practicing Christians seek it out.
Now if you are a male ages 13-24, and a practicing Christian, it says 41% of those users seek out porn regularly. (that’s still a big #).
now if you are man ages 25 and older and a practicing Christian it says 23% (so almost 1 in 4 of us) men seek it out, but if you are not a practicing Christian, that # jumps to 55%.
females overall still view porn less frequently…but those # are rising too. females, not practicing Christian ages 13-24 —about 1 in 3 view porn regularly. where practicing Christians in ages 13-24—about 13% view it regularly. over 25 and older those #’s go down substantially. (17% for non-Christians, and 5% for Christian women)
even among pastors—57% of pastors have admitted to struggling with pornography addiction at least one point in their lives.
There has also been a lot of great brain research that happens with pornography.
for men - “Sexually explicit material triggers mirror neurons in the male brain. These neurons, which are involved with the process for how to mimic a behavior, contain a motor system that correlates to the planning out of a behavior. In the case of pornography, this mirror neuron system triggers the arousal, which leads to sexual tension and a need for an outlet. “The unfortunate reality is that when he acts out (often by masturbating), this leads to hormonal and neurological consequences, which are designed to bind him to the object he is focusing on,” says Struthers. “In God’s plan, this would be his wife, but for many men it is an image on a screen. Pornography thus enslaves the viewer to an image, hijacking the biological response intended to bond a man to his wife and therefore inevitably loosening that bond.”
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/9-things-you-should-know-about-pornography-and-the-brain/
these are sobering...
some of us may be on that path...
some of may just beginning that path of compromise...
I am not surprised anymore as a pastor when someone comes to me and it seems like they have their life together, but say Pastor Rick “I am struggling with pornography.” “My marriage is struggling.” or even “I am having an affair.”
Recently this week in the news, Mega church pastor and preacher Matt Chandler, one of my favorite preachers admitted to some inappropriate social media message with another female who is not his wife. the church hired an independent investigator—thankfully no romantic or sexual material was exchanged, but the frequency and familiarity was not appropriate for someone who is not his wife.
where are you and I compromising in this area of sexuality.
this could be a wake-up call.
There is a connection between idolatry and sexual immorality. If God is not #1, then his beautiful and good vision for sexuality is not our goal. We are going to do what culture says and what we want.
one more sign of compromise:
3 . Sign #3: False teaching
20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.
by her teaching It’s possible Jezebel was saying “You can still do all these things…and still love Jesus.
in fact verse 24
24 Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you,
Satan’s so called deep secrets. she may even be saying that if you follow my teaching, we have the true, inside track, the special knowledge. we are the enlightened. but it is Satanic Jesus says.
Teaching matters. what we believe matters. b/c it is not just head knowledge.
it captures the heart.
most of our false teaching probably comes pretty innocently from what we watch, click on or like.
some of the prominent message we hear about sexuality are:
it’s just sex…what’s the big deal
sex is your identity — it matters immensely
(this is why we get confused so much)
3. why does it matter what I do in the privacy of my own home...
4. if we love each other...
5. just follow your heart.
6. true freedom is expressing your desires; it’s unhealthy not to express them
what false teachings are you embracing....
what are you letting in...
There’s a famous kids song that says “O be careful little eyes what you see...
o be careful little eyes what you see...
for the Father up above is looking down with love—o be careful little eyes what you see.
I am not saying we have to withdraw from the world—we can’t; we need to engage culture...
you may be here and say why does God care so much about what or who I worship—what’s #1 or even my sex life?
first of all—God made sex—and it’s good—and He knows what is best for us, what will make us flourish and thrive; when we go against God’s standards, it causes massive destruction and suffering.
Joe Carter, The Gospel Coalition, in 1 Corinthians 6—
15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never!
16 Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”
17 But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.
Paul challenges the Corinthians who were sleeping with temple prostitutes--Paul’s point is that a believer belongs body, soul, and spirit to Jesus, and any unholy union with anyone else other than our spouse is a betrayal of our union with Christ. That’s why sex is reserved for the holy union of matrimony.
What exactly makes it wrong, though? That’s something we have a hard time grasping. There are numerous reasons it’s wrong, ranging from “because God said so” to how it affects the reputation of Jesus and his church. But an oft-overlooked reason is that when we engage in sex outside of marriage, we are involving Jesus in a lie. We are involving the One who is the embodiment of truth (John 14:6) in an act of profound dishonesty.
Some people may scoff at that idea, but intuitively, we know it’s true. We try to deceive ourselves, and even gaslight others who know that this is what sex is communicating. Even when we try to ignore it, though, the reality remains that sex binds two people, whether they want to be bound or not. If no level of commitment is intended, if the bodies are “lying” to each other, then this will inevitably cause psychological confusion.” (Joe Carter, Gospel Coalition, “Half of US Christians say casual sex is acceptable)
I believe ultimately God cares about our sex lives because He cares about us.
how do we respond...
Response:
1. Repent (vs. 21-23)
21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.
22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways.
23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.
If you are caught…in idolatry—you are compromising..
or sexual immorality...
absorbing false teaching.
BUT
there is actually good news or great news.
Jesus 2x says to repent. He actually gives you hope and there is a way out of it.
Yes there is also warning—because he says he will cast on her a bed of suffering—those who commit adultery with her will suffer intensely—her children (that is those who are followers of this Jezebel)
it may be that God will intervene IN JUDGMENT, BUT sometimes God’s form of judgment is He just lets us live what we want. “You want to live that way and that lifestyle…, go for it. See how that works out for you.” God gives us over to these things (Romans 1), so that may be the form of judgment he has in mind.
and God even can strike them dead, and he is not just speaking physically—but spiritually that those who pursue this lifestyle…will experience eternity away from the beautiful glory of God.
THE GOOD NEWS IS...
God is actually very patient—verse 21—he says “I have given her time to repent.” Jesus is way more patient than we are.
he goes in degrees — vs. 22— suffering first.
vs. 23—death.
and he is so fair—verse 23—I will repay each according to their deeds.
and by doing this—God teaches that He ultimately knows all—He searches hearts and minds.
vs. 18 — he has the eyes of blazing fire that sees all.
so whether you are drowning in idolatry and sexual immorality or just starting to wade into it. there is hope:
—confess it to the Lord—tell him—agree with our God.
—talk to someone about it—friend, or pastor...
—turn from that lifestyle with the Holy Spirit’s Help to Jesus
—and experience the mercy and grace of God. you are 100% forgiven. you are made right with God. you are clean. you are not damaged goods. the guilt and shame are paid for. you are a new creation in Christ. b/c of what Jesus did. this doesn’t take away consequences...
—find a friend or accountability partner. we don’t currently have a pornography addiction group here but it may be that God might be calling you to start one—men’s group, or women’s group.
—and if you need help with this—you are not alone. we are so glad you are here.
—or maybe your marriage needs help—let’s talk. get started today. there is hope.
Jesus offers warnings but hope for real change.
2. Hold fast to Jesus (vs. 24-25
24 Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you,
25 except to hold on to what you have until I come.’
hold on to what you have—the image here is having a firm grip on Jesus Christ and the Gospel.
verse 26 it describes that person as this:
26 To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—
so holding on—doing God’s will.
holding on to Jesus is one of the most difficult things in life.
some tips:
limit screen time not just for your kids but for you.
practice the Sabbath—unplugging from screens and focusing on God, friendships, hobbies, worship for 24 hours straight.
consider joining a group—Sunday morning group (SS), there is a Saturday men’s group (every other Saturday), there is a moms group (young mother’s group), every other Wed. morning; we have an anxiety and depression group; I am teaching a group on deconstructing and reconstructing critical doctrines of the faith. there is a new young adult Sunday morning group starting
recite the Gospel to yourself. if the Gospel is the good news of Jesus—what God has done through Jesus to save us by his life, death, and resurrection…look at our passage---while Jesus threatens warnings…we know that Jesus Himself willingly went to the bed of suffering for our place. he was struck dead for my sin—he did it willingly. he did it for us to who cheat, are spiritual adulterers. He as the bridegroom took us back, moving heaven and earth for us.
you have to spend time with Jesus everyday...
26 To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—
27 that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’—just as I have received authority from my Father.
28 I will also give that one the morning star.
let’s pray!!