Thyatira: The Tolerant Church

In the book “Boundaries for Leaders: being Ridiculously in Charge” by Dr. Henry Cloud he said...

A boundary is essentially two things

-What you create

-What you allow

A boundary is a property line. It defines where your property begins and ends.

Think about your home, you define what happens there and what doesn’t.

You are “ridiculousy in charge”.

Of the people you invite in,

what you eat,

where people eat it at.

Who touches the remote,

who doesn’t.

It goes on and on.

We serve a God who is ridiculously in Charge! Without being legalistic he has given us His house rules!

-He has told us that our conversations and attitudes should be seasoned with grace,

-that we are to welcome strangers, and not just stay in our own Holy Huddles!

I think the Apostle John in revelation touches on this topic of being Ridiculously in charge!

Jesus addresses the church in thyatira which has been tolerant of sin and the spirit of Jezebel.

Let’s read...

Revelation 2:18–29 (ESV)

18“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.

19“ ‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first.

20But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.

21 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality.

22Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works,

23and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.

24But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden.

25Only hold fast what you have until I come.

26The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations,

27and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father.

28And I will give him the morning star.

29He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Background

Angel

Now the Apostle John continues to share the vision he has of the church. Like the other letters it is addressed to the “Angel” of the church.

When we think of an angel we can think of images of a creature with wings and a halo but what is meant here is a “Messenger, leader and pastoral authority. The one who is the representative of the church.

Church

What is Church? We have churches that have different denomination, there are churches that offer different forms of worship, they differ in doctrinal focuses, they differ in size and programs offer.

One thing that all churches should share in common though is the pursuit of holiness.

It should be where God is honored and worshipped.

The church is God’s Holy people. Churches should be known for righteous living and condemning sin.

Now in our time and that of the early church that wasn’t always so.

The Character of the City of Thyatira

Thyatira was the smallest of the seven cities that Jesus addresses in revelation.

Thyatira was Located near pergamum. Pergamum was a wealthy city with beautiful landscapes and scenery. It was the place to go.

Because of the wealth of Pergamum, invaders from the east wanted to attack it and steal their goods

Obviously Pergamum didn’t want this to happen so they created a barrier which was Thyatira.

Thyatira was a military outpost filled with soldiers

Thyatira was a center of business and trading.

Thyatira was filled with many trade guilds. A trade guild was like a labor union in which someone had a membership with.

Now we see how just as Jesus did with the other churches,he describes himself in a way that this specific church at this specific time needed.

The Character of Christ to the Church at Thyatira

Now I dont know about you but there are times that I need God to reveal himself in a specific way to me.

Sometimes i need Him to reveal his peace

Sometimes i need Him to reveal his mercy

Sometimes i need Him to reveal his comfort and so on...

Now Jesus describes Himself as the Son of God

This represented his deity. That is that, He is fully God and fully man

Has eyes like a flame of fire

This represented his Judgment upon sin

His feet like fine brass

This represented His strength and power because brass in the ancient world was strong and unmovable

The Compliments of Jesus to the Church at Thyatira

Jesus knows their works

Jesus knows their love, service, faith and patience

Jesus know that their works were increasing more and more

The Complaints of Jesus to the Church at Thyatira

They have allowed a Spirit of Jezebel to enter the church

The center of the corruption at the church at Thyatira was a woman Jesus called Jezebel.

This may not have been her literal name, but a title that clearly represented a self-styled prophetess within the church, after the pattern of Jezebel in the Old Testament from (1 Kings 16–21 and 2 Kings 9:30–37).

(jezebel and king Ahab)

baal worshipper

killed the prophets of God

Elijah had a showdown with Ahab and his prophets

elijah called on his God for fire and Arab called on his. Elijah’s won!

soon after though Elijah ran for his life in fear

elijah said he was all alone and that he had no one

this was the jezebel spirit attacking elijah after a great spiritual victory.

Transition*this jezebel ran havoc on the people of God

To teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols:

Here, Jesus described the specific sin of this woman “Jezebel.”

Mainly, she was an immoral and ungodly influence on others, and led others into sin. Jezebel led others into immorality and idolatry.

She was sneaky and seductive, enticing others to go a long with her.

She was dressing up sin as sanctification and harlotry as holiness.

Now we talked about Guilds earlier and how they relate today to something of a labor union.

Well these Guilds would have a banquet hall and would meet once a week and would talk about their business but it would have it’s focus and center on idolatry.

Enjoying a meal together as they made sacrifices and gave thanks to their pagan Gods.

They’d have some sort of sexual initiation into the Guild.

This is quite similar to a common day party or rave.

This is where it becomes different though....

if you didn’t participate in these things then you would face hardship and difficulties as it was frowned upon for not participating.

So what this Jezebel spirit would do is entice and draw others away to make compromises.

She was polluting the church. The worse thing was that she was taking others with her.

This is how many churches have their downfall and some close because of it.

True and genuine Christianity should push you to the sanctification of your mind, will, and emotions, burning out all idols so that his will becomes your will.

God gave her an opportunity to repent

God gave Jezebel a chance to repent from her sin.

Even though she had caused much harm in the church with spreading false-hood and wicknesness with her sin God gave her an opportunity to change her ways.

But. she. didnt.

Therefore, God said I will cause suffering and sickness to come upon you and I will strike your children dead.

This judgment would be an example so that all the churches would know that God can see (with his “blazing eyes,”) the thoughts and intentions of every person.

No matter how a person appears on the outside, God alone knows what is going on in that person’s heart.

No one can hide from Christ; he knows what is in every person’s heart and mind.

Those who work against Christ will be found out and will receive whatever they deserve

The Sin of the Church was that they allowed this sin to go on. That’s probally why they were the smallest of the seven churches in revelation.

The Greek word here in the phrase ‘Deep things of Satan” describes things that are mysterious and profound.

In a similar way, the Bible frequently mentions that it is filled with mysteries.

We are told, for example how God’s “thoughts are very deep” (Psalm 82:5). But here we discover that “deep things” can also be associated with Satan.

The Bible, in fact, tells us that Satan is devious and subtle. He tries to take advantage of us with “his schemes” (2 Corinthians 2:11).

He can appear to be harmless and reasonable,

and even

“disguises himself as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14). Yet he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44).

Because of his devious character, Satan can trap us into drawing the wrong conclusions.

While appearing to deliver a positive, harmless, and even uplifting message, he actually can be spreading chaos, destruction, and death.

Today, remember these truths about Satan and his kingdom.

Be on guard for the sneaky ways in which he can attack you and your loved ones.

Be alert to the lies he might spread about God, His Kingdom, and His Word.

Remain armed and ready for attacks and deceptive messages conceived from the depths of hell.

But there was good news....

For the rest of them who didn’t bow down to this Jezebel spirit of control and manipulation and pollution of sin, there is hope.

Christ says to those who overcome this wickedness and are victorious will recieve power and authority and will be given the morning star

Those who are victorious in Thyatira were promised the same authority that Christ had received from the Father; they would also receive the morning star.

A morning star appears just before dawn, when the night is coldest and darkest.

When the world and your world is at its bleakest point, Christ will burst onto the scene, exposing evil with his light of truth and bringing his promised reward.

APPLICATION

This is a stern warning for all of us. Have we tolerated a Jezebel spirit in our churches and in our own lives and hearts?

Have we allowed satan to have his way in living a shallow cultural Christianity?

As God did with Jezebel, he will give us a chance to repent. To turn from our sin and turn to the living God in true humility.