The Church of Thyatira - 10

I want to read from Revelation chapter 2. Revelation chapter 2 beginning at verse 18, as we consider the longest letter of the seven churches written directed to the church of Thyatira. And again, he who has ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. 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. I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience, and as for your works, the last are more than the first. 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.

And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. Indeed, I will cast her into a sick bed and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. 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. Now to you, I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who say, I will put on you no other burden, but hold fast what you have till I come. And he who overcomes and keeps my works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations. He shall rule them with a rod of iron, they shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessels.

And I also have received from my father, and I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Again, of the seven churches addressed here in chapters two and three of the Revelation, the church of Thyatira was located in the least known, least important, and least remarkable of the cities. Thyatira was to Ephesus, that great city of Asia Minor. Thyatira was to Asia Minor what Flat Creek, Tennessee is to Los Angeles, California, if you can get the comparison, the gist of what I'm saying. And it seems that the only claim to fame that Thyatira had was that it was a prosperous manufacturing and marketing center. It was known for the art of dying, that is D-Y-E-I-N-G. Lydia, the seller of purple, was from this city, Acts chapter 16 verse 14.

Tell us, now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. Now these weren't the only churches that existed in Asia Minor in that day, so why was Thyatira included in this selection of churches made up of the seven that Christ addressed and we have recorded in the scriptures? Why did Christ write to such a rather small church in such an obscure place?

Well again we don't have his answer to that question, but I'd like to suggest that perhaps a couple of reasons. One is to encourage all believers who live and minister in small towns and out-of-the-way places. You'd be surprised to know that the average church, legitimate church, across America has an average attendance of 60 to 70 people, significantly smaller than our church. It's interesting when people call and inquire about our church and they can check us out on the internet and learn something about our history and our doctrine and they'll say something like, well is your church a large church or a small church?

I said depends, depends on your point of reference. Mega Church would look at us and say well you're a small church, but an average sized church in America, 60 to 70, would look at us and say well that's a large church. So it depends on your point of reference, but it would seem that the Church of Thyatira, though we don't have any number associated with it, it's not a church in a city with a dense population. So probably was a smaller variety church in an obscure place, in an out-of-the-way place, but so many Christians live in cities and places like that and attend churches like that. So here is a word for that type of church. And I think the other reason is to warn about the consequences of tolerating a Jezebel who is the focus of Christ's complaint to this Church of Thyatira.

So tonight we're going to follow a similar pattern. We observe that each one of these letters begins with a description, a portion of the description that is recorded in Revelation chapter 1 of the vision that was given to John on the island of Patmos. He had this incredible vision of Christ and it's recorded for us in chapter 1. And each one of those letters borrows from that vision words that are apt and appropriate for that particular church. So what's borrowed from that portion in regard to the Church of Thyatira is what's recorded in verse 18. These things says the Son of God who has eyes like a flame of fire and his feet like fine brass.

That's the opening word. So we have this opening address and that's followed by words of commendation in verse 19. I won't read them again. We'll look at them as we move through the outline. But this opening address then words of commendation in verse 19 followed by a complaint or words of condemnation in verses 20 through 21 followed by words of correction in verses 22 to 23 followed by words of consolation in verses 24 and 28. And then the letter closes in a typical fashion with those familiar words recorded in verse 29. He who has an ear to hear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

So that's our approach tonight. So let's begin with this address. Christ is writing to the church and he describes himself in this twofold manner in verse 18. He who has eyes like a flame of fire and his feet like fine brass.

What are we to make of that? Well, eyes that are like a flame of fire signifies his piercing, his penetrating, his perfect knowledge that he has that's complete and thorough regarding anyone and everything. He and only he searches the minds and the hearts of all men. And his church is under his scrupulous gaze and he is searching his church.

He and only he searches the minds and hearts of all men. And Christ is the one and the only one who's able to see through the seductive arguments of Jezebel and those who were being led astray by her pernicious teaching. I remind you of Hebrews chapter 4 verses 12 and 13 and when we quote verse 12 we should always add verse 13. Verse 12 says, for the Word of God is what? It is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart. That's verse 12. Verse 13, neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and laid bare before the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Such is his perfect knowledge, his searing gaze, and that's what John has recorded for us here.

His eyes like a flame of fire, his feet like fine brass. The reference there to feet of brass speaks of his right and his authority and his power to judge. So that's the opening address followed by words of commendation in verse 19. I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience.

So here is a category. I know your works and there are four things mentioned. What again are those four things? They are love, service, faith, and patience. And as for your works, again back to the big statement, and as for your works, the last are more than the first. So Thyatira was a church with a reputation, number one, for love.

It stands out. I know your works and the first thing mentioned is love. They're love, and that's a good thing. All the commandments are summed up in these to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, and your neighbor as yourself. Love. You remember 1 Corinthians 13, if you have all these things but don't have love, you have nothing. By this all men will know that you are my disciples by your love, one for another.

So love. Very, very commendable thing that church was noted for, its reputation. Had a reputation for love and devotion. They were ministry involved. They were patient with people.

Notice that. Again verse 19, love your service. They were busy. They were busy in service to Christ within the church, without the church, their faith. And the fact that their faith is commended tells me that the object of their faith was correct. Their faith was not in a person.

Their faith was not in a process or a program. Their faith was directed correctly. They're commended for that. And your patience. Patience is a good thing.

It's hard to know where to draw that line with people sometimes. We're to be forbearing. We're to be patient with people. Christ is patient with us. But there comes a point where if we do not act and we're just continually extending grace and being patient, we become enablers of people's sin and fault.

So it would seem that the church is commended for its patience, and that's a good thing. I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience. And as for your works, the last are more than the first.

That's an interesting way of basically marking progress. These things were present at the beginning, but you've been growing in these things. You've been growing in love. You've been growing in service. You've been growing in devotion.

You've been growing in patience. So here is a busy church with much activity, a warm church, and they were growing in grace and in these fruits. To see what was going on in the church of Thyatira for which they received Christ's words of commendation, I found it helpful to contrast this church, Thyatira, with the church at Ephesus. You remember the church of Ephesus? The church of Ephesus had left its first love. And as we looked at that, it was hard to determine whether that was they had left their love for Christ or they had left their love for one another.

It probably was not either or, but probably both. But remember, in Ephesus, their hearts were cold. What was true about them was a cold, dead, intellectual orthodoxy. That had set in. They had their doctrine right, but there was the absence of love.

They had faded from. They had left love. In Thyatira, again, love is mentioned first because, again, it probably was the most apparent, the most prominent quality of the church. But there was something amiss. Thyatira was a church overflowing with real, warm, spiritual love.

The congregation was spiritually growing, increasing in their love, in their faith, in their service, and in their patience. But all is not well with the church. Notice verse 20. Nevertheless, I have a few things against you.

So here are words of common, not commendation, but condemnation. Christ registers His complaint against this church. 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.

That's verse 20. Christ identifies the source of the church's trouble as a self-proclaimed prophetess named Jezebel. Now, several identifications have been proposed for Jezebel. Some commentators have suggested that she was, are you ready for this, that she was the wife of the church's pastor.

You say, well, where did that come from? Well, since the Greek word for woman in verse 20 can also mean wife, verse 20. Nevertheless, I have a few things against you because you allow that woman or that wife, Jezebel.

So that's where they propose that. That's a bit of an outliner, but again, some commentators suggest that. Others have claimed that Jezebel was Lydia, the woman of Acts 16 who was converted under Paul's ministry.

I'm not sure how they get that, but that's, again, I read that in a commentary. Others suggest that Jezebel is not a real person. She is a metaphorical reference of conformity to heathen and pagan standards and practices. Well, that has, I think, some merit, but I think the more natural interpretation of the passage is that Jezebel was a real woman in the church at Thyatira who claimed for herself the gift of prophecy. Now, it's feasible that the woman's name was not really Jezebel, but only referred to as such by Christ to expose her sinful, wicked character. It's a metaphor. Oh, you Jezebel, or that was a Judas.

Well, when someone says that, what do they mean? Well, you betray her. You betrayed.

So there's this association. You remember Jezebel of the Old Testament. She was the Canaanite wife of Israel's King Ahab. And she led Ahab away from worshiping Jehovah to serve false Canaanite gods of Baal. And it was through the deception and her intimidation that she got her husband to spread her idolatrous teachings throughout Israel. And we just have to make one reference here, 1 Kings chapter 16. This is in reference to that time in Israel's history. It came to pass as though it had been a trivial thing for him, that is Ahab, to walk in the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbal, king of the Sidonians, and he went and served Baal and worshiped him. Then he set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. And Ahab made a wooden image.

Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. So his alliance with this wicked woman and his succumbing to her seduction aroused the anger of Almighty God. So this woman Jezebel, if she was really named Jezebel, or she was a woman like Jezebel in character, and if we were to think that way, what is the character of a Jezebel? Well, number 1, cleverly deceptive. Number 2, manipulatively dominant. Number 3, viciously scheming.

And number 4, influentially wicked. That's the spirit of Jezebel, the character of Jezebel. But when we read there in Revelation chapter 2 about her, she's named, 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. You know, we don't have to be guilty of adultery to be guilty of spiritual adultery.

We don't have to be guilty of physical sexual immorality to be guilty of adultery. Listen to what James says in James chapter 4, verse 4. Verse 4 says, adulterers and adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. We had in our bulletin this morning printed these verses. 1 John 2, 15-17, do not love the world or the things in the world if anyone loves the world. The love of the Father is not in him for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world.

And the world is passing away and the lust of it, but he who does the will of God abides forever. So there was the influence, Jezebel influence in the church that had weakened the church, had seduced the church, had produced worldliness in the church, to teach and seduce my servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. And we read that and we wonder how is that possible in a church that is commended for its love, its service, its faith, and its patience, and a church that was growing in those areas. Well, sin is seductive. Sin is subtle. Here are some of the things that you might hear in a church like Thyatira.

Again, I'm just trying to get my mind around how this would be possible. Again, remember, this church was exemplary in its love. What might you hear in a church like that? Judge not, lest you be judged.

He who is without sin cast the first stone. Church discipline? That's the most unloving thing I ever heard of.

We would never do anything like that. Those are the kinds of things that are being entertained, I think, in the minds of people who have so manifested love to a fault. Well, we just have to be patient with people. It takes time. Christ isn't patient here. He's angry with this church. He's finding fault with this church. So, Christ condemns this church. Now, Christ does not address Jezebel, but he's critical of the church for allowing her to continue to teach and seduce. Do you see that?

He's speaking to the church, 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. She was given a platform. She was given a position of influence. And this damage doesn't happen overnight. Yes, it's subtle.

Yes, it creeps in little by little. But they were tolerant of it. She had been quite successful under the lack of discernment, under the permissiveness of the church. She had gained a following. Notice that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce my servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. 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 kill her children with death. Her children. She had gained a following. It wasn't just her.

The church had tolerated this, and she had made great inroads in the church. And how does Christ describe this teaching that the church was so tolerant of? Notice how he describes it in verse 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. The depths of Satan. Whoa. That's not some obscure characterization. It's hellish. It's from the depths of Satan.

That's why he hates it so. So what can we learn here? What can we learn? Number one, no amount of love and loving sacrificial work can compensate for the tolerance of evil. They were exemplary in their love. They were growing in love, and yet they were tolerant of evil in their midst.

No amount of loving and sacrificial work can compensate for the tolerance of evil. They were so loving and so tolerant and unwilling to hold this member, this self-proclaimed prophetess, to an objective standard of righteousness and holiness. Remember the Ephesian church? The Ephesian church, which had left its first love, was faithful to judge false teachers and their false doctrine. They were faithful to do that. While the people in the assembly at Thyatira were growing in their love, they were tolerant of hellish false teachers and their doctrine.

Think about the two contrasts there. The Ephesian church had left its first love and was faithful to judge false teachers and their false doctrine. While the people in the assembly at Thyatira were growing in their love, but tolerant of hellish false teachers and their doctrine. Lesson number two, unloving orthodoxy and loving compromise are both hateful to God. Unloving orthodoxy and loving compromise are both hateful to God.

We are people of extreme. Yes, we need to be sound in orthodoxy. Yes, we need to have our theology right, but not void of love. We're not to be so loving that we're not committed to orthodoxy and sound teaching, lacking in discernment. We need both of those things. Here are some lessons concerning repentance.

Notice what he says. Verse 21, I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality and she did not repent. 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 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. Some lessons concerning repentance. God, number one, commands repentance. He's calling the church to repentance. Number two, God precedes judgment with a call to repentance. There's a warning here.

Do this or else I'm going to come and judge. So God commands repentance. God precedes judgment with a call to repentance. God gives them time to repent.

What a gracious God. Verse 21, and I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality and she did not repent. I wonder who I might be speaking to tonight that God would be saying that very thing to you. You hearing those words, the Spirit of God has directed those words to you and that has become very personal. You are trafficking in, you are playing in sexual sin and God is saying to you, I'm giving you time. I'm giving you time to repent. But God's patience comes to an end. Don't presume upon the grace of God.

Why do I say that? Because have you noticed, we haven't looked at all seven churches here, but the Nicolations. God hates the deeds of the Nicolations.

God hates the teachings of the Nicolations. And what was that? Licentiousness, sexual immorality, looseness in morality. And here it is again, sexual immorality. This is not just to these seven churches, but this is for the church of all ages and appropriate for all time. The world has come into the church.

There are more things available, more things to tempt through the eye gate perhaps than ever before. And again, I don't have the gaze of Almighty God, but surely there is sexual immorality in our midst. And God is no respecter of persons. If He hated it here in Thyatira, He hates it if it's present here at Beacon Baptist Church.

He hates it if it's present in your life. And He's giving you time to repent. Hear this warning. Flee youthful lusts. Repent of your sins. Because repentance is the only way to avoid God's judgment. And when judgment does fall in the face of unrepentance, God is just in the destruction of the unrepentant. No one can fault God. Here is a warning.

These are strong words. 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. Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira.

So now there's a shift in the address. This doesn't characterize the entire church. There is a remnant in the church that is faithful to the Lord, that hasn't been seduced, that hasn't been compromised, and He has something to say to that remnant.

So notice the words of consolation, beginning at verse 24. Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine. You don't have this doctrine. You haven't been seduced by this doctrine. You haven't imbibed this false teaching, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden.

I will put on you no other burden. Now, if you're a part of a church and you're not a guilty participant in that which is bringing judgment, it's still a burden because you're part of the church. You don't want to see your brother and sister in immorality.

You don't want to see them flaunting that. You don't want to see them bringing judgment upon themselves. It's a burden. It should be a burden. He says, now I'm not going to put any other burden on you. So not everyone in the assembly was unfaithful to the Lord. He says, I will put on you no other burden except what?

Except obedience to His word. I'll put on you no other burden, but hold fast, verse 25, what you have. Hold fast. Hold fast to what? Hold fast to sound doctrine. Hold fast in your resistance of evil and temptation.

Hold fast to what you have till I come. Till I come is a reference to His second coming, at which time He will reward them for their faithfulness. Notice what He says there in verse 26, and He who overcomes and keeps My works until the end, to Him I will give power over the nations. To Him who overcomes and keeps My works until the end. You remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 24, 13? He who endures until the end shall be saved. The proof of genuine faith is steadfastness and continuance in the will of God until Christ returns or until death comes. That's how we prove the genuineness of our faith, persevering to the end. We must continue with the Lord. Unfortunately there's too much emphasis placed on the front end of a person's profession and not enough emphasis in our day on the back end. What do I mean by that?

Too much emphasis on the front end. Have you ever made a profession of faith? Have you ever asked Jesus to save you? Ever walked an aisle? Ever raised a hand? Well you're saved, don't ever let anybody talk you out of that, don't ever doubt that.

Too much emphasis on the front end, not enough emphasis on the back end. Are you, I don't care about the past right now, I'm talking about are you right now trusting, resting in the work of Jesus Christ and His alone for your eternal hope and salvation? Are you? Is there evidence of that right now?

Is there fruit in your life? I don't think the church is asking those kinds of questions enough. Too much emphasis on the front end, not enough emphasis on the back end. These are words of consolation to the church. Christ makes two promises to these overcomers.

Number one, authority over the nations. He who overcomes and keeps my works until the end, to Him I will give power over the nations. He shall rule them with a rod of iron, they shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessels. In some way, I can't describe and explain to you, but we are promised to reign with Christ in that day.

Amazing that He would allow us participation in that. But a second thing, He says, and I will give Him the morning star. Verse 28, I will give Him the morning star. The gift of the morning star. Who is that?

What is that? Well, it's a who. It's Christ Himself.

He's the morning star. Faith will give way to sight. We shall behold Him. We shall be like Him. Christ, our treasure. He will be given to us.

I will give Him the morning star. What a promise. What a promise from Almighty God to those who are overcomers.

And then again, the words, He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. So what's the challenge? Well, the challenge is this. Let's be steadfast. Let's be unmovable, abounding in the things of the Lord, knowing that our work is not in vain in the Lord. Let's grow in love. Let's grow in faith.

Let's grow in patience, but not at the expense of sound doctrine. We need, our love needs to be anchored in the objective truth of the Word of God. The Scriptures must define what that love is and what that love looks like. And sometimes love is hard love, tough love. We're to speak the truth in love.

Those things are married together there. Speak the truth in love. And let's be aware. We're living in dark days. Air is subtle.

The adversary is active. So like Ephesus, we can be zealous and orthodox and theologically correct, but at the same time lose our devotion to Christ. Let's not be like that. Or like Thyatira, our love can be increasing yet lacking in the kind of discernment that is necessary to keep the Church pure and holy. So as I've studied this portion of God's Word, I'm amazed in one sense that so little attention is given to this portion of God's Word in a day when there's such confusion in the Church of what the Church should be. First problem I think is that we're, we see people aren't near as concerned about what is pleasing to the Lord.

We're only interested in what is expedient, what is, produces a certain product. We're catering to a consumer mentality in the Church. And instead of coming back and saying okay, the Church is not ours, doesn't belong to us, Christ is the head of the Church. He died for His Church.

And if He died for His Church, He's concerned for His Church, let's get the mind of Christ for His Church. Let's see what He commends. Let's see what He condemns, and let's avoid those things and let's get busy with the things that He commends.

But I don't see, I don't see, I don't see any books on the market, Church growth books that are saying you know let's study the seven letters to the Church, to the Churches of Revelation. Let's get the mind of Christ, what He deems honorable in His Church. And let's avoid the things that He hates and condemns. That seems awful logical to me, but there's very little emphasis on that.

So I think there's real help for us. We want to be a Church that honors Christ, grows in the graces, grows in the knowledge of Christ, avoids the sins that would compromise our effectiveness, that would diminish our purity and our holiness, that would bring judgment upon us. We want to avoid those things.

We don't want to be like the world, we want to be different than the world. And it's a fight. Why do I know it's a fight?

Because it's a fight in your life. And any serious minded Christian knows that. That we're in a war, we're in battle against the world, the flesh and the devil. And every day we must put on the armor of God, we must be ready to serve Christ and to avoid those snares and temptations that are subtle and aimed to bring harm to us in our testimony. Well thank you for your interest tonight in the Word of God.

Thank you for gathering with me. Let us pray and I will pronounce the benediction. Father thank you for your Word.

It is searching, it is piercing. Thank you that it is designed to correct, reprove, instruct in righteousness. Holy Spirit of God take your Word and do that for us. In those areas that we have compromised, those areas where we have been seduced, those areas where we have let up our guard, help us to fortify and strengthen and be steadfast. Now to Him who was able to keep you from stumbling and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. To God our Savior who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, and in power both now and forever. Amen.