Thyatira – The Worldly Church Needed to
Repent of Compromise
Revelation 2:18-29
I.
Introduction (John 15:1,2)
A. The seven churches of the Book of the Revelation are a real eye-opener, as far as what Jesus expects of His churches, and what He finds!
B. In studying these seven churches, we will find some surprising things going on, that you would not think would be going on, and yet they are in churches
C. Every church has problems in it. That’s because it has PEOPLE in it. Only its foundation, and structure is perfect (Eph 2:19,20)
D. Christ died to obtain His church – His bride – His people
E. He expects us to be
1. Holy
2. Peculiar
3. Strong, stable
4. Evangelistic – going out and conquering
F. When we become polluted, expect that the Lord will purge stuff from our lives, and from our church body!
A. This is our fourth church we are studying in this series
B. There are seven churches that Jesus examines, and tries to keep pure and right
C. The first three churches dealt with:
1. Ephesus - Keeping our First Love, First
2. Smyrna - Staying faithful, consistent, dependable as Christians
3. Pergamos – A Worldly church needed to repent of compromise
D. This morning we want to look at the needs of the fourth church – Thyatira. Again, a church in a city of Asia minor (modern Turkey)
E. As is always the case – this is not any human who is being judgmental, no, no! This is the Lord Jesus Christ HIMSELF, looking down at the hearts and reins of Christians, and telling it as it really is!
A. The Praise (Rev 2:18-19)
1. Their Good Works
2. Their Charity
3. Their Service
4. Their Faith
5. Their Patience
6. Their Works again = but this time, the statement is that their last works are greater than their first works!
7. What we need to learn
a. We need to value godly living
b. We need to value doing right – at ALL costs
1) Telling the truth
2) Taking responsibility for when we do wrong
c. We need to value God’s commendation – HIS praise instead of the praise of people (Mt 25:21)
B. The Problems (Rev 2:20-21)
1. Toleration
a. We are not politicians – we are blood-bought Christians
b. We believe in absolute right and wrong
c. We don’t “bend” on certain things
1) Authority of the word of God
2) Standards for Christians – dress, speech, conduct
d. An example of what happens when we ARE tolerant is Jezebel! She is out there, just patiently waiting to get into a church and destroy it
e. One of Satan’s name is “the DESTROYER!”
2. Jezebel
a. Calls herself a prophetess – a woman preacher
1) She teaches – she methodically instructs - programs
2) She seduces – she makes it seem OH SO BEAUTIFUL and right
3) Jezebel was a persecutor of the prophets of the Lord, and a great patroness of idolaters and false prophets. The sin of these seducers was that they attempted to draw the servants of God into fornication, and to offer sacrifices to idols;
4) Yet, they called themselves prophets, and so would claim a superior authority to the Bible.
a) They made use of the name of God to oppose the truth of his doctrine and worship; this very much aggravated their sin.
b) They abused the patience of God to harden themselves in their wickedness. God gave them space for repentance, but they repented not.
b. All so to ruin God’s people
1) Through fornication
a) Physical sin
b) Spiritual sin – spiritual adultery (James 4:4)
2) Idolatry – the worship of anything other than God
3) These things bring God’s judgment, even on Bible believing Christians. God’s people can’t be defeated – but they can invite judgment from God
a) As the Israelites did in the wilderness – Baalim
b) As they did before Nebuchadnezzar was sent
c) As the Corinthians did in 1Cor 11:29,30
c. Beware of people who SEEM charismatic, and good intentioned, but OUT of God’s revealed will
1) Women preachers (1Cor 11:3; 14:34,35; 1Tim 2:11,12; Eph 5:23,24)
2) Seducers (Mk 13:22; 1Tim 4:1; 2Tim 3:13)
3) Idolaters in cloak – in disguise
a) Promoting materialism
b) Promoting me-first
c) Promoting special powers and miracles
3. God had given HER an opportunity to REPENT, and she chose not to
C. The Purification (2:22,23)
1. Instead of destroying her, God uses her
a. We usually wish God to destroy the things that ruin us
b. But if we don’t destroy our temptation, God uses it to judge not only ourselves, but also others who desire the sin more than the Saviour!
c. God kept Pharaoh around to the very end
d. God allows the devil to stay around as long as he is wanted around!
2. God expects everybody to repent of listening to:
a. Their flesh instead of God’s word
1) Works of the flesh are… Gal 5:19-21
b. Their heart’s desire instead of their spirit’s desire
c. Living like God doesn’t mind (Gal 6:7,8)
3. God will judge the next generation based upon our sinfulness
4. What we need is
a. The fear of God – to help us fear messing with sin
b. To stay busy in the work of the Lord (1Cor 15:58)
D. The Protection (2:24-26)
1. Stay simple/ignorant (Rom 16:19; 1Cor 14:20)
a. The depths of Satan – and boy can he take people deep!
b. Different levels of sin
c. Not ignorant that people sin
d. But ignorant of what people specifically in their sin!!!
e. It is nice to not know what new sins are being thought of (Cf 1Cor 5:1,2)
f. That’s why TV and un-holy-wood is there – to spread propaganda promoting SIN!!!
2. Hold on to Good works – the things you already have, and are doing
a. Charity
b. Patience
c. Faith
d. Etc
3. To overcome means that you struggle and win over the temptation to give in to seduction, and pressure to be tolerant, and thereby stay pure from
a. False teaching – maybe in your past!
b. Fornication – maybe going on right now
c. Idolatry – maybe going on right now – purge it out!
E. The Prize (2:26-29)
1. Power over nations – rulership in the Millennium
2. The morning star position – second place - Jesus is the DAY-star (Sun).
A. It is so important that we desire God’s praise
B. We need to focus on putting out our best efforts in our life for the Lord Jesus
C. We need to TAKE HEED to what Jesus is saying to the churches
1. Too many churches never include themselves in any of the negative parts of the Bible
2. Pr 13:1 A wise son heareth his father’s instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke.
3. Pr 15:7 The lips of the wise disperse knowledge: but the heart of the foolish doeth not so.
4. Pr 15:31 The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise.