Danger Of Disappearing Doctrine - 2 Series

MAN CAME TO A RESTRAUNT TO SELL FROG LEGS:. The Restraunt owner like the idea of putting frog legs on the menu so he agreed. "Where can you get so many?’ "The pond behind my house is overflowing with them. Their croaking is driving me up the wall. The owner agreed to take as many as the farmer could bring. The next week the farmer returned with an embarrised look on his face as he held up two scrawny frogs. ’I was wrong about a million frog legs. These two were making all that racket. I never knew two frogs could make such a racket’. ONE LADY ARMED WITH FALSE DOCTRINE COULD DO SUCH DAMAGE. ONE CHURCH ONE MINISTRY

THIS MORNING

1. Looked at Thyatira, the fourth of seven churches to whom Jesus sent a message regarding their condition. A church that allowed false doctrine to be taught. While one woman, Lydia, has possibly founded the church, yet another woma had confounded the church.

a. In particular a woman whom Jesus called JEZEBEL.

2. This church was an active, alive, loving, hard working fellowship BUT the world’s message was being allowed to be taught and to find acceptance in the body.

3. Tonight: What she taught and why it was something people wanted to hear.

a. Many ministries that make a living off of telling people what they want to hear instead of what God has said.

b. Jeremiah’s day.

What Jesus calls this message and what the dangers of embracing it are.

Hope: if we repent and turn back God’s direction.

THE PROBLEM (20) Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and beguile My servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat things sacrificed to idols.

1. Backdrop of her teaching(atmosphere of society) City filled with guilds or trade unions. If a person wanted to work at a certain profession he would have to become active in these unions. Each had it’s own particular god.

WILLIAM BARCLAY: Activities of these trade-guilds were bound up with the worship of heathen gods. Workers of a certain profession came together around a common meal which would begin and end with a cup of win poured out as an offering to the gods. Heathen grace would be spoken after which meat would be eaten from that which had been sacrificed to this god’s idol.(a few hair thrown on altar fire and rest eaten: blood, fat,)

a. These meeting included not only idol worship but also often degenerated into times of sexual looseness.

2. JEZEBEL’S MESSAGE: business is business. It is a matter of making a living that is important. If you don’t accomidate these practices then you will end up with meanial jobs. Sometimes your principles have to be put on hold.

a. You can be the #1 sales person w/o stretching the truth.

b. You can win more clients w/o doings things they enjoy.(drink, carouse,..)

Taught how to compromise with Roman religions and to not lose their jobs. STOP MAKING HOLINESS & RIGHTEOUSNESS SUCH ISSUES: isn’t it all about loving people.

MAN WANTED TO SELL HIS HOUSE: Another man wanted to buy is badly but could only afford half the asking price. After much bargaining the man finally agreed to sell his house for half the price under one condition: he retained ownership of one small nail which protruded from just over the door. AGREED. After several years the original owner decided he wanted the house back but the new owner said NO. The man went out and found the carcass of a dead dog and hung it from the single nail that he still owned. Soon the house became unlivable and the family was forced to sell to the owner of the nail. WHAT JEZEBEL ASKED DIDN"T SOUND LIKE MUCH BUT NEVER LEAVE THE DEVIL WITH AN OPEN DOOR AND AN OPPORTUNITY.

THE PRESCIPTION (21) And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality and she did not repent. (22) Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. (23) And I will kill her children with death.

TRAVELING TO CHURCH EACH SUNDAY in 1980 I passed a strip mall next to a freeway. In it was a bar with a bold name: SATAN’S. How long will God put up with such a bold fist in His face.

1. It is amazing that God had such grace for such a horrid offender: gave her space(time, opportunity) to repent…and she did not repent.

a. Some of you are living in that position in your life: God is allowing you time & opportunity to repent but you have not as of yet.