Jezebel And The Eunichs

JEZEBEL AND THE EUNUCHS

Pastor Bruce Morrison’s Farewell Sermon, Christian Fellowship Church, New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, Sunday, February 24, 2002.

Scripture text: Revelation 2:18-29

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 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. 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. 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 together like the potters vessels – as I have also 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.” NKJV

This is a very sad day for Marlene and me. We love you very much and saying good-bye is very difficult. I know that this is a difficult day for you too. Many of you have phoned us, written to us or by some other means have expressed your love to us and the sadness that you feel due to our leaving.

However, we believe that we are doing the right thing. We also believe that the future of our church does not depend on us but it depends on you. The church was never ours it is the Lord’s. We are merely under-shepherds of Jesus who is the Chief Shepherd. You are not sheep of Bruce Morrison’s pasture; you are sheep of His pasture. Someone other than me will become the under-shepherd of the Lord in this house. Other than that, nothing will change. It’s still His house, you are still His sheep.

What should a pastor say in his last message to a church he has pastured for over 20 years? Should he reminisce about the many good things that have happened over the years? Should he talk about the future? Should he preach at all? Maybe it’s not a time for a sermon to be preached.

After much thought and meditation about this I prepared this message. It may be the most important sermon I have ever preached. It is a message for the whole church as a body and it is for each of you individually as well. I pray that the Holy Spirit will help me to deliver it and help you to hear it.

Over the last few weeks you have heard me preach from and refer to Paul’s farewell message to the Ephesian elders found in Acts chapter 20. I believe Paul’s message is timeless, appropriate for any pastor who must say good-bye.

Of great significance in that message was Paul’s emphasis on church problems. In Acts 20: 29-30 he said:

Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers; to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. And from you men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.

Today I will emphasise the same thing that Paul did. To do so I am going to talk about Jezebel, a woman of great evil and great influence, and her husband Ahab, who was a very evil man. I am also going to talk about three eunuchs.

A eunuch is an emasculated man. The barbarous disabling practice of forcing men to become eunuchs was widely practiced in ancient times. Sometimes men mutilated themselves as an act of worship to a heathen god. The Law of Moses forbade such practices and prohibited eunuchs from participating in public worship. (Deuteronomy 23:1, Leviticus 22: 23-25).

Who were Jezebel and Ahab?

The story of Jezebel and Ahab is found in the Old Testament. The Jezebel in Thyatira in the New Testament was a person like the Jezebel of old. To understand why Jesus referred to a problem in the church in Thyatira as a problem with Jezebel, we need to understand the Old Testament story.