CHRISTIAN TOLERANCE—Revelation 2:18-29
The world tells us to be more tolerant...of this, that & the other.
Jesus reprimanded the Thyatiran church for tolerating worldly prophetic influences in their church.
The Christian church should never tolerate contrary/opposing prophetic influences.
What does Christian tolerance tolerate?
Possessions of God accepted by Christian tolerance.
1—Christian tolerance accepts
THE SON OF GOD(:18)
—Explanation:(:18)
:18—“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, & His feet are like burnished bronze, says this:”
SON—
“Of God”—He is singularly(the) both 1)100% Divine & 2)100% Human.
?Why/how is this title pertinent to Thyatira’s condition?—To remind Thyatira that Jesus’authority exceeds & supplants all others including the ‘prophetess’ Jezebel.
Jn. 5:26-27—“For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; & He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.”
Jn. 20:31—“but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; & that believing you may have life in His name.”
EYES—
“Like a flame of fire”
—Penetrating—Separating— Judging— Wrathful.
—Knows everything about me...Failure— Obedience— Commitment.
FEET—
“Like burnished bronze”—Unapproachable strength & judgment—Uphold His sovereign desire & eradicate what is undesirable.
1:15—“When it has been caused to glow in a furnace”—Emphasis on glowing aspect of molten metal.
Christians accept these facts about Jesus...that the Lamb has become the High priest, Chief shepherd & King of kings.
—Argumentation:
Jn. 1:18—“No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.”
Jn. 3:16—“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.”
—Illustration:
Parable of the landowner—Mat. 21:33-44—Tolerate the son because he does his father’s will.
—Application:
?You Tolerant of the SON of GOD?
?Your Tolerance Christian Tolerance?
2—Christian tolerance accepts
THE DISCIPLINES OF GOD(:19)
—Explanation:(:19)
:19—“‘I know your deeds, & your love & faith & service & perseverance, & that your deeds of late are greater than at first.”
“Deeds”—ergon—Business, Employment, Occupation, Acts, Thing done, Works. General term for work.
“Love”—agaph—Affection, Love. Stronger than to like.
“Faith”—pistiV—Faith, Conviction of a the truth of something/one.
“Service”—diakonia—Aid, Service, Attendance to, To Minister
“Perseverance”—upomonh—Patience, Steadfastness, Continuance, Endurance.
“Of late”—Latest in succession. Current “deeds” are “greater” than their “first” deeds. “Of late”—Latest in succession.
“Greater”—Greater/Better in quantity &/or quality. Thyatira has progressed in their maturity & Christian witness.
—Argumentation:
2Tim. 1:7—“For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power & love & discipline.”
2Tim. 3:16-17—“All Scripture is inspired by God & profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”
Jn. 14:12—“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also; & greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father.”
—Illustration:
YMCA membership/Daily discipline/Better health/DISCIPLINES of God
Bible reading—Prayer—Ministry—Giving—Worship— Fellowship, etc.
—Application:
?You Tolerant of the DISCIPLINES of GOD?
?Your Tolerance Christian Tolerance?
3—Christian tolerance accepts
THE INTOLERANCE OF GOD(:20-23a)
—Explanation:(;20-23a)
:20—“ ‘But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, & she teaches & leads My bond-servants astray, so that they commit acts of immorality & eat things sacrificed to idols.”
PROPHETIC OFFICE—
Mal. 2:7—“For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, & men should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.”
Jn. 13:20—““Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; & he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.””
2Pet. 2:1—“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.”
“21—“‘And I gave her time to repent; & she does not want to repent of her immorality.”
UNREPENTANCE—
:22—“‘Behold, I will cast her upon a bed of sickness, & those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds.”
“Adultery”—Spiritual unfaithfulness.
“Tribulation”—yliqiV—Pressure, Pressing.
:23—“‘And I will kill her children with pestilence; ...”
FOLLOWING—
“Those...with her”—Side with Jezebel’s teaching.
“Her children”—Those born into & reared in Jezebel’s false teachings.
—Argumentation:
Hab. 1:13—“Thine eyes are too pure to approve evil, And Thou canst not look on wickedness with favor.....”
Ps. 11:4-5—“The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD’S throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. The LORD tests the righteous & the wicked, And the one who loves violence His soul hates.”
Mat. 18:15-18—““And if your brother sins, go & reprove him in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. “But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. “And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; & if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile & a tax-gatherer. “Truly I say to you, whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; & whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
—Illustration:
Chuck E. Cheese’s/Won’t tolerate anyone without a hand stamp/INTOLERANCE of Corp.
—Application:
?You Tolerant of the INTOLERANCE of GOD?
?Your Tolerance Christian Tolerance?
4—Christian tolerance accepts
THE CONCERN/CARE OF GOD(:23b)
—Explanation:(:23b) Knowledge/Revelation/Unity
:23—“‘...& all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds & hearts; & I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.”
“All the churches”—More than the 7. More than that time but for all the church age.
“Searches”—ereunaw—To investigate.
“Minds/Reins”—nefroV—Kidneys; The inmost thoughts & purposes of the soul.
“Reins”—what controls our actions.
“Hearts”—kardia—Heart; The seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, endeavours. That which focuses the mind.
“According to your deeds”—Not a statement of works salvation—Works is up to us—Grace is up to God.
—Argumentation:
Isa. 43:1-4—“But now, thus says the LORD, your Creator, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you. “For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I have given Egypt as your ransom, Cush & Seba in your place. “Since you are precious in My sight, Since you are honored & I love you, I will give other men in your place & other peoples in exchange for your life.”
Ezek. 16:4-6—“As for your birth, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water for cleansing; you were not rubbed with salt or even wrapped in cloths. “No eye looked with pity on you to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you. Rather you were thrown out into the open field, for you were abhorred on the day you were born. “When I passed by you & saw you squirming in your blood, I said to you while you were in your blood, ‘Live!’ I said to you while you were in your blood, ‘Live!’”
—Illustration:
Ralph’s(our cat) Cat fight/Eye problem/Due to fleshly indulgence/To veterinarian/CONCERN of owner
—Application:
?You Tolerant of the Concern of GOD?
?Your Tolerance Christian Tolerance?
—CONCLUSION—
Action:
Christian tolerance accepts the...
SON of God(:18)
DISCIPLINE of God(:19)
INTOLERANCE of God(:20-23a)
CONCERN / CARE of God(:23b)
Presented 04/21/02am to:
Providence Baptist Church
975 Providence Road
Whigham, GA 31797
