THE DAY THE LORD GOT MAD
Several years ago driving through the Ocala National Forest at night, I spotted a large brown object lying in the middle of the road. I thought it looked like it might be a bear cub that had been struck by a car. I got out and looked at it, and sure enough, that’s what it was. About the time I confirmed that’s what I was looking at, the thought came to me, “This is not the smartest thing you have ever done.” I mean, can you imagine what the situation would be like if I was standing beside that dead bear cub if it’s mother came upon the scene? We all know Mama would not be happy!
Let me tell you, there is something even worse than a mamma bear upset over a lost bear cub, and that is when Jesus gets upset over His church being hurt. …
- Read Revelation 2:18 – 29.
In reading this passage, we see Jesus again commending a church. He commended them for their works. He said, “I know your works, and then He lists them.
I. JESUS’ PRAISE FOR THE CHURCH
Works:
1. Love – Jesus says, “I know of your love. I know you love God. I know you love Me, and you love one another. You even love the people in the community. You have a reputation as a loving church.
2. Faithfulness/faith – Second, He says, “ I know of your faith and your faithfulness. You haven’t given up on God and you haven’t abandoned Him. You still trust and believe in Him. Your faith is strong. I know that.”
3. Service – Third, He says, “I am aware of your service. You serve one another. You serve My heavenly Father. You minister to those in the community. I know of your service.”
4. Endurance – Forth, “in spite of the temptations and the trials, you have endured. You haven’t quit. You haven’t thrown in the towel. You have endured.”
5. Your last works are better than the first – Last, He says, “You are growing and improving. You are becoming more Christ-like. You are growing. I know what you’re doing right.”
II. JESUS PROBLEM WITH THE CHURCH
But He quickly brushes over these. They are barely mentioned, because in this letter, He comes as the Son of God.
This is the only place in Revelation that this title is given to Christ, even though it is often used to describe Him in the Gospels. It comes straight out of Psalm 2.
- Read Psalm 2.
In this Psalm, God is angry because the people and the leaders have rebelled against God. They have tried to tear off God’s ropes, His restraints, His rules and guidelines.
We find Christ angry in Revelation 2, also. You see this in His:
- Eyes of flame/fire – Jesus approaches this church with flames shooting from His eyes. We are familiar with that. Even today we speak of people so angry that their eyes burn a hole in the person they’re looking at.
- Feet of bronze – Bronze is often used in the Bible to describe strength. So here with Christ’s bronze feet we see His ruthless resolve.
You see Jesus is ticked. He is ticked because someone is messing with His church, with His Bride. In Ephesians we read:
> Ephesians 5:25 Husbands love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.
My friend, I will take a lot. I will try to work through a lot of situations, but if you want to get on my bad side, try messing with my wife. I love her more than I can say and will do anything for her. She is my right hand, and the love of my life. I cannot stand it when someone messes with her or talks about her. But even the love I have for my wife pales in comparison to the love Jesus has for His church.
Jesus loves His church, He loves His people, He loves His Bride so much that He gave Himself for Her. When you love, and the object or the person you love is hurt, you will get angry. A mother may be the most loving person in the world, but let someone mess with her child and you will see eyes of flame and anger.
Jesus is angry, because someone, or a group of people, is messing with His church.
In this passage, She is called Jezebel. You may remember Jezebel led the Israelites into immorality in the OT. Here, she is in Thyatira claiming to be a prophet. She claims to be representing God. She claims that what she teaches and what she says is biblical. Instead, she is leading God’s people astray. “She claimed to know the mind of God, the deeper things of God,” but here Jesus instead calls them the deeper things of the devil.
But my friend, Jesus says in verse 23 that “I know the mind & heart of people. I know what’s behind their actions. I know why they are doing what they’re doing.”
Oh my friend, Jesus knows the heart and the motives behind the actions. He knows the reasons people do what they do and why they say what they say. Jesus is ticked because this person claiming to represent Him, is actually misrepresenting Him and is leading His people, His church, His beloved Bride, astray.
III. JESUS’ JUDGEMENT ON THE CHURCH
A. For the followers of Jezebel,
- v22 I will throw her followers into tribulation. They won’t know any peace. They will suffer.
- v23 I will kill/destroy her off spring. The ones, who have become just like her, will be punished. Some understand this to be a literal killing; some understand it to be excommunication from the church and suffering the fleshly fruits of an ungodly life.
> Galatians 6:7 Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows he will also reap, because the one who sows to his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the spirit will reap eternal life.
B. For the innocent.
1. He will give authority over the nations. We don’t have to be worried about the world. “Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.”
2. He says He will give them the Morning Star. The Morning Star is Venus, the brightest star in the sky and the herald of the new day. In Rev. 22:16, the Morning Star is identified as Christ Himself. The over comers are therefore promised Christ. They will have a closeness, a relationship, a fellowship with Him beyond our wildest imaginations.
IV. CONCLUSION
My friends, the Lord doesn’t take it lightly when we mess with His people, when we mess with His church. Let me ask you, “Do we need to confess that we have accepted false teaching? Do we need to confess that we have been companions with those who have attacked or misled the church, the Bride of Christ?”
“Several years ago, musicians noticed that errand boys in a certain part of London all whistled out of tune as they went about their work. It was talked about and some suggested that it was because the bells of Westminster were slightly out of tune. Something had gone wrong with the chimes and they were off key. The boys didn’t know anything was wrong with the notes, and without knowing it; they began to sound just like them.”
We tend to copy the people we associate with; we borrow thoughts from the books we read and the programs we listen to, almost without knowing it. God has given us His Word, which is the absolute pitch of life and living. If we learn to sing by it, we shall easily detect the false in all of the music of the world.” (David Elvery, The Revelation to Thyatira, Sermon Central).
