Introduction

Friends, gather your hearts. The Lord of the church has written us a letter. Not a postcard from far away, but a message pressed with nail-scarred love, addressed to people He knows by name. He sees the late-night prayers and the early-morning faithfulness. He hears the sighs nobody else hears. And in Revelation 2:18-29, the Son of God speaks to a real church in a real city with real pressures—Thyatira—and He speaks to us with words that warm, warn, and win us back to Himself.

Tim Keller once said, “The gospel is not just the ABCs of the Christian life, but the A to Z of the Christian life.” —Tim Keller. That’s a banner worth hanging over these verses. The good news doesn’t just start us; it sustains us. It grows our love, steadies our faith, strengthens our service, and stretches our patience. It also cleanses us when compromise creeps in. It calls us to keep our grip on Jesus when the winds of the world whistle through our windows. And it reminds us that, in the end, the One who holds the galaxies will place His authority into the hands of ordinary, obedient saints.

Picture a small, industrious town—Thyatira—where guilds run the economy and pressure runs high. If you want a paycheck, you join the club. If you join the club, you bow to its idols. Into that pressure cooker, Jesus says, “I see you. I see your love growing, your faith living, your service shining, your endurance lengthening.” Isn’t that refreshing? He notices when love grows larger than fear. He notes every cup of cold water, every quiet act of kindness. He applauds progress, not perfection. He points to the good before He addresses the grief.

But He also speaks as the One whose eyes flame with purity. He names what harms His people. He names what trips His beloved. He names what tarnishes their witness. And with holy kindness, He calls for repentance—not to shame, but to save; not to bruise, but to bring us back to health. How good is Jesus to tell us the truth?

Then He gives a promise that makes the heart stand tall: hold fast. Hold tight. Keep a white-knuckle grip on what you have in Me. There’s a crown for those who keep going. There’s a future for those who stay faithful. There’s a Morning Star for those who walk in the dark and refuse to quit. When He says “Morning Star,” He is handing us hope—the assurance that the darkest night will break and the brightest Presence will rise.

So as we read, ask yourself: What does Jesus applaud in me today? What does He address? Where is He asking for a turn, a clean break, a fresh start? Where is He handing me courage to keep going? He doesn’t write from a distance. He walks the aisle. He stands among the lampstands. He speaks to the church He loves.

Let’s hear His words in full.

Revelation 2:18-29 (NLT) 18 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Thyatira. This is the message from the Son of God, whose eyes are like flames of fire, whose feet are like polished bronze: 19 “I know all the things you do. I have seen your love, your faith, your service, and your patient endurance. And I can see your constant improvement in all these things. 20 But I have this complaint against you. You are permitting that woman—that Jezebel who calls herself a prophet—to lead my servants astray. She teaches them to commit sexual sin and to eat food offered to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to turn away from her immorality. 22 Therefore, I will throw her on a bed of suffering, and those who commit adultery with her will suffer greatly unless they repent and turn away from her evil deeds. 23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches out the thoughts and intentions of every person. And I will give to each of you whatever you deserve. 24 But I also have a message for the rest of you in Thyatira who have not followed this false teaching (‘deeper truths,’ as they call them—depths of Satan, actually). I will ask nothing more of you 25 except that you hold tightly to what you have until I come. 26 To all who are victorious, who obey me to the very end, I will give authority over all the nations. 27 They will rule the nations with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots. 28 They will have the same authority I received from my Father, and I will also give them the morning star! 29 Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.”

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, Son of God, whose eyes are like flames of fire and whose feet are like polished bronze, thank You for seeing us fully and loving us completely. Thank You for every sign of grace You have grown in us—love that keeps increasing, faith that keeps trusting, service that keeps giving, endurance that keeps standing. By Your Spirit, speak to our hearts. Where we have allowed corruption, grant us quick repentance. Where we feel weary, give us holy courage. Where our grip has loosened, strengthen our hands to hold fast to You. Search our thoughts and intentions. Cleanse what is unclean. Comfort what is aching. Confirm what is true. And as we listen, help us understand what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Give us the bright hope of the Morning Star, and lead us in faithful obedience to the very end. In Your strong and tender name we pray, amen.

Increasing Works of Love Faith and Endurance

The good news makes real change. It does not sit on the shelf. It goes to work in us. It makes love warm. It makes trust steady. It makes service active. It helps us keep going when we feel thin.

This is what the Lord points out in the passage. He says He knows what His people do. He knows their love. He knows their faith. He knows their service. He knows their staying power. And He says something sweet. He says these things are growing. More today than yesterday. More this year than last year. That is His mark of health. Moving forward. A little more. Then a little more.

Think of how kind that is. He looks for signs of life. He points to gain. He is not blind to struggle. He is not blind to pain. But He is pleased when the needle moves. He is pleased when love grows wider. He is pleased when trust grips tighter. He is pleased when service finds new hands. He is pleased when patience stretches farther.

So the call is simple. Keep going. Keep adding kindling to that fire. Keep feeding love with prayer and truth. Keep building faith with promises remembered. Keep serving with open hands. Keep standing with a clear mind. Growth is slow. Growth is real. He sees it.

Love shows up in the small things. A soft word in a hard moment. A meal for someone who is tired. A quiet visit to someone who feels alone. A text that brings peace. A gift that brings relief. A pause to listen longer than you want to. None of these make a headline. All of these are noticed by the Lord.

And love learns new shapes over time. Early on it may feel warm but shy. Then it learns to move. It learns to forgive when hurt is fresh. It learns to bless when thanks may not come back. It learns to carry needs that last for months, even years. It learns to keep promises when others forget. It keeps choosing the good of another. Again and again.

This is why love is called a work. It is action. It has weight. It costs time. It costs sleep. It costs comfort. And yet it grows. It gets stronger with use. Like a muscle. The more you lift, the more you can lift. The more you give, the more you find you can give. The Lord smiles at that. He says, I see that. Keep at it.

So ask simple questions each day. Who can I help right now. Whom do I need to forgive. What need has sat too long. What help can I give with the strength I have. Then act. If you fail, start again. Tender love becomes steady love through many small yeses.

Faith is trust that turns into motion. It is confidence in who Jesus is and what He has said. It believes He is near. It believes He is wise. It believes His words are true. And it steps forward because of that. The step may be small. Start the hard talk. Tell the truth. Tithe when money feels thin. Say yes to a task that fits your grace. Pray when you feel dry. That is faith at work.

Faith also feeds service. When trust grows, fear shrinks. You say, He will supply what I lack. You say, He will shepherd me through this. You say, His story is bigger than my moment. So you roll up your sleeves. You take the towel. You do the thing no one sees. You do it unto Him. That is faith alive.

Faith grows the way seeds grow. Planted in the heart. Watered by the word. Warmed by prayer. Strengthened by the Lord’s table. Guarded by wise friends. And yes, sometimes grown in storms. You wake up and notice, I stand a bit steadier now. I worry a bit less. I move a bit quicker to obey. That is grace at work.

And faith looks ahead. The Scripture holds out a future share with Jesus in real rule. He will place real authority into faithful hands. That promise matters now. It lifts your eyes. It tells you your present labor is training. Your hidden acts are not wasted. Your quiet yeses shape you for weight you will carry with Him.

Staying power matters. The Lord names it. He says He knows the patience of His people. He knows the long stretch. The boring days. The grind. The slow prayers that have not yet seen an answer. This kind of strength is not loud. It is daily. It is steady. It keeps showing up.

Endurance grows by practice. Set rhythms that carry you when you feel flat. Meet with God at set times. Gather with the church even when you would rather rest. Keep a small Sabbath that protects your soul. Serve on days that feel gray. These habits stack up. Over time they form a spine.

Hard seasons shape this too. Pressure reveals where we are thin. Then we learn to lean. We learn to breathe slowly and pray short prayers. We learn to wait without quitting. We learn to thank God in small ways, even when tears are near. And one day we find we did not break. That is a gift.

There is also a word in the passage about holding what you have until He returns. That means keep the gains He gave you. Guard the light already in your hands. Do not drop the basics. Keep your Bible open. Keep your knees bent. Keep your heart soft. Stay faithful where you are planted. He will come. He will make the waiting worth it.

Growth lives inside real limits. You have a body. You have a schedule. You have wounds. The Lord knows all of it. So take the next right step. Leave the rest in His hands. Say yes to grace today. Say yes again tomorrow. Over time that becomes a long line of steady steps.

He also sees what is inside. The passage says He searches thoughts and motives. That is searchlight love. He cares about what you do and why you do it. So ask Him to clear out what is false. Ask Him to clean what is stained. Ask Him to make your love pure, your faith honest, your service clean. When He shows something off, bring it to Him fast.

When you stumble, turn quick. Do not hide. Do not stall. Confess. Receive mercy. Get back to the work of love. Some of the greatest gains come after fresh repentance. The soil gets soft. The roots go deeper. The fruit grows larger. Grace does that.

Keep track of His work in you. Write down simple wins. A calmer word. A quicker prayer. A kinder act. A braver stand. Thank Him for each one. This keeps your eyes on His power, not your strength. Gratitude fuels staying power.

Look again at the promise of the future. He pledges real partnership in His reign. He pledges the gift of His own brightness at the dawn. Hope like that strengthens your knees. You can carry today because you know where this is going. You can serve in the dark because a clear day is near.

So keep loving. Keep trusting. Keep serving. Keep standing. Let the good news keep doing its work in you. More this week than last. More this year than the year before. He notices. He is pleased. And He will finish what He started.

Tolerated Corruption Demands Urgent Repentance

Jesus turns to what threatens the church from the inside ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO