Thyatira - Jezebel In The Church

SERMON OUTLINE:

• Greeting:

• Addressed to the angel of each church.

• Identification:

• Christ identifies Himself in relation to the church.

• Condition:

• A description of the church's spiritual state which was good.

• Problem:

• Assimilation - the process of becoming similar to something.

• Counsel:

• Solutions and advice.

• Promise:

• Rewards for overcoming.

• Closing:

• A call to heed the Spirit’s words.

SERMON BODY:

Ill:

• A man was once asked by a questionnaire for a national poll.

• What was his church preference,

• He smiled and replied, "Red brick."

• TRANSITION: Church of course is never a building,

• It is always a collection of people, a community of believers,

• An assembly of those who belong to and seek to follow Christ.

Ill:

• Have you ever at the seaside or in a theme park,

• Put your face above a headless frame,

• That is painted to represent a muscle man,

• Or a clown, or even a bathing beauty?

• Many of us have had our pictures taken this way,

• And the photos are humorous,

• Because the head doesn't fit the body.

• If we could picture Christ,

• As the head of DRC, would the world laugh at the misfit?

• Or would they be amazed,

• Of a human body so closely related to a divine head?

• TRANSITION:

• In these seven Churches of the book of Revelation,

• We are invited to do just that.

• To look at seven Churches with their faults and failings,

• And see how closely these bodies relate to the head.

• But this is more than a history lesson,

• Because each Church speaks into our situation and lives.

• Asking the questions, “Am we making the same mistake?”

• Or “Are we succeeding in being a good fit with the head?”

(1). Greeting: Addressed to the angel of each church (vs 18a).

“To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:

Thyatira is the fourth of 7 churches mentioned:

• It’s worth noting that this is the longest letter,

• And yet it’s addressed to the church that was considered,

• To be the least important city of the seven.

3 things to note:

(1). Geographically.

• Thyatira was about 60 Kilometres (37.3miles),

• Southeast of Pergamum,

• Which was the city & Church you looked at last week.

• All seven of these Churches,

• Are based in modern-day Turkey.

• i.e. Ephesus (now known as Selcuk)

• i.e. Smyrna (now Izmir)

• i.e. Pergamum (now Bergama)

• i.e. Thyatira (now Akhisar)

• i.e. Sardis (now Sart)

• i.e. Philadelphia (now Alasehir)

• i.e. Laodicea (now Denizli)

There were no distinguishing features about the city of Thyatira.

• It was not situated on a harbour like Ephesus or Smyrna,

• It was not on at prominent hill like Pergamum.

• In fact, it was in the middle of a valley.

• Although it was situated away from the Mediterranean Sea.

• It was on the road,

• Which connected the cities of Pergamum and Sardis.

• It was a thriving city due to business trade.

Ill:

• It was the ‘Watford Gap’ of its day or the ‘Crewe’ of its day.

• Not so much famous for itself,

• It was somewhere you passed through,

• On the way to somewhere else.

(2). Commercially:

• Because of its location along trade routes,

• Thyatira became a prosperous commercial centre.

• Thyatira was a city full of merchants and manufacturing.

• Some of those major trades included,

• Wool, linen, leatherwork, and dyeing.

• i.e. Lydia (Acts chapter 16 verse 14),

• Was “a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira,”

Note:

• Two of these trades, bronze and pottery manufacturing,

• Are mentioned (vs 27).

• “He will rule them with an iron sceptre.

• He will dash them to pieces like pottery”.

Ill:

• One of the jobs of the potter’s assistant,

• Was to smash the pottery with an iron rod.

• This was not blatant vandalism.

• He was to smash any pot that was not perfect.

• Any pot that was flawed, sub-standard.

• It was not to be traded or passed on,

• No second or outlet shops in those days!

• If it was faulty then it had to be destroyed,

• To save the name and reputation of the potter.

• That is what it means to ‘Rule with a rod of iron.’

• It means to break up everything that is not right,

• Or sub-standard.

(3). Religiously.

• Business and religion were woven together.

• Archaeological discoveries have revealed.

• That the city had a large number of trade guilds,

• Which were the early equivalent of trade-unions.