Thyatira - The Corrupt Church Series

Opener:

We are excited to be here as we are continuing our sermon series this morning on the seven churches found in the book of Revelations.

We have already looked at the church located in Ephesus, who they had forsaken their first love. The second church we looked at was Smyrna who experienced persecution and were encouraged not to live in fear but to have faith. The third church Pergamum where some appeared to be seduced and were displaying a morally compromised lifestyle. This morning, we are looking at the church in Thyatira, this church appears to tolerate sin and teaching that was misleading some believers.

One of the key buzzwords in our world today is being politically correct. We are told in the media that we need to be tolerant of others. To be tolerant is one of the most highly prized goals of personal or self actualization. The so called academic and cultural elites push this agenda.

We are told that we need to tolerate, to allow and to include those that have different ideas and lifestyles than us. One of the things that we entirely stay away from is being judgmental. If you display any kind of thoughts or beliefs that would push back against any kind of sin, you are then treated as a back woods hillbilly and someone that is not sophisticated.

While there is certainly a balance and we do not judge others, we also have a standard that God has set forth in the Bible and we are called to live by that standard. Jesus accepts people where they are at, but He does not want them to stay there, He wants them to meet His standard. Not the other way around.

There is a great paradox to these so called tolerant people, while they push Christians to be tolerant, yet they show complete intolerance to Christianity. All their rules apply to everyone except if you are a Christian, well then they can treat you like trash.

As we look at our church Thyatira there are some things that we need to know. This city was founded by Alexander the Great. It was actually named by Alexander in commemoration to his daughter’s birth. While this city is the smallest of the previous cities, it is the longest letter so far. It is interesting that the Lord has a lot to say to this compromising church. This town was a military town that was built to serve as a decoy to guard the capital city of Pergamos which was about 40 miles away. This town was an industrial city that had bronze workers, potters, tanners and dyers of wool. One of the main industries was to make brass armor which was exported to wealthier cities. Another big industry was wool and then dyeing that wool. They used a bluish/purple dye that was extremely rare and expensive at the time. This purple die came from two sources, the root of a plant and from a small shellfish. To give you an idea, just one gram of this valuable dye took 8,500 small shellfish. These garments that they were producing were very popular with royalty particularly the ruling class in Rome. As with all these letters to the churches, this letter commends the church and then gives some correction which is followed by advice in order to overcome.

With that being said, let’s hop into our text this morning found in Revelation: 2:18-29 18 “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: 19 “I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first. 20 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 eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. 22 Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. 23 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. 24 “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. 25 But hold fast what you have till I come. 26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations. 27 ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’— as I also have received from My Father; 28 and I will give him the morning star. 29 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’