Church of the Nazarene – Harrisonburg

The Seven Churches of Revelation

Church in Thyatira

Today we continue our teaching series called “The Seven Churches of Revelation”

Over the next several weeks we will seek to understand the importance and relevance of this text in our lives today. Just like the rest of our Bible, we believe that Revelation is valuable and integral to our faith- It’s there for a reason.

Through this study we want to hear and understand the warnings and instructions to these churches. As we do that, we also want to discern how we can learn from these warnings in our lives and through our local church.

Our desire is to renew and refine our vision of life and what the church should be. Our series is specifically focused on Jesus’ words to the 7 Churches in Asia minor

Today we continue with the Church in Thyatira, found in Revelation 2:18-29

What do we know about Thyatira?

-It was a commercial center in the Roman Empire.

-It was most well-known for its many trade guilds: these associations of artisans, makers of bronze, leather, wool and linen. In today’s world we would call them the unions.

-Unlike today’s unions, these guilds were religious – tightly connected to the pagan religion of the day. So if you wanted opportunities to work or do business, you could renounce Christ and follow paganism, or risk losing your living.

Revelation 2:18-25

“To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’

Jesus begins by commending the church. The four “L’s” of Thyatira

1. A laboring church…”I know your deeds…”

2. A loving church… “…your love…”

3. A loyal church… “…your faith…”

4. A longsuffering church… “your service and perseverance…”

-While much is right with the church at Thyatira, Jesus has significant problems with them. Specifically, the problem is what they ‘tolerate’.

-The church tolerates sin, specifically sexual sin. They tolerate idolatry, placing something else, anything else, before the Lord.

-Jesus declares that He is the ultimate judge.

As you read these words, words of judgement, words of suffering, you might be asking…

‘Where is the hope?’

Jesus ends this specific letter pointing to hope. There is victory in Christ. It is an invitation to find hope in Him alone.

The obvious application of this text is to ask ourselves:

Where am I compromising?

What sin is present in my life?

What am I tolerating?

But there is a deeper issue present here than just our actions.

Revelation 2:26-28

To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’—just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give that one the morning star.

Revelation 22:17

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

The Psalmist models an ‘inside-out’ transformation. It begins first in our hearts.

The root of the problem for the church in Thyatira is the same problem we face: we are called to be holy. A holiness begins from within.

Psalms 139:23-24

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

-Holiness is the perfect love of God poured out into our hearts and through our hearts.

-We don’t achieve holiness, but instead we receive it.

-If you pursue holiness you will never find it. But if you pursue Jesus you will find holiness every time.

“If you think you can walk in holiness without keeping up perpetual fellowship with Christ, you have made a great mistake. If you would be holy, you must live close to Jesus.”

-Charles Spurgeon

“Purity is too deep down for me to get to naturally; but when the Holy Spirit comes in, He brings into the center of my life the very Spirit that was manifested in the life of Jesus Christ; the Holy Spirit, who is unsullied purity.”

-Oswald Chambers

Bottom Line:

God wants all of us

SCRIPTURE FOR FURTHER STUDY/REFLECTION:

-Acts 15:20

-Acts 16:13-14

-2 Kings 9:33-36

-Song of Songs 2:15-17

-Psalm 2:9

Revelation 2:18-29 (The Message)

18 Write this to Thyatira, to the Angel of the church. God’s Son, eyes pouring fire-blaze, standing on feet of furnace-fired bronze, says this:

19 “I see everything you’re doing for me. Impressive! The love and the faith, the service and persistence. Yes, very impressive! You get better at it every day.

20-23 “But why do you let that Jezebel who calls herself a prophet mislead my dear servants into Cross-denying, self-indulging religion? I gave her a chance to change her ways, but she has no intention of giving up a career in the god-business. I’m about to lay her low, along with her partners, as they play their sex-and-religion games. The bastard offspring of their idol-whoring I’ll kill. Then every church will know that appearances don’t impress me. I x-ray every motive and make sure you get what’s coming to you.

24-25 “The rest of you Thyatirans, who have nothing to do with this outrage, who scorn this playing around with the Devil that gets paraded as profundity, be assured I’ll not make life any harder for you than it already is. Hold on to the truth you have until I get there.

26-28 “Here’s the reward I have for every conqueror, everyone who keeps at it, refusing to give up: You’ll rule the nations, your Shepherd-King rule as firm as an iron staff, their resistance fragile as clay pots. This was the gift my Father gave me; I pass it along to you—and with it, the Morning Star!

29 “Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches.”

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Today we’re back in the Book of Revelation – a Jesus letter full of hope written to the faithful in Christ.

Our campuses are in a teaching series on the Seven Churches from the Book of Revelation. This morning we’re covering Jesus’ letter to the Church at a place called Thyatira.

If you haven’t heard the previous messages of this series, I encourage you to listen by going to COTNAZ.org and Watch/Listen online.

When Christ commissioned the Apostle John to write the letters to the seven churches in Asia Minor – Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, the early church was facing historic persecution under the Roman Emperor.

In the case of the Church of Thyatira there are three specific problems the Lord is addressing in them: 1) internal compromise 2) false teaching, and, 3) a willingness to tolerate sin.

Although it was written in approximately 95 AD, it stands as a message to us, the people in the 21st century. It is a warning to all believers.

You attend a Nazarene Church and we are so glad you do.

And that means you attend a HOLINESS church where Christ’s call on His disciples to BE HOLY is critically important to us.

Believers are transformed into the likeness of Christ, growing in grace and in wholehearted love to God and neighbor.

This was a difficult message to prepare and I believe it may be a hard message for some to hear today.

Before we read the scripture and I begin to unpack it, I want to clarify what it means to “tolerate sin” for a believer in the context of this message:

· You begin to believe the sin is okay

· You say the sin is no big deal

· You share with those in sin that they don’t need to worry about it.

· You willingly and continually engage in a sinful deed or action because of its perceived pleasure or benefit.

Today’s passage focuses on tolerating sexual immorality. However, one could tolerate sin through unforgiveness, hatred, greed, anger, pride, and gluttony, just to name a few.

Please turn with me to Revelation 2:18-29 in your Bible. Please stand with me for the reading of God’s Word:

Revelation 2:18-29

18 “To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:

These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.

19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.

20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.

21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.

22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways.

23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.

24 Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you,

25 except to hold on to what you have until I come.’

26 To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—

27 that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’[a]—just as I have received authority from my Father.

28 I will also give that one the morning star.

29 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Today’s message is spoken to the believer, to prompt a reality check. Hear the warning that God’s Word, the Bible takes against sexual sin and the mixing of secular/worldly ideologies.

We must look at the truth and ask God to show us and help us not to be tolerant of sin. God’s word is the ultimate authority.

We are to be imitators of Christ. God expects holiness of every believer.

What does it mean to be holy?

Holiness means being set apart but not perfect.

Holiness does not mean that you will never make a mistake.

Holiness means Christlikeness to be like Jesus.

Throughout the Old and New Testament Bible we are told “Be Holy for I am Holy” (Leviticus 21:8), “Be holy because I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16).

By insisting on “tolerance” over the last several decades, human nature has deceitfully managed to produce an open-minded acceptance of what was once commonly known to be sinful behavior.

The nation has been bulldozed into accepting this deceitful concept by cooperative media, good-looking celebrities, and the mentality that “Anything goes.”

The problem is we are surrounded by a culture that makes the absence of holiness, which is the presence of sin, fun or even funny.

INSERT: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/vab3nrtuw3o1dip/AACu19imcelX0PU_AzNsOn02a?dl=0&preview=FRIENDS+-+Theme+Song+(Intro).mp3

What a catchy tune. I find myself wanting to hum it. Probably instantly, when you heard that music clip, many of you remembered the TV sitcom ‘Friends’.

I watched it when it first came on. It was a playful upbeat comedy. I never stopped to think that this program was Satan’s subtle way of introducing sin as okay and fun.

After I accepted Jesus as my Lord, I began to think about things differently.

As God began to entirely sanctify me through-and-though, my thoughts, my attitude, my words, the jokes that I laughed about, the music, and the TV shows that I was watching began to change and, in some cases, stop in order to represent Christ well.

I said “Jesus…I surrender all.”

God wants all of us, not most of us.

The devil is pleased when you are tolerating sin as you are missing God’s best for you, and ultimately one day, you will miss eternity in heaven.

Have you surrendered all to Jesus? (Pause)

52.5 million American viewers watched the end of Friends, making it the fifth-most watched series finale in television history.

It was the most-watched television episode of the 2000’s.

Hollywood makes sin attractive, and so does the devil. Did you ever stop to think that this show introduced “Living together” “That it is totally okay to have sex before marriage” “It is fun to have a one-night stand” “Gluttony is okay” “Anger is funny” “Materialism” and “Pride is survival”.

This show was about love, sex, careers, being young, single, living in the city, and your friends were your family.

Although ‘Friends’ was JUST a TV comedy, it celebrated ‘free sex’ – and millions of people got the message every week – and still do in re-runs.

It captured the expression “If it feels good do it.”

In the sitcom, sin was tolerated. It was portrayed as sexy, enticing and fun.

Sin is seductive.

The TV show Friends is an example of how society is tolerant of sin, and it clearly explains why the letter to the Church of Thyatira is to you and to me.

The Church of Thyatira was engaging in sexual immorality and dabbling in idolatry.

Thyatira was a blue-collar working person’s town that served as a trade city.

In Roman times Thyatira became a center of manufacture and exchange, specializing in dyed garments, the most popular being the royal purple.

Thyatira had many pagan trade guilds in this city which made it very difficult to be a Christian with their rules and regulations.

Each guild had a pagan god that allowed and encouraged sexual immorality.

V. 18 The Church of Thyatira is the only church that Jesus uses His title, “The Son of God” to introduce Himself to them.

Jesus is stressing His deity. During this time of Roman rule, Thyatira’s chief deity was Apollo, the sun god. Jesus spoke His title so the people would know clearly who was speaking this warning.

As the Son of God he has “eyes like blazing fire,” eyes that can see all things, and get right to the heart of what they are doing.

He has feet “like burnished bronze” which can trample sin under foot and severely punish that which is wrong.

v. 19. I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.

Their commendation, their praise is that they are known for their works. They are known for their love, and their service. They are growing.

We must never sacrifice the truth of God’s Word for the growth of Christianity. We must stand firm and guard our mind and heart against the sin of the world.

v. 20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.

It is significant that Jesus refers to the woman, Jezebel.

The mention of Jezebel takes us back to the Old Testament days, of the weak and evil King Ahab and Elijah, God’s prophet. Ahab married Jezebel, a Phoenician Baal-worshiper – the pagan’s pagan. She was strong-willed, politically astute, and enticing.

Who is Jezebel?

Why would Jesus refer to her when speaking to the Church of Thyatira?

Jezebel’s story is told in 1 and 2 Kings.

God warned Israel’s kings against intermarriage with the heathen, for He knew that marriage to heathen wives usually led to heathen worship.

Through her enticement, Baal worship was introduced into Israel. She persuaded King Ahab to TOLERATE her alien faith, her lust for sex, cruelty, and murder. It was carried on in the name of Jehovah, but it was Baal worship, nevertheless.

Jezebel fostered the spread of her Baal religion with its many gods, ritual sex, and temple prostitutes.

It is important that we know that Jezebel and her union to King Ahab was viewed as a political alliance, bringing advantages to both nations.

It was considered a “Win-Win” for both the Phoenicians and the Israelites.

Because King Ahab tolerated Jezebel’s sin, Jezebel imported 450 priests of Baal from her native land, and she had many of God’s prophets murdered.

It is important to note, that to Jews, Baal worship was the worst sin against God, similar to Christian’s tolerating and embracing Satan today.

Jezebel epitomized wickedness. She was denounced as a murderer, prostitute, and an enemy of God.

As a result of her marriage to King Ahab, the Israelites were led into idolatry.

And it was the Prophet Elijah who was faithful to God and who fought the influence of Jezebel at every turn.

When sin occurs, nothing is easier than saying, “It’s no big deal.” It’s so much simpler to ignore immoral behavior by believing that the sin was so small that it really wasn’t a big deal. Why say anything?

An example of doing the wrong thing for the right reason to legitimize sin:

· We have premarital sex, then we say “We are in love and we are going to get married.”

To engage in premarital or extramarital sex, before or outside of marriage, is to sin in God’s sight.

In the Church of the Nazarene, we believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur between a man and a woman who are married to each other.

While we may make mistakes, God’s Word doesn’t. (Repeat)

While we may make mistakes, God’s Word doesn’t. (Pause)

Sexual immorality includes homosexuality.

Scripture prohibits it in every way.

Same sex relationships are a divisive topic in today’s world.

Same sex relationships are sin. Sin must be repented of.

We allow the world to persuade our thoughts and actions, and we compromise.

God expects holiness.

v. 21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.

Jesus declares to the angel of the church of Thyatira, “I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.”

Just as God raised up Elijah with a message of reform in the days of Jezebel, so God raised up those within the church during the time of Thyatira who called for reformation and the turning from the acceptance of sin.

v. 22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. v. 23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.

The Word of God warns of judgement for those who will not repent.

24 Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you, 25 except to hold on to what you have until I come.’

We are told to hold fast until Christ returns. This is the first reference to the second coming of Jesus, in the letters to the Churches in the book of Revelation.

v. 26 To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—

Jesus will give authority and power over all to those who obey His Good News.

v. 28 I will also give that one the morning star.

Jesus promises to give the morning star to those who are faithful. He knows the times and that they are being persecuted for their faith.

The morning star appears in the darkest hour of the night.

If you are in the midst of darkness or have abandoned your faith, the Promise of Hope, Emmanuel is always there, calling you to Him.

If you are tolerating something that you know is unpleasing to God, now is the time to repent. Give it to Jesus.

We must not tolerate sin. At the same time, in order to witness God’s love to the lost, we cannot be about beating someone over the head, by condemning the sin in their life.

Let me explain,

· To welcome people into the church,

· To continue in relationship with family members or friends who you know aren’t living a life that honors God IS NOT ‘tolerating sin’.

· To continue to show God’s love and kindness IS NOT ‘tolerating sin’.

My heart goes out to you and my prayers are with you if you are in the midst of these painful and exasperating situations.

The conflicting emotions you are experiencing are real, normal, and understandable.

We must always be welcoming to those who are seeking.

Welcoming to the soul, not welcoming to the sin.

Ask yourself: What would Jesus do? What would Jesus say?

The Church of Thyatira was seeing the sins of the culture as normal and acceptable in the midst of their own personal lives.

You are either “dead” or “alive”. You are either “saved” or “lost”. You are either a Christian or you are not a Christian; you cannot be partly a Christian.

The church of Jesus Christ is to be holy and pure.

So, maybe the most important question the letter to Thyatira is asking us this morning is, what do you do with your sin?

Jesus says to the woman caught in adultery, “Go and sin no more”.

He warns against a return to sinful lifestyle choices.

His words extend mercy and demand holiness.

John 8: Video: Go and sin no more. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/vab3nrtuw3o1dip/AACu19imcelX0PU_AzNsOn02a?dl=0&preview=John+8+-+3_23TRT.mp4

I ask the question again, what do you do with your sin?

God expects holiness of every believer.

STOP tolerating sin in your life.

With forgiveness comes the expectation that we will turn from the things that hurt Christ.

Today’s message was focused on sexual immorality, however, whether it is a big sin or small sin, Sin is sin. What do you do with your sin?

Will you give it to Jesus? Will you surrender whatever it is that is unpleasing to God?

Today is a call to holy living. Today, you can be the Christian that says, “I surrender all Jesus!!”

If there is something in your life that is unpleasing to God, please give it to Jesus while there is still time.

Today when you came in, there was an index card in your chair with a pen.

While the Worship Team is playing, you can respond by writing on your card:

1. I surrender all to Jesus.

2. I gave my life to Jesus today for the very 1st time.

3. I recommitted my life to Christ.

4. OR, perhaps you have a prayer request that you would like for us to join you in praying for.

5. You can write your name on the card or leave it anonymous.

Then as you leave the sanctuary, please drop your card in the black buckets in the back.

Let us pray:

Dear Lord, thank You, for the living Word of God. Holy Spirit please continue to conform me, conform us into Your Holy image. Holy Spirit help me/help us to become who You want us to be. Please help us not to tolerate sin. Thank You Lord that Your arms are wide open to all who are saying “I surrender all”. Father, please give us a pure heart. Help us to change, to turn from sin and to turn totally to You. We need You Lord! We love Your Jesus. In Your Holy Name we pray, Amen.”

https://www.bible.com/events/49114562

Church of the Nazarene – Harrisonburg & East Rock

Sunday July, 30 – GO

Transformed by God to bring hope to others through Christ.

Today we pause our summer series to have a specific focus ahead of Best Week Ever, which includes Vacation Bible School! Over the next week, hundreds of individuals will be involved in ministering to others in tangible ways. As we prepare to embark on this journey together, we focus on the specific call for all believers to ‘GO’.

In Hebrews 11 we read a noteworthy list. Of all the things one could be known for, this is the list that matters the most. These are men and women who displayed incredible faith.

These are people who faced some of the most difficult obstacles, but they chose faith.

Hebrews 11:8-12

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

We see the faith of Abraham and Sarah mentioned not once, but several times.

“By faith…” (verse 8)

“By faith…” (verse 9)

“By faith…” (verse 11)

Why did they have this level of faith?

Because they “considered him [the Lord] faithful” (verse 11)

They acted on their faith because they knew God was faithful.

They didn’t believe their circumstances, they believed God.

They didn’t believe what they saw, they believed what God said.

The call to ‘go’ was not unique to Abraham and Sarah. Jesus himself instructed his disciples, and all those who would follow after Him, to ‘go’.

Matthew 28:18-20

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

To go isn’t always easy, but to go is always good.

Even though we are called to go, our actions often suggest we are embracing the opposite: to stay.

Why? Because of our comfort, our busyness, and even our fear.

Instead of the church being a place of encouragement and challenge, where believers grow and then are commissioned to go out, far too often the church becomes a holding ground. It becomes a place where comfortable, busy, fearful and even selfish people gather and gather and gather…and stay.

Reflecting on the words of Jesus from Revelation 2:10, what does it mean for us, HIs church, to ‘be faithful’ right now?

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Thank you for your partnership in the Kingdom of Christ!

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