To the Church in Thyatira

To the Church in Thyatira

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’[b]—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.

Intro:  Message to Angel, pastor or leader of Church of Thyatira.  These are the Words of the Son of God.  They are faithful, true, precise, clear and direct.  His eyes are blazing fire and burnished Bronze.

Jesus commends them for six good things!

1.     He knows their deeds.  Nothing will or can be hidden.

2.     Their love, unconditional, strong, pure and its example.

3.     Their faith.  Strong, unmoveable, trusting and complete.

4.     Their service.  Willing to serve and having a servant heart.

5.     Perseverance.  Endurance, patience and discipline.

6.     That they are doing more than they did at first.  Great testimony.

Bad things!

1.     Tolerating a Jezebel Spirit.  It comes across as a prophet or spiritual leader and teacher.  That is why you check everything by the Word of God.

2.     This spirit misleads people.  It causes sexual immorality and idolatry.  It undermines true spiritual leadership or attacks it.

3.     This spirit will not repent even when dealt with.  All who succumb to it will suffer like she will and judgment will be intense.  All who follow her and herself will be struck dead for there is no recourse for God.

4.      This will be an example for all the churches to know that God searches hearts and minds and He will pray us back according to what we have done unless we repent. 

5.     The Jezebel spirits teaching is from satan and always says it comes with deep secrets, special revelation.

Exhortation

    The Lord will not impose any other burden on us except to hold until He comes.

To the Overcomer!

1.      Do His will until He comes and you will be given authority over the nations.

2.     The Lord will rule with an iron hand and dash all those who opposed him like a potter dashes pottery.

3.     You will be given the morning star.  What is the purpose of the morning star, but to serve as an indicator of the approaching dawn? Those who see the morning star are encouraged by the fact that the long night is almost over and soon the sun will shine in its brilliance dispelling all traces of darkness.  The Morning Star is also Christ Himself.

4.     So hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.

At the Los Angeles Special Olympics a large crowd watching the participants prepare for the 50 metres running race.

The starter’s gun fired and off the contestants raced. As they rushed toward the finish line one boy left the track and started running toward his friends standing in the infield. Ken blew his whistle, trying to get the boy to come back to the track, but all to no avail.

Then one of the other competitors noticed, a down syndrome girl with thick bottle glasses. She stopped just short of the finish line and called out to the boy, “Stop, come back, this is the way.”  Hearing the voice of her friend the boy stopped and looked. “Come back, this is the way” she called. The boy stood there, confused. His friend, realising he was confused, left the track and ran over to him. She linked arms with him and together they ran back to the track and finished the race. They were the last to cross the line, but were greeted by hugs from their fellow competitors and a standing ovation from the crowd.

The downs syndrome girl with the bottle glasses taught everyone present that day an important life lesson, that it’s important to take time out form our own goals in life to help others find their way. Reflecting on the episode afterwards Ken was reminded of some verses from Romans 15:

We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up . . . May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus.  Let us pray for those who have a need today.