Thyatira: The Carnal Church

Revelation chapter 2 is where we are tonight. Revelation chapter 2, we're going to study the longest letter that's written to the seven churches. And this church in Thyat was probably the least of the seven churches. And it 's very significant that this church is sort of right in the middle. It's the fourth church. There are seven all together. It shows us how far our church can go when it sinks into sin. And so we'll look at that church together this evening.

And we'll begin by looking at our first point, the one that we always begin with, and that is how we're going to analyze the church, the correspondent, and of course, the city.

We'll look first of all at the correspondent. Revelation 2, verse number 18, and the angel of the church in Thyat write, The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet are like burnished bronze, says this. Christ opens with again another description, an attribute of his life that helps us understand what it is he wants to do with this church. I mentioned earlier that this was the least of all the churches. No matter how small your church is, no matter how insignificant you think your church is, the Lord God Can see all that happens in that church and knows everybody in that church and knows all about the life of everybody in that church.

He knows it all. And so, as he comes and talks about the church itself and tries to help them understand. Where they are at. He introduces himself as the Son of God who has eyes like a flame of fire. And so he introduces himself as one coming. With eyes that penetrate all things. And if need be, he will deal with people as he sees fit. And if need be, he will kill them, as it says in verse number 23 of chapter 2. God does not tolerate sin. Most of us don't like to talk about that. We don't like to address it in our churches.

We kind of gloss over it. But God does not tolerate sin. In fact, 1 John 5, 16 speaks of what is called the sin unto death. It deals with the believer who continues in known sin and is unwilling to repent of their ways. If you claim to be a believer and you continue in sin so much so that your life mars the testimony of Christ and the testimony of the church. The Lord is going to take you home to be with him. That's what 1 John 5: speaks of. If you know someone who is a Christian. Or they claim to be a Christian.

They're living in known sin. You need to tell them about 1 John:. If they live a long time in known sin, they probably weren't Christians to begin with. Because God says, I'll take you home because I don't want my name marred to the world.

We move from the correspondent to the city of Thyat. This city was located some 30 miles from Sardis and Pergamum, which was the capital of Asia Minor. And this city still exists today, and its main purpose. Was to act as an interceptor of enemies that would approach the capital of Pergamum. They acted as a defense system. It was a busy commercial center. Then, as well as today, and it was emphasizing that of exports, such as cotton, wool, fruit, and dyes. There were many trade unions in the city, and in order to get a job, you had to be a part of the trade union or what they would call a guild.

In fact, you couldn't make a living unless you were a part of one of these unions. And each of these unions had a God. There was no certain god that those in Thy worship. They were a polytheistic community. but each of the guilds, each of the unions had their own God, and part of your working with them was to adopt that religious system. And so the people in this church found themselves in a very difficult predicament. In order for them to maintain a living, they would have to be a part of one of these unions or guild.

And to be a part of them would mean to participate in pagan feasts and immoral practices. And they face the problem of job security and acceptability. Nevertheless, this city was one in which they lived. It was engulfed in immorality. Which leads us to point number three: the church.

The church. As we analyze this letter, if you go back to Acts chapter 16, you recall the story of Lydia, who was the first convert in Europe.

It says in Luke, excuse me, Acts 16:1, and a certain woman named Lydia. From the city of Phy, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshipper of God, was listening, and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay. And she prevailed upon us. So maybe this church began because Lydia and her household were saved. They were in Philippi at the time and they went back to Thyatir and maybe it was her family who began this church.

We don't know for certain. We know what Acts 19. 10 says because there the word of the Lord spread throughout all of Asia. And maybe that's how the church began. We don't necessarily know. Yet over the years there arose a woman in this church. And she's called in Revelation chapter 2 Jezebel. That was not her name. No one names their daughter Jezebel. That's just not a name you give your daughter, especially if you know anything about the Bible. But that's what the scriptures call her because she had a certain character about her life that would lead people into immorality and into id.

She had brought the church into the world and the world. Into the church. Which leads me to this: you know, Satan is always at work in the church, he's trying to destroy what God has done. And if you're with us in our study of the church of Ephesus, His mod oper was to st their affection. The church in Smyrna, he was there to suppress them with persecution. The church in Pergamum, he was there to snatch their devotion. And here, in the church of Thy, he was there to seduce them with fornication. Let's move to main point number two from the analyzation to the affirmation.

It's interesting to note that no matter how bad your church is, God has something good to say. And so he focuses in on that which is good. He affirms them because there were certain things they were doing, there were certain things he could commend them for, and so he affirms. Four things about their life. We'll look first of all at their deeds and then the development of those deeds.

He says in verse number 19, I know your deeds and your love and faith and service. Perseverance. First of all, he says, I know your love.

You have something. That's your motive. In fact, this is the only church that's commended. For their love. No other church is. Ephesus, they had lost their first love.

But this church in Thy was commended because of their love. Love. Granted, it was love divorced from sound doctrine, but yet they loved one another. They loved God to a certain degree. And so God would see that in them. He would affirm that fact that somehow there was a love about them that when he looked at this church and others in the community would see the church, they would know that there is love that's there. And so he would commend them for that. They'd care for one another. And people would come to the church because there were those who would care for them.

He would move from their love to their loyalty. He says, I want to affirm you about your faith. You're loyal. Your fidelity. You're committed to God. You're committed to what you believe. You're committed to the fact that you trust in God. I want to affirm the fact that you love one another. I want to Affirm the fact that you are loyal. Because you have faith, I want to confirm the fact that you labor well. Your service. There's something about your service. You serve one another, you reach out to other people.

You take care of other people, and I want to affirm that in you. And people would want to be a part of that kind of church, an opportunity for them to serve and be a part of what is happening, and so they would. They would come and enjoy. And then he says, I want to affirm the fact that you are long-suffering, you have perseverance. You have steadfastness. You have a certain kind of tenacity about your life. I want to affirm these things in you. And then he goes beyond their deeds to the development of those deeds.

Listen to what he says. And that your deeds of late are greater than at first. Not only do you love, not only do you have good labor, not only are you loyal, not only are you long-suffering, but I want to let you know something. That's all grown. From the first till now, there has been some kind of growth in your life.

And so I see progress. I see steps toward maturity. I'm excited about that, the Lord says. He affirms that in them. And yet, there was something they were missing. This church didn't emphasize sound doctrine. It emphasized love and they would tolerate everybody in their church. Even Jezebel. Which moves to point number three, the accusation.

He says, but I have this. Against you. This is what it says: that you tolerate the woman, Jezebel. There was something wrong in the church. There was something deadly wrong in the church. There was a cancer that was spreading in the church. It had gone unchecked. It had gone unconfronted. These people let this woman whoever she was continue to teach and to lead people a from God Remember the words of Edmund Burke. He says, All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.

That's true, isn't it? All that's necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do absolutely nothing. Just let it go. Let evil run rampant. And evil had run throughout the church in Thyat. So the accusation falls into two categories. One, the category of Jezebel. And number two, the judgment.

Upon the church because of Jezebel. Let's look first of all at her identity and then the judgment and its sever.

You tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads my bonds astray, so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. Look, folks, it's one thing, one thing, to lead the unbeliever deeper into sin. It's another thing to lead one of God's bonds astray into sin. And maybe it wasn't all at once. Maybe it was just some little things that led to bigger things. Because once you begin to compromise on the little things, it's easier to compromise on the bigger things.

And this woman was tolerated in the church. They let her teach. They let her lead the people astray. She convinced everybody. That they could continue practicing pagan rites in the trade guilds, yet still find favor with God and the church. Maybe she would say, you know, it's okay, you know, because you can go to church on Sunday, you can confess your sin, get right with God, and then live the way you want the rest of the week. It's okay. God's a God of grace, and God will forgive you. It's okay, He loves you.

You can do these things. And so people did. She taught expediency over principle. She led them astray. That was the woman Jezebel. What was the judgment? The judgment was this. Verse number 21, and I gave her time to repent. Think about it. God gave her time to repent. He says, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. God says, I gave her time.

I've tried to work with her. I've tried to draw her back to me. But she doesn't want to repent. Men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil. And this woman did not want to repent. But God was gracious, wasn't he? He was gracious. He was patient. With this woman, it says in 1 Corinthians 11: If we do not judge ourselves, we will be judged by God. I want you to notice the punishment that she pays.

He says this, behold, I will cast her upon a bed of sick. I will, Christ says. In fact, three times he says, I will. I will cast her upon a bed of sickness. I will kill her children. I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. I will do that. It's me, the judge. And I will cast her upon a bed of sickness. She likes beds. I'll put her in a bed. And that bed will be the bed of her downfall. Now the word translated bed here could also be translated casket. Interesting. God says, she wants a bed, I'll give her a bed, I'll give her a permanent bed.

I'll kill her because of her unwillingness. to repent. Some commentators believe it refers to sexual disease. That could be. Others think it could refer to the great tribulation and that the things that she would face there. I tend to think that it leads more to the fact that she was going to To be killed, mainly because of what it says about Christ killing her children with pestilence. It goes on to say, This: Behold, I will cast her upon a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great.

Tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. So, unless those who are led astray by her repent of their deeds, they will suffer severe consequences as well. And then he says, and I will kill her children with pestilence. I'm going to kill her children. The people who live like her, the people who are the offspring of her. Evidently, this has gone on for a long time because this is further down another gener. So, maybe this woman had been in the church for a long period of time, and God says, I'm going to deal with everybody who's involved in this kind of sin.

Because I don't want my church, my bride, married to the world. And what was the purpose of this judgment? Christ tells us. And all the churches, verse number 23, will know that I am he who searches the minds and hearts, and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. I'm going to let everybody know that I'm going to deal with sin. What's the admonition? That's point number four. It says this. But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyat, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan.

As they call them, I place no other burden on you. Nevertheless, what you have, hold fast. Until I come. Two things about the admonition. One is repent soon. The other is remain strong. First of all, repent soon.

He said earlier in verse number 22 that if those associated with this woman Jezeb don't repent. They will suffer great tribulation. I believe that refers to the Christians, the bondservants, who were led astray. I'm going to come to them and I'm going to judge them, and they will suffer severe tribulation. Because I want them to be clean. I will chasten them. I will scourge them, as Hebrews 12 speaks of. Christ says, rep soon.

If you're an unbeliever, you need to repent soon. You need to turn from your sin. Turn to God. This is a solemn warning. It's a warning given to five of the seven churches. Repent, turn around, don't keep going the way you are. There's nothing satisfying there, there's nothing that you'll ever gain from that. Trouble and turmoil and pain. Turn from your sin. Repent. Soon, sin must be dealt with. Turn from it now, or Christ will come to you and deal with you in a way in which you wish he never had.

Repent soon. Number two, rem strong. Remain strong. God is talking to the faithful. He says, Look, I'm not going to put any more burden upon you. You've got enough burden living in this church with this evil woman that's there. I want you to remain strong. It's a word krate, which means to be strong, to be mighty. You're going to have to be strong to hang on until I come. And Christ says, rem str.

Be faithful. To the admonition of this letter, don't let go of the scriptures, don't let go of the standards in the scriptures, don't let go of the savior who gave the scriptu Don't let go under any Circumstances. I'm not going to burden you with anything else. I just want you to remain steadfast. I want you to remain str. And then, point number five, he gives the application. He says this in verse number 26: And he who overcomes, and he who keeps my deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations.

And he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces, as I also have received authority from my Father. And I will give him, excuse me, the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. By way of application, two things. There's a motivation and there's a repetition. The motivation is to focus on the future. The repetition is to listen and learn. First of all, the motivation.

Focus on the future. Here's the application for you. He speaks of the overcomer. The over is the one who keeps my deeds, who does my will. 1 John 5 speaks of the over. That's the believer. The believer is characterized by the one who does my will, who keeps my deeds. Interesting. You'll notice that up earlier he says that I will give to each one according to your deeds.

And now he says the over is the one who keep my deeds, who obeys my word. And you people, he says, I want you to understand something very significant. I want you to focus on the future. I want you to focus on my return. I want you to focus on your reign, and I want you to focus on my rule. If you focus on those things, you can remain strong. You can endure to the end. You can remain steadfast, but you've got to focus on the future. He says, Listen, to him I will give authority over the nations. I'm going to give you authority over the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces.

He says, Listen, you're going to share with me in my rule. You're going to share with me in my reign. Right now, people are going to persecute you. Right now, people are going to come down on you. But one day, you will rule with me and you will shatter those who sin. This speaks of the literal 1,000-year reign of Christ, the millennial reign of Christ. Those who believe that we are in the millennium today are wrong. We are not ruling with God right now.

We are not putting divine judgment upon sin immediately. That's not what we're doing. But in the millennial period, when Christ rules from the city of the New Jerusalem, we will rule with him. And everybody who sins. Will face divine judgment immediately in the thousand-year rule and reign of Christ. And we will be a part of that reigning process. We will be ones who will rule with a rod of iron. Because we will have glorified bodies. We will have seen our Savior. We will be like him, for we will have seen him as he is.

We will be perfect as he him. Is perfect, and we will rule over the nations. We're not ruling over any nation right now, but one day we will. We'll rule over everybody because we will rule with Christ. And not only that, we will receive the morning star. What's the morning star? Revelation 22: tells us that Christ Himself is the morning star. He says, not only will you rule with me, not only will you reign with me, but you will receive all of me. All of me. You'll be just like me. You will shine just like me.

You will be as bright as I am bright because you will be as perfect as I am perfect. So remain strong. But understand, you must focus on the future. That's your motivation. That should motivate all of us as we see what God's going to do with us in the future. How one day we will work side by side with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and we will rule for a thousand years over the nations of this world. And when people sin, they will experience the divine chastisement of God immediately for their sin.

Because God will rule with a rod of iron, and we too will rule with him. And then there's a repetition. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. It's that constant repetition. Are you listening? Are you hearing? If you're listening, make sure. You're learning. It helps us understand that this letter, although it was addressed specifically to Thyat, appeals to all of us. That we need to be listening to what God says in learning from the mistakes of those in the church who turn their back.

God. Remember, a false teacher is not characterized so much by what they say as by what they don't say. They say all the right things. It's just what they leave out that is so significant. And that's where the ears got to perk up. That's where you've got to be like a Bere and to begin to listen to what is said. So you don't get swept up in the crowd. Stay focused that you might reap the promises. The church in Ephesus, the promise was to eat from the tree of life. The church in Smyrna, they would receive the crown of life and no second death.

The Church of Pergamum, they would receive the hidden manna, the white stone with a new name. The church of Phy, power over the nations, the morning star. Where are you this evening? Are you married to society or are you married to the Savior? Are you being swept away by the things of the world? Or do you realize that just because you're in the world, you don't need to be of the world? May God give us the wisdom to discern between that which is true and that which is evil, and to follow Him in every aspect.

That we don't become like the church of Thyat, a carnal church, a corrupt church, steeped in sin. But that we remain strong to the end. That we will rule and reign with the King of Kings and Lord of Lord. And receive the bright and morning star and shine as bright as he is bright. Let's pray together.