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Revelation 2:18-29 Thyatira the tolerant church · The TakeAway

• 0:01
  SPEAKER_01: Hello, and welcome to the Takeaway, where we teach through the Bible, chapter by chapter and verse by verse, to help you understand God's Word so that you can have a more intimate relationship with Jesus, our Lord and Savior.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_00: Hello, and welcome again to the Takeaway.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_00: I'm your host, Pastor Harry Barns, and on today's episode, we'll be looking at Revelation chapter 2, 18 through 29, the Church of Thyatira, the tolerant church.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: Before we get started, I want to remind you again that there is a pattern that repeats in the letters to the seven churches that we need to see and to understand.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: To each church, Jesus identifies himself with the characteristic of himself that best fits their current situation.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_00: This is a reminder to us that he meets us where we are also.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: Second, he encourages them in their good works.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: Third, he points out their bad works and calls them to turn back or to repent of them.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_00: Fourth, he tells them that their judgment will be, what their judgment will be if they don't repent.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_00: And fifth, he tells them what the reward will be if they endure till the end.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: This is God's promise to us also.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: To every single church and believer, Jesus meets us where we are and offers promise to us if we endure.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: However, as we will see, not every church is doing something bad, not every church is doing something good, and some are doing both good and bad.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: Our goal is to learn from these churches so that we can stay on the straight and narrow path, so that we can enter into God's promises and receive the reward He has for us.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: As we look at Thyotyra, there is a question we need to ask ourselves.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: What do we tolerate in our lives that does not glorify God?
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: The Church of Thyotyra was tolerating some bad things as we will see, so that they could keep their jobs and livelihood.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: Would you be willing to walk away from your career or some group you are a part of if they asked you to bow to idols?
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_00: Your first thought is probably that you would never bow to idols.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_00: I would never do that.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: However, you are faced with this decision every single day of your life.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: It might be in the way your company wants you to talk or what they want you to wear.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe they want you to participate in an event or a program that supports a particular lifestyle that you don't agree with.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_00: It's happening all the time in many different jobs and organizations all over the world.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: Where do you draw the line?
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: Do you trust God more than you trust your paycheck?
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: That probably makes you gulp for a second.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_00: So let's take a look at Thyotira and see what Jesus has to say to them.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: Put yourself in their shoes and hear what Jesus has to say to you today.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_00: Now, Thyrotira was the smallest of the seven cities, uh, but the one that received the longest letter.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: It laid about 45 miles to the southeast of Pergamon, which is the last church we just went over, and was famous for its textiles, especially the production of purple dye and its trade guilds.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: Now, what's a guild?
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_00: It's the biggest reason they tolerated sin and idolatry, honestly.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_00: A guild is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft and or trade in a particular area.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradesmen belonging to a professional association.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: They sometimes depended on grants of letters, patent from a monarch or other rule, ruler to enforce the flow of trade to their self-employed members and to retain ownership of tools and the supply of materials, but were mostly regulated by the city government.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_00: A lasting legacy of traditional guilds are the guild halls constructed and used as guild meeting places.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_00: Guild members found guilty of cheating, the public would be fined or banned from the guild.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_00: It would have been hard or nearly impossible to find work without belonging to a guild.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: Now, this church was doing many things well, but they were being led astray by someone teaching false doctrine.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: Evidently, a woman claiming to be a prophetess had been influencing some in this church to join the local trade guilds without which a tradesman could not work in Thyotyra.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: This meant participating in the guild feasts that included immoral acts and the worship of idols.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes the pressure of fitting in with the world is overwhelming, but we are to stand firm in our faith, trusting God to provide and to take care of us.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_00: We are also to stand firm on the truth of God's word and to tolerate those not to tolerate those who disregard and distort it.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_00: As we study this letter to the church of Thyotira, be open to what God wants to teach you through the message to this church.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: So as we start in verse 18, to the angel of the church of Thyotira write, the words of the Son of God who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_00: And again, going back to chapter one and identifying this, the eyes like a flame of fire.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: He sees right through the lies and um the deception that's in the world and in our hearts.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_00: He knows the truth, he can see the depths of our souls, and his feet are like burnished bronze.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_00: He crushes or opposes and um grinds out opposition.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_00: Um nothing can stand against him.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_00: So verse 19 I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_00: Sounds good so far, doesn't it?
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_00: And that your latter works exceed the first.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_00: Sounds like they're doing pretty good.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_00: But I have this against you that you tolerate that woman, Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality, to eat food sacrificed to idols.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_00: I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_00: So most of you are probably asking, Who's Jezebel?
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_00: Well, the woman mentioned in Revelation was most likely not actually named Jezebel, but the name was applied to her because of characteristics that she shared with Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, king of Israel.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_00: As related in various passages from 1 Kings 16 through 2 Kings 9, in the Old Testament, there was apparently been no further specific historical identification of the actual name of the woman in the church of Thyatire.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_00: Jezebel in the Old Testament is identified as the daughter of Ethbal, king of Sidon, in modern-day Lebanon.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_00: From the incorporation of the word Baal in her father's name, it could be seen that she came from a family of idol worshippers.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_00: As the wife of King at Ahab, the Bible narrative indicates that she dominated Ahab in many ways, committing sin in his name, such as her role in having Naboth murdered, so that Ahab could acquire Naboth's vineyard, leading Israel away from the worship of God and into idol worship, and actively persecuting and seeking to kill prophets of God such as Elijah.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_00: From this, as well as from the passages in Revelation that is being asked about, it may be inferred that the woman in the church of Thyatira was committing actions that were similarly designed to dominate the church's worship.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_00: In contrast to the role mentioned by Paul in passages such as 1 Corinthians 14, 34 through 35, to lead the members of the church away from God and to use what appeared to be prophetic gifts to actually introduce members of the church to satanic rituals and practices, as well as the offerings of sacrifices to idols.
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_00: The message to the Church of Thyratire indicates that God had given this woman an opportunity to repent of her practices, but she had not done so.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_00: Therefore, God's punishment was in store for her both her and those who followed her, while those who had not followed her were warned to continue to shun her influence and exhorted to remain faithful to God.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_00: Now, verse 22 Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her, I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, and I will strike her dead, and all the churches will know that I am he who searches mine and heart.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_00: There's the eyes like a flame of fire, right?
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_00: It's what he does.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_00: I search mine and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: But to the rest of you in Thyratire, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, so this is some pretty bad stuff.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_00: To you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_00: So those who are holding fast to the truth, he's like, just keep doing what you're doing, keep coming against this, stand your ground, and he goes, There's nothing else I require of you.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_00: You're doing good.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_00: Only hold fast what you have until I come.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_00: The one who conquers and he and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_00: As when earth and pots are broken in pieces, even as myself have received authority from my father, I will give him the morning star.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_00: The morning star is Jesus.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_00: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_00: Um so clearly we're dealing with a very immoral church here, right?
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_00: Um and the judgment that Jesus gives, he tells him, Turn from immorality, or you will be cast into a sick bed, tribulation, and death.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_00: Uh he promises those who stay fast, he who overcomes will have power over the nations, and he will rule and will be given the morning star.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, we will see this again in Revelation chapter 22, verse 16, that Jesus is the morning star, he's the one called the morning star.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_00: So he gives life, he gives power.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_00: Now, we this is the promise to us that if we um stand our ground and stand fast and um do the things that Jesus tells us to do to receive the promises, we're gonna rule and reign with him.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_00: This is where this comes from.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_00: So if you've ever heard anybody say, hey, we're gonna rule with Jesus in the future, here it is.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_00: This is what he's talking about.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_00: He's gonna give us that place.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_00: Now, a big question to ask, um, and I don't think a lot of people really think about this, but would God really call true believers to become sick and die?
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_00: Now think about that.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_00: He's casting them to a sick bed.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_00: It's not just Jezebel, but it's those who follow after, and these are believers.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_00: This is the church, but they're being persuaded, right?
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_00: They're tolerating something that Jesus says not to tolerate, and he's saying, I'll throw you into a sick bed and you will even die.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_00: So the quote the answer is yeah.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, he would.
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_00: Wannie's saying it here, but also um, we could see this in 1 Corinthians 11 30.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_00: It says, This is why many of you are weak and ill, talking about believers, and some have died.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_00: So Paul is telling the Corinthians that this is the result of some of the things that you were doing.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_00: And in this particular instance in Corinthians, he was talking about communion and how they were doing it wrong, um, that they weren't honoring the body of Christ properly.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_00: And you could read more about that in chapter 11 of 1 Corinthians, and I would encourage you to do so.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_00: But it indicates that yes, yes, God will allow us to become sick and die because he wants us to repent and turn, turn to him and do the things that he wants us to do.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_00: He wants us to honor him.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_00: Now, just like a parent would send their child to the room if they did something bad, right?
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and it seems kind of uh uh lofty in a way that God would kill us as a way of sending us to our room.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_00: But you have to remember, death to God is not the same as it is to us.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_00: Like we look at death as the end sometimes, but death is not the end, it's just a transition.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_00: And if we are a believer, if we are a child of God and we're dishonoring him, it's nothing to God to transition us to our home and put us in our room, essentially saying that, hey, you are not glorifying me where you're at, you're not doing any earthly good or any heavenly good on earth, and I'm gonna remove you from that situation and I don't want you there.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_00: And Paul, like I said, affirms that uh account that this is how God thinks.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so keep that in mind uh as you live out your life as a believer.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_00: Are you honoring and pleasing God in what you do?
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_00: Uh so I ask you one last time what do you tolerate in your life so you can keep your job, your relationships, or just the comforts of this world?
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_00: Um, what are those things?
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_00: Do you we have to really think about this just like we see in this church?
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and I would encourage you to evaluate yourself closely and repent of whatever the Lord reveals to you is wrong in your life.
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_00: Now, to repent is not just to be sorry, but to turn away from this is yet another reason you need to surrender yourself, um I'm sorry, surround yourself with a strong Christian family that can help you walk through the straight and narrow path.
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_00: Now I promise you, Satan will not let you go easily.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_00: If he has you trapped in this world, he will do everything in his power to either keep you there or destroy you.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_00: The good news is that when you put when we put our full trust in Jesus, he promises to set us free and give us a life and not just a life, but an abundant life.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_00: I would like to invite you today to have that abundant life by putting your trust into Jesus, not just as Savior, but as Lord and Savior, to go down a path where you're pursuing him and asking him what it is that he wants you to do with your life.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_00: Most likely he wants to use you where you are unless you're living a sinful life right now.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_00: That he wants you to turn from.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_00: But most of us can be used right where we are today.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_00: It's not about making a drastic change.
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_00: Um, it's not about necessarily quitting our job, but it's about taking a stand and saying, I'm not gonna bow to that idol, or I'm not gonna give in to that um idolatry or that indoctrination.
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not gonna be a part of those things.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_00: And if that means you have to fire me for my job, or that means a boyfriend or girlfriend is gonna break up from you, uh, or you're gonna lose a group of friends because you stand your ground and say, I am not gonna take part in that, then that's what you have to do.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_00: You have to glorify and honor God by standing your ground first and foremost.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_00: And don't worry about the worldly things that you lose.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_00: Don't worry about those things.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_00: He will care for you.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_00: He promises, like he says, to make you rulers, you will rule with a rod of iron.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_00: You're gonna have Jesus, the morning star.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_00: He's gonna give himself to you and he's gonna give authority to you.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_00: He's gonna take care of you in this world and eternity to come.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_00: You have to believe that.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_00: But if you give into the temptations of this world and you say, Well, I I need this job, like I have to keep doing what I'm doing because I can't afford to lose it.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_00: There's some pretty harsh judgment there against you.
• 14:37
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and I would challenge you to seriously evaluate yourself and again being around some strong believers, being in a good church home, you can have not only encouragement, but I've always said having a strong network of people around you is the is the key to success.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_00: Um, to get yourself just around people that can guide you and care for you and direct you.
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_00: Um so that's pretty much it.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_00: Just evaluate yourself and and really think about your life and where it's at.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_00: Let me pray for you.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_00: I want to thank you for joining me in today's episode.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_00: I hope you really enjoyed it.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_00: And next week we're gonna be looking at uh uh what's the next church?
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_00: I don't have it written down here, but it's uh oh, I'm sorry, the church of Sardis.
• 15:23
  SPEAKER_00: We're gonna look at the church of Sardis.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_00: And this is the sleeping church or the cold church.
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_00: Um, what we're gonna see in the next three churches is the cold, hot, and lukewarm churches, which uh is it's really interesting and fun to um go through.
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_00: But next episode will be on Sardis, the sleeping church.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_00: So let me pray for you as we leave here today.
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_00: Father, thank you so much for my listeners that are here hearing your word.
• 15:45
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I pray that you are speaking to their hearts and their minds, that you will transform them from the truth of your word and the presence of your spirit in their lives, God.
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_00: Give them the strength to evaluate their lives and to repent of anything that is sinful or anything that they are tolerating that keeps them from a true and holy relationship with you, God.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_00: Help them to repent of that, to stand their ground, to not worry about the repercussions that come from them in this world, but to fear the living God.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_00: But to fear the living God and to trust that you are good and holy and have nothing but good for us in store if we bow down before you, Jesus, and trust in you in all things.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_00: We thank you and we love you and praise you in your precious name, Jesus.
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_00: Amen.
• 16:33
  SPEAKER_00: So thank you again for listening in, and I'll see you next time.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_00: God bless.