October 26, 2014

Thyatira: Increasing, But Indulging (Revelation 2:18-29)

Preacher: Bryce Morgan Series: Happy Ever After (Revelation) Topic: Revelation Scripture: Revelation 2:18–2:29

Happy Ever After

Thyatira: Increasing, But Indulging
Revelation 2:18-29
(One Body: You Shall Be My People)
October 26th, 2014

 

I. The Cancerous Elephant in the Room

You may have heard the news this past week that the nation's second largest tobacco company, beginning next year, will be banning smoking from its corporate offices. Reynolds American, the maker of Camel cigarettes issued this statement: "We believe it's the right thing to do and the right time to do it, now that we offer a full line of smoke free products...It will make our work environment more inviting for employees and visitors who do not smoke."

Of course, there is an irony to this decision, isn't there? Could this be one more sign that the tobacco industry is actually coming to grips with the heath-risks associated with its products? Or is this simply a public relations stunt? Maybe the majority of employees at Reynolds American, those who do not smoke, finally put enough pressure on the leadership.

Whatever the reasoning, if you or I were to visit these offices just a few months ago, and encountered someone smoking in the elevator, or in the next cubicle over, wouldn't it seem as if this community of people, or at least the leadership, was living in a different reality, attempting to downplay or ignore the dangers of smoking and even of second-hand smoke?

Long ago, a similar situation was playing out in the church at Thyatira. Thyatira was the least notable of the seven cities addressed in the Book of the Revelation. About 40 miles east, southeast of Pergamum, and about 50 miles from the Aegean Sea, Thyatira was a town known only for its industry.

But let's learn more by digging into the words of Jesus, words addressed to the church in Thyatira. Look with me at Revelation 2:18-29.

 

II. The Passage: “The Church in Thyatira” (2:18-29)

Now again, we are going to use the common structure that all of the mini-letters that make up chapters 2 and 3, the structure around which all of them are built. So instead of me reading through the entire passage this morning, let's go piece by piece through these verses, beginning with verse 18.

 

A. Description of Jesus (2:18)

As we have seen and will see with the other letters, in verse 18 we do find another unique description of Jesus. Look at how this letter begins...

“And to the angel [i.e. the messegner] of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.'”

Just as in the other letters, the opening line of this message to Thyatira is intended to take the original readers, as well as us, back to the vision of Jesus that was given to John, and that we looked at in chapter 1. Look back at verses 12-15 of chapter 1. John relays this...

Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, [13] and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. [14] The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, [15] his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters.

Like the other letters, there does seem to be a connection between the unique description of Christ given to each church and the unique circumstances in which each church found itself. But I think that connection only becomes clearer as we move deeper into the letter.

 

B. Diagnosis of Believers (2:19, 20)

So let's do that by looking next at the diagnosis of believers Jesus provides in verses 19, 20:

“‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first.'” [Let's stop there for a minute]

Notice the healthiness that Christ points to in regard to the Thyatiran Church. Jesus is well acquainted with the works of this church, and is pleased that “love”, “faith”, “service” to others, and “patient endurance” in the face of persecution, that all of these qualities can be found in the community of Christians at Thyatira. And in contrast to the church at Ephesus which had lost “the love [they] had at first” (2:4), which had cooled in terms of a passionate love for others, this church at Thyatira was increasing in these qualites of godliness: “your latter works exceed the first”.

But at the same time, and just as we've seen with three out of the four churches we've studied, there was also a serious matter of unhealthiness in this church. Look at verse 20...

“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 and to eat food sacrificed to idols.”

This is the same kind of error and compromise that we learned about last week in regard to the church at Pergamum. But in Thyatira, the temptation to sexual compromise and compromises in worship, those enticements were even more pronounced because of the daily pressures of the trade guilds that were deeply embedded in the social life of the city.

You may remember that Lydia, who met Paul, Silas, and Timothy in Philippi in Acts 16, was from Thyatira, and was a successful businesswomen in the trade of dyed fabrics, specifically the purple dyes for which Thyatira was famous. And inscriptions from the ruins of Thyatira confirm not only the importance of this guild of dyers, but also the fact that Thyatira was known for more guilds than any other city in the Roman province of Asia. Inscriptions have been found that speak of: wool-workers, leather-workers, tanners, linen-workers, makers of outer garments, dyers, potters, bakers, slave-dealers, and bronze-smiths

And even though this kind of industry was fantastic for the economic well-being of the city, it was awful in terms of the spiritual well-being of Thyatira. Why? Because the pagan practices of the Greeks and Romans were (no pun intended) woven into the very fabric of these guilds. Think about it: what would you do if your office party or company picnic included idolatry and sexual immorality? It made it very hard to be both a Christian and a member of a guild.

And so living for Jesus could make it hard for you to make a living. But as we read here, into this time of tension steps Jezebel, a so-called, or maybe self-proclaimed prophetess. This is probably not her real name, but as in the letter to Pergamum that we studied last week, Jesus again uses an OT label to describe this woman. Like the corrupt and corrupting queen of Israel in the days of Elijah, this woman was also corrupting the church by teaching believers compromise instead of endurance.

You can just imagine her slippery words, “Don't you know we're saved by grace? Don't you know that God cares about your spirit, not your body? Do you really believe God doesn't want you to have a good job? It doesn't matter if you participate in the idolatry and immorality of the guilds. God knows what you really believe. It's not good for our ministry to look like a bunch of oddballs; to be unsocial and anti-civic. So come on, indulge.” Could this kind of reasoning be what Jesus calls the “deep things of Satan” in verse 24?

You see, like Reynolds American, the church in Thyatira was trying to live in a different reality. They were tolerating Jezebel. Turning a blind eye. In spite of the danger, they were indulging her error and excesses.

 

C. Directive to Action (2:21-25)

But look at how Jesus addresses this kind of tolerance and gives a directive to action in verses 21 through 25:

I gave her [declares Jesus] time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. [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, [23] and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. [24] But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. [25] Only hold fast what you have until I come.

Do you see the directives to action in this section? There are a couple mixed together with a couple warnings to consider...Verse 22: Jesus announces that there are consequences in store for those who compromise, “unless they repent of her works”. Notice the mercy of Christ here. As we see in verse 21, He has even given Jezebel time to repent. It may have been that Jesus had used the elders at Thyatira to confront Jezebel, but when she refused to turn from her error, the leadership failed to follow through.

But there's another directive in verse 25: for those in the church who had not compromised, Jesus exhorts them, “hold fast what you have until I come.”


D. Danger to Consider (2:21-25)

When it comes to a danger to consider, you may have noticed that that danger, or those dangers, are also woven into verses 21-25. The first danger is in fact a decreed judgment. It will take place: Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed...The church may be tolerating Jezebel's wickedness, but Jesus certainly isn't. And look at the dangers described for those who have participated in “her works”: and those who commit adultery with her [spiritual and/or physical] I will throw into great tribulation.

But there's more than that. Look again at verse 23: and I will strike her children dead. This is probably a reference to those in Jezebel's inner circle; her disciples; her team of influencers. Like her, they will be dealt with, and dealt with by the One (v.23) who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. Isn't this a connection back to the description of Jesus in verse 18? His eyes of fire can see all things, and His judgment will stand, just as He stands on feet like bronze.

 

E. Declaration of Reward (2:26-29)

But as I've pointed out in previous weeks, and will continue to point out, Jesus does not end His message on a note of judgment and warning. He always ends with a promise, with an encouraging call to obedience and perseverance. Look at verses 26 through 29...

The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, [27] and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority 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.’

So there are two parts to this declaration of reward. First, we see in verses 26 and 27 that Jesus is applying the language of Psalm 2 to the Christian. And yet, in several places in the NT, we clearly see that Psalm 2 is a psalm about the Christ. But notice how Jesus ties the two together at the end of verse 27. “Those who endure with me will rule, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. In fact II Timothy 2:12 expresses this same idea: if we endure, we will also reign with him... And as wee see here, this reign also means sitting with him in judgment over the nations.

But the second promise is a bit more obscure: And I will give him the morning star. How can we make sense of this? Well, once more we see how this book is tied together; we see how essential it is to honor the unity of this book. Look at what we read in the final chapter of the Revelation: “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” (22:16)

To stand firm in purity, or to repent of our compromise and turn to purity in belief and lifestyle, in doctrine and deed, to endure for Jesus means, one day, receiving the fullness of Jesus himself. And to have Christ is to have light forever. No more darkness. Never again.

And so we are called to conquer, to overcome, motivated by the reward of Christ himself. To receive Him in all fullness and to reign with Him for all time.

 

III. He Will Protect His People

Now one of the things that really stands out in this letter is how it builds on what we saw last week in regard to the purity of the church. Remember what we learned: each of us should care deeply for the purity, for the wholeness, for the healthiness of the church. It matters what we believe, doesn't it? It matters how we live, doesn't it? We cannot sit idly by and allow moral and spiritual compromise to put down roots in this church family. We need to pray for purity, and we need to model purity.

But what happens if we do sit idly by? What happens when we don't care, or pull back in fear? What if, like the Thyatirans, we end up tolerating compromise and compromisers? Well, last week Jesus made it clear what would happen. Revelation 2:16...[If they did not repent, turn, Jesus assures them]...I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth.

And here, at the end of the chapter, in this message to Thyatira, Jesus is explicit about what this kind of war looks like. Jesus Christ, the Lord of the Lampstands, Lord of the Church, will bring sickness, suffering, and even death to those who unrepentantly, flagrantly, and wickedly seek to destroy His church from the inside out.

And we know from earlier in the NT that these warnings are not hollow. We know what happened when a couple in the Jerusalem church tried to deceive the apostles about a donation of land, and would not tell the truth...Acts 5...

“Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? [asked Peter] You have not lied to man but to God.” [5] When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it....[9] But Peter said to [Ananias's wife], “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” [10] Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. [11] And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things. (Acts 5:4b, 5, 9-11)

We also read about a similar situation taking place in Corinth:

Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. [28] Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. [29] For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. [30] That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. [31] But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. [32] But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. [33] So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another—[and here's what part of what it means to examine yourself][34] if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home—so that when you come together it will not be for judgment. About the other things I will give directions when I come. (I Corinthians 11:27-34)

Let me explain what is happening here, because this is a frequently misunderstood passage. Unlike us, when the Corinthians gathered for the Lord's Table it was in the context of a larger church meal. But when some in the church were coming to that meal hungry, and not waiting for the whole church to assemble, the meal sadly became about selfish desires than remembering Jesus as a family set free by His death. This is why Paul encourages them to examine themselves and discern their own bodies. If they are coming hungry, they should eat at home first, lest they be tempted to turn the Table into something other than a means to honor Jesus and glorify God.

But we also see here that Paul speaks of judgment, but is quick to explain that God's judgment, when directed at the church, is a means of discipline, that we might not be condemned, that we might be drawn to Him and refined in Christ. And so God is using illness, and even death, to get their attention and sober them about the seriousness of the issue.

What are we seeing in all these examples? Here's what we're seeing: Jesus Christ is a good husband. And because He is, He will defend His bride. Jesus Christ honors the temple of God. He will guard that temple. Jesus cares for and preserves His own body, which is us! Jesus Christ will protect His people. Do you believe that?

The force of these words in Revelation 2 is first and foremost a warning for unrepentant sinners. Just as Paul had to rebuke Peter for his error in Antioch, of not eating with Gentile converts (as recounted in Galatians 2), so too did God warn and judge Ananias and Saphira, and the Corinthians concerning the Lord's Table, and as we see here, the Thyatiran church because of Jezebel. What did they all have in common? They were not dealing with very public sins that had a corruptive influence on the rest of the church.

By His grace, Jesus does give such people time to repent. But when they do not, because His church is under attack, He will step in and remove people from the equation.

So this passage, and passages like it, are first a warning and call to repentance for those who spread the cancer of compromise in the church. But secondly, it is a resounding note of encouragement and assurance for those who care about the church. Why? Because we know that the ultimate security of the church does not depend on us. Remember the promise Jesus gave to Peter...

Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” [17] And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. [18] And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell [i.e. the power of the grave] shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:16-18)

Let me try to summarize this main point in one statement. Listen...

Our resolve in regard to healthiness in the church should be strengthened by confidence that Jesus Christ has and will ultimately protect His Church from moral and spiritual sickness.

In a church that is sinking under the weight of compromise, Jesus can do two things. If they fail to repent, 1) He can remove the lampstand from a church (2:5), and thus a community of people ceases to be a true church, or 2) He can intervene and discipline a church and refine it so that it is reoriented in repentance and truth. Even if we have to leave a dying church, we can be assured that there will be a true church out there where we can find fellowship.

Remember, when Jesus disciplines His church, He is either doing one of two things: 1) He is removing false confessors, fake Christians from the midst of a local community of faith, or 2) He is mercifully removing a believer who is headed for deeper trouble and more corruption, and saving their spirit, even as their body is judged in death. Through such disciplinary measures, He protects His people from these struggling brothers and sisters.

How do we leave such a passage? We leave it confident in Christ's protection; strengthened in our resolve to stand for purity in the church. And that begins by standing for purity in our own lives; by acknowledging compromise and turning from it, and receiving the mercy of Jesus.

Only through the bright and morning star will we have light to guide us in this way, only because of the blood He shed for us, because of His victory over death; only through the gospel do we find strength to walk in and stand for purity.

 

 

Additional Resource:

When God Judges the Church

The Apostle Peter declared regarding the church, “For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God...” (I Peter 4:17) But for most, this kind of judgment seems alien to the idea that Jesus took God's judgment against us on Himself. How do we reconcile these two ideas? Here are five biblical truths to keep in mind when it comes to God judging His Church:

1. When God judges the Church, He does so to correct, not condemn. Because of Jesus, Christians are no longer eternally condemn for their sins (Romans 8:1). But they still need correction, especially when certain sins are known church-wide and can influence church-wide. Paul makes this distinction clear when he writes to the Corinthians about their skewed practices regarding the Lord's Table: But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. (I Corinthians 11:32) In I Peter 4:12-19, God's judgment is connected with outside persecution. In this context, the emphasis is on the purifying effects of such judgments. Wonderfully, this kind of discipline is not evidence of God's anger or indifference, but of His love (Hebrews 12:5-7).

2. God's can use strong measures, even sickness and death, to get our attention. Paul was able to point out for the Corinthians how the sickness and deaths that had occurred within their church were connected to their reprehensible treatment of the Lord's Table: That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. (I Corinthians 11:30) God certainly sobered the early church when He judged Ananias and his wife Sapphira for their deception and pride (Acts 5:1-11). In light of their sudden deaths we read, And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things. (5:11).

3. God's intervention seems to come when internal discipline has broken down. In Matthew 18:15-20, Jesus detailed the process for addressing sin within the church (cf. I Corinthians 5). But when the Corinthians failed to address, or would not follow through on, issues like distorting the Lord's Table, God began to intervene with His corrective judgment (11:30). This is the pattern we find in the short, introductory letters of Revelation 2 and 3, where Jesus warns the churches to repent, or else He will intervene. To the church in Thyatira, Jesus reminds them that “Jezebel” was given time to repent (via church discipline?), but her inaction will now result in judgment (Revelation 2:21-23).

4. All such judgments are ultimately designed to protect and prosper the church. In Acts 20:29, 30, Paul warns that “fierce wolves” will come into the church, and that even destructive teachers will arise out of the leadership. The Apostle John also spoke of false Christians within the church (I John 2:19). Paul speaks of cleansing the church of flagrant, unrepentant sinners, in order to protect the church from their corrupting influence (I Corinthians 5:6, 7). Therefore, God's judgments seem to purge and purify the church by both removing false believers and correcting genuine disciples.

5. Addressing corruptive sin is more important than labeling possible judgments. Since the Scriptures are clear that illness and death are not always (or even typically) expressions of God's judgment against a church (e.g. John 9:1-3; I Timothy 5:23), we have to be very careful today about trying to identify such judgments along with writers who were inspired by God. If difficult times or disturbing events turn our attention back to unaddressed issues of sin within the church, we should praise and thank God. But in such cases, the focus should be on dealing with the unhealthiness, not labeling possible judgments.

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