Bible Study - Church (4) - Strong in Purity - Revelation 2:18-29 - June 27, 2021

 Bible Study – Church (4) – Strong in Purity – June 27, 2021

This is lesson four (4) in our series entitled, “The Church GOD Desires.”

Our focus scripture is Revelation 2:18-29.

Purity in all things impacts your service for CHRIST.

The fourth church is Thyatira. Again, JESUS instructed the Apostle John to write not what John wanted to write but what JESUS was telling him to write.

The church in Thyatira was the smallest and least remarkable of the seven churches but important to JESUS. It was located about 40 miles southeast of Pergamum and likely a military outpost to protect Pergamum. Today the city of Akhisar covers the ruins of Thyatira.

They served the sun god, Apollo, (the son of Zeus) along with many other gods. Their claim to fame was trade guilds. Thyatira had more trade guilds than any other city in Asia Minor. A guild was established for trade e.g., some worked with wool, others with linen, others worked with leather, tanning, bronze, dyed cloth, etc. Do you recall Lydia who was the seller of purple in Acts 16?

Religious life revolved around a certain guild. Each guild had a patron god and certain festivals associated with that god. Satan is always at work to entangle people in his web of lies. Work is a gift from GOD but when work becomes a god, it is the enemy of GOD. In that day when a person joined a guild, he or she had to declare allegiance to a certain god or else, you were on your on to earn a living.

Is this true today? Can a person’s work or hobby become a false religion? During those and these times, Christians face a dilemma – they needed or need to work but to learn and work in established trades. Those in Thyatira needed to join a trade guild. That meant worshipping a false god or acting like they were worshipping that god.

Compromise is an effective tool Satan uses to weaponize a Christian’s witness.  Even though the guilds had a hold on work, what was the message JESUS had for the church in Thyatira?     

In this message, JESUS commended the church in Thyatira for:

Demonstrating love, faith, service and endurance. Their works had grown even among difficult circumstances.

JESUS rebuked Thyatira for:

Tolerance of the false prophetess who misled some to eat food sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality.

Sound familiar?

What are the Churches doing today that do not measure up to GOD’S Word? Are we calling good what GOD is calling an abomination?

What is GOD revealing to those HE has entrusted with HIS message? Are those who are lost in sin and deceived by Satan leading others into a lifestyle of sin? Test those to whom you listen to by the truth GOD’S Word reveals. Satan is deceiving people today but Christians remain focused on the power of JESUS. Let’s explore!

Let’s read Revelation 2:18-19:

¹⁸ “Write this to the angel of the church in Thyatira:

These are the words of God’s only Son, JESUS, whose eyes are like a fiery flame, and whose feet are like fine brass. ¹⁹ I know your works, your love and faithfulness, your service and endurance. I also know that the works you have done most recently are even greater than those you did at first. 

These words are from JESUS who was physically born in the flesh, lived upon earth as a human, gave HIS human life to pay in full for the original sin of mankind. But the Good News is that GOD raised JESUS from the physically dead to be eternally alive. HIS resurrection was to reveal, to all, that JESUS conquered physical death and is the first fruit to prove that HE also conquered eternal death. Every person has the choice to either accept or reject this fact, through faith in JESUS.

The Apostle John identified JESUS, “whose eyes are like a fiery flame, and whose feet are like fine brass.” A “fiery flame” penetrates and cuts to the core. A fiery flame comes from a source with a purpose. It not only penetrates and exposes but it purifies as it cuts to achieve its intended purpose, as directed by JESUS.

From JESUS’ position, as the SAVIOR of the world, HE is the firm foundation upon which all can trust in, as given by “whose feet are like fine brass.” Those in a guild could relate to the strong, firm foundation of feet like fine brass.

JESUS said, “I know.” What did JESUS know? HE knew:

-         your works, your love and faithfulness, your service and endurance.

-         I also know that the works you have done most recently are even greater than those you did at first. 

JESUS was up to date on what was going on in the church in Thyatira. HE knew that their faithful service to HIM had grown.

Does JESUS know what is going on in our church or the church you attend? YES! Without a doubt!

Is our church growing Spiritually? Are we working as led by the Holy Spirit? Are the works we are doing greater than what we did in the early days? Are we doing the works as led by the Holy Spirit or the works we do in our own strength?

What tactics does Satan use today to lead our churches to compromise sound doctrine? Is our church doctrine sound and according to what GOD’S Word reveals? A compromise with the world is playing into the hands of Satan.

Love is the building block and the glue that holds things together. John 3:16-17 captures this love for all people. Love motivates us as Christians to be faithful. Love results in faithfulness. When we are in right relationship with GOD through faith in JESUS, we see truth in action. Truth builds upon itself. Truth leads to service and service leads to endurance. Why? It is because we witness the power of GOD being manifested as we move forward when we face the issues of life.

Life is building and seeing trust in GOD through faith in JESUS being manifested by planting our faith, the size of a mustard seed, into the fertile ground located in GOD’S vineyard where we work.

But not all was well in the church located in Thyatira. Let’s read on ----

Let’s read Revelation 2:20-23:

²⁰ But I have this against you: you put up with that woman, Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. You allow her to teach and to mislead my servants into committing sexual immorality and eating food sacrificed to idols. ²¹ I gave her time to change her heart and life, but she refuses to change her life of prostitution. ²² Look! I’m throwing her onto a sickbed. I am casting those who have committed adultery with her into terrible hardship—if they don’t change their hearts from following her practices— ²³ and I will even put her children to death with disease. Then all the churches will know that I’m the one who examines minds and hearts, and that I will give to each of you what your actions deserve. 

JESUS had a major issue with the church. They had allowed a woman, who was either named Jezebel or JESUS labeled her as Jezebel, who called herself “a prophet.” She was self-appointed. She had no qualifications to be a prophet but they, the Christians, allowed her to teach and mislead Christians into committing sexual immorality and eating food sacrificed to idols. Was the church leadership asleep or were they enjoying what this false prophet was telling them.

What is the leadership of our churches allowing to be preached and practiced today in our Christian churches?

JESUS said HE gave her time to wake up and change her life of prostitution or for church leadership to wake up and take charge.

Is our church leadership responding to what the Holy Spirit reveals to them? JESUS gives time for us to change but if not, HE takes charge.

When enough is enough, JESUS takes action:

²² Look! I’m throwing her onto a sickbed. I am casting those who have committed adultery with her into terrible hardship—if they don’t change their hearts from following her practices— ²³ and I will even put her children to death with disease. Then all the churches will know that I’m the one who examines minds and hearts, and that I will give to each of you what your actions deserve. 

JESUS reveals to all churches that represent HIM to Look! Pay attention to your message and to those you allow to preach using your platform. 

JESUS takes action when enough is enough e.g., sickness, terrible hardship, children dying from disease, there will by payday one day.  

Let’s read Revelation 2:24-29:

²⁴ As for the rest of you in Thyatira—those of you who don’t follow this teaching and haven’t learned the so-called “deep secrets” of Satan—I won’t burden you with anything else. ²⁵ Just hold on to what you have until I come. ²⁶ To those who emerge victorious, keeping my practices until the end, I will give authority over the nations— ²⁷ to rule the nations with an iron rod and smash them like pottery— ²⁸ just as I received authority from my Father. I will also give them the morning star. ²⁹ If you can hear, listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.

Apparently, this false prophetess who called herself Jezebel had a following in Thyatira. The Old Testament, Jezebel, was the daughter of King Ethobaal of Tyre/Sidon and the wife of Ahab, King of Israel. Apparently, this false prophetess of the New Testament taught that aligning with Satan allowed a person to probe the “so-called deep secrets of Satan.”

Curiosity and the desire for knowledge leads many people into sin. It all began in the Garden of Eden when Satan tempted Eve to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Satan often gives a false impression of success when a person embraces his false leadership. Were the craft guilds a cult? Did some attribute their success to following the teachings of this false prophetess? Satan disguises himself in the things that offer pleasure and success.

When Christian institutions allow false teachings in their body, it gives credibility to the false teachings. Spirit-born Christians, do you know the truth? If so, then you must take a Biblical stand against false teachings. It is not popular when you do but it is the right thing to do under the leadership of the indwelling Holy Spirit. 

Let’s consider verses 25-29:

What does JESUS reveal to Spirit-born Christians when they see abominations taking place in their church body - ²⁵ Just hold on to what you have until I come. 

Hold on to the truth you know as revealed by the Holy Spirit and GOD’S Word. Know that JESUS is in control. HE is still on HIS Throne and very much in charge of the world. Do not get discouraged but embrace the truth. In the words of Dr, Vance Hefner, practice in the dark what you learn in the light. When you, as a Spirit-born Christian, remain faithful JESUS reveals to them in verse 26:

²⁶ To those who emerge victorious, keeping my practices until the end, I will give authority over the nations— ²⁷ to rule the nations with an iron rod and smash them like pottery— ²⁸ just as I received authority from my Father. I will also give them the morning star. 

Victory is in walking the talk even in bad times. JESUS will give those who remain faithful the precious assurance that JESUS is victorious over all, just as the morning star emerges from the night sky, it is a sign that a new day is dawning. Who confirms this? What does verse 29 reveal?

²⁹ If you can hear, listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.

It is the Holy Spirit WHO reveals truth and sustains all Spirit-born Christians for each generation until HE returns. This is an ongoing promise to each generation who remains faithful to JESUS. Do you want your family line to make it until JESUS establishes HIS rule upon earth? Then remain faithful to GOD’S Word as confirmed by JESUS. The future of our future generations depends upon it. Spirit-born Christians are in a spiritual battle today. Will those who know the truth remain faithful? Seek the power and wisdom that comes from the indwelling Holy Spirit. Remain true to GOD’S Word and not to public opinion. Blessings!!!

JESUS said, “I know.” What did JESUS know? HE knew:

-        your works, your love and faithfulness, your service and endurance.

-        I also know that the works you have done most recently are even greater than those you did at first. 

 

When enough is enough, JESUS takes action:

²² Look! I’m throwing her onto a sickbed. I am casting those who have committed adultery with her into terrible hardship—if they don’t change their hearts from following her practices— ²³ and I will even put her children to death with disease. Then all the churches will know that I’m the one who examines minds and hearts, and that I will give to each of you what your actions deserve.