Cross Examined 5 | Seduced

We are in the middle of a series here at Cross-Connection called "Cross-Examined: Jesus Examines His Church." We are looking at the seven letters to the churches of Revelation, where Jesus addresses issues that were occurring in these churches about 1,900 years ago, but they still apply to us in the year 2014.

So, open your Bible to Revelation chapter 2. We will begin in verse 18, focusing on the church in Thyatira and the challenges they were facing. In Revelation chapter 2, we continue this series called "Cross-Examined: Jesus Examines His Church" as He writes to the seven churches of Asia.

We will start today in verse 18. Here, Jesus is the one dictating this letter, while the Apostle John is the one writing it down. Jesus says in verse 18, "And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire and feet like fine brass. I know your works, your love, your service, your faith, and your patience. And as for your works, the last are more than the first.

Nevertheless, I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat things sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. Indeed, I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. I will give to each one of you according to your works.

Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden. But hold fast what you have until I come. He who overcomes and keeps My works to the end, to him I will give power over the nations.

Words until the end to him: I will give power over the nations. He shall rule them with a rod of iron, and they shall be dashed to pieces like a potter's vessel. I also have received from my Father, and I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

God, we pray that you would open our ears and open our understanding as this message and this word that you spoke, although spoken to a gathering of believers in the city of Thyatira 1,900 years ago, speaks to us. It is a challenge, and it is a heavy passage and a heavy message. I pray, God, that you would help us to open our ears so that we would receive it in our hearts and be open to what you want to say to us. If this would apply and if this would speak to us today, we know that your word is living and powerful. We know that it is sharper than any two-edged sword, and it is useful for doctrine, and sometimes for rebuke and reproof.

So, God, use your word, and by the work of your Spirit in our midst today, we ask that you would teach us all things, guide us into all truth, and help us to be able to apply this in our lives for your glory and your name. We ask this in Jesus' name, and all God's people agreed and said, "Amen." You can be seated.

In the year 1611, after seven years of work by 46 translators, the King James Bible was officially completed and released. Now, nearly five hundred years later, it is still not only in circulation but one of the top-selling English translations of the Bible. It is not the only English translation; at the time it was translated, there were two others that came before it. However, it most certainly became the most prominent and the most in use. For about 450 years, it was the primary English translation.

About 20 years after the first printing in 1611, the successor to King James, King Charles I, found that they needed another reprint of the King James Bible. He commissioned the reprint, and it was finished in...

In 1631, a thousand copies of a reprint were delivered. However, as they started to go through the text, they found that among the 780,280 words, there was one word missing—just one word. This was a problem, even though it was a very small word in a rather small verse found in Exodus chapter 20, verse 14, the seventh commandment. In that 1631 King James edition, it read, "Thou shalt commit adultery."

It's just a small word, "not," but that small word made a big difference. All but 11 copies of the 1631 translation of the King James Version, which came to be known as the Wicked Bible, were burned and destroyed. The publisher, the printer, had his license for printing revoked and was fined 300 pounds, which in that day was an awful lot of money—about a year's wage.

You can actually get your hands on one of these copies today if you have ninety-nine thousand five hundred dollars; there is one available online for purchase. The Wicked Bible is still there, and there's a picture of the verse on a website that shows, "Thou shalt commit adultery." One little word can make a big difference.

About ten years ago, I, along with a gathering of pastors, was sitting down to talk about encouraging, strengthening, and ministering to those who are going through grief and mourning. We were looking at a booklet that had just been reprinted by The Word for Today, a booklet originally written by Pastor Chuck Smith. As we flipped through that booklet, one of the pastors present, Matt Dotson, came across a paragraph that read like this from Pastor Chuck: "If we had our wish, we would leave our earthly bodies so that we could be present with the Lord. Flesh and blood bodies cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven, so the move from tent to mansion is imperative."

Then, in that booklet, it said, "This corruption, my present body, must put on incorruption, my new body."

We must put on immortality. If you know that verse from First Corinthians, chapter 15, verse 53, it actually says, "This mortal must put on immortality." One letter can make a big difference. Don't you hate when Microsoft Word sometimes just changes things for you? I assume that's probably what happened right there.

Of course, misprints and typos are not the reason that people engage in immorality. We recognize and understand that we find ourselves, from time to time, whether thinking or engaged in things that are against the Scriptures and against the Lord, not because there are misprints in Bibles or in booklets, but because of our fallen sin nature. We don't need misprints and typos to justify those things; we do that just fine on our own.

The church that Jesus addresses here in His fourth letter in Revelation, chapter 2, the Church of Thyatira, was a church that was not only caught in compromise, like the church at Pergamos last week, but they were actually engaged in immorality. Now, that's not necessarily unheard of or strange. There would be people in churches who are engaged in things that are sinful because we recognize that people are sinful, and churches are made up of people. Therefore, there is sin within the church.

There are people here today who have fallen short of the glory of God this last week. Every single one of us may have experienced this. On your way here today, someone may have cut you off, and you found yourself in your heart in a place where, during worship, you were saying, "God, forgive me of a wrong attitude, a wrong motive," whatever it may be.

So, it's not unheard of that we would find sinners in church. This is not a perfect group of people. I am not a perfect person, and none of you are. If you think you're perfect, you have a bigger problem. Maybe the church has sinful people in it; we recognize that to be the case. However, the problem that this church, which Jesus addresses in verses 18 through 29 of Revelation, chapter 2, faced was bigger than just having issues of sin within the hearts and lives of the people within the church. There was a deeper issue at play.

There is a much more grievous issue here in this church that we shall see. Look at verse 18 with me. Jesus writes to this church and says to the angel of the church in Thyatira, "Write."

Now, first, the city of Thyatira was the smallest of the seven cities mentioned in Revelation chapters 2 and 3. It was situated approximately 40 miles southeast of the last church that we looked at, Pergamos. Jesus began with His letter to Ephesus, then moved north to Smyrna, north again to Pergamos, and now southeast down to Thyatira.

For many years, before what is termed the Pax Romana, or the Roman peace, this city of Thyatira was nothing more than a speed bump to the occasional invading army. It was first established and grew to prominence during the Greek Empire after Alexander the Great died and his kingdom was split into four kingdoms. This little city called Thyatira was established as an outpost for some of the Greek military to stand ready to delay any oncoming army from the east as they made their way west toward the capital city of Asia, Pergamos.

In its history, before the Romans brought peace to the region, it was conquered, destroyed, and rebuilt several times. However, it was situated on a trade route that went from the northwest to the southeast, connecting the capital city of Asia Minor, Pergamos, to the interior of Asia Minor. Merchants traveled back and forth along this road and would stop in Thyatira on their way.

As a result, this city grew to have great trade guilds. If we were to think of a trade guild in our modern day, the closest equivalent might be a union. Archaeologists have found more evidence that there was a greater number of trade guilds, or that they had more prominence in the city of Thyatira than in any other Asian city during that time. This was due to all the commerce that was flowing through the area. There were trade guilds for wool makers, tent makers, leather workers, tanners, and those who made fine linen.

One of the things that they and Thyatira were known for was purple dye. It was a very valuable commodity during that time, and the process of manufacturing it was extremely difficult and costly. Because purple was associated with royalty and the upper levels of Roman society, it was something that was highly desired by the wealthy in the Roman Empire. Thyatira was the place where one could obtain purple dye and purple cloth.

Interestingly, we meet an individual from Thyatira who dealt in that very thing in Acts chapter 16. When Paul was on his second missionary journey, he entered Macedonia, marking the first move of the gospel into modern-day Europe. He went to the chief city of Macedonia at that time, the city of Philippi. There was no synagogue in Philippi, which was normally where Saul, the Apostle Paul, would go to minister first.

Since there was no synagogue, he went on the Sabbath day to the nearest river, knowing that if there were any Jewish people or God-fearers, they would gather there. This practice dates back to their exile in Babylon when they had no place to gather and would meet by the river. On that Sabbath day, he went to the river nearest to Philippi and found a gathering of women who were God-fearers—not Jewish, but Gentiles—interested in the things of the one true God.

We read in Acts chapter 16, verse 14, "Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira who worshiped God, and the Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul." Lydia became a believer in Jesus, and it is highly likely, in fact very probable, that she was one of the first people to bring the gospel, the good news of Jesus, back to her family and friends, as well as to those who were part of the trade guild of merchants dealing in purple cloth and dye in her home city of Thyatira.

Many Bible teachers believe that the first establishment of a church in Thyatira may have been due in part to Lydia's ministry and her salvation through the Apostle Paul. No doubt, the church in Thyatira grew and was established during Paul's third missionary journey when he was ministering in the city of Ephesus. You can read about it in Acts chapters 18 and 19. In Acts chapter 19, it says that as Paul taught and ministered, I believe around verse 10, he...

The Apostle Paul ministered in Ephesus for two years, during which the whole of that peninsula of Asia Minor heard the gospel. The Word of God went out, and so the church began to be established. Jesus writes to this small gathering of Christians that existed in Thyatira, which may be connected to the Apostle Paul and, no doubt, to Lydia about 40 years later. He brings this revelation.

Remember the first point on our rap sheet: each of these letters follows the same outline. The first point is the revelation. Look at Revelation 2:18. The second half states, "And to the angel of the church at Thyatira write: These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire and feet like fine brass."

Point number one on your sermon guide is that Jesus sees all and will judge thoroughly. How do we get that from the text? Well, like the revelation of Jesus to the church at Pergamos last week, this is a powerful picture of Jesus. He begins by saying, "I am the Son of God."

In Jewish thought and ancient Middle Eastern thought of the day, to be the son of something meant that you carried the same nature. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus is referred to as the Son of Man, meaning he has the nature of a man. However, he is also revealed in the Gospel of John as being the one who is the Son of God, meaning he has the nature of God.

Here in Revelation, this is the only time in the book that Jesus introduces himself as the Son of God. He states, "I have the nature of God; I am God." For those who will tell you and me when they come to our door that Jesus never claimed to be the Son of God, just refer them to Revelation 2:18, where he explicitly says, "I am the Son of God."

He has the nature of God, and not only does he have the nature of God, being that he is God, he has all authority and all power. He doesn't often reveal himself in this way or highlight this in what he says, but when he does, it should get our attention. This church that he is speaking to needed a wake-up call from God.

High and so he says, "Listen, you need to recognize who it is who's writing to you. This is God who has a message for you." He goes on to say, "This is the Son of God who has eyes like a flame of fire and feet like fine brass." Each one of these revelations that are specific to each of the seven churches points back to the initial revelation of Jesus given to John on the island of Patmos in Revelation chapter 1.

If you look with me at Revelation chapter 1, briefly at verse 14, you will see that when John saw Jesus on the Lord's Day, Jesus revealed to him in all His glory. John says there in Revelation 1:14, "His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass, as refined in the furnace."

What does this picture of Jesus mean? What does it reveal about Him? I think that it means He has a penetrating gaze. His eyes are like a flame of fire; nothing is beyond His view. He sees all. But not only does He see all, we also see that His feet were like fine brass, refined in the fire. This signifies purity and enduring stability in Jesus.

You may remember there's a prophecy that Daniel receives from a dream that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had. It's there in the book of Daniel, I believe about chapter 3. Nebuchadnezzar had this dream of a great image that had a head and shoulders of gold, a chest of silver, a body of bronze, legs of iron, and feet of iron mixed with clay. There, Daniel prophesied and said, "These are the kingdoms that are going to come, and ultimately the whole thing is going to be broken down because those feet mixed with clay are broken by this great rock that hits them."

So, there's no stability, there's no strength. Yet, Jesus is seen as being the one who has feet of finally refined brass. There is enduring stability. However, this metal brass throughout the Scriptures is associated with judgment. So, Jesus, with these eyes like a flame of fire, has a penetrating gaze; He sees all, and He has stability—enduring stability.

He will judge thoroughly. He treads out judgment, as we see in the Book of Revelation. Later on in Revelation 14 and Revelation 19, it points back to passages in Isaiah 63 and Isaiah 34. It says that there is coming a day in the future when Jesus, upon His return in glory, will tread the winepress of the wrath of God. There are all kinds of interpretations about what that means, but at the very least, we know that it is not a pretty picture. Jesus comes to tread the winepress of the wrath of God, and He sees all and will judge thoroughly.

Christians who name the name of Christ and have the banner of Christ over their lives stand in a difficult position at times. You know this to be the case because we have the Spirit of God dwelling in us, as the Bible says. This means that when we see things going on in the world or in the lives of people around us, we are sometimes compelled by the Spirit of God in us to say, "That's wrong" or "That ought not to be."

There are people who will sometimes say to you and to me, "Don't you know the Bible says thou shalt not judge?" It doesn't really say that, but they'll refer to Jesus' words, "Judge not, that you be not judged." He did say that, but if you look in your Bibles at Matthew chapter 7, where those words come from, Jesus did not tell His people to not judge. He said to be careful when we judge.

In Matthew chapter 7, He reminds us that when we judge someone, that same judgment may be turned back around on us. Matthew chapter 7, verse 1, states, "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, it will be judged back to you, and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you."

But notice this in verse 3: "And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank that is in your own eye?" Or how can you say to your brother, in verse 4, "Let me remove that speck from your eye," and look, a plank is in your own eye? Verse 5 continues, "Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."

So, the teaching of Jesus in Matthew chapter 7 is that we need to see clearly when we are going to bring judgment upon someone else. Yes, we do have the Spirit of God dwelling in us, and yes, there will be times that we are compelled to act.

I feel compelled to say that this is wrong and that is right. However, when we do, we need to make sure that we judge our own lives first. Judgment must begin at the house of the Lord. Here we see the one, the only one in all of the universe, who has the ability to see clearly and judge righteously. There is no speck or plank in Jesus's eyes; His eyes were a flame of fire. No speck can remain there, and so He is the only one who has the power to fully judge. He who judges must see clearly, and Jesus sees perfectly and will judge thoroughly all things.

Right after the author of the Book of Hebrews reminds us that the Word of God is living and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, we looked at that and considered it last week in Hebrews chapter 4, verse 12. He says, "The Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword." Then, in verse 13, the very next verse, the author of the Book of Hebrews writes this: "And there is no creature hidden from His sight." Whose sight? The Word of God. Who is the Word of God? John 1 says it's Jesus. There is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him whom we must give an account. Jesus sees all things, and He will judge thoroughly.

Today, this should challenge every single one of us, and we should carry this close in our hearts: He sees all things, and He knows all. Why? In the Book of Isaiah, the prophet Isaiah, in Isaiah chapter 29, God speaks through him and says this: "Woe to those," which means destruction is certain, "woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are done in darkness." They say, "Who sees us? Who knows us?" Woe to those who think that they're hiding something when they're doing their deeds. Maybe they think that they're hiding those deeds in a cloak of false righteousness because they attend a church, carry a Bible, have a "Not of This World" sticker on their car, or even wear "Not of This World" jeans. Yes, they have them.

Woe to those who think that they can hide these things! Jesus tells us in Luke chapter 8, verse 17, that all things done in darkness will be brought to the light. Though we may think we're hiding things from other people, we are not hiding them from Him.

Nothing has ever been hidden from the Lord. In this church at Thyatira, they may have thought that they were doing things just right, because look at the commendation that Jesus speaks to them in the very next verse, Revelation 2:19. The Revelation of Jesus, the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire and feet like finely refined brass, says, "I know your works." Jesus knew what was going on; He is intimately involved in this church at Thyatira, just as He was with those at Pergamos, just as He was with those in Smyrna and Ephesus.

He says, "I know your works." Notice, "I know your love." The Greek word for love here is "agape." The definition of that word can be found, probably in its most complete context, in 1 Corinthians chapter 13, commonly referred to as the love chapter. He says, "I know your works, your love." The word is sometimes translated in the King James Version of the Bible as "charity."

"I know your sacrificial giving out of love, compelled by love." I know about that. Not only do I know your love, but notice He says, "your love and your service." Service springs from love; He is compelled through love to serve. But not only do I know your love and your service, but also your faith. It might even be better translated as "your faithfulness," "your dependability," "your reliability." From that faith comes your patience.

Service springs from love, and patience springs from faithfulness. He says, "I know that you have love, service, faithfulness, and patience." Notice what He says at the end of this: "As for your works, the last are more than the first." You're growing in these things. The New Living Translation says, "I can see your constant improvement in all of these things: your love, your faithfulness, your service, and your patience." You're just growing in these areas, and it's a wonderful sight that Jesus is beholding there in the Church of Thyatira.

This is an exhortation, I believe, to us. Point number two on your outline is that we need to increase in good works. We need to grow in those things. No, we're not saved by our good works. Ephesians 2:8 and 9 make that very clear: "For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." But the next verse says, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ."

Jesus created us in Christ to do good works, which God ordained beforehand that we should walk in them. We should grow in those good works and abound in them.

You are in Revelation chapter 2; just turn to the left a few books to 2nd Peter. 2nd Peter comes right after 1st Peter and just before 1st John. In 2nd Peter chapter 1, look at verse 5. Peter says to Christians in his day and to us today, "But also for this reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love."

For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Christians are called to add to their faith virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. We need to build up our faith and grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Peter would say in another portion of Scripture to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We need to be increasing in good works. The church in Thyatira was increasing in love, faithfulness, service, and patience. They were growing in these things, and Jesus commends them for it, saying this is good.

However, there is an indictment. In Revelation, the commendation is followed by the indictment. In verse 20, it says, "Nevertheless, I have a few things against you." He who has eyes like a flame of fire, a penetrating gaze, he who sees all and will judge thoroughly, says, "I know your love, your faithfulness, your service, and your patience, but I have these things against you. You allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce My servants so that they commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols." Jesus says you have allowed her to stay there within.

This woman, Jezebel, is often misunderstood. Her name was probably not actually Jezebel, as people don't typically name their children after her. Just like they don't name their kids Adolph or Judas, Jezebel is connected to bad things. If you want to learn more about Jezebel, you can read about her in the Old Testament, specifically in 1 Kings, chapters 16 through 21. These chapters provide a complete picture of Jezebel, who was the daughter of a king over a pagan people. She married the king of Israel, whose name was Ahab.

When you read about her starting in 1 Kings 16:30, you find that Jezebel was a false god-worshipping harlot. When I think about Jezebel, I am reminded of the song "She's a Very Freaky Girl," which captures her essence. Jezebel was bad news. The story reveals that she was Satan's agent, sent to corrupt God's people and lead them toward idolatry and sexual immorality. She raised up 850 prophets who taught the false gods of the day, including Baal and Asherah. These prophets spread false doctrines throughout the northern ten tribes of Israel, seducing the people and encouraging them to turn away from God.

Jezebel's prophets had an incredible showdown with Elijah the prophet in 1 Kings 18, where God revealed His power in a remarkable way. However, immediately after this powerful display, Elijah ran away because he was afraid of Jezebel. She was a formidable figure, and despite witnessing God's might, Elijah was terrified of her.

Because she says, "You're dead, I'm gonna kill you," that same spirit is now found in an individual who apparently was a woman in the church in Thyatira. There are a lot of ideas and thoughts about this Jezebel. You allow that woman Jezebel; the word for that woman could also be translated as "your woman Jezebel." There are all kinds of ideas about this being someone that you hold dear in your church.

Notice she is a self-proclaimed prophet. She calls herself a prophetess, and in her teaching—which is what a prophet does, declaring the Word of God—she is seducing and leading God's servants away from Him to commit sexual immorality and to eat things sacrificed to idols. This is the sin of Jezebel. It was not only a false teaching, but all that came from that false teaching.

There are people in the church in Thyatira who had love, faithfulness, service, and patience, yet they were following the doctrine and the teaching of this woman, this self-proclaimed prophetess. They were engaging in other things that were vile and wicked before God, involving themselves in the practice of idolatry in the temples of the day—whatever temples were there to Apollo, Zeus, and all these different deities. They were involving themselves in the sexually immoral practices that were a part of it, and it was all because of the teaching of this individual in that church.

But notice what Jesus says in verse 21: "I gave her time to repent." That's awesome! I gave her time to repent. Point number three on your outline: Jesus is exceedingly patient and gracious. Hold on to this, church. Jesus is exceedingly patient and gracious, and I know that all of us are thankful that He is.

He says, "I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality," but she did not repent; she refused. Now, how did Jesus give her time? I don't know. There were people, obviously, who came and challenged her teaching, but she refused to repent and to stop.

Refused to repent and stop, verse 22 states that Jesus will cast her into a sickbed. A lot of commentators and Bible teachers make a connection between the sexually immoral practices of this vile bed that she was involved with. Jesus says, "I'm going to cast you into a sickbed." Not only her, but also those who commit adultery with her. He states, "I'm going to cast them into Great Tribulation." Those who are following her doctrine within the church, if they don't repent, will also be cast into Great Tribulation unless they repent of their deeds. She needs to repent of her sexual immorality, and they need to repent of their deeds. If they don't, then they will be cast into Great Tribulation.

Verse 23 contains a startling passage: "I will kill her children with death." Many people look at this and wonder how Jesus could say such a thing. The only way to interpret this is that He is going to kill her disciples—those who follow this form of teaching from her. This means that you cannot be a Christian and perpetually practice such sinful things while thinking that everything is okay. Paul the Apostle speaks to this in 1 Corinthians chapter 6, addressing another church that was being seduced by the same line of thinking. They were involved in all kinds of sins, and he reminds them that they cannot be involved in a long list of sins and inherit the kingdom of heaven. These things do not go together.

"I gave her time to repent, but she would not." Many Bible teachers and commentators speculate about what this false prophetess was teaching to the church. There are two common views regarding what she was teaching, both of which were heresies that began in the first century AD and continued into the second century. The first one was called the antinomian heresy. An antinomian comes from the Greek word "anomos," which means "no law." The idea of the antinomian heresy was that everyone is under grace now, so there is no need to follow the law. There is no moral law to observe because you are saved by grace. Therefore, whatever you do is okay because you are saved by grace. Paul the Apostle addresses this in Romans chapter 6 when he asks, "Shall we sin that grace may abound?"

May abound, God forbid. That was one of the heresies that some commentators think this woman was sharing: you are all saved by grace, and whatever you do is okay. There's no moral law because God is forgiving and gracious. This is taking advantage of the grace of God, not recognizing that it is His kindness that leads us to repentance, as Paul says in Romans chapter 2, verse 4.

I believe the other heresy that people attached to this individual, this false prophet, was another heresy that grew to prominence in the later part of the first century and into the second century, which was connected to Gnosticism. You may have heard that word before. Gnosticism was the idea of what is classified as philosophical dualism.

Now, what is that? Well, dualism believes that humanity is a two-part being, having a body and a spirit. The spirit is righteous and good, while the body is carnal and bad. They are completely separated, and therefore whatever you do with the body is okay because that's just carnal and it's going to die, while the spirit will be connected to God. So, it's okay to do whatever you want to do.

That is the common theory on what it was that this woman was teaching. What did it maybe look like? I recognize this is speculation, but what did it maybe look like? Remember, I said that the trade guilds were the only way to work in Thyatira. If you were to work or be a player of any trade, you had to be a part of a trade guild. Whether you were working as a tanner, in leather, in dyes, or as one who was making all kinds of clay pottery, those sorts of things were created there. A worker of bronze, which was also refined in that area, had to be connected to one of these guilds.

All of these guilds were connected to some patron deity. They were all connected to a god that was worshipped in those cities. If you were a part of the guild, you were part of the temple, and as a part of the temple, you were involved in all the idol-worshipping practices and the immorality. Some people believe, and I think it's a good theory, that what she was teaching to this group of people was that it was okay. These guilds were saying, "Listen, if you're going to survive, if you're going to live here, if you're going to work, if you're going to thrive, you have to be a part of the guild." If you're going to be a part of the guild, you have to show that you're a part of the guild by involving yourself in all these sorts of practices.

The sad fact is that this fast forwards into our day as well. It may look a little different, but it is present in our day too. There are some of you today who are being called by your employer or whatever institution you are a part of to do things that you have a moral issue with, to do things that are against God. You say, "I can't do that; I'm a Christian." They respond, "Listen, either you find a way to do this or look the other way, or be involved, or you won't survive. You won't work here; you won't thrive."

I have talked with people in this very church who have had that experience. I read an article just a couple of days ago; you may have seen it. There was a woman who submitted a resume outside of the United States, specifically in Norway. They rejected her application, and the person who called her back said, "We will not hire you because you went to this Christian university, and we don't like Christians."

These situations happen where an employer says, "Listen, if you're going to live, survive, and thrive in this institution, you better find a way to figure out how to do this thing because this is how we do business. This is how business gets done." Some of you are being tempted by that; some of you are being called to compromise in some way.

But look at the summons that Jesus gives to this church in verses 24 and 25. To you who are in that predicament, and there are some here today in that situation, I say to the rest in Thyatira—those who have not connected themselves to the teaching of Jezebel, who are not involved in this idolatry and immorality: to the rest of you in Thyatira, as many of you who do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan—this is satanic. As they say, I will put no other burden on you. I’m not going to burden you with anything else other than this:

Look at verse 25. Hold fast what you have until I come. Hold fast what you have until I come. Point number four on your outline is to hold on and stand strong. One day, the Lord, with His penetrating gaze and His position of judging thoroughly, will return. He will come, and when He comes, may it be that He finds us holding fast.

Holding fast to what is true is essential. Second Timothy chapter 1, verse 3, encourages us to hold fast to sound doctrine. Second Thessalonians chapter 2, verse 15, reminds us to hold fast to the traditions of the apostles. Hebrews chapter 4, verse 14, tells us to hold fast to our confession of faith, while Hebrews chapter 6, verse 18, urges us to hold fast to our hope. We must hold on and stand strong.

How do we hold on and stand strong? Turn in your Bibles to the left to the book of Ephesians. After First and Second Corinthians and Galatians, you will find Ephesians. Ephesians chapter 6 provides guidance on how to hold fast.

Ephesians 6:10 states, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might." We are instructed to put on the whole armor of God so that we may be able to stand against all the wiles of the devil. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this age, and spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places. We stand against these forces.

Therefore, verse 13 advises us to take up the whole armor of God, so that we may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. We are called to stand firm, having put on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod our feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Above all, we should take up the shield of faith, with which we will be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked one. We must also wear the helmet of salvation and wield the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

We should be watchful to this end, with all perseverance and supplication, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit. Ephesians chapter 6, verses 10 and onward, is a good place to start. We are to put on the whole armor of God: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, the shield of faith, and shod our feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. We must take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and pray.

Jesus says to the Christians in Thyatira, who were not caught up in seduction, to hold on and stand strong. Now, let’s look at the promise in the last verses, 26 through 29, in Revelation.

Commendation, the indictment, the summons—hold on now. The promise is for he who overcomes. He who overcomes and keeps my works, not the works of Jezebel, but keeps my works until the end. I will give him power. The word used in the Greek is authority and jurisdiction over the nations. He shall rule them with a rod of iron, and they shall be dashed in pieces like a potter's vessel, as I also have received from my Father.

Jesus says, "You who overcome," and breaks this down. He says, "You will rule and reign with me. You will rule with me in my kingdom." Many believe this speaks of the millennial reign of Christ, but that is for another day. In verse 28, He states, "I will give him the morning star." What does that mean? The only other reference to the morning star is found in Revelation chapter 22, verse 16, where it speaks of Jesus. Jesus says, "I will give to you myself fully." If you overcome, He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Jesus addresses those who are enduring and facing wickedness in this church. If you overcome, you will rule and reign with me. So hold on to what you have and stand strong in your integrity. Stand strong in your self-control. Grow in knowledge, grow in grace, and stand strong in these things against those who teach wickedness. Know for certain, as has been repeated throughout the teachings of Jesus, Paul, Peter, and Jude, all throughout the New Testament, that false teachers will come. They will teach lies from seducing spirits like Jezebel, but hold on and stand strong.

Finally, how do we overcome? We go back to the verse we've finished with every week: 1 John chapter 5, verse 4. Whatever is born of God overcomes the world, and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world? But he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus stands before those of Thyatira and says, "Listen, I am the Son of God. Believe, trust, hold on, and add to your faith virtue. Add to your virtue self-control, and add to that perseverance and godliness." Stand strong in all of these things.

Would you stand with me as we pray that we would be able to do just that?

Father God, I thank You for a word that is a challenging word. Lord, no doubt You, by Your Spirit, are challenging us. Maybe there are places in our lives today that we need to lay down. We need to repent and say, "God, would You forgive and cleanse us of unrighteousness?" Help us to hold on, to stand strong, and to bring glory to Your name through our lives. May we do Your works and be abounding in those works in the days in which we live.

We know that there are always going to be, as You said, false teachers and false prophets. The church at Ephesus tested those who claimed to be apostles and found them to not be apostles. They wouldn't let them teach in their church. In contrast, the church in Thyatira was the complete opposite; they did not test those who came as self-proclaimed prophets. Yes, they had the love that Ephesus was missing, but they were soft on doctrine.

Lord, I pray that we would have a balance. May we be those who are loving, growing in love, service, faithfulness, and patience, while also standing strong upon the surety of Your Word and who You are. Use our lives as a backdrop on which You display Your glory and Your grace this week, we pray. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.