Disposing of Jezebel

Introduction: The Man in the Woods: A man came into a wood one day with an axe in his hand, and begged all the trees to give him a small branch, which he wanted for a particular purpose. The trees were good-natured and gave him one of their branches. What did the man do but fix it into the axe head, and soon set to work cutting down tree after tree. Then the trees saw how foolish they had been in giving their enemy the means of destroying themselves.

Background: This, the fourth stop on our journey through the Seven Churches of Asia, is the city of Thyatira. Here we are about midway between Pergamum and Sardis. This city was for the most part the center of the Asia Minor textile industry, specifically the production of dyes. Lydia, a seller of purple cloth, one of Paul’s early converts was from Thyatira (Acts 16:13-16) This Church, experienced struggles similar to that of Pergamum, which we discussed last week. However, like Pergamum, this Church is also one that has much going for it, in spite of its struggles, in fact the name “Thyatira” means “continual sacrifice”

Proposition: Having now reached the halfway point in our study on Churches of Asia, and now turning our attention to Christ’s message to the Church of Thyatira, we see what insight we may gain from this letter to aid us in our Christian life

Transition: We begin this morning by looking at this letter as a message…

I. A MESSAGE OF COMENDATION

a. This Church is commended by Christ in their actions in 5 key areas of their work, love, faith, service, patience, and growth

- The first of these is Love

- This is good will, unselfish concern about others.

- This is also in regard to their love for God, the one who made their salvation possible

- The second of these is faith

- This is a solid trust in God, and His actions concerning their lives and well-being.

- This Church had not only maintained its confidence in Christ, but they had been faithful in is service

- And by their actions this Church had grown in their faith

- Thirdly is service

- This denotes the various ministries of this congregation

- Benevolence, and things of than nature, this is love and faith in action

- The fourth of these key areas is patience

- This is simply perseverance in life and ministry

- The ability to endure under almost constant pressure for the cause of Christ

- They had born ever trial of their faith with fidelity to Christ and the Church

- The fifth and final area is growth

- This is a comment concerning the previous four areas

- This is a culmination of each or the previous principles

- Their growth as a Church was in all these areas

- They all go together to present a complete picture of the positive aspects of this congregation

b. Now ask yourselves, How do we compare in these key areas

- Are we strong where love, faith, service, patience, are concerned

- If this letter were addressed to us as a congregation, would this commendation be given?

- Are we progressing in all these areas, or are there places that we need to address, to bring us to a higher level of effectiveness?

- These aren’t just questions that I ask simply for the sake of asking

- These are questions that must be asked, and more importantly they must be answered!

c. He knows their works are greater than the