Holding on to the truth is of vital importance.
- It is a matter of life and death, blessing or suffering, reward or judgement.
- Jesus emphasizes this need to the two churches.
- They performed well in many ways but not in the guarding of God’s truth.
We need to (1) HOLD FAST TO THE TRUTH
- What does that mean? Follow it above all else, and rid all human or worldly thoughts that are contrary to God’s revelations.
- As Christians, we cannot co-exist with the world. We are to be set apart.
- 2 Cor 6:14 "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?"
The church in Pergamum may be strong withstanding persecutions from without. But within, they were accommodating wrong teachings.
The church in Thyatira was known for their works of love and faith, their service and perseverance. But they were tolerating a false prophet in their midst.
Both churches were criticised for allowing false teachings to persist in their churches.
- It wasn’t the whole church that has gone wrong, only some people.
- In Thyatira, it’s just one person. You need only one false teacher to influence the church and destroy its witness.
Jesus said to His disciples (Matt 16:6, 11-12), "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."
- The yeast is just a small part, but it will work through the whole dough.
- The teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees, if you accept them, as harmless as they seemed to be, will affect your entire life. It will destroy your life.
On the personal level, we need to honour the Word and give it the highest regard.
- God does not want us to view it as a good-to-have, a bonus for our life.
- It is our very life. We need to read it, study it, memorise it and live by it.
- Its authority and power must be placed above all else.
(2) We STAND UNDER THE JUDGEMENT OF GOD’S WORD
Christ introduces himself as the One who has the sharp, double-edged sword (2:12) and then said He will soon come to them with the sword of His mouth (2:16).
- He wants to emphasize to the church the need to hold fast to the truth, His Word.
- The sword is His Word. Heb 4:12 "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."
- Jesus, the One with eyes of blazing fire (2:18), sees through all that. 2:23b "I am He who searches hearts and minds..."
The Word reveals all. The Word judges us.
- Eph 6:17 tells us the 6th piece of the Armour of God: "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
- We see this phrase used again in Rev 19:11-16
11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice He judges and makes war. 12His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but He himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
You and I do not stand in judgement over God’s Word.
God’s Word stands in judgement over you and me!
This sword is two-edged because we use the Word against the enemy, but the Word is used by God against us too. It reveals sin in our own lives.
(3) DO NOT COMPROMISE AT ALL COST
Both churches did not correct and convert those with wrong beliefs.
- They have love and faith; they were fervent serving and persevering.
- They are "now doing more than you did at first" the Lord said (2:19).
- Yet they accommodated the false teachers and tolerated their wrong teachings.
Why? Why were they able to withstand persecutions but not rid themselves of these false teachers?
- They have become comfortable with the co-existence.
- They might have thought, well, it’s just a small group. Perhaps some of these people are friends. They have been helping the church. They are nice people.
Don’t compromise. Don’t get comfortable with sin. Don’t give it room to grow.
- You can be faithful serving God and persevering in hardship, and yet allow sin and immorality to fester and grow.
- Repent, the Lord says. To both churches, His message is the same. Repent.
In the early part of this century, an American ship was wrecked off the Sicily Isles near the coast of England. The sea had been calm and the weather clear, but the vessel was pushed off-course by a very strong current. Before the captain and the crew realized what had happened, the ship had crashed into the rocks.
Drifting away from God’s way does not happen suddenly, in a prominent way.
- It usually happens in a slow and imperceptible way. Give it more time, and it will eat you up.
- It is the small, little habits that erode away your faith in God. (e.g., buying "just one lottery ticket" or having "just one drink" at a party).
- We compromise, accommodate and tolerate small, little sins. We don’t murder, we just hate. We let unhealthy habits go on.
- Every time you step across the line and compromise, you endanger yourself, even if you don’t realize it. You will eat its fruit sometimes, many years later.
A giant 400-year-old redwood came crashing down one day, no one could figure out why. The tree had survived 4 centuries of storms, lightning, and earthquakes. What had felled it?
On closer inspection, investigators found that tiny beetles had found their way inside its trunk and had begun eating away its life-giving fibres, weakening its mighty bulk from the inside out.
In much the same way, the devil tries to bring us down through a steady dosage of small, seemingly insignificant temptations.
- He fails to knock us down with persecution, even with death; but he wins by hitting us from within.
- Satan will find ways to creep into our lives for the purpose of eroding our foundations.
- "Show me a person who has fallen away from their walk with the Lord, and I will show you a person who started making compromises in his or her life long ago."
One parent listened to all the reasons his children gave for wanting to see a particular PG-13 movie. It had their favourite actors. Everyone else was seeing it. It was only rated PG-13 because of the suggestion of sex. They never really showed it. The language was pretty good. They only used the Lord’s name in vain three times in the whole movie. The video effects were fabulous and the plot was action-packed. It wasn’t very bad.
Even with all these explanations for the rating, the father wouldn’t give in. He didn’t even give them a satisfying explanation for saying, "No." He just said, "No."
Later that evening, the father asked his teens if they would like some brownies he had prepared. He explained that he had taken the families favourite recipe and added something new. They asked what it was. He calmly replied that he had added a special ingredient - dog poop.
He stated that it was only a little bit. All the ingredients were gourmet quality. He had taken great care to bake it at the precise temperature for the exact time. He was sure the brownies would be superb. Even with all the explanations of the perfect attributes of the brownies, the teens would not take one.
The father acted surprised. There was only one little element that would have caused them to act so stubbornly. He assured them that they would hardly notice it if at all. They all held firm and would not try the brownies.
He then explained that the movie they wanted to see was just like the brownies. Sin enters our minds and our homes by deceiving us into believing that just a little bit of evil won’t matter. With the brownies, just a little bit makes all the difference between a great brownie and a totally unacceptable product. He explained that even though the movie people would have us believe the movies which are coming out are acceptable for adults and youths to see, they are not.
Now when this father’s youth want to do something or see something they should not, the father merely asks them if they would like some of his special brownies and they never ask about that activity again.
Do not let your guard down? If there are areas in your life where you have begun to let your guard down, confess and repent. Ask God for the strength to stand strong.
If we need shipping lines in the oceans and air routes in the skies to guide, and make sure ships and planes stay on course, then we need to be serious about the Word.
- This is God’s only Guide for our life. We disregard it at our own peril.
- As you and I go through life, there will always be times where we are going to have to make decisions to do the right thing.
- When these times come, and they most certainly will, we will either decide to go with God despite the cost. Or, we will choose to compromise.
- Decide now to honour His Word.
2:16 "Repent therefore!"
2:21 "I have given her time to repent..." God’s first option is not to judge.
- It is not His heart to judge. 2:22 "...unless they repent of her ways."
- If you choose to go on, then expect God’s judgement and suffering.
Conclusion:
We cannot dictate how the world lives, but we must be very sure of how we live.
(1) Make God’s Word your standard of conduct. Begin every day in the Word. Remember the Word.
(2) Follow the initial promptings of the Spirit rather than your emotions. He is here to guide you and recall Christ’s Word for us.
(3) Make a determination not to compromise in your life.
While it may be tempting to give in to temptation "just once", it’s important to understand that compromise is a slippery slope.
- Decide now that you will not compromise God’s laws, no matter what the circumstances.
- Rev 2:24-25 "Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets (I will not impose any other burden on you): 25 Only hold on to what you have until I come."
- Christ promises reward to those who remain faithful and obedience to the end. Both churches were promised rewards. You and I can expect that.
