To the Church of Thyatira
In this series on the Seven Churches of Revelation, we have examined the Church in Ephesus, the Church in Smyrna and the Church in Pergamum. Today we will look at the Church in Thyatira and not only how our Church compares to it, but also how we as individual Christians compare to the Christians in Thyatira.
Let’s stand as we read:
Rev 2:18-29
18 "To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.
19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.
20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.
21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.
22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways.
23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.
24 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.
26 To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations--
27 ’He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery’-- just as I have received authority from my Father.
28 I will also give him the morning star.
29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
(NIV)
(Prayer)
Thyatira the smallest city of the seven churches was about 35 miles east of Pergamum. It was perhaps the least important from a political and religious standpoint. We know little about the city, but it was not a main center of any kind of pagan worship. Thyatira is only mentioned one other time in the Bible.
Let’s read:
Acts 16:14-15
14 One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.
15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. "If you consider me a believer in the Lord," she said, "come and stay at my house." And she persuaded us.
(NIV)
When Paul was in Philippi preaching the Gospel, Lydia heard Paul’s message and was his first convert in Philippi. It is assumed that Lydia was a rich merchant because the purple dye that was made in Thyatira was very expensive. The dye came from the madder root and a shellfish called murex. Lydia may have played an active part in establishing the church there.
Let’s look at the message for the Church at Thyatira.
Rev 2:18
18 "To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.
(NIV)
Jesus is making it clear that this letter is from Him, the Son of God. He is also telling them and us that nothing is hidden from His view. Jesus, the Son of God is able to penetrate the secret recesses of the heart. If a person thinks that they can hide their secret sin from God, then they are gravely mistaken. There is nothing that God doesn’t know about us, even our innermost thoughts. As Christians we are told to be the light of the world, but if we have dark thoughts, then we don’t have a light to shine to the world. To be the light, we must first light the flame inside us. This means having Christ live in our hearts and obey His teachings. Sometimes we may think that we get away with a "little" sin. Maybe we take a pen from the office or we get back to much change from a store clerk and we think that no one will ever know. Jesus knows. There is no sin that Christ doesn’t see. We can never hide anything from God.
Jesus says that His feet are like burnished bronze. Bronze or Brass is a symbol that the Bible uses for judgment. The word burnished means just or accurate. So Christ judgment of sin is accurate and righteous. There are many Christians that believe God does not punish His people for sin. God is a righteous God and deplores sin. If your son or daughter, whom you love dearly, disobeys you, then you punish them so that they will learn to obey you and hopefully by obeying they will learn right from wrong and will have a must better life when they go out on their own. God wants us to have a better life, so He punishes us when we sin, so that we will learn to live life to the fullest in God’s grace.
The Commendation:
Rev 2:19
19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.
(NIV)
This is a very short commendation. Jesus says that He knows their deeds, love, faith, service and perseverance. They are commended for doing more now than they did at first. Their love for God is greater than it had been and their faith is great. They are serving the Lord no matter what obstacles that they encounter and they persevered. The Greek word for service (diakonian) actually means ministry. They were doing their best to spread the Gospel and to show love to all. This is something that all Christians should be doing. We are all (not just some) called to spread the gospel. We should be witnessing everyday. When you go out of this church building today, look around. How many people will you see this afternoon at the restaurant where you eat or at Walmart shopping? How many of these people need someone to tell them about Christ? If you don’t, who will?
The Condemnation:
Rev 2:20-23
20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.
21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.
22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways.
23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.
(NIV)
Jesus found that in this church there was a woman (who like Jezebel in the book of 1 Kings) who was trying to control some of the congregation. In 1 Kings we learn that Ahab married Jezebel. Ahab was the king of Israel when he married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him. Ahab set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. This angered God and He punished both Ahab and Jezebel. You can read all about it in 1st and 2nd Kings.
Just as Jezebel influenced Ahab to sin against God, this woman in the church of Thyatira was influencing some members of the church. By her teachings she misleads many into sexual immorality. We have people in the church today that tries to alter the teachings of the Bible. These people according to Paul should be removed from the church if they refuse to change. The Greek word used here for sexual immorality is "proneuo". This is the word that we get our word pornography from. "Proneuo" means to engage in unlawful lust or sex. Isn’t it amazing? In our churches today we are going through the same things. Just today the US Supreme Court ruled that pictures on the Internet that has been altered to look like adults are having sex with children is legal. How can anyone believe that this is acceptable? Even Christians in our churches today and even Pastors and Priests are addicted to Internet pornography and some even committing acts of fortification.
Jesus gives a stern warning. He says that He will cast her on a bed of suffering and will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely unless they repent. Jesus says that He will strike her children dead. Those who commit homosexual acts have been cursed with the HIV virus AIDS and are dying every day. This should be enough of a warning. Those involved in pornography had better repent before it is too late. The word "repent" according to the Webster’s dictionary means "To make a change for the better because of remorse or contrition for one’s sins." When Jesus says that we need to repent, that means not only asking for forgiveness, but also to correct our behavior or to turn from that sin.
The Reward:
Rev 2:24-28
24 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.
26 To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations--
27 ’He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery’-- just as I have received authority from my Father.
28 I will also give him the morning star.
(NIV)
To those who keeps the teachings of God and does the will of Christ will be given authority over the nations. When Christ comes back after the Tribulation with His saints, those who overcomes and does the will of God to the end will reign with Christ has He judges the nations of the world. After the judgment then Christ (the morning star) will rule with His believers here for a 1000 years.
Is there anything better than to be in the presence of Christ? I can’t think of anything better.
The Warning:
Rev 2:29
29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
(NIV)
Please hear the words that Jesus is speaking to these seven churches of Revelation. They apply to us just as much as they applied to the Churches in John’s day. The same sins that these churches committed, we are committing today. Repent, before it is to late. God does punish sin. If you have sin in your life, then it is time to confess that sin to God and repent from it. Get out of any sins that you have in your life. Some people thinks that no one knows about the sin that they have in their lives, but God knows. God wants you to repent from all sin in your lives so that He may bless you.
If you are here today and have a secret sin in your life God knows about and He is waiting for you. Confess that sin to God now and repent from that sin. God is a loving God and He loves you, but He wants His children to obey Him. Repent now.
If you are here today and don’t know Jesus has your savior, He too is waiting for you. Come now and ask Jesus into your heart. Tell Him you are sorry for all the sins that you have committed and ask Him for help to turn away from all those sins. He loves you and there is nothing so bad that you have done that He won’t forgive. Come call on the name of Jesus now.
