Last week we started discussing about the church in Thyatira which was labeled the corrupted church out of the seven. The reason that it was corrupted was there was a certain “woman” in the church who was corrupting the others into believing that it was ok to serve God and participate in the worldly things that were going on at that time.
This woman reminded Jesus of another who had corrupted those that followed God, Jezebel.
Revelation 2:20
20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.” – NIV
As we had learned last week, Jezebel was a not so nice person.
Acts of Jezebel
· Influenced Baal & Ashera worship
1st Kings 16:32-33a
“32 He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. 33 Ahab also made an Asherah pole…” – NIV
· Massacred Prophets of God
1st Kings 18:4a
“4 While Jezebel was killing off the LORD’s prophets…” – NIV
· Tried to Kill Elijah (Prophet of God)
1st Kings 19:1-2
“1 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.” – NIV
· Committed Forgery, Plotted a Murder, & Stole Land
1st Kings 21:8-10
“8 So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, placed his seal on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city with him. 9 In those letters she wrote:
“Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people. 10 But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them bring charges that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death.” – NIV
· Involved in Idolatry & Witchcraft
2nd Kings 9:22
“22 When Joram saw Jehu he asked, “Have you come in peace, Jehu?” “How can there be peace,” Jehu replied, “as long as all the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel abound?” – NIV
Time of Repentance
Even though all of this was going on in the church with this Jezebel, God still gave her enough time to repent of her sin and move on.
Revelation 2:21
“21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.” – NIV
I believe this is how most Christians are today with God, unwilling. We forget that we as Christians need to repent before God just as much as those who are not in church. God gives us enough time to repent that none shall perish, including those who are “saved”.
2nd Peter 3:9
“9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” - NIV
Now, we Christians are quick to point the finger at those in the world and say what they are doing is wrong and against God. We are quick to tell the world they need Jesus. We are quick to tell the world that they need to go to the cross when we ourselves are unwilling to do it.
Matthew 7:3
“ 3Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” – NIV
And before we go around correcting, we need to make sure we are willing to accept correction ourselves. This person, this Jezebel, was unwilling to repent. Unwilling to admit that she was teaching false doctrine and leading people away from Christ. God gave her time to repent, but she refused to. And because of her unwillingness to repent there were repercussions to her actions.
When we decide to do things our own way and do not adhere to the correction and conviction of God’s Holy Word we must then be prepared accept the consequences of it. We know that according to Scripture that:
Romans 6:23a
“23 For the wages of sin is death…” – NIV
Depending on the sin the repercussion will be different, but sin always brings death into your relationship with God. It separates us from Him. Nothing will kill your relationship with the Father faster than harboring sin in your life. We also need to keep in mind that sin not only affects us, but also those around us.
Revelation 2:23
“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
This is just another example of how our actions against God don’t just affect us. Just like Adam & Eve and how the outcome of their choice to be disobedient to God is still being experienced today. Just like the sin of Abraham and Sarah, their child they had with Hagar, Ishmael ended up where modern day Mecca is, which is where the Muslims go and worship their false god.
Faithful Remnant
All through our Scripture you will find that God always, always, preserves a remnant of people. The one that comes to mind the most would probably be Noah and his family. God wiped out the entire human race in order to restore the world back to the way it was meant to be. He preserved Noah as a remnant. Here in Thyatira there was a remnant of people who refused to follow the ways of Jezebel.
Revelation 2:23-24
“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 except to hold on to what you have until I come.’” – NIV
Jesus is telling those that are the “remnant” in Thyatira to “hold on to what they have” until he returns. He was telling them to just hold on to the truth that they know and not to stray from it. No matter what happens hang onto the solid foundation, the solid doctrine of God’s Word and do not stray from it. We too need to hang on to God’s Word. We need to know what it says even more so today than 50 years ago.
We know that the enemy is no respecter of persons and he comes to church just as much if not more than the most committed Christian. We need to stand firm in what God says. How can we stand firm?
Ephesians 6:10-17
“10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And **pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests**. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” – NIV
When we stand firm against the enemy with the truth of God’s Word we have victory guaranteed.
1st Corinthians 15:1-2
“1 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.” – NIV
Paul told Timothy:
2nd Timothy 6:11-12
“11 But you, man of God, flee from all this (false teachers), and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” – NIV
Hebrews 10:23
“23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” – NIV
When you stick with God you cannot go wrong. When you hold onto the truth you will always come out on top. Though there may seem like there are days where you are on the bottom…rest a sure that God has the final say so in everything and you will come out on top.
The Promise
Revelation 2:26-29
“26 To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— 27 that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’—just as I have received authority from my Father. 28 I will also give that one the morning star. 29 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” – NIV
The first part of verse 26 is a repeat of:
Revelation 2:7
“To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” – NIV
Each church at the end of the letter Jesus gives a promise to the “one who is victorious”. Our reward for standing firm on the truth and holding to our faith is everlasting life with Father.
Romans 8:14-17
“14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.[f] And by him we cry, “Abba,[g] Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” – NIV
We will share with Christ the victory over nations, the victory over the enemy. We will partake of the final triumph and glory of the Savior, and be associated with him. Jesus is coming soon for His church and when he comes:
1st Thessalonians 4:6-17
“16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” – NIV
Not only then, but we have victory now while we are still here. Victory through the blood of Jesus.
1st Peter 1:18-19
“18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” – NIV
2nd Corinthians 2:14
“14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession…” – NIV
John 16:33
“33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I (Jesus) have overcome the world.” – NIV
1st Corinthians 15:57
“57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” – NIV
We can claim the victory here and now as well as when He returns.
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