THE CHURCH THAT COMPROMISED WITH THE WORLD

Intro: Of the seven cities mentioned in the letters to the churches, Thyatira was the smallest. Additionally, it is the city about which little is known. However, Christ writes His longest letter to this obscure church in an obscure city.

Although not much is known about ancient Thyatira, there are a few facts that should be mentioned. Thyatira was probably established by Alexander the Great approximately 300 years prior to Christ. Thyatira means "Never-Ending Sacrifice" in Greek. It was probably a military buffer city when it got its name. It was about 40 miles to the south-east of Pergamos, the province's capital. Thyatira would naturally be attacked first by intruders. Its mission was to hold the adversary just long enough for Pergamos to prepare for battle, even though its location made it difficult to defend. Consequently, Thyatira was repeatedly demolished and rebuilt throughout its history. In its day, it was used for commerce and gained some notoriety. The city was connected to a major trade route. As a result, there were buyers and sellers from all over the world. Thyatira was well-known for its woolen industry, particularly for its dyes. They produced a purple dye that was highly prized by royalty and the wealthy of the time. A specific shellfish provided the source of this dye. Divers brought this little creature to the surface; It had its throat cut open; and this dye was obtained in a single drop. The combination of that dye and the chemical makeup of the water in Thyatira made it possible to create colors that could not be replicated anywhere else on Earth. The Bible makes reference to this industry. Acts 16:14 tells us about Lydia, who was described as "a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira..." Additionally, Thyatira was renowned for its trade guilds. These resembled the traditional unions of the time. Bakers, wool workers, dyers, bronze workers, potters, and others joined forces to set prices and guarantee work in the city's various industries. To decline membership in a guild meant to forfeit all employment prospects. As we progress through these verses, this trivial fact will take on greater significance. Additionally, Thyatira was a place of occult worship. In the city, there was a temple for fortune telling. Sambathe, a female oracle, was in charge of it. This letter is addressed by Jesus to the church in this city. We have no idea who established this church. Lydia, who was saved in Philippi, may have brought the Gospel to Thyatira, according to Acts 16:12–15. Or on the other hand, as some suspect, it could have been proselytized by adherents from Ephesus. We are certain of only one thing. Even though the church in Thyatira was probably started by a woman, it was definitely being messed up by a woman! The Lord speaks to the Thyatira church about serious issues and provides a solution tailored to their requirements. In verse 18, Jesus appears to this church in three different ways. He appears as: 1. The One Who Saves—also known as "The Son of God"—reminds these people that He alone is deserving of worship and that He is the Savior. 2. He appears as the One Who Sees Everything, the Searching One, with "eyes like unto a flame of fire." He sees the motives and thoughts of the heart as well as the works of the hands. He arrives, inspecting everything. Instead of appearing as the humble and lowly Jesus, He appears with fiery eyes of resentment toward sin. 3. The Bible refers to the Sovereign One as having "feet like fine brass"—brass, or bronze—as a symbol of judgment. Jesus doesn't just appear as if he can see everything; He also appears as the One who can judge everyone. The word "compromise" is the one that best describes the situation at Thyatira. This is a church that has abandoned its fundamental beliefs and turned toward compromise and apostasy. Let's look at these verses and think about the church that gave in to the world. Keep in mind that there are three perspectives on these letters: Practically, they are direct letters to actual churches dealing with actual problems. In a prophetic way, they speak to the church at various points in its history. The time from 600 to 1500 AD is mentioned in the Thyatira church. The time known as the Dull Ages. There are numerous Catholic-like practices in this country. Personally, these letters have a message for each and every church and believer who will listen to it. In the world today, a church similar to each of these seven can still be found. Folks, if we will receive it today, there is a word for us here. Keeping all of this in mind, let's focus on these verses and think about The Church That Betrayed the World. I. v. 19: "HE COMMENDS THE SERVICE OF THE CHURCH A." "He Commends Their Ministries": This church was very active. Both their own group and the community around them were working with them. Jesus' use of language demonstrates their ministry. 1. This word means "deeds" because they are busy working. They are depicted as actively participating in charitable endeavors and outreach. 2. They Are Obscured—Service—This word means "ministry." It is a similar work deciphered "Minister" all through the New Confirmation. The meaning of the word is "those who kick up dust." To put it another way, they were so preoccupied performing each task that they produced a dust cloud. B. He Recognizes Their Intentions - What was behind these works? What prompted them to carry out their actions? 1. They are motivated by their love and charity—agape is the word for love. An "unconditional, unceasing love that knows no boundaries and that is not influenced by the worth of the object being loved" is what it means to describe it. It is the love of God. Now, let's face it: love is the only real reason to do good deeds. 1 Corinthians says that unless we act with love, nothing we do matters. 13:1-3. Additionally, according to 1 John 3:18, a love that does not act is not at all genuine. It's good that this church cared, but we don't know what they cared about. Did they really love the Lord when they did what they did? Or simply did they care about one another? I believe that as the verses progress, we will realize that their love was focused on man rather than God. Genuine works generally emerge out of a heart burning with affection for God all-powerful. 2 Cor. says that was Paul's reason. 5:14. It must also be ours! 2. Their dedication—faith—is what drives them. This word means "faithfulness." You could rely on these people to complete the task. They were steadfast and never erratic. There is frequently work to be done around the church, but no one wants to do it. In Thyatira, this was not a problem. There was work to do and a lot of individuals ready to invest the effort. That's a positive circumstance. C. He Applauds Their Wisdom and Achievements; and the last to be better than the first: When I talk about maturity, I'm not referring to spiritual development. I'm referring to an increase in the quality of their works. Their works were developing and moving forward. Their service to one another and outreach were always growing. (Note: Our church ought to reflect what Jesus said about the Thyatira church. We ought to be a busy church for the glory of God. not simply engaging in activities for the sake of engaging in them. "We (can) bowl for blessings on Monday night, jog for Jesus on Tuesday night, eat in the kitchenette, and endure a sermonette on Wednesday night," said one preacher. On Thursday night, we have Home Runs for Heaven, Golf for Glory, and Spread the Table to Stay Alive on Saturday. [1] We ought to participate actively in the Lord's work; However, we ought to make sure that the edification of the saints or educating the guilty; and/or Praise the Lord. For the glory of God, we should be actively engaged in those three tasks, which make up our entire business. I just wanted to remind you that God also knows what we do. Eph. says that He did not save us to be sedentary Christians; rather, He saved us to be busy with His work for His kingdom. 2:10; James 2:18. In God's business, there is no room for laziness or idleness! I was informed that these two men were strolling down the street when they came across these three slobs lying in the gutter. "Which of those three bums do you think is the laziest?” one person asked the other. His friend replied, "I don't know, but I'll find out," So, he went over to the three slobs and said, "Hey there, I'll give this twenty dollar bill to the one of you who is the most lazy." One of them immediately stood up and declared, "I'm your man! I'll take it. The man with the cash said, "You're not the laziest." The subsequent bum only sort of turned over a little, arrived at up his hand and said, "Hand it here. I think I'm the most lazy man I know. "I don't think you're the laziest either," the man with the money said. "Just put that twenty in my pocket if you will," the third bum said as he lay still. That is now lazy! The Lord does not want His children to behave in that manner. Sadly, many are just like that! I. He Applauds the Church's Useful Work II. He confronts the sin in the church (Ill.) in verses 20 to 23. Although this church appeared to be everything a church ought to be on the surface, at its core there was a bleeding wound. Despite its exterior appearance, the Thyatira church was corrupt at its core. Jesus confronts their sin when he appears.) A. v. 20–23: He confronts the church's teacher The church in Thyatira was being led away from the Lord by the teachings of a powerful congregational woman. In these verses, Jesus reveals her, her teachings, and her judgment. (Note: The name of this woman is "Jezebel." She is referred to as one of the most notorious women in the Bible. We can better comprehend what this woman was doing in this church with a little background on the biblical Jezebel. According to 1 Kings 16:31, Jezebel was the wicked king Ahab's wife. Her name signifies "virtuous" yet she was everything except that. She was a wicked child of a Gentile king. According to 1 Kings 18:19, she was a devoted worshiper of the god Baal and kept around 850 prophets of that sinister, sensual religion. Baal was a ripeness god and his prophets and clerics were something like sanctuary whores. Violent sexual acts and gross wickedness were used to worship Baal. Jezebel brought her twisted religion to Israel when she arrived there. According to 1 Kings 21:25, she persuaded her weak-kneed husband to follow her gods, influencing Israel to seek Baal rather than Jehovah. She even put forth a valiant effort to kill each evident righteous man she could get her hands on. According to 1 Kings 19:1-3, she once made a threat against old Elijah, and he fled in fear. You may be familiar with the 1 Kings 21:1-29 account of Ahab's desire for Naboth's vineyard. Jezebel orchestrated Naboth's murder so that Ahab could acquire the vineyard. According to 1 Kings 21:17–24, this deed prompted Elijah to impose God's punishment on Ahab and Jezebel. According to 1 Kings 21:23, he warned Ahab that the dogs would devour Jezebel. Years later, when Jehu ordered Jezebel's servants to throw her from a second-floor window, this literally came to pass. Jehu drove his chariot over her body after they did. He went into the house, had a feast and instructed the workers to cover her. Her skull, her feet, and the palms of her hands were all that remained when they went out to retrieve her body. 2 Kings 9:1-37 says that the rest had been consumed by the dogs. Jezebel came to be associated with idolatry and wickedness.) 1. Verse 20 describes this self-proclaimed prophetess's sin: she led the people away from true worship of God, whoever she was. The following is my theory, despite the fact that no one really knows what took place. Recall when I referenced the exchange organizations before? These guilds would frequently meet in the town's pagan temples. These gatherings were frequently immoral affairs marked by intoxication, drug use, and sexual immorality. A meal would also be a part of these gatherings, which would either begin or end with a sacrifice to a pagan god. At the point when a creature was forfeited in an agnostic sanctuary, frequently just a little piece was really forfeited. Sometimes all that was used was a piece of the animal's head hair clipped. The worshiper and the pagan priest then split the animal's remaining parts. The worshiper had two options: either he would serve the sacrifice to his friends at a feast or sell his portion of the meat in the market. There was a problem when the pagans in Thyatira were saved. Are they unemployed because they refused to join the guilds? or did they compromise their testimony by participating in pagan rituals? Acts 15:29 reveals the mind of God on this matter. Gentile converts are instructed, among other things, not to eat meat sacrificed to idols there. Read 1 Corinthians 8–10 for more information about eating meat sacrificed to idols. Therefore, it's possible that what was taught at Thyatira was similar to what was prevalent at the time. It could have been the notion that a person could be saved by grace and satisfy their fleshly cravings for sin. There were those who believed that there was no connection between the flesh and the soul. At the end of the day, they instructed that what an individual did in their body affected their otherworldly life as well as the other way around. The Epistle of First John addresses and responds to this teaching. It's possible that this woman preacher was telling the people in this church that they could still serve the Lord while adhering to their pagan practices and beliefs; that they could still be saved if they sinned; that one thing didn't have anything to do with the other. It's possible that this was the method that the church used to persuade the pagans of Thyatira to attend their church. They were undermining their principles to draw on the planet. Oh, come as you are!, they were saying. Nothing will change. Maintain your previous lifestyle. You will be accepted as you are. We share God's love for you. We and He neither anticipate you to alter anything. She was misguiding God's people in whatever she was doing. "to lead out of the right path" is the meaning of the word "seduce." They were being led astray by her. Pornia is the root of the term "fornication." It gave us the term "pornography." "To any sexual sin" is what it means. To "prostitute one's body to the lusts of another" is the literal translation of the word. It can be used as a metaphor for idol worship or as a reference to sexual sin. The Lord refers to it as "the depths of Satan" in verse 24, regardless of what they were doing. (Note: A similar educating has large amounts of the cutting edge time. Christians everywhere assert that it is possible to have a relationship with the Lord on the one hand and live a life of open sin on the other. Homosexuals, pornographers, drug users, drunks, followers of false religions, and other such individuals All of them say they have been saved and can still do whatever they want. Someone is a liar! 2 Cor. says that the Lord told His people to leave that way of life. 6:17. John 3:3 informed us that His people were given a new birth. Also, that they evolved into new beings, 2 Cor. 5:17. According to 1 John 2:9-10, the Bible, anyone who leads a life of committed, ongoing, and unrepentant sin is lost. We have freedom as Christians, yet our freedom isn't a permit to sin!) 2. v. 21: The Lord had given this woman and her followers time to repent, but they refused. Her stubbornness is condemned. His patience has now run out, and she will be judged. (Note: God is kind, patient, and patient! In addition to providing opportunities for believers and lost sinners to reconcile with Him, He provides opportunities for both. They can expect nothing less than His judgment if they reject it, Pro. 29:1.) 3. v. 22-23: Her sentence is announced: She and all of her followers will face God's wrath because of what they have done. He is implying to us that these individuals are not saved by utilizing the phrase "cast...her into great tribulation." However, take note of His judgment's grace: He continues to give them time to repent! They will be judged "based on your works" if they refuse. God's grace is always the foundation of salvation; Man's works are the basis for judgment. (Note: We must not fool ourselves. People who refuse to submit to the Lord Jesus Christ, place their faith in Him as their means of salvation, and demonstrate that salvation can be attained through a transformed and devoted life are not saved! They are subject to God's wrath and will be judged based on their actions (Rev. 20:11–15). If you have never accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, I am challenging you to seek God now. God's patience will eventually come to an end, and nothing but death, judgment, and Hell will remain! In verse 23, the word "her children" is mentioned. Have you noticed this? When there is compromise and hypocrisy in the church, the young people suffer the most. They see the contradiction, turn their backs on God, and they blindly stumble into Hell.) B. verse 20 He Confronts This Church's Tolerance – Jesus expresses displeasure with this church for allowing this woman to be in a position of leadership and for tolerating the lies she was teaching as truth. The meaning of the word "sufferest" is "to tolerate, permit, and allow." God is offended that they would allow such things to occur there. They probably resembled many people from our time. It's possible that they would have stated, "Well, I don't agree with it, but we should not say anything because we might hurt their feelings." Some people need to feel hurt! Those who are well-versed in the truth have a responsibility to speak out against any false teaching that is being taught in the church. We invite God's wrath and judgment when we sit back and allow that kind of wickedness to go unchecked! (Note: Some individuals disapprove of our standards when they look at our church. They are unable to comprehend why our women attend church in dresses. They are unable to comprehend why we restrict certain types of music's entry. They are unaware of our position regarding the King James Version. They don't understand why we won't join them and take part in their activities. But here's the thing: For a simple reason, we adhere to our standards. This is the reason: The devil will take a mile if you give him an inch! (Ill. Ephes.) 4:27) Today, men will wear shorts, while women will wear pants. Modern music will soon be played at events that resemble rock concerts. Today's new version will become tomorrow's verse confusion. The world will not stop until it has everything we value if we just let down the wall and make concessions to it. And all that will remain for us is a holy God's wrath! I don't know about you, but I'd rather be misunderstood, criticized, and called old-fashioned than lose God's power and presence! Tolerance is a characteristic that some churches are proud of. I think God actually anticipates that His kin should be not quite the same as their general surroundings. We are turning our backs on the truth when, like Thyatira, we compromise our standards in order to appeal to the outside world. Don't be surprised if the Lord walks out when we open the door for the outside world!!) C. v. 23b He Confronts This Church's Testimony: The Lord informs this church that He will use them as an example to demonstrate to other churches what happens when the truth is compromised. The mission of the church in Thyatira was to spread the gospel to a pagan city. They had been working well for some time; The correct path had then been abandoned. Their transgression will result in a severe punishment. (Note: When sin is allowed to flourish in the church, the Lord will not tolerate it. 1 Pet. 4:17 advises us that judgment should start at the place of God. To put it another way, the Lord will deal with sin in the camp. The erring congregation will be cut off from His touch, power, and presence. He'll write Ichabod on the door while we watch our numbers fall to nothing. That is the cost of making concessions.) I. He Applauds the Church's Service II. He confronts the church's sin in Chapter III. He encourages the saints in the church (Ill.) in verses 24 to 29. Not everyone in Thyatira had left the Lord. There was a faithful remnant within that lenient, compromising, and sinful church as well. As they struggled to walk holy in an unholy congregation, the Lord has some words of encouragement and hope for them.) A. v. 24-25 He Reassures Them About Their Duty: He informs them that the only thing He requires of them is that they maintain their course. He wants them to stay out of Thyatira's evil whirlpool so they don't get caught in it. (Note: That is also His plan for us in these perplexing times. For God's glory, he wants us to keep going. We are not required to follow the new path that everyone around us is taking. Ill. Eph. says that we can hold our ground and remain faithful until death or the rapture take us away. We are instructed to "stand" three times in 6:11-18!) B. verses 26–27: He Reassures Them About Their Destiny: The Lord Jesus assures them that when He returns in His kingdom, they will rule alongside Him if they remain loyal to Him. He seems to be saying, "You are powerless to change your situation right now, but the day is coming when I will give you my power." Your struggle for holiness will ultimately be worth it all because you will rule with Me. (Note: In the event that you will be a heavenly, faithful Christian in nowadays, you should prepare to be despised, misconstrued and mistreated. However, the issue is not resolved here! The King is coming one day! He will allow His faithful servants to rule alongside Him when He does. Today, we might be weak. The common, compromising holy places may be the ones with every one individuals, all the power and all the renown. However, those who have faithfully served the King now will reign with Him when He returns! When that time comes, it will all be well worth it! C. v. 28: He Reassures Them About Their Deliverance: These devoted followers of Jesus are promised "the morning star." Biblical scholars disagree a lot about what He is referring to here. Some people think He is making a promise to them. After all, according to Rev. 22:16, He is the "bright and morning star." Some think this alludes to Satan, Luke 10:18; that the church will be able to witness Satan receiving what he deserves from Jesus one day. That will be apparent, Rev. 20:10. I believe he is referring to the Rapture. You see, the morning star or Venus the planet becomes visible at night's darkest. When that celestial body appears, you are aware that daybreak will soon follow. I believe that the Lord is telling these people to just hang on a little longer. "It's mighty dark now, but there is a glimmer of hope in the heavens," he appears to be saying. Hold on; I'm on my way to get you! People, that is also His promise to us! We won't be stuck in this pit of darkness forever. The Lord is on his way! The indicators can be seen all around us. The morning star, which symbolizes the dawn of a new day, has appeared. We are leaving and he is coming! So, just a little bit longer! Conc: Calvary Baptist Church, in my opinion, is not comparable to the church in Thyatira. However, I do believe that Satan would love nothing more than to sneak into our group and cause us to reject the truth of the Lord. 1 Pet, we must be on the lookout. 5:8. We must constantly keep an eye on him and work against his strategies. We should look at the congregation all in all, yet at our own singular hearts. Is it not true that sin manifests itself not in large numbers but rather when we, as believers, permit Satan to gain control over our lives? Through this message, has the Lord touched your heart? You should go if He has asked you to confront your sins before Him. You should come if He convinces you to pray for this church and other churches that are resisting the growing tide of compromise. When He speaks to your heart, will you listen to what He says?