Dear Church
Week 4: The Church in Thyatira
Pastor Rick Henderson October 14-15, 2023
I’m curious, does anyone in here love binging a series on Netflix or whatever your streaming service is? If that’s not your thing, I would never judge you for not having enough TV in your life. I love getting lost in a good story. I’ve come to love how easy it is now to share with my son stories and movies that I got lost in, back in my youth. Right now, he and I are watching something that originally came out more than 20 years ago.
This isn’t just a TV thing, it’s for those who love to read as well. Who in here feels sad when you get to the last episode? Does anybody ever get a little sad once you’ve finished a good book? Who knows what it’s like to miss characters from a story you got lost in? Stories capture our heart, mind, and soul in a way that almost nothing else can. Stories have a way or defining us, and reframing how we see ourselves and the world. This is at least part of the reason that Taylor Swift is a billionaire and commands an army of loyal Swifties. She combines the power of music and storytelling.
I’m sure psychologists and anthropologists can explain the power of story far better than I can. However it all works, this shouldn’t surprise followers of Jesus. God hardwired us for stories. This is how he communicates with us. The Bible is far more like a grand, unified story than it is a textbook with facts and propositional truth statements. God created us for and communicated his word primarily through story.
Every time that we gather and every time that I preach, I’m trying to help us better understand this grand story, ANDbehold the truth, goodness, and beauty of the author. Believe it or not, I have a method for doing that, and I’m using that all the time. I thought it might be helpful if I let you in on what I’m doing up here. Because this method or this framework can help us all better understand and behold the riches of the gospel. What I’m talking about is Gospel Fluency.
GOSPEL FLUENCY:
I want us to think in, talk with, and even dream in the language of the gospel.
- Know the CONTENT of the gospel.
This includes everything about who God is, what he is like, and what he has done. This is primarily about Jesus and what he has done for us. We are all far more guilty, sinful, and morally messed up than we can ever dare admit. And yet, we are far more loved, accepted, and forgiven in Jesus than we could ever dare hope. That is 100% about what Jesus has done and 0% about what we do. We must know the content of that.
- Understand the IMPLICATIONS of the gospel.
Knowing that, giving our allegiance to Jesus now impacts every area of life. It changes the story that we tell ourselves about ourselves. The gospel has implications for how we think, what we do and don’t do, implications for our relationships—it impacts everything. We must know the implications of the gospel.
- Apply the MOTIVATIONS of the gospel.
If Jesus has done everything for us—if we overcome by what he did and not what we do, why would we do anything? Why would we ever repent of sin, obey his commands, apply what we learn, or pursue wisdom? We do those things, not so that we can get anything from Jesus, but because we’ve already been given everything in Jesus. We are motivated by his love for us, our love for him and each other. We are motivated by gratitude and joy.
Followers of Jesus get confused and get stuck when these three aspects of Gospel Fluency get confused.
REVELATION 2:18-29
Grab a Bible or use your phone. If you haven’t been here in the past few weeks, we’re in a series called Dear Church. We are reading personal letters from Jesus to seven different churches. These seven letters are contained in Revelation 2-3. Today is a message from Jesus to the network of churches in Thyatira. As we make our way through this passage today, and as I deliver this message, keep Gospel Fluency in mind:
- Know the content of the gospel.
- Understand the implications of the gospel.
- Apply the motivations of the gospel.
REVELATION 2:18-29 “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. I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. 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. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. 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. 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. 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, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’ To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—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. I will also give that one the morning star. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
SYMBOLISM & REFERENCES:
- Eyes like blazing fire
- Feet like burnished bronze
- Jezebel
- Bed of suffering
- Adultery
- Strike children dead
- Satan’s deep secrets
- Authority over nations
- Rule with an iron scepter
- Broken pottery
- Morning star
Just like last week, there is a heavy mixture of symbolism and references that we’ve got to unlock so that we can understand this message and truly take it to heart. Let’s do our best to run through these quickly.
SYMBOLISM & REFERENCES:
- Eyes like blazing fire = omniscience and flawless judgment
Jesus sees and he understands. He’s not misguided, confused, or under the wrong impression. His insight and response are always flawless. This is good news. I hope you remember what we covered in week one. Before any of these letters begin, Jesus assures that he is walking among the churches. That’s comforting, relational language. I think back to the last thing that Jesus said to his followers. It was after the resurrection and right before he returned to heaven. He said to go everywhere and make disciples, and I will always be with you, no matter what. He is with us, and he is for us.
- Feet like burnished bronze = mighty and unshakable
This is the exact same imagery that’s used in Revelation chapter 1. This would have resonated instantly with people in that city. One of their industries was producing this kind of metal and selling it. The main application was for military use. This is about strength.
- Jezebel = (1 Kings) Queen of Israel and wife of King Ahab.
You can read about her in the Old Testament book of 1 Kings. It’s important that we know she was a symbol of defiant evil. How many of you have ever heard a woman called a Jezebel as an insult? Me too. It’s unfortunate that her name has become a colloquialism for labeling or shaming women. That misses the mark by a mile. The real, historic Jezebel personally funded hundreds of prophets of Baal and the systematic execution of prophets of God. This is solely about a person who is using his or her wealth, status, and influence to actively oppose the purposes of God and the people of God.
We don’t have to camp out on this. But, let me just say this had nothing to do with her gender. Whoever was being referred to by the label Jezebel, this was only about the content of her teaching and the kind of behavior she encouraged. Last week a false teacher in the church at Pergamum was labelled Balaam. That wasn’t about his gender. It was about his anti-gospel teaching and behavior. Just so we are clear, God’s story has included using women in the highest levels of leadership and spiritual authority. Here’s a quick snapshot of some, not all.
WOMEN PROPHETS & LEADERS:
- Deborah
- Huldah
- Miriam
- Anna
- Apphia
- Eunice
- Nereus’ sister
- Persis
- Rufus’ mother
- Philip’s daughters
- Syntyche
- Tryphena
- Tryphosa
- Priscilla
- Nympha
- Chloe
- Lydia
- Junia
- Phoebe
I want us to check out something that God once said through the prophet Micah. God reminds his people of their story together and why they should trust him.
MICAH 6:4 I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam.
God intends for women to be leaders too. The problem with the person who was referred to as Jezebel was not her gender. The problem was her anti-gospel teaching and behavior. Let’s keep going.
SYMBOLISM & REFERENCES:
- Bed of suffering = natural or supernatural consequences
Sometimes God uses natural consequences to motivate us to repent. Sometimes God supernaturally causes pain—all for the purpose of motivating us to repent.
- Adultery = turning to anti-gospel teaching and behaviors
Were there actual, sexual sins in the church? Yes, without a doubt. But the meaning of this reference is primarily about connecting people with the ugliness of all sin. In the way that adultery harms a marriage, willful, unrepentant sin does the same thing.
- Strike children dead = end the spread and influence of this particular false teaching
This one feels crazy intense at first glance. This is not about actually killing children. This is about ending the spread and influence of this particular false teacher.
- Satan’s deep secrets = Gnosticism or an early version of it
From the early days of the church, people have tried to spread lies, to spread a false version of the gospel. That continues today. It’s so important that we know the content of the gospel. Truth is the best antidote for lies.
- Authority over nations, iron scepter, and broken pottery = (Psalm 2:9) believers will reign with Jesus
These references combine passages from the Old Testament, like Psalm 2. It also weaves in what we read in Revelation 21 and 22. All of God’s people will reign forever with him in the new heaven and new earth. It’s one of the many reasons that we emphasize that leadership is a destination of discipleship.
- Morning star = believers will share in Jesus’ glory
The Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 2 that when we understand the implications of the gospel, and we are motivated to pursue Christlikeness, we will shine like stars. That’s the kind of thing that this is communicating.
Now, that we have clarity on the symbols and references, let’s do the same thing we did last week. I’m going to put the passage on the screen. I’ll remove the symbolic language and replace it with what it intends to communicate.
REVELATION 2:18-29 To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, who knows all and has flawless judgment. I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman who pretends to be a prophet, but is obviously not because her teaching and behavior are blatantly anti-gospel. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cause her to suffer, and I will make those who turn to her anti-gospel teaching and behavior suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways.
It’s important to remember that he gave her and her followers lots of time. But they were stubborn. No one is more patient than Jesus. And yet, his patience comes with an expiration date.
I will end this and not allow her teaching or influence to continue. 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. Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not followed the false teaching of Gnosticism, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’ To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will cause them to reign with me in heaven and the new earth forever. I will also cause them to share in my glory. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Out of the four churches we’ve covered so far, this one is pretty fantastic. If your job or life events relocate you to another city, find a church like the one in Thyatira.
REVELATION 2:19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.
This was a church with a soft heart for Jesus and people. This church knew the gospel, and whose allegiance was to Jesus. This was a generous church. This church served. This is the kind of church we want to be. It’s why we do things like Ridgefest. We want to be a gift to and serve our city. This church persevered. We don’t know the details of their story. Whatever happened, their ongoing devotion to Jesus came with a cost. This church is full of people who are easy to admire, and who we would want to be like.
And yet, just like in the previous three letters, there is another unexpected message.
UNEXPECTED MESSAGE:
- It’s better to have no church than an unloving church.
- It’s better to let a church suffer than to prevent it.
- It’s possible for a church to stand up for Jesus while standing against Jesus.
- It’s possible for a church to wrongly value staying together over staying faithful.
We don’t know the why, we just know the what. As faithful as they were, they tolerated people who taught and promoted intolerable things. They tolerated in their community and congregations teaching and behavior that was so severe that Jesus finally said, “I’m not putting up with this anymore. I will crank up the heat of pain in your life until everyone involved repents. This cannot go on any longer.” Do you remember this from last week?
RECAP: We don’t TOLERATE sin because the consequences of sin are INTOLERABLE.
Another way we could say it is this.
RECAP: We don’t TOLERATE sin (anti-gospel teaching & anti-gospel behavior) because the consequences of sin(anti-gospel teaching & anti-gospel behavior) are INTOLERABLE.
This is not an excuse to be judgmental. It’s never that. It’s never, ever that. This is a mandate for discernment. What makes that difficult for us is that judgment and discernment look like the exact same things on the outside. Both judgment and discernment will say, that’s wrong. The difference is what’s going on under the hood.
Judgmental people point out wrongs because they feel morally superior, or because they are afraid of the person/group, or simply because they don’t like them and don’t love them. Discerning people point out wrongs because they love the person involved, love others, and love Jesus. Discerning people understand that we get what we tolerate. So why would loving people ever tolerate teaching and behavior that are like cancer to loving Jesus and loving each other?
I want to give us something that will help us whenever we bump up against teaching or behavior that is anti-gospel.
RESPONSE OF DISCERNMENT: Because of our love for Jesus and each other, we don’t participate in that here.
We are called to be people of discernment. Jesus is not asking us to be the church police. He’s not asking us to be the evangelical police. I don’t want to be that. I want to be a pastor. It’s not our job, it’s not our responsibility, and it’s not Jesus' expectation for us that we are on the hunt for every error we can find. That’s not it. Whenever we bump into teaching or behavior that is anti-gospel, we respond with discernment. Because of our love for Jesus and each other, we don’t participate in that here.
Sometimes our family does a movie night. I don’t have the time or the interest to know the content of every movie that’s out there. I do know that I don’t want to welcome certain content in my home. And I hate being caught off guard, scrambling for the remote in the dark, trying to keep my kids from seeing whatever. So, I use a website called pluggedinonline.com. If there is a movie I don’t know about, I check out their review. And if I’m uncomfortable with it, that’s not something we’ll let in our home. That’s the kind of disposition Jesus calls all of us to as a church, and that’s the very thing this church got wrong. And I’m wondering why. How can a church that’s so right be so wrong?
QUESTIONS
QUESTION: Why did this church tolerate anti-gospel teaching and behavior?
- Maybe they didn’t feel like they had the energy to deal with another crisis, controversy, or change.
- Maybe they didn’t respond when it was a small problem, and now it’s grown to a point that they feel overwhelmed by it.
- Maybe Jezebel (whoever she was), had clout, power, or privileges that benefited the church, and they didn’t want to risk losing it.
- Maybe Jezebel (whoever she was) and her followers were big givers.
- Maybe they rationalized away her teaching and behavior with, “She means well.”
- Maybe she started out well, and because of a history of friendship and loyalty, they gave her a pass. “She’s one of us.”
- Maybe they were concerned that people would leave the church if they addressed this matter.
- Maybe it was nothing more than conflict avoidance.
The pathway they walked of compromise and tolerance wasn’t a giant leap. It’s never a giant leap. It’s a long series of tiny steps. No doubt, this church had many opportunities to say, “Because we love Jesus and each other, we don’t participate in that here.” For whatever reason, they explained it away. For whatever reason, the value of staying together usurped staying faithful.
QUESTION: Are we vulnerable to tolerating anything that is anti-gospel?
Of course. We aren’t any better than the church at Thyatira. Our church and every church are just as vulnerable to it as they were. What anti-gospel stuff are we vulnerable to tolerating?
- Mixing the gospel with a politician, political party, and/or the pursuit of political power.
- Mixing the gospel with ego, celebrity culture, and machismo.
- Mixing the gospel with being spineless.
In week one of this message series, we learned the danger of a church being heartless. This week we see the danger of a church being spineless. Both are tragic errors for any church. Both are bad news for a church, but they aren’t equally bad. In week one, we looked at the church in Ephesus. They had excellent theology and behavior. And yet, they had no heart. They lost their first love. Last week and this week, we’re looking at churches that tolerated false teaching and serious sin. But the only church that Jesus threatened to disband was the heartless church. He didn’t threaten to disband this church. That should hit us like a thunderclap.
Jesus promised to respond with judgment and discipline to all the churches if they didn’t repent. Hear that. Also, hear this. The only church that Jesus threatened to disband was the one with flawless theology and right behavior, but who lost their first love. That’s how destructive the sin of lovelessness is. Let’s not be a heartless church, and let’s not be a spineless church.
QUESTION: What does it look like to be a spineless church?
- Creating scandals by failing to practice accountability, and/or covering up wrongdoing, instead of acknowledging it and dealing with it appropriately.
It is heartbreaking to watch the churches, denominations, and networks of churches that are trying to pick up the pieces in the aftermath of abuse scandals. Anytime a group of people gather, people with bad intent will be attracted. There’s never a good excuse for covering it up. Because we know that, we take seriously what is required to earn trust and keep trust. Those of you who are volunteering at Ridgefest are submitting background checks. I’m so proud of you. I’m so proud of this congregation and the army of volunteers who are doing that. Because it declares to this city, we aren’t afraid. We will do whatever it takes to be trustworthy. I’m so proud of you for that.
- Posturing and speaking out about the sins of other groups while failing to face, honestly grieve, and repent from our own sins.
It never takes any courage to get together in church and point out another group’s sin. That takes no guts. People expect that. When we have a spine that has been grown by the gospel we will have the courage to face, name, grieve, and repent of our sins. And we’ve got them. I’ve got them. A church family is supposed to be a collection of people with soft hearts and strong spines that allow for us to say our moral mess ups without fear. We are that secure in the love of Jesus and we are that secure in our love for each other.
- Being unwilling to say, “Because of our love for Jesus and each other, we don’t participate in that here.”
We don’t have to repeat that like puppets. Whenever we bump into teaching or behavior that is anti-gospel:
- That is the sort of thing we will say in our friend group or small group.
- We’ll say it on our ministry teams.
- You even have permission to say it to pastors and to me.
- If you bump into anti-gospel teaching or behavior, you can say this to elders.
We don’t have to be robots or puppets. Use it as a guide. If you hear someone being unkind and hurtful with their words. You can say, “It sounds like you are hurting or upset. I care about that. Because of our love for Jesus and each other, we have a better way. That’s not our way.”
If you hear a rumor or some sort of very concerning information spreading around. And the people in the conversation aren’t the ones who are responsible, aren’t the ones who are truly in the know, aren’t the ones who can make it right, you can say, “That sounds really concerning. I’m bothered by that too. Because we love Jesus and each other, we know this way of talking about can destroy trust and relationships. Let’s go to the people who know and who can do something about it.”
There are a thousand examples we can come up with. But people of discernment always know the right kind of response.
RESPONSE OF DISCERNMENT: Because of our love for Jesus and each other, we don’t participate in that here.
REVELATION 2:29 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
SERIES THESIS: KNOWING the truth doesn’t change anything. SUBMITTING to the truth changes everything.
Because we know the content of the gospel, and all that Jesus has done for us, we understand the implications. And we are motivated to submit to him because of the love that he shares with us. May we be people who are so drawn to Jesus, a church that is walking with and walking like Jesus, that we shine like a star as we reflect what he is like.