Scripture: Revelation 2:18-29, Jeremiah 14:11-16
We have all heard others say, or at least imply,
that because they are good people, that this will be enough. They come to church fairly often, and even
put some money in the collection plate when they can. And just because they have never made a
commitment to discipleship in Jesus, is that any reason for them to miss out on
eternity? After all, aren’t there many
ways to get to heaven?
In today’s message that God offers to the church in
Thyatira, the people are initially praised for all that they continue to do in
the church, and yet, we will also discover that they are still missing out in so many
other ways. In Matthew 16:23, Jesus tells us that Satan is a stumbling
block, even to Him, and that the Devil only has human issues in mind, and never
considers those that are of God!
But does the Lord mean that we are never to be
concerned about human things? There will
always be certain human issues that we will need, such as food, shelter,
clothing, employment, and so on. But I
believe that the point Jesus is making is that when we trust in God’s
providential love, that we will never be lacking in anything that we truly need
in this life.
And in that trust, we are called to believe that all
that God commands, and all that Jesus has taught, are also issues that we are
desperately in need of, and faith involves acceptance of the word that comes
from our Lord, and not that which reflects worldly ways and attitudes.
So what did Thyatira do to please the Lord, and
where did they go wrong and lose out on God’s joy?
Read Revelation 2:18-19
It would appear, from first glance, that the church
is on the right track, and that their faith is growing stronger, and the words
that come directly from the Son of God are truly words of encouragement for the
church. But why might an increase in their
deeds, their love and faith, their service and perseverance, all that the
church in Thyatira is showing must still be falling short of what God expects
from His people? Shouldn’t this be
sufficient?
At the end of this passage, we read that they are “doing
more than they did at first.” But
what might that lead reference to the eyes and feet of Christ tell us about
the church? The reference to “blazing
eyes” might almost be seen as a “piercing gaze”, one that sees everything within
the lives of the people, and will sort it all out in judgment of all that they,
and we, do. As for the feet that were
like “burnished bronze”, this description seems to reflect the quality
of many of the furnishings that were placed in the temple of Solomon’s
time (1 Kings7:13-47). So
together, these two descriptives tell us that God’s vision is not only perfect,
but it is holy and worthy of our obedience.
God knows all that our lives are about, whether good
and right, or lacking in any goodness whatsoever, and He sees the difference
between those good and faithful acts and those that are not. And what will He do about these
differences? If we have repented of
those things that are not of Him, He will forgive, but if we have yet to
confess our failure to follow His way, it will be as though there is no
goodness at all.
God is never one to compromise on His truth – it is
what it is, and will never change!
Read Revelation 2:20-29
This is one more example of what false prophets and
teachers, can do to a church, and it all revolves around worldly
deception! Satan has always been in
competition with God, never satisfied with being obedient, never satisfied with
submission to the Father’s will and way, never willing to admit that he can
never win. So he has chosen to be second
best, convincing as many of God’s people as he possibly can that listening to,
and being accepting of, God’s truth will never be as enjoyable as what he can
offer. The truth is that those who teach
must be very careful in what they proclaim (James 3:1).
And for Satan, that will be good enough! He knows that he has already lost, and will
be condemned for the evil that he has brought upon the people of Earth, but if
he can’t be God, he will be satisfied if he can deceive God’s created order
sufficiently to make them turn against the Lord, just as he has been doing
since creation was completed.
And whether the reference to Jezebel is actually a real
woman’s name, or if it is simply a descriptive reference to the queen of Israel
that we read about in 1 Kings 18,
it is just as appropriate, either way. Queen Jezebel
and her 850 priests of Baal and Asherah were, without a doubt, servants of
Satan and his lies, and we can only surmise as to the extent of their fraud
against the people of Israel.
But isn’t this the purpose behind scripture? It not only reveals the love and mercy that
God has for all people, as well as for His Church, but it also exposes the
hatred and treachery behind those who have taken a stand in direct opposition to the
truth of God. And as we know all too
well, their wicked efforts have been quite successful throughout the
centuries. Even today, the Jezebel’s of
this world continue to thrive within the society and culture where we
live. It makes you wonder, though, that
if Satan’s lies can generate such a great following through false hope,
why can’t the Church garner an even greater interest in the truth of
Jesus?
The reason may very well be that Satan’s
indoctrination has been able to worm its evil way even into the Church! And because some in the Church have caused
others to lose their desire to stand strong and faithful in the teachings of
Jesus Christ, courage in the Lord has waned, and fears of ridicule and hatred
have grown.
And yet, there is one more important issue in this
message - that there is still hope for those “who overcome and do [God’s]
will to the end.”. It is
important that followers of Jesus Christ are involved in performing good works
in the Lord’s name, but just as important is the faith that enables us to
follow Him in all of His teachings.
As critical as each of these individual avenues are in our walk with the
Lord, we must be diligent that neither one becomes more urgent than the other,
or has a greater focus in our relationship with God. Both are vital in our living a life of
love and truth for God and others.
Read Jeremiah 14:11-16
And one more issue that we must be alert to in the
teachings of false prophets - those “Jezebels”, if you will. Jeremiah reminds us that these false
teachings will not only be calls to see those things that scripture calls sin,
as normal and even holy ways of life, but that we are to also to be aware of
their lies regarding the source of these false words. Remember Jesus’ words in John 16:12-14, where we are told that the Spirit will,
first of all, only proclaim the truth of God, and secondly, that each and every
proclamation that comes from the Spirit has been sent directly from Jesus
Himself.
This gives us the opportunity to test every word
that is questionable and doesn’t seem to fit with the Lord’s teaching. And when
they don’t, challenge them for being the deceitful lies that they are. God tells us to not even try to pray
for blessings on these people, as He won’t be listening. The only prayer that we should be lifting up
for them is that they would understand the truth of what they are doing, and
repent of their evil and errant ways.
Our God is a good, and loving, and merciful Lord,
unless, that is, the words that have been spoken, and have come to His “ears” are ones of insult, and
denigration, and denial of His way. And when
it does, “He will pour out on them the calamity they deserve.”
Remember the admonition that the church in Ephesus received - never forsake your first love (Revelation 2:4). Hold tightly to the faith that first inspired you to come to Jesus, and never let it go.
Never let that first hope, that first inspiration, that first love that you found in Christ Jesus, ever be destroyed by the Jezebel's who Satan sends to steal you away!
