My Dear Thyatira, I’ve Written You A Letter

turn in your Bibles then if you would to Revelation chapter 2 and as you're turning there to the back of your Bible the book of Revelation for those of you who might be joining us for the first time a little recap of where we're at when this global shutdown happened I felt strongly impressed by the Lord to get away from our second Peter verse by verse study and to not so much evangelize the world though there are those doing that thank God but I'm not much an evangelist quite frankly our church though we'd see people every week except Christ we're more of a disciple making church we are more of a church where we just dig into the Word of God and in every church as well here today has its compass though all of the churches that exalt the Bible the Word of God the name of the Lord Jesus Christ are working together there's aspects of them being different and we'll hear about that even in the study of the seven letters to the seven churches and today we come to the fourth church if you've been along with us you know that if you're just joining us then go back online on-demand you can pick and listen to one of them are all of them but when we started we started in the order that Jesus spoke to the churches and that was the church at Ephesus to the Ephesians and all of these churches are coupled together in a region that is known as Asia Minor or today the nation of Turkey and so now coming to the fourth church if you would jot it down in your notes we're talking about the Church of Thyatira you said Jack who cares about this especially at a time like this Jack give us a message that gets us excited and gets us feeling happy about life I don't know give us a pep talk I am there's no greater pep talk in the world for the Christian than to have the Word of God and on top of it the Bible and on top of that the book of Revelation because these seven letters to the seven churches are given by Jesus Christ listen to not only speak the seven churches that literally existed at that time but we know now 2,000 years later that church historians tell us that there's a pattern to what Jesus has given us in these seven letters to the seven churches that as you look at the churches and you look at the description of where they're at and how they're doing and the things that surround them it just so happens that each of the church eras or epochs fall into a line fall into a category or bracket of church history and you see well Jack where does that place us then and for 2,000 years later where are we on this and we'll come to this in a few weeks but that will be the Church of Laodicea a church that is sleeping a church that is backslidden a church that is departed from the word a church that has become complacent and loves the world and I hope I'm not describing this church and I hope I'm not describing you but it's the overall presiding and prevailing attitude of the church in the world and quite interesting so today Thyatira Revelation chapter 2 verse 18 and let's pretend together that we're going through a responsive reading I'll read the odd number verses or the even numbered verses if you'll join and read the odd number verses where you're at with your family friends whoever wherever you may be revelation 2:18 and to the Angel of the Church of Thyatira write these things says the Son of God who has eyes like a flame of fire and his feet like fine brass and then you would join in and read I know your works love service faith and your patience and as for your works the last are more than the first verse 20 nevertheless I have a few things against you because you allow that woman Jezebel who calls herself a prophetess to teach and seduce my servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat things sacrificed to idols and I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality and she did not repent indeed I will cast her into a sickbed and those who commit adultery with her into Great Tribulation unless they repent of their deeds I will kill her children with death and all the churches shall know that I am he who searches the minds and the hearts and I give to each one of you according to your works now to you I say and to the rest in Thyatira as many as do not have this doctrine who have not known the depths of Satan as they say I will put on you no other burden verse 25 hold fast what you have till I come and he who overcomes and keeps my works until the end to him I will give power over the nation's what a statement verse 27 he shall rule them with a rod of iron and he shall be they shall be dashed into pieces like The Potter's vessel as I also have received from my father and I will give him the morning star verse 29 we end he who has an ear to hear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches and so what we're looking at is a remarkable statement by the way this is the longest letter of the seven written significantly to the smallest town not a city it's a small town all the others are cities this is a small town but in its way very very influential and very very necessary to the Roman Empire and that plays into the description of what Jesus says to them because their hearts had drifted and entertained certain things that you and I today do not want to be guilty of that's all motive for these seven studies we're living at a time of this pandemic and we're living at a time regardless I'm not going to get into the debate yet I have a plan but I'm not gonna get in the debate yet as to the veracity of this pandemic it is a pandemic and to those who are compromised in their health it's a very serious virus if you are sick you need to stay away from people but other than that the volume of noise compared to the morbidity or the lethality of this virus is off the scale it's it's not in alignment but I'm gonna go somewhere with this listen what has been talked up globally about the virus the data doesn't match the talk in other words we have experienced in my lifetime worse pandemics than this but we've never seen anything like what's happening now in the world regarding a sickness like we are today the question begs this why and people will be finding out why I'm sure data science will show why soon enough but the point is coming from a critius perspective is why has it had this effect on the world and what kind of effect is that having on the church and how does it affect you that's why we're in these seven letters what do I need to do about my faith what do I do about my faith this is the challenge today how are you doing regarding this issue because on the grand scheme of things this is nothing compared to what's coming Christian are you ready in the Word of God to face challenges like the church at Thyatira did so what the Spirit is saying to the church if you jot this down a few things regarding thoughts is this that the Spirit of God speaks always speaks to the church and there's four things I want you to look at that the nature of Christ the nature of Christ and His Church is universal listen the nature of Christ and His Church is universal meaning that Jesus's churches everywhere it's United each one yet different from one another by design and the nature of the church in Jesus Christ nationally in your country wherever you're at the fact is the church is united nationally even though they may live in a hostile environment and yet each church is a little bit different thirdly the nature of the church in Jesus Christ working with this church is locally so it's universal globally it's national there are believers in every nation all around the world no matter what that nation is even if it's a nation that is hostile towards Christianity but thirdly locally the fact of the matter that is Jesus Christ in his church are united locally now when I say locally obviously we're getting closer to home for us locally because we live where we live locally is a broad statement you might live in a Midwest country town and locally is just your city limits of maybe a couple thousand people that's that's your local our local here in the Greater Los Angeles area that we live in Chino Hills and the suburbs the fact of the matter is that when we talk about local to us local is huge we're talking about many tens of millions of people that are local in the region and Jesus Christ is working in this church every Church United in the Word of God by the Holy Spirit but the fact is each one a little bit different and then it comes down to the nature of Christ in his church regarding you and I personally and every one of these arenas and descriptions deal with either the globe at a time or a nation regarding its obedience to Christ or not it's local influence regarding what's happening in spiritual matters in the local region and then of course personally and you can reverse that list because what happens to you personally will affect the local community and the local community will affect the nation and the nation will affect the world it's God's design and the power of God's Word is to get you and I to be conformed into the image of Christ and that you and I would stand upon the promises of God Romans 15 verse or says whatsoever things were written beforehand or before time that is the Bible was for our learning that we through the patience and the comfort of the Scriptures might have hope romans 15 5 says now may the god of all patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded there's that word unified toward one another according to Jesus Christ or Christ Jesus says Romans that you may with one mind and with one mouth glorify the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ unity unity and so this is very important as we dive into this church get your pens ready and make note of this number 1 verses 18 to 19 so my dear Thyatira Jesus the same I've written you a letter and as you begin to read your letter and as you begin to unpack what I'm telling you as I speak to you I'm reading or I'm writing to you this this note and it certainly applies to you and I personally friend to your community and beyond here's what he says I'm writing to you a letter of authority Jesus Christ is the ultimate authority in your life that's what makes you a Christian he said Jack I thought Jesus died on the cross for my sins made me a Christian no Jesus died on the cross he paid the price of all sin for all men you would then have to go on from that and believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead the supernatural resurrection of God the son from the dead for your justification see Christ not only died he rose again from the dead the cross is meaningless without the empty tomb and you can't have an empty tomb without the cross perfectly unified in doctrine but that's not all you must come to faith in that act of God and that person of God Christ Jesus you must come to rest upon him and when you do that Christ has absolute authority in your life it's not just the salvation of God it's not just my fire insurance from hell it's this it's the lordship of Christ look many of you are have named the name of Christ but you have wandered most of your life from the Lord and you've never had a lordship relationship and and part of this time no matter what it is it could be that you stub your toe to a global pandemic he is shaking your life to get you to understand and to get you to think and to examine your life that is Christ not only Savior but Lord of my life does Jesus call the shots in my life and that's what all of us now and we have been searching and praying and calling out to him Lord show us what to do look I'm a Christian I love Jesus and I'm following Jesus and he's my Lord but let's agree all of us have been challenged at this time and all of us in different arenas for me personally it's Lord what are you saying to me what are you saying to my state what are you saying to my nation where I live and Lord what do you want us to do and so for example all of us as pastors and Christians want to get back to church now we are so patient we're being so patient but that that doors not open yet its opening and God's given I think God's given me a date but I'm not gonna tell anybody so don't even ask not yet but I'm excited about that but I've got to wait and how do I do that it's either I'm Lord and I'm gonna do my thing and then ask God to bless it which is a joke or I'm going to bring my drive and my emotions and my my thoughts under his control and go with what he's leading he's the authority is Christ the authority of your life is Jesus the one who ultimately has the sign-off of your decision making kind of decisions are you making look of Revelation 218 it says and to the Angel of the church at Thyatira now this might be a little bit boring for you I hope not but regarding the authority let's first look at Thea Tyra thigh retire is a church that if you look at the chronology of church history were we're about at around five eighty five ninety AD when it comes to where in the chronological 2000 years does this church up here even though it's 2,000 years old in the writing what kind of spirit age proves that's a Thyatira type of belief system about 580 590 all the way out to about the Year 1000 or 1100 during the time of this of this profound Middle Ages or you'd call the Dark Ages where the church became so compromised it had the Word of God it knew what it was to believe but because of political and Church political unions it compromised and many scholars today will tell you that that is an era of time that is known as Romanism it's not that the Roman Empire was still in existence it's that the Roman Empire was in the existence of the church in the heart and it's a very interesting study to embark upon if you do that via Tyra Thyatira we now in our map go up and we are now heading out of smyrna and we're heading east now and south so now the loop of that mail route we talked about in our first study is now heading southerly to thea Tyra and unlike the earlier churches that we've studied fire Tyra again was this was a town more than a city but what was important about it is that it was deemed a necessary Roman military outpost it was the front line of defense against invaders on the eastern flank of the Roman Empire that makes it very significant a town that was subsidized by the Roman government a town that had in our modern-day age it would be a town that you drive by and you happen to see tanks parked out in a field it would be where there's there's soldiers practicing and training it was it was a Roman encampment for the Roman army and by the way if I Oh Tyra had there because it was the front line a very elite Roman warrior and outside of that you said why does the town matter why why would Jesus right to this obscure location well we don't know exactly there were other bigger churches in the region why didn't he write to them we don't know we do not know but we do know this that what is described down to verse 29 is a time and an era that we saw from 585 90 to 1100 and that's important but is it a time in your own heart as we shall see it had become famous in the first century for its listen Union trades I'm not kidding as many believe that this is where the unions were born in Thyatira and I'm reading now the Union trades and the gills or local guilds dominated the thyra tyrant life notable unions were fabric unions were die unions were unions of Tanner's making things out of leather there were unions for wood they were unions for crafts they were various trades and even the performers the roman theater had its guild which by the way they had a symbol I kid you not they had a symbol and it was called the heap o creat the heap o creep is is the base or root word for hypocrites and it's a symbol that is used in Hollywood or New York today and it is two faces facing away from each other to face the word hypocrite means to wear two faces you're two-faced you're heard of that before that comes from the word hypocrite it comes from the Roman theater and thyra Tyra had that there and it was quite well known unions though were established there and you say well nothing's ever changed you're not kidding because we know from studying the book of Thyatira and its culture of Thyatira that the unions demanded absolute Allegiance listen to this the unions demanded absolute allegiance to what they had as a agenda so if you were in the in the metalworking union that Union there in Thyatira had certain listen gods that represented their union and of course you have to make the gods happy or as your unions gonna fold because the gods won't bless you and so you were forced if listen if you belong to this particular union you had to bow allegiance to the gods associated to that union oh my goodness doesn't that sound familiar even today the union will tell you you've got to do this you've got to believe like this you've got to vote this candidate you have to pay money to do the other Wow nothing's changed Fiat IRA was just like that and there's a warning here regarding the authority a challenge so all of a sudden this old ancient letter is starting to wake me up why look at verse 18 it says write these things who says the Son of God is the one writing the Son of God this is a huge statement Church this is a statement from Jesus to this church and every time something has said there is a reason why Jesus is telling this church I'm the son of God you say well duh obvious hmm it's because they were so compromised by that Union pressure to name other gods to keep their jobs if I don't bow down to the god of the teachers union if I don't do what they say L does my job if I'm in the police officers union if I don't men if somebody asked me how I voted oh man see the pressure why the spiritual power is behind any kind of pressure their spiritual powers to go against your conscience to gain your support against something that is ungodly how many of us I mean not I mean pastors don't belong to a union but how many of us belong to unions and we give our money to them and they turned right around and they actually have the idol of Moloch or Baal because our unions fund abortion for example and Planned Parenthood things like that Jesus comes on the scene basically and says nope I'm the son of God it's the only time found in the book of Revelation where it is the son of God like this spoken by Jesus it's remarkable and he describes himself and it's all Authority and it is all power and it's all to get your attention it's all to get you to cut to sit up and say wow the governor is not my authority the mayor is not my authority the president is not my authority Christ is my authority he has eyes like a flame of fire and feet like fine brass in each of the seven letters to the seven churches there are specific characteristics given about the Lord Jesus Christ that's unique to that church's issue for example revelation 1 verse 8 revelation 1:8 says I am the Alpha and the Omega that's the title of the Old Testament God mind you the beginning and the end that too is described it as the Old Testament God in the Old Testament Scriptures says the Lord the interesting thing as Jesus is the one speaking I am the Alpha in the Omega the beginning in the end says the Lord who is who was who is to come the Almighty that's revelation 1:8 a radical display and announcement of Jesus Christ pure deity I am the eternal God made flesh among you God revealed himself to mankind in human skin that person and that event is the incarnation of Jesus Christ he's the Alpha the Omega that begin in the end the one who is was and is to come the Almighty every one of those descriptions of who he is and his authority is solely reserved for the Almighty God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Bible his authority is Christ this authority in your life does he rule and reign with all of those attributes functioning in my life in his lordship Revelation chapter one follow with me just turn back a page Revelation chapter 1 verse 11 he says it again I am the Alpha the Omega the first to last and what you see right in the book and sent it to the seven churches which are in Asia to Ephesus and Smyrna Pergamum Thyatira Sardis Philadelphia and Laodicea then John says I turned and to see the voice that spoke with me and having turned I saw seven golden lampstands and in the midst of the seven lampstands one like the son of man now a moment ago we heard Jesus say he's the son of God yes that's true son of man what is that Son of Man meeting that Jesus has revealed himself as the authority of God and the authority of man Jesus is the perfect man he is known as the last Adam in the New Testament Adam was brought into perfection remember and then Adam fell we needed a redeemer we needed the Alpha the Omega we needed one who could bring us out of this dilemma of sin and Jesus is referred to as the last Adam meaning he is the last there won't be another one he's the last perfect man representing humanity that's why he qualifies he's the son of man clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about his chest with a golden band all of these are the descriptions of God throughout Scripture his head and hair were white like wool as white as snow and as here it is his eyes like a flame of fire verse 15 chapter one his feet were like fine brass as refined in a furnace and his voice as the sound of many waters and he had on his right hand seven stars and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword remember last Sunday and its countenance was like that of the shining of the Sun and its strength and when I saw him John says I fell at his feet as dead but he laid his hand on me saying to me do not be afraid in that funny I'm sure I would've freaked out Jesus touches John and he says don't be afraid Wow okay listen I'm this I'm digressing are you afraid right now are you afraid of this little microscopic virus what can to do to you you could kill me not really it can only take your life it could only kill your body should you be wise of course jesus says don't be afraid he's your Lord let him be your Lord surrender to Him as Lord why he says I am the first in the last I am he who lives listen and was dead and behold him alive forevermore amen I have the keys to helen death right the things which you have seen that's Revelation chapter 1 to chapter revelation chapter 1 and then he says the things which are that's Revelation chapter 2 and 3 and then the things which shall be that's revelation 4 all the way to revelation 22 it's the only book in the Bible that gives you an outline by the way for the book but notice he's writing on the Son of God writing to you and because our audience now has gotten so international a lot of people don't know what we are so accustomed to here in the study of the Bible the son of God he that's impossible how can God have a son if God has a son God's son must be less than God himself ah that's him possible if you have a Middle Eastern mindset that's impossible because in the Middle East the Sun has just the authority as the father and the father has just the authority of the Sun and Jesus says I am the son of God meaning when you're talking to the Sun you are getting the expressed image and the very word in will of the Father if you want to know what God the Father thinks and acts like and says then my friend you better know Jesus you better find out about who Jesus is because if you want to know what the father says to a person who's in adultery and gets convicted and repents you need to know what God the Father says about that so how do we know that John chapter 8 go read the will of the father when someone's caught in the act of adultery and they repent the answer is John chapter 8 when you're talking to Jesus and listening to Jesus and reading about Jesus you're seeing God's will and word manifested in skin and when he speaks Jesus said I don't say anything but that which my father gives me to say is that awesome he's the son of God the Bible says in Psalm 2 verse 7 if you Jewish listen up by the way if you're Muslim I know your Quran has nothing to do with this stuff whatsoever but if you're Muslim listen up the Bible says three thousand years ago I will deep I will declare the decree the Lord has said to me you are my son today I have begotten or glorified you Hebrews chapter 1 verse 5 for to which of the Angels did he ever say you are my son today I have begotten you and again I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son speaking of the Messiah Isaiah chapter 7 verse 14 and Isaiah 9:6 my Jewish friends listen and my Muslim friends listen up this is the Bible the authority therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign behold the Virgin shall conceive and bear a son and he shall be called Emmanuel which means God is with us verse 6 for unto us a child is born so what that happens every day keep reading unto us a son is given that's weird that verse right there says God gave his son into this world and that son is going to be born into this world and the government shall be upon his shoulders and his name will be called wonderful counselor mighty God everlasting father Prince of Peace this is the son of God in 2nd Corinthians chapter 6 verse 16 2nd Corinthians 6:16 says and what argument has the temple of God with idols this is going to be important in our study today for you are the Temple of the Living God as God has said I will dwell in them and walk among them I will be their God they shall be my people therefore come out from among them and be separate says the Lord do not touch what is unclean and I will receive you verse 18 I will be to you I will be a father to you and you shall be sons and daughters says the Lord Almighty when you and I become a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ the Bible says we are grafted in or born again into his family and he not only calls us sons and daughters he calls us friends my goodness listen to this because jesus is the son of God and you understand that and he's your Lord I can call him my friend and my God my Savior my king my Redeemer can you say that listen my Jewish French can you say that you cannot say that my Muslim friends can you say that you cannot say that think of this this is pure Bible if you don't like it understand this I'm the messenger on the Anglia's of this message to this church here in chino hills' and beyond but notice the reference his eyes our eyes the flame of fire speaking about his ability to see all things the bible says in another place the seven eyes of the holy spirit are upon you what does that mean does it mean the spirit has seven eyes I know he doesn't have seven eyes but listen he has perfect observation when the Bible talks about eyes full of fire we're talking about the very eyes of God throughout the Bible we hear about God having eyes as though there are fire fiery red eyes always revealed in Scripture as the one who's discerning the hearts and the minds of all people he knows he has perfect vision and with that incredible scrutiny he knows all about holiness or not he knows all about purity or not he knows all about your life he knows all about my life it's terrifying isn't it do you fun listen do you find yourself as I do I'm gonna confess right now I'm a automobile don't like it or not but it's too bad I can't have no power over this I am always finding myself constantly saying Lord are we good how are we doing Jesus is there something that you need to say to me but I'm not listening then change me so I can hear you do you live like that I constantly live like that you see Jack wow you know no I don't live like that well I'm not gonna answer for you but for me I just want to know Lord I don't want to wait til that day in fact the Bible says if we often judge ourselves in the end we will not be judged that's what I'm talking about why because he's got eyes a flame of fire and then he has feet as fine brass this is an interesting word because guess what we don't know what that that word brass means it's not brass like brass it is some sort of I use a scientific word but it's it's rare it's a an amalgamation of metals you see what is that it is metals MA metals in a homogeneous setting so what is that it's metals we know but by the word usage that it's talking about what is signified typology or in fact is metal but we don't know what kind of metal it is it's it's it's it's a look that is not of this world it's not oh look at the brass or it's gold or it's silver this is a look that Jesus has and his feet the word feet here means really from the knees down and it's this incredibly powerful kind of polished brass kind of amber gold sort of unusual look so his eyes are as fire searching and looking because nothing can be hidden from his knowledge and his scope and then the second thing is as he walks the word implies that he walks in absolute judgements Jesus Wow Jesus Christ he walks not only as he walked through the midst of the seven golden lampstands he as he walks his eyes are as a flame of fire and his feet are depicted as one having walk or does walk in judgment he's the judge remarkable incredible and all of this to say that to the Christian God adopts us into his family he's speaking to one of his churches here now imagine that and in any given church I hate to blow any pastors mindset but you know we all want to thank everyone that goes to our church is going to get raptured or when they die they go straight to heaven I hope so I pray so but we don't know Jesus pastored a church of twelve people and one of them's in Hell today so go figure that one out but I'm talking about in all of his righteousness it is this God that we're talking about the son of God who was also the one by him who we are adopted into the family of God yet he doesn't cut the slack he looks at you and I with the eyes of fire why is it important right now at this time of grand pandemic in the world get ready that's what I'm giving this seven letters message for get ready are you ready to meet him I'm talking to the Christian Jesus sees everything that you're doing everything that you're thinking so how's it going verse 19 says I know your works you love your service faith and patience and s for years it works this is cool you'll never see this again the last is more than the first what a sweet thing to say by the way person I think it's all vien it's all in the affirmative I know your works and Jesus goes like this look I know your works thumbs up amazing and your love Wow even though you live in that little Roman outpost of military Roman presence and with all of the pressure from the unions there in Thyatira you're a loving Church you really love the word is a agape or Agatha depends on how you pronounce it it's a relevance the love of God it's God's love your loving and you're working you're busy and he's commending them service we would use the word ministry you're really ministering to the needs that you see you respond not only that because all that's true it's because you have faith look he says their faith pistils you have faith you are putting in the power what you know and then he says patience you've been putting up putting up and putting up with this stuff I don't mean to be disrespectful but I think all of us in California maybe New York I don't know what other states are is goofy as we are but we all have to pat ourselves on the back a little bit we've been so patient and maybe you can be patient somewhere else it's hard to be patient in Southern California we're supposed to be patient on perfect beach days we're not supposed to go outside or go to the beach you know but people are doing it anyway because I don't know I think they've had enough they're losing their patience or maybe something else is going on no but to be patient under the pressure and of course I'm I've been joking but I mean patient under the pressure of attack and the pressure from those Thyatira unions you you can't work anymore because you will not bow to Moloch or ball or remphan because you don't bow to Zeus you're fired in this single you out Jesus says I've seen your patience but then he adds something you'll never see anywhere else in the Bible as for your works let's go back to the works my my goodness the last are more than the first your works Jesus is saying I'm impressed remarkable deeds good deeds the doings mark it down as we move on number two it's not only a letter of authority it's a letter of definition a letter of definition look at verse 20 nevertheless I of this against you yikes I know having studied this I was reminded of a feeling do you remember having a feeling when you got a call to go to the principal's office in your school don't tell anybody but I was often in the principal's office and back listen and in Orange County growing up in those days schools had not only did they have the authority to spank you but here's what stunk about that you were spanked by the principal or the assistant principal you got a spanking for being bad and then they called your parents which is worse it was not only bad getting spanked in school but I grew up in a home where it was a long walk home why because when I got home I had to wait for my dad to come home and when my dad came home my mom would say he got a spanking today from the principal for pulling Suzy's hair and boy in that case the last was worse than the first and you get that feeling oh no you know that feeling you get when the police cars lights come on behind you I know none of you ever get that in your own life but imagine some form of dykes and that this is exactly what's going on near Jesus's nevertheless I have this against you and the word against is a remarkable word it means I have this listed marked itemized and recorded and it's all true you will not say but you know what mmm you'll stand I will stand before Christ silent and Jesus says to the church at Thyatira I've recorded these things about your life and I have this against you and it's a big deal and the Lord points out the good thing then when the Lord points out our wrongs and our error he always makes sure that it's mixed with hope God never speaks to his children in rebuking them without hope in fact if he were to do it without hope it's called condemnation he rebukes he defines but always with hope in Hebrews chapter 12 verse 6 Christian the Bible says for whom the Lord loves he chastens and scourges every son whom he receives if you're a true Christian you can't get away with much have you noticed if you're a true Christian following Jesus you can't get away with much why cuz you belong to him and he'll resist you he'll act against you chef's out of God let me let me do whatever I want no listen those who are unloved get to do whatever they want did you hear that those who are unloved get to do whatever they want but when someone loves you they're gonna show you the way and Jesus will continually show you the way if you're a child of his and sometimes it stings he begins to define and parse out our lives and he does it to the church at Thyatira proverbs chapter 3 verse 12 says for whom the Lord loves he corrects just as a father the son and whom he delights of course always in love always with hope but he corrects that's why you and I can't get away with anything thank God right are you are you just walking the straight and narrow I I believe you are if you're a follower of Christ listen I'm walking the straight and narrow I'm not listen I'm not perfect I'm not sinless but I can tell you this even if I've got a bad attitude I'm battling in my head I got a bad attitude and I'm not representing Christ well I need to get back on course and then of course the Bible tells us to make amends for that bad attitude whatever there might be in your life that's walking on that narrow path and that's a beautiful thing and that defines us Jesus says I'm writing to the church at Thyatira and I'm defining you I know something about you what is it Jesus in verse 20 he says I have this against you because you allow that woman Jezebel who calls herself a prophetess to teach and to seduce we'll stop right there a teacher that's enough this this this woman listen is in your church I don't think in fact I'm pretty much certain her name wasn't Jezebel who names their kid Jezebel I mean nobody does that you know who Jezebel is right Jezebel if you if you don't know mark this down King Ahab was such a tragic disappointment King Ahab married for political reasons he married a side own Ian woman whose father was the King of the sidonians a Cote North Shore coastal pagan nation from Israel but Ahab married Jezebel in a political marriage alignment which is condemned in the Bible the Jews listen to things never should happen according to God number one Israel never look to other nations to be your protector provider strength and Christian never marry an unbeliever why because you're asking for trouble and Ahab married Jezebel and she was notorious for Baal worship by the way Baal is also known can be spelled are known as b e el Jezza bel her name comes from the gods that her culture worship Jezza belt that was Ahab's first morning what's your name what's your name sweetie Jezebel he should have went not have a nice day he should have pulled out some garlic and whipped it around the air or the moment you hear somebody say hi and you ask them what's your name and they say Jezebel you need to leave okay and it's not only the name because I don't think anybody names who names their kid Jezebel no I'm pretty sure nobody in the world's name Jezebel and I don't think this woman at the church at Thyatira was Jezebel by name there was a woman at that church who had the spirit of Jezebel upon her she had the actions she had the attitude was it lengthened demonic activity I'm almost certain but it doesn't say exactly but Jezebel was was just Jezebel was horrible I want to say Jezebel was a witch she was probably something to the Ken of a of a witch in that kind of a world because she was highly spiritual and she worshipped pagan gods and she introduced that into Israel when they have married her and she so she was the first lady really of Israel when she married Ahab and as I said she was a idol-worshipping inside Oh nyan she was supposed to be very very attractive she had a a a priest this group that were known in antiquity to be very spiritual very very beautiful very seductive Jezebel's court if you want to call that and the word allow here means God Jesus says I have this against you cuz you allow it so look remember what's written do to the Angel of the Church of thigh or tire remember the word angel means to the pastor the spiritual leader the one that will hope will be held accountable for Thyatira you allow it pastor you're allowing this false doctrine to emanate from this woman at this church in Thyatira and she's corrupting the church just like Jezebel corrupted Israel that's a tremendous allegation but it comes from the one with the eyes of fire remember that there's a particular aberrant warning here about false actions and the the the leader in the Church of Thyatira they're okay with it they had all these wonderful attributes but they absolutely violated the will of God by allowing false doctrine in their church and let's be honest be very careful let's be very technical very careful because there's even today there's pastors today that I'm my opinion don't handle this argument very well it says that in the midst of you is this woman Jezebel she's a she calls herself a prophetess now number one mark it down I can feel people getting ready to write me a letter right now just be smart before you write the word prophetess is not a bad thing okay Philip had daughters and they were prophetess it's not bad it's okay when done right what a tip-off here is that this woman who is in the spirit of Jezebel calls herself a prophet she is a strong headed willful big mouth so to speak big mouth you'd never have to wonder what she's thinking and she's always manipulating always conniving to get that church on her side or for the right people to side with her to have her way and she teaches listen she's probably very charismatic she's probably very articulate very knowledgeable but if she were a biblical prophetess she would not have those attributes this is just like Satan he takes what's good from God and he prostitutes it and he pollutes it Satan does this about everything God creates government Satan produces politics God gives sex and Satan turns it into porn God blesses man with marriage Satan turns around and makes it the worst thing in the world when it's not done right God gives economy or man's ability to make and to sell and to buy and Satan winds up either going one way with it and total materialism or abject poverty and socialism he corrupts everything he touches so what he does he's the best devil that ever be and he's trying to do it to this church and so what's the shame is that the pastor allowed this liberal grace we'll call it which is no grace at all and it began to break up the church and began to destroy the church so let me read to you Jezebel or the spirit of second Kings chapter nine verse 33 you can read that about her where it says that what Elijah prophesied would happen to her it said whoever and or whatever she is she was a woman in the church at Thyatira that assumed the position of a spiritual authority contrary to God's pattern the named Jezebel rep since the imported corruption from the outside world that was brought into the church by her the pastor allowed it permitted it looked the other way so she could introduce her slip in or add a compromised worship system of Prayer music study worship activities that were not God approved this had infiltrated the church in Thyatira and she is not listen she is not the servants or servant of God nor in the family of God that needs to be remembered so she begins now to make this church carnal so church sisters remember this this day and age let's be awesome this is an awesome time this man I'm just going to say it this time churches are being tested and the test is stronger now than it was at the beginning when I say test remember when everything was shut down we had to stay home the church was being tested and Satan began to walk around the test God's doing a test and Satan's walking around looking to see if there's any unlocked doors looking around to see if anything's undone looking around to see if anything's off God's doing this thing and now we're one week into it two weeks into it three four five six seven eight weeks into it 9 10 12 weeks into it God's doing a test and people listen people are either getting stronger or people listen the test is bringing out the fire is bringing out the truth or the lack thereof regarding their claim of faith towards Christ over time you know listen you can either cook stuff in a microwave it's going to get cooked or a crock-pot for us in the West this shutdown has been like a crock pot now it doesn't matter if it's an infant instantaneous attack which would be a microwave or a prolonged sustained attack crock-pot Satan doesn't care God is using this to strengthen us but Satan is certainly in the camp and he's picking off the weak just like this virus does did you know this if you're healthy you're fine the people who have died from this are either over 80 years of age or over or they had compromised immune system which is interesting their immune system we're finding out now that people who are perishing that are young from this it just so happens that they either had lung issues they had immune issues they had diabetes or they had chemotherapy issues because their immune system was wasted now they're finding out that people who vaped vaping people who vape have compromised their lungs and they're susceptible to the corona virus something was brought in to to render you not healthy for the fight because Jesus is coming back for his church the heat is up by microwave or by crook pot time of testing has come and you're either hanging on to Christ or you're failing you're then going with faith in Him or you've now divorced yourself and you know this you divorce yourself from him and you'd never say such a thing but you are being guided by the fears guided by CNN guided by the World Health Organization data constantly changing constantly messed up I'm not even going to tell you right now what is supposedly the actual death rate from covet in the United States now that's being published by the CDC I saw the numbers I don't believe them why because they're so low I'm not even talk about it not I'm going to mention the number yet I have to have proof from these tens of thousands to that well yeah we moved out pneumonia we took out people dying from this took out people from dying the debt we got this number now we'll see I'll report to you when it if it is in fact true but if it's true a lot of people are going to be shocked that they had failed this test very serious when we take it apply it to the rest of our lives she caused my service to commit sexual immorality wow she seduced them and caused them to eat things sacrificed to idols see wait a minute that freaked me out what do you mean sexual immorality he has an amazing number one this this is actual sexual immorality but also in the Bible we can commit sexual adultery our spiritual adultery I should say against God in in the worship of other things money toys people cars power position education whatever it is nature so Jesus says I have this against you you allow pasture you are allowing this woman - cause people in your church become carnal and she's even invited them to come and partake of these pagan feasts where there's a little bit of wine here and there a little bit of alcohol here and there I don't know what they did back then maybe they did a little bit of pot here and there and they wound up as we mentioned last time like the church at Smyrna and the church at Pergamum where there's the looming temptation and certainly Pergamum was guilty of this where you you step out to compromise well I don't I don't really believe in in what they're doing I don't believe in their worldview I don't believe in that but because of the Union pressure I'm gonna go to the event and I'm gonna stand there you know I'm gonna act like I'm doing this but I'm just gonna stay I won't do be doing it but I would be standing and you're in the vicinity of you're in the vicinity of you're not partaking at some point according to this the seduction is greater than your self-protection and what you wind up doing a believer ought not to be in places like that if you're thirsty friend do not stop at a bar to get a drink of water if alcoholism is your issue if you've got a problem with pornography then don't uh then don't what don't go outside don't drive down the freeway don't look at catalogue magazines TV commercials it's insane what's out there of course it's impossible to escape that you're trying to watch a football game and they're selling hamburgers with sex you got to get up and go get yourself you got to get out of there flee but if you don't flee you're gonna get caught up into it and they got caught up into it she caused them to stumble into sin and to commit sexual immorality but Jesus isn't blaming her he's defining how it came about Jesus is accusing the pastor for knowing about it and allowing it and that goes for dads and homes moms and homes toward their children that goes also to us who have friends and their brothers and sisters in Christ and we know that they're getting messed up we need to speak to them we need to love on them remarkable verse 21 says and I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality and she did not repent indeed I will cast her into a sickbed circle the word sickbed it's so amazing let me elaborate this way Jesus is saying verse 22 indeed I will cast her into a bed what's implied is indeed she wants a bed she loves the bed I will give her a bed her bed will be a bed of pestilence diseases and sicknesses that's the meaning of the word sick bed a diseased bed is this not graphic this is amazing Jesus Christ in the Bible I could just think of somebody right now oh my goodness I can't believe what that pastor just said hello jesus said in the book of Revelation to the church that's allowing people in the church to be carnal and the pastor knows it and he just turns over listen he turns over here he ignores it because they're big tithers or their dads on the board or they're the director of the something or others carnal compromised church pastor can I encourage you you will stand before nobody but Jesus and the end on the day of judgment nobody will be there alone you will give an account for your church all alone there's gonna be a day and you and I are an eternity and pastor by pastor he's going to say and to you I write and he's gonna speak to you and to the pastor at the church chino hills' i right jack i with the eyes of fire in the feet of fine brass declare this it's going to happen that's a tremendous challenge he says listen indeed i will cast your verse 22 into a sickbed and those who commit adultery with her which by the way implies that they are not of christ these are not backslidden Christians these are false believers because Satan will see to it they're in your church into Great Tribulation unless they repent of their deeds it what does that mean Wow are you kidding me everybody don't miss this I know we we got like 10 more minutes to go hang on Jesus is saying there's people in your church pastor that are disciples of that woman and that spirit of that woman Jezebel I just want you to know um if you don't take care of it I will take care of it because they're not of my people and they will be cast into Great Tribulation unless they repent in other words unless they come to Christ and become believers remarkable unless they repent of their deeds verse 23 this is off the charts ladies and gentlemen this is gentle Jesus meek and mild the coming judge of all glory verse 23 I will kill her children with death the word means with death I will make them dead in other words I'm gonna use death Jesus says to make sure they're dead he uses the word killed he said jecht that must not be in the real Bible right it's the real word Jesus Christ can you believe this is saying I'm gonna kill these wicked false teachers and the followers of false teachers I'm gonna kill them with death the word implies second death Wow listen I'm gonna kill him and I'm gonna kill them to death with death implying the second death this is how we know they're not believers you need to know that because some pastors teachers friends might try to convince you that this is a church that's got to go through the tribulation to get pure Jesus makes it very clear these are not the church these are people in the church polluting the church I am he who searches the minds and the hearts and I will give to each one according to his own works remarkable statement number three My dear thigh attire I've written you a letter it's a letter of mercy a letter of mercy verse 24 now to you I say into the rest in Thyatira as many as do not have this doctrine good for them who have not known the depths of Satan Wow that means those people that were airing had become very familiar with Satan's ways I will put on you no other burden mercy I don't need to belabor this we should always always cry out and call upon God to exercise mercy in our lives there's a great story you guys have you know Napoleon in his advancements as he was sweeping the known world at that time to polian there's a an account documented mind you where Napoleon had come to a certain place they needed more troops they were advancing along very very victorious and during this time of recruitment the word came out that there was a particular particular man in the community young man and let's just say he was not he had not expressed loyalty to Napoleon and was locked up so when Napoleon came to town he heard about well who's with me who's against me well the people are with you there's a handful of people against you he so bring them out and they bring out I don't know three five ten people that were imprisoned for being against Napoleon and the the French advancement and so Napoleon right there from his horse condemned them all to death to the guillotine and there's a woman in the crowd that ran out and she got a hold in the Napoleon's leg and she says please Napoleon that's my only son I don't have a husband I need him for my life I please have mercy please have mercy have mercy great Napoleon and he said woman I am all about justice woman I'm all about justice and she said and it struck him people said that he was actually moved by it she said Napoleon I didn't ask you for justice I'm pleading with you for mercy and in that moment Napoleon was faced with the two profound truths and words that go hand in hand and yet are hard to put together justice will never change justice has to happen but God has reserved the act of mercy or someone who's greater than you can exercise mercy upon you and we want to always ask God for mercy is God judge in America I don't know but I'm asking for his mercy anyway I'm not gonna wait to figure that out I'm praying for mercy is God judging the world I don't know let's pray for mercy mercy and forth and finally my dear thigh attire I've written you a letter a letter of commitment I'm writing to you a letter of commitment hold fast what you have listen to this everyone till I come you need to mark those words till I come why it's the first time in the book of Revelation since Jesus is speaking this is so cool don't miss this don't don't miss this it's the first time in the book of Revelation Jesus announces the verbage the wording that means is coming for the church the rapture hold fast till I come it's not a reference to the second coming to Christ to the rapture and it's the first time in the book of Revelation and it is in perfect correlation with the first time the doctrine of rapture was ever brought up into Scripture and that is by Jesus Christ himself in John 14 verses one two and three John 14:1 and right here Revelation chapter 2 verse 25 till I come that's a great title for a book right till I come I need to I need to write something about that verse 26 and he who overcomes and keeps my works until the end this is cool this is awesome until the end means either the end when he comes or the end when you go the end means when Jesus Christ raptures Jack out of here with you I hope or when Jack dies that's the end means two things let that settle in and to him I will give power over the nation's as a reference to the Millennial age Christian according to the Bible those of us who are in the church family of God you will be rewarded with authority and rule in the Millennium the thousand year reign of Christ Jesus just said if you hang in there and you hang on to the end and or you're watching for me until I come I'm going to grant you in that age power over the nations now that's amazing you might not care about that I don't care about that but we will later apparently it's a big deal the word hold fast by the way means to cease or to arrest it means to clean it means to grip onto something till you strangle it that's a weird jesus says hang on Oh some of you need to hear this we're almost done bastard I can't take it anymore you know I know somebody who got sick I know somebody who died Ernest what do you got hit by a truck I know somebody who doesn't matter what it is but you're threatened Jesus is saying to you hang on with a grip do let go hang on to the truth don't give up on it and the word keep here to torero in Greek it means to to keep with watching over to keep with guarding to keep listen the word means to keep by keeping to keep by keeping constant to keep something your walk with Jesus to keep it for the end is to keep it moment by moment to finish well is to be finishing right now every hour and following him first John 5 5 says he who overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God that's the one who overcomes in this world wow that streamlines it quick doesn't it first John 5 5 who is he who overcomes the world who is he who overcomes the coronavirus the IRS sickness financial issues fear attack a friend of mine is under tremendous attack right now from almost all sides he's taken a stand in righteousness and his stand his position has unearthed an underground never was before seen or known to the authorities power to control communities he took a stand and brought it forward and it has exposed the underbelly of a culture and now those powers that be are seeking to destroy him the temptation that is upon him is great to run it to flee and yet he's standing for righteousness and here the Bible is encouraging us keep keeping C's on - and don't let go of the promises of God and so the believers that thye retired we're doing just that verse 27 and he shall rule them with a rod of iron that is Jesus Christ during the Millennium will enforce his righteousness upon those earth dwellers in the Millennial age they shall be dashed to pieces like a Potter's vessel as also as I also have received from my father the word also to rule is to Shepherd the nations verse 28 I will give him of the Morningstar and he who has an ear to hear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches Wow the Morningstar one more verse and we're done the morning stars found finally and answered so who's them what's the morning star you need to know the answer to that he says I will give him the morning star what is that revelation 22:16 says I Jesus have sent my angel to testify to you these things in the churches I am the root and the offspring of David I am the bright and morning star the morning star I don't know if any of you are up early enough this morning this can be homework for you tomorrow if you get up if you get up well before dark I mean from 3 to 5 a.m. here anyway in Southern California at this time you'll see the morning star it's known as the morning star Jesus is that interesting he says I'll give you the morning star well there's a in celestial navigation there's the morning star and it comes it's in the east it's very listen it's very very non observable in the early hours of an evening even at midnight it's not there it begins to rise out of the East the morning star and it is so brilliant in fact in our Southern California skies right now during the evening hours the Venus in the West is so big and so bright there's nothing like it in the sky it's amazing that's in the West and it begins to set but in the morning in the East the morning star rises why is that important the morning star is the first star that an officially announces that the night is nearly past the day is at hand that in the next hour hour and a half or two the Sun will rise the Sun will rise the morning star is an announcement of hope of a new day I'll give you the morning star he's talking about himself I will give you me the person of all hoped the person of all meaning do you know Jesus Christ like that do you want to know him like that can we pray together let's pray Heavenly Father in Jesus name I come to you maybe this is your prayer friend and you'd say I want to know absolute hope I want to redeem all of this that has happened in my world I don't want 2020 to go down as the year where the covet virus ravaged my world no I want to I want this to be written down as the year that the covet virus got my attention and showed me that there's an invisible monster going about that would seek to destroy me but Jesus my eyes are opening up my mind is getting in tune with the things of God I am wandering now and I hear this morning that he's my bright and Morning Star Jesus Christ is and so I want now in the name of Jesus to receive precious Jesus of the Bible as my Morningstar I want my sins forgiven and I want to give my life to Christ right now and I I want to know that even if I slip today in a banana peel I'd go to heaven the fear factor in my life has ravaged me and quite frankly has embarrassed me and I have found out that my life is not founded upon a rock but it is founded upon hay and straw and sand and I will not live any longer like this I need Jesus to forgive me of my sins and to write my name in his book of life and to take me to heaven when that time comes so my dear friend wherever you may be in your own words you can tell him that in 30 seconds all on your own if you tell him that he'll respond to you he says to anyone who will come to him he will never turn you away thanks for watching the real life YouTube channel we love bringing you content that will help you grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ you can subscribe to this channel so that you don't miss one single video or live stream and you can share it with friends and family if you'd like to support this ministry by helping us reach others by taking the gospel and the teaching around the world you can do so by clicking the give Now button so thanks again for watching and God bless [Music]

Channel: Real Life with Jack Hibbs

Views: 40,796

Rating: 4.9168973 out of 5

Keywords: letters to the 7 churches, the church of ephesus, revelation song, the book of revelation, end times prophecy, amir tsarfati update, jack hibbs live, jack hibbs rapture, real life with jack hibbs, letters to the 7 churches sermons, letters to the 7 churches audio books, seven churches, revelation, book of revelation

Id: MTFAFkpTzck

Length: 79min 23sec (4763 seconds)

Published: Sun May 03 2020