Revelation 2:18 – 3:6
May 22, 2019

• Thyatira – military outpost – known for their trade guilds; (Lydia, dealt in purple cloth, Acts16:14)
• Lord Jesus Christ – Son of God, eyes of fire, and feet of bronze.
• Your deeds, love and faith are increasing.
• BUT, you tolerate (permit, leave un-confronted) that woman (an actual prominent woman in that local church) Jezebel (Jesus sees her as a manifestation of the same force in Northern Israel – 1 Kings 16:31).
 She teaches, causing Jesus’ servants to be misled into sexual immorality and idolatry (porneus) – “commit fornication; unfaithful to Christ while posing as a true follower.”
• Antinomianism – b/c God’s grace covers the believer’s sins, then we are free to live into our fleshly (internal) or worldly (external) desires.
 Jesus has incentivized her repentance, but she is unwilling.
 Jesus will cast her on a bed of suffering – venereal disease; and those who follower her will receive the same consequence.
• He hasn’t done it yet, Warning! Repent!
• Her children/followers will die.
• Command – (1) repent; (2) Hold on and do His will.
• Overcomes, Jesus will rule and you can share in it (Psalm 2).
• Sardis – Great wealth and fame; fortified city that was captured twice at night.
• Lord Jesus Christ – Controls the Holy Spirit and the messengers for the churches.
• Your deeds are incomplete. Reputation (stellar) who people think you are; Character/Nature (terminal) who you really are. To the church who has a stellar reputation, but is in fact dead or dying.
• Jesus’ Commandment – wake up! Nearly 100% is dead; establish what is still alive, and fast! Remember, repent, obey.
 Churches in this condition (again great on paper, dead inside), normally have a small remnant as God’s mercy to them.
• Overcome by being alive, clean, and legitimately walking with Jesus.
• Dressed in white, their names are in the book of life, never to be removed; instead Jesus will confess/declare their name before the Father and angels.

Take Aways: Three elements for Christians to overcome (to be faithful to Jesus until the Kingdom)
(1) Remember and return to the Gospel.
(2) Be willing to pour out your life if it is demanded of you.
(3) Do not accommodate popular, sinful practices (light and darkness cannot mix).
(4) Do not tolerate teachers of accommodation; leaving false teachers alone is playing a dangerous game.
(5) Personally walk with Jesus (even if the church isn’t), and call out – wake up, O sleeper! The bridegroom is coming!