Sermon Tone Analysis

Textual Idea – Jesus has a message for the 7 local churches which typify churches today.

Transition w/ key word – Our text presents several common themes of Jesus message to the churches.

(Format modified from Lehman Strauss) Read 2:18-29

We note the:

The Assembly - The Author - The Approval - The Admonition - The Appeal - The Application -

Introduction - How many of you here today are the kind of people who read the instructions, or the owners manual?

Interesting.

So then how many of you will read it after you’ve tried to put something together and it’s not going well, then you’ll read the instructions?

Finally how many of you will never read it no matter what, as a matter of pride, and send it back to Amazon or return it to Walmart b/c it’s defective??? Probably shouldn’t answer that haha.

Transition – Well in our study through Revelation, the Apostle John is commanded by the Lord Jesus Himself to write some letters of instruction to the 7 churches of Revelation that included common themes for the church as He warns them to get their house in order.

(See study guide).

Read 2:18-29

Last week we looked at 3 churches, Ephesus, Smyrna & Pergamos.

Remember last week we said the Lord told John in 1:19 to “Write the things which you have seen, the things that are, and the things which will take place after this.”

These two chapters where the things “which are” or were during John’s life.

It was the risen Lord’s assessment of the 7 churches of Asia.

Each letter to each church has 1) A primary association - in other words it was to a specific body of believers and was a direct message to that church.

2) A personal application - each church was made up of individual believers and through out these letters Jesus said to the members: “He that hath an ear to hear let him hear.”

So they were to take to heart what their Savior said and apply it to their life and their church!

3) A prophetic anticipation - The principles laid out to these actual churches have direct bearing and are typical of problems of churches today and throughout the church age.

So they are important for us to read and understand and apply to our lives as well.

We note the:

1.

The Assembly - Thyatira - 2:18-29

As we’ve done last week it’s helpful for us to see the churches laid out on a map as the Lord deals with them in order of geographical location.

(Show map & review where John is, & Ephesus up to Thyatira.)

The City of Thyatira The longest of the seven letters was written to the church in the smallest town and Thyatira had little political or religious influence.

It was located on a vast plain so military commanders tried to store a military arsenal there and it was supposed be a first line of defense for Pergamum to the NW but to little avail.

Thyatira was known for the trade guilds or “Collegia”, most notably the clothing industry because the water around Thyatira was well suited for dying cloth different colors.

Paul met a woman named Lydia in Acts 16:14 who was from Thyatira and the Bible tells us she was a seller of purple apparently in Philippi to market her clothing but she got saved and most likely carried the gospel back to her home town.

2. The Author - 2:18b

As we’ve said, Jesus described Himself differently to each church because each church had different needs & problems and Jesus is the Head of each church.

As the Alpha & Omega, He uniquely can address each need based on His Divine Character.

Here the Lord Jesus reveals 3 things about Himself to the Church at Thyatira.

A. The Son of God

The first thing Jesus said - “Says the Son of God…” While on earth, Jesus referred to Himself as the Son of Man highlighting His humanity.

Nowhere in Scripture do you find Jesus referring to Himself as the son of Mary or even Joseph.

We find other people who were trying to slander the Lord Jesus and cast doubt about Him as we see in Mark 6:3 as the carpenter, the son of Mary.

Men were typically identified by their father and these people in Nazareth were claiming Jesus was an illegitimate son of Mary.

But here Jesus clearly says He is the Son of God!

This highlights His deity above all others, including those who elevate the Lord’s mother Mary to an exalted position above Jesus.

B. Next Jesus says He has eyes like a flame of fire -

Someone said, “There is nothing more piercing than flaming fire.

Everything yields and melts before it.

It penetrates, all things, consumes every opposition, sweeps down all obstruction, and presses its way with invincible power.”

(Strauss p. 60)

I’ve seen pictures of wildfires out west that have consumed whole neighborhoods and everything is gone down to concrete slab because of the intensity of the flames and heat.

Nothing escapes the power of the Lord’s holy gaze of flaming fire!

Hebrews 4:13 says “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes Him to whom we must give an account.”

C. Feet like fine brass -

Some translations like the ESV, NIV, CSB & NASB may say burnished bronze or burnished brass.

This word only occurs here & in 1:15 describing the Lord’s feet and is hard to find in Greek literature.

Dr. Paige Patterson explains that the word seems to reference that the Thyatiran guilds had figured out a way to distill zinc; and in mixing zinc w/ copper, they developed a strong valuable metal for both instruments of war and coinage.

He continues that John had taken something with which every Thyatiran would have been familiar with as an expression of the strength and ability of the Savior to deal with whatever situation must be faced in Thyratira.”

(p.

113)

3. The Approval - vs. 19

As He has done with the the other churches we’ve already seen & except Sardis & Laodicea we will get to, the Lord has words of approval for the churches.

A divine affirmation of what He sees and knows about the church.

Sadly He had no words of approval for Sardis & Laodicea.

Here the Lord has 5 words of approval for Thyatira.

A. “I know your works…”

“Know” (odia) is different from the more common GK word “ginosko” which is knowledge accumulated over time.

This word for know is complete and full knowledge describing the Lord’s knowledge of his church is affirmed to each of these 7 churches.

He commended their work - the word is ergon where we get our word ergonomics from; the study of efficiency in a work environment - whether good or bad.

B. Jesus commended their love –

Love of course is agape - sacrificial loyal love that puts others first.

The Christian life is all about relationships, first a vertical love relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ & then a horizontal love relationship with others.

It’s a sacrificial love based on choice, not on feelings.

“It’s the giving of myself even to death for the holiness and righteousness of another.”

C. Jesus commended their service -

Service/ministry is the word Diakonioa - actually where we get our word Deacon from describing what deacons do, they serve, minister to others.

D. Jesus commended their faith -

Pisteuo - That very quality without which the Bible says it is impossible to please God Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

E. Their patience -

The word is hupomeno - literally to remain under - to endure.

Carries the idea of patient endurance & perseverance.

Then Jesus says their works or more than the first, suggesting these believers had grown to some degree of Christian maturity.

However…

4. The Admonition - vs. 20-23

“Nevertheless, I have a few things against you…”

In short, the subtle temptation for this church was social acceptance.

Religion in Thyatira was connected to material prosperity and the trade guilds.

Caesar was worshipped as Apollo incarnate and matters of faith took a backseat to commercial enterprise and material prosperity.

A powerful woman symbolically called Jezebel, after the wicked queen married to Ahab in 1st Kings 16:31; had influence so great the believers were encouraged to participate in the festivals committing fornication, sexual immorality & eating things sacrificed to idols vs. 20.

By referring to Jezebel, the Lord paints a symbolic picture of the evil influence of Jezebel on King Ahab to worship the idol Baal.

We get a graphic picture of the depth of depravity Jezebel had led the COI into in 1st Kings 18. God declared a drought through the prophet Elijah and they had a contest on Mount Carmel b/w Elijah and 450 prophets of Baal as to who was the true God.

Of course God won the contest hands down and Elijah and the COI killed all 450 prophets of Baal, but in a rage, Jezebel put a contract out on Elijah’s life and he had to flee for his life.

She must have been a scary woman to have Elijah quaking in his boots - well sandals...

Ahab and Jezebel were two of the most wicked leaders Israel ever had.

Just like Jezebel had lead Israel astray from true worship of God, this NT version of Jezebel was leading the church astray and into socially acceptable immorality.

The believers at Thyatira were more concerned about fashion than faith.

They preferred social acceptance to spiritual integrity.

They wanted to tolerate sin in the name of cultural accommodation.

What a terrible picture of churches today!

5.

The Appeal - vs. 24-28 -

Apparently there was a small minority of true believers who “had not known the depths of Satan” - they hadn’t engaged in the level of depravity as others had; they were to “hold fast what you have till I come.”

Jesus makes an interesting promise to the few faithful believers in Thyatira.

They will rule & have authority over the nations - vs. 26 This is a preview of the millennial reign of Christ.

As part of that rule they will dash them to pieces like pottery is smashed just as Jesus has received authority from the Father, they will rule with a rod of iron.

Vs. 27 Several OT references use this kind of language.

Ps. 2:9 “You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’