Be Careful With What You Tolerate
The Best is Yet to Come • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Tolerance can be a very good attribute. In fact the definition of Tolerance is...
tolerance. 1 : capacity to endure pain or hardship : endurance, fortitude, stamina. 2a : sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one's own. b : the act of allowing something : toleration.
I am very grateful that my wife has tolerated me for 29 years!
And, by God’s grace, we have tolerance for one another in our neighborhoods, work and even at church!
But tolerance, for the Christian, has a limit and that limit is defined by God’s truth!
Main Idea: Tolerance isn’t Always a Good Idea!
Main Idea: Tolerance isn’t Always a Good Idea!
Interrogative: When is tolerance not a good idea? Well, I’m going to answer that question at the end of the sermon. But before I do, I want to share with you some observations I’ve found in the next church we are visiting on our journey through the seven Churches in Asia that Jesus is addressing through his old friend, the Apostle John.
Transition: I want us to walk though this passage, make some observations and then bring some application to this passage at the end...
Let’s take a look. What we first see is...
1. A Praise filled Message from the Son of God (vs. 18-19)
1. A Praise filled Message from the Son of God (vs. 18-19)
Lead in...What is the tension here?
18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19 “ ‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first.
Explanation -
Another of the seven pastors/elders of the seven churches in Asia, receives a personal message from Jesus.
Thyatira - a small, thriving town located about forty miles southeast of Pergamum. The city had been established as a Macedonian colony by Alexander the Great after the destruction of the Persian empire. Located in a rich agricultural area, Thyatira was famous for the manufacture of purple dye, and numerous references are found in secular literature of the period to the trade guilds that manufactured cloth.8 This is reflected in the only other biblical mention of Thyatira, the conversion of a woman named Lydia, “a seller of purple goods” (Acts 16:14–15) who was converted under the preaching of Paul. Walvoord, John. Revelation (The John Walvoord Prophecy Commentaries) (p. 69). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.
“The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.”
From the Son of Man to the “Son of God” - this is the only time this title is used in the book of Revelation
“Eyes like a flame of fire” - He sees all, His vision burns through all things. Cannot hide. Divine insight
“whose fee are like burnished bronze” - glory, stability, security and judgment.
6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude.
19 “ ‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first.
And these divine, all-knowing eyes see the work of the church of Thyatira and He praises them for four things.
Their Love - self sacrificial
Their Faith - “The essence of faith consists in believing and receiving what God has revealed. It may be defined as that trust in the God of the Scriptures and in Jesus Christ whom He has sent, which receives Him as Lord and Savior and impels to loving obedience and good works.” - SSB
Their Service -
Their Patient Endurance - Steadfastness!
And they were demonstrating themselves to be authentic followers of Christ because they were growing in these areas.
Jesus praised this church for these things. We too should be proving our faith by growing in these areas as well!
Review -
A praise filled message...
2. A Powerful Rebuke from the Son of God (vs. 20)
2. A Powerful Rebuke from the Son of God (vs. 20)
Lead in...What is the tension here?
20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.
Explanation -
Here are those daunting and convicting words yet again! “But I have this against you...”
I never want to hear those words!
What does the Lord have against this church that He Just praised?
Tolerance! Not tolerance in general, but tolerance for “that woman Jezebel” Apparently the leadership of this church tolerated or permitted this woman to teach in their congregation and they did nothing about it!
An old and familiar name - Jezebel! You can read all about this wicked woman in 1 Kings 16
29 In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri began to reign over Israel, and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. 30 And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him. 31 And as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he took for his wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal and worshiped him. 32 He erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria. 33 And Ahab made an Asherah. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.
She gives herself quite a title - Prophetess
Religous
Compelling
Her teaching is captivating and wicked - it is seducing (deceiving) Christ’s servants!
Practice sexual immorality - Temple worship
Eat food sacrificed to idols - Temple worship
Guilds/unions - Had to be a part of the guild in order to work. Being a part of the guild meant participating in these practices. This put Christians in an awkward position.
Jezebel, no doubt preached that this was okay for Christians to engage in because God is a God of grace.
Tolerance of these teachings is simply unacceptable and wicked and has the potential of leading the church astray the way Jezebel lead Israel astray.
The pastor/elder - the leadership received the harshest warning from Jesus about what they tolerated in their midst.
While it is true that we need to as christians be a patient and tolerant people, we simply cannot be tolerant of sin being taught in our midst. Specifically, sexual sins and sins of idolatry.
The church of Christ must be His pure and holy bride!
Review -
A praise filled message
A powerful rebuke
3. A Promise of Punishment from the Son of God (vs. 21-23)
3. A Promise of Punishment from the Son of God (vs. 21-23)
Lead in...What is the tension here?
21 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. 22 Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, 23 and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.
Explanation -
It’s one thing to be rebuked by the Lord, but when you are rebuked and refuse to repent, well, that invited the chastening hand of God Himself.
And in this case, this Jezebel woman, who was promoting sexual immorality, would be thrown, not on a bed for sexual purposes, but on a bed of sickness. In fact, those that participated with her - bought into her teachings - would suffer the same sick fate. And according to verse 23, even her children would die!
31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
For this situation, Jesus promises physical judgment for Jezebel and those who follow her!
By the way, this is a warning all churches should pay attention to. We must pursue purity! We must not worship other gods! Including the god of self!
Paul warns the church at Corinth to be a holy and godly people. They must regularly examine their hearts to see if they are Christlike or not because God examines our hearts! He desires for us to examine and repent. If we fail in this, He will step in!
29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.
By the way, why does God sometimes step in? Look again at verse 23
23 and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.
He steps in to produce repentance...
God will chasten and discipline His children because He loves them
But He also chastens and disciplines to protect the holiness of His body!
Review -
A praise filled message
A powerful rebuke
A promise of punishment
4. A Word of Encouragement from the Son of God (vs. 24-25)
4. A Word of Encouragement from the Son of God (vs. 24-25)
Lead in...What is the tension here?
24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. 25 Only hold fast what you have until I come.
Explanation -
This is a true church and a true church is comprised of true Christians. And these true Christians did not buy into the teachings of Jezebel (the deep things of Satan).
Jesus says to them, I’m not going to burden you with anything else! Just hang on to what you have (my teachings) until I come.
Folks, that’s a good word for us today! There is one thing we should hold onto and that is the word of Christ!
This is what Paul says to those in Philippi!
14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
Review -
A praise filled message
A powerful rebuke
A promise of punishment
An Encouraging word
5. A Guarantee of Responsibility from the Son of God (vs. 26-29)
5. A Guarantee of Responsibility from the Son of God (vs. 26-29)
Lead in...What is the tension here?
26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, 27 and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. 28 And I will give him the morning star. 29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
Explanation -
Often times when we think of the next life, we think we will be sitting on clouds strumming our harp or enduring an eternal worship service. This is not the case at all.
As we can see from this text, for the believer, for the one who overcomes, for the one who faithfully works to the end, to that one will be given great responsibility!
Jesus promises to give the believer “authority over the nations”
Now, I want you to think about this one my friends! Our King Jesus shares His authority with us!
First of all, He has all authority
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
And then in this text, He promises to share His authority with us! We will join our King during His millennial rule and together we will rule the nations! Wow!
6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.
12 if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us;
2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!
But there’s one more thing given to the one who conquers! The faithful one will receive the morning star!
What is this? We get a clue from...
17 I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth.
Jesus is the star! This is a passage with clear messianic implications. And we who overcome will have the Messiah, the King - we will have Jesus in the fullest sense possible!
John D. Barry says “The act of giving the morning star to believers refers to them sharing in the duty of ruling the kingdom with Jesus.”
John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Re 2:28.
My dear friends, I’m not sure what kind of Job you have today, but one day you will serve alongside your King and Savior, Jesus Christ! What a beautiful guarantee!
Review -
A praise filled message
A powerful rebuke
A promise of punishment
A word of encouragement
A guarantee of responsibility
Conclusion
tolerance. 1 : capacity to endure pain or hardship : endurance, fortitude, stamina. 2a : sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one's own. b : the act of allowing something : toleration.
Tolerance isn’t Always a Good Idea!
Tolerance isn’t Always a Good Idea!
When is tolerance not a good idea?
So you go to the doctor and he tells you that you have an aggressive form of cancer that is attacking your body. And if you do address this cancer and seek treatment, if you tolerate its presence in your body, you will die! You may need surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, the works!
It is not a good idea for you to tolerate cancer in your body and hope that it goest away!
The same thing is true for God’s body, the church!
We cannot tolerate teachers in our midst who promote activities that are contrary to God’s revealed word!
When cannot put up with something that God has clearly said He is against!
In the case of Thyatira, it was idolatry and sexual sin being promoted and encouraged!
And it is time for the Church of Jesus Christ to not tolerate egregious sin within her body - because it will will invite God’s judgment upon her.
Now certainly we are not teaching or promoting these things corporately.
But I want to challenge you to evaluate you personal life in these two areas.
Sexual Sin - any sexual activity outside of marriage
Idolatry - Placing anything above God
Repent today and beg for God’s grace to wash over you even now.
And renew a commitment to follow Jesus faithfully and be the conquerer over sin that He has called and enabled you to be!
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Connection Group Reflection Questions
What do these verses teach me about our character?
What do these verses teach me about God and his character?
Because these words are from God, they are TRUTH!
What truth is he asking me to believe?
What do I need to do to obey him?
With whom can I share these truths?