Do You
Have the Time
Steve W. Reeves
INTRODUCTION:
A If
you lived in the last decade of the first century and decided to take a trip
through the part of the world that is now the country of Turkey you would probably begin at
the city of Ephesus. Ephesus was an important city located on the Aegean Sea. From
Ephesus there was a road that ran northward through Asia minor and ultimately
curved to the southeast. Along this Roman road were seven towns where
churches of Christ were located. These towns were Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum,
Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.
1. It was to these churches the aged apostle John, in exile on Patmos, was instructed
by Jesus to send a book in which he described the visions he saw. The beginning
of this book consists of seven letters from Jesus to these seven churches.
a. These were specific churches with specific characteristics.
b. The fact that there were seven of them is symbolic since seven is the number of
completion. These seven churches were indicative of churches that have existed
through the ages. Churches today possess these same traits.
2. Ephesus was a church where the honeymoon was over. The people of that church
were continuing to do good things but their love for Christ had lost its intensity and
passion.
3. Smyrna was a good church in the midst of a hostile environment. They
demonstrated that you can be faithful and serve God under difficult circumstances.
4. Pergamum was a church in the midst of a pagan city. Though they possessed
some notable traits they were beginning to allow their culture to determine their
faith.
B. If
you continued traveling on this Roman road you would come to a city named
Thyatira. 1. Of the seven towns pictured in these two chapters Thyatira was considered the
least important. It was not a great economic center like Ephesus. It was not a
capitol like Pergamum. It did not have a beautiful setting like Smyrna.
2. It was not an educational center, an economic power or a center for the study of
medicine or worship of Caesar. Thyatira was a town of trade guilds. It was a
“working man’s” town.
3. It was not a place you would go for vacation. It was plain, ordinary, dirty and
smelly. .
4. There is only one mention of Thyatira in the Bible outside the book of Revelation.
In Acts 16:14-15 a woman named Lydia, a seller of purple from Thyatira, listed to
Paul and Silas as they spoke in Philippi. She and her household were baptized and
she persuaded Paul and his companions to stay with them.
C. To the church in this town Jesus addressed this letter found in Revelation 2:18-28. (It
is the longest letter to the seven churches).
“And
to the angel of the church in Thyatira write:
he Son of God, who has eyes
like a flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished bronze, says this: 19 ‘I
know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that
your deeds of late are greater than at first. 20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate
the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My
bond-servants astray so that they commit acts
of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 I
gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. 22 Behold,
I will throw her on a bed of sickness,
and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they
repent of her deeds. 23 And I will kill her children with
pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds
and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. 24 But
I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who
have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them—I place no other
burden on you. 25 Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I
come. 26 He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the
end, to him I will give authority over the nations; 27 and he
shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to
pieces, as I also 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.’I. A DESCRIPTION TO REMEMBER.
A. This letter, like each of the letters to the seven churches, begins with a description
of Jesus. This particular description is very noteworthy.
1. Eyes like a flaming fire.
a. Do you recall the comic strip superhero “Superman?” One of his traits was “X-
Ray” vision that enabled him to see through walls.
b. This description of Jesus reminds us that He can see through the walls of our
souls and determine the things that are in our hearts.
1.) 1 Samuel 16:7 reminds us, “For God sees not as man sees, for man looks
at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
2.) It has been said, “Reputation is what people think about you. Character is
what God knows about you.” You can hide a lot of things from people but
you cannot hide from God.
2. Feet like burnished bronze.
a. Bronze represents strength and judgment.
b. We often worry about other people judging us. We should not care what others
think about us. We should be concerned with what Jesus thinks about us. He
is our judge. In John 5:30 Jesus said, “As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is
just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”
B. Jesus knew the church in Thyatira.
1. He knew their love, faith, deeds of service and perseverance.
2. He knew that their latter deeds were greater than their former deeds. He did not
hesitate to commend them for these things.
3. If Jesus wrote a letter to our church what would he write? What deeds would he
compliment? Would He say that our latter deeds are greater than our former
deeds? Would His remarks indicate continued spiritual growth on our part?
C. Jesus also knew that there was something terribly wrong at Thyatira that was
posing a dangerous and deadly threat to the church.
II. A DECISION TO MAKE
A. Jesus said, “I have this against you.”
a. These are sobering words.
b. If Jesus were to tell us, “I have this against you,” it should demand our full
attention.
B. Verse 20 continues, “You tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a
prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they
commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.”
1. Within the church at Thyatira was a woman who is described as “Jezebel.”
2. I do not think “Jezebel” was her real name. It was likely a descriptive name to
indicate what a hideous character and influence she possessed. Calling her
“Jezebel” was somewhat like calling a modern day traitor, “Benedict Arnold,” or
“Judas.”
3. This woman was so wicked she was like the wicked queen of Israel mentioned in
1 Kings 19ff. Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal and wife of Ahab wad exceedingly
wicked. It was Jezebel who threated Elijah after his victory over the prophets of
Baal at Mount Carmel. Jezebel concocted the murder of Naboth the Jezreelite so
Ahab might take possession of his vineyard. Ultimately she was thrown out of a
second story window and run over by Jehu’s chariot after which her body was
eaten by dogs.
C. Whoever this woman in Thyatira was, she was just as despicable as Jezebel.
1. She considered herself to be a prophetess. This tells us something about her
character for it appears she was usurping authority that should not have been
hers.
2. She was teaching and leading God’s people astray into sexual immoraiity and to
eat things sacrificed to idols.
3. In the Old Testament wicked Jezebel led Israel astray by promoting the worship
of Baal. Baal worship was perverted and immoral. Fast-forward to the end of the
first century in Thyatira. Trade guilds were a mixture of a worker’s union and a
pagan temple. Each guild had its own deity. The would come together and
worship their idol asking their god to bless their trade. Then they would have wild
parties that often became sexual orgies. It appears this Jezebel was saying, “It’s
okay to do this.” This woman was having a wicked influence on the church.
Jesus called these the “deep things of Satan” (verse 24).
a. I am so thankful for Godly women who influence others in so many wonderful
ways. My life has been blessed by wonder, dedicated Christian women since I
was a small child.
b. Women played a significant role in the ministry of Jesus. They accompanie
Jesus and the apostles as they traveled. One of the last people at the cross
was a woman. The first people at the open tomb were women. Women played
an important role in the life of the early church.
c. It is also true that a wicked woman exerts a powerful influence. This was true
of this woman called “Jezebel” in Thyatira.
D. Here was the choice these Christians had to make. Were they going to follow
Jezebel or Jesus?
1. These people were tolerating immorality in their midst.
2. They were tolerating false teaching in their midst. I am amazed at the things we
fall for. A preacher in Mississippi passed out small bags of oats, honey, wheat,
barley and molasses. It looked so good. It also had a small percentage of poison.
It was rat killer. Satan always hides his deadly poison in the midst of good things.
III. A DESTINY TO DETERMINE
A. There are two destinies mentioned in this letter.
1. For those who continued to hold to the wicked teachings of Jezebel there was
the destiny of destruction. .
2. For those who resisted this immoral teaching there was the promise of the
morning star. Victory in Jesus.
B. You and I face a similar decision today. The decisions we make in our lives
determine our eternal destiny.
IV. A DEADLINE TO MEET
A. In verse 21 Jesus said, “I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent
of her immorality.”
1. Peter reminds us that God is “not slack concerning His promises but is
longsuffering toward us” (2 Peter 2:9).
2. Jesus had given this woman and her followers time to repent but they had not
done so.
B. How much time has God given you hoping that you would repent of your sin? How
many opportunities have you had to make changes in your life? One day you will
hear the last sermon you will ever hear. You will sing the last invitation song you’ll
ever sing. You will walk out of these doors for the final time. How long will it be
before you repent?
CONCLUSION:
A. The letter of Jesus to the church in Thyatira is highly applicable to the church of our
time. We must not capitulate to the influences and immoralities of the world. We must
remain strong, scriptural and sound in our faith.
B. What would Jesus write to you and me? Please consider this important question as
we consider His invitation.
