WEBVTT 00:00:00.200 --> 00:00:04.099 Well, good morning everyone. Can I repeat the welcome that Alistair gave early on? 00:00:04.400 --> 00:00:07.940 We're delighted to have you with us, whether you're here in the building or at home. 00:00:08.720 --> 00:00:12.560 And we're continuing today the series where we're looking at the messages from the Lord Jesus 00:00:12.560 --> 00:00:18.480 to seven churches in Asia Minor in Revelation chapters 2 and 3. 00:00:18.940 --> 00:00:22.100 And if you can, it will be helpful to have Revelation 2 in front of you. 00:00:22.339 --> 00:00:24.859 It will help you to follow what I've got to say. 00:00:26.460 --> 00:00:29.379 This is the kind of church I want to belong to. 00:00:30.420 --> 00:00:33.939 There's a real love for the Lord Jesus and for each other. 00:00:34.020 --> 00:00:36.579 And that's shown in very practical ways. 00:00:37.640 --> 00:00:43.820 People have a really strong faith, trusting the Lord Jesus through all of life's circumstances 00:00:43.820 --> 00:00:49.420 and coming together to pray, not just as a routine or going through the motions, 00:00:49.420 --> 00:00:54.700 but really as an expression of faith and of dependence on the Lord Jesus. 00:00:55.640 --> 00:00:57.859 People are active in serving the Lord Jesus. 00:00:57.859 --> 00:01:00.479 There are no passengers in this church. 00:01:00.920 --> 00:01:07.000 Everyone wants to be involved and to do their bit in serving the Lord and serving others. 00:01:07.719 --> 00:01:09.180 And they've got perseverance. 00:01:09.420 --> 00:01:13.299 When they go through difficult times, it doesn't put them off their faith. 00:01:13.680 --> 00:01:14.960 They don't drop away. 00:01:15.539 --> 00:01:19.640 Rather, it increases their devotion to the Lord Jesus. 00:01:19.640 --> 00:01:24.280 And there are signs of real spiritual growth. 00:01:24.980 --> 00:01:28.780 It's not a church where people have been enthusiastic for a while and then have thought, 00:01:28.859 --> 00:01:31.579 well, take a step back and maybe not work as hard now. 00:01:31.939 --> 00:01:36.819 Everyone is doing more than they did when they first became Christians. 00:01:36.819 --> 00:01:46.219 And, oh no, in this church, there is flirting with other religions. 00:01:47.119 --> 00:01:49.259 There is sexual immorality. 00:01:50.739 --> 00:01:51.819 What's gone wrong? 00:01:53.299 --> 00:01:58.939 And that's the question we have to ask about the church in Thyatira, which was the one I was describing. 00:01:58.939 --> 00:02:05.280 You look at verse 19 of Revelation 2 and you think this is the perfect church. 00:02:05.799 --> 00:02:07.640 It's got everything going for it. 00:02:07.659 --> 00:02:08.280 There's love. 00:02:08.579 --> 00:02:09.159 There's faith. 00:02:09.240 --> 00:02:10.520 People are working hard. 00:02:10.699 --> 00:02:13.639 And they appear to be growing in their faith. 00:02:14.620 --> 00:02:17.300 And then you come to verse 20 and the following verses. 00:02:17.939 --> 00:02:22.620 And you realize there is something that is very, very wrong. 00:02:23.360 --> 00:02:26.020 And you have to ask, why is that? 00:02:26.020 --> 00:02:33.680 Why does the Lord start slating this church, which to begin with looked such a model to all of us? 00:02:34.540 --> 00:02:39.200 Well, the short answer is that as soon as you depart from the truths of the Bible, 00:02:39.560 --> 00:02:44.160 then you're on a slippery slope and things will continue to go wrong. 00:02:44.860 --> 00:02:47.340 Now, as always, it's a little more complex than that. 00:02:47.660 --> 00:02:52.140 And we'll think a bit more about the reasons a bit later in the service. 00:02:52.139 --> 00:03:02.059 But I think it will be useful to begin with to get a bit of the context of the church to which the Lord Jesus is writing the church in Thyatira. 00:03:02.739 --> 00:03:07.279 So we're going to pay an imaginary visit to first century Thyatira. 00:03:07.280 --> 00:03:17.420 We get off a boat, maybe, around Pergamum, which is on the southwest coast of Turkey, just across from Lesbos. 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:20.080 And we take the road that leads to Sardis. 00:03:20.180 --> 00:03:21.340 We were at Pergamum last week. 00:03:21.580 --> 00:03:23.000 Next week we will be at Sardis. 00:03:23.180 --> 00:03:25.840 And we're taking the road between the two of them. 00:03:26.800 --> 00:03:30.960 It's not one of the great arterial roads that all led to Rome in those days. 00:03:30.960 --> 00:03:32.980 But it is quite an important one. 00:03:33.480 --> 00:03:39.140 If we're thinking UK terms, we might say it's an A road rather than a motorway. 00:03:39.240 --> 00:03:42.400 It was an important road, particularly for trade. 00:03:43.400 --> 00:03:48.920 And when we've gone about 30 miles on our journey, we come to the small city of Pergamum, 00:03:49.000 --> 00:03:51.780 sitting in a valley between two rivers. 00:03:52.460 --> 00:04:00.219 It's the smallest and least important of all the cities that we'll be looking at in our journey around Asia Minor in Revelation. 00:04:00.960 --> 00:04:09.360 Now, as we come to Thyatira, the first thing that we see is an army garrison on the outskirts of the city. 00:04:09.860 --> 00:04:12.480 This is a military city. 00:04:13.260 --> 00:04:22.340 It was first built in the time of Alexander the Great and was built to protect the routes between Sardis and Pergamum. 00:04:23.220 --> 00:04:28.240 And in times of peace, it was there to protect traders going between the cities. 00:04:28.240 --> 00:04:33.480 In times of war, the garrison that was there was a first line of defence. 00:04:34.180 --> 00:04:39.540 If you've got invaders coming, say, from Sardis towards Pergamum and they get to Thyatira, 00:04:39.860 --> 00:04:42.340 there's an army there to slow them down. 00:04:43.079 --> 00:04:46.699 Now, they're not going to do it for very long because, as I said, Thyatira is in a valley. 00:04:46.800 --> 00:04:49.400 It's not in a good position from a military viewpoint. 00:04:49.399 --> 00:05:00.179 But it probably leaves them long enough to bring in reinforcements from Pergamum or at least to get the city ready for the attack that they know is coming. 00:05:00.279 --> 00:05:02.719 That's why Thyatira was built. 00:05:02.819 --> 00:05:08.519 As we go through the passage, we'll see there are quite a number of military references in it. 00:05:09.319 --> 00:05:10.339 But let's go into the city. 00:05:10.339 --> 00:05:17.579 And the first thing we spot as we get into the centre of Thyatira is that there's a big temple. 00:05:18.539 --> 00:05:25.639 It's a temple to the local god who's called Tyrimnus, but is actually identified with Apollo, the Greek god. 00:05:26.359 --> 00:05:30.539 And the worship of Apollo is a big thing in Thyatira. 00:05:30.540 --> 00:05:36.520 It is the centre of worship for this god Apollo. 00:05:36.640 --> 00:05:40.780 Not on the scale of Ephesus or in Athens in terms of big temples and so on, 00:05:41.000 --> 00:05:43.840 but nevertheless is a very important part of the city. 00:05:44.160 --> 00:05:49.540 And we'll also notice shrines to quite a number of other gods as we move around. 00:05:50.840 --> 00:05:56.920 The other thing that we notice in Thyatira is that there are a lot of skilled tradesmen there. 00:05:56.920 --> 00:06:01.980 There are a lot of people going about their business doing skilled work. 00:06:02.520 --> 00:06:03.640 So there are weavers. 00:06:04.360 --> 00:06:05.660 There are leather workers. 00:06:06.280 --> 00:06:07.379 There are potters. 00:06:07.960 --> 00:06:10.240 There are people working in bronze. 00:06:11.060 --> 00:06:15.200 And in the first century, that was the key thing in Thyatira. 00:06:16.020 --> 00:06:17.920 It wasn't a big city politically. 00:06:18.580 --> 00:06:20.639 It wasn't a big city culturally. 00:06:21.480 --> 00:06:25.879 But it did have lots and lots of tradespeople. 00:06:25.879 --> 00:06:31.379 And the one person from Thyatira many of us probably have heard of is a woman named Lydia, 00:06:31.740 --> 00:06:33.920 who was Paul's first convert in Europe. 00:06:34.319 --> 00:06:37.839 And she was a trader in fine purple clothing. 00:06:38.680 --> 00:06:44.579 So Thyatira was a kind of upmarket centre for people who went about trades. 00:06:45.860 --> 00:06:48.519 And if you were in a trade in Thyatira, 00:06:48.980 --> 00:06:52.420 you had to belong to the Trade Association or the Trade Guild. 00:06:52.500 --> 00:06:53.980 It's still kind of the same today. 00:06:53.980 --> 00:06:55.620 You have trade associations. 00:06:56.300 --> 00:06:58.460 They lobby for their members. 00:06:58.920 --> 00:07:00.720 They promote the work that they do. 00:07:01.420 --> 00:07:03.200 And they set standards. 00:07:04.020 --> 00:07:07.240 And they also have convivial events. 00:07:07.900 --> 00:07:10.460 These days it might be awards evenings or things like that. 00:07:10.640 --> 00:07:13.020 But they have celebrations together. 00:07:13.879 --> 00:07:17.819 And that was very much part of the Trade Guilds in Thyatira. 00:07:17.819 --> 00:07:21.959 That they got together regularly and they had a party. 00:07:22.779 --> 00:07:28.719 And they would start by making sacrifices to Apollo or to the particular god of that trade 00:07:28.719 --> 00:07:31.819 and sharing the meat of the sacrifice round. 00:07:32.560 --> 00:07:34.060 There would be lots of wine flowing. 00:07:34.680 --> 00:07:37.860 And by the end of the evening, people's morals had been loosened 00:07:37.860 --> 00:07:41.959 and they were getting involved in sexual immorality. 00:07:41.959 --> 00:07:43.599 That was the context. 00:07:43.979 --> 00:07:46.539 That was what happened in Thyatira. 00:07:47.379 --> 00:07:51.000 And that was the temptation which faced the church there. 00:07:51.639 --> 00:07:55.240 If you wanted to be a skilled tradesperson in Thyatira, 00:07:55.479 --> 00:07:57.500 you had to belong to the Guild. 00:07:58.339 --> 00:07:59.919 If you belonged to the Guild, 00:08:00.219 --> 00:08:05.939 you were expected to go along to these evenings and to participate in them. 00:08:05.939 --> 00:08:08.259 And the Christians perhaps were feeling, 00:08:08.379 --> 00:08:10.579 well, we're not sure if we should really be doing this. 00:08:11.240 --> 00:08:14.160 And along comes a woman who's called Jezebel in the passage. 00:08:14.480 --> 00:08:16.839 And she says, actually, it's okay. 00:08:17.540 --> 00:08:20.500 As Christians, you can go and get involved in these evenings 00:08:20.500 --> 00:08:22.759 and you don't need to worry about it. 00:08:22.779 --> 00:08:25.339 And how attractive that must have been for many in the church, 00:08:25.639 --> 00:08:26.420 feeling a bit goate. 00:08:26.459 --> 00:08:27.939 And then someone comes along and says, 00:08:28.199 --> 00:08:30.180 it's all right, I've had a message from God. 00:08:30.560 --> 00:08:31.439 You are okay. 00:08:31.439 --> 00:08:33.519 You can keep going. 00:08:33.519 --> 00:08:36.319 So then three things, just to remind you, 00:08:36.379 --> 00:08:38.559 it was a military city in terms of context. 00:08:39.299 --> 00:08:41.299 The worship of Apollo was a big thing. 00:08:41.939 --> 00:08:44.220 And there were lots of trade guilds, 00:08:44.240 --> 00:08:46.740 and all of them relevant as we go through. 00:08:47.960 --> 00:08:49.059 Before we move on from the context, 00:08:49.259 --> 00:08:52.240 let's look at verse 18, which I think is part of it. 00:08:52.600 --> 00:08:55.720 Verse 18, as with all the letters in Revelation, 00:08:56.220 --> 00:08:58.799 is where the Lord introduces himself. 00:08:59.600 --> 00:09:03.500 And he says here, these are the words of the Son of God. 00:09:03.899 --> 00:09:07.620 Only time Son of God is used as a phrase in the book of Revelation. 00:09:08.399 --> 00:09:11.639 The contrast here is with Apollo, who is the son of Zeus, 00:09:11.740 --> 00:09:12.740 the king of the gods. 00:09:13.039 --> 00:09:15.100 So in that sense, too, was a son of God. 00:09:15.439 --> 00:09:18.679 But this is saying this is the true Son of God, 00:09:19.439 --> 00:09:22.340 whose eyes, it says, are like blazing fire. 00:09:22.439 --> 00:09:24.399 Again, contrast with Apollo. 00:09:24.500 --> 00:09:25.579 Apollo was the sun god. 00:09:25.699 --> 00:09:28.480 So he did have, if you like, blazing eyes. 00:09:29.139 --> 00:09:31.920 And the Lord Jesus is saying here, I'm like that. 00:09:31.980 --> 00:09:35.659 But the purpose of his blazing eyes is that he can see through all the deception 00:09:35.659 --> 00:09:38.680 and the hypocrisy in the church. 00:09:39.480 --> 00:09:42.420 And his feet are like burnished bronze, it says. 00:09:42.500 --> 00:09:44.899 Now, there's a nod to the trades of Thyatira. 00:09:44.899 --> 00:09:47.779 One of them was making high-quality bronze. 00:09:47.779 --> 00:09:50.799 But it's also, as we'll see later down in the passage, 00:09:51.220 --> 00:09:53.899 our reference to the power of the Lord Jesus 00:09:53.899 --> 00:09:55.939 and the authority that he has. 00:09:56.319 --> 00:10:00.199 And looking back to Psalm 2, which we'll come to later on. 00:10:00.500 --> 00:10:03.240 So our introduction, our context, the Lord Jesus gives 00:10:03.240 --> 00:10:06.600 is very relevant to Thyatira. 00:10:07.639 --> 00:10:11.439 So if that's the context, we then have the Lord's commendation. 00:10:11.440 --> 00:10:14.460 Now, we're not going to take a lot of time over this, 00:10:14.920 --> 00:10:18.320 but let's just note how positive it is. 00:10:18.880 --> 00:10:21.720 It's kind of easy to skip over verse 19 and to say, 00:10:21.880 --> 00:10:23.160 this was a dreadful church. 00:10:23.300 --> 00:10:24.840 How could such things be happening? 00:10:25.360 --> 00:10:27.660 But if you look at what's there in verse 19, 00:10:27.660 --> 00:10:32.820 it is a tremendous testimony to the church in Thyatira. 00:10:32.820 --> 00:10:38.060 Love, faith, service, perseverance, 00:10:38.879 --> 00:10:41.860 and more now than at first. 00:10:42.980 --> 00:10:46.280 I wonder if the Lord was to look at our church at Brunsfield. 00:10:47.020 --> 00:10:50.600 Could he give the same kind of commendation for us? 00:10:51.340 --> 00:10:53.180 Is our love for him evident? 00:10:53.700 --> 00:10:55.240 Is our love for each other? 00:10:55.480 --> 00:10:57.680 And for those who don't yet know the Lord Jesus, 00:10:58.320 --> 00:10:59.540 a reflection on that. 00:10:59.539 --> 00:11:05.419 Do we live lives of faith and of trusting in the Lord for everything? 00:11:06.379 --> 00:11:09.919 Are we involved in working and serving the Lord Jesus 00:11:09.919 --> 00:11:15.079 in doing our part in building up the body of Christ? 00:11:15.819 --> 00:11:19.179 And when things are hard, when times are hard as they are just now, 00:11:19.599 --> 00:11:20.819 do we persevere? 00:11:20.959 --> 00:11:22.779 Does our faith remain strong? 00:11:23.179 --> 00:11:26.079 Do we still depend on the Lord Jesus? 00:11:27.379 --> 00:11:28.980 And here's the real challenge. 00:11:29.539 --> 00:11:33.439 Are we doing these things more now than we did at first 00:11:33.439 --> 00:11:36.279 or less than we did at first? 00:11:36.919 --> 00:11:39.120 Has our love for the Lord Jesus grown 00:11:39.120 --> 00:11:42.319 and all the other things grown along with it? 00:11:42.740 --> 00:11:44.500 Or has our love waned, 00:11:44.659 --> 00:11:47.959 like the church in Ephesus we were looking at a few weeks back? 00:11:48.379 --> 00:11:51.919 And have we lost something of that initial fervor 00:11:52.539 --> 00:11:56.259 and zeal and love for our Lord Jesus? 00:11:56.259 --> 00:11:57.740 There's a challenge there for us, 00:11:58.000 --> 00:12:01.860 even as we look at the commendation in Thyatira. 00:12:01.960 --> 00:12:03.899 But I don't want to spend a lot of time on that this morning 00:12:03.899 --> 00:12:05.419 because I think it's really important 00:12:05.419 --> 00:12:07.899 that we try to get a bit beneath the surface 00:12:07.899 --> 00:12:10.980 of what's happening in the church. 00:12:11.679 --> 00:12:14.439 And so we then have the Lord's condemnation. 00:12:15.120 --> 00:12:16.419 So that's in verse 20. 00:12:16.639 --> 00:12:16.919 He says, 00:12:16.919 --> 00:12:20.360 Nevertheless, I have this against you. 00:12:21.120 --> 00:12:23.740 And what is it that the Lord Jesus has 00:12:23.740 --> 00:12:26.620 against the church at Thyatira? 00:12:27.620 --> 00:12:28.379 Well, he says, 00:12:28.659 --> 00:12:31.639 You tolerate that woman, Jezebel, 00:12:32.039 --> 00:12:33.899 who is a false teacher. 00:12:34.479 --> 00:12:37.659 So the first thing that he has against the church at Thyatira 00:12:37.659 --> 00:12:40.319 is that they're listening to false teaching. 00:12:40.719 --> 00:12:44.099 They're not being discerning and recognizing it for what it is. 00:12:44.100 --> 00:12:46.279 Rather, they're following it. 00:12:47.659 --> 00:12:49.620 Now, the criticism here of Jezebel 00:12:49.620 --> 00:12:51.259 is not that she was a prophet. 00:12:51.360 --> 00:12:52.180 She actually wasn't a prophet. 00:12:52.279 --> 00:12:54.019 It wasn't a criticism of prophets. 00:12:54.700 --> 00:12:58.040 Prophets were very much part of the New Testament church 00:12:58.040 --> 00:12:59.879 as the full will of God 00:12:59.879 --> 00:13:02.700 having yet been revealed through the Bible. 00:13:03.379 --> 00:13:06.100 We, in that sense, don't need prophets today 00:13:06.100 --> 00:13:08.440 because God's will has been completely revealed. 00:13:08.560 --> 00:13:11.860 We have the whole Bible that we can refer to. 00:13:11.860 --> 00:13:14.120 But in the first century church, 00:13:14.460 --> 00:13:16.620 there were prophets to whom God revealed things 00:13:16.620 --> 00:13:18.480 that hadn't yet been written down 00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:21.259 and become part of Scripture. 00:13:21.419 --> 00:13:23.320 And that was perfectly normal. 00:13:24.840 --> 00:13:28.159 Nor, I think, was the issue that Jezebel was a woman. 00:13:29.060 --> 00:13:30.980 This is not a passage we look at and say, 00:13:31.060 --> 00:13:33.639 Well, this says that we shouldn't have women teaching in the church. 00:13:33.720 --> 00:13:34.840 There are others that would do that. 00:13:35.200 --> 00:13:36.460 Not this one. 00:13:37.539 --> 00:13:39.960 Prophetesses were common in the New Testament. 00:13:39.960 --> 00:13:43.180 We start with Anna right at the beginning of the Lord's life. 00:13:43.280 --> 00:13:45.280 We go through to the daughters of Philip, 00:13:45.379 --> 00:13:46.280 seven daughters of Philip, 00:13:46.620 --> 00:13:48.379 towards the end of the book of Acts. 00:13:48.840 --> 00:13:50.920 And prophetesses were accepted, 00:13:51.080 --> 00:13:53.080 and there's no condemnation of them. 00:13:53.420 --> 00:13:54.840 As I say, I'm not saying anything here 00:13:54.840 --> 00:13:58.220 about the role of women in general teaching in the church. 00:13:58.320 --> 00:14:01.460 But prophets, in fact, Jezebel was a woman 00:14:01.460 --> 00:14:03.500 isn't really the point here. 00:14:03.500 --> 00:14:07.940 The point here is that she was a so-called prophet, 00:14:08.419 --> 00:14:10.919 but she wasn't a genuine prophet. 00:14:11.799 --> 00:14:12.659 She was saying, 00:14:12.860 --> 00:14:14.679 Here is what the Lord has said to me. 00:14:14.759 --> 00:14:16.740 The Lord has revealed this to me. 00:14:17.259 --> 00:14:19.279 And it was nonsense. 00:14:20.600 --> 00:14:22.120 In 1 Corinthians chapter 14, 00:14:22.240 --> 00:14:23.700 Paul talks quite a lot about prophets 00:14:23.700 --> 00:14:26.059 and talks about their importance. 00:14:26.700 --> 00:14:28.500 But one thing he says is, 00:14:28.620 --> 00:14:31.080 You have to weigh up what they say. 00:14:31.879 --> 00:14:33.759 Don't just accept that everyone who says, 00:14:33.860 --> 00:14:35.200 I've got a word from the Lord, 00:14:35.460 --> 00:14:38.440 really does have a word from the Lord. 00:14:39.200 --> 00:14:40.780 And in Jezebel's case, 00:14:41.120 --> 00:14:43.379 it's very clear she didn't. 00:14:44.340 --> 00:14:45.420 What she's teaching, 00:14:45.920 --> 00:14:48.920 that it's okay to get involved in idol worship 00:14:48.920 --> 00:14:50.600 and sacrifices to idols, 00:14:51.040 --> 00:14:53.139 that sexual immorality is all right, 00:14:53.500 --> 00:14:57.500 it is clearly against God's revealed will in the Bible. 00:14:57.500 --> 00:14:59.040 You only have to look at the Ten Commandments. 00:14:59.039 --> 00:15:02.279 No gods and no other gods before me. 00:15:02.719 --> 00:15:04.019 Do not commit a doubtry. 00:15:04.459 --> 00:15:06.719 And you can see that what Jezebel is teaching 00:15:06.719 --> 00:15:10.079 is not in line with the Bible. 00:15:10.939 --> 00:15:12.519 How important it is, 00:15:12.779 --> 00:15:15.179 whenever we get a preacher or anyone else saying, 00:15:15.459 --> 00:15:16.919 Here is what God says, 00:15:17.480 --> 00:15:18.639 that we look and see, 00:15:18.759 --> 00:15:21.120 Well, is it what the Bible says? 00:15:21.699 --> 00:15:24.120 Because if it's not what the Bible says, 00:15:24.120 --> 00:15:28.860 it's not God's word and we can't depend on it. 00:15:29.500 --> 00:15:30.259 And we as Christians, 00:15:30.360 --> 00:15:32.100 we need to be like the Christians in Berea 00:15:32.100 --> 00:15:33.600 who search the scriptures 00:15:33.600 --> 00:15:36.720 to see whether what was being taught from the front, 00:15:36.799 --> 00:15:37.960 in this case by Paul, 00:15:38.299 --> 00:15:42.159 really was consistent with what God has revealed. 00:15:43.360 --> 00:15:44.399 Because as I said earlier, 00:15:44.899 --> 00:15:47.740 as soon as you depart from God's word 00:15:47.740 --> 00:15:50.080 and you try to take the scripture 00:15:50.080 --> 00:15:53.299 and make it fit in with what you would like it to say 00:15:53.299 --> 00:15:55.879 so that you can do the things you would like to do 00:15:55.879 --> 00:15:57.840 that other people are doing, 00:15:58.240 --> 00:16:01.240 you're on a very slippery slope. 00:16:02.200 --> 00:16:04.639 Now that's not to say we can't disagree about things 00:16:04.639 --> 00:16:05.700 as Christians. 00:16:06.340 --> 00:16:08.039 There are many secondary matters 00:16:08.039 --> 00:16:10.159 in which I'm sure many people in this church 00:16:10.159 --> 00:16:11.200 would disagree. 00:16:11.960 --> 00:16:13.500 Indeed, occasionally at our elders' meetings, 00:16:13.500 --> 00:16:16.100 we come across relatively minor matters of doctrine 00:16:16.100 --> 00:16:18.580 where we don't have the same viewpoint on them 00:16:18.580 --> 00:16:19.820 and that's fine. 00:16:20.580 --> 00:16:23.399 But the fundamental truths of the Bible, 00:16:23.539 --> 00:16:24.639 the truths of the gospel 00:16:24.639 --> 00:16:26.179 and of our God 00:16:26.179 --> 00:16:27.519 and of the Lord Jesus 00:16:27.519 --> 00:16:29.820 and how we win salvation 00:16:29.820 --> 00:16:31.259 through the Lord Jesus, 00:16:31.840 --> 00:16:33.139 these are fundamental 00:16:33.139 --> 00:16:36.899 and they flow into the way that we act. 00:16:37.679 --> 00:16:39.679 And if we get away from them, 00:16:39.940 --> 00:16:41.679 then we will be on a slippery slope 00:16:41.679 --> 00:16:43.220 to conforming to the world 00:16:43.220 --> 00:16:45.240 rather than doing the things 00:16:45.240 --> 00:16:47.320 that we know are right. 00:16:47.720 --> 00:16:49.899 So we need to guard against false teaching 00:16:49.899 --> 00:16:52.000 and this woman, Jezebel, 00:16:52.200 --> 00:16:54.660 was bringing false teaching. 00:16:54.879 --> 00:16:57.340 I don't believe Jezebel probably was her real name. 00:16:57.820 --> 00:16:59.940 It is referenced to Jezebel in the Old Testament, 00:17:00.100 --> 00:17:00.960 the wife of Ahab, 00:17:01.300 --> 00:17:03.420 who led the Israelites astray. 00:17:03.840 --> 00:17:05.360 But I think there was a real woman 00:17:05.360 --> 00:17:09.299 and she was leading the church in wrong ways. 00:17:09.299 --> 00:17:11.759 We need to be very careful 00:17:11.759 --> 00:17:15.139 to make sure that we stick to the truth of Scripture 00:17:15.139 --> 00:17:17.899 and don't compromise on it. 00:17:18.339 --> 00:17:22.720 So the first condemnation is for false teaching. 00:17:24.460 --> 00:17:27.519 Second thing is what I've called dark secrets. 00:17:28.279 --> 00:17:29.839 Now this is in verse 24, 00:17:29.980 --> 00:17:31.519 if you've got your Bible in front of you, 00:17:31.519 --> 00:17:37.420 where the Lord talks about Satan's so-called deep secrets. 00:17:37.859 --> 00:17:38.599 What's that about? 00:17:39.720 --> 00:17:42.359 Well, we can't be absolutely certain, 00:17:43.019 --> 00:17:46.480 but it appears likely that the teaching of Jezebel 00:17:46.480 --> 00:17:48.799 went something along these lines. 00:17:49.539 --> 00:17:52.400 If you're going to live and be a strong Christian, 00:17:52.539 --> 00:17:54.339 be a witness to those around about you, 00:17:54.779 --> 00:17:57.039 you need to understand what their beliefs 00:17:57.039 --> 00:17:58.759 and their practices are. 00:17:59.399 --> 00:18:02.759 You need to understand how Satan has gotten to their lives 00:18:02.759 --> 00:18:04.899 and you need to see them in action. 00:18:05.420 --> 00:18:07.019 And then once you've seen that, 00:18:07.099 --> 00:18:08.079 you'll understand them 00:18:08.079 --> 00:18:12.859 and you'll be able to witness to them about the gospel. 00:18:13.639 --> 00:18:15.319 So go along to the dinners. 00:18:16.299 --> 00:18:18.960 Take part in the sacrifice of the idols. 00:18:19.099 --> 00:18:20.680 You know that the idols are nothing, 00:18:21.139 --> 00:18:22.180 that they're not real. 00:18:22.180 --> 00:18:24.980 You're not doing any harm if you go along 00:18:24.980 --> 00:18:27.320 and you get involved in that. 00:18:28.259 --> 00:18:28.880 Stay on. 00:18:29.140 --> 00:18:30.080 Have a drink or two. 00:18:30.660 --> 00:18:31.820 You're strong Christians. 00:18:32.380 --> 00:18:34.640 You'll be able to manage the situation 00:18:34.640 --> 00:18:36.400 and come out of it well. 00:18:37.420 --> 00:18:38.880 Or maybe she's going even further. 00:18:39.680 --> 00:18:42.620 And we know some first century teachers did. 00:18:43.539 --> 00:18:44.360 And maybe she's saying, 00:18:44.560 --> 00:18:47.299 actually, we know that flesh is evil. 00:18:47.340 --> 00:18:49.580 Our bodies, they're doomed to destruction. 00:18:49.579 --> 00:18:52.819 What matters is not our bodies, our souls, our spirits. 00:18:53.039 --> 00:18:55.779 We can do whatever we like with our bodies. 00:18:56.559 --> 00:18:57.980 We know the Lord Jesus 00:18:57.980 --> 00:19:00.419 and what happens in our bodies, 00:19:00.599 --> 00:19:04.179 that is separate from our relationship with him. 00:19:04.439 --> 00:19:06.839 Our spirits, our souls are what matter. 00:19:07.299 --> 00:19:09.099 Our bodies are doomed to destruction anyway. 00:19:09.240 --> 00:19:10.019 Flesh is evil. 00:19:10.439 --> 00:19:12.740 Just get involved however you want to 00:19:12.740 --> 00:19:17.279 in the activities at these trade guild festivities. 00:19:17.279 --> 00:19:18.399 Can't be certain. 00:19:18.819 --> 00:19:22.539 She may well have been saying something like that. 00:19:23.579 --> 00:19:24.319 She was saying, 00:19:24.559 --> 00:19:26.200 you're strong Christians. 00:19:26.879 --> 00:19:28.960 Our followers were strong Christians. 00:19:29.920 --> 00:19:31.940 You can do almost what you like 00:19:31.940 --> 00:19:34.359 and it won't affect your relationship 00:19:34.359 --> 00:19:36.359 with the Lord Jesus. 00:19:37.660 --> 00:19:40.960 That is really dangerous teaching. 00:19:40.960 --> 00:19:45.420 None of us is as strong as we would like to think 00:19:45.420 --> 00:19:47.640 in our own strength. 00:19:48.779 --> 00:19:50.440 When I was about 16, 00:19:50.819 --> 00:19:52.420 my scripture union group from school 00:19:52.420 --> 00:19:54.799 went for a weekend away to Alowa. 00:19:55.920 --> 00:19:58.240 Can't remember who the preacher or speaker was. 00:19:58.600 --> 00:20:00.340 Can't remember much about what he said. 00:20:00.680 --> 00:20:01.980 But I do remember one thing. 00:20:02.980 --> 00:20:04.920 And at one point when he was speaking to us, 00:20:05.240 --> 00:20:06.880 he said that he was in the habit 00:20:06.880 --> 00:20:09.800 of buying top shelf magazines from news agents 00:20:09.800 --> 00:20:11.340 so he could look through them, 00:20:11.640 --> 00:20:13.100 find anything he thought was illegal 00:20:13.100 --> 00:20:14.840 and complain about it. 00:20:15.300 --> 00:20:15.800 And he said, 00:20:15.880 --> 00:20:17.100 I can only do that 00:20:17.100 --> 00:20:20.280 because I'm a strong Christian. 00:20:21.080 --> 00:20:21.980 Even at that age, 00:20:22.300 --> 00:20:24.120 I thought this is a really dangerous thing 00:20:24.120 --> 00:20:24.540 to be doing. 00:20:24.600 --> 00:20:25.560 Also totally inappropriate 00:20:25.560 --> 00:20:27.560 to be talking to teenage boys about. 00:20:28.180 --> 00:20:29.120 But someone who says, 00:20:29.200 --> 00:20:30.140 I'm a strong Christian, 00:20:30.600 --> 00:20:31.660 I can do things 00:20:31.660 --> 00:20:34.680 I wouldn't recommend to other people. 00:20:34.680 --> 00:20:37.560 Let all of us be aware 00:20:37.560 --> 00:20:40.299 that we are not as strong 00:20:40.299 --> 00:20:41.900 in our own strength 00:20:41.900 --> 00:20:44.259 as we would like to think. 00:20:45.380 --> 00:20:47.440 And it's very, very dangerous 00:20:47.440 --> 00:20:49.860 if you get involved in things 00:20:49.860 --> 00:20:51.560 that you would recommend to others 00:20:51.560 --> 00:20:52.320 that they don't 00:20:52.320 --> 00:20:53.380 because you think 00:20:53.380 --> 00:20:56.400 they're weaker Christians than I am. 00:20:57.080 --> 00:20:59.460 You are not able to stand 00:20:59.460 --> 00:21:01.759 as much as you might expect. 00:21:01.900 --> 00:21:04.080 Paul, in writing in 1 Corinthians, 00:21:04.079 --> 00:21:06.220 talks about temptations 00:21:06.220 --> 00:21:07.199 and he says, 00:21:07.319 --> 00:21:08.379 if any of you think 00:21:08.379 --> 00:21:09.619 you are standing firm, 00:21:10.339 --> 00:21:13.500 be careful that you don't fall. 00:21:14.480 --> 00:21:15.839 And Jezebel was encouraging 00:21:15.839 --> 00:21:18.019 the Christians in Thyatira 00:21:18.019 --> 00:21:18.899 to be reckless, 00:21:19.419 --> 00:21:21.220 to be getting involved in things 00:21:21.220 --> 00:21:22.279 that they really shouldn't have 00:21:22.279 --> 00:21:24.019 had anything to do with. 00:21:24.460 --> 00:21:25.639 And she was putting them 00:21:25.639 --> 00:21:26.519 in great danger 00:21:26.519 --> 00:21:28.299 and the Lord condemns her 00:21:28.299 --> 00:21:30.099 and the church for accepting 00:21:30.099 --> 00:21:32.819 what she had taught to them. 00:21:32.819 --> 00:21:34.859 We need to be aware 00:21:34.859 --> 00:21:36.220 of our weakness 00:21:36.220 --> 00:21:38.619 and only with the Lord Jesus 00:21:38.619 --> 00:21:42.740 are we ever going to be strong. 00:21:44.099 --> 00:21:47.419 Our strength comes entirely from him. 00:21:48.079 --> 00:21:49.039 Now I'm not saying 00:21:49.039 --> 00:21:50.799 don't ever go on a night out 00:21:50.799 --> 00:21:52.159 with your work colleagues. 00:21:52.740 --> 00:21:53.579 I'm not even saying 00:21:53.579 --> 00:21:55.460 don't ever go on a night out 00:21:55.460 --> 00:21:56.119 with your work colleagues 00:21:56.119 --> 00:21:57.079 and have a drink or two. 00:21:57.079 --> 00:21:58.639 But I'm just saying 00:21:58.639 --> 00:21:59.960 in every situation 00:21:59.960 --> 00:22:01.119 where you're coming to, 00:22:01.439 --> 00:22:03.039 where you might face temptation, 00:22:03.779 --> 00:22:05.980 be really careful. 00:22:07.079 --> 00:22:08.379 If we keep going on the night out, 00:22:08.480 --> 00:22:10.439 I can recall Christians 00:22:10.439 --> 00:22:11.139 in many ways 00:22:11.139 --> 00:22:11.679 who appear to be 00:22:11.679 --> 00:22:12.679 very strong Christians 00:22:12.679 --> 00:22:14.599 who had too much alcohol 00:22:14.599 --> 00:22:15.539 at a night out 00:22:15.539 --> 00:22:17.379 and got involved in brawls 00:22:17.379 --> 00:22:19.259 or who said and did things 00:22:19.259 --> 00:22:21.659 that were totally inappropriate. 00:22:21.960 --> 00:22:23.119 They weren't as strong 00:22:23.119 --> 00:22:24.379 as they thought they were. 00:22:24.439 --> 00:22:25.679 And there are other situations too 00:22:25.680 --> 00:22:26.840 we could talk about. 00:22:26.900 --> 00:22:27.880 It's not just talking 00:22:27.880 --> 00:22:28.960 about alcohol here. 00:22:29.740 --> 00:22:30.740 So let's be aware 00:22:30.740 --> 00:22:31.460 of our weakness 00:22:31.460 --> 00:22:32.620 and our own self, 00:22:32.940 --> 00:22:34.460 our strength in the Lord Jesus 00:22:34.460 --> 00:22:36.460 and avoid the kind of thing 00:22:36.460 --> 00:22:37.820 that says you're a strong Christian. 00:22:38.100 --> 00:22:39.440 You're not going to be affected 00:22:39.440 --> 00:22:40.380 if you get involved 00:22:40.380 --> 00:22:42.299 in things that are generally 00:22:42.299 --> 00:22:44.240 unwise for Christians. 00:22:46.519 --> 00:22:47.740 And then thirdly, 00:22:48.220 --> 00:22:49.680 the condemnation is for giving 00:22:49.680 --> 00:22:51.200 into peer pressure. 00:22:51.299 --> 00:22:52.120 This comes back to where 00:22:52.120 --> 00:22:52.900 we were at the beginning. 00:22:53.700 --> 00:22:54.680 That the Christians in Thyatira 00:22:54.680 --> 00:22:56.700 were under a lot of pressure 00:22:56.700 --> 00:22:57.620 to be involved 00:22:57.620 --> 00:22:59.259 in these trade guilds 00:22:59.259 --> 00:23:00.900 and in their evenings. 00:23:02.100 --> 00:23:03.340 And not to be involved 00:23:03.340 --> 00:23:04.759 probably meant 00:23:04.759 --> 00:23:07.060 you couldn't apply your trade 00:23:07.060 --> 00:23:08.340 in the city. 00:23:08.480 --> 00:23:09.539 You couldn't be involved 00:23:09.539 --> 00:23:11.460 in working in it. 00:23:11.960 --> 00:23:14.120 There was a lot of peer pressure 00:23:14.120 --> 00:23:15.279 involved. 00:23:15.880 --> 00:23:16.720 And peer pressure 00:23:16.720 --> 00:23:17.580 for all of us 00:23:17.580 --> 00:23:19.779 is very dangerous. 00:23:21.080 --> 00:23:22.100 Then come back to that 00:23:22.100 --> 00:23:22.880 weekend away. 00:23:22.880 --> 00:23:23.600 We had an aloha. 00:23:23.900 --> 00:23:24.900 The other thing I remember 00:23:24.900 --> 00:23:26.160 from it was that 00:23:26.160 --> 00:23:27.200 on Saturday afternoon 00:23:27.200 --> 00:23:28.660 we had some free time. 00:23:29.440 --> 00:23:30.620 And my friend said, 00:23:30.880 --> 00:23:31.880 well, let's go to the football. 00:23:32.980 --> 00:23:33.620 Now that created 00:23:33.620 --> 00:23:34.640 a big problem for me. 00:23:34.720 --> 00:23:35.760 I grew up in Brunsfield. 00:23:36.320 --> 00:23:37.240 And when you grew up 00:23:37.240 --> 00:23:38.380 in Brunsfield in those days, 00:23:38.700 --> 00:23:40.180 football was considered worldly. 00:23:40.600 --> 00:23:41.660 It wasn't something 00:23:41.660 --> 00:23:42.740 that you went to 00:23:42.740 --> 00:23:43.960 if you were a Christian. 00:23:44.020 --> 00:23:44.740 I was very jealous 00:23:44.740 --> 00:23:45.840 of my Baptist friend 00:23:45.840 --> 00:23:46.520 who was allowed to go 00:23:46.520 --> 00:23:47.220 and watch Hibs, 00:23:47.380 --> 00:23:48.240 but I wasn't allowed 00:23:48.240 --> 00:23:49.060 to go to the football. 00:23:49.160 --> 00:23:49.900 And that's just the way 00:23:49.900 --> 00:23:50.980 it was. 00:23:51.400 --> 00:23:52.240 So I had a dilemma. 00:23:53.240 --> 00:23:54.019 Should I stand up 00:23:54.019 --> 00:23:54.300 and say, 00:23:54.360 --> 00:23:54.840 well, actually, 00:23:54.900 --> 00:23:56.280 I don't go to football matches. 00:23:56.540 --> 00:23:58.120 My church doesn't believe 00:23:58.120 --> 00:23:58.759 it's right. 00:23:59.720 --> 00:24:01.280 Or would I go along 00:24:01.280 --> 00:24:02.360 with them? 00:24:03.000 --> 00:24:04.120 If I chose not to go, 00:24:04.220 --> 00:24:04.720 they might think 00:24:04.720 --> 00:24:05.759 I was a bit strange. 00:24:06.180 --> 00:24:07.460 I might be left on my own. 00:24:07.519 --> 00:24:08.000 They might decide, 00:24:08.060 --> 00:24:08.720 well, let's go anyway 00:24:08.720 --> 00:24:09.780 and leave Ian by himself. 00:24:10.140 --> 00:24:11.060 So there was a bit 00:24:11.060 --> 00:24:12.640 of peer pressure on me. 00:24:13.480 --> 00:24:14.060 Now, to be honest, 00:24:14.180 --> 00:24:15.140 I caved in. 00:24:15.240 --> 00:24:16.160 I went to the football. 00:24:16.540 --> 00:24:17.660 I enjoyed the football. 00:24:17.800 --> 00:24:18.500 Allo Athletic 00:24:18.500 --> 00:24:19.920 beat Sterling Albion 3-0. 00:24:20.000 --> 00:24:20.880 It was a good game 00:24:20.880 --> 00:24:22.140 and I've followed Allo 00:24:22.140 --> 00:24:23.560 to some extent ever since. 00:24:24.100 --> 00:24:25.400 But I did feel 00:24:25.400 --> 00:24:27.180 a bit guilty about it 00:24:27.180 --> 00:24:28.620 because I knew 00:24:28.620 --> 00:24:29.160 that I was going 00:24:29.160 --> 00:24:30.200 against the principles 00:24:30.200 --> 00:24:32.040 that were inherited principles 00:24:32.040 --> 00:24:33.480 in those days 00:24:33.480 --> 00:24:34.759 and I knew 00:24:34.759 --> 00:24:35.880 I was only doing it 00:24:35.880 --> 00:24:37.900 because of peer pressure. 00:24:38.940 --> 00:24:39.600 Now, just to be clear, 00:24:39.660 --> 00:24:40.400 if any of my children 00:24:40.400 --> 00:24:41.060 had shown an interest 00:24:41.060 --> 00:24:42.200 in going to a football match, 00:24:42.340 --> 00:24:43.400 I wouldn't have stopped them. 00:24:43.440 --> 00:24:44.460 It's not a matter of principle 00:24:44.460 --> 00:24:45.279 for me now, 00:24:45.279 --> 00:24:46.940 but it was at that time 00:24:46.940 --> 00:24:48.180 something wasn't expected 00:24:48.180 --> 00:24:49.940 of people in this church. 00:24:51.279 --> 00:24:52.139 Now, the peer pressure 00:24:52.139 --> 00:24:53.220 that I was under 00:24:53.220 --> 00:24:54.879 was as nothing 00:24:54.879 --> 00:24:56.599 compared with the peer pressure 00:24:56.599 --> 00:24:57.980 in Thyatira. 00:24:58.720 --> 00:25:00.639 I might have my Christian friends 00:25:00.639 --> 00:25:01.980 think it was a bit strange, 00:25:02.460 --> 00:25:03.240 but for them, 00:25:03.299 --> 00:25:04.099 it might be the end 00:25:04.099 --> 00:25:04.920 of their livelihood. 00:25:05.480 --> 00:25:06.200 They might even have 00:25:06.200 --> 00:25:06.879 to leave the city 00:25:06.879 --> 00:25:07.940 if they wanted 00:25:07.940 --> 00:25:08.899 to keep going 00:25:08.899 --> 00:25:10.660 in their trade. 00:25:11.759 --> 00:25:12.599 And peer pressure 00:25:12.599 --> 00:25:13.899 can be something 00:25:13.900 --> 00:25:14.700 that makes life 00:25:14.700 --> 00:25:15.860 very difficult 00:25:15.860 --> 00:25:17.080 for us. 00:25:18.120 --> 00:25:19.259 Jezebel and Thyatira 00:25:19.259 --> 00:25:20.320 offered a way out, 00:25:20.600 --> 00:25:20.780 saying, 00:25:20.880 --> 00:25:21.620 you can just go along 00:25:21.620 --> 00:25:21.980 with it, 00:25:22.000 --> 00:25:22.680 it's okay, 00:25:23.019 --> 00:25:24.320 and that was totally wrong. 00:25:25.160 --> 00:25:26.019 But we will face 00:25:26.019 --> 00:25:27.140 situations in life 00:25:27.140 --> 00:25:28.440 where people are saying, 00:25:28.519 --> 00:25:29.660 well, this is what we do, 00:25:29.860 --> 00:25:30.820 this is normal 00:25:30.820 --> 00:25:31.940 in our society, 00:25:32.300 --> 00:25:33.200 this is normal 00:25:33.200 --> 00:25:34.360 in our workplace, 00:25:34.540 --> 00:25:36.060 and people expect us 00:25:36.060 --> 00:25:37.480 to go along with it. 00:25:38.000 --> 00:25:38.900 And we may say, 00:25:39.140 --> 00:25:39.700 or may think, 00:25:39.759 --> 00:25:40.600 well, I'm a Christian, 00:25:40.599 --> 00:25:42.000 I'm not sure 00:25:42.000 --> 00:25:43.240 that's the right thing 00:25:43.240 --> 00:25:44.299 to be doing. 00:25:44.859 --> 00:25:45.599 And we need to have 00:25:45.599 --> 00:25:46.179 the courage 00:25:46.179 --> 00:25:47.099 of our convictions. 00:25:47.519 --> 00:25:48.199 If we think 00:25:48.199 --> 00:25:48.899 we're doing something 00:25:48.899 --> 00:25:49.480 or being called 00:25:49.480 --> 00:25:50.019 to do something 00:25:50.019 --> 00:25:50.779 that's wrong, 00:25:51.159 --> 00:25:52.359 we need to stand up 00:25:52.359 --> 00:25:53.099 and say, 00:25:53.219 --> 00:25:54.179 I'm not getting 00:25:54.179 --> 00:25:56.240 involved in this. 00:25:56.399 --> 00:25:56.859 And we'll face 00:25:56.859 --> 00:25:58.000 all sorts of situations, 00:25:58.119 --> 00:25:58.480 some of them 00:25:58.480 --> 00:25:59.019 very trivial, 00:25:59.099 --> 00:25:59.439 like the one 00:25:59.439 --> 00:26:00.399 I talked about earlier, 00:26:00.659 --> 00:26:01.159 some of them 00:26:01.159 --> 00:26:02.079 perhaps quite serious, 00:26:02.159 --> 00:26:02.799 they could affect 00:26:02.799 --> 00:26:03.459 our employment 00:26:03.459 --> 00:26:04.959 or other matters 00:26:04.959 --> 00:26:05.679 in our lives. 00:26:05.679 --> 00:26:06.699 We need to be 00:26:06.699 --> 00:26:07.579 willing to say, 00:26:08.119 --> 00:26:08.799 as a Christian, 00:26:08.919 --> 00:26:09.339 as a follower 00:26:09.339 --> 00:26:10.119 of the Lord Jesus, 00:26:10.599 --> 00:26:11.779 I stay within 00:26:11.779 --> 00:26:12.299 the Scripture 00:26:12.299 --> 00:26:13.579 and with God's guidelines, 00:26:14.019 --> 00:26:15.759 and I don't get involved 00:26:15.759 --> 00:26:16.759 in things 00:26:16.759 --> 00:26:17.679 that I know 00:26:17.679 --> 00:26:19.259 are not right. 00:26:20.240 --> 00:26:21.720 And I don't adjust 00:26:21.720 --> 00:26:22.419 the Bible 00:26:22.419 --> 00:26:23.679 to justify 00:26:23.679 --> 00:26:24.899 what I'm doing, 00:26:25.000 --> 00:26:25.579 which is what was 00:26:25.579 --> 00:26:27.319 happening in Thyatira. 00:26:28.079 --> 00:26:29.099 So the condemnation, 00:26:29.259 --> 00:26:30.039 false teaching, 00:26:30.639 --> 00:26:31.599 dark secrets, 00:26:32.099 --> 00:26:32.839 peer pressure, 00:26:33.459 --> 00:26:33.980 were leading 00:26:33.980 --> 00:26:34.740 to a church 00:26:34.740 --> 00:26:35.000 which, 00:26:35.139 --> 00:26:36.079 although on the outside 00:26:36.079 --> 00:26:37.519 it looked fine, 00:26:37.519 --> 00:26:39.359 on the inside 00:26:39.359 --> 00:26:40.019 it had gone 00:26:40.019 --> 00:26:41.119 for most of the church 00:26:41.119 --> 00:26:43.019 totally wrong. 00:26:44.000 --> 00:26:45.200 So as the condemnation, 00:26:45.779 --> 00:26:46.799 let's look at 00:26:46.799 --> 00:26:47.879 the consequences. 00:26:48.779 --> 00:26:50.099 What are the consequences 00:26:50.099 --> 00:26:50.920 for the church 00:26:50.920 --> 00:26:52.359 in Thyatira 00:26:52.359 --> 00:26:54.240 of what is happening here? 00:26:54.240 --> 00:26:55.119 And we'll go fairly quickly 00:26:55.119 --> 00:26:57.420 through the remaining verses. 00:26:59.299 --> 00:27:00.759 So there are consequences 00:27:00.759 --> 00:27:02.019 for Jezebel 00:27:02.019 --> 00:27:03.379 and her followers. 00:27:03.500 --> 00:27:04.940 They face judgment. 00:27:05.920 --> 00:27:06.880 So it says Jezebel 00:27:06.880 --> 00:27:08.400 had a chance to repent, 00:27:08.860 --> 00:27:10.220 but she didn't take it, 00:27:10.640 --> 00:27:11.820 and she's been cast 00:27:11.820 --> 00:27:12.779 on a bed of suffering. 00:27:12.860 --> 00:27:13.299 I would take it 00:27:13.299 --> 00:27:13.840 this is probably 00:27:13.840 --> 00:27:14.759 fairly literal, 00:27:15.220 --> 00:27:16.100 that Jezebel 00:27:16.100 --> 00:27:17.299 had been struck down 00:27:17.299 --> 00:27:18.279 with some kind of illness 00:27:18.279 --> 00:27:19.820 and was no longer able 00:27:19.820 --> 00:27:21.160 to be actively involved 00:27:21.160 --> 00:27:22.360 in the church. 00:27:23.180 --> 00:27:24.519 And the message 00:27:24.519 --> 00:27:25.400 for those who have 00:27:25.400 --> 00:27:26.019 followed her 00:27:26.019 --> 00:27:26.720 and have gone along 00:27:26.720 --> 00:27:27.200 with her 00:27:27.200 --> 00:27:28.700 is that they too 00:27:28.700 --> 00:27:29.559 will suffer 00:27:29.559 --> 00:27:31.039 a similar kind of fate 00:27:31.039 --> 00:27:33.259 if they don't repent. 00:27:33.259 --> 00:27:35.279 So there is judgment 00:27:35.279 --> 00:27:36.359 for sin. 00:27:36.400 --> 00:27:37.640 And we're aware of that. 00:27:37.740 --> 00:27:38.259 We're Christians 00:27:38.259 --> 00:27:38.740 and we're believers 00:27:38.740 --> 00:27:39.460 in the Lord Jesus. 00:27:39.779 --> 00:27:41.039 That is fundamental 00:27:41.039 --> 00:27:42.279 to our understanding 00:27:42.279 --> 00:27:42.940 of the Bible. 00:27:43.119 --> 00:27:44.140 A God of holiness 00:27:44.140 --> 00:27:46.319 has to judge sin. 00:27:46.700 --> 00:27:47.379 There has to be 00:27:47.379 --> 00:27:48.059 a reckoning 00:27:48.059 --> 00:27:50.500 for what we have done. 00:27:51.160 --> 00:27:51.660 But I think there's 00:27:51.660 --> 00:27:52.879 a very positive message 00:27:52.879 --> 00:27:54.599 here in Thyatira 00:27:54.599 --> 00:27:56.460 because the message is 00:27:56.460 --> 00:27:57.180 that repentance 00:27:57.180 --> 00:27:59.160 brings forgiveness. 00:27:59.900 --> 00:28:00.680 And our God 00:28:00.680 --> 00:28:01.299 is a God 00:28:01.299 --> 00:28:02.619 of second chances. 00:28:03.539 --> 00:28:04.619 So even Jezebel, 00:28:05.099 --> 00:28:06.419 even this wicked woman 00:28:06.419 --> 00:28:06.899 who had been 00:28:06.899 --> 00:28:08.000 stirring up the church 00:28:08.000 --> 00:28:09.680 and leading people astray, 00:28:10.419 --> 00:28:11.740 she was given a chance 00:28:11.740 --> 00:28:12.639 to repent. 00:28:12.819 --> 00:28:13.579 She didn't take it 00:28:13.579 --> 00:28:14.139 but she was given 00:28:14.139 --> 00:28:15.159 a chance to repent 00:28:15.159 --> 00:28:16.119 and would then 00:28:16.119 --> 00:28:16.899 have been forgiven 00:28:16.899 --> 00:28:18.539 by God. 00:28:19.339 --> 00:28:20.779 The followers of Jezebel, 00:28:21.139 --> 00:28:21.799 those who had gone 00:28:21.799 --> 00:28:22.460 along with her, 00:28:22.599 --> 00:28:23.419 they are being given 00:28:23.419 --> 00:28:25.079 a chance to repent. 00:28:25.740 --> 00:28:26.859 And if they repent, 00:28:26.940 --> 00:28:28.079 again they can come back 00:28:28.079 --> 00:28:28.740 into fellowship 00:28:28.740 --> 00:28:29.500 with God 00:28:29.500 --> 00:28:31.299 and all the good things 00:28:31.299 --> 00:28:31.900 that are happening 00:28:31.900 --> 00:28:32.620 in the church, 00:28:32.960 --> 00:28:34.079 they can be part of 00:28:34.079 --> 00:28:35.359 having been restored 00:28:35.359 --> 00:28:36.680 to the truth. 00:28:37.660 --> 00:28:38.640 And for all of us, 00:28:38.819 --> 00:28:40.019 that's a great message. 00:28:40.500 --> 00:28:42.799 Repentance brings forgiveness. 00:28:43.880 --> 00:28:44.940 All of us are sinners. 00:28:45.099 --> 00:28:46.940 All of us are unworthy 00:28:46.940 --> 00:28:47.599 before God. 00:28:47.680 --> 00:28:48.420 All of us deserve 00:28:48.420 --> 00:28:49.839 to be judged by God 00:28:49.839 --> 00:28:51.359 for the wrong we've done. 00:28:51.940 --> 00:28:53.620 But Jesus died on the cross 00:28:53.620 --> 00:28:54.839 for our sins. 00:28:55.380 --> 00:28:56.779 And when we put our trust 00:28:56.779 --> 00:28:58.639 in him and turn our back 00:28:58.639 --> 00:29:00.019 on these sins, 00:29:00.279 --> 00:29:01.379 we can be forgiven. 00:29:01.980 --> 00:29:02.680 We can come into 00:29:02.680 --> 00:29:04.779 a relationship with God. 00:29:05.460 --> 00:29:06.379 And if we are Christians 00:29:06.379 --> 00:29:07.660 and we have gone astray a bit 00:29:07.660 --> 00:29:08.200 and there are things 00:29:08.200 --> 00:29:08.779 in our lives 00:29:08.779 --> 00:29:10.200 that we're not very proud of, 00:29:10.240 --> 00:29:11.240 that we know are wrong, 00:29:11.720 --> 00:29:13.180 if we repent of them, 00:29:13.440 --> 00:29:14.700 we can also know 00:29:14.700 --> 00:29:16.399 God's forgiveness. 00:29:17.399 --> 00:29:18.660 If we confess our sins, 00:29:18.720 --> 00:29:19.160 says John, 00:29:19.220 --> 00:29:20.500 he is faithful and just 00:29:20.500 --> 00:29:21.779 and will forgive us 00:29:21.779 --> 00:29:22.420 our sins 00:29:22.420 --> 00:29:23.879 and cleanse us 00:29:23.879 --> 00:29:25.879 from all unrighteousness. 00:29:25.880 --> 00:29:28.640 repentance brings forgiveness. 00:29:30.300 --> 00:29:31.220 And then for those 00:29:31.220 --> 00:29:32.000 who hold to the truth, 00:29:32.080 --> 00:29:33.120 there's a message of hope. 00:29:33.780 --> 00:29:34.560 They're under pressure 00:29:34.560 --> 00:29:35.260 in the church. 00:29:35.860 --> 00:29:36.800 It looks like the church 00:29:36.800 --> 00:29:37.580 by and large 00:29:37.580 --> 00:29:38.920 has gone along with Jezebel 00:29:38.920 --> 00:29:40.400 and there are relatively 00:29:40.400 --> 00:29:41.180 few of them 00:29:41.180 --> 00:29:42.200 who are remaining 00:29:42.200 --> 00:29:44.940 faithful to the Lord Jesus. 00:29:46.100 --> 00:29:47.500 And so the Lord says 00:29:47.500 --> 00:29:48.100 there's a message 00:29:48.100 --> 00:29:48.820 of hope for you. 00:29:48.880 --> 00:29:50.340 I won't impose any burdens 00:29:50.340 --> 00:29:51.580 except to hold on 00:29:51.580 --> 00:29:52.500 to what you have 00:29:52.500 --> 00:29:53.660 until I come. 00:29:53.660 --> 00:29:54.440 Is this a military 00:29:54.440 --> 00:29:55.220 allusion here? 00:29:55.480 --> 00:29:56.000 Remember we said 00:29:56.000 --> 00:29:56.720 Thyatira, 00:29:57.160 --> 00:29:58.100 the army would keep 00:29:58.100 --> 00:29:59.140 the invaders away 00:29:59.140 --> 00:30:00.039 for a short time 00:30:00.039 --> 00:30:01.140 while reinforcements 00:30:01.140 --> 00:30:02.799 came to back them up. 00:30:02.860 --> 00:30:03.860 Perhaps that's the reference 00:30:03.860 --> 00:30:05.320 here by the Lord Jesus 00:30:05.320 --> 00:30:05.700 saying, 00:30:05.860 --> 00:30:06.480 hold on, 00:30:07.059 --> 00:30:07.820 persevere 00:30:07.820 --> 00:30:09.039 with the truth 00:30:09.039 --> 00:30:10.519 because that will 00:30:10.519 --> 00:30:12.080 bring rewards. 00:30:13.200 --> 00:30:14.779 Verses 26 and 27 00:30:14.779 --> 00:30:16.220 are an allusion 00:30:16.220 --> 00:30:17.360 back to Psalm 2 00:30:17.360 --> 00:30:18.759 in the Old Testament, 00:30:18.880 --> 00:30:19.420 a psalm about 00:30:19.420 --> 00:30:20.180 the Lord Jesus, 00:30:20.779 --> 00:30:21.680 about the fact 00:30:21.680 --> 00:30:23.700 that he is the Son of God 00:30:23.700 --> 00:30:25.240 and that he is the one 00:30:25.240 --> 00:30:26.100 who will rule 00:30:26.100 --> 00:30:27.740 over the nations 00:30:27.740 --> 00:30:28.279 and saying 00:30:28.279 --> 00:30:30.039 those who are faithful 00:30:30.039 --> 00:30:30.840 to the Lord Jesus, 00:30:31.019 --> 00:30:32.220 those who are part 00:30:32.220 --> 00:30:33.340 of his work, 00:30:33.759 --> 00:30:34.360 they too 00:30:34.360 --> 00:30:35.480 will have that 00:30:35.480 --> 00:30:37.240 exercise of authority 00:30:37.240 --> 00:30:39.279 as alongside him. 00:30:39.980 --> 00:30:40.960 And then verse 28 00:30:40.960 --> 00:30:41.320 he says, 00:30:41.400 --> 00:30:42.200 I will give that one 00:30:42.200 --> 00:30:43.279 the morning star. 00:30:43.640 --> 00:30:44.320 The morning star 00:30:44.320 --> 00:30:45.320 probably is a reference 00:30:45.320 --> 00:30:46.740 to the Lord Jesus himself, 00:30:47.100 --> 00:30:48.019 that they will have 00:30:48.019 --> 00:30:48.740 him with them, 00:30:48.799 --> 00:30:49.900 they will be with him 00:30:49.900 --> 00:30:51.000 eternally. 00:30:51.540 --> 00:30:52.780 But the key message there 00:30:52.780 --> 00:30:54.340 is that faithfulness 00:30:54.340 --> 00:30:55.720 brings rewards. 00:30:55.840 --> 00:30:56.780 If we stay faithful 00:30:56.780 --> 00:30:57.720 to the Lord Jesus 00:30:57.720 --> 00:30:59.380 and to his truth, 00:30:59.880 --> 00:31:01.500 then he will reward us 00:31:01.500 --> 00:31:02.480 for it. 00:31:03.240 --> 00:31:03.920 So repentance 00:31:03.920 --> 00:31:04.759 brings forgiveness 00:31:04.759 --> 00:31:05.720 for all of us, 00:31:06.280 --> 00:31:07.019 faithfulness 00:31:07.019 --> 00:31:09.040 brings rewards. 00:31:11.400 --> 00:31:12.480 Let me just finish 00:31:12.480 --> 00:31:14.019 with three analogies 00:31:14.019 --> 00:31:14.840 from the military. 00:31:14.960 --> 00:31:15.960 We've had a military theme 00:31:15.960 --> 00:31:17.180 a bit going through 00:31:17.180 --> 00:31:17.920 today, 00:31:17.920 --> 00:31:19.060 and let me make 00:31:19.060 --> 00:31:19.820 three analogies 00:31:19.820 --> 00:31:20.640 I hope will help 00:31:20.640 --> 00:31:21.779 to remind us 00:31:21.779 --> 00:31:22.759 of the key points 00:31:22.759 --> 00:31:23.860 that I was making 00:31:23.860 --> 00:31:25.779 about the issues 00:31:25.779 --> 00:31:27.480 in Thyatira. 00:31:28.500 --> 00:31:29.840 When you join the army 00:31:29.840 --> 00:31:30.380 or I think probably 00:31:30.380 --> 00:31:31.840 any of the military services, 00:31:32.360 --> 00:31:33.460 you take an oath 00:31:33.460 --> 00:31:34.120 of allegiance 00:31:34.120 --> 00:31:35.360 to the Queen. 00:31:36.120 --> 00:31:37.180 You say that you 00:31:37.180 --> 00:31:37.880 will be loyal 00:31:37.880 --> 00:31:38.720 to Queen Elizabeth 00:31:38.720 --> 00:31:40.320 and to her successors 00:31:40.320 --> 00:31:42.060 and that you 00:31:42.060 --> 00:31:43.160 will serve her. 00:31:44.120 --> 00:31:45.279 And that oath 00:31:45.279 --> 00:31:47.060 is an important one. 00:31:47.059 --> 00:31:48.339 And it's important 00:31:48.339 --> 00:31:49.399 that people stick 00:31:49.399 --> 00:31:50.379 to it. 00:31:51.019 --> 00:31:52.319 If you're in the army, 00:31:52.659 --> 00:31:53.899 it is your duty 00:31:53.899 --> 00:31:55.200 to be loyal 00:31:55.200 --> 00:31:56.079 to Queen 00:31:56.079 --> 00:31:57.359 and country. 00:31:58.639 --> 00:31:59.759 And if you come across 00:31:59.759 --> 00:32:00.319 anything 00:32:00.319 --> 00:32:01.899 that would suggest 00:32:01.899 --> 00:32:02.460 that others 00:32:02.460 --> 00:32:04.019 are being disloyal, 00:32:04.119 --> 00:32:05.019 that there is dissension, 00:32:05.159 --> 00:32:05.899 that there is possibility 00:32:05.899 --> 00:32:06.559 of rebellion 00:32:06.559 --> 00:32:07.919 or mutiny, 00:32:08.419 --> 00:32:09.480 then you can't 00:32:09.480 --> 00:32:10.399 go along with that 00:32:10.399 --> 00:32:11.599 or just accept it. 00:32:11.799 --> 00:32:13.119 You have to report it 00:32:13.119 --> 00:32:14.299 and make sure 00:32:14.299 --> 00:32:15.700 it's dealt with. 00:32:15.700 --> 00:32:17.900 So it is here 00:32:17.900 --> 00:32:19.140 when there is 00:32:19.140 --> 00:32:20.200 false teaching, 00:32:20.360 --> 00:32:20.799 when there is 00:32:20.799 --> 00:32:21.559 in that sense 00:32:21.559 --> 00:32:22.080 rebellion 00:32:22.080 --> 00:32:23.580 against the Lord Jesus. 00:32:23.580 --> 00:32:24.900 We can't just tolerate 00:32:24.900 --> 00:32:25.299 and say, 00:32:25.400 --> 00:32:25.960 yes, it's okay, 00:32:26.000 --> 00:32:26.840 I don't agree with it, 00:32:26.900 --> 00:32:27.920 but let's just 00:32:27.920 --> 00:32:28.680 let it ride. 00:32:29.039 --> 00:32:30.420 We have to take steps 00:32:30.420 --> 00:32:31.519 to make sure 00:32:31.519 --> 00:32:32.680 that the truth 00:32:32.680 --> 00:32:34.259 continues to be proclaimed. 00:32:34.440 --> 00:32:34.799 We have to, 00:32:34.860 --> 00:32:35.539 as Paul says, 00:32:35.840 --> 00:32:37.340 guard the gospel. 00:32:37.339 --> 00:32:40.480 And when you're 00:32:40.480 --> 00:32:41.059 in the army, 00:32:41.319 --> 00:32:42.779 you have to be loyal 00:32:42.779 --> 00:32:43.559 to the Queen. 00:32:44.039 --> 00:32:44.919 When we are 00:32:44.919 --> 00:32:46.039 in Christ's army, 00:32:46.119 --> 00:32:46.899 when we are part 00:32:46.899 --> 00:32:48.399 of the church, 00:32:48.879 --> 00:32:50.659 it is our duty 00:32:50.659 --> 00:32:52.059 as well 00:32:52.059 --> 00:32:53.480 to be loyal 00:32:53.480 --> 00:32:54.879 to the Lord Jesus 00:32:54.879 --> 00:32:57.480 and to serve him 00:32:57.480 --> 00:32:59.480 and him alone. 00:33:00.819 --> 00:33:01.759 Second analogy, 00:33:02.599 --> 00:33:04.000 when you're in the army, 00:33:04.000 --> 00:33:06.439 you are strong together. 00:33:07.340 --> 00:33:08.279 You are a band 00:33:08.279 --> 00:33:09.640 of brothers. 00:33:11.059 --> 00:33:11.900 In war, 00:33:12.180 --> 00:33:12.840 there are often 00:33:12.840 --> 00:33:13.700 great acts 00:33:13.700 --> 00:33:15.640 of individual bravery 00:33:15.640 --> 00:33:16.240 and we rightly 00:33:16.240 --> 00:33:17.039 recognize 00:33:17.039 --> 00:33:18.320 and honor them. 00:33:19.039 --> 00:33:19.820 But the army 00:33:19.820 --> 00:33:20.740 is no place 00:33:20.740 --> 00:33:21.920 for bravado, 00:33:22.840 --> 00:33:23.340 for saying, 00:33:23.480 --> 00:33:24.220 I know this is 00:33:24.220 --> 00:33:25.039 the way things 00:33:25.039 --> 00:33:25.880 are meant to be, 00:33:25.980 --> 00:33:26.720 but I'm stronger 00:33:26.720 --> 00:33:27.340 than the others, 00:33:27.440 --> 00:33:27.920 I'm fitter 00:33:27.920 --> 00:33:28.660 than everyone else, 00:33:28.860 --> 00:33:29.799 I'm going to go away 00:33:29.799 --> 00:33:30.779 and do my own thing, 00:33:30.779 --> 00:33:31.920 I'll go and engage 00:33:31.920 --> 00:33:33.000 with the enemy myself 00:33:33.000 --> 00:33:34.299 and I won't worry 00:33:34.299 --> 00:33:35.620 about what's happening 00:33:35.619 --> 00:33:36.939 with other people. 00:33:37.659 --> 00:33:38.139 The army, 00:33:38.279 --> 00:33:39.379 you're part of a structure 00:33:39.379 --> 00:33:40.879 and that structure 00:33:40.879 --> 00:33:42.659 gives you strength. 00:33:43.219 --> 00:33:45.019 You're strong together. 00:33:46.059 --> 00:33:46.979 And in the church, 00:33:47.119 --> 00:33:48.000 we're strong 00:33:48.000 --> 00:33:49.219 as we are together 00:33:49.219 --> 00:33:49.879 and particularly 00:33:49.879 --> 00:33:50.779 as we are together 00:33:50.779 --> 00:33:52.259 with the Lord Jesus. 00:33:53.299 --> 00:33:54.139 None of us 00:33:54.139 --> 00:33:54.639 on our own 00:33:54.639 --> 00:33:55.399 is strong enough 00:33:55.399 --> 00:33:55.739 to say, 00:33:55.859 --> 00:33:57.119 I can do things differently 00:33:57.119 --> 00:33:58.379 because I'm stronger 00:33:58.379 --> 00:33:59.279 than other people. 00:33:59.599 --> 00:34:01.399 We need to stay together 00:34:01.399 --> 00:34:02.639 as God's people. 00:34:02.640 --> 00:34:03.420 We need particularly 00:34:03.420 --> 00:34:04.780 to stay together 00:34:04.780 --> 00:34:06.180 with the Lord Jesus 00:34:06.180 --> 00:34:08.000 and we need to operate 00:34:08.000 --> 00:34:08.980 within the structure 00:34:08.980 --> 00:34:09.820 that we've been given. 00:34:09.940 --> 00:34:10.579 We need to operate 00:34:10.579 --> 00:34:12.240 within the scriptures. 00:34:13.059 --> 00:34:14.420 We're not to be mavericks. 00:34:14.880 --> 00:34:15.960 We are to be faithful 00:34:15.960 --> 00:34:17.400 to God's word 00:34:17.400 --> 00:34:18.700 and we are strong 00:34:18.700 --> 00:34:19.500 when we depend 00:34:19.500 --> 00:34:20.440 on the Lord Jesus. 00:34:20.940 --> 00:34:22.220 If we start to depend 00:34:22.220 --> 00:34:22.920 on ourselves, 00:34:23.079 --> 00:34:23.820 we're weak 00:34:23.820 --> 00:34:26.079 and things will go wrong. 00:34:27.680 --> 00:34:28.400 And then thirdly, 00:34:28.700 --> 00:34:29.980 we were reflecting earlier 00:34:29.980 --> 00:34:31.099 that today is 00:34:31.099 --> 00:34:32.699 Remembrance Sunday. 00:34:33.539 --> 00:34:34.800 And on Remembrance Sunday, 00:34:34.800 --> 00:34:36.300 we particularly honour 00:34:36.300 --> 00:34:38.360 two groups of people. 00:34:39.199 --> 00:34:40.119 There are those 00:34:40.119 --> 00:34:41.420 who have given their lives 00:34:41.420 --> 00:34:42.920 fighting for their country 00:34:42.920 --> 00:34:44.579 in various wars, 00:34:45.179 --> 00:34:46.000 who have paid 00:34:46.000 --> 00:34:47.500 the ultimate sacrifice 00:34:47.500 --> 00:34:49.039 for their country 00:34:49.039 --> 00:34:50.119 out of loyalty 00:34:50.119 --> 00:34:52.099 to their king or queen. 00:34:53.219 --> 00:34:54.199 And then also, 00:34:54.480 --> 00:34:55.380 there are those 00:34:55.380 --> 00:34:56.219 who didn't die 00:34:56.219 --> 00:34:57.420 but who had 00:34:57.420 --> 00:34:59.260 life-changing injuries. 00:34:59.260 --> 00:35:00.140 And we know some of these 00:35:00.140 --> 00:35:00.840 can be mental 00:35:00.840 --> 00:35:02.540 as well as physical. 00:35:03.340 --> 00:35:04.260 So their lives 00:35:04.260 --> 00:35:06.380 were irretrievably changed 00:35:06.380 --> 00:35:08.780 by being in war. 00:35:09.220 --> 00:35:10.320 And they all signed up to that. 00:35:10.380 --> 00:35:11.120 When you join the Army 00:35:11.120 --> 00:35:12.400 or join any of the armed forces, 00:35:12.820 --> 00:35:13.640 you are signing up 00:35:13.640 --> 00:35:14.100 to the fact 00:35:14.100 --> 00:35:14.820 that you will be 00:35:14.820 --> 00:35:15.440 putting yourselves 00:35:15.440 --> 00:35:16.280 in harm's way 00:35:16.280 --> 00:35:17.660 and you may be 00:35:17.660 --> 00:35:20.220 a casualty of war. 00:35:20.840 --> 00:35:22.800 And we rightly think on 00:35:22.800 --> 00:35:23.840 and honour 00:35:23.840 --> 00:35:26.400 those who are casualties today. 00:35:26.920 --> 00:35:27.840 We remember those 00:35:27.840 --> 00:35:28.380 who have died 00:35:28.380 --> 00:35:29.220 we give thanks 00:35:29.220 --> 00:35:30.460 for their sacrifice. 00:35:31.440 --> 00:35:32.539 We remember also 00:35:32.539 --> 00:35:34.119 those who had 00:35:34.119 --> 00:35:35.920 life-changing injuries 00:35:35.920 --> 00:35:37.039 as a result 00:35:37.039 --> 00:35:38.480 of being in the war. 00:35:38.900 --> 00:35:39.720 And the money we give 00:35:39.720 --> 00:35:40.740 for our coppies 00:35:40.740 --> 00:35:41.880 to some extent 00:35:41.880 --> 00:35:43.119 helps to improve 00:35:43.119 --> 00:35:45.440 their quality of life. 00:35:46.260 --> 00:35:47.000 When we come to 00:35:47.000 --> 00:35:47.800 the book of Revelation, 00:35:48.460 --> 00:35:49.780 the churches in Pergamum 00:35:49.780 --> 00:35:51.200 and in Thyatira 00:35:51.200 --> 00:35:52.460 appear to have had 00:35:52.460 --> 00:35:53.240 similar issues. 00:35:53.800 --> 00:35:54.800 In both cases, 00:35:54.920 --> 00:35:55.380 there was food 00:35:55.380 --> 00:35:56.599 sacrifice to idols 00:35:56.599 --> 00:35:57.920 and there was 00:35:57.920 --> 00:35:59.820 sexual immorality. 00:36:00.760 --> 00:36:01.980 The difference was 00:36:01.980 --> 00:36:02.599 that the church 00:36:02.599 --> 00:36:03.400 in Pergamum 00:36:03.400 --> 00:36:05.019 was a persecuted church. 00:36:05.519 --> 00:36:06.519 It was a church 00:36:06.519 --> 00:36:07.640 under great pressure 00:36:07.640 --> 00:36:08.800 and those 00:36:08.800 --> 00:36:09.780 who didn't conform 00:36:09.780 --> 00:36:10.340 to the ways 00:36:10.340 --> 00:36:11.019 of the city, 00:36:11.440 --> 00:36:12.119 they could have been 00:36:12.119 --> 00:36:13.140 putting their lives 00:36:13.140 --> 00:36:14.260 at risk. 00:36:15.119 --> 00:36:16.780 The church in Thyatira 00:36:16.780 --> 00:36:18.400 wasn't in that sense 00:36:18.400 --> 00:36:19.980 a persecuted church. 00:36:19.980 --> 00:36:20.019 church. 00:36:20.900 --> 00:36:21.619 The pressures 00:36:21.619 --> 00:36:22.260 were not on 00:36:22.260 --> 00:36:23.179 people's lives, 00:36:23.420 --> 00:36:24.119 they were on 00:36:24.119 --> 00:36:25.860 their livelihoods. 00:36:26.679 --> 00:36:27.940 And in some ways 00:36:27.940 --> 00:36:28.940 that is actually 00:36:28.940 --> 00:36:30.840 almost more difficult. 00:36:32.440 --> 00:36:33.280 Without in any way 00:36:33.280 --> 00:36:34.980 diminishing the sacrifice 00:36:34.980 --> 00:36:36.559 of those who died 00:36:36.559 --> 00:36:38.079 serving their country, 00:36:38.659 --> 00:36:39.840 in some ways 00:36:39.840 --> 00:36:41.380 for those who survive 00:36:41.380 --> 00:36:43.079 and who've lost limbs 00:36:43.079 --> 00:36:44.480 or who've lost 00:36:44.480 --> 00:36:45.440 some of their mind 00:36:45.440 --> 00:36:46.699 or have lost other things 00:36:46.699 --> 00:36:48.219 and have terrible injuries, 00:36:48.219 --> 00:36:48.399 injuries, 00:36:48.919 --> 00:36:50.159 it is more difficult, 00:36:50.299 --> 00:36:51.500 it's a long-term thing 00:36:51.500 --> 00:36:53.699 and it is a real struggle. 00:36:55.059 --> 00:36:55.719 And so the church 00:36:55.719 --> 00:36:56.519 in Thyatira, 00:36:56.619 --> 00:36:57.179 they might have said, 00:36:57.259 --> 00:36:57.799 well, if we were 00:36:57.799 --> 00:36:58.439 in Pergamum, 00:36:58.599 --> 00:36:59.639 we would stand firm 00:36:59.639 --> 00:37:00.539 for the Lord Jesus. 00:37:00.799 --> 00:37:01.719 We would face up 00:37:01.719 --> 00:37:02.859 to persecution. 00:37:04.799 --> 00:37:05.279 Actually, 00:37:05.439 --> 00:37:06.019 the pressures 00:37:06.019 --> 00:37:06.980 in Thyatira 00:37:06.980 --> 00:37:08.500 were maybe just as strong 00:37:08.500 --> 00:37:09.899 because they were 00:37:09.899 --> 00:37:11.459 ongoing temptations 00:37:11.459 --> 00:37:13.199 and they were ones 00:37:13.199 --> 00:37:14.419 that people 00:37:14.419 --> 00:37:15.319 could easily 00:37:15.319 --> 00:37:16.059 over time 00:37:16.059 --> 00:37:17.139 give in to. 00:37:18.219 --> 00:37:19.679 We don't face persecution 00:37:19.679 --> 00:37:21.159 in any meaningful sense 00:37:21.159 --> 00:37:22.019 today. 00:37:22.819 --> 00:37:23.899 But we do face 00:37:23.899 --> 00:37:24.739 peer pressures, 00:37:24.879 --> 00:37:25.939 we do face pressures 00:37:25.939 --> 00:37:26.980 to conform 00:37:26.980 --> 00:37:27.839 to the world 00:37:27.839 --> 00:37:28.619 around us. 00:37:30.299 --> 00:37:30.699 Let's, 00:37:30.779 --> 00:37:31.299 in the battle 00:37:31.299 --> 00:37:32.179 that we all face 00:37:32.179 --> 00:37:32.899 if we're believers 00:37:32.899 --> 00:37:33.839 in the Lord Jesus, 00:37:34.699 --> 00:37:35.959 let's make sure 00:37:35.959 --> 00:37:37.639 that we stand 00:37:37.639 --> 00:37:39.239 firm for Him. 00:37:39.339 --> 00:37:40.039 Stand firm 00:37:40.039 --> 00:37:41.359 in His strength 00:37:41.359 --> 00:37:42.599 and in His 00:37:42.599 --> 00:37:43.639 alone. 00:37:44.339 --> 00:37:44.799 If anyone 00:37:44.799 --> 00:37:45.739 is not yet 00:37:45.739 --> 00:37:47.119 trusting in the Lord Jesus 00:37:47.119 --> 00:37:47.920 for salvation, 00:37:48.059 --> 00:37:48.940 just take the message 00:37:48.940 --> 00:37:49.960 that we brought earlier, 00:37:50.440 --> 00:37:50.940 repentance 00:37:50.940 --> 00:37:52.440 brings forgiveness 00:37:52.440 --> 00:37:53.579 and there is a relationship 00:37:53.579 --> 00:37:54.219 to be had 00:37:54.219 --> 00:37:54.960 with the Lord Jesus 00:37:54.960 --> 00:37:55.779 for all of us. 00:37:56.159 --> 00:37:56.920 There is forgiveness 00:37:56.920 --> 00:37:58.099 and hope 00:37:58.099 --> 00:37:59.319 if we trust 00:37:59.319 --> 00:38:00.219 in Him. 00:38:00.819 --> 00:38:01.659 Let's pray together. 00:38:04.500 --> 00:38:04.940 Father, 00:38:05.000 --> 00:38:05.699 we thank you for your word. 00:38:05.799 --> 00:38:06.500 We thank you for this 00:38:06.500 --> 00:38:07.859 rather solemn passage 00:38:07.859 --> 00:38:08.799 we've been looking at 00:38:08.800 --> 00:38:10.280 that a church 00:38:10.280 --> 00:38:11.180 can in many ways 00:38:11.180 --> 00:38:12.500 be doing extremely well 00:38:12.500 --> 00:38:14.019 and yet 00:38:14.019 --> 00:38:15.560 at another level 00:38:15.560 --> 00:38:16.720 it is failing 00:38:16.720 --> 00:38:17.800 really badly. 00:38:18.580 --> 00:38:19.500 Help us to be 00:38:19.500 --> 00:38:19.940 faithful 00:38:19.940 --> 00:38:20.740 not just 00:38:20.740 --> 00:38:21.760 in our love 00:38:21.760 --> 00:38:24.200 and in our service 00:38:24.200 --> 00:38:25.480 but also faithful 00:38:25.480 --> 00:38:26.300 in our lives 00:38:26.300 --> 00:38:27.580 that when we come 00:38:27.580 --> 00:38:28.580 under pressure, 00:38:29.200 --> 00:38:30.080 when being a Christian 00:38:30.080 --> 00:38:30.760 is difficult, 00:38:31.480 --> 00:38:32.539 that we don't give in, 00:38:33.120 --> 00:38:34.060 that we don't 00:38:34.060 --> 00:38:35.560 submit to the ways 00:38:35.560 --> 00:38:36.680 of this world. 00:38:36.679 --> 00:38:37.679 and help all of us 00:38:37.679 --> 00:38:38.879 to have our trust 00:38:38.879 --> 00:38:39.679 in the Lord Jesus, 00:38:39.980 --> 00:38:41.279 to be repentant 00:38:41.279 --> 00:38:42.099 for our sins 00:38:42.099 --> 00:38:43.599 and to look to Him 00:38:43.599 --> 00:38:45.519 for our salvation. 00:38:47.139 --> 00:38:48.219 We thank you again today 00:38:48.219 --> 00:38:48.940 for those 00:38:48.940 --> 00:38:49.919 we have been thinking of 00:38:49.919 --> 00:38:51.059 who have given their lives 00:38:51.059 --> 00:38:52.739 or have had 00:38:52.739 --> 00:38:53.839 life-changing injuries 00:38:53.839 --> 00:38:55.079 in the service 00:38:55.079 --> 00:38:56.079 of the country. 00:38:56.179 --> 00:38:56.579 We thank you 00:38:56.579 --> 00:38:57.299 for their willingness 00:38:57.299 --> 00:38:59.699 to be a part 00:38:59.699 --> 00:39:01.879 of our great armed forces 00:39:01.879 --> 00:39:02.679 and we pray 00:39:02.679 --> 00:39:03.659 for your blessing on them. 00:39:03.719 --> 00:39:04.199 For those 00:39:04.199 --> 00:39:05.819 who are going through 00:39:05.820 --> 00:39:06.980 times of injury 00:39:06.980 --> 00:39:08.539 and perhaps 00:39:08.539 --> 00:39:08.980 will never 00:39:08.980 --> 00:39:10.100 be healthy again. 00:39:10.160 --> 00:39:11.160 We pray for your peace 00:39:11.160 --> 00:39:11.940 and we pray for those 00:39:11.940 --> 00:39:12.760 who care for them 00:39:12.760 --> 00:39:14.100 that you will give them strength. 00:39:14.220 --> 00:39:14.880 Pray for Christians 00:39:14.880 --> 00:39:16.200 who are seeking 00:39:16.200 --> 00:39:17.820 to help them as well. 00:39:18.180 --> 00:39:18.539 For those 00:39:18.539 --> 00:39:19.380 who have lost loved ones 00:39:19.380 --> 00:39:20.059 perhaps in the more 00:39:20.059 --> 00:39:20.760 recent wars 00:39:20.760 --> 00:39:21.940 we pray that today 00:39:21.940 --> 00:39:22.860 you will be a comfort 00:39:22.860 --> 00:39:24.460 and a strength to them. 00:39:25.080 --> 00:39:25.760 So we thank you 00:39:25.760 --> 00:39:26.340 for your presence 00:39:26.340 --> 00:39:26.940 this morning 00:39:26.940 --> 00:39:28.200 and we ask for your 00:39:28.200 --> 00:39:29.340 continued presence now 00:39:29.340 --> 00:39:30.200 in the name of 00:39:30.200 --> 00:39:30.840 the Lord Jesus. 00:39:31.680 --> 00:39:32.000 Amen.