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Bro. Bill Nichols
I wouldn't dare start prior to Mrs. Mitchell getting here. I'll just stop early. We're in the book of Revelation this morning, and we're working our way through the churches. Seems like every radio preacher, even the ones that I listen to, are either in Daniel or Revelation now.
But I want you to know this. We started first, and we're less far. Because they work five days a week, and we only do one. So we're only on the church at Thyatira. We're halfway through. Last week, we looked at the commendations for the church, and we found there were interesting things.
We'll start at verse 19, chapter 2 of Revelation. I know Thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and Thy patience, and Thy works. The last to be more than the first. Works. Charity, that's love, agape.
Service, faith, patience, and then he repeats works. Jesus names five positives and tells us that they're improving. Before we get too confident in this church, well, let me say one more thing. They were growing in grace.
They were maturing in their Christian lives. They were advancing the cause of Christ. And for all of that, they were to be commended. Now, we're going to get to a new word, notwithstanding. But before we go there, I think it would be good for us to stop for a moment of prayer.
Most gracious Heavenly Father, thank you for this day. Thank you for bringing us together into this place where we can study your word. Thank you for giving us the Holy Spirit and the word itself. That we would have the word, and the Holy Spirit might guide us through the word.
Telling us those things that he wants us to know. Knowing that every time we go through this book or any book, the Holy Spirit is capable. Willing to, and in fact does, reveal new things to us. Keep us in thy will.
Go with us through the rest of the services. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. So now we're to the criticism. Notwithstanding, I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel. Have you ever met anybody named Jezebel?
You don't see many Jezebels anymore. But this was a woman that, if not named after Jezebel, was referred to by the angel as the woman Jezebel. We talked about the original Jezebel last week. This is a different one.
The original Jezebel was so bad that probably the worst king of Judah, the first thing listed in all of his evil deeds, was his marriage to this woman. So she was a pretty bad lady. But that's not the one they're talking about in this letter.
He's talking about a different one with a different set of problems and a different course. Because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess to teach. You could do a whole sermon about a Jezebel calling herself a prophetess and teaching.
All of those are things that we're warned against in the Scriptures. To teach and to seduce my servants. I highlighted the word my servants. There are some people in this church, this church at Thyatira, that are Jesus' servants.
And there are some that are not. He's talking about seducing his servants. The implication is his servants, even his servants, can and do do wrong sometimes. And he's going to talk about what's going to happen to them.
To teach and to seduce my servants. To commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication. And she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed.
And them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation. The first time I went through this passage, I thought that great tribulation might be the great tribulation. But by now I'm convinced that I was wrong in that case.
That this is not the great tribulation. This is just a great tribulation. And we'll get to the reason why for that in just a moment. This is not the tribulation that's going to occur either at the beginning of the tribulation period of the seven years of Daniel.
Or midway into that time period. But this is tribulation nonetheless. Those who refuse to repent will suffer great tribulation. That's always been the case. Turn to Romans chapter 2 verse 8. And we're going to talk about some people.
Paul is going to talk about some people. That are contentious and do not obey the truth. But obey unrighteousness. Let's just read it. But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth. But obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath.
Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doeth evil. Of the Jew first and also the Gentiles. So tribulation and anguish are going to come to both the Jews and the Gentiles who do evil. It's the quick way to do evil.
That are contentious and do not obey the truth. But obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath. Every man that doeth evil. Well what about those that do not do evil? Or at least if they do evil, repent of it.
To the Jew first and also to the Gentile. So does that mean that they won't have tribulation? Does that mean if a person that basically does good. If one of God's children does nothing but good. Will they have any tribulation?
Even the good suffer tribulation. Even those that repent of the bad that they do. Will suffer tribulation. But with that tribulation comes something in addition to the tribulation. Comes the glory and the honor and the peace.
Peace to them. Glory and honor to whom it belongs. Don't think that if you repent and do good. That you'll avoid tribulation. But you can think that if you repent. You'll have peace restored to you. About the evil that you've done.
We've all done evil. I think I can say that safely. We've all done evil. We've all done bad things. Most of us when we do bad things. We say even before we're through doing it. It doesn't take me the full action.
Before I already know that I am doing wrong. And I shouldn't have done it. And I wish I hadn't done it. But I did it. That's the first stage in repentance. To recognize that you've done wrong. This is a little rabbit trail.
But I want to take it just for a second. That's one of the things that Dr. MacArthur. Most of you are familiar with him. Talked about when he was talking about the sin of homosexuality. In this society we refuse to recognize it as a sin.
And therefore we don't even get to the first step of asking for repentance of it. How do you ask for repentance of an evil deed that's not evil? That's not evil in your mind. You won't even get to that stage.
You won't even get to the first stage of asking for repentance. If you ask for repentance. Well the consequences of your bad behavior will be removed from you. But you'll have peace about it. Even though if I drink and smoke.
And do it to excess and that's a sin. And when I am 90 years old. I die of cirrhosis of the liver. Or emphysema or something like that. That was brought about in part by the things that I did that were wrong.
I quit. I repented. The Lord forgave me of it. I had peace. But I did not avoid the consequences of it. And sometimes we think if we just ask for forgiveness. We are going to receive the absolution of any bad thing that might happen.
You said that last week and I was going to quote that. But you beat me to it. We sow an evil seed and then we pray for a crop failure. Don't think that if you repent and do good. You'll avoid tribulation.
But you'll have peace through it. I'd like for you to turn to another place. Acts 14, 19. Now this passage concerns a man who did evil in his life. Asked for repentance. And after he asked for repentance.
He pretty much lived an exemplary life. I wouldn't say that this man never again ever sinned. But if we hold one up as being a very high person to aim our aim toward. This would be a very good person.
This person is Paul. On the road to Damascus he had evil in his mind. On the last few steps he had repentance on his mind. And from then on he did more to bless the church. And to advance Christ's kingdom than probably any man alive.
So let's see what happens to him a little bit later in time. Acts 14, verse 19. And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium. Who persuaded the people. And having stoned Paul. Drew him out of the city.
Supposing he had been dead. So they stoned him. And they thought he was dead. And they drew him outside the city. How be it. As the disciples stood round about him. He arose up. He rose up and came into the city.
And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. And when they had preached the gospel to that city. And had taught many. They returned again to Lystra. And to Iconium. And to Antioch. Now it was in Lystra that he was stoned.
It was from Antioch and Iconium. That the people came that persuaded those from Lystra. To stone him. Confirming the soul of the disciples. And exhorting them to continue in the faith. That we must through much tribulation.
Enter into the kingdom of God. Even the great apostle Paul suffered tribulation. Brother Otis used to talk about the thorn in Paul's side. That he prayed three times that it would be removed. And Brother Otis always thought that that was poor eyesight.
I never really thought that. I thought it would be more than that for Paul. But you understand. Paul was almost blind. And when he wrote letters. He wrote in big blocks so he could see them. That's what Otis did.
If you had seen Otis in his last days. He would work off papers that he had printed on his computer. And the words. Each word. Like the word thee would be about that size in physical space. You get about three words on a line.
And four lines on a page. So his notes would be almost this thick. He was almost blind. So he would understand that to be blindness. Did God remove that thorn? No. He did not. What about this incident?
He was stoned near unto death. He was stoned so viciously. That the people who stoned him thought he was dead. And drug him out of the town. And yet he was confident enough in the providence of God. To return to the very city that caused.
Where his stoning took place. And to the city that caused his stoning. That is pretty confident in the providence of the Lord. Did he think. Do you think he might have thought. That when he went back to Antioch he would get stoned again?
He didn't care. In fact when he was warned not to go to Jerusalem. Because he said. When you go to Jerusalem they are going to take you to Rome. And they are going to kill you. You know what he said? I don't care.
I've got a mission to perform. And even though in the mission itself. There will be great tribulation. It won't be more than I can stand. The Lord will allow me to it. Yes sir. Okay. I will. I like that.
Those of us. Those of us who. I'm not going to say pretend to be Christian. Because we are Christian. Those of us who are Christian. But are not perfect Christians. Are not even like Paul. Not even as close to perfect as Paul.
That's our biggest sin. Our biggest sin is not what we actively do. It's what we don't do. And that is the greater sin. I believe that. Well. God is a gracious God. Back to Revelation chapter 2. Verse 21.
And I gave her space to repent. Of her fornication. And she repented not. Behold I will cast her into a bed. And them that commit adultery with her. Into great tribulation. Well here's something else that I didn't see.
The first time through. He gave the false prophetess. At Thyatira space to repent. I saw that. But illustrating the truth. That most people. Including her. Love darkness rather than light. She repented not.
Why didn't she repent? Because she didn't want to. Did she ever repent? No. Her blunt and final refusal to repent. Would lead to a terrible judgment. Behold I will cast her into a bed. And them that commit adultery with her.
Into great tribulation. Except they repent of their deeds. He didn't say I will cast her into a bed. Unless she repent of her deeds. But that. Them that commit adultery with her. Into great tribulation.
Except they repent of their deeds. Because Jezebel refused to repent. Christ declared. I will cast her into a bed. It's likely that the bed refers to. Death and hell. The ultimate resting place. For those who continually refuse to repent.
Judgment was to fall not only on Jezebel however. But also on them that commit adultery with her. What does the Lord say he's going to do to them? Cast them into great tribulation. Not the great tribulation.
Just distress and trouble. Since these were sinning Christians. Remember. She taught his servants. When I mentioned that earlier. She taught his servants. These are his people. These are the people in the church.
That belong to Jesus. These are the elect. I'm sorry. They will repent. So he doesn't threaten to send them to hell. As he did Jezebel. He promises though. That he will bring them severe chastising. Possibly even physical death.
Until they repent. And as we said before. Even after they repent. They can still suffer tribulation. But if they repent of their deeds. What will they have? They'll have peace. And joy. And if they don't repent.
They'll have chastisement. Until they do. And I think it was John that said. And they will repent. Because they belong to him. Now if you look at verse 23. What is the end of her children? I will kill her children with death.
And all the churches shall know. That I am he that searches the reins and the hearts. And I will give unto every one of you. According to your deeds. Now did he say I will kill my children there? Who's he going to kill?
Her children. With death. And I will give unto each one of you. Hers and mine. Her children and my children. To each child. I'll give according to your works. Now we know where all of us go don't we? We know where all of us need to go.
We know where all of us deserve to go. We know where all of us earn our way to go. What keeps us from going there? Grace and mercy. Grace and mercy. Not our works. The children definitely apply to the spiritual children.
Produced by the lies and the deceptions. And you notice a couple of things. The Lord will give to each one according to his own works. Not judged by grace. But by works. Yes sir. It is interesting. And those that say a Christian must go out and do works.
Are 100 totally correct. They must go out and do works. Not to be a Christian. But because they're a Christian. Because they're a Christian. The Lord will make them go out and do works. He'll make them want to go out and do works.
It's the effect of being a Christian. Absolutely. But if you're judged by your works. Your works are not perfect. And you'll be judged. Who can be found innocent if judged by his own works? Well I would equivalently say Jesus could have.
And so Jesus didn't deserve death. But did he die? No. Well he died but he came back. But he didn't stay dead. He died but he didn't stay dead. He didn't stay dead so that we wouldn't be dead. He died because we deserved to.
He rose from the dead because the Lord raised him from the dead. God raised him from the dead. And when he raised him from the dead. He raised us with him. And the second thing we need to consider is God is always fair and just.
He will judge those who made a willful choice to follow the lies and reject the truth. And those are the ones that will be in the bed with Jezebel in the end. As opposed to those that will just suffer serious tribulations.
Maybe even death on the way to a better place. For the Son of Man, this is Matthew 16, 27. For the Son of Man shall come in glory of his Father with his angels. And then he shall reward every man according to his works.
So part of the process of doing works earns status in heaven. Not a ticket to heaven but status when you're in heaven. So now we come to the exhortation. Verse 24. But I say, but unto you I say, unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine and have not known the depths of Satan.
Well what are the depths of Satan? Well one of the depths of Satan is the Gnostic idea that matter was evil and only spirit was good. So they separated people into two parts. The body and the spirit. That led to the idea that the body should either be treated harshly because it was only evil.
And that's an idea that's carried forth into the Roman Catholic Church today. You chastise your body. There's many rituals that they perform to kind of cleanse their body. Like crawling up the steps at the Vatican on their knees.
And asking grace at every step of the way. Or what's even worse. Coming to the conclusion that sin committed in the body has no connection or effect on one's spirit. That led some to believe that they could do whatever they wanted to the body.
And it didn't matter. They could indulge in immorality. It's okay. It's the body. One could deny that sin even existed because it's fastened only to the body. So you can pick anything you want. You could do it.
It didn't matter because it's the body that did it. It's only the spirit that's good. And you could totally disregard God's law. I color coded my next line. Now, what would you think today's moral code is?
If you could describe today's moral code, how would you describe it? From the world's people. Today's worldly moral code. Whatever is good in your mind you can do. That's what they did in the judges, wasn't it?
Every man did what was right in his own eyes. And I read that and said, boy, that is really good. Everybody's doing good. That's what I thought. And that's not what he meant at all, was it? He never had anything good to say about any of the judges.
Every one of them failed. From Samson on down. Because they did what was right in their own eyes. They did what they wanted to. What should they have done? What was right in God's eyes. Well, they'd have to know what was in God's eyes.
They'd have to have a moral code. They'd have to know God. Well, where does He tell you? Yeah, where does He tell you that? But where do you find it? In the Word. Okay, I knew if I asked you enough times you'd hit the answer that I wanted.
It's not that any of your answers were wrong. It's just you didn't give me the answer I wanted yet. I do that to my students all the time. I will start down the row and I'll ask them a question. And they'll give me a wrong answer.
And I'll just go to the next person and say, well, you try it. And after a while somebody will answer the answer I want and we'll go from there. What I wrote here is, there is no absolute right and wrong.
All is relative. So whatever feels good, do it. But that's not what God said. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak, I will put none other burden upon you.
But that which ye already have, hold fast till I come. So the burden you have is only the burden you've got. Hang on. Hold fast until I come. Now that happens to be, in the letters to the churches, the first time that he promises them he's coming back.
Now he's promised to other places, but in the letters to the churches, this is the first mention of his coming back. So now we come to the past message to the overcomer. And he that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations.
And he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as vessels of a potter. Shall they be broken into shivers, even as I have received of my Father, and I will give him the morning star. I had trouble with this, so I went to John MacArthur's commentary on Revelation.
And here's what he said. To the one who overcomes, that's the true Christian. Well, he put a little side note in there. 1 John 5 .5. Would you go there and then consider as you're going that this is the same John that wrote Revelation.
And John's going to tell us at least what he thought those that are overcome were at this particular point in time. When he wrote 1 John 5 .5 Who is he that overcometh the world? That's the question. But he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God.
So, and he keeps Christ's deeds. To he that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end. That's why you know it really that the overcomer in this passage was not really Jesus. The ultimate overcomer.
If we overcome, how do we overcome? Through Jesus. It is only through Jesus that we can overcome. So if you go pin down to the ultimate overcomer, the ultimate overcomer is Jesus. But those overcomers are men, are Christians.
And who keeps Christ's deeds in contrast to those who practices Jezebel's evil deeds. Keeps it unto the end. He promised two things. I will give such people authority over the nations, and they shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces.
Now, who is going to really rule in the Millennial Kingdom? And it's Jesus that's going to rule with the rod of iron. Right? We're all together on that. But the people that are overcomers will be given authority by Jesus to help in the rule.
The people who rule with him will help protect his people and promote holiness and righteousness. Christ will delegate authority to them to help in his rule. As he also received authority himself from his father.
Christ also promised to give his faithful followers the morning star. Some people connect that morning star to passages in Daniel and Matthew. The promise would be that believers will reflect Christ's glory.
And indeed they will. Believers, Christians, will reflect Christ's glory. But it's better to see the morning star as Christ himself. A title that he assumes in Revelation. Christ promises believers himself in all his fullness.
The one whom we now know, we know in part. We will finally know as we have been known, fully known. 1 Corinthians 13 .9. Go there for a second. 1 Corinthians 13 .9. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child. I understood as a child. I thought as a child. But when I became a man, I put away childish things.
For now we see through a glass darkly. But then, face to face, now I know in part. But then I shall know even as I also am known. So we'll have a better understanding of our role when we see Christ face to face.
And then we have kind of the key phrase. The phrase that's in every one of these letters. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. And again, I want to emphasize that.
That's telling us it didn't say what the Spirit said to that church. Let that church hear. This letter went out to all the churches. So all the churches should hear what was the message to every church.
So the church at Ephesus got to see the message to the church at Thyatira. The church at Thyatira got to see the message to the church at Ephesus. And on we go. Despite clear biblical teaching to the contrary, churches throughout history have tolerated sin.
Following a pattern like the Thyatiran congregation, whose members were engaged in both spiritual and physical adultery. Through the insidious efforts of a false teacher, those sins had become pervasive in the church at Thyatira.
The letter Christ addressed to its members was a sobering one and marks a new phase in the letters to the seven churches. Commentator Charles Erdmann offers this perspective on the place of this letter among the seven.
Here's what he said. The letter to the church in Thyatira begins the second group of messages to the churches of Asia. In the first group, the church of Ephesus was characterized by loyalty to Christ, but was lacking in love.
In the church of Smyrna, their loyalty was tested by fire. In the church of Pergamum, the loyalty was lacking in moral passion. They loved Christ, but they didn't have a passion for Christ. They didn't have the moral passion.
Yet all three churches were true to the faith and had not yielded to the assaults of evil. The case of the church at Thyatira, as of the church in Sardis and Laodicea, the situation was far more serious.
Now you notice that in his set of comments, there was a church left out. Philadelphia was left out. Here, not merely a small minority was indifferent, but large numbers had actually yielded to the demoralizing influences of false teaching.
There is a progressive worsening of the character of these seven churches. Again, discounting Philadelphia. Just pluck Philadelphia out and say that he should have said six. As they depict becoming more and more influenced by evil, that downward spiral reached its lowest point in Laodicea.
The phrase, the deep things of Satan, in 224, reveals how far the Thyatira church had slipped in relation to those in Smyrna and Pergamum and Ephesus. They didn't mention that. The Smyrna church faced hostility from the synagogue of Satan, that is from unbelieving Jews.
The Permian church existed at the side of Satan's throne, symbolizing Gentile false religion, particularly the cult of empire worship. But the church at Thyatira had plunged headlong into the very depths of Satanic deception.
This letter, or the letter to this church, is the longest of the seven letters. Although it's addressed to the church in the smallest of the seven towns, it has an important message for the church today.
False doctrine and sin are not to be allowed in the church, even under the banner of love, tolerance, and unity. I want to read that again. False doctrine and sin are not to be allowed, even under the banner of love, tolerance, and unity.
There may be much that is commendable in a church. It may appear on the surface to have an effective ministry. It may be growing numerically. It may even have a cordial society. And yet immorality and false doctrine, if not confronted, will bring judgment from the Lord of the church.
Now, that's the end of my comments on the church at Thyatira. Does any of you have any additional comments? Psalms 2 for... Okay, yeah, in my notes I have that one also. Psalms 2, is that what you're talking about?
Particularly verses 7 through 9? It's a short passage. Why don't you read it, if you would, please? Yes, and if you start at the very beginning. It begins, Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His anointing, saying, Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from them. I don't want to be subject to God and His anointed.
I want to be subject to my own individual, what I feel good about, I can do, moral code. And he that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh, and the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall He speak unto them in His wrath, and vex them with sore displeasure.
Surely I have set my king on the holy mount of Zion. I will declare the decree the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my son, this day I have begotten thee. Ask of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thy inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession, and thou shalt break them with a rod of iron, and thou shalt dash them into pieces like a potter's vessel.
Be wise, therefore, O ye kings. Be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and ye perish from the way when His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are they which put their trust in Him. Not blessed are any of you that put your trust in yourself. Happiness will not come to you. Joy will not come to you. Only misery and wrath, because you set yourself up to be God.
That is a powerful, powerful passage. You know, you read it and then I decided I really wanted to read it again. It is just, you just get so fired up hearing that. When you recognize that what we all do as a society, what we are all trying to do is make ourselves to be God, just like Nimrod did when he built the Tower of Babel.
I'm going to get there my own way. I'll show God. How do they imagine such a vain thing? Because there is no understanding with them. How do you read the scripture and fail to see that verse? Because you do not have eyes that can see or ears to hear.
Who does have the ears to hear and the eyes to see? His elect and nobody else. So they can read and read and read and study and study and study and they will say, they'll come to judges like I did, and they'll read, every man did what was right in his own eyes and say, wow, gee whiz, that's exactly where I want to be.
I want to be the captain of my ship, the master of my soul, and I think whatever gods may be for my mortal soul. How pitiful. I was looking for a word. How pitiful is that? How pitiful is the human state today?
Now I was going to save a little time and make a couple of comments about Brother David's sermon last week, but I think we went better off here. The Lord just took us away from that and went to something much better.
I will say this. Last Sunday, Brother David, I told Brother David this at breakfast Monday morning. In your sermon, Brother David, I heard about 5%, 2 at the very beginning and little spots thereafter.
But what it all boils down to is, if you telescope any man, woman, child born in the universe and take it all the way back to where he came from, you'll come to Adam. He even had to create Eve from Adam so she'd go back to Adam.
There's one person that you can't trace back, and that's Jesus. And if you look at Jesus, Jesus was formed by God, by God acting with His Holy Spirit in the same kind of fashion as directly by God like Adam and Eve were, but not like Adam and not like Eve.
Totally different way. All of us lived except Jesus lived in sin. We all inherited the sin nature from Adam. We all sin and we all pay for our own sin. There's one guy that did not sin. We kind of mentioned that earlier in this message, and that was Jesus.
Jesus did not deserve to die. Jesus did not telescope back to Adam, and Jesus didn't sin while He was here. So why did He die? So that He could pay the death penalty for our sins. He was the only one who could.
We'll get to that. We'll get to that a little bit later in Revelation. They say John will cry because he looks around and there's no one worthy to open the seals, but the Lamb as it were slain. Most gracious Heavenly Father, thank You for this day, and thank You for all our many blessings.
Bless us and keep us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.