Cork Free Presbyterian Church, 10 Briarscourt
(Annex) Shanakiel, Cork, Ireland
Pastor: Colin Maxwell. Email: colin.maxwell@fpcmission.org
Already in our series, we have witnessed how this basic command:
Hold fast has been applied originally by Paul:
To a single congregation (1 Thessalonians 5:21)
To an individual Christian (2 Timothy 1:13)
To a whole group of people, spread over many congregations
contemplating going back in apostasy to Jewish legalism once again
(Hebrews 3:6/4:14/10:21)
Now, we find that this command to stand fast comes from the lips of
Christ Himself, through the pen/John, to single congregations again:
Thyatira (text) then Sardis (3:3) then Philadelphia (3:11)
I say, how this command came originally, because while we must put these things into context (first basic rule/Bible study)
Yet these things are greater than their original context
These words were given/whole church/all ages i.e. 2 Timothy 2:2
And the things that thou hast heard
of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who
shall be able to teach others also.
Idea is of passing the torch/truth on from one generation to another
This is how we have these words today and not only that…but the
writings (and recordings!) of great men expounding them to us
The passing of the generations has not diminished their meaning/force
In our text, the Asian church in Thyatira receives the command to hold fast that which she had
That she could attain new things is not beyond doubt - that she should
have held unto other things will also be established - but she was to
hold unto the things which she presently possessed
We find ourselves, upon examination, needing to heed these words also
There is a bit/Thyatira in every Christian/congregation
3 main points:
1) WHAT THE CHURCH/THYATIRA HAD WHICH WAS WELL WORTH HOLDING UNTO:
A/ They were to hold on to the various teachings/exhortations which they had already received.
As we will see, there had been among some/them a departure from some/NT faith and that was not good
But what they did have, they were to hold tightly unto
B/ Some/these things are described for us in v19
[i] Good works
Evidence of salvation (James 2) but not the cause/contributing factor
These were seen by the pure/discerning eyes/Christ and approved
These are to held unto:
We were created (regenerated/ Christ) unto such (Ephesians 2:10)
We are to be thoroughly furnished unto them (2 Timothy 3:17)
Be a pattern for them (Titus 2:7) Be zealous for them (Titus 2:14)
Carefully maintain them (Titus 3:8) Provoke unto them (Hebrews 10:24)
Often good works go unnoticed by men and unsung
It is not for us to trumpet them abroad…but be content to know that
Christ knows and counsels us to hold them fast
[ii] We are hold fast unto our charity (love)
This is the motive that should lead to good works
Without such love, our good works have no value (1 Corinthians 13)
We should show our love towards [a] God [b] His church [c] Unsaved
Some folk can be very hard to love and love is often abused
But still, we are not to let it go - the Lord wants us to hold it fast
[iii] We are hold fast to our service or ministry in the church
Whatever we do to serve the Lord - don't let it slip away
This is listed as one/advantages of being a Jew (Romans 9:4)
Who are Israelites; to whom
pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the
giving/the law, and the service/God, and the promises;
This service is to be with good will (Ephesians 6:7)
If so…then it is to be held on to
Don't let it be a casualty - hold it tight - important
[iv] We are to continue in our faith - our fidelity to the cause/God
Without faith, it is impossible to please God, for it is our faith that
triggers everything less: Faith works by love (Galatians 5:6)
Any slackening off in faith is dangerous
We walk/faith (2 Corinthians 5:7) indeed, we live/faith (Romans 1:17)
[v] We are to hold unto our patience
Bible has much to say about this patience
Job/prophets was noted for it and set forth/example (Job 5:10-11)
Many exhortations unto it and there's no doubt as to why:
In your patience, possess ye your souls (Luke 21:9)
[vi] Works are mentioned twice (v19) with the qualifier that the last are to be more than the first
Jamison, Fausett and Brown points us to 1 Thessalonians 4:1
Furthermore then we beseech you,
brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of
us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and
more.
The idea is of a continuance/growth in all these things
C/ Maybe these things don't sound exciting to us - seem mundane
Let us not minimise them at all
The Lord with His burning, discerning eye has noticed them (v18-19)
The Lord (text) has commanded us to hold them fast
It is not for us to decide what is/is not profitable
Hold fast these things which are already there
2) THE COMPROMISES OF THE CHURCH/THYATIRA WHICH MADE THIS GRIP MORE DIFFICULT:
It was not all fair/rosy in the Thyatira garden
The Lord had somewhat against them (v20)
A/ They had suffered a self proclaimed prophetess to teach and through her teaching to seduce some Christians to idolatry
The language/v20 is somewhat figurative
Jezebel alludes to the OT woman/same who slew the prophets/God and gave Elijah so much grief (1 Kings 17-18)
Fornication should be understood figuratively i.e. idolatry as
indicated by the last part/verse: eat things sacrificed unto idols
She literally seduced the Christians into this idolatry and she had been allowed to teach and to lead astray
[i] The Bible does not allow women to teach in the full church context
(1 Timothy 2:12) Yes, among themselves, children but no further
Yet this woman who called herself a prophetess (Note the accuracy) had been allowed to teach by the Thyatira church
Even the title prophetess should set alarm bells ringing
True...in the NT, there were prophetess's (Luke 2:36/Acts 21:9)
But a prophetess was much more than a preacher/teacher and there was certainly a great slackness here in allowing her to teach
Anyway, these positions were being superseded by the continuing revelation/God (i.e. Epistles) and they were for male teachers
[ii] She seduced the people/Thyatira
Not open/up front, but in a very devious/sleekit way, she brought these people round to compromise with idolatry
According to Hendriksen, Thyatira was a great trading centre with
various trades e.g. leather works/linen/potters etc., who came together
into workers guilds, each with its own deity
To leave the guild was to see your business/trade go to ruin with all the attending calamities
To stay within was to endorse idolatry which was present at the various feasts/gathering- obviously very pronounced
This Jezebel figure was able to teach the Thyatria Christians that it
was lawful to attend - indeed (Hendriksen) she argued that it would
even make them better Christians, for they would know more about these
idolaters etc., and should by all means attend
Reference to the depths/Satan (v24) and Hendriksen claims that this
woman encouraged (successfully) the Christians to plumb these depths
and so learn and be better Christians
Hard to know if she was as blunt as this - Learn the deep
things/Satan - or whether this is what it was in effect, but
nevertheless the bottom line was reached
People listened to her - seemed to be a very easy way/dilemma - and of course, her standing/congregation soared
[iii] Soar as it did with the compromised - it did not with God
I have somewhat against thee - i.e. those who only suffered her
Her actions demanded her repentance and her refusal to do so (v21)
incurred extra wrath which was very, although justly severe (v22-23)
B/ The messenger/Thyatira did not escape reproach either (v20)
It was not merely the minister's fault - whole session was involved -
it is the work/session to ensure the purity/work under their charge
This woman should not have been tolerated one moment
Often in many churches - many good points to be seen, but a woeful
slackness is this particular matter i.e. sorting out false teachers
C/ In all these matters, we cannot fool the Lord one iota
Whether it is to the compromisers or to those who did take a stand and
not compromise (v24) - the Lord searches our hearts very thoroughly and
rewards according to what is actually there
D/ These things made the required grip more difficult
This woman was still there - she had her followers and possibly her imitators
It would not be easy to get rid of her and undo/damage
But still…it needed to be done if the church/flourish
3) THE MOTIVE CHRIST GAVE TO THE CHURCH/THYATIRA TO MAINTAIN THEIR GRIP: …till I come
The Second Coming would sort out a number of things very close to the situation outlined here, problems and all, in Thyatira
A/ Although the Lord had searched the hearts now, yet the Second Coming would usher in the Judgement Seat/Christ (Romans 14:12)
This is an interactive matter - We give account of ourselves
Judgement Day Honesty! In that day, I wonder will w stand over all our
wee pet theories we propound almost flippantly now? I trow not
B/ The Coming/Christ will usher in the occasion when those good works and other virtues commanded here will be amply rewarded
I do not doubt this Jezebel figure had an exciting ministry on earth
No doubt faithful/Thyatira found much/the work discouraging/hard
But the Day/Lord would show who chose the better part
C/ The Coming/Christ will entail the total destruction of Satan and his
minions e.g. this Jezebel figure who managed to seduce the Christians
Revelation 20:10/2 Thessalonians 2:9
Work begun at the Cross: 1 John 3:8/Colossians 2:15
Yet be concluded shortly (Romans 16:20) i.e. at Christ's Return
Wouldn't it be better to run with the anti Jezebel crowd and hold tight
to faith/patience etc., than try to accommodate the world through the
"Let's give it a go…" crowd who had no real stand?
Which side would win the ultimate battle? You don't have to wait until
the Lord comes to know the answer…but you do have to wait to see
it
D/ When is the Lord coming back again? Greek here is so constructed that it appears to us to be indefinite - We don't know when
Weust: Hold fast until that time whenever I come
We don't know when (3:3) but we do know what we have to do/why
Described as a burden (v24) but an easy/light one (Mathew 11:28)
THE END