Introduction: watch clip about making choices:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vxJxTokJoI
A.
How many choices did you make today? This week?
B. Most choices are common everyday choices.
Trans.
Today, we will
look at a church who had a very
important
choice to make and consider the choices that
we have made
and continue to make ourselves.
Prayer
Rev. 2:18-29
I. Thyatira: The city and its
background.
A. Thyatira is a smaller town than the other
six.
1. Commercially known for its trade guilds.
a. Similar to our unions of today.
b. Here are a few: wool-workers, linen-workers, dyers,
tanners, bakers, potters, & etc.
2. Politically, the city was neutral.
3. Home of Lydia mentioned in Acts 16:14.
(a convert of
Paul's ministry)
“A certain
woman named Lydia, a worshipper of
God,
was listening to us; she was from the city
of
Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The
Lord
opened her heart to listen eagerly to what
was
said by Paul.”
B. Religiously the city was active.
1. No temple of emperor worship.
2. There were many other gods and temples.
II. Thyatira: The Church.
A. Commendation:
for five virtues.
1. Love.
2. Faith.
3. Service.
4. Patient endurance.
5. Latter works exceed the first; they grew.
B. Reprimand: Allowed
wicked woman (called
Symbolically
Jezebel) to convince them that immoral
conduct
was alright.
1. Background is probably tied to the guilds.
a. To work, you had to belong to a guild.
b. To belong to a guild, you had to participate
in their social
and religious activities.
c. These events very often ended in immoral and
unGodly acts!
2. This woman had said it is okay
to do this to keep your jobs, just so you do not do it otherwise! (The lesson
here: It is not okay to cheat or do anything against your faith because your
boss or anyone else tells you to.)
3. Again, this church is
compromising their faith to get ahead financially!
C. Exhortation:
1. To those who had followed Jezebel, repent of
Their
wicked ways and divided loyalties.
2. To those who had not, hold fast to their
convictions.
D. Promise:
1. Power over nations; symbolic of the strength
to
stand up at all
costs and win out.
2. Morning Star.
a. Interpretation is questionable.
b. Could possibly symbolize the glory to come
to
those who stay true to Christ.
III. Thyatira's message to Forsyth.
A. The
church and sinful ways of the world must never
mix.
1. Matt. 6:24 "nobody
can serve two masters."
2. We must never let the sinful practices of the
world rub off
on us.
a. Lying.
b. Deceitful business.
c. Prejudice.
d. exclusiveness.
e. promiscuity
(to name a few)
3. Again, this is about our individual choices
to
justify sin in our own lives for self gain! It
isn’t about trying to make others conform to what
we think!
B. The
Church must preach the gospel of grace, repentance
of sin, and
extend God’s love to all people.
1. The world needs to know that God will forgive
their sin
however immoral it is!
2. This is the message we need to share as seen
in
John 3:16.
“For God so loved the world,
that he gave
his only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth
in him should not perish, but
have everlasting
life.”
C. We must realize the power available if we
stay true to
Christ.
1. As an individual Christian.
a. to grow.
b. to overcome temptation.
c. to deal with life's difficulties.
2. As a church.
a. to teach those who we reach and to keep
them.
b. to bring those on the outside to Christ!
c. to share the love of God in a world that
very
much needs to experience it.
d. We are not alone!
Conclusion:
A. Think
about the choices we have made and make each day.
B.
Is there anything that has come between us and
God? Do
we choose God in our everyday choices?
C.
Do we need to ask God to help us with our
choices
today: to help us to choose God above everything else?
D. Let's do that as we encounter Christ at the
table this
morning!
Prayer of Confession
Service of Communion
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