The church’s true success lies not in its size or influence, but in its faithfulness to Jesus.
Sermon Title: THYATIRA: THE TOLERANT CHURCH
Sermon Text: REVELATIONS 2:18-29 (NIV)
Sermon Series: LETTERS TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES
By: PTR NESTOR SY
Sermon Notes:
REVELATIONS 2:18-29 NIV
18 To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.
19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.
20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.
21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.
22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways.
23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.
24 Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets (I will not impose any other burden on you):
25 Only hold on to what you have until I come.
26 To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations--
27 ‘He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery’ -- just as I have received authority from my Father.
28 I will also give him the morning star. 29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
The world promotes tolerance, the Christian persists in truth.
“Tolerance is respect, acceptance and appreciation of the rich diversity of our world’s cultures, our forms of expression and ways of being human.”
UNESCO’s 1995 Declaration of
Principles on Tolerance
JESUS COMMENDS THEIR PROGRESS
JESUS CALLS OUT THEIR TOLERANCE
The Jezebels of our day would rationalize away the truth such that they would compromise their convictions.
What have you been rationalizing?
mislead | Greek: planaó
“go astray, get off-course; deviate from the correct path (circuit, course), roam into error.”
tolerate | Greek: aphiémi
“to send away, leave alone, permit.”
REVELATIONS 2:21-23 NIV
21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.
22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways.
23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.
While it is true that the kindness of God is meant to lead us to repentance, it is also true that God’s patience has a limit.
Tolerance is not necessarily wrong; tolerance that compromises truth is.
JESUS COMFORTS THE FAITHFUL SAINTS
The church’s true success lies not in its size or influence, but in its faithfulness to Jesus.
MATTHEW 11:28-30 NIV
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
“Tolerance is the virtue of those who believe in nothing.”
G.K. Chesterton
Tolerance says, “You must approve of what I do.”
Love responds, “I must do something harder: I will love you, even when your behavior offends me.”
Tolerance says, “You must agree with me.”
Love responds, “I must do something harder: I will tell you the truth, because I am convinced ‘the truth will set you free.’”
Tolerance says, “You must allow me to have my way.”
Love responds, “I must do something harder: I will plead with you to follow the right way, because I believe you are worth the risk.”