Thyatira is a church with a lot going on. It’s a reminder that Jesus is at work in all things, using all the things that happen in our lives to prepare us for our ministry in the future.
Thyatira was the smallest town of the seven to receive a letter, but the letter itself is the longest – a reminder that the size of a church is not the highest priority of Jesus. It was the hometown of Lydia, and was known for its purple dyes, in which she was a dealer.
The church receives the longest list of accolades of any of the churches. Like the church of Thyatira, we should always be seeking to grow in love and faith. Everything we do, in fact, should be helping us grow in faith and love.
Jesus goes on to say that their growth in these areas resulted in higher, better works than this that came before. Can we say the same? Are we further ahead now than we were then? In the last year, we have had many opportunities to love and trust more. What have we done with them? Are we growing as believers? What about us as a church?
If the letter had ended here, it would have been great. But there is more.
If the church in Thyatira was around today, it would fit in well. Toleration is a key virtue now, and the combination of good works on one hand and the toleration of sexual sin on the other would make them look very good in the eyes of many today.
Jezebel was not the real name of this woman, but a reference to the historical figure who led the northern kingdom of Israel astray, ending in its destruction.
The issues described here come directly from the decision made by the early Church, described in Acts, to make circumcision optional, but to require that gentile believers avoid meat sacrificed to idols and sexual immorality. Jezebel was directly opposing this instruction.
The situation was that many of the trade guilds would hold official banquets involving sacrifices to pagan gods, eating the meat sacrificed, and often then becoming an orgy. These were cultural, economic and social events, and it seems like this Jezebel may have taught that, because of grace, we are covered and can participate in these activities of the culture around us, even if they are sinful.
Jesus clearly has a different, supreme perspective. And the warning that he gives makes it clear that we will be held accountable for how we live. The specifics of the judgment are not necessarily clear, though it seems to center around illness, but either way, it seems clear that we would rather be in the group Jesus encourages.
Those who did not buy into this statement are called to continue standing firm, but with no additional pressure or instructions.
And if they do, he promises that this small group within a small group will have “authority over the nations”. The specifics of this are hazy, but the upshot is that we will somehow be involved with Jesus’ ultimate kingdom. Everything this church was going through was preparing them for what Jesus has for them in the future. The same is true for us, both in the cosmic, eternal sense and in the practical, day-to-day sense. Everything we do is preparing us for what comes next.
One of the problems the Christian church has gotten into is that we fail to really about what comes next. As an old Puritan sermon says, “a believer’s last day is his best day.”
Something else we can learn from Thyatira is the nature of church conflicts. There are some issues, clearly, that are foundational and where toleration is not appropriate. Discerning these issues from the much more common, secondary issues that divide churches is vital.
The key takeaway is that all the struggles that we go through, all the conflicts, all the difficulties, as well as all the victories and successes, are preparing us for something much, much greater. “Only hold fast what you have until I come.”
– Sermon Notes, Mahlon Friesen, Seed Church, Lynnwood, WA, June 23, 2019