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Revelation 2:18-29 “Repent from immorality”

Intro… ”REPENT”, “Hell, fire and brimstone”, “Southern Baptists”

Knowing when to repent keeps us from falling into the trap of immorality.

Sexual sins and repentance are “preachy stuff…”

Text: Revelation 2:18-29

Big Pic: We need to run from anything that seduces us away from Jesus.

Thyatria:

A politically and culturally marginalized city.

It had economic strength in metals and fabric.

These guilds or organizations celebrated their patron deities with the occasional festival.

Consequently, Christians may have been tempted with the message of a “prophetess” (Jezebel) who promoted illicit sex and food sacrificed to idols.

v. 19 What they were doing right:

Love, faith, service, perseverance.

Those are timeless qualities that all churches should have.

What is something from the bible that is still relevant today? Here’s a great example.

I know it’s hard at times…Swami’s lady

v. 20 What they were doing wrong:

Tolerate that woman “Jezebel.”

Remember last week when I said that tolerance was one of the words we need to be cautious of in the church today?

They were having the same problem in Thyatira.

This “Jezebel” woman represented all that was wrong.

“She’s a Jezebel” (jezebel.com “gossip, culture, fashion, and sex for the contemporary woman”)

This self-proclaimed prophetess endorsed idolatry and immorality.

She closely resembled Jezebel of Tyre who married Israel’s King Ahab and violently imposed Baal-worship. (1 Kings 16--)

This “Jezebel” was leading people astray in the church of Thyatria.

She also symbolizes the prostitute Babylon who seduces through pleasure and luxury and ruthless violence (Rev. 17:3-6).

She is a symbol for all seductions that pull us away from Jesus.

Basically the church lacked discernment and tolerated heresy.

Now, as bad as all that sounds, what’s important to remember about our faith is that God always gives us a chance to repent.

At any moment we can stop our sinful behavior and get right with God.

And when we do that, Jesus welcomes us with open arms.

v. 21 Jesus gives her time to repent, but she refuses.

Oh, and that is our story so many times too.

If you’ve spent any time in the Christian faith, you most often know what is right and wrong.

Repentance is so vital to our continued growth and fellowship with God.

Today is communion Sunday, great timing…

There are consequences for not repenting and getting right with God.

Jeremiah 10:24

In the text today, the consequences are dire: “throw her onto a sickbed…those involved with her will be thrown into great tribulation…strike her children dead. “

And don’t think for a minute that God couldn’t do that to me or you today because of our lack of repentance.

v. 23 When we experience God’s wrath, it’s a reminder that he searches and knows our minds and hearts and that we’ll pay for our misdeeds.

The fear of the Lord. Proverbs 9:10, Psalm 112:1.

v. 24 So that’s a fair warning to all of us. God’s wrath can be avoided.

Don’t hold to any false teaching or be seduced into immorality.

We need to avoid the “deep things of Satan” so-o true…

“Deceptive promises of secret spiritual knowledge through false religions.”

Playing around with immorality starts off innocent enough and before you know it, you are in deep, way over your head, drowning in sin.

v. 25 Hold fast to what we know is true. Cling to the truth, it’s our life line.

Holding on to the Bible

When we are content with the gospel, we have nothing to fear.

v. 26 What’s the reward for those who hold fast and are not seduced by the “Jezebels” of today?

We will be conquers (defeating temptation).

We will have God-given authority over the nations, ruling them with an iron rod.

We’ll also receive the Morning Star (Jesus) .

V. 29 If we are wise we’ll listen up.

Application:

What if Jesus wrote a letter to the church in Encinitas?

Would he consider us faithful?

What would we get scolded for?

What keeps us from getting seduced away from Jesus is holding fast to the truth, the word of God.

Old School Bible pic