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Series Code: BOL
Program Code: BOL000670S
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00:01 (Breath of Life Theme Music)
00:06 Sermon #B670 - Thyatira: The Adulterous Church 00:20 I want to invite you to take your bibles and turn with me to the book of Revelation. 00:24 and we're going to Revelation Chapter 2, and we're going to begin reading at verse 18. 00:29 Revelation chapter 2 and we're going to begin reading at verse number 18. 00:34 and we're going to read all the way through to the end of the chapter at verse number 29 00:38 I am going to read from the King James version of the Bible. 00:41 You may have another version that you are reading from and that is fine. 00:44 I will read from the King James version, Revelation Chapter two 00:48 and we are going to begin at verse number 18. 00:52 The word of God says, "And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira. 00:57 These things saith the Son of God who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire 01:05 and his feet are like fine brass."; verse number 19, Jesus says, 01:11 "I know thy works and charity meaning love and service and faith 01:17 and thy patience and thy works". Jesus says, "And the last to be more than the first"; 01:25 verse number 20, "Notwithstanding, I have a few such things against thee 01:28 because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel which calleth herself a 01:35 prophetess to teach and to seduce thy servants to commit fornication 01:40 and to eat the things sacrificed unto idols." 01:43 Verse 21, "And I gave her space to repent of her fornication and she repented not; 01:51 Behold, I will cast her into a bed 01:54 and them that commit adultery with her into Great Tribulation, 01:59 except they repent of their deeds and I will kill her children with death 02:06 and all the churches shall know that I am He which searcheth the reins 02:11 and the hearts and I will give unto every one of you according to your works; 02:17 But unto you I say and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this Doctrine 02:23 and which have not known the depths of Satan as they speak. 02:28 I will put upon you none other burden that which you have already hold fast 02:35 till I come and he that overcometh and keepeth My works unto the end to him, 02:41 will I give power over the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; 02:44 as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers; 02:48 even as I received of My Father and I will give him the morning star. 02:56 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit saith unto the churches; 03:07 Today our focus is on the fourth Church, Thyatira, the adulterous Church. 03:18 We are praying Father bless us now, speak for your servant heareth. 03:22 Oh God, we have had a wonderful worship already to you in prayer, in song, 03:28 in giving but Lord we need to hear from you right now. 03:31 So speak, as we share in this the fourth church, the adulterous church, Thyatira. 03:38 God when the appeal time comes, I pray that you would move, 03:41 move not just in this church, but move over the airwaves, 03:46 move over the Internet waves, 03:48 move over the television waves that thy people might make a decision for thee. 03:54 Forgive me my sins in the name of Jesus, we pray, Amen and Amen. 04:03 We have now come to the fourth of the seven churches. Thyatira, the adulterous church. 04:12 Remember, the first church was Ephesus. It was the working church. 04:18 The people were hard working for the Lord, but they had lost their first love 04:25 and you cannot labor without love. The second church was Smyrna. 04:32 Smyrna was the faithful church. And they were faithful at Smyrna even unto death. 04:41 The third church was Pergamus. It was the compromising church 04:47 because although it had failed fast the faith of Jesus. 04:50 It had let paganism, idolatry and immorality enter its ranks, 04:57 compromising the principles of what thus saith the Lord. 05:04 And now we come to Thyatira, the fourth church and we call it the adulterous church. 05:11 Jesus begins his letter to the church at Thyatira 05:15 describing Himself as one who has eyes like flames of fire and feet like brass. 05:23 After giving the description of his eyes and his feet, 05:27 Jesus now speaks the same forewords and that he declares to all of the seven churches. 05:34 He says, "I know thy works. I know thy works.", 05:41 which remind us that not only does Jesus know all about us, 05:44 but Jesus knows about each individual church. 05:48 He says, "I know thy works, thy love, thy service, thy faith and thy patience. 05:56 I know thy works and I know also that you are doing more now than you were doing before. 06:04 " Now, it is clear from this statement; "I know thy works". 06:08 It is clear from this statement that the Thyatira Christians possess love. 06:14 He says charity meaning love. I know you have charity. I know you have love. 06:18 They were in love with the Lord, in love with one another 06:23 and in love with their neighbors. Jesus said, "I know thy love", 06:29 but Jesus does not stop there. 06:31 Jesus also commends them for their service. 06:35 Service is the rent we pay for the space we occupy in the world. 06:40 Jesus says, "I know thy service", so the people at Thyatira, 06:47 they followed the words of the psalmist in Psalm 100. 06:51 They served the Lord with gladness because you cannot serve the Lord with sadness, 06:58 after all God has done for you, you cannot serve the Lord mad. 07:04 Are you hearing what I am saying? You cannot serve the Lord with an attitude. 07:08 You have got to serve the Lord with a smile. 07:12 What good does it do to say Amen, sing, shout, clap your hands and you are angry? 07:19 Rocks in your jaws? Cannot speak, cannot smile, have an attitude, just mean. 07:28 Jesus told the Thyatira Christians, "I know your service because you are serving 07:33 with gladness." but next Jesus commends their faith. 07:38 They were growing in their faith in the Lord 07:40 and the power of the Holy Ghost which enabled them to face the many daily trials 07:44 they encountered in their business pressures and social contacts. 07:49 Jesus then commends them for their patient and obedience. 07:52 This endurance came from their faith that God was in control and Hallelujah, 07:57 that one day God was coming back very soon. 08:00 So Jesus then says, "I see your consistent improvement in things. 08:06 You are getting better.". They showed growth. 08:09 The church at Ephesus was losing its first love. 08:13 Oftentimes as time goes by, we lose our passion for serving God, 08:19 but the church at Thyatira was getting better and better and better. 08:26 Christianity is not supposed to be stagnant. It is supposed to be vibrant. 08:30 It is supposed to be exciting. 08:32 Christianity is supposed to get better and better every day. 08:37 With Jesus it is supposed to be sweeter than the day before. 08:40 It is supposed to be about growth. We have to move forward. We have to progress. 08:46 I should not be the same person I was a year ago, but I have got to grow. 08:51 The church has got to grow. Too many churches have a lot of motion but no movements. 08:58 Still doing the same things they were doing twenty years ago. 09:01 When you do the same things in the same way, you better expect the same results. 09:06 We have got to grow. We have to move. At Thyatira love was not their problem. 09:14 Service was not their problem. Faith was not their problem. 09:19 Endurance was not their problem. That sounds to me like an ideal church. 09:25 So what was wrong with Thyatira? 09:29 Why was the church at Thyatira the most corrupt church? 09:34 Why did Jesus have to describe himself as having eyes of fire and feet like brass? 09:43 Well, verse 20 tells us why. Their problem at Thyatira was they were tolerating sin 09:53 and the catalyst for this sin was a woman Jesus names Jezebel. 10:01 Self-proclaimed prophetess who by her teachings was leading the church into a sexual 10:08 immorality and eating food that had been sacrificed to idols. 10:14 Out of all the good they were doing at Thyatira, 10:18 there was one person corrupting-- one person the entire church in Thyatira 10:26 and the people were letting it happen. Sometimes however one person is all it takes. 10:33 I wish I had time to spend on that. One person and this one person is Jezebel. 10:43 It is called Jezebel. Now, I do not think Jezebel was this actual woman's name. 10:49 Jezebel was not a Greek or Latin name, 10:51 but a Hebrew name and I do not believe there was any religious Hebrew family who would 10:56 have named their child Jezebel. 10:58 This would be like a modern-day person naming their child Judas. 11:01 No person in their right mind would name their child Judas. 11:05 I do not think anybody would name their child Jezebel 11:08 because the name Jezebel was not associated with good things. 11:12 So then, when Jesus in the text uses the name Jezebel, 11:16 everybody knew the type of person he meant when he used this name. 11:23 The name Jezebel is a reference to the Jezebel in first Kings Chapter 16 through 21 11:28 and second Kings chapter 9. Jezebel you will remember was King Ahab's wife. 11:35 She was the daughter of a pagan priest, Ethbaal, a worshipper of Baal. 11:42 When Ahab married Jezebel and brought her to Israel, 11:48 Jezebel brought her religion with her. Jezebel built a temple for Baal 11:56 and promoted Baal worship. There were temple prostitutes. 12:02 Male and female prostitutes associated with Baal worship. 12:08 Jezebel turned Israel's hearts from God through her idolatry and her immorality. 12:15 She killed all the prophets of the Lord that she can lay her hands on. 12:20 Now, Jezebel does not just have a problem with those who wanted to worship God, 12:25 but her problem was with God and His monopoly. So, what does she do? 12:31 She sets up temples and altars to Baal side by side with the altars of God, 12:38 so many of those who worshipped at the altar of God in Israel also worshipped 12:43 at the altar of Baal. 12:46 So then people were in love with God and they were also in love with Baal. 12:53 They were torn between two lovers. 12:56 When you are torn between two lovers, you are committing adultery. 13:03 No man can serve two masters. Either he will love the one or he will hate the other. 13:12 Jezebel compromised and polluted the people in the Old Testament forcing them to commit 13:20 physical and spiritual adultery. What Jezebel in the Old Testament did, 13:27 is exactly what Jezebel in Revelation two was doing to the church at Thyatira. 13:34 The church at Thyatira had a wonderful spirit. 13:39 It had great vision for reaching people in the world around them, 13:42 but they had begun to tolerate and encourage this Jezebel who thought that you could 13:49 serve God, but you could also do things contrary to God's purpose. 13:54 She thought that it was all right for Christians to engage in sexual immorality 13:59 and in idolatry. She said, "Yes, you can worship God but you can also fornicate 14:05 and eat things sacrificed to idols.". 14:09 Whoever this woman was, she called herself a prophetess, 14:15 which meant she claimed to speak for God. But friends of mine, 14:19 she was not speaking for God. She was a servant of satan; bringing lies, 14:26 deceit and heresy into God's church. In her false teachings, 14:33 she taught the church to compromise in areas of Holiness 14:37 and sin and it is to this letter, to the church of Thyatira that we find a word for 14:43 us today. Be careful friends of mine because there are these self-proclaimed prophets 14:51 and self-proclaimed prophetess c laiming to speak for God 14:57 but many of them are just like Jezebel teaching lies of satan. 15:03 " This woman, this prophetess, this Jezebel, 15:08 this individual in Thyatira was leading people to commit adultery 15:12 and to eat food sacrificed to idols. Both were clearly condemned by the Bible. 15:21 The law says. "Thou shalt have no other Gods before me." 15:24 The law says, "Thou shalt not commit adultery", 15:28 and when sin entered the church at Thyatira, they did not deal with it. 15:34 They did not address it but what did they do? They tolerated it. 15:38 They permitted physical and spiritual adultery. 15:41 They permitted sacrifices to idols but know this, God holds the church responsible. 15:51 He says to the church, "You tolerate that woman, Jezebel. 15:57 The problem was not that there was a Jezebel in Thyatira 16:01 because every city has a Jezebel." I wish I had time. 16:05 The problem friends was that the church at Thyatira was allowing itself to be 16:11 influenced and led by this false teacher. 16:16 This is a problem that the church today has to face just like it had to face 16:21 back in the day. Be careful of the Jezebels, but not only be careful of the Jezebels, 16:30 be careful of the Jezebel spirit. 16:35 Great ministries, great churches have been destroyed by Jezebel spirits. 16:44 It is a spirit of falsehood. It is a spirit of lies. It is a spirit of false teaching. 16:53 It is a spirit of fornication. It is a spirit of adultery. 16:59 The plan of Jezebel is not to attack one person but through one person, 17:05 attack an entire nation or family. 17:08 it is not just Jezebel. 17:10 It is not just a Jezebel spirit, but it is also a Jezebel system. 17:17 What am I talking about? This Jezebel of Revelation Chapter 2 was a pretender, remember? 17:24 She called herself a prophetess but whoever she was, whatever her name was, 17:33 she was a person of commanding influence. 17:37 Yes, she was like her prototype in the Old Testament. 17:41 But yes, she also typifies a system. A system that is the papel church, 17:50 the apostate church, the Roman Catholic church, the mother church. 17:55 Now, before I go any further do not misunderstand me. 17:59 I am not dogging out or disparaging Roman Catholics. 18:03 There are many Roman Catholics who are Christians and who are good people. 18:08 But today, I am talking about a Jezebel system. 18:11 I am talking about the Roman Catholic system and when the system, 18:16 the Roman Catholic church system set up its claim that the teachings of the church 18:23 were superior to the word of God, it assumed the role of a prophetess. 18:27 The role of Jezebel making God's teachings with man's teachings, 18:33 mixing them together and promoting falsehoods. 18:37 You see, the Roman Catholic Church, the system sees itself as the mother church. 18:43 It sees itself as the extension of the New Testament Church. 18:48 A gentleman by the name of Martin Luther comes along and he says, "Wait a minute, 18:54 this is not right. You cannot put the teachings of the church over what thus saith 18:59 the Lord". Martin Luther says, "Wait a minute, this is not right. 19:04 Why do I have to pay money to receive forgiveness from sin? 19:09 I already have received forgiveness from sin when Jesus Christ, the solid rock, 19:15 went to Calvary to die for my sins. Jesus already paid it all. 19:21 All to him, I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain but he washed it white as snow. 19:26 I do not have to pay indulgences to receive forgiveness from sin. 19:30 Jesus already paid it all!" and so Martin Luther begins protesting against the mother 19:37 church, the Jezebel system, the Roman Catholic system and in the year 1517, 19:43 he nails ninety-five theses or ninety-five statements protesting against the 19:50 abuses of the mother church, the Roman Catholic church, this system. 19:54 He says, "What you are saying is not rooted in the word of God. 19:58 You cannot put the church above the word of God." 20:02 He said that, "Just shall live by faith". 20:05 There was a protestant reformation. Protestant coming from the term protesting 20:10 and so you have churches protesting against the Roman Catholic church, 20:15 the mother church, the Jezebel system and so now, we have the Catholic church 20:19 and now we have the Protestant church 20:22 because the Protestant church is protesting against the mother church. 20:28 They break away from the mother church. They break away from the system. 20:33 In Bible prophecy, you need to understand that a woman, when we read Revelation, 20:37 when we read Daniel, we read these prophetic books, 20:41 we recognize that a woman represents a church. 20:45 When we read Revelation Chapter 17, go there with me. 20:49 You go to Revelation Chapter 17 verse number 1, the word of God says, 20:52 "And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials 20:56 and talked with me saying unto me, come hither 20:58 and I was so unto thee the judgment of the great whore, that sitteth upon many waters". 21:02 Waters represents people. So this whore, this woman, 21:06 this church sits on top of many people with whom the Kings verse two, "Of the nations, 21:12 have the Earth, have committed fornication and in they happen into the Earth; 21:16 have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication." 21:19 So in other words this church, this woman, this bad church 21:23 because she was called a whore is sitting on many people. 21:26 She has made many people, she has made many nations drunk with her wine. 21:31 Her wine is her teachings. She has made them drunk by her teachings. 21:35 "So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness 21:38 and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, 21:41 having seven heads and ten horns." verse 4, "And the woman was arrayed in purple 21:46 and scarlet color and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls; 21:50 having a cup, golden cup in her hand full of abominations 21:54 and the filthiness of her fornications." 21:57 "Upon her forehead and verse 5, was a name written; 21:59 Mystery Babylon The Great, the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth.". 22:04 The mother, a woman, the mother church, the Roman Catholic church, 22:12 this system put its teachings above the word of God. It made people drink its wine. 22:20 The wine of the mother. The wine is symbolic of her teachings. 22:25 What are some of the teachings that she made people drink from? 22:29 She made people drink of the teaching of Sunday sacredness. 22:33 You can read the Bible from cover to cover, nowhere in the word of God does it say, 22:37 "The first day of the week is the Sabbath.". 22:40 The Bible is clear, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it Holy", 22:44 but Mama made her children drink her wine, drink her teachings and the Bible says, 22:50 "They are now drunk", and when you are drunk, you cannot walk straight. 22:53 When you are drunk, you cannot think straight. 22:56 When you are drunk, you cannot talk straight 22:59 and so now when this man of God stands in this pulpit 23:03 and preaches what thus saith the Lord puts the Bible above tradition, 23:07 puts the Bible above any church's teachings. It looks like I am crazy, 23:12 but I am not crazy. I am not drunk. I have not drunk any of Mama's wine. 23:18 " Oh, praise God for the faithful. There were some in Thyatira who were not immoral. 23:24 There were some who held true to the teachings of God. 23:28 There were some who were not swayed away by false teachings. 23:32 Jesus says it in the text, he says, "I will not put any other burdens on you, 23:38 but this is what I need you to do. I need you to hold fast. 23:41 I need you to hold on because it would not be long. Do not give up. 23:47 Do not give in but hang on in there because if you hold on, I will make you a conqueror. 23:53 If you hold on, I will make you an overcomer. 23:56 If you hold on until the end, I will give you two things. 24:00 Number one, I will give you authority over the nations and you will reign with me. 24:05 Number two not only that, I will also give you the morning star which is Jesus himself." 24:12 Revelation 22:16 makes it clear that Jesus is the bright and the morning star. 24:18 He is the roots and the descendants of David. 24:23 Jesus is promising us that he is going to give us Himself. 24:29 Oh, that is good news right there. 24:31 The bright and the morning star so you can gain the world, but give me Jesus, 24:38 give me the bright and the morning star. That is just one name Revelation gives him. 24:44 In fact, that is the final name Revelation gives him in 22:16. 24:49 I need you to know that in the Book of Revelation, 24:52 there are thirty-five other names given to Jesus 24:55 before he is given the name "Bright and Morning Star". 24:59 Revelation 1 says he is Jesus Christ. Revelation 1 says he is the faithful witness, 25:05 that he is the first begotten of the dead. 25:08 Revelation 1 says he is the prince of the Kings and of the earth that he is Alpha. 25:13 He is Omega. He is the first, He is the last. 25:16 He is the son of man, He that liveth was dead. 25:19 But then in Revelation Chapter 2 says that, "He is the one who holds the Seven Stars. 25:25 He is the one who walks among the golden candlesticks. 25:28 He is the one who has a sharp sword with two edges. He is the son of God. 25:33 He searches the reins and hearts." Revelation 3 says, "He is the seven spirits of God. 25:39 He has the Seven Stars. He is the Holy and true One. He has the Key of David. 25:46 He opens and no man shuts. He shuts and no man can open. He is the Amen. 25:53 He is the faithful and the true witness. He is the beginning of the creation of God", 25:58 but it does not stop there, Revelation 4 says, "He is Lord." 26:02 Revelation 5 says, "He is the lion of the tribe of Judah. He is the root of David. 26:07 He is the Lamb that has been slain", but then it says it again, "He is the lamb.". 26:12 Revelation 17 says, "He is Lord of lords. He is King of kings". 26:17 Revelation 19 says, "He is faithful and true. He is the rider of the White Horse. 26:22 He is the word of God.". Revelation 20 says, "He is Christ.". 26:25 Revelation 22 says, "He is Lord God of the Holy prophets. 26:29 He is the beginning and he is the end. 26:31 He is the bright and the morning star" and Oh, I want to see him; look upon his face, 26:37 there to sing forever of His saving grace on the streets of Glory. 26:41 I plan to lift my voice, cares all pass, home at last, 26:46 ever to rejoice when we all get to heaven. 26:50 What a day of rejoicing that is going to be when we all see Jesus, 26:54 we will sing and shout the victory; Christ returning. Hallelujah, hallelujah. 27:00 Oh, man today I refuse to tolerate Jezebel. I refuse to tolerate Jezebel spirits. 27:10 I refuse to tolerate a Jezebel system. 27:15 I refuse to commit physical or spiritual adultery. 27:19 Today I choose to hold fast, that I might be an overcomer. 27:28 Thank you very much for tuning in to this week's Breath of Life broadcast. 27:32 We hope and pray that you've been blessed by Dr. Byrd's inspirational message. 27:36 If you would like to hear this sermon in its entirety, 27:39 please feel free to visit us at www.breathoflife.tv. 27:45 Or, call us at (256) 929-6460. 27:53 [End] 27:57 GONE BOOK PROMO 27:58 Dr. Byrd: Pain, loss, trama, 28:07 in life we experience these things. 28:10 My wife and I have a story, 28:13 we have a testimony of how we lost 28:17 our first born daughter in a horrific car accident. 28:24 We have this new sharing book, its en-titled “Gone.” 28:29 And, in it I want to share with you 28:33 how God has helped me, 28:35 how God has helped my wife, how God has helped us, 28:40 as we had to endure the fact that our first born daughter is gone. 28:49 www.breathoflife.tv |
Revised 2020-06-04