Greg Laurie - The Problem with Compromise (03/04/2018)
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Pastor Greg Laurie warns the church about the dangers of compromise with sin, using the letters to Pergamos and Thyatira in Revelation 2. He shows how tolerating immorality and false teaching leads to spiritual downfall, but Jesus calls for repentance and promises blessing to those who overcome, urging believers to live holy lives as Christ's return draws near.
The Danger of Compromise in the Church
Father, we're so glad to be here. And as we've just sung, there's no place that we'd rather be than here with Your people, worshiping You and opening Your Word and hearing from You. So we commit this time of Bible study to You right now. And Lord, we want to commit Harvest America to You. Lord, again, just praying for a great outpouring of Your Holy Spirit as the gospel goes out, not just there in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, but all around the United States and even around the world. May You be honored and glorified. And may many believe in Jesus. We commit that to You. We commit ourselves to You and this evening to You. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
All right. You can all be seated. Well, good evening, everybody. Sorry I was gone last Thursday and Sunday. But hey, when it's your 42nd anniversary, you've got to get out of town, right? So we had a great time together. And we're glad to be back. And, you know, everything is sort of on countdown to Harvest America. As you can imagine, all systems are go. We're getting great feedback from the area. And it's looking like it's going to be a great event. And we're already above our number last year for people that are participating as a host site—well over 1,500 churches at this point. And then another 1,500 other groups that will be hosting it from front rooms to gatherings. And this is an exciting thing. And of course, we're going to have the event here on March 6th at the church. You'll be able to watch the whole thing on the big screen here as it is actually happening. So it's going to be a great time.
Looking Ahead to Harvest America and Special Events
But I'm still looking for people to come to Dallas with me. Now let me ask, are any of you coming to Texas with me? Raise your hand. All right. Hey, that's quite a few of you. Fantastic. Thank you for that. I'd like to ask the rest of you to keep praying about it because I need counselors. I'm not saying just come to Texas to hang out. I'm saying come to Texas to work for God and to help me follow up on new believers so I could really use your help. And plane fares are very affordable right now. I heard the other day a round trip you can get to Dallas for $178. I mean, come on. That's an affordable plane fare. And we can help hook you up with hotels or you can work that out on your own, whatever you like to do. But we'll train you and get you ready. But if you want to know more, go to the Connect table out there near the surfboards after the service is over with.
Listen, next Thursday is going to be a very special night. We're going to have a very special guest speaker. James McDonald is going to be here at Harvest OC. Now, James is heard on the radio broadcast that he has Monday through Friday. He's on KKLA. He's on K-Wave as well. And plus, he pastors a church in Chicago called the Harvest Bible Chapel. I think James is one of the best preachers in the country today. He's also a good friend of mine. We have a lot of fun when we're together. But this guy really can preach. He's gifted by God.
The Book of Revelation: Unveiling Christ and the Church
So James will be here. And if that wasn't enough, we're going to have special musical guests next Thursday night. The Katinas will be here as well. So that's going to be a great night. I'll be here too for that evening. And I'm just sort of getting ready. I'm doing a lot of interviews. A lot of preparation for the crusade. And then the following Sunday, not this coming Sunday, but the following Sunday, James will speak. And I'll be speaking at a church there in Dallas called Gateway Church. One of the largest—I think it is the largest church in the state. And then all week after that, I'm doing interviews and all kinds of programs and different things. I'm speaking at a couple of Christian colleges, kind of rallying the troops out there in Texas. So that's what I'll be doing.
But tonight we're in the book of Revelation. So grab your Bibles. Hang a hard right. Go all the way to the end. Stop just short of the table of contents and you're there. Last book of the New Testament. The book of Revelation. Not Revelations, as many like to call it. Revelation. And the title of my message is The Problem with Compromise.
I heard a story about a hunter who went out bear hunting. So he had his high-powered rifle. And he found an unsuspecting bear. He picked his rifle up. He cocked it. He took careful aim. Was just getting ready to squeeze the trigger. When the bear turned around to him. And in a soft, soothing voice said, "Isn't it better to talk than to shoot?" This is a true story, by the way. And then the bear went on to say, "Tell me, to the hunter, What is it you want?" The hunter said, "Well, I want a fur coat. Because I'm cold." Bear said, "Ah, you know what I want? I want a full stomach. Maybe we can negotiate and reach some kind of compromise." So the hunter left his rifle leaning against a tree. And he disappeared into the forest with the bear. Some time elapsed. And the bear emerged from the forest alone. Apparently the negotiations have been successful. The hunter got his fur coat. And the bear got his full stomach. That's how compromise works. Especially when you compromise with the devil. You're always going to lose.
Why Revelation Reveals Jesus, the Future, and Us
Now we're looking at the book of Revelation together. And usually when we think of this book, we think of words like Antichrist, Armageddon, of course, the Tribulation period, the Rapture, and much more. And that's all here in the book of Revelation. And I'm reminding you again that the word Revelation means the unveiling, the uncovering, the revealing. It is not God's desire to conceal, but to reveal. But what is Revelation unveiling? Well, for starters, it's revealing Jesus Christ. It's the revelation of Jesus Christ. We see the Lord risen, sovereign, and in control of all things that are to come. And that's very reassuring. In this chaotic world we're living in today, where there seems to be no rhyme or reason to what is happening, God says, "I'm in control." And when you read the book of Revelation, you see that in great detail.
But that's not all that Revelation reveals. It also reveals the future, of course. Things that are yet to come. But the book of Revelation also reveals us to us. Let me explain. In the first chapters of Revelation, we have the message of Christ to the seven different churches, starting with the church of Ephesus, ending with the church of Laodicea. Basically, Jesus is speaking to His church. You know, when God sees a nation in trouble, He always starts with His people. We all know 2 Chronicles 7:14, where God said to Israel, "If My people, which are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked way, then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land."
And in the same way, when we look at America, and we're in a political cycle, and so many people say they have the plan, they have the solution, we know ultimately the only way America is gonna turn around is not through a political solution, though there is a place for politics. But ultimately, it has to be a spiritual solution, and that means America needs to turn back to God. So Jesus addresses His words to the church. Before He talks to the world and all that's gonna happen, He has a few things He wants to say to His church.
Jesus Loves His Church—We Should Too
So listen to this. Jesus Christ is really into the church. And if you believe in Him, you should be into the church too. Not just in it, but into it. Like, I am passionate about the church. Some people say, "Oh, I'm so over the church." You know what? I'm so over people who are over the church. In fact, I'm over people saying they're over things. I kind of hate that expression. "I'm so..." oh, shut up. Don't say that. Please, just don't. But you can't be over the church because Jesus is in love with the church. And we are a part of the church.
You know, some people say, "Well, we need to re-envision the church for today. Or redefine the church for culture around us." No, I don't think we need to re-envision the church. I think we need to re-discover the church. We don't have to re-define what God has already defined. In fact, in the first century, the book of Acts, we're looking at the church that changed the world. Sometimes I wonder if the church is changing, or if the world is changing the church today more than the church is changing the world.
This is the church, first century, that turned the world upside down. They didn't have technology. Thomas did not tweet. Peter did not have a Facebook page. Paul did not Instagram. There were no selfies. There was no television. There was no radio. But in short order, they changed the world. And that's because they were dependent on the Holy Spirit.
From Persecution to Infiltration: Satan's Changing Tactics
Now, we're looking at the words of Christ to the seven churches. We've already looked at two. Ephesus and Smyrna. Ephesus, in chapter 2, verses 1-7, is the church leaving its first love. This basically is the church that was one generation removed from the first church. The church of the apostles themselves. So John was still around. He was sort of the last of the lot of the hand-picked disciples of Christ. And we have that church that is already beginning to relax its grip a little bit. They're leaving their first love. They're trading their passion for just passivity. And their worship is being replaced by works. Their inspiration is being replaced by perspiration. And Jesus says, "Hey guys, I have this issue with you. You're leaving your first love." And to them, He says, "Remember from where you've fallen, repent and do the first works quickly." So, the three R's of getting right with God: remember, repent, and repeat.
Then we looked at the church of Smyrna. Remember, that's a suffering church. There was a time in the history of the church, early on, when there were waves of persecution coming from the Roman Empire against the followers of Jesus Christ. Thousands and thousands of Christians died for their faith. And instead of weakening the church, it actually strengthened the church. The persecution, initially led by Saul of Tarsus, who was later to be converted and become the great apostle Paul, was spread out. And in a way, it was a good thing. Because if persecution did not come, they might have just had a little holy huddle and kept it all to themselves in Jerusalem. But because Saul was chasing them down, they went everywhere. And wherever they went, the gospel went with them. So, the church was spreading out.
But here's what we learned from history. The church, when it's persecuted, gets stronger, not weaker. And so, God will use persecution for His own purposes. Well, the devil's sizing this up. And he's realizing that he can't destroy the church through persecution. So, now, as we come to these next two churches, we see the devil changing his tactics. He's not going to attack them now from the outside. He is now going to infiltrate. Listen, the devil is no fool. And he operates by the adage, "If you can't beat him, join him." So, the enemy comes in through imitation.
Pergamos: Holding Fast Yet Tolerating False Teaching
You know, Jesus told a parable. We call it the parable of the wheat and the tares. And it's the story of a farmer who planted wheat. And in the evening, he had a neighbor who hated him and wanted him to fail. And that neighbor planted a darnel seed, identified in the Bible as a tare. But it's a darnel seed that next to the wheat. So, when the darnel seed begins to break ground, it looks just like wheat. But then a little bit later, it actually uproots the wheat. And it's really a form of a weed. And so, we find the neighbor coming in, sowing tares among the wheat. So, the idea is the devil comes in through infiltration.
And even in this church right now, it's very possible, even probable, that there are people here that you think are Christians. You know, they have the lingo down. They have a fine looking Bible. They just seem like a wonderful Christian person. But they're putting on an act. And if you're that person, you know who you are. In fact, stand up if you would. No, but it happens. And that's what we see happening here in the church of Pergamos and Thyatira. The two churches we're going to look at, we see how these imitations are in the church. And compromise takes place. And the fake is next to the genuine.
You know, when you see an imitation, you know that there's a real genuine article there somewhere. I heard a story about a guy who bought his wife a beautiful diamond ring for Christmas. And his buddy said, "Wow, that's a very expensive gift. He said, By the way, I thought your wife wanted one of those really cool 4x4 vehicles. Why didn't you get her one of those?" And the guy said, "Where am I going to find a fake Jeep?" You know, so... So there's a fake next to the genuine, right? So what we want to make sure of is that we're not a fake Christian. It's not our job to find out if somebody else is not a genuine believer. We want to ask the question, "Am I a genuine believer?"
So here we come now to Revelation 2, starting in verse 12. "To the angel of the church in Pergamos write, These things saith He who has the sharp two-edged sword. I know your works where you dwell, where Satan's throne is." You might underline that. We'll come back to it. "And you hold fast to My name, and you did not deny My faith, even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you, because you have those there who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which things I hate. Repent," Jesus says, "or else I will come to you quickly, and fight against them with the sword of My mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna to eat, and I will give to him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written, which no one knows except him who receives it." We'll stop there.
Pergamum's Wicked Surroundings and Satan's Presence
Now the church of Pergamos was located in Pergamum, which at this time was the capital of Asia. It was built on a rocky hill, and there you could see the Mediterranean on a clear day. Pergamum was a cultural center, famous for its library, which was said to have 200,000 rolls of parchment. Now needless to say, in these days the printing press had not been invented yet, so every book, every scroll was hand-lettered. So this is really significant. In fact, so impressive was Pergamum's library that Mark Antony later sent it as a gift to Cleopatra. It also contained one of the wonders of the ancient world, which was the altar of Zeus, which was the largest and most famous altar of all. It was shaped like a giant throne. And other gods were worshipped in Pergamos as well, gods like Dionysus and Esculapius, known as the Savior God.
In fact, Esculapius, or Esculapius, I hope I'm pronouncing that right. I need Don Stewart here right now, was regarded as the God of healing. In fact, people would come to the temple of this particular god, it was depicted as a snake, and they literally had non-poisonous snakes slithering about, and if you needed a healing, you would lie down on the ground and hope that one of those snakes would crawl over you, and it was believed that if that happened, you would receive healing from this god, sort of like a scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark or something. So if you didn't like snakes, this is a bad place to be. But this was also a place where Caesar was worshipped. They built the first temple for Caesar worship here in Pergamum, and it was erected for Caesar Augustus. So needless to say, this was one wicked place, and that's why Jesus says this in verse 13, this is the place where Satan dwells.
Now we need to remind you that the devil is a real spirit being. He's powerful. He has no rival among humanity. The only one greater than the devil is God himself, and perhaps an angel or two, like Michael or Gabriel. But he's a high-ranking angel being. He's not the equal of God. He's not omnipresent like God is. The devil can only be in one place at one time, and for some reason, the devil hung his hat, or maybe his horns, and his pitchfork. Of course, you know he doesn't have horns and a pitchfork, but I'm just illustrating. He hung his hat. He hung out in Pergamum. This was a place where he dwelt, and that is cited a couple of times in this passage.
Compromise Through the Doctrines of Balaam and Nicolaitans
You know, it's clear the devil has to hang out somewhere, and he chose this particular place. So, we don't know why he chose this place, but we know he did. Now, maybe you're in a dark place right now spiritually. Maybe you're a part of a family that is largely hostile to the gospel. Maybe you're the only Christian in your whole family, and it's caused a bit of conflict in those family gatherings where everybody used to have such a great time getting drunk and telling dirty jokes and carrying on, and now you had to go and get converted and actually have the audacity to suggest you say grace before the meal. You're just raining on their parade. But what you're doing is being a light in a dark place, and it's a hard thing for you.
Or maybe you're in a workplace where you're the only Christian. Or maybe you're in a classroom where you're the only follower of Jesus, and the teacher or the professor makes fun of you and your beliefs in front of the class. Or maybe you're living in a city renowned for wickedness. Well, know this. Jesus is fully aware of the challenges and the pressures and the temptations that you face. Look at verse 13. He says, "I know where you dwell." So here's what he's saying. "I know it's hard where you guys are. I get that. I'm aware of that. And I'm with you." And I want to commend you that despite the fact that you're living in this hellhole, so to speak, your faith is intact. Despite the death of one of them, they held fast to their faith.
Look at verse 13. "You hold fast to My name. You did not deny My faith. Even the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr who was killed among you where Satan dwells." Antipas was one of the Christians and he was killed. Now, another Christian was killed who was a part of the church of Smyrna, believed to be the pastor over it. His name was Polycarp. Polycarp was burned at the stake because he would not say, "Caesar is Lord." And now here's Antipas, one of the believers. And this church was also put to death because he would not say, "Caesar is Lord." See, at this point, the emperors regarded themselves as gods. And you had to say, "Caesar is God." And Christians in good conscience, understandably, and rightly so, could not and would not make that statement. And so it is noted that this happened in this particular place.
You see, words matter. You know, when we're in a court of law and maybe a forgiving testimony, we'll maybe put our hand on a Bible, or we used to at least. And we say, "I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth. So help me, God," that's taking your oath. Or on your wedding day, you stand in front of a pastor and family and friends, and you say to your husband or wife-to-be, "I, John, take you [name] to be my lawfully wedded wife to have and to hold," and on it goes. And this is a vow or a commitment. We understand that words matter when we say, "I will."
The Subtle Slide into Compromise and Its Consequences
But there were problems developing in this church that had stood for their faith, problems that were seeping in, compromise that was taking place, verse 15, "you have those that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans." Now look, there's some debate among scholars as to what this means exactly. But to the best of my understanding, let me give you my particular interpretation. It would seem that contextually and historically, the problem with this church is many in it were starting to live a compromised life. Many believe that the Nicolaitans were connected to Nicholas, who was one of the seven chosen to be a Deacon in the early church along with Stephen. Apparently, Nicholas fell away and founded a movement that spread false teaching. And this teaching was you could still be a Christian and offer sacrifices in the pagan temple. You could still be a Christian and live a life of immorality. So the followers of Nicholas came to be known as the Nicolaitans.
So basically, the Nicolaitans were people who believed that you could pretty much do whatever you want and still identify as a Christian. Now here is the question. Are there any Nicolaitans alive today? Well, yes there are. They may not call themselves that, but they are living in this way. People that will say, "Well I am saved and God has forgiven me and why do I have to live under all these rules and regulations?" And they take the grace of God and use it as a license to sin.
You have to be very careful. It is true when you sin, if you repent of your sin, God will forgive you. There is a difference between that and the person who says, "I am going to go and sin and then I am going to sin a little more and then even a little bit more and I know God will forgive me." Now this is a problem because you are developing a pattern of sin. And Romans 6:1 says, "Shall we go on sinning that God's grace may increase" or literally go down the drain? "By no means, we who have died to sin, how can we live in it any longer?"
This sin of compromise has probably brought down more Christians than any other. Nobody falls away all at once. As I have said to you before, you don't call up your good Christian friends and say, "Hey dude, want to backslide this weekend?" There might be some moron who does that. But generally it is just, you know, backing off just a little. You know, when you came to Christ, you turned your back on the party scene, you turned your back on drugs, you turned your back on pornography, you turned your back on drinking and all that stuff and you got committed to Christ, you were involved in church but now some time has passed and maybe you are sort of, you know, dropping down some of those guards and saying, "Well maybe I can still do some of those things."
Some people will say, "Hey come on man, you know, lighten up. Don't be so legalistic. What's wrong with a Christian having a few drinks? Why can't we experiment a little bit sexually? What harm will a little immorality cause?" Well, answer a lot. Because small things always turn into big things. Right? Bunnies turn into rabbits. Bunnies are so cute, aren't they? Little chicks turn into chickens. And kittens turn into cats. So what was cute when it was small is not so cute necessarily when it's larger. And little sin so called—I don't think you could call anything a little sin but a little sin or what you think is not that bad of a sin will ultimately turn into a bigger sin. And perhaps even worse.
This is the problem with the small snakes. You know sometimes people might see a small rattler and they'll say oh look at this cute little snake and they'll pick it up and hold it and it's a little rattle and give me a little kissy you know you could bite you. The little rattler bit me. Yeah. The little rattler still has venom. You better be careful you might underestimate what that can do. So we'll sort of be toying with sin thinking I can handle this and then one thing turns into another thing and that's the way compromise works. And I've seen it happen far too many times. When people were so passionate about their faith in Christ and suddenly other things started crowding Him out. It wasn't all at once it was gradual but it was sure and they went in the wrong direction.
Lessons from Balaam: Tolerating Evil Brings Judgment
I read a story about a massive redwood tree that had actually been around for 400 years and it towered above all the other trees in the forest and one day without explanation it came crashing to the ground with a tremendous thud and so experts were called in they're trying to figure out why this tree fell. A lumberjack didn't bring it down. A bolt of lightning didn't do it. A severe storm did not fell it. In fact it had survived all those things and more. So what caused the tree to suddenly collapse? And so upon closer examination they found out why the old tree had died. They looked into the trunk and found out that beetles had eaten their way into the tree. And all the beetles and we're just going to eat our way into the tree. No not those beetles. That was a beetle imitation by the way. I'm talking like a beetle right now. I'm a little puddling you know. No. The little insects ate their way through the fibers of the tree and eventually brought it down. And that's how people often fall. We'll see a Christian standing so strong and all of a sudden boom! They hit the ground. What happened? Probably small compromises taking place over a period of time. That's why you've got to nip these things in the bud.
See here's the problem. We may be resisting the devil in one area and setting up house with him in another. We may have all these areas of our lives secure and right with God but this one little area over here I have some compromise. Sorry to make you the compromise section but you just look no you don't. You look fantastic but the fact is you know that one little area that well I'm not going to be as careful here and that will be the area that you will surely fall in.
Notice also in verse 14 he mentions the doctrine of Balaam. Now we read a statement like that and often are clueless as to what it means but it's very important. Balaam's name actually pops up quite a few times in the Bible. The doctrine or philosophy of Balaam is mentioned by Peter by Jude and now by Jesus himself. So we certainly want to know what the doctrine of Balaam is and Balaam is also mentioned in this passage. So let's go back to the Old Testament and our mind for a moment and remember the story of Balak and Balaam.
There was a wicked king named Balak and he hated the Israelites and he wanted to curse them so he looked for a prophet and he found one for hire named Balaam. I don't even know where you find such a thing. Did he Google them? What? You know? And it seems like Balaam the prophet he's identified that way could have spelled prophet P-R-O-F-I-T because he seemed to be more of a prophet for hire. So Balak hired Balaam and said, "I want you to curse Israel for me." Balaam said, "Absolutely." So he got on his donkey and he was on his way to go and bring a curse on Israel after God told him specifically not to. Excuse me.
So as he's riding his donkey, you know the story. If you don't, this is a fun one. The donkey suddenly stops without any explanation. Now what Balaam did not see was there was an angel of the Lord standing in front of the donkey with a sword drawn. The donkey saw the angel. Balaam did not. So Balaam is frustrated. He's trying to get the donkey to move. So he starts hitting the donkey and the donkey will still not move. They go a little bit further. Now they are in a narrow little area where there is a wall. Again the donkey sees the angel and stops and is kind of shoving Balaam up against the wall and now Balaam is mad and starts hitting the donkey with a stick and the Bible says the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey and the donkey said to Balaam, "Why are you beating me?"
Now that is amazing. An animal talked. Well what is even more amazing is Balaam starts talking to the donkey. He could say whoa the donkey just talked what? And he says well because you won't do what I am telling you to do and then the donkey says haven't I always been a good donkey? Balaam says yeah you got it but look here is the problem meanwhile the angel is probably thinking what a moron. Can you believe this guy? Then the angel makes himself visible and says basically paraphrasing donkey had more sense than you it is a good thing he stopped trying to tell you don't go and curse Israel but Balaam wanted to do it anyway so he came up with a plan he said look Balak I really want to do what you want me to do and I certainly want that money but I will tell you what I can't go curse Israel like you want me to so I have an idea why don't you get your really hot Moabite women to go and entice those Israeli boys And get those girls to go and ask the boys to go into the tents. And then they will have sex with them. But before they will, these Israeli boys have to bow down before your false God. And if they do that, God will judge them.
And sure enough, that plan worked. And many of the Israeli young men fell for this. And God judged Israel. But this was the sin of Balaam. So the sin of Pergamum, just as the sin of Balaam, was the toleration of evil. It's the idea that, you know, you want it all. I want to be a Christian. I want my sins forgiven. I want to go to heaven when I die. But I want to live like hell in the meantime. I still want to party. And this is not an autobiographical statement. I'm just sort of quoting what people might say. I still want to get drunk. I still want to commit immorality. I'll lie when necessary. I'll get revenge if I need to. I'll rip people off if I choose to. I'll do whatever I want. But I want to know that I'm standing right with God. So I need a way to justify it. That is the doctrine of Balaam. Similar to the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. The idea is, I want to have my cake and I want to eat it too. By the way, I've never understood that statement. Because I've had cake and eaten it. But you know what it means. You can't have it all.
And so the problem here is where we try to compromise and live this life. That's the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. That is the teaching of Balaam. And here's what Jesus says. Verse 16. "Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and fight against them with the sword of My mouth. He that has an ear to hear, what the Spirit is saying." Jesus says, listen, I'm not down with that. I will not allow that. You cannot live that way if you're My child.
Promises to the Overcomer: Hidden Manna and White Stone
Then He offers a special promise to the person who avoids a compromised life. Verse 17. "To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written, which no one knows except him who receives it." That's a fascinating verse, isn't it? What is the hidden manna? Well, we can only guess, but I think we can remember that God fed the Israelites with manna in the wilderness. It was called the food of angels. It would be waiting outside of their tent door every morning when they woke up, and it was this wonderful provision from the Lord. But Jesus says, "I'll give you the hidden manna." It was sort of like bread, but something probably like we've never known before.
It actually comes from the Hebrew Crispo Cremo. There is no Hebrew Crispo Cremo. Sorry. I think you know where I was going with that one. Krispy Kreme, right, in case you don't know. But I don't know about you, but the one thing I have a very hard time resisting is hot bread. You know, desserts, I like desserts. But, you know, if I say no to a dessert, it's not that hard for me. You bring hot bread, and if there's butter nearby, hot bread. I love hot bread, right? So Jesus is saying, listen, I'll give you the hidden manna. What is that? When John 6:35, talking about manna and bread, Jesus said, "I am the bread of life." So here's what I think Jesus is saying. If you overcome, if you don't live this compromised life, I will give Myself to you. I will be that manna, the hidden manna, and satisfy your deepest needs.
He also offers a white stone. Now, it's interesting to note that in the athletic games of the day, a small white stone was handed to the athletes, which was a ticket or pass to enter the feast or celebration after the competition. The white stone or the golden ticket would get them in. And in the same way, God says, "I'll give you the white stone. I'll give you the golden ticket to paradise." The golden ticket of the white stone to heaven.
Years ago, when we were having one of our crusades, my granddaughter, Stella, who was very young at the time, saw me preaching there on that big screen. And she calls me Papa. And at one point, I was using the illustration of having your ticket to get into heaven. And I was saying, "Do you have your ticket?" And Stella had a little program, and she held it up and yelled out, "I've got my ticket, Papa!" Of course, it wasn't a flyer. It's Christ living inside of you. So He says, if you overcome this, I'll give you the hidden manna. I'll give you the golden ticket, if you will, the white stone.
Thyatira: From Subtle Compromise to Full Tolerance of Sin
Now, the next church that is mentioned is Thyatira. This follows very closely the thought of the letter to Pergamum. What subtle compromise had begun there was a full-blown tolerance of sin here. This letter shows what depths of sin compromise will bring about. It starts with a little, and it turns into a lot. Watch out that bearer of compromise will have you for lunch.
So let's read some more verses. Revelation 2, verse 18. "And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire. His feet are like fine brass. And I know your works, your love, your service, your faith, and your patience. And as for your works, the last are more than the first." Underline that. We'll come back to it.
"Nevertheless," Jesus says, "I have a few things against you. Because you allow that woman, Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. Indeed, I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works."
"Now I have this to say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden. So hold fast what you have until I come, and he who overcomes and keeps My works until the end, to him I'll give power over the nations. He'll rule them with a rod of iron, and they'll be dashed to pieces like the Potter's vessels, as I have received from My Father. And I will give him the morning star. He that has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches."
This is a phrase that is repeated many times by Jesus. "He that has an ear to hear, let him listen." Put it into the vernacular. Listen up. Pay attention to what I'm saying. Give your attention with intention.
Commendation and Warning: Growth Yet Dangerous Tolerance
Notice in verse 19, before He corrects them, Jesus commends them. Hey, you got some things going. He says, "I know your works. I know your love. I know your service. And I know your faith. And as for your works, the last are more than the first." One thing that's very impressive about the church of Thyatira was their growth. Their last works are more than their first. Could that be said of you? Are your best days as a Christian behind you? Or are you experiencing them right now?
Listen. Every Christian should be constantly learning, and growing, and changing. And when you stop learning, and growing, and changing, that is when you're going to start going backwards. Paul wrote to the church of Thessalonica, and he said in 2 Thessalonians 1:3, "Because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing." So this is something that should be true of all of us, and this church is commended for that.
It's interesting to contrast the church of Ephesus and Thyatira. The church of Ephesus was weak in its love, yet faithful to judge false teaching. They were discerning. Jesus said to them, "I know you try those who say they are apostles and are not, but I have this against you. You're leaving your first love." But yet in the church of Thyatira, they were growing in their love. Listen. They were growing in their love, but they were too tolerant of false teaching and immorality.
We must avoid both extremes. You know, you can be biblically correct, but be unloving and harsh, and that is wrong. And that was the problem with the Pharisees. You know, they dotted their I's and they crossed their T's, and they had it all down perfectly, but they were just mean and condescending and judgmental and condemning. And Jesus compared them to whitewashed tombstones. He said, "You look good on the outside, but inside you're dead." We don't want to be like that.
But here's the other extreme now, where you can be, quote, loving, end quote, and, quote, caring, end quote, but unbiblical and accepting and tolerant of that which God is intolerant. You know, tolerance is the watchword of the day. We're told, be tolerant. Be tolerant. I actually believe that Christians are the most tolerant people I've ever met, true Christians. And by tolerant, I mean, look, we have our beliefs, but if somebody is not living according to what we believe are biblical standards, we don't want to silence them or hurt them or destroy them. In fact, what we want to do is reach them. We want to convince them and we want to lead them to Christ, right? So we're tolerant. We'll coexist with people who have different ideas than we have and we'll be loving toward them still.
But what the culture today wants is not tolerance. What they want from us is acceptance. And even more than acceptance, they want us to endorse their sin. So they're saying, no, you must say what I'm doing is okay. In fact, you need to say it's good. We say, no, I can't say that. It is sin according to Scripture. So I'm tolerant. I'll coexist with it, but it's not the right way to live. But sometimes even tolerance is wrong. There are certain things that God is intolerant of.
Jezebel in Thyatira: A Picture of Tolerated Wickedness
I know we're told, you know, be loving. Don't judge, man. Don't judge me, man. You know, I've told you before, the non-believer's favorite verse is, "Judge not, lest you be judged." They have no idea what it means, but they love to quote it, to any Christian who dares to offer a criticism of the lifestyle that they've chosen. But here's the way I look at it. I must speak the truth in love. There's a time where I have to say things to people they may not like. If I saw somebody walking toward the edge of a cliff and I knew if they continue to walk, is it okay for me to say, well, I don't want to judge. And, you know, I don't, just go ahead. Well, they're going to die. Yeah, but I don't want to judge. Well, okay, they're going to die. Maybe you need to warn them. So we do that as well.
So we have to be very careful because now this tolerance of sin in the church is producing something far worse. A malignant cancer, spiritually, is growing in the verse 20. "Nevertheless, I have a few things against you because you allow that woman, Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols." Now we know in the Old Testament there was Queen Jezebel who was married to King Ahab. They were very wicked people. And Queen Jezebel was someone who brought great harm to the people that lived under her rules. She supported the false prophets. She killed true prophets and true followers of the living God and God ultimately judged her.
By the way, when you're looking for names for your children, I think it's great when you go to the Bible and find biblical names. But please understand not every name in the Bible is a good name for a child. Don't name your boy Judas Iscariot. I know it's biblical but it's not a good name. Don't name your boy Ahab. Don't name him Pilate. Don't name him Nimrod. Do not name him the Pharaoh or Satan or Lucifer. And don't name your girls. I know there's gonna be someone with this name that's gonna take offense but dare I say it. Don't name your girls Jezebel. This is little Jezebel. No, don't call her Jezebel. Because Jezebel is a name that is synonymous with evil.
Now, this particular Jezebel I'm citing here was ultimately judged. In fact, she was fed to the dogs. But in the book of Revelation, another Jezebel is being spoken of. Now, is this an actual woman that was in the congregation named Jezebel? Or is he just using the name as sort of a picture of wickedness? I'm not really sure what the answer would be. But it's clear that the sin here was the toleration of evil inside of the church.
Christ's Piercing Eyes and Call to Holiness
And so Jesus is saying, look, I know what's going on there. Look at verse 18. "To the angel of the church of Thyatira, these things sayeth the Son of God who has eyes like a flame of fire and feet like fine brass." Whenever we read of the Lord having feet like brass and eyes like fire, that is picturing the Lord coming to us in judgment, in holy judgment. So the Lord is coming in this way to this church.
And imagine what it must have been like 2,000 years ago to have been one of the disciples of Jesus and to look into the eyes of the baby Jesus or the boy Jesus and certainly the man Jesus and realize, I'm looking into the eyes of God. This is God in human form walking among us. I wonder if sometimes when Jesus was sleeping, They'd wake up and all the disciples are just standing there looking at Him. And He says, that's actually God. God is right there. God. And He was God. We read that He would look at people and sometimes it's translated He would look right through them. When He called Matthew, we read Jesus looked at Matthew, also known as Levi, and said, "Follow Me." And that phrase, look at Him, could be translated look right through Him.
Have you ever had someone look right through you? Let me restate the question. Do you have a mother? Maybe you're out a little bit late. You got in? "Come here. I want to talk to you." You walk up. Yes. Yes, Mom. "Look into my eyes." Oh, no. Don't make me do that. Imagine looking into the eyes of Jesus. Here's what Jesus is saying. I'm looking at this church with eyes aflame. Nothing is hidden from Me. I know what you're doing. And He is saying, I am intolerant of this sin.
Listen, as a follower of Christ, you cannot live in two worlds. Here's what Galatians 5:19 says. "When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce those evil results, sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure. And let me tell you again, as I've told you before, anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the kingdom of God."
Now, look, I'm not saying that a Christian can't stumble and fall, because they can and they do. Nor am I saying a Christian will not sin because they will. You will. I will. In fact, the Bible even says if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. Having said that, there's a difference between a Christian wanting to follow the Lord and stumbling and repenting, and a Christian, so-called, who lives in a pattern of sin, who continues to sin and thinks they can live a life like that with no consequences.
Here's what God says. I already read it to you. If you do these things continuously, you will not inherit the kingdom of God. Jesus now gives a stern warning to those who live immorally. Look at verse 22. "Indeed, I'll cast her into a sickbed and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds."
There is coming a time to planet earth known as the great tribulation period. It lasts for seven years. The last part of the great tribulation, the last three and a half years, will be a time of God's judgment coming upon the earth. The tribulation period is inaugurated by the emergence of the antichrist and it ends with the second coming of Jesus Christ. And during this time of the great tribulation, evil is going to intensify and the devil is going to have his final heyday, if you will. This is a time that I believe a true Christian will not have to enter into unless they become a Christian during the tribulation. But if you put your faith in Christ, I believe that you will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air in the rapture before the great tribulation begins.
But having said that, look at this warning of Christ. Let's not miss this. He says, if you live this way, this compromised life, this immoral life, willfully, I'll cast you into the great tribulation unless you repent of your deeds. In Luke chapter 12, Jesus spoke of the wicked servant who says, "My master is delaying his coming" and he begins to beat his servants partying and getting drunk and Jesus says, when the master will return, this person will be cut off.
So again, as I said in the beginning, Revelation tells us about us. It reveals what is happening deep inside. We do not want to ignore what it says. The reason God tells us about the future is so we will know how to live in the present. Let me repeat that again. The reason God tells us about the future is so we will know how to live in the present. So as we learn about these things that are coming, it should cause us to want to live godly lives because we realize how close we are potentially to these events happening before our very eyes.
Living Holy as We Await Christ's Return
The blessing of Revelation that we talked about in the first message, the blessing that is promised to the person who opens this book up is threefold. Blessed is the person who reads, hears, and keeps the words of this book. First you have to read it. We have done that. And by the way, that word read means to read out loud. Sometimes it is good to read your Bible out loud because sometimes your mind wanders, doesn't it, when you are reading Scripture. So first you read it out loud, then you hear it. Jesus would often say, "He that has ears to hear, let him hear." It is not enough to just read it. No, hear it. Not just with your mind, with your heart. Like, I get this. I am processing it. And then lastly, and most importantly, keep it. Do what it says.
This is not just an academic study of eschatology. This is not just a book where we find out about the order of prophetic events. This is a book that tells us that. But most importantly, it tells us about Jesus and how to be close to Jesus. So the question I should be asking is not how much can I get away with and still technically be a Christian, but instead I should be asking because I am a Christian and because Christ has done so much for me, how can I live so I will bring honor and glory to His name until He comes back again.
You know, when a person comes to me and says, "Can you be a Christian and still fill in blank here?" I have heard so many of these questions. And to me, you are already on a slippery slope. "Can I do this and still technically be a Christian?" Why ask that question? Instead ask, how can I stay close to the Lord? What can I do to get stronger in my faith so Jesus will see of me, as He said of this church, your later works are stronger than your first works.
See, a lot of times we start off with a bang and then we end with a whimper. No, start off with a bang and end with an explosion. Be faithful all the way to the end. That's why we are reminded by Jude in Jude 1:21. "Keep yourself safe in the love of God waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ." As we are waiting for the Lord to return we should live holy lives. That's what we are told in 2 Peter 3:10-11. It says, "The day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar. The elements will be destroyed by fire. And the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, listen, what kind of people ought you to be?" Here's the answer. "You ought to live holy and godly lives."
"So dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with Him." So how am I to live as I wait for Christ to return? There's the answer right there in 2 Peter 3. Make every effort to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with Him. Does that describe you right now? Is that how you're seeking to live? If not, it's time to get right with God.
I fear that there could be some people who think they're Christians who really are not. They're just really good fakers. They're posers. They're actors. They're very convincing performers. But they don't convince God. You know, you can fool all of the people some of the time. You can fool some of the people all of the time. But you can't fool God any of the time. The eyes of Jesus see, and He knows. And He's saying this, you know, stop living this way. Otherwise, you could be one of those ones who would be left to face this horrible time known as the Great Tribulation period.
You know, the only way you're going to be at peace with Him as that verse says is make peace with Him. The problem is some of us are still fighting with God or we're running from God. And what we need to do instead is trust in God and follow Him and come into a relationship with Him.
Invitation to Repentance and Commitment to Christ
I heard a story about a guy who was being pursued by an attorney and he knew he wanted to call him into court for something and subpoena him and so this guy evaded this lawyer. The lawyer chased him for years and years and the guy always was a few steps ahead of the attorney and he never had those papers served and one day the man grew very old and he was taken to a hospital and he only had days to live and who is wheeled up next to him is the attorney who's also very ill. The guy says, "Fine, give me the subpoena whatever it is you want to serve me with. I don't even care." The lawyer says, "Subpoena? I was trying to tell you that you were left five million dollars in someone's will." That's us running from God. Oh, God wants to, you know, make my life miserable. God wants to wreck my life. God doesn't want me to have any fun. No, God's just trying to tell you how much He loves you and how much He wants to bless you and you've been running from Him when you should be running to Him.
So as we close tonight there might be some of you that need to get right with God. Some of you that have been living a compromised life, you call yourself a Christian but yet you haven't been living as a follower of Jesus. You've been doing things you should not be doing and you know what those things are. And Jesus is saying, stop it and come back to Me and repent. He said it right there. You need to turn from that thing and say, "God, I'm sorry. Forgive me." And you need to make a recommitment to Him.
And there's others here who maybe have never heard any of this before. I know I've laid a lot of stuff on you tonight. But let me just simplify it now as we bring this message to an end. Here's a simple message. God loves you. And you're separated from God by your sin. But God loved you so much that He sent His Son to die on the cross 2,000 years ago for your sin. And He took all the judgment that should have come upon you upon Himself. And then He rose again from the dead. And Jesus, who died and rose, is now standing at the door of your life. And He is saying, "If you'll hear My voice and open the door, I will come in."
You see, He wants to come into your life and forgive you of your sin. He'll satisfy those deepest needs. I talked about how Jesus was like the hidden manna. You know, we can chase after all the things this world offers and we'll always come up empty. We'll always want more. Jesus will satisfy you. You won't need those things anymore. And in time, you won't even want them. But you must say, "Lord, I'm sorry for my sin. Come and forgive me now."
And if you haven't done that, do it tonight as we close in prayer. We're going to pray in a moment and I'm going to extend an invitation to any of you who do not yet have this relationship with God. To you that are not certain you'll go to heaven when you die. And also to you who have been living a compromised life. It's time to stop negotiating with the devil. It's time to commit your life to Christ because He's coming back very soon. Let's pray.
Father, we've heard Your Word. Now I pray that Your Holy Spirit will convict and convince anyone listening of their need for You and help them to come to You or come back to You whatever their need may be.
Now while our heads are bowed and our eyes are closed and we're praying together. How many of you would say tonight, Greg, I need Jesus Christ in my life. I want my sin forgiven. I want to know that when I die I will go to heaven. I want my guilt taken away. I want this purpose you've talked about. I want this relationship with God. I want to be ready for the Lord when He comes back again. Pray for me. I'm ready to say yes to Jesus Christ right now.
If that's your desire if you want Jesus to come into your life and forgive you of your sin if you want to go to heaven when you die wherever you're sitting would you just lift up your hand and let me pray for you wherever you are. Just lift up your hand saying I want Jesus Christ tonight. I'll pray for you. God bless you. Lift your hand up where I can see it please. God bless you. God bless you. Anybody else? Raise your hand up. I'll pray for you right now. God bless you. Anybody else? Wherever you are, just raise your hand up. God bless you. God bless you.
To not say yes to Jesus is to say no to Him. Is that what you want to say? Jesus said, you're for Me or against Me. Where are you? God bless you. Anybody else? If you haven't lifted your hand yet, lift it now. I'll pray for you. Lift it up high where I can see it, please. God bless you. Anybody else? God bless. While our heads are still bowed, maybe some of you would say, you know what? I've been living that compromised life. I know it's wrong. I haven't been doing right. I've been doing things I'm ashamed of. Things that are sinful. And I want to change. I want to turn from that life. And I want to completely recommit my life to Jesus.
If that's your desire, if you need to make that recommitment to Christ, raise your hand up right now. If God's spoken to you. Wherever you are, I'll pray for you. Raise your hand up. God bless. Anybody else? God bless you. God bless you. Anybody else? Raise your hand now. God bless each one of you.
Now I'm going to ask if you would, please, every one of you that has raised their hand, I want you to stand to your feet. And I'm going to lead you in a prayer of commitment or recommitment to Christ. Again, you that raised your hand, stand up. And I'm going to lead you in this prayer. That's right. Stand up. Others are standing. You won't be alone. God bless you guys. Understanding. That's right. Stand up. Don't be embarrassed. You're among family and friends here tonight. We love you. We're here to help you. This is the place to make this commitment. Anybody else? You raise your hand, even if you did not, but you want to make this commitment or recommitment to Christ. Stand to your feet. I'm going to lead you in a prayer. Others are standing. You won't be alone. Just stand up. God bless you. Anybody else? Stand now. I'll wait another moment. Stand now. You need to make this commitment to Christ or recommitment. Stand up. Let me lead you in a prayer. Anybody else?
All right. God bless you that are standing. As I pray this prayer, I want you guys to pray it right where you stand out loud after me. Again, as I pray, pray this out loud right where you're standing, okay? Pray this after me now.
Lord Jesus, I know that I've sinned, but You died on the cross for that sin. And paid the price for every one of those sins. I turn from my sin now. I repent of my sin. I'm sorry for my sin. And I ask You to forgive me. Thank You for loving me. Thank You for calling me. Thank You for accepting me. I choose to follow Jesus from this moment forward as Savior and Lord, as God and friend. Thank You, Jesus. In Your name I pray. Amen.