The main struggle in the Church of Thyatira seems to have been compromise between what they knew to be true - the Gospel and the teaching of God - a compromise between the truth and the pagan society they were living in. So, as we look at this message we want to have in our minds that theme is compromise with sin and God’s warning against it.

I once heard a story about a hunter who went out into the forest to shoot a bear. Winter was coming on and this hunter was thinking that he could make himself a nice warm bear fur coat. So, off he went into the forest and after a while he saw a large bear coming toward him and he raised his gun and took aim.

“Wait,” said the bear, “why do you want to shoot me?”

“Because I’m cold,”said the hunter.

“But I am hungry,” said the bear, “maybe we can reach some sort of compromise.”

In the end, the hunter was well “coated” within the bear’s fur and the bear had eaten his dinner.

Point being - we always lose when we try to compromise with sin. And in Thyatira they were compromising.

Revelation 2:18-29 - Jesus is speaking: “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first.”

Let’s pause there for a minute and consider the situation of this church. Compared to the other cities we’ve looked at, Thyatira - as a city - was really not that impressive. Religiously - in terms pagan gods - it wasn’t all that important. It had the usual assortment of pagans. Thyatira was well inland - so it wasn’t a seaport or major commercial center. Probably its one claim to fame was that it produced a purple dye that was pretty well known. The Apostle Paul’s first convert in Philippi, Greece, was a woman name Lydia - who was a seller of purple cloth from Thyatira.

What kept Thyatira going was its existence on a trade route. Its existence depended on trade. So the whole town was organized into various trade unions - it was union town. There was a wool workers union - a linen makers union local #405 - leather workers - bronze workers - pottery - baking - dying - slaving - whatever - they had a union for it. So that the whole town was organized and working together to take advantage of any commercial opportunity that might come along. And because of this system they were very prosperous.

Now, think with me about this. We couldn’t do business in Thyatira unless we belonged to a trade union - at least there was no way to prosper and move up the ladder. But, membership in these trade unions demanded a tremendous commitment - commitment to pagan rituals - to idolatry - pagan feasts - sexual orgies. So while there was no overt government or community persecution against Christians - the temptation to compromise was tremendous. Compromise and join the union or take your chances.

Here in this setting - the Church of Thyatira - was loving, faithful, service orientated, patiently enduring wrongs, and growing. But hear this: It is possible to be loving, faithful, serving, enduring, growing as a congregation - and as individuals - and still be fatally compromising with sin.

Verse 20 - Jesus goes on: “But I have this against you, that you tolerate - you’ve compromised with - the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and beguiling - leading away by deception - my servants to practice immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her immorality. Behold, I will throw her on a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her doings; and I will strike her children dead.”

Jesus is referring back to events that happened in the late 9th century B.C. - the account of the prophets Elijah and Elisha, and King Ahab and Queen Jezebel - which you can read for yourself in 1 Kings 16 - 2 Kings 9. (1 Kings 16:28 - 2 Kings 9:37)

King Ahab of Israel had married a Canaanite woman named Jezebel and brought her back to Samaria to be his queen. Jezebel was the daughter of a pagan priest name Ethbaal. Ethbaal - Jezebel’s father - had killed his own brother to become the King of Sidon, Lebanon. Jezebel was a priestess who worshipped the goddess Astarte - a fertility god - and she also worshipped Baal.

King Ahab brought his new wife to Samaria and she brought with her - her gods - their priests - and all their pagan practices. Jezebel - more than anyone else - was responsible for spreading the disease of Baal worship throughout Israel.

She appointed hundreds of false prophets to spread her pagan religion. She went around trying to kill the true prophets of God. She was personally involved in sexual immorality and witchcraft. She herself supported over 800 prophets of Baal who ate at her table. If there was a “Top Ten List of Evil Women in Israel” - Jezebel would be at the top of the list.

And King Ahab allowed himself to be seduced - he compromised with Jezebel. 1 Kings 21:25 says, “Surely there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the Lord, because Jezebel his wife incited him.”

So, here in Revelation 2 - Jezebel is symbolic of those who reject the one true God and who promote their own gods - and lead the followers of the one true God into immorality - paganism - and idolatry. Jesus says to the church of Thyatira - you’ve compromised with these people - you tolerate them and their activity in the church.

Verse 23 - Jesus speaking: “And all the churches shall know that I am He who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you as your works deserve.”

Back up in verse 18 - Jesus introduced Himself with the title “The Son of God.” - meaning that He is God - the Messiah - the Savior of Mankind - with all the authority and privilege that goes with His position. Verse 18 says that Jesus comes with eyes like a flame of fire - eyes of discernment - burning indignation - purifying fire. Jesus is described as having feet like burnished bronze to crush and trample out sin.

Jesus comes as the one with authority, discernment, and power to judge and deal with those who practice evil. Jesus says, “I know your works - I am searching your minds and hearts - I will give you what you deserve.”

Does it really matter if we compromise just a little bit on what we know to be true?

Those within the church of Thyatira - who were following the example of Jezebel - were teaching that is was all right to go along with the requirements of the trade unions - if they needed to submit to some of the pleasures of the city around them in order to make a living - God would understand that and overlook the sin.

We’ve got to be practical with our faith. To live in this society a person can’t be too dogmatic. A person has to learn how to bend - how to get along. We rationalize. We compromise.

Have you heard this today? “Business is business.” If our business practices conflict with our Christian principles - then we need to compromise - because you have to make a living.

We tell ourselves, “I don’t want to offend people by being too bold and outspoken about my faith” - and so we compromise on sharing the Gospel.

We say, “Let’s not offend our family members by placing a greater priority on our commitment to Jesus than family events” - and so we compromise our testimony.

“We need all the fancy expensive stuff we have because that’s the style of living God has blessed us with and He knows how He wants to use it.” But do we let Him use it? Is it all His? If He asked us to step down a few rungs economically - would we?

Which is more important to us - checking the Stock Market or reading the Bible? What do we do with our time? What do we watch? What do we listen to? Who is pre-eminent in our lives - God or the culture we live in?

These are tough questions to ask. Because, we all rationalize. We all compromise. Someone has said that compromise is simply changing the question to fit the answer. And, we’ve all done that. The point is that Jesus has told us not to compromise and no amount of rationalization will ever change that.

Sometimes we think we’re escaped the consequences of our sins and we’re tempted to ignore God’s warnings - to continue in our sins. But, Jesus says, I know where you live - I know how you live - and judgment is coming. This is serious.

In the Bible its impossible to miss God’s condemnation of those who compromise. At God’s command Elijah wiped out 450 of Jezebel’s prophets in one day at the brook of Kishon. Two sons of Jezebel died in pain and dishonor. The 70 remaining sons were killed by order of King Jehu - so that the entire line of Ahab was wiped out. Each son was beheaded and their heads were piled up outside the gate of the town of Jezreel.

Ahab died in disgrace. Jezebel was thrown off the city wall - trampled under foot - and eaten by dogs. When they went to bury her all they could find were here skull - her feet - and the palms of her hands. If people deliberately reject the Lord’s authority, He is no longer their God.

Verse 24: “But to the rest of you in Thyatira - those who haven’t compromised - who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan - who have not followed the teaching of Jezebel - to you I say, I do not lay upon you any other burden; only hold fast what you have, until I come.

Hold Fast! - in the Greek it means: “Hold on with great strength.” The Armenian "bahetzek" has the idea of holding on by protecting yourself - by defending yourself. We’re led into compromise when anything or anyone assumes greater authority in our lives than God. Jesus says, do those things that keep you under God’s authority - that keep you close to His teaching and wisdom and guidance and keep you living in obedience to Him.

Our holy God calls us to be holy in character and pure in living. The word holy in Hebrew is “Kadhosh” - meaning to be separate. God is holy - pure - without sin - majestic - awesome - separate from His creation. Our lives become holy when we come to Him for salvation - our lives are no longer our own - we are bought with the price of the blood of Jesus Christ - called to live holy - separate - lives without compromise.

In verse 26 Jesus gives us this promise: “He who conquers and who keeps my works until the end - to the one who doesn’t compromise - who hangs on - I will give him power over the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received power from My Father; and I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

This is a quote from the Second Psalm - which describes the reign of our Lord: “Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron, Thou shalt shatter them like earthenware.” (Psalm 2:9) Its a declaration of Jesus’ absolute authority over the nations - which is given to His disciples. The Bible tells us in several places that the Church will one day rule and reign with Christ. (1 Corinthians 6:2; Revelation 3:21; 20:6)

Jesus says that He will give to the Church the “Morning Star” - which is a description of Jesus Himself - the “Morning Star” - rising from the east - returning for His church. In other words, this is the rapture - the physical reunion of Christ with His Church.

Here’s the promise: Jesus will appear for His own - for those who belong to Him - who are true Christians - those who have been kept back from the evils of this world - and we - the Church - will rule and reign with Jesus forever.