Drew Boswell

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“Wake Up and Get to Work” Revelation 3:1-6

VII – Book of Revelation

A Sermon Series

“Wake Up and Get to Work”

Revelation 3:1-6

Introduction

Judges 16 is the story of Sampson and Delilah. He fell in love with her, and she was paid to figure out the source of his strength. He lied to her several times (bind me with seven fresh bowstrings, new ropes that have not been used, weave his hair in a particular way) and on an on she pushed Sampson to tell her, until v. 16 “And when she pressed him hard with her words day after day, and urged him, his soul was vexed to death.” He told her if his hair was cut, he would lose his strength. She cut his hair, and his enemies came in to capture him, v. 20 “I will go out as at other times and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him.”

Sampson was the same man, with the same name, he looked the same on the outside, but his power was gone. The result for Sampson was imprisonment, blindness, humiliation, and finally death. The church at Sardis was once spiritually alive and strong, but now blind and weak, not realizing that God had long since departed.[1]

 Prayer

 Jesus’ Judgement is True (vv. 1a)

“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.

The letter begins with a description of Jesus, and Him being the one who has/possesses, “the seven spirits of God and the seven stars,” The seven spirits are mentioned in Isaiah 11:2-5 “And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, 4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. 5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins.

The Isaiah passage discusses that Jesus is coming in judgement, and it will be His righteousness that He will use to make decisions. These seven spirits are around Jesus on the throne in heaven – it is a picture of Jesus who knows fully everything that is going on (unlike the church in Sardis that is asleep).

“the seven stars,” Revelation 1:20 “As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, . . ., the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, . . .”

Jesus Sees Things As They Really Are (vv. 1b)

“‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.

James 2:15-17 “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

William Barkley said about the church (1957), “Is in danger when it begins to worship its own past . . . when it is more concerned with forms than with life . . . when it loves systems more than it loves Jesus Christ . . . when it is more concerned with material than spiritual things.”

The Message of the Church should never change.

The Method of the Church has the change over time.

The Church that confuses the Message with the Method will eventually die.

“The church at Sardis was like a museum in which stuffed animals are exhibited in their natural habitats. Everything appears to be normal, but nothing is alive. Sin killed the Sardis church.”[2]

Whatever the deeds that the church was doing, it was enough to fool the world, because they had a reputation in the community for being “alive,” but when Jesus looked at what they were doing, he knew the truth, it was all false dead religion. When Jesus weighed their actions on His scales of righteousness, they fell short.

If we bring some clues from the text together, and a historical text we can put a theory together as to what their sin might have been – their refusal to confess Jesus’ name before others.

 Jesus Tells the Church What to Do – 5 Steps Toward Revival (vv. 2-3a)

2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent.

Jesus gives the few who are alive amongst the spiritually dead church five things to do: 1) Wake Up, quit pretending like everything was ok, the church needs to proclaim the name of Jesus.

He is not saying arise from the dead, for there are some vestiges of life. This letter is written to those that are still alive, barely. The church is not actually dead, but it is in grave peril. So they are commanded to 2) stabilize, to strengthen that which remains. God has a standard for the works that churches are to be about doing, and God says, “for I have not found your works complete.” The church in Sardis was established to reach the city of Sardis for Christ. It had work it was supposed to be about doing – but before the work was finished the church fell asleep.

What is the church supposed to be doing?

 In Ezekiel 34:4-5, 16 the leadership of God’s people (identified as shepherds) are criticized because they were not doing the work they were supposed to be doing, “The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. 5 So they were scattered, . . .” and then in v. 16 Jesus says that He will then go after them, “I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.” The work will be completed, we have to decide if we want to be apart of God’s plan, or not.

The church in Sardis is to 3) “Remember, then, what you received and heard,” – this word for received is “as a permanent deposit.” The church has been given something, that is permanent (it does not change) – The church has received the gospel and they have heard the gospel, and the church has a command to take that gospel out to a dying and lost world. Remember why Bellevue Baptist Church exists – to make disciples of Jesus Christ. Why did the church in Sardis exist? Sardis Baptist Church exists to make disciples of Jesus Christ. First Baptist Church of Ephesus exists to make disciples of Jesus Christ.

The church does not exist to make you comfortable.

The church exists to make hell worry about what the church is up to.

4) “Keep it,” – “hold on to what you have,” They needed to do what the Bible teaches. Knowing the Bible separated from obedience leads to destruction. Knowing the Bible combined with obedience leads to spiritual renewal. Do what you know the Bible teaches.

5) “and repent,” what is it that the church needs to repent of, to turn from immediately? What is their sin? They have forgotten that which has been deposited into their care – to proclaim Jesus, to share the gospel.

Often times we pray for revival in our church, or in our community, but Jesus has laid out, if we genuinely want revival in our day, then faithfully do what will bring life back into the church.

Jesus says, these five things will bring revival back to this church:

wake up, strengthen, remember, keep it, and repent.

Jesus Warns the Church of His Coming Judgement (v. 3b)

If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.

The city of Sardis stood high above a valley and the only way to attack the city was to scale steeps cliffs that were almost impossible to scale. So, leaders of the city became slack in their attention to defense. This overconfidence allowed the city to be captured twice in its’ history. “In 549 BC the Persian King Cyrus had ended the rule of Croesus by scaling the cliffs under the cover of darkness. In 214 BC the armies of Antiochus the Great (III) captured the city by the same method. The city at the time it received this letter was in fact in a period of decline as compared to its former glory, having been reduced by these invasions.”[3]

There was a proverb during that time that went something like, “to capture the acropolis of Sardis” with “to do the impossible.” They were so confident in their position that they left no one guarding the city. “It is said even a child could have defended the city from this kind of attack, but not so much as one observer had been appointed to watch the side that was believed to be inaccessible.”[4]

Jesus says that He is coming “As a thief,” As Jesus had already said (Matt. 24:43; Luke 12:39). As Paul has said (1 Thess. 5:2), as Peter had said (II Peter 3:10), as Jesus will say again (Rev. 16:15).” But Jesus is directly referring their city’s history of decline because and enemy attacked at night. Like the city of Sardis, the church is asleep – the danger is that it is all about to be over, unless they wake up.

Jesus’ Promise of Reward (v. 4-6)

4 Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 5 The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

“who have not soiled their garments,” – They have not done anything to defile or pollute – white clothing in the Bible is used to show a person’s standing before God. These are the people who faithfully proclaim Jesus, and stand with Him.

Jesus told a parable in Matthew 22:1-14 where he tells the story of a king who had a wedding feast, but the original guests rudely didn’t show, so the king ordered his servants to go and invite anyone who would come (good and the bad), and so the room was full, “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Over the years as part of sharing the gospel, I have asked people, “If God were to ask you, ‘why should I let you into heaven?’, what would you say?” and typically there are three answers, 1) “I’m a good person, I try to live right, I’ve never killed anyone, or they compare themselves to Hitler,” 2) they are speechless, because they know they have no, answer. They know they haven’t done anything as to why they should be let in. 3) I have asked Jesus to forgive me of my sin, I have accepted Jesus as my Savior, I believe in Jesus. The wedding garments in the parable represent a relationship with Christ – when you know Jesus, place your faith in Him – He gives you what you need to enter into heaven.

(v. 5) “I will never blot his name out of the book of life,” The book of life are those who confess and acknowledge Jesus.[5] Matthew 10:32-33 “So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”

“the (Jewish) synagogue excavated in Sardis is the largest that has been found in the ancient world. It was large enough to have held a thousand people. So, the letter to Sardis is silent about sexual immorality and idolatry, and there is not mention of these false teachers (like the Nicolaitans, or like Jezebel that led to Baal worship). But, there does seem to be the temptation to avoid confessing Jesus so that they would not be distinguished from Judaism. If they were not distinguished from Judaism, they would be exempt from mandatory participation in the Roman Imperial Cult.”[6]

According to Jewish tradition, when someone converted to Christianity, their Jewish community would often “blot out their name” from their records, essentially removing them from the community and symbolically erasing their presence due to the severe social stigma associated with conversion; this practice reflects the deep division between Judaism and Christianity, and the strong disapproval of conversion within Jewish communities.

To “Blot out the name” was to treat them as if they no longer existed within the Jewish social fabric. Conversion to Christianity was seen as a betrayal of Judaism, leading to severe social repercussions including shunning by family and community members.

So, the church is Sardis seem to have the appearance of being alive – they were not compromising to worshipping the Roman Emperors, but they were not confessing the name of Christ, and staying under the shadow of Judaism (which Jesus calls death.) They were a church that was playing it safe, and not confessing the name of Jesus. If there is a church that has decided not to confess Jesus, then it is dying.

(v. 5b) “I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels,” In spite of all our sin, and all our shortcomings, when we enter into eternity, He will know our names, and shout them before God the Father, and the angelic host. __________ (insert your name) is mine. He’s with me.

Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Philippians 2:9-10 “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

On one occasion Jesus gave a hard teaching, John 6:66-69 “After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

If you don’t confess the name of Jesus, then sinner who will save you? Who will give you eternal life? Who will shout your name when you enter into eternity? Who else will dress you in white? There is but one name by which you can be saved – Jesus. Do you know Him today? If you acknowledge him before men, God will acknowledge you in heaven. If you pretend not to know him in public, then like Sardis, you are dead.

___________________

[1] John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Revelation 1-11 (Chicago, Illinois; Moody Press, 1999) 112.

[2] MacArthur, 111.

[3] John F. Walvoord, The Revelation of Jesus Christ (Chicago, Illinois; Moody Bible Institute, 1966) 81.

[4] MacArthur, 110.

[5] – the book of life is first mentioned in Exodus 32:33 as the Israelite people had created the golden calves, “But the Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book.” And it is mentioned often in the OT. It is also mentioned in Luke 10:20; Phil. 4:3; Rev. 13:8; 20:15; 21:27. The book is in Christ’s hands (13:8; 21:27).[5]

[6] James M. Hamilton, Preaching the Word, Revelation (Wheaton, Illinois; Crossway Publishing, 2012) 106.

“Wake Up and Get to Work” Revelation 3:1-6

Drew Boswell Ministries
Drew Boswell Ministries
“Wake Up and Get to Work” Revelation 3:1-6
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“Tolerating the Unrepentant” Revelation 2:18-29

Drew Boswell Ministries
Drew Boswell Ministries
“Tolerating the Unrepentant” Revelation 2:18-29
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“Tolerating the Unrepentant” Revelation 2:18-29

VII – Book of Revelation

A Sermon Series

“Tolerating the Unrepentant”

Revelation 2:18-29

Introduction

The city of Thyatira was established by one of Alexander the Great’s successors after the destruction of the Persian empire. It was located in a rich agricultural area, and was famous for the manufacture of purple dye (see Acts 16:14-15, Lydia). But it is a relatively small church in a fairly obscure city – yet they receive one of the seven letters, and it is the longest of all the letters. The city did not have much religious pressure toward the church; they were not encouraged to worship emperors. Nor was there a sizable Jewish population.

The city was known for its manufacturing, “Thyatira’s main industry was the production of wool and dyed good (especially purple goods), but inscriptions also mention guilds for linen workers, makers of outer garments, dyers, leather workers, tanners, potters, bakers, slave dealers, and bronze smiths.”[1]

The pressure faced by the Christians in Thyatira came from the trade guilds (collegia). To hold a job or run a business you had to be a member of the guild. Each guild had a patron deity, in whose honor they would hold feasts that included meat sacrificed to those idol and there was sexual immorality that was part of the event. If a Christian chose not to attend the event they may potentially lose their livelihood.

Prayer

Jesus Is Described (v. 18)

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.

Jesus’ description helps us understand his message to the church, “Here Jesus is represented as calling himself by the title “Son of God” 26:63 The religious leaders have arrested Jesus and are making claims against him, “But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” And then they accused Jesus of blasphemy – claiming to be God.

Jesus is called the Son of God and the Son of Man – both of these are titles the Bible uses to describe Jesus. When you see Jesus as the Son of Man it is a reference to His humanity and how God took on human flesh to suffer. Hebrews 2:18 “Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.”

And when you see the title Son of God it is a reference to His deity. He is not coming as a sympathetic high priest who comes to take away their sin, as the Son of God He is coming in divine judgement.[2]

Earlier in Rev. 1:15 Jesus is described as having “The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters.” Jesus’ eyes see things as they truly are – fire burns away (dross, impurities, that which corrupts the metal) that which is not true.

Jesus’ feet are described as “whose feet are like burnished bronze,”[3] – as the Son of God who is coming to judge and as he sees sin, he will stomp it out, but the sin will not affect His holiness and purity. He will remain bright and clean, while He judges and encounters sin. This will not be true for the church at Thyatira – when it encounters sin, it is persuaded and will join in on its’ rebellion against God.[4]

Jesus Commends the Church In Thyatira (v. 19)

19 “‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first.

Their good deeds that Jesus “knows” about are divided into four categories: They are showing love for God and for others, and they are strong in this area (where Ephesus is weak). They are commended for their faith. From that love and faith grows service and patient endurance. They are meeting the needs of others. And they are growing in all these areas. They were maturing in their Christian lives and advancing the gospel.[5] They are making progress.

In Ephesus they were faithfully serving, but because of a church conflict and split, their love for God and each other had grown cold. Here in Thyatira, they are commended for their love for one another, but that love has taken a turn toward tolerating sin within the church. Jesus has “eyes of fire,” – he burns the sin out, and with burnish bronze feet, he stomps sin out – yet He is love. True love is when we encourage others to be like Christ, and hold each other accountable when we sin.

Love for others does not include tolerating their sin.

Jesus’ Warning Against the Church In Thyatira (vv. 20-23)

20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. 22 Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, 23 and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.

In each of the churches we have looked at so far there have been imposters. “In Ephesus they are dealing with “those who call themselves apostles but are not,” (2:2). In Smyrna they are dealing with “those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan” (2:9). And in Thyatira they have this woman “who calls herself a prophetess” (2:20)”[6] but she is not.

There is one thing the church was doing that brought the “eyes like flames of fire” of Jesus upon them. Within the church was a woman John calls Jezebel who was teaching the people “to participate in the idolatrous feasts by eating food sacrificed to idols and they were instructed to take part in the immorality which characterized the worship of idols.”[7] The culture around them was evil and the church leadership was encouraging them to patriciate and embrace that culture. And instead of pushing her out, they tolerated her presence.

This word, prophetess is used only here (Revelation 2:20) and in Luke 2:36.[8] This was when Jesus was brought to the temple as an infant. Simeon was an old righteous man who, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit came and blessed Jesus. Then we are introduced to an old righteous woman, “And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, 37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.” A genuine prophetess devotes herself to the Lord, fasting and prayer, gives thanks to God – and is waiting for the redemption of a lost city.

This false self-proclaimed prophetess was “teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.” Both women Anna and Jezebel are referred to with the description of prophetess, but one was genuine and one was false. The church in Thyatira seems to either not know the difference – or, knowing she is a false self-proclaimed prophetess, tolerates her because they enjoy sexual immorality and the things that go along with idol worship. They enjoy the feelings that go along with accepting and participating in the culture that surrounds them – even though it clearly goes against God’s Word (just because the majority supports it, does not mean it’s right).

1 Kings 16 tells of how the Israelite king Ahab came to be power, and one of the worst things he did as king that angered the Lord was to make Jezebel his wife,1 Kings 16:30-31 “And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him. 31 And as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he took for his wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal and worshiped him.”

Her influence over king Ahab made Baal worship sweep through God’s people, leading to the showdown between Elijah and the prophets of Baal. 1 Kings 21:25 “There was none who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the Lord like Ahab, whom Jezebel his wife incited.” The king connects himself with an evil woman, and allows himself to be influenced by her evil – this ripples out to God’s people. She did not belong to the people of God, she infiltrated His people, and then led them into idolatry.

 Be very careful who you bring close.[9]

(v. 21) “I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality.” Speaking of the city of Jerusalem, God speaks to their rebellion, “How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” Jesus has given this woman called Jezebel time to repent, but she was not willing, she refuses. The answer to all the church’s problems so far (and the answer is the same today) is for them to repent of their sin.

An unrepentant person in a church is a very dangerous thing.

The church must not tolerate unrepentant persons

because their rebellious spirit spreads.

(v. 22) There is a group within the church at Thyatira that are described as, “those who commit adultery with her,” – These are her spiritual children, those who follow her false teachings. If they don’t repent they will be struck down in judgement. “She loved the bed of idolatry and sexual immorality, and so will be confined to bed – most likely stricken with sickness (1. Cor. 5:5; 1 Tim. 1:20).”[10]

“History records that the church in Thyatira fell prey to the Montanist heresy (a movement led by a false prophet who claimed continuing revelation from god apart from Scripture) and went out of existence by the end of the second century.”[11] Churches that don’t push out sin, and guard its’ doctrine, will follow one false trend after another until they crumble apart.

Jesus’ Promise to the Faithful Church In Thyatira (vv. 24-28)

24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. 25 Only hold fast what you have until I come.

 In the church there were some who did not hold to the false teaching of this self-proclaimed prophetess, and have not learned “the deep things of Satan” – they are not given something else to do, only hold fast – wait for Jesus’ arrival. This group was able to discern that she was false and that her teaching was false. So, keep discerning the truth. “This is the theme of Revelation so far: to receive the final reward, believers must continue to be faithful until Jesus returns.”[12]

 The idea of “the deep things of Satan” could mean several things, but what we know is that Jezebel’s teaching led to idolatry and immorality. So, the teaching could go something like this, “the only way to confront Satan was to enter into his strongholds; the real nature of sin could only be learned by experience, and therefore only those who had really experienced sin could truly appreciate grace (Rom. 6).

So, by experiencing the depths of paganism, one could better be equipped to serve Christ, or be an example of freedom to his brothers.”[13] Or, another “deep thing of Satan,” The only way to reach lost people, is be enough like them so that we can relate. Or once you are member of this elite part of Christianity, there is hidden information that will be revealed (a secret handshake to get you into heaven, special words you can say to make others do your will, etc.)

“It reminds us of Jesus’ statement that “he who stands firm to the end will be saved (Matt. 24;13), and of Paul’s words to the Colossians about continuing in the faith “established and firm” (Col. 1:23). The proof of authentic trust in Jesus is steadfastness of belief and continuance in the will of God till Christ returns or death comes.”[14]

 26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, 27 and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces,[15] even as I myself have received authority from my Father. 28 And I will give him the morning star. 29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

The epistle of James is clear that salvation is not earned, we cannot work our way into heaven by being good, or doing good deeds. But our deeds and actions do reveal our spiritual condition.

A saved person will express their faith by doing good works. So, to the Christian who faithfully does the work of the Lord until the end, they are promised: 1) “Authority over the nations,” and ) the “Morning Star”

God gave Adam and Eve the command to rule the world, but because of the fall they did not do this as God designed and intended. This original command will be realized by believers at the end of time.

Revelation 22:16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” Jesus is the bright and morning star. So to the one who conquers, they are promised Jesus. But, the morning star only appears when the night is over and a new day has appeared.

Jesus never changes the definition or lowers his tolerance toward sin, and those who have sin or tolerate sin the end is always judgement. Yet there is also grace and mercy – Jesus gives Jezebel time and opportunities to repent. It is not loving to allow someone to think that sin of ok, and not define it as the Bible defines it. Because if you do that you are guilty of Jezebel’s sin. To not repent and to tolerate sin we are promised judgment – to repent of your sin and to place your faith in Jesus you are promised forgiveness and grace.

____________________

[1] John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Revelation 1-11 (Chicago, Illinois; Moody Press, 1999) 98.

[2] MacArthur, 96.

[3] See Rev. 19:13.

[4] 1 Peter 4:17 “For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; . . .”

[5] Two motives and two actions, “Love for others had produced service, faith in Christ had assured perseverance in their commitment to him.” Kendell H. Easley, Holman New Testament Commentary, Revelation (Nashville, Tennessee; Holman Reference, 1998) 40.

[6] James M. Hamilton, Preaching the Word, Revelation (Wheaton, Illinois; Crossway Publishing, 2012) 97.

[7] John F. Walvoord, The Revelation of Jesus Christ (Chicago, Illinois; Moddy Press, 1966) 74.

[8] Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, Volume VI, The General Epistles and The Revelation of John (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press, 1933) 309.

[9] Proverbs 13:20 “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.”

[10] Thomas R. Schreiner, Expository Commentary, Volume XII (Wheaton, Illinois; Crossway Publishing, 2018) 582.

[11] MacArthur, 103.

[12] Schreiner, 583.

[13] Alan F. Johnson, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 12 (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing House, 1981) 445.

[14] Johnson, 446.

[15] Quoted from Psalm 2:8-9

“Creeping Toward Compromise” Revelation 2:12-17

Drew Boswell Ministries
Drew Boswell Ministries
“Creeping Toward Compromise” Revelation 2:12-17
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Download file | Play in new window | Duration: 00:48:21 | Recorded on February 16, 2025

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"For by grace you have been saved through faith." Ephesians 2:8

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