Speaker 1: 0:29

Good afternoon, gang. It's Larry. Again with the thoughts I have toward you, I hope that you're well today as we dive into our next study, the study on the fourth church in the seven churches in Asia Minor. It's a study that I've called Compromise Leads to Corruption. Open your Bibles we're going to be turning a lot today, so open your Bibles to the core text, which is Revelation 2, 18 to 29. Put a finger in Psalm 1, verse 1. And also then we're going to reference Ephesians 6, 12. And then we're going to finish the section. Let's pray.

Speaker 1: 1:20

Heavenly Father, I give you thanks for today. I give you thanks for renewed energy, renewed steadfastness, lord, to the mission that you've called me on and all of the people that will hear these messages in perpetuity. Lord, we are at war. We are at war against not flesh and blood, but principalities and powers, lord, and we need to continue to understand that compromise is a dangerous path to walk down because it leads to corruption. Corruption is the stage before death of a church body. Lord and Lord, as we get through this study, there are going to be some things that are hard to hear. There are going to be some things that were hard to say, hard to write, but I feel that they need to be said. I feel led by you to say them, lord. God, I give you thanks for the courage that is born of you to know that you have my back and that you are my rear guard. I pray for everyone within the sound of my voice, wherever today finds them. I pray for everyone, within the sound of my voice, wherever today finds them, that they would be at peace and that they would know your love and your grace and your mercy, in Jesus' name, amen. All right, if you're able, open up your Bibles to Revelation. Book of Revelation, chapter 2. We're working through it, chapter 2, we're almost done with the chapter here, verses 18 to 29,. So that's a long section. It's 11 verses, but we're going to get through it today and, as I said, we are moving through that study of the churches as we continue in the book of Revelation.

Speaker 1: 3:12

This week, as we look at the fourth letter from Jesus to the church in Thyatira, there are a few items to note as we get started. First, this letter to the church in Thyatira is the longest of the seven letters and Thyatira, by contrast, is the smallest church of the seven and Jesus has a lot to say. Second, they are in trouble. They're in big trouble, and I'm not talking about I stole a cookie from the cookie jar kind of trouble. No, no, no. They're in danger of being swallowed whole by the evil born of compromise, which leads to corruption.

Speaker 1: 3:53

The last time we were together we learned about compromise. Compromise is the predecessor to corruption. Come with me to the center of your Bibles and for those that may be new to the faith or new to navigating your scriptures, it's really pretty cool. If you put your Bible on its spine and let it fall open, it will open to the center of your Bible. And in the center of your Bible is the book of Psalms, and we're not going to go real far in Psalms. So wherever you landed, go to the left or the right and find Psalm 1, verse 1. And it says blessed is the man who walks in the counsel of the, who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. That's Psalm 1.1, new King James Version. That's how compromise starts, and we alluded to that last time starts and we alluded to that last time. It starts with little things and then those things build on themselves until you're in so much trouble that you just can't find a way out.

Speaker 1: 5:02

But that's how compromise starts. We decide that something we are doing is not such a big deal. Now, for example, let's say we're at the gym, our wives are at home with the kids and we start watching a woman. We let our mind wander. I don't need to say, gentlemen, what we're thinking about, do I? She's young enough to be your daughter, never mind that she's someone's daughter, and you're married with children. We justify it as I can't be convicted of what I'm thinking, right? Well, the story goes on and over the next several weeks, your gym attendance goes up to the point that your wife begins to notice and compliments you on your doggedness. You're a dog, all right. Yeah, you're a dog, alright. You started meeting with this girl for scheduled tandem workouts. She's so complimentary and funny and attractive. It's not a problem. You think what's wrong with having a female friend Ever been there? Ever been there? It's okay, but that's that's where it starts. Right there, let's pick back up in Psalm 1.

Speaker 1: 6:28

The verse itself has three parts. You're walking in the counsel of the ungodly, then you stand in the path of sinners and then you sit in the counsel of the ungodly, then you stand in the path of sinners and then you sit in the seat of the scornful. Okay, these are the three things that happen as compromise leads to corruption In the example. You've already ticked off the first two. You've already ticked off the first two. You walked in the counsel of the ungodly. Well, okay, so, larry, that would mean that I took ungodly counsel. Did I really do that? Yes, you did.

Speaker 1: 7:07

From who you say? Well, yourself, never, ever, forget that the human heart is inherently sinful, regardless of what the world tells you. We were born to sin. We were born to that. Follow your heart is the biggest lie that's ever been perpetrated by mass media, mass entertainment and the secular world. Because your heart can be deceived. Your heart can be deceived. The Bible says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. That's Romans 3.23. Then you stood in the path of sinners. When you approach the girl and continue to walk that path with each deepening interaction with her, lastly and I think you can see where this is going we will sit in the seat of the scornful. We'll justify that too.

Speaker 1: 8:16

It's just a fling, it's an affair. It's no big deal right. You know, I was taught years ago and I've never forgotten this either that as Christians we should call things what they are. It's not an affair, it's not a fling, it's not any of those things. What society brushes off is sin in the eyes of God, and that sin has a name it's called adultery, and this is just one example of the kind of compromise we're talking about. However, it's an easy example to use because it makes my point. You can think of a dozen other examples, I'm certain, and I'd love to hear some examples from your own life. You can drop me a note on socials or you can let me know by email what you think of those, because I do have a fan mail section on my site.

Speaker 1: 9:23

So it was adultery from the beginning, though. Back to our example, make no mistake about it. Jesus said, but I say to you, whoever looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. It's Matthew 5, 28, new King James. So back at the very beginning, when you went to the gym that morning and you saw that girl and your mind started to wonder, right there, right there, in that moment, in that period of time, that's when the adultery was committed, right there. It's a hard bar. Jesus doesn't make any exception for it, but it's a hard bar and that, friends, is the path to corruption.

Speaker 1: 10:18

As we read the letter to Thyatira, we see a fall into not only danger, nah, nah, nah. Thyatira is not only walking the path of sin. They are sitting in the seat of the scornful, as we learned back in Psalm 1. They've completed the walk. They've stood with the seat of the scornful, as we learned back in Psalm 1. They've completed the walk. Okay, they've stood with the ungodly, they've walked and then they've sat. So let's pick it up at the beginning of the letter here, verse 17 to 19.

Speaker 1: 10:50

And to the angel in the church in Thyatira write of the letter here, verse 17 to 19. And to the angel in the church in Thyatira, write these things, says the Son of God, with his eyes like a flame of fire and his feet like fine brass. I know your works, love, service, faith and your patience. As for your works, the last is more than the first. Hmm, okay, jesus is described here as having eyes of fire and feet of fine brass. He's coming in victory and judgment. Okay, as we talked about last week, he's coming in victory and judgment. He praises the church for their works love, service, faith and patience, saying their last, most recent works are more than their first.

Speaker 1: 11:45

The phrasing here can be missed by the casual reader. Jesus is saying you are growing as a body of believers. The last is better than the first, meaning that when you started out you weren't doing so great, but now you're doing better. That's good news. That's good news. The word doesn't give any specifics here as to what they did or how they came to be, or what started it or what happened in the beginning. Suffice it to say, in some aspects they're moving forward. However, there's a caveat, and here it comes. Nevertheless, I have a few things against you, because you allow the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce my servants, to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. Now, if we go back to the church we studied last week, okay, if we go back to the church we studied last week, this was the same statement that Jesus made to that church. That church is just not as far down the line to corruption as Thyatira is. Right. That's the difference here. These letters. It works its way down to the end, which is the death of a church.

Speaker 1: 13:14

Okay, so I'll admit that I stared at my blinking cursor for weeks after reading and pondering that verse as a podcaster and a writer and a teacher of biblical truth. It was hard. It was hard to write, and it was not because I didn't understand the verse, but because I did. And I do understand it Because I see it in my mind. See it because I see it, rather, and my mind wants to apply it to the circumstances of the corporate church today.

Speaker 1: 14:01

The problem is what if I paint with too broad a brush In the social media age? If I'm not careful, my words will be twisted, taken out of context and used to defame me. More concerning than that is how Satan will stir people up and attempt to do damage to the cause of Christ. A couple of things. The cause of Christ is Jesus' cause. I am but a cog in the wheel to all his plan. He knows the end from the beginning. The Bible tells us Not much I can do to screw that up. From the beginning, the Bible tells us not much I can do to screw that up. The truth of the matter is my personal popularity is of no concern. The truth is the truth, and my calling is to speak the truth with the understanding that there is no one I wouldn't want to see in heaven. That's the reason why I do this. It's on that mandate that I stand, and everybody needs to understand that, because what's coming now is some hard truth, some hard truth, but it's truth nonetheless. Just because people don't like it doesn't mean it's not true.

Speaker 1: 15:11

The letter to the church in Thyatira is a letter to so much of the church today. The church today is busy, very busy. But you know what? In my estimation, the majority of the corporate churches today, regardless of denomination, are very busy doing the wrong things. They're busy being relevant, being accepted, being politically correct. Now I've read my Bible, cover to cover, and nowhere in the Word of God does it tell Christians that they are to be any of those things. In the book of First Opinions it might say that, but that book's not in my Bible, it's not of the one of the 66. We're told the opposite of those things. We're told to be unpopular. Wow, you say. Man, I wish they'd have put that in the brochure before I raised my hand, in that Wednesday night service or that Saturday service, before I came forward and let somebody pray over me and accepted Jesus. I wish I knew then what I know now.

Speaker 1: 16:28

My estimation is as a believer in Christ. You wouldn't change it, because I sure wouldn't. I won't name specific denominations here, because that's not my point. The truth is the truth and it cuts deep and everybody knows who everybody else is. So I'm not going to name denominations, but I could easily tick them off on my fingers.

Speaker 1: 16:51

Denominations, whole bodies of believers that have rewritten creeds, abandoned biblical doctrine for sexual norms They've abandoned it or for so secular norms rather Sorry, secular norms. I know you've seen it Rainbow flags on altars, pastors wearing rainbow adornments as they pervert the very word of God. Pastors who say all are welcome, that's fine, all are welcome. It's absolutely right. A church is a group of sinners, a group of broken people. A church is more hospital than museum. It's not stand up, sit down, pray, go home. It is meet and accept your Lord and Savior. And the part that is not taught is repent, as Jesus said throughout the early gospels, in all four of them repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand, and it's at hand.

Speaker 1: 18:09

Folks, I'm going to tell you something that I don't think I've said, and that is that I firmly believe that my generation will be alive at the rapture. This generation, this time we are living, it is the next thing on the prophetic calendar. It's the next thing on the prophetic calendar and we're going to be alive for the rapture. And what's going to be left behind for those of us who have given our lives to Jesus Christ and are taken home in the blink of an eye? What's going to be left behind is the life we lived, our Bibles, our Bible studies, our notes, our thoughts, for all of those people who wake up in a moment and say, wow, what just happened? But we'll get to that. We'll get to that.

Speaker 1: 19:12

I point out simply. I point out simply, getting back to our text, I point out simply, with regard to the corporate church today, I point out the perversions, of which there are many. I've named one for reasons of time, but there are many. I point this out simply to make it plain that we Christians, followers of the way, followers of Jesus, those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, we're at war. There's no other way to put it.

Speaker 1: 19:47

The Bible tells us about the war. Yes, god knew it was coming. In all honesty, it's been raging for thousands of years. It's not a war against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers. That's the unseen realm, guys, that's the spiritual realm, principalities and powers. Flip over to Ephesians 6.12, and if it's not highlighted in your Bible, highlight it today and commit it to memory. It says For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness. That's Ephesians 6.12.

Speaker 1: 20:34

The spiritual war rages all around us and as we read on, jesus tells us how he will deal with that with regard to this church, and this is the reason why I said in the open that Thyatira was in big trouble. Not cookie jar trouble, but big trouble. Listen to what Jesus says. Pick up in verse 21, revelation, chapter 2. And I gave her time, jesus says, 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. So we're almost to the end of the road here with Thyatira, and yet, and yet, jesus is still reaching out his hand, giving us a grace that we do not deserve, giving us a grace that we do not deserve. And he's saying unless they repent of their deeds Verse 23, I will kill all their children with death. And all the churches shall know that I am he who searches the minds and hearts and I will give to each one of you according to your works. So it's coming.

Speaker 1: 22:13

The church today is in a thousand kinds of trouble. In the West, the Western church today is in a thousand kinds of trouble. Church today is in a thousand kinds of trouble. Church in America is unbelievably hobbled. They're on two legs of a three-legged stool. And of course I'm not saying that all of the churches are like that. But what I'm saying is that the corporate church has decided to be relevant rather than right, to be popular rather than unpopular. And you know what's funny about that, and this wasn't written down in any of my notes, it just kind of dawned on me as I was speaking.

Speaker 1: 22:54

If you look at the churches who have accepted churches who have accepted the church that recently ordained their first transgender bishop, the women, the gay and lesbian women in the pulpits, the gay men in the pulpits, all of these churches who have gone this direction, their attendance is way down. They're struggling. They're fighting to survive. They're fighting to keep their head above water and, friends, I would submit to you that that's because God has taken his hand of protection from that church. It's what he says he's going to do here and worse. So if he's going to do that to a little church in Thyatira, why won't he do it to us Folks?

Speaker 1: 23:49

We have to begin to read our Bibles and understand that the truth lives in those pages, not a opinion of truth, but the truth. You must believe that the Word of God is un is inerrant, so that when you pick up your Bible it is the truth of God's Word. It is the way that we are to live. It is the way that we are to view the world around us. It is the way that we are to show mercy, grace and love to those that don't know him. Matthew 28 says that we are to go into all the world to make disciples of all nations. It's a loose paraphrase, but you understand.

Speaker 1: 24:47

Jesus is giving a dire warning to the corrupt church at Thyatira and to the church today. I can hear the words of my mother. When I would get into trouble, she'd say do you want me to tell your dad? Yikes, no, I never wanted that because I knew that the consequences would be harsh, to say the very least. And in this case, the father knows and he is going to meter out punishment as applicable. Quote and I will give to each of you according to your works that's up in verse 23. That's up in verse 23.

Speaker 1: 25:37

Folks, we can't you and I, from where we sit, don't have any control over what the corporate church, the mainline church, whatever you want to call them, what they're doing today, okay, how they're doing things, how they're choosing to do things, the rewriting of the creeds, the rewriting of scripture to meet their needs. But we can pray for them and we can walk the walk of the righteous. Narrow is the path. We have to walk the walk of the righteous and I want you to remember something we have to walk the walk of the righteous and I want you to remember something these people the saddest part about it is that those people who will be left behind in the rapture, those people who will be left behind, will spend a lot of time thinking that they were right, thinking that they should have been taken. They'll make every excuse in the book and there's no one I wouldn't want to see in heaven, and this is why I do this, this is why I sit here on a Sunday afternoon for a podcast that's going to drop in two weeks.

Speaker 1: 26:55

I'm here now, sharing this with as many people as will hear the sound of my voice, and with that, as we close, I want to say that there is hope. Fear not. There's hope. The people of the church and for the people, the church and Jesus ends it this way. Now, to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many do not have the doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden. So, in other words, jesus is saying look, if you didn't know, you weren't aware, you're fine. If you were against it, you were fine, you're fine. Jesus is always gracious, he always shows us mercy, but hold fast. He says what you have till I 26. Now, what he's saying is hold fast, help is on the way. As the old Mercy Me song says, I'm going to take care of you, those of you who stand fast and stay true to my words. I'm going to stand fast, and that's our message today.

Speaker 1: 28:43

Folks, you and I can't change what's happening corporately in the church. We can't change what different denominations have perverted and I would say committed heresy in many different ways. We can't change any of that, but what we can do is square up our walk with Christ, because he says right here that if we hold fast what we have until he comes to us that overcomes and keeps his works until the end, to him he will give power. Finish the sections and he says what we're going to be blessed with. He shall rule with a rod of iron. They shall be dashed to pieces like potter's vessels, as I also have received from my Father, and I will give him the morning star. You know, churches aren't perfect places. Like I've said before, churches are hospitals. Broken people come there to be made well. Broken people come there to be made well.

Speaker 1: 30:00

I've said a hundred times don't try to get right before you show up at church. Show up at church and let them help you get right. And if you see things within your church body that don't ring true to scripture, scripture is the measuring stick and the measuring tape for everything that's done in the church. Or scripture is the measuring stick and the measuring tape for everything that's done in the church. And if, in fact, you see things in your church, you pray on it, you talk to your pastor, you do all of the things that you need to do and if, at the end of the day, as Jesus told his disciples when he sent them out, if the grace of God does not greet you, then shake the dust from your feet. You may have to leave a church and find another. You may have to lose friends I have, as I sit here today, I'm thinking about specific people who absolutely disagree with me, disagree with Scripture.

Speaker 1: 31:07

They've dug themselves in and because of that, I haven't spoken to them in many, many, many years, probably 20 years, I think of just friends and people that I know, acquaintances that I've made in this life, and people who I thought were deep, deep friends, that were going to be lifelong friends. And God said no, walk away. I'll deal with them. You don't need to deal with them. Tell them the truth, not your truth, but the truth and then, if they don't accept, shake the dust from your feet, but continue to pray for them, continue to love them, continue to. If they call and ask to go out for coffee, don't deny it Go out for coffee. This is how we handle it, folks.

Speaker 1: 31:55

The church is in a very dark place right now. Not all of them, but a good number of them are in a very dark place. And if you're in a dark place today and some of this has hit home to you and you would say to me, larry, I want to have a relationship with Jesus. And you would say to me Larry, I want to have a relationship with Jesus, I want to turn things around in my life. I've made compromises, I am morally corrupt, I'm broken. All you have to do is talk to him. You can say, dear Jesus, I know I'm a sinner in need of a Savior, I'm sorry for my sins, I'm sorry for the compromises that I've made and the corruption that it's caused in my life, my family and my job and my finances and everything else. Lord, I'm very sorry and, lord God, I want you to be my Lord, my God, my Savior and my friend. I accept you today. I ask you to accept my humble apology and I know that you will. Lord God, I can't wait to see what you have next for me as I begin to follow you now and for the rest of the days of my life. Thank you, jesus, amen. And if you prayed that prayer or something like it, welcome to the family of God.

Speaker 1: 33:16

As I said last week, I'm going to have some resources in the coming weeks, but the big thing you can do right now you could reach out to me at Save to Serve that's, save the number to serve, 1969 at Outlookcom, or that's the best way to reach out to me. You can hit me up on socials too. The thoughts I have toward you on Facebook, also the thoughts I have toward you on Instagram, I post there daily, so you can hit me up and send me questions that way. Or the other thing you can do and this is a must, you have to do this go find a church, a bible believing church, where you're going to be able to bring your bible into that room and learn about the love of jesus christ and the plan that god has for your life. Friends, that's all the time I have today and and as always I thank you for listening I ask that you would keep me in prayer as this moves forward.

Speaker 1: 34:24

Also, know that we've got a couple of things coming in the hopper here. I've set up a paywall, a $3 subscription for bonus content. I'm going to start doing a conversation I'm thinking maybe monthly or biweekly about world events from a biblical point of view, because I think that's very, very important now as well. So if you'd like to get a hold of that, you can go to the website at thethoughtsihaveetowardyoucom and click on the dollar sign and subscribe for $3 a month. I hope that you'll do that.

Speaker 1: 35:02

Again, as I said in my write-up on that piece, I don't do this for the money. I'm not doing it for the money. I'm doing it to share the gospel. That's all I'm doing, but I'm trying to build a brand here. That's all I'm doing, but I'm trying to build a brand here. So if you listen to this podcast and you enjoyed it, please follow the podcast. Either subscribe or, if you're on Apple, follow the podcast. That's always free. These Bible studies will always be free and give a five-star review so that we can begin to beat the algorithm and get our name out there and climb those ranks so that more people can see it. Because, as I've said before many times and I'll say it again, there's no one I wouldn't want to see in heaven. Until next time, gang, make it count and be blessed.