Aligning with God's Will: Rejecting False Teachings
Summary
In today's message, we explored the profound and challenging themes presented in Revelation 2:18-29, focusing on the church in Thyatira. This passage serves as a reminder of the love and concern Jesus has for His church, urging us to realign ourselves with His will. Thyatira was a working-class town known for its trades, and the believers there were commended for their love, service, faith, and perseverance. However, they were also warned about tolerating the influence of Jezebel, a figure representing false teachings and immorality.
Jezebel, a historical figure from the Old Testament, was known for leading Israel into idolatry and immorality. Her influence in Thyatira symbolizes the dangers of allowing false teachings and immoral practices to infiltrate the church. The message emphasizes the importance of not tolerating such influences, as they can lead believers away from their devotion to God.
The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in guiding us back into alignment with God's will. By being attentive to His nudges, we can discern when we are straying and need to return to the path of righteousness. The story of Elijah and Jezebel in 1 Kings serves as a powerful illustration of the choice we face: to follow God wholeheartedly or to be swayed by false gods and teachings.
In our modern context, the message challenges us to examine the ways in which we might be tolerating immorality or false teachings in our lives and communities. It calls us to repentance and to a renewed commitment to holiness, recognizing that Jesus is our Morning Star, ready to break through the darkness with His light and truth.
Key Takeaways:
1. God's Love and Alignment: God loves us deeply and desires us to be in alignment with His will. When we stray, He lovingly nudges us back through the Holy Spirit. It's crucial to be attentive to these nudges to maintain a vibrant relationship with Him. [10:17]
2. The Danger of Tolerance: Tolerating false teachings and immorality, as seen in the church of Thyatira, can lead us away from God. We must be vigilant in identifying and rejecting influences that compromise our faith and devotion. [21:29]
3. The Role of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is essential in guiding us back to God. By being sensitive to His voice, we can discern His guidance and avoid the pitfalls of false teachings and immorality. [11:27]
4. The Choice of Devotion: Like Elijah's challenge to Israel, we must choose whom we will serve. Mixing our beliefs with worldly influences creates a diluted faith. We are called to commit fully to Jesus and reject any form of idolatry. [33:27]
5. Hope in Jesus, Our Morning Star: Despite the darkness and challenges we face, Jesus is our Morning Star, ready to bring light and truth into our lives. By walking in the Spirit, we can overcome the temptations and influences that seek to lead us astray. [54:02]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[00:41] - Harvest Festival Announcement
[01:39] - Bilingual Event and Volunteer Call
[02:34] - Worship and Intercession Service
[07:56] - Jezebel's Influence in Thyatira
[09:11] - Holding Fast to Faith
[10:17] - God's Love and Alignment
[11:27] - The Role of the Holy Spirit
[15:24] - Understanding Jezebel
[19:17] - Jezebel Spirit and Tolerance
[21:29] - The Gospel of Tolerance
[25:46] - Jezebel's Seduction and Rebellion
[30:48] - Tables of the Lord and Demons
[32:18] - Elijah's Stand Against Jezebel
[33:27] - The Choice of Devotion
[36:59] - The Quiet Sin in the Church
[54:02] - Jesus, Our Morning Star
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
- Revelation 2:18-29
- 1 Kings 18:21
- 1 Kings 18:19
#### Observation Questions
1. What commendations did Jesus give to the church in Thyatira, and what were they criticized for? ([07:56])
2. How does the sermon describe the influence of Jezebel in the church of Thyatira? ([19:17])
3. What role does the Holy Spirit play in guiding believers back to alignment with God's will, according to the sermon? ([11:27])
4. How does the story of Elijah and Jezebel illustrate the choice between following God and being swayed by false teachings? ([33:27])
#### Interpretation Questions
1. What does it mean to be "out of alignment" with God's will, and how does the Holy Spirit help in realigning believers? ([10:17])
2. How can the concept of "tolerance" in the church lead to spiritual compromise, as discussed in the sermon? ([21:29])
3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that modern believers might be tolerating immorality or false teachings in their lives? ([36:59])
4. How does the imagery of Jesus as the "Morning Star" provide hope and encouragement to believers facing spiritual challenges? ([54:02])
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your own life: Are there areas where you might be tolerating false teachings or immorality? How can you address these areas? ([21:29])
2. How can you become more sensitive to the Holy Spirit's guidance in your daily life? What practical steps can you take to discern His voice more clearly? ([11:27])
3. Consider the influences in your community or church. How can you actively work to ensure that these influences align with God's teachings? ([36:59])
4. Elijah challenged the people to choose whom they would serve. What steps can you take to ensure your devotion is solely to God and not mixed with worldly influences? ([33:27])
5. Jesus is described as the "Morning Star" ready to bring light into darkness. How can you rely on His light in times of personal or communal spiritual darkness? ([54:02])
6. In what ways can you encourage others in your community to remain vigilant against spiritual compromise? How can you support each other in this journey? ([39:16])
7. Reflect on a recent situation where you felt a nudge from the Holy Spirit. How did you respond, and what did you learn from that experience? ([10:17])
Devotional
Day 1: Attentiveness to God's Loving Guidance
God's love for His people is profound and unwavering. He desires for us to be in alignment with His will, and when we stray, He gently nudges us back through the Holy Spirit. This divine guidance is crucial for maintaining a vibrant relationship with Him. By being attentive to these nudges, we can ensure that our lives reflect His love and purpose. The church in Thyatira was commended for their love, service, faith, and perseverance, yet they were reminded of the importance of staying true to God's path. [10:17]
Isaiah 30:21 (ESV): "And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it,' when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left."
Reflection: In what ways have you felt the Holy Spirit nudging you recently? How can you be more attentive to His guidance in your daily life?
Day 2: Vigilance Against Compromise
The church in Thyatira was warned about the dangers of tolerating false teachings and immorality, symbolized by the influence of Jezebel. This serves as a powerful reminder that tolerance of such influences can lead us away from God. We must be vigilant in identifying and rejecting anything that compromises our faith and devotion. In our modern context, this means examining the ways in which we might be allowing immorality or false teachings to infiltrate our lives and communities. [21:29]
2 Peter 2:1 (ESV): "But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction."
Reflection: Are there any influences in your life that might be leading you away from God? How can you actively reject these influences and strengthen your faith?
Day 3: The Holy Spirit's Role in Our Journey
The Holy Spirit is essential in guiding us back to God. By being sensitive to His voice, we can discern His guidance and avoid the pitfalls of false teachings and immorality. The story of Elijah and Jezebel in 1 Kings illustrates the choice we face: to follow God wholeheartedly or to be swayed by false gods and teachings. The Holy Spirit helps us make the right choice by keeping us aligned with God's will. [11:27]
Galatians 5:16-17 (ESV): "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do."
Reflection: How can you cultivate a deeper sensitivity to the Holy Spirit's guidance in your life? What practical steps can you take to walk by the Spirit daily?
Day 4: Choosing Whom to Serve
Like Elijah's challenge to Israel, we must choose whom we will serve. Mixing our beliefs with worldly influences creates a diluted faith. We are called to commit fully to Jesus and reject any form of idolatry. This choice requires intentionality and a willingness to stand firm in our faith, even when faced with challenges and temptations. [33:27]
Joshua 24:15 (ESV): "And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
Reflection: What are some worldly influences that might be diluting your faith? How can you make a conscious decision to serve God wholeheartedly today?
Day 5: Hope in Jesus, Our Morning Star
Despite the darkness and challenges we face, Jesus is our Morning Star, ready to bring light and truth into our lives. By walking in the Spirit, we can overcome the temptations and influences that seek to lead us astray. This hope in Jesus empowers us to live a life of holiness and devotion, knowing that His light will guide us through any darkness. [54:02]
Revelation 22:16 (ESV): "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."
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need the light and truth of Jesus to shine? How can you invite His presence to guide you through these challenges?
Quotes
Here are the selected quotes from the sermon transcript:
1. "Now, in our typical tradition, we usually wait to the last minute to sign up, but I'm asking that you don't do that. Sign up right away. We have sign-up sheets out in the lobby. You can go online and sign up. You can click the little link in your newsletter and sign up. There are so many opportunities to serve young and older. So, please, take every opportunity to show up for our kiddos, because if we don't show up for them, the world will show up for them. No problem. Amen? Amen." [00:02:34] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "It's important to remember that God created you for himself. Did you know that? It's important to remember that because he created you for himself, he doesn't want to share you with no one else. He wants you for himself. And so when he sees his bride, when he sees his church, when he sees his sons and daughters out of alignment, he gets concerned. And then he comes to us. And he lovingly nudges us back into alignment." [00:10:43] (48 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "Elijah went before the people and said these words how long will you waver between two opinions if the lord is god follow him but if bail is god follow him and the people didn't say a word what was elijah saying he says look you you have a choice to make we have a choice to make we will commit ourselves all to jesus or we will create gods for ourselves did you hear me what does it mean to create a god for yourself it means you take a little bit of what jesus says and then you mix a little bit of what you say and you make your own thing you can't do that." [00:12:32] (67 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "Jezebel was controlling and domineering, especially in the spiritual realm. Her sole goal was to rid Israel of all evidence of Yahweh worship. And she, in fact, ordered the extermination of all the prophets of the Lord and replace their altars with those of Baal. She was strategic. She was systematic. She wanted to wipe Israel off the map. And she did it, through the worship of these Canaanite gods." [00:25:15] (46 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "Living in an over-sexualized society has infected many followers of Jesus and has had a profound impact on our influence for the kingdom i mean all you got to do is turn on the tv right it's hard finding a good show we don't have like tv as you know it like where you get channels we we do it on demand that way you watch what you want without the commercials but we find ourselves looping in the same group of shows because man it just seems like the shows get crazier and crazier then you find a good one and you start about episode four about episode four it goes off rails." [00:44:09] (58 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
6. "So when you read 1 Kings 18, 19 and Jezebel had her own table, that tells you all you need to know. That everything about her was in opposition of the Lord Jesus. Jesus, he had a table, I've got a table. His table was redemptive and restorative. Her table is demonic and destructive. And that is the nature of sexual immorality. It's demonic. It's destructive. And it's tearing folks up. Good folk. Christian folk. It's tearing folk up." [00:30:56] (63 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
7. "And so as we begin this conversation i want you to keep all of that in mind i don't want you to feel bad i want you to be enlightened i want you to be aware and then see where we fall and then if we find ourselves a little out of alignment let's hear what the lord is saying to us and move ourselves back into alignment amen are we ready all right so just a little bit of a background thytera was a working class town with many trades like clothemaking carpentry pottery they were known for making this beautiful purple dye in fact according to acts 16 14 lydia paul's first convert in philippi was a merchant from thytera you see jesus's letter to the church of thytera was praising the believers in the church for growing in the church growing in love growing in service growing in faith and excelling in their acts of service to the community that sounds like a wonderful thing it sounds like a group of believers that were about helping folks making a difference in the community they were in the marketplace and then the big but comes but or nevertheless jezebel." [00:15:24] (114 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
8. "And remember what I said as a church, we don't want to be an heir where we just are loving folks to death. Because we're afraid to tell the truth. Nor do we want to be guilty of giving the truth to folks without any love. Because then you kill them. You crush them. Right? He's calling us as a church to do both. To love folks extravagantly just like Jesus did." [00:38:25] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
9. "And so let's let's go back to revelations as we wrap it up here in a second verse 22 indeed i will cast her into a sickbed and those who commit adultery with her into great difficulty unless they repent what is the author saying what is jesus saying he's simply saying that unconfessed sin is dangerous for us to be able to repent from it and to repent from it to our health that's probably the best way to put it jesus has made a way for us to confess those things to him and if we do he says that he's what faithful and just to forgive us like forgive put it behind us but to harbor to keep it is to bring sickness to our own bodies and we see that really clearly i won't ask you to turn their psalms thirty two three and five psalms thirty two three and five." [00:49:29] (80 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
10. "although the jezebel spirit remained she was unrepentant jesus affirms that the church of thytira could still repent also by turning away from the prophetess's way revelations 21 and 22." [00:48:45] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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