Vortex of Awesome

The Church that Tolerated Sin
The Unveiling-part 8
March 12th 2023

Do you ever get to a point where your toleration has reached it’s breaking point? However, over the years we have raised the level of what we tolerate when it comes to sin. What in our lives these days do we tolerate, that we would never put up with years ago. We all have to ask ourselves this question, when has our toleration of certain things gone too far?

1. We can all take a look at the past and see just how far the world has come in tolerating things that were once never tolerated, but what about the church? Has the church changed in terms of tolerating things that were once unaccepted?

2. Should the church change in what is and is not tolerated? Please discuss.

Not necessarily outright disagreeing and disapproving someone’s beliefs, values, and lifestyle, that you stuck to your point of view and accepted the rights of others to believe and live as they choose. In other words, you didn’t grab your pitchfork and riot against people who had different opinions. As long as they were acting within the confines of the law, their views- as strange as they may have been –were tolerated. However, tolerationism is a different animal altogether. Now, instead of putting up with attitudes and actions with which we strongly disagree, society is increasingly expecting everybody to accept and even approve of everybody’s beliefs, values and lifestyles.

There is no such thing as “your truth” and “my truth” there is just truth! In such a society of tolerationism absolute truth in the realms of religion and ethics lose ground. We live in a culture that says a disagreement is a “phobia”. Taking a stand is considered hate. Conviction is seen as bigoted fanaticism. Centuries-old Christianity is regarded as discrimination. As in many doctrinally weak churches today, this mindset also prevailed in the ancient church of Thyatira.

3. Have you ever stood by your convictions when the majority did not have the same convictions, or your convictions caused issues in relationships with loved ones? Please share with the group.

We must be careful to love people no matter what is going on in their lives, but we must never, ever deny or compromise God’s truth.

Jesus said in John 14:6
… “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.


In our letter today Christ addressed the issue of big sins in a small church-and the even bigger issue of tolerating them. The letter to this church is the longest of the seven, though addressed to the church in the smallest of the seven cities. The message was loud and clear:
False doctrine and sin are not to be allowed—even under the banner of love, toleration, and unity. Remember Satan is seeking whom he may devour. But he does it masquerading as an angel of light. What does Satan do?

1 Peter 5:8-9
8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

How does he do it?

2 Corinthians 11:13-15
13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.

4. If Satan disguises himself as an angel of light, and his servants disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, how are we as believers supposed to protect ourselves from falling for their deceitful schemes?

Those in church leadership who practice sin become agents of Satan. Please hear my heart; immorality and false doctrine, if not confronted will bring judgment from the Lord of the Church.

Let’s first look at:

I. The Christ of the Church
Revelation 2:18
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.

This city bragged of a special temple to Appolo, the “sun god” which explains why the Lord introduces Himself as “the Son of God” the only time in Revelation is this title is used. John had to deliver a message of severe warning and judgement to this congregation, which explains the descriptions of the Lord’s fiery eyes and feet that were burnished bronze. This speaks of Jesus carrying all the power and authority of the Son of God. As such, He could see the churches deepest, darkest secrets with eyes like flames of fire.

Hebrews 4:13
13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

So, what does the “eyes like a flame of fire” see and where did His burnished bronze feet go?

II. The Commendation of the Church
Revelation 2:19
19 “‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first.

Remember, even in some churches with deep biblical flaws and a toleration of sin, there are those, a remnant, who are faithful. They try to change the course of sin that is flowing in their fellowship.

Jesus commends the church in Thyatira for five good things; works, love, faith, service, and patient endurance. And what’s more, he tells them, “Your latter works exceed the first.” So not only are they doing “good things” but are growing in their good deeds. They have big time problems in this church, but that doesn’t keep Jesus from seeing and commending those that are producing, through Christ, fruit of the Spirit. Once He gets their attention, He wants for them to get the seriousness of what’s next.

III. The Concern for the Church
Revelation 2:20-23
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.

Though a strong remnant kept themselves pure, other believers in the church of Thyatira tolerated the wicked words of “Jezebel” and her followers.

Charles Swindol writes, “Her name probably wasn’t literally Jezebel. She likely had characteristics similar to the Jezebel of the Old Testament mentioned in 1 Kings 16-21. The original Jezebel corrupted the kingdom of Israel when she married King Ahab, leading the people into idolatry and sin.



1 Kings 16:31-33
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. 32 He erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria. 33 And Ahab made an Asherah. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.

Jezebel was deceptive, idolatrous, domineering, scheming, and vicious. Similarly, the “Jezebel” of Thyatira led many in the church into similar sins, perhaps using similar methods. Although she had no official authority, she bullied people and introduced teachings that were contrary to what the established leadership taught.”

This Jezebel type in this church is long gone, however her style of false teaching is alive and well and destroying many churches today. According to this false teacher “Jezebel”, maybe she argued that it didn’t matter if believers sinned, since God would graciously forgive them. Or she may have even encouraged believers to experience the deep things of Satan so they could better witness to unbelievers.

The deep things of Satan: one that was free to engage in the spear of Satan and participate in the sins of the body without harming the spirit. They indulged in the works of the flesh and brazenly come to worship God.

5. How dangerous is sin in a believer’s life?

6. What is the potential cost for followers of Christ to be involved in and participate in a church who tolerates sin?

Remember, we don’t have to be a part of the world, to reach the world! Even though we live in the world, we don’t have to be of the world. This woman might have been justifying participation in the Roman Imperial cult, with the result that the Christians in Thyatira engaged in idolatrous, immoral actions, that accompanied pagan celebrations.

If you are a true believer and get caught in sin, you will repent. This false prophetess had the opportunity to repent but refused.

Revelation 2:21
21 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality.

The refusal to repent of sin identifies someone as unregenerate (or unsaved). How do you know you are a believer? If you sin and it bothers you deeply.

The writer of Hebrews 12:5-8 says,
5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?
“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”
7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

God disciplines His own. If you are a believer, you are under God’s discipline. The way you become a child of God is not by joining a club; it’s becoming a part of a family where God is your Father.

7. What does God’s discipline look like?

8. Would you consider God’s discipline to his children a merciful blessing? Why or why not?

By refusing to repent, Jezebel declared that she did not belong to the people of God. Since she would not repent her judgement including sickness and death—not only for the false teacher, but also for her deceived followers. False teachers not only are evil in and of themselves they deceitfully drag others with them. Jesus graphically describes the serious consequences for those who lead other believers into sin.

Matthews 18:6
6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

The sobering reality should cause all who claim to be teachers and preachers in the church to be certain they are speaking the truth.

James 3:1
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.

In verses 22-23 God promises to judge the false prophetess and her followers once and for all.
The original Jezebel in 2 Kings 9 meets a gruesome death (2 Kings 9:30-37) as Elijah prophesied in 1 Kings 21:23.

Now we come to the:
IV. The call to the Church
Revelation 2:24-29
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. 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, 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.’

Christ makes this call; those among the faithful and were not caught up in Jezebel’s schemes and refused to tolerate it, they were simply to “hold fast” to what they had, refuse to accommodate her wickedness and stand against deception at any cost.

9. For believers who do not wish to tolerate sin, how do we hold fast in an ever increasing sinful world that is infiltrating the church as a whole?

What will be the reward of the true believer? They are promised authority over the nations, we will rule and reign with Christ.

Look back at Rev. 2:26-27
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, even as I myself have received authority from my Father.

Promise taken from Psalm 2:7-9
I will tell of the decree:
The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron
and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”

This will be a part of the 2nd coming in the millennial reign: Revelation 20:6
6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

Like the previous verses, the promise of the morning star (rev. 22:10) is a promise that the conquers/overcomers will be identified with Jesus and share in His rule.


Southeast Community Church Inc. • 912-729-8480 • • 130 N Gross Road Suite 107 Kingsland, GA 31548