Title: Unchanging Faith Life/(Rev 2:18-29)
“To him who overcomes and keeps my works to the end, I will give authority over the nations” (Rev 2:26).
Unbelievable people in the world are whimsical. You never know when you will change your mind, or when you will change your mind. We hope that the saints of the Holy Bok will not be capricious until the day they stand before the Lord. Many blessings in the Bible all have conditions. Deuteronomy 5, 8, Joshua 1, etc. He promises us that if we keep God's ordinances and laws and do not lean left or right, we will be blessed. The apostle Paul closes the epistle to Ephesians, saying, "Grace be to all who have an abiding love for our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 6:24). No matter how many years the church is, if you ask which church is reliable, the church your grandfather went to, your father attends, and the church your child attends is the most reliable. Even in tribulation, he is not shaken. Youngnak Church has been through difficulties. But it did not falter. It's not because there are a lot of church members. Because the roots are strong.
A married couple promises a 100-year journey no matter what hardships and adversity they face. The same goes for our lives, our faith, and our families. After the wedding, I asked the brides. What would you like to ask your groom? I wanted you to love me unchangingly as I love you now. The same was true for the groom. No matter what in the world changes, love should not change. The same is true of the religious life. It shouldn't move with the wind like a weather vane. Jesus and we are in an affectionate relationship. The Lord does not change under any circumstances. He took up the cross to atone for our sins and proclaimed that it was finished. Parents pass on everything they own to their children and die. why ? Because I love you.
Today's text tells the story of the church in Thyatira. Like any other church, he was praised and rebuked. Looking at the contents, we want to check our faith and receive grace and challenge once again.
First, there are five praises of the Lord (verse 19). It is “business, love, faith, service, and perseverance.” In particular, work here refers to work done for the sake of the Lord. What is the most valuable thing in the world? I believe that this is what we do for the Lord. Revelation 2:2 says, “I know your works and your toil and your perseverance.” Why is it that we don't eat or eat, we don't spend anything, we give before the Lord, we don't spare ourselves, we work hard, we work hard, we serve and are loyal? It's nothing else. Because we firmly believe that there is an eternal afterlife and that there is a heaven and a hell. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth” (Matthew 6:19). “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:20). Why? Because the last thing we have is what we have saved up for God.
Second, he praised the specific actions of the church in Thyatira. As you know, putting it into practice is difficult. “Children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and truth” (1 John 3:18). It's not because we're busy that we can't serve. It's not because I can't give
Although we cannot die for other things, we can die for our mission. If you die working for a company, you are called obedient. If you die for your country, you are martyred. To die for the Lord is martyrdom. It is not martyrdom that must be killed by the sword and by the gun. If you die while fulfilling the mission the Lord has given you for me where I am, that is martyrdom. "It is appointed for man to die once." Because of the Lord, I pray in the name of the Lord that you will receive the crown of life and reward by devoting yourself and faithfully for the sake of the Lord. “I will repay each of you according to your deeds” (verse 23b). The Church of Thyatira was a persevering church. It was a church that was getting better and better. Our beliefs must remain constant throughout. The iron rule is that when people meet, they leave. But how you break up is important. The setting sun is more beautiful than the rising sun. As the couple gets older, their relationship deepens. I hope that you will continue to be faithful to the Lord more and more and receive a crown reward.
Third, there was reproof. It was, “You tolerate a woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, who teaches and seduces my servants to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed to idols” (verse 20). From 1 Kings 16, Jezebel was a princess from the land of Sidon and became the queen of King Ahab of Northern Israel. But when this woman came in, she brought in the god of Baal, built a temple for the god of Baal, and made the people fall into idolatry. It also tormented the prophet Elijah, who rebuked it. In addition to idolatry, he did not hesitate to commit the evil of plundering and killing innocent people out of greed. Later, because of her, the dynasty was overthrown and even changed. You have to realize that one wrong woman can ruin the whole house. We see cases of suffering from marrying a foreigner. See the roots before marriage.
Dear saints,
In the name of the Lord, I pray in the name of the Lord that all the saints who will receive praise from the Lord and receive the crown of heavenly reward by breaking down idols within us and serving God's work faithfully.