The Church At Thyatira (Part 1)

Q: What does the Bible say about the church at Thyatira?

The Bible indicates that the church at Thyatira was known for its love, service, faith, and patience as commended by Christ. In Revelation 2:18-19, Christ addresses the church at Thyatira, recognizing their charitable deeds, service, faith, and patience. They were a unique congregation where God had established a hearing of His gospel, showing the importance of His grace in opening hearts to the message of salvation. Notably, the church is highlighted for their growth and maturing in faith, underscoring the importance of being faithful to the message of Christ as they are observed with God's eyes, which see all things perfectly and intimately. Their commendation comes from Christ as the head of the church, reminding them of their responsibility to witness to His grace in their community.

Q: How do we know God's sovereignty in salvation?

God's sovereignty in salvation is evident through Scripture, which reveals His unconditionally electing love. The sovereignty of God in salvation is emphasized in various theological teachings and Scriptural references found throughout the Bible. For instance, Ephesians 1:4-5 describes how believers were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, underscoring that salvation is not based on human decision but rather the divine will of God. Moreover, Romans 8:28-30 articulates how God predestined, called, justified, and glorified those whom He has chosen. This indicates a clear divine initiative in salvation, demonstrating that it is by grace alone that anyone comes to faith, and that it ultimately rests in the hands of an all-sovereign God, who ensures that His elect will be brought to spiritual life and faith.

Q: Why is faith important for Christians?

Faith is essential for Christians as it is the means through which they are justified and relate to God. Faith holds a foundational place in the life of a Christian, as emphasized repeatedly in Scripture. Hebrews 11:6 indicates that without faith it is impossible to please God, which speaks to the necessity of having tangible trust in God's promises. Furthermore, Romans 5:1 explains that believers are justified by faith, thereby granting them peace with God. This faith is a gift bestowed by God (Ephesians 2:8-9), affirming that it is not derived from human efforts but divinely granted. Consequently, faith is not only the means by which individuals accept Christ's sacrifice but also the continual practice that sustains their relationship with God and leads them to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord.

Q: What does the Bible say about love in the context of faith?

The Bible teaches that true love manifests through obedience to Christ and mutual love among believers. According to 1 John 4:20, the nature of true love is inseparable from the acknowledgment of God and His commandments. John writes, 'If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar.' This affirms that love in the Christian context is profoundly linked to the recognition of God's truth and expressed in relationships among believers. Additionally, 1 John 3:16-18 illustrates that love must be evidenced in actions, showcasing the need for believers to love one another earnestly and sacrificially, reflecting the love Christ has shown for them. Love, rooted in God's character, grows in truth and leads to a deeper understanding and engaging in Christ's mission.

Turn with me to the book of Revelation
chapter 2. Revelation chapter 2. Carl, thank
you for that reading and those words. As we continue in our study of
the letters that were written to the churches by our Lord,
through the Apostle John. We look this morning, beginning in verse 18 through
the end of the chapter, and it was the letter that was written
to the church at Thyatira. Now this letter is written to the place,
the church where the Lord raised up a hearing, where He allowed
His gospel to be preached. And as Brother Carl just said,
it's a grand privilege to be able to, number one, have a place
where the Lord would raise up in any area a hearing of His
gospel. He is not obviously obligated
to under any circumstances to raise up a place. But then secondly,
here's a place. And he has to give a heart, to
desire to be there, to long to hear. And as our brother just
said, there are folks all over the place within shouting distance
of this place that have no heart to be here. But this church,
Thyatira, was mentioned only one time in the Scriptures before
this particular place right here in the book of the Revelation.
And there was a lady that the Lord was pleased to open her
heart. Her name was Lydia over in the
book of Acts. You've heard the story. go and
read that, but it was a group of ladies that were meeting down
at a riverbed. They were there to have a time
of prayer, is what the Scripture says, Bob. And they came together,
and Paul the Apostle, led by the Spirit of God, to be there
at that place where those women were. And Paul preached the Gospel
to them, and the Scripture says, and the Lord opened Lydia's heart,
and she attended to the words that Paul was saying. That's
the way it happens. God Almighty sends a preacher,
and that man is prepared by God's Spirit to preach the gospel. And he preaches the gospel, and
those to whom God is pleased to open their heart, He causes
them to hear, and they attend. to it. She opened her home up
and she told Paul, and she said, if you've counted me worthy to
come, would you come to my house and let me minister to you, fix
you something to eat? My home is your home. And I don't
know exactly what else happened that transpired from that time,
but I know that the next time that Thyatira is mentioned right
here. The Lord raised up a church.
I don't know what He did, but through I know an event that
happened. There was a woman, a seller of
purple, a business lady, and the Lord gave her a heart for
this. Now with all the letters that
are written to the churches as John has penned, This letter
was written, the Scripture says in verse 18, unto the angel of
the church in Thyatira write. Now, it was written to the pastor,
addressed to the pastor. And that pastor's responsibility
was to feed the flock with the message that the Lord had laid
upon his heart. We go through as we take these
Scriptures and as we've taken different books, and we began
to go through these books line by line, 66 books. The reason that I've picked the
different books that we have, Leviticus and Song of Solomon
and Revelation, the reason I've taken those different books is
because those are the books that I felt impressed to preach out
of. That was the reason. It wasn't
that I just said, well, okay, today I think I'll just pick
here, and I'll just start right there. No. Prayerfully considered,
contemplated, and prayed over, what would the Lord have me to
preach out of? Because it is His Word, blessing
His Word to the people's heart. That's what I'm concerned about.
I want to hear. I want you to hear. I want the
Lord's message for us today. So it's the pastor's responsibility. Jeremiah 3.15, the Lord said,
I will send you, I'll give you pastors after My heart. Number one, pastors that He's
chosen according to His heart, but also pastors that He's given
a heart for the Lord. I'll give you pastors. And in
this teaching, the Lord's pastors as under-shepherds, they are
to point the flock to Christ by the preaching of the gospel.
It would be the most embarrassing thing to me. I would take my
word for it when I tell you this. I would go home at night, and
I think any pastor would, grieving over the fact if I thought that
I had stood in this pulpit and had been unfaithful to preach
the gospel of Christ to you. There's times that I go home
at night, believe this or not, and I'll think back on a sentence
that I think I should have said. And I think to myself, if I would
have made that one statement, maybe I would have conveyed the
point a little bit more, and I'll grieve over that, and I'll
just fret over that, and I'll go to bed at night fretting over
that, to the point that Glenda will say, Marvin, you made the
point. They got it. But in my mind, I'm not right.
I'm telling you the truth. It bothers me. It bothers me
if I think that I have not set forth clearly and completely
the Gospel of Christ to you because I realize that there are those
that are in this congregation this morning who are God's elect,
that God Almighty has called out by His grace, loved everlastingly. And for me to be unfaithful in
that proclamation bothers me. Well, the Lord sent this letter
to the pastor, the angel at the church that was at Thyatira. And he said, these things saith
the Son of God. is written from Him who describes
Himself as He is, God's Son. Therefore, based upon that fact
right there, this message is to be trusted and obeyed. It's to be heard, understood
by God's people, because the Lord will teach them. Now, in
Revelation 1.13, John had referred to the Lord under the inspiration
of the Spirit of God as the Son of Man. And in that, He assured,
that is, the Lord Himself assured the church of His love and His
sympathy to them, to her, His bride, and His association with
her, the Son of Man. That is, He was touched with
the feelings of her infirmities. He knows what she feels, He Himself
being man. Here He says, I am the Son of
God, God Himself. The church is assured of His
sovereignty, of His power, of His might. He is the Head and
the Savior of the body. So this letter to the church
at Thyatira is from the Son of God, who reveals Himself, the
Scripture next says, who hath His eyes like unto a flame of
fire. Now, these penetrating, omniscient
eyes sets forth He who sees. And also, He says His feet are
like fine brass." That is, the one that writes is He who is
the enduring firmness of His people, able to watch and protect
His people while His providential dealings with this world also
is just, holy, and powerful. The church is assured that the
one who watches over her watches her with perfect insight in all
things, and he is not as all other gods are." Now let me show
you something. Turn with me to Isaiah 44. Isaiah 44. Now I'm going to read
a passage of Scripture, verse 9 to 20. At first I thought,
well, I won't read. that much, because that's a lot
of verses. But I thought, no, I would do
better to read more Scripture and less commenting than I would
less Scripture and try to comment more. This description that sets
forth, He said to the church at Thyatira, I am the one whose
eyes are penetrating, feet brass. All other gods, now let me make
this perfectly clear. All other gods of the imagination,
of images, are described right here. Now, to make sure that
you understand perfectly what I'm saying is this. There is
a God that is created by natural man. Now let me tell you how
that God is, and then I'm going to read this passage of Scripture.
That God is the God, the One that is created in the minds,
in the imagination of man. That God is the God that people
refer to as the God that wants to do something for you. He is
the God that has laid down His life in the person of His dear
Son. That's what they're saying now.
They're saying that Jesus Christ laid down His life and paid for
all men's sins. They said He came into this world
and paid the debt of everybody. Since everybody's sins are paid
for, all you have to do now to make it effectual for you, He
wants to save you if you'll let Him. He wants to be kind to you. He wants to be gracious to you.
He wants to bless you. He's got a great plan for you
if you will allow Him to be God. If you will allow Him, you who
is really Almighty, if you will allow Him who is trying to do
the best He can and bring you to heaven. He died for you. He loves you. He wants to save
you. But He can't unless you let Him. Now, He's God, but He can't do
everything. He can't do everything. He's
almighty, but you're all mightier because it's going to take your
free will to let Him be God. Now, that God right there is
no God at all. That God is the God Almighty. That God is the God that God
Almighty is going to curse in His people. That God is not God,
and He's described in this passage right here. 9 says, ìThey that make a graven
image are all of them vanity, and their delectable things shall
not profit. And they are their own witnesses,
and they see not, nor know that they may be ashamed, who have
formed a god.î Notice that little god. or molten a graven image
that is profitable for nothing? Behold, all his fellows shall
be ashamed, and the workmen they are of men. Let them all be gathered
together. Let them stand up. Yet they shall
fear, and they shall be ashamed together. The smith with the
tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers,
worketh it with the strength of his arms. Yea, he is hungry,
and his strength faileth. He drinketh no water, and is
faint." What I just said right there is a man that is trying
to make himself a God. He works his fingers to the bone.
He won't quit. I mean, he is diligent. He perseveres in his deadness,
is what he is saying. The carpenter stretcheth out
his roof, He maketh it out with a line, marketh it out with a
line. He fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with a
compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according
to the beauty of a man, that it may remain in the house. And
he heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak,
which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest.
And he planteth an ash, and the rain to nourish it, and then
shall it be for a man to burn. For he will take thereof and
warm himself, yea, he kindleth it, baketh bread, yea, he maketh
a god, and he worshipeth it, he maketh it a graven image,
and falleth down thereto. He burneth part thereof in the
fire, with part thereof he eateth flesh, he roasteth roast, is
satisfied, yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I
have seen the fire, and the residue thereof he makes of God. Even
his graven image he falleth down unto it, and worshipeth it, and
prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me, for thou art my God. They have not known nor understood. For he hath shut their eyes that
they cannot see, and their hearts that they cannot understand,
and none considereth in his heart. Neither is there knowledge nor
understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire. Yea, also I have baked bread
upon the coals thereof, I have roasted flesh, I have eaten it,
and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? Shall
I fall down to the stalk of a tree? He feedeth on ashes, and a deceived
heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul,
nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?" Do you understand
what he just said? He said man creates a God in
his mind and says outwardly, I believe in God Almighty. I
believe in salvation by grace. But all I have to do is say,
wait a minute, Wait a minute. What do you mean in salvation
by grace and all you've got to do? If grace is grace and it's
not works, or rather work is not grace, and man comes down
and cuts himself a tree and cuts him up a little kindling wood
and goes out and builds a fire and makes himself, takes the
rest of it, makes him a god. Man takes in his own mind and
creates a god in his mind that he says, this God can save me,
but I've got to let Him do it. A man's out in the water. If
somebody falls off of a ship, take an aircraft carrier, a fellow
falls off a ship and he falls out in the water, I'll tell you
this, they're going to send a helicopter after him to try to find him.
But I promise you, unless that helicopter finds that man out
in that water, that fellow out there in the water, It's not
left up to him whether he's going to decide to let that helicopter
save him. Either that man in that helicopter
finds him and saves him, or that fellow is gone. Man by nature
is lost and creates a false god that he decides is going to be
allowed to save him. That's not the God that's writing
to the church at Thyatira. This God that writes is the God
God Almighty, I know My people. He hath His eyes like unto a
flame of fire, and His feet are like fine brass." And he says
in verse 19, I know thy works. The Lord graciously takes notice
of the graces of His people. He is the author and finisher
of them. Of ourselves, we can do nothing. We are incapable. We're sheep. You know, we think of that word,
and that's the way Scripture describes God's people, sheep.
But let me tell you something, if you're honest about it, if
you know anything about sheep, sheep are stupid. They're ignorant. And I'm telling you, they'll
just go off and just leave a sheep to themselves. They'll just wander
off. They need a shepherd. They need
somebody to watch them. And the Lord graciously watches
over His people. He said, I know thy works. Isaiah 54, 17 says, No weapon
that is formed against thee shall prosper. And every tongue that
shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the
heritage of the servants of the Lord. And listen to this, "...and
their righteousness is of Me, saith the Lord." If there's anything
good said about God's people, it's this, the Lord did it. God Almighty has done it. Obviously, these commendations
are never said to give honor to the flesh, but they're spoken
heartfully from Him who cannot lie to the encouragement of His
people." He said, I know your works. Those works are set forth
here. He said, and your charity. I know your works, and here's
what they are. I know your charity. That is,
your love, your affection, and your benevolence. who are born
of God love the Lord Jesus Christ as He is revealed to be the Messiah. All who are born of God love
Christ, not as man describes Him to be, but as He is set forth
in this Scripture. All that are born of God believe
God's sovereignty in salvation, God's sovereignty in providence,
God's sovereignty over creation. All that are born of God believe
that man has no free will. All that are born of God behold
God Almighty as the author and finisher of their faith. And
all that believe not that God Almighty is sovereign in salvation
and has mercy and compassion on whom He will. All that believe not that are
not born of God. They are not believers. They
that are born of God believe God and agree with Almighty God. I know your works. I know your
charity. Your love. Whosoever believeth
that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. I won't go into the depth
of that, but let me make one statement. When you say that
Jesus is the Christ, this is what you're saying. Not what
man believes the Christ is, but what God says, or who God says
the Christ is. Christ is the One in whom all
of God's elect were chosen before the foundation of the world.
The Christ is the one who is the surety that stood for the
sheep. Christ is the one who came into
this world born of a woman, born under the law, that walked before
Almighty God, obeying perfectly the law of God and His people
in Him. The Christ is the One who laid
down His life for the sheep. The Christ is the One who told
the Pharisees, You don't believe Me because you're not My sheep. My sheep hear My voice and they
follow Me. The Christ is the One who died
under God's judgment. paid the penalty in full. And then as the scapegoat took
away the sins of his people, as far as the East is from the
West, that is the Christ. The Scripture says, Whosoever
believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. And every one
that loveth Him that begat that is, the Father, loveth him also
who is begotten, that is, the Lord Jesus Christ. All who are
born of God also love one another. 1 John 4.20 says, If a man say,
I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar. For he that loveth
not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom
he hath not seen." But let me tell you, people say, oh, I love
my brother. Love is more than this phony,
candy-coated smile that means nothing. Love you. Love you,
brother. Love is this. This is the bottom
line if you want to know what is love. Love is to be truthful
concerning Christ. That's what it is. Ephesians
4.15 exhorts us, Paul says, but speaking the truth in love may
grow up into him in all things which is the head, even Christ. Brother Carl was just relating
a moment ago about someone standing up being at a funeral. And I know this. This is the
way it is. It's always the way it is. It's
always, you know, we're at a place where death has occurred. And I do understand the attempt
of men to try to be sensitive. I understand that. I'm not a
stone to where I don't understand that. I do understand that. The
point of the matter is this. Though a man be as sensitive
as he possibly can to people, if I'm not truthful about it,
then all I did was just manifest, I really don't believe it. I
just don't believe it. I mean, I want to be sensitive
to you and kind to you, and I know that this is a time when your
feelings are... I understand that. But love is
manifested in truthfulness. The truth. The Lord Jesus Christ
said, I'm the way, I'm the truth. I'm the truth. I'm the light.
Love is of God. Love is of God. So if there's
anything love, and I'm not just... Everything that we can come up
with or say concerning love, you know, this young boy falls
in love with this girl. A man loves his... Love is manifested
only in the truth. and the truth is Christ. Now
let me prove that to you by this Scripture. 1 John 4, verse 9 says, ìIn this
was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent
His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through
Him.î Now let me show you something here. Love was manifested in
truth. through that Scripture right
there. God Almighty revealed His love to His people in truth. First of all, the Scripture says
God truthfully declared that Christ was the only Mediator
and Savior. God sent His only begotten Son
into the world. When God sent His Son into the
world, God was truthful. This is the Mediator. between
myself and men." That's what the Lord God was saying. God
truthfully, secondly, declared that He was just. We needed a
substitute to take our place. Why? Because we're sinners. Scripture
says, "...in this was manifested the love of God toward us, because
God sent His only begotten Son into the world." God is a just
God. I'll have mercy on whom I'll
have mercy." Compassion, that's what I quoted a while ago. Therefore,
because we're sinners, that's what He was saying when He sent
His Son. We're sinners and need a substitute. And thirdly, in that Scripture
we see this, God truthfully declared that He was merciful to His people. The last part of it, it says
this, that we might live through Him. God is a God of mercy. He's merciful. He's just. God never shows mercy at the
expense of His justice. He says, I know your works. I know your charity. I know your
love. Secondly, He says, I know your
service. That word service there means
your attendance to service or aid in ministration." You think,
what in the world are you saying? It seems to indicate a commitment
to the ministry of the gospel. That's what it's about. Your
service. A commitment to the ministry of the gospel. to the spread of the gospel. There was, the Lord saw in this
place, in this church at Thyatira, there was a sacrifice of their
time, of their money and labor so that others might hear the
gospel of free grace. There was a loving readiness
to help one another in their anxieties, in their distress,
in their sufferings, which came about by Lot, human Lot. Turn with me to 2 Corinthians
chapter 9. I want to read verses 6 to 8. I
started to read the whole chapter there, but I thought, no, let's
just look at this. This is a passage of Scripture
where Paul the Apostle, under the inspiration of the Spirit
of God, is giving instruction. I read an article that Brother
Henry wrote, and I can't remember exactly how it went, but I remember
the jest of it. Someone, he said in the article,
asked him, he said, are God's people to be, you know, you preach,
The gospel of free grace. Are they to be just left to the
movement of the Spirit of God to direct them in all of their
dealings, earthly dealings, or are they to be instructed outwardly? Brother Henry's answer was both.
Both. We need to be told and reminded
of what the Scripture sets forth as being necessary. The Lord
told the church at Thyatira, He says, I know your service. And that service deals directly
with their commitment to the ministry. 2 Corinthians 9, verse
6, But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly. And he which soweth bountifully
shall reap also bountifully. Every man, according as he hath
purposed in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly or of
necessity, for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make
all grace abound toward you, that ye also, having all sufficiency
in all things, may abound to every work." It is never, it
is never, it is never a loss that a man or a woman support
the gospel in the ministry where they attend, where they are.
It's never. Whether it be their time, whether
it be their study, whether it be their money. Now, I do understand
that we have in our minds, we get the mindset of this. I can't afford to do this. Do not ever be fooled by the
foolish thought that we are indebted to Almighty God and God Almighty
will leave His people to themselves. It is a privilege to be able
to support the ministry. There are some places that I
know of, not only here, and as I've said before, We are able
to come here. We are here. This is the place
that the Lord has given us to do. And whether it be the support
of the pastor, or the pastor who is not able to be here this
morning because of illness, or the upkeep of these lights, or
whatever it is, God Almighty has made this statement. And
I know how men have abused this. I will watch them on television,
and I will hear them. And what they're doing is they're
taking this Scripture right here. They're quoting it exactly. I've
listened to it. They've not misquoted it one
bit. And they'll say, so sparingly, she'll reap sparingly. But you
remember, you say, well, how do you know the difference? I'll
tell you how. You remember the woman that came
to the Lord at the well and she says, well, you know, we worship
the Lord in this place. And you say, you worship the
Lord in this place. And the Lord says, they that
worship. Worship in spirit and in what? Truth. Truth. How do you know? This Word right here is written
from the Lord Jesus Christ to His Bride. We're going through
Song of Solomon on Wednesday nights. And you listen to the
words of the Lord to His Bride, the way He speaks to her. Now,
that letter is not for anybody. If I wrote a letter to Glenda,
and I speak to her and write her, you know, to my precious
wife, just, you know, I love you, and I, you know, it's a
joy and a privilege. And it fell out of my truck and
flew down 250, and some woman picks it up and says, huh, Marvin
Stoniker, to my precious wife, and she says, well, I think I'll
just associate this to me. And I said, well, there's only
one problem with that. I didn't write that to you. I
wrote that to one woman. I wrote that to her. That's the
only one. This letter right here is written
to God's people, to the church, to the bride. And for some charlatan
to take it and to try to browbeat people into doing something so
that they can give to a ministry and they're propagating lies,
that doesn't pertain to them. Let me say this, to you who are
God's people, the Lord is never, never, never going to be indebted
to people. He that sows sparingly is going
to reap just exactly like that. Now you say, well, Marvin, you
know you're starting to meddle. No. I'm going to tell you what
I'm doing. I'm being truthful with you. I'm telling you the
truth. I'm telling you the truth. There's a grand blessing in honorably
supporting the ministry. The Lord says, I know your service. I'm not going to make it through
this letter today. I'll tell you what I'll do. I'm
going to say just one more thing, maybe on faith, and then Lord
willing, we'll come back and finish it tonight. That be okay?
Well, let's just do that. He says, I know your service. I know your service. We give
from this church We support the ministries down in Mexico and
different places have. And I'm telling you, the blessing
upon this church, and I'm not talking about since I got here
either. I'm talking about 50 years where
you that have been here for years and years and years, I'll say
this again and I won't embarrass Brother Scott because he's not
here. I do that often, I know, but that's okay. This man has
been faithful and has taught this church. Brother Paul Mahan
told me when I moved here. I told some of you this. He told
me, he said, I can't think of a man that's more blessed than
you are. He said, you have been sent by the Spirit of God, he
said, to a place that God has, number one, raised up a church.
He said, number two, he said there's a pastor that was there
for 50 years right at him. He said that faithfully was teaching
God's Word. And he said there's a people
there that are taught the truth of God's Word. And he said, there
you come in, he said, behind a man who had been faithful,
faithful. And he said, a people that love
what they've heard by God's grace. And he said, then when you go
and travel someone, you have someone to fill that pulpit.
He said, and is Scott Richardson? He said, what more do you want?
I said, nothing. I don't want anything. Blessed
place. Taught. Faithful. Faithful. Faithful. You see a
need, you do it. You provide for it. I know that.
I know that. The Lord said, I see your service. And then He says, and I see also
your faith. Your faith. Here is the grace
that no man pleases God without. And it's not of themselves. It
was given unto them to believe. Faith, that gift from God that
is the substance of things that are hoped for. It's the evidence
of things that are not seen. The Scripture tells God's people,
you're justified. Really justified by His grace.
Justified by His blood. Justified, and it's evidenced
to you that believe by faith. How would I know? that I'm justified
before God. How would I know that, Brother
Darris? How would I? How? Faith reveals it to me. Justified by works before others. That's what the Lord said. I
see your works. I see there's a need that comes up. Done. I know that. The faith
of God's elect. that by which a man believes
God and believes that God has justified him freely by grace. I see your faith and your patience,
your constancy and your endurance. Those who by God's grace are
most charitable, diligent in the ministry and faithful to
the things of God are often those who suffer and who walk through
the greatest and most trying of times. This is just the way
it is. Those that are kept by the power
of God and walk faithfully by God's grace to any merit of themselves. James 1 verse 3 says, knowing
this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. Patience, that peaceful resolve
of the heart to the will of God. It is the most, to me, the most
refreshing experience, if I can use that word, and I do, it's
the most refreshing experience to my heart to watch those that
God has providentially, and I know this, I can't change it. You
can't either. You can't change the situation
you're in. By and large, you can. There are some things you
can, but some you can't. But to watch a saint of God just
resolved. It's the Lord. Let Him do what
seems good. Just watch that saint of God. And I think to myself, my goodness,
what a miracle of God's grace. And then he says, and I'll close
with this verse. and thy works, and the last to
be more than the first." Here is seen by the Lord the maturing
of His people because He has matured them. He says, He started
off in that verse, and He says, I know thy works. And He says,
I know your charity, service, faith, patience, and thy works. Notice He said that twice. And
then He says, in the last, to be more than the first. Turn with me to Ephesians chapter
4. Look at verse 11. He gave some
apostles and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors
and teachers for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of
the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Verse
14. that we henceforth be no more
children tossed to and fro, carried about with every wind of doctrine
by the slight of men in cunning craftiness, whereby they lie
in wait to deceive. But speaking the truth," that's
what we read this morning, "...speaking the truth in love may grow up
into him in all things which is the head, even Christ." Now,
the evidence of spiritual maturity. is a steady resolve and meekness
toward God's providence. As I've said before, meekness
does not mean weakness. The Lord was the meek. He said of Himself, I am meek
and lowly in heart. I am meek. Meekness is the bowing
to God's providence. And it evidences itself in patience. A person is patient. because
God Almighty has made them to be meek. Now, the means of this
maturity is through the continual hearing of the gospel. This is
how God strengthens His people. 2 Peter 3.18 says, "...but grow
in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ." What does it mean to grow in grace? Grace is a humbling principle. That is, it is a principle that
is taught. It is the attribute of God Himself. He is gracious. God is gracious.
It is that principle which reveals our helplessness and our need
of the Lord. We need grace. We don't deserve
grace. We deserve in ourselves wrath. That's what we deserve. Why?
Because every one of us are rebels against God. I don't care how
sweet you are, how humble you think you are. When it comes
right down to it, we're just nothing but just low-down scoundrels.
We're selfish, self-centered. That's all we are. We need God's
grace. which is shown toward us that
we don't deserve is grace. Grace is a humbling attribute
from God. It humbles us. I need grace. I want to believe that I'm able. I'm not able. Therefore, growing
in grace is actually to increase in humbleness. And if humbleness
could actually be performed by myself, then I'm going to be
proud if I could make myself more humble. That's what it's
going to do. I'm going to actually be proud
because I became more humble. Only one man, the Lord Jesus
Christ, ever humbled himself. We cannot humble ourselves, but
growing in grace, To grow in grace is to actually increase
in humbleness. That's what it means. Grace is
of God and growth in grace is not a growth in my position of
grace, but of my knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God's people continually sitting
under the Word. being taught of the person of
the Lord Jesus Christ, grow in grace, grow in humbleness because
they see more of the acquaintance that they possess of the plague
of their old nature. Little by little, week by week,
week in, week out, hearing the truth, there is an increasing
discovery of the pit from which I've been digged the way the
Scripture says it. And at the same time, the discovery
of more concerning Him and His preciousness. Here, in closing,
is a Scripture that I think perfectly reveals this. Isaiah 6-5, Isaiah
says, Then said I, Woe is me, for I am undone, because I am
a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean
lips, for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts."
Well, let's just stop there. And Lord willing, I'll pick up
in verse 20 tonight, and we'll try to finish this letter to
Thyatira.

The Church At Thyatira (Part 1)

What does the Bible say about the church at Thyatira?

How do we know God's sovereignty in salvation?

Why is faith important for Christians?

What does the Bible say about love in the context of faith?

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The Church At Thyatira (Part 1)

What does the Bible say about the church at Thyatira?

How do we know God's sovereignty in salvation?

Why is faith important for Christians?

What does the Bible say about love in the context of faith?

Sermon Transcript

About Marvin Stalnaker

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