Let us turn to God's Word and
turning to the book of Revelation in chapter 2. Revelation chapter
2 and I'll read the letter to the church of Thyatira as we
have it here in verses 18 to 29. The end of the chapter, Revelation
chapter 2. and reading from verse 18, And
unto the angel of the church in thy attire write, These things
saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of
fire, and his feet are like fine brass. I know thy works, and
charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works,
and the last to be more than the first, never notwithstanding
I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman
Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to
seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things
sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent
of her fornication, and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her
into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great
tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill
her children with death, and all the churches shall know that
I am He which searches the reins and hearts. And I will give unto
every one of you according to your works. But unto you I say,
and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine,
and which have not known the depths of Satan as they speak,
I will put upon you none other burden. But that which ye have
already, hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh and keepeth
my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations,
and he shall rule over them with a rod of iron, As the vessels
of a potter shall they be broken to shivers, even as I received
of my Father. And I will give him the morning
star, he that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith
unto the churches. And I want simply to take words
that we find here at verse 23 for a text. where we read of
the searching sight of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the middle of
this verse, verse 23, all the churches shall know that I am
he which searches the reins and the hearts. In Revelation 2,
23, all the churches, although this is being addressed to one
particular church, all the churches shall know that I am he which
searches the reins and hearts. It's interesting in all of the
letters there are seven letters of course in these chapters two
and three addressed to churches that were in Asia Minor and in
all of the seven letters as the Lord Jesus Christ addresses the
messenger of each church some aspects of that vision that John
was granted in chapter one, some aspect of it is mentioned in
the form of address that the Lord is pleased to use. For example
here, we read of his eyes in verse 18. As he addresses the church, these
things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a
flame of fire, and his feet are like unto fine brass. And remember how that's certainly
taken up in that vision in chapter 1 at verse 12 following. And so as we have mention of
his eyes there in the form of address, so in the particular
words that I want us to consider tonight, we are reminded of the
significance of those eyes. All the churches shall know that
I am he which searcheth the reins and the hearts. Now, last time
we were considering those words that were addressed in chapter
3, and addressed on that occasion to the church at Philadelphia.
In chapter 3 verse 7 following, and we took as our theme the
reference to the key of David. These things saith he that is
holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David. He that
openeth, and no man shutteth, and shutteth, and no man openeth,
I know thy works. Behold, I have set before thee
an open door, and no man can shut it, and so forth. The door
and the one who is the bearer of that key, the key of David. And again, when we go back to
the vision in chapter 1, John refers to the fact that he has
the keys of hell and of death. It seems with each of these letters
then there are certain aspects of what John sees in the glorified
Christ that are brought out. As I say, tonight I want us to
consider these words in the middle of verse 23 in this second chapter
and to say something with regards to the searching site. of the
Lord Jesus Christ. First of all to see how by his
eyes he is one who penetrates and exposes all sins and particularly
that sin of hypocrisy. He exposes the sinner. Remember
how back in Hebrews chapter 4 we read of the Word of God, quick
and powerful. sharper than a two-edged sword,
piercing to the dividing sunder of soul and spirit and of the
joints and marrow, a discerner of the thoughts and intents of
the hearts. Neither is there any creature
that is not manifest in his sight, for all things are naked and
open to the eyes of him with whom we have to do." We often
refer to those words in Hebrews 4, and we think in terms of holy
scripture but really in the in the context there it is obvious
that it's not so much the word in scripture but it's the word
incarnate who is being spoken of. It is the very one who is
addressing himself here in our text tonight to this church at
Thyatira and as the Lord Jesus is that one who sees all things
and exposes all things so he is the one who uncovering sins
is also the the punisher of sinners I will kill her children with
death it says referring to this Jezebel I will kill her children
with death and all the churches shall know that I am he which
searches the reins and the heart now we're not to think of Jesse
Baalbeck's woman of whom we read back in the first book of Kings
we have to think of her in a literal sense but the imagery as is so
often the case here in the Revelation is being taken from the Old Testament
this book that is full of sign and symbol so we can learn something
surely from what scripture records concerning that particular woman
and the The imagery is very striking here. In verse 20, I have a few
things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel,
which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants,
to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. Evidently there were those in
the church of Thyatira who were idolaters. They profess the name
of the Lord Jesus Christ, but they still practice certain idolatrous
aspects in their worship. And really, therefore, their
profession of Christ is a pretense. They're not the true disciples
of the Lord, they're hypocrites. They give an appearance of being
those who are part and parcel of the Church, and yet What they
do, the way they're living their lives is a betrayal of that profession. But here we see how the Lord
exposes, exposes their religion for what it is. The religion
of the hypocrites, it's a sham religion. And isn't that something
really that we can say is so evident in that woman Jezebel? in that short portion that we
read at the end of chapter 9 in 2nd Kings we're told as she painted
her face and tired her head and looked out at a window she wants
to be seen that's the significance of what's being said there she
she wants to appear and she wants to appear as somebody of some
significance and isn't that a certain aspect of those who are hypocrites. They make a show of their religion,
just as Dezima. She sought to enhance her beauty,
and that's what the hypocrite does, wants to appear to be something. Think of the words of the Lord
Jesus himself in The Sermon on the Mount, he says there in chapter
6, take heed that ye do not your arms before men to be seen of
them. Otherwise ye have no reward of
your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine
arms, do not sound a trumpet before thee as the hypocrites
do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory
of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward, they
make a display, just as that woman Jezebel is there sitting
at the window, that people might see her and remark on her great
beauty as she imagined. Again the Lord says there at
verse 5 in chapter 6 of Matthew, Here is the mark then of that
religion that is not real and genuine, but is but hypocrisy because
this woman who wants to make a display of herself and think
that she is looking very fine and fair as she sits in the window
but inwardly she was such an evil woman and we saw that in
the way in which she dealt with Naboth in that portion that we
read in 1st Kings chapter 21 what an evil woman she was even
a murderous woman, an idolater, a murderer, a persecutor of the
people of God. She even called herself a prophetess
and a teacher. This is what we're told here
in verse 20. And remember when we read of
her back in the first book of Kings in chapter 18, there we
have that incident at Mount Carmel, where Elijah challenges all those
false prophets, the prophets of Baal, and we're told how that
Jezebel entertained 850 false prophets at her table. She was
a supporter of those who were false prophets. She was such a wicked woman.
And this person who is being spoken of, or these various individuals
maybe in the Church of Thyatira, were of that very spirit. What do we see with this woman?
Hers then was a showy religion, a wordy religion. Something to
be seen. That is what the sham Christian
does, wants to make a display, wants to appear pious before
men and so forth. Then the writer says, no big
words of ready talkers, no dry doctrine will suffice. Broken
hearts and humble walkers, these are dear in Jesus' eyes. Oh,
it's not making a show of religion, it's being humble before the
Lord Jesus Christ and seeking to walk in obedience to His will
and His commandments. Now, the language here is very
strong when we see what is said concerning this woman. As many as have this doctrine
and which have not known the depths of Satan. Oh, there were
those, you see, who were not taken in by her. Many may have
been. But her doctrine is spoken of
as the depths of Satan. such an evil woman, the depths
of Satan. And when we think of the depths
of Satan, I think it's an interesting expression. When we come to consider
the truth of God, we often see God's truth being spoken of in
terms of mystery. Paul, when he writes to the Ephesians,
remember, and speaks of the Christian's armour and goes on to speak of
the necessity of prayer and desires prayer for himself, it's that
he might make known the mystery of the Gospel. He speaks of the
mystery of the Gospel. When he writes to the Colossians,
he speaks in chapter 2 and verse 2 of the mystery of God and of
the Father and of Christ. He also speaks again in Colossians
4 verse 2 of the mystery of Christ. He wants prayer that he might
be able to make known that mystery of Christ and all that that entails,
the mystery of the Trinity, the mystery of God, Christ the image
of the invisible God. Constantly we read then of mystery
in the terms of something so profound and really above and
beyond our understanding and our comprehension. And yet when
we come to read in 2 Thessalonians 2 of the man of sin and the son
of perdition, a great passage that speaks of antichrist, we
have there the expression the mystery of iniquity. Antichrist is the mystery of
iniquity, just as the gospel is the mystery of God and the
mystery of Christ. And you're probably familiar
with that little booklet by Christopher Wordsworth, who was Bishop of
Lincoln in the 19th century, who wrote a remarkable exposition
of 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. and he bore the title, Is the
Papacy Predicted by St. Paul? Is the Papacy Predicted
by St. Paul? And of course, he was a
bishop in the Church of England, but in that teaching he was following
very much the line that is taken by the Puritans, who recognized
that 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 is a remarkable description
of that that would arise, even the mystery of iniquity. And
what a mystery Antichrist is. When we think of the Church of
Rome, when we think of the papacy and all that it stands for, they
would say that they believe in the truth of the doctrine of
God, that God is a trinity. They would say that they believe
in the doctrine of the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. They
would accept the ancient creeds, the Nicene Creed, the Athanasian
Creed concerning Christ being God and man in one person. And yet, though they claim to
believe these truths, the whole system is a great mystery of
iniquity. And that's the religion of Antichrist. That's the religion of hypocrisy. He pretends to the truth and
yet does not truly believe the truth and accept the truth. Oh,
we ought to be those who would embrace those great mysteries
of the gospel, the mystery of the Lord Jesus Christ in his
person, in his incarnation. the mystery of the Lord Jesus
Christ in his dying upon the cross, and the great cry of dereliction. But here we have the Lord Jesus
as that one who can see into the very hearts of men and women. Man looks on the outward appearance.
The Lord looks upon the heart, and he exposes the hypocrite's
religion. And that's stated so evidently
here in the words of the text. All the churches shall know that
I am he which searcheth the reins and the hearts, and I will give
to every one of you according to your works." But this religion
of Jezebel, of the hypocrite, of the Antichrist, is not only
one that makes a show, a fine show, a fine spectacle of religion. Again, we can think in terms
of all the ceremony, that is so much part of Roman
Catholic worship. Something that very much appeals
to the senses. It's aesthetically pleasing to
many people to see all that pomp and ceremony. It's a big showy
religion. But that religion of Antichrist
is also what we might term a superior religion. The hypocrite does
think that way. The hypocrite thinks his religion
is better than others. And this is certainly so with
regards to this woman as she's spoken of. Look at what it says,
she calleth herself a prophetess. That woman Jezebel which calleth
herself a prophetess in verse 20 And again, isn't that claiming
something for self, setting self up? Think of the words of the
Lord Jesus, well really I suppose it's initially the words of John
the Baptist in his own ministry as he prepares a way for the
Lord Jesus Christ when he says to those Pharisees who came to
his baptizing, think not to say within yourselves, we have Abram
to our father. Well, that was the great boast
of the Jews. We are the children of Abram. They make claims. That's what
the hypocrite does. He wants to make a show. He wants
to make a claim. He considers himself to be so
much better than others. We see very much in that parable
that the Lord tells concerning the two men who go to the temple
at the hour of prayer. One was a pharisee and the other
was a publican. Remember how the Lord speaks
about how they approach God and approach prayer in such different
ways. What does the What does the Pharisee do? And
it says, he prayed thus with himself. It's very striking.
These two men, they go to the temple at the hour of prayer,
and he says, the Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself. God, I thank you that I am not
as other men are, extortioners, unjust adulterers, or even as
this publican. I fast twice in the week. I give
tithes of all that I possess. And in the contrast with the
publican who stands afar off, who feels himself so unworthy. But this man, it's like those Pharisees who
went to John, when he addresses them and says, say not within
yourselves, we have Abraham to our father. This man, his religion
never goes any further than himself. He prays us with himself, he
congratulates himself. And again we see it so clearly
in what he said in 2 Thessalonians 2 concerning the man of sin,
the son of perdition, the Antichrist, who opposeth, he says, and exalteth
himself above all that is worshipped, so that he as God sitteth in
the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. That's the religion
of the hypocrite. He makes a god of himself. He
congratulates himself. Oh, that's the false religion. In the game of those false prophets,
850 of them, who were sitting at the table of Jezebel. She
was giving her support to them. And how many true prophets of
the Lord were there? Just one true prophet. And that
was Elijah, who withstands them there in 1 Kings 18, withstands
them at Mount Carmel. He challenges them. And yet He
is one against 850 false prophets. Oh God's remnant is a very little
remnant, a very little remnant. But as the Lord addresses them,
fear not little flock, it is your Father's good pleasure to
give you the kingdom. Oh fear not thou worm Jacob and
ye few men of Israel, I will help thee saith the Lord thy
Redeemer. the Holy One of Israel. The Lord will make a distinction
then between those who are the false and those who are the true.
And dear Atayatira, whilst in many ways when the Lord addresses
them initially, it is clear that there are those who are true
believers in that church. I know thy works, he says, and
charity and service and faith and thy patience and thy works.
And the last to be more than the first, notwithstanding, I
have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman,
Jessica, that the Lord will expose, because his eyes are all searching,
his eyes are all seeing. Oh, he makes the hypocrite sad,
ultimately. But on the other hand, in the
second place, what we're told here in the text concerning those
eyes. All the churches, it says, not
just Sion Taylor, all the churches shall know that I am he which
searcheth the reins and hearts. Here is a mark then of that church
that is the true church, the Lord is there and the Lord is
ever always examining his people, thoroughly searching them out. The image that we have then is
very striking, the language He's very telling. He searches, it
says, the reins and the hearts. The reins here refers to the
kidneys, so we're told. Really, I suppose, what he's
speaking of is all the vital organs. It's man who looks on
the outward appearance, but the Lord, he looks on the heart. The Lord sees that that is within
us. The Lord sees that that is really
the whole root of the matter. And when the Lord comes and when
the Lord does search us, it's not a very pleasant experience
when the Lord comes to open the heart. Isn't that how the Lord
dealt with Lydia there in Acts 16 at Philippi? We're told how the Lord opened
her heart and she attended unto the things that were spoken of
Paul as the Lord opens her heart and opens her heart unto the
ministry of his servant the apostle and I say it's often not a very
pleasant experience the wise man tells us of God's dealings
by his knowledge it says the depths are broken all the depths
of the heart are broken up God comes to his people sometimes
and he shows greater and greater abominations within the hearts,
as it were, a chamber of images, as we see it there in Ezekiel
chapter 8. And there's that hymn of hearts,
not all the hymns are always, I think, suitable for singing
in public worship, but some of the hymns the well worth making
use of in our own devotions. Now think of what Hart says in
the hymn 310. Lord, when thy spirit descends
to show the badness of our hearts, astonished at the amazing view,
the soul with horror starts. Our staggering faith gives way
to doubt. Our courage yields to fear. Shocked
at the sight, we straight cry out, can ever God dwell here? And yet it is a blessed thing
when the Lord does deal with us in that fashion, and show
us what we are, and expose to our own guise the evils that
lie lurking within. The kingdom of God, we're told,
is that that is within a man. The words that we have there
in Luke chapter 17, where it's the It's the Pharisees again who
come to the Lord and make a request of him. He is demanded, in fact,
by them. In Luke 17, 20, he was demanded
of the Pharisees when the kingdom of God should come. And he answered
them and says, the kingdom of God cometh not with observation.
The Mahajan gives the alternative, the kingdom of God cometh not
without would show. You see, the religion of the
hypocrite is all on the outside. But that's not how God's kingdom
comes. The Lord goes on, neither shall they say, lo here or lo
there, for behold, the kingdom of God is within you. It's an
inward kingdom. It's that that God establishes
in the heart. As I said, God deals with that
that is really the very root of the matter. And here is one
of the marks, you see, of the grace of God in the soul of a
sinner that they find some comfort in what is being said here in
the text. The Lord is that one who searches
his people. All the churches know it. It's
a mark of the true church. It's made up of those who come
to the Lord in the spirit of David in Psalm 139, search me,
O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts,
and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the
way everlasting. I think I've quoted before the
words of John Flavel, the Puritan. He says this, he says, false
grace is shy of God's eye. It cares not to be examined.
Oh, there's no self-examination in that hypocritical religion,
that showy religion. Where there is true grace, he
delights in the Lord and the ways of the Lord, and he's coming,
even when he comes to search and to sift. Oh, and again, we
see it in a man like Job. We referred to him this morning,
a just man. He feared God, he eschewed evil. Though the Lord dealt with him
in such a remarkable fashion. What does he say? Job 31.6, let me be weighed in
an even balance, that God may know mine integrity. All he wants
to know that is religion is something really, something that's been
wrought in his soul by God himself. There is that contrast that we
have drawn in the third chapter of John's Gospel by the words
of the Lord Jesus Christ. There in John 3.20, Everyone
that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light,
lest his deed should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh
to the light, that his deed may be made manifest, that thou wrought
in God. Oh, there's the difference, you
see. between that that is false, that that is only of self, that
that is a self-made religion, and that that is wrought in God,
the work of God himself. All the churches shall know that I am he that searcheth the
reins and the hearts. But when the Lord comes with
that all-seeing eye, The Lord comes and searches us through
and through. It's not simply to expose what
we are as sinners. It's to show us the only way
of salvation. When the Lord looks upon his
people, is he not ultimately a look of grace? Remember how
the Lord turned and looked upon Peter. After Peter had denied
the Lord three times, we're told there in Luke 22, 61, how the
Lord turns and looks upon Peter, and Peter remembers the word
of the Lord. How the Lord had said, before
the cock crowed, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he says, Peter
went out and wept bitter tears. That's a gracious look. That's
a gracious look. When the Lord comes, he's, ah,
yes, it's all searching. And yet, though that look penetrates
into the very depths of a man's soul, there's the blessed effect
when that man is brought to recognize what he is and to repent in dust
and ashes. That's why the psalmist says,
lift up the light of thy countenance upon us. Or there'll be many
who say, who will show us any good Lord? lift thou up the light
of thy countenance we should desire that the Lord would come
and that he might so deal with us that we might depart from
every false way and abhor all that religion that is of the
spirit of antichrist that showy religion that we might be those
who desire something that is real and that that is real is
the work that can only be wrought of God Himself. We have to come
and confess then our complete and our utter dependence upon
Him. It's to Him that we have to address
our prayers that the Lord would prove us and try us and establish
us. Here then the Lord addresses
His Church. These things saith the Son of
God, who at His eyes like unto a flame of fire. All the churches shall know that
I am He which searcheth the reins and the hearts, and I will give
unto every one of you according to your works. May the Lord then
be pleased to own and to bless His truth to us today. Amen. Now let us conclude our worship
today as we sing the Hymn 119 and the Tune of St Agnes 218. Great God, from Thee there's
naught concealed, Thou seest my inward frame, to Thee I always
stand revealed exactly as I am. 119 Tune 218.