Compromise can lead both individuals and churches down the road to corruption more quickly and easily than what we might imagine. Many of the problems we face get kicked down the road like the proverbial can. There seems never to be a good moment to deal with many things so they are put off in favor of a better time. But sadly, that more opportune time rarely, if ever, comes.
Many things that Americans put off end up costing them more in the long run. If your car is making a funny noise and you simply ignore it and hope that it will go away you will probably end up paying much more later on than you would have, had you had it checked out sooner. You know, on one level, those dizzy spells and headaches you are having are not good and that you need to see your doctor, but if you put it off too long the doctor may say ‘there is nothing I can do.’ When you see a few termites, you may reason it is not a serious problem. After all, what damage can a few termites do? But, for every few you see there are many more doing their destructive work. Think about the national debt in America. Economists predict that by the time Obama leaves office, it will be at 20 trillion dollars! How did it get this big? Quite simply, a little at a time! Politicians knew we should not take on more debt, on one hand, but on the other, it was so tempting to compromise yet once again.
Many churches have compromised with the world for so long they have been corrupted by the world. Sin is caustic and it eats away at churches like rust on metal. It seems wrong at first, but a little bit is tolerated, then a little more, then still yet more, and ultimately the whole church lives under the weight of ongoing compromise and corruption. This is exactly what was going on in the church at Thyatira, addressed by the Lord in Revelation 2:18-29.
Despite the compliments given to the church by the Lord, things were far from being well. They were tolerating a false prophetess to teach/lead in their midst. She is called “Jezebel” by the Lord, almost certainly not her real name but a distinction reminiscent of the wicked queen and wife of Ahab from Jewish history. Jezebel was so vile that 1 Kings 16:30-31 tell us that the most wicked thing Ahab ever did (and he did many wicked things) was marry her!
This false prophetess at Thyatira was leading people to be involved in sexual immorality and in eating meat offered to idols. She was teaching that one could engage in wicked behavior away from church and still be in good standing when the body met for worship; and apparently, nothing was being done to prove anything any different. Verse 23, of chapter 2 mentions her spiritual children, so she was certainly having a profound, and negative, influence on the culture of the church. The Lord had given her opportunity to repent, but she had refused. Her punishment was to be cast onto a “sickbed,” most likely a reference to death and hell – the ultimate resting place for those who refuse to repent.
God takes sin seriously, even when church members and church leaders do not. In Acts 5 we read of the account of Ananias and Sapphira lying to the Holy Spirit and before the church and they were struck dead. Clearly God desired purity in His church and not His people getting all cozy and comfortable with sin. The church leaders at Thyatira could have done something but they were guilty of appeasement in the situation and that usually leads to far worse problems than there ever really needed to be.
The church of the 21st century is certainly a church of compromise, at best, and corrupted at worst. There are things going on in churches that are highly disturbing when measured against God’s Word. Maintaining the purity God desires is not particularly easy, but necessary. The church loses its power when it compromises and when it becomes corrupted all hope is gone unless or until it truly repents and turns the reins of leadership back over to Jesus Christ.
In Christ,
Dr. Allen Raynor, Pastor
Previous weblogs may be viewed at www.fbcrogers.com
Recent messages may be heard at www.fbcrogers.com
