Tolerating the Intolerable - Revelation 2:18-29
Posted by Calvary Chapel Fremont at 8/29/2010 4:42 PM 
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Tags: Pastor Tim Brown Calvary Chapel Fremont Tolerating Intolerable Revelation
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: Pastor Tim Brown Calvary Chapel Fremont Tolerating Intolerable Revelation
Pastor Tim Brown, Calvary Chapel Fremont, Sunday August 29, 2010
Tolerating the Intolerable
Revelation 2:18-29
Tolerate: to allow without prohibiting or opposing. Toleration is advanced as a cultural value today, and well it should be. In a multi-cultural/ pluralistic society there are things that should be allowed w/o being prohibited/opposed – whether we agree w/ them or not. Some things are tolerable; some things are intolerable –
Someone selling crack to your kids in front yard – tolerable or intolerable?
Neighbor parking where you like to park – tolerable or intolerable?
A mosque four buildings over from our church building – tolerable or intolerable?
You busting in there during prayer time/condemning them/preaching – tolerable or…?
Some things are intolerable – and Jesus comes to the church in Thyatira to bring an intolerable thing to their attention.
JESUS COMES TO THE CHURCH 18
Fire in His eyes – anger. We’ve seen this before. Jn. 2:14-17
Feet of burnished bronze – red hot feet. Bronze - symbol of judgment
It’s hard for many to imagine an angry God. Know this, God’s anger doesn’t affect His judgment – how He thinks/responds. In fact, what He thinks determines how He feels/acts. Man’s anger is explosive/unpredictable. God’s anger is measured/principled.
Why angry? He cares. He does not tolerate the intolerable.
“Dad, I got an A in chemistry.” “That’s nice.” Wrecked the car/got a girl pregnant/ beat up homeless guy and took his $$.” “That’s nice.” What’s wrong w/ this picture?/with this dad? It is unloving to tolerate the intolerable.
There’s a fire in His eyes because what He came to do away with thru His death/res. was being welcomed back into people’s lives, ruining/destroying them. Why is the Church passionate about divorce/abortion/sexual sin/injustice – they destroy people’s lives.
JESUS COMMENDS the Church 19
Your deeds: love/faith/service/perseverance. Growing in ability to walk w/ God and meet people’s needs.
JESUS CORRECTS the Church 20
Why not be satisfied w/ the church’s good qualities? Why so little time commending church and so much space given to rebuke?
Wife is good cook/conscientious housekeeper/astute bookkeeper/great mother – and she’s sleeping w/ neighbor.
The woman Jezebel: wife of King Ahab who introduced Baal worship into the land of Israel. 450 prophets of Baal/400 prophets of Asherah would eat at her table. She calls herself a Prophetess: authoritative spokesperson for God. There’s a possibility that she is the pastor’s wife! That puts a whole different spin on the thing.
Her teaching: membership in a trade guild (union) required participation in a meal dedicated to an idol – these meals would often result in an orgy. 1C8 – Paul said, ‘No’. Jezebel taught:
1) It’s OK to accommodate the culture if obedience to God threatens your well being. Obedience isn’t practical in real world. Pick/choose where it is practical to obey.
2) It doesn’t matter how you live your life. What you do on the outside w/ your body has no connection w/ who you are on the inside. Jesus: they are intimately related - flow from heart.
3) Holiness isn’t practical in the real world. She thinks nothing of the doctrine of sanctification/practical expression of holiness and the dangers of sin and the price Jesus paid on the cross.
Tolerate = forgive, let it go… She’s kidnapping God’s kids! She’s selling them crack in the front yard/teaching them how to light up – and you let it go! Christianity should be intolerant toward some things –that which hurts people/offends God. Eli tolerated the sin in his sons and it led to his condemnation. He didn’t take it seriously. This pastor wasn’t taking it seriously.
I have this against you… You’ve let something progress to the point where I have to come in and address it. The Lord is saying that it should never have come to this point. The pastor should have discharged his responsibility. He had authority to act, but now God has to step in. Apply to parents…
Why tolerate? Why not condemn it and seek to correct it?
Wife/loss of members/weak in himself? Employment depended upon guild membership. Was pastor afraid of small offerings if people lost jobs? Culture was on Jezebel’s side - on side of sexual sin/abortion/cheap relationships/easy money/lack of character. KOG out of step w/ culture.
Some of you are tolerating that which Jesus would cast out.
The followers of Jezebel are up to their eyeballs in sin/no one is taking it seriously. They were teaching that it doesn’t matter how you live your life as long as you’ve accepted Jesus. If it doesn’t matter 2u how you live your life, you’ve not received Jesus. If you say you love your wife and it doesn’t matter 2u how you liv your life, you don’t know love. Love puts boundaries on a life.
The Grace & Judgment of God 21-23
God had warned her, but she is unteachable. God has given her time, but she doesn’t want to repent. Directly relates to some of you. God has warned some of you and given you time to repent –
If you keep drinking, you’ll lose everything.
If you continue that emotional entanglement it will escalate into adultery.
If you continue to steal from your company you’ll be found out/prosecuted.
If you keep gambling behind your wife’s back, it’s going to hit the fan.
Bed of tribulation for Jezebel/followers, death for her children –
Repentance short-circuits the consequences of sin – not lose that marriage/reputation/$$/job.
The Recommendation to the Church 24-25
No other burden: stay away from Jezebel. Deep things of Satan – bottomless pit.
The Reward of the church 26-29
Who receives the reward: overcomer/keeps My deeds
What is the reward: authority
Why is Jezebel’s teaching so potent?
Because it coincides w/ what culture and the world says.
Why is Jezebel’s teaching so wicked?
It robs God’s servant of her reward.
Communion
Jezebel promised the world to those who followed her. God promises the world to those who follow Him. Difference: now or later. Two roads to choose from. Seek to save soul will lose it. Jezebel says you don’t have to deny yourself. Jesus says to deny yourself and commune w/ Him!
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Tolerating the Intolerable
Revelation 2:18-29
Tolerate: to allow without prohibiting or opposing. Toleration is advanced as a cultural value today, and well it should be. In a multi-cultural/ pluralistic society there are things that should be allowed w/o being prohibited/opposed – whether we agree w/ them or not. Some things are tolerable; some things are intolerable –
Someone selling crack to your kids in front yard – tolerable or intolerable?
Neighbor parking where you like to park – tolerable or intolerable?
A mosque four buildings over from our church building – tolerable or intolerable?
You busting in there during prayer time/condemning them/preaching – tolerable or…?
Some things are intolerable – and Jesus comes to the church in Thyatira to bring an intolerable thing to their attention.
JESUS COMES TO THE CHURCH 18
Fire in His eyes – anger. We’ve seen this before. Jn. 2:14-17
Feet of burnished bronze – red hot feet. Bronze - symbol of judgment
It’s hard for many to imagine an angry God. Know this, God’s anger doesn’t affect His judgment – how He thinks/responds. In fact, what He thinks determines how He feels/acts. Man’s anger is explosive/unpredictable. God’s anger is measured/principled.
Why angry? He cares. He does not tolerate the intolerable.
“Dad, I got an A in chemistry.” “That’s nice.” Wrecked the car/got a girl pregnant/ beat up homeless guy and took his $$.” “That’s nice.” What’s wrong w/ this picture?/with this dad? It is unloving to tolerate the intolerable.
There’s a fire in His eyes because what He came to do away with thru His death/res. was being welcomed back into people’s lives, ruining/destroying them. Why is the Church passionate about divorce/abortion/sexual sin/injustice – they destroy people’s lives.
JESUS COMMENDS the Church 19
Your deeds: love/faith/service/perseverance. Growing in ability to walk w/ God and meet people’s needs.
JESUS CORRECTS the Church 20
Why not be satisfied w/ the church’s good qualities? Why so little time commending church and so much space given to rebuke?
Wife is good cook/conscientious housekeeper/astute bookkeeper/great mother – and she’s sleeping w/ neighbor.
The woman Jezebel: wife of King Ahab who introduced Baal worship into the land of Israel. 450 prophets of Baal/400 prophets of Asherah would eat at her table. She calls herself a Prophetess: authoritative spokesperson for God. There’s a possibility that she is the pastor’s wife! That puts a whole different spin on the thing.
Her teaching: membership in a trade guild (union) required participation in a meal dedicated to an idol – these meals would often result in an orgy. 1C8 – Paul said, ‘No’. Jezebel taught:
1) It’s OK to accommodate the culture if obedience to God threatens your well being. Obedience isn’t practical in real world. Pick/choose where it is practical to obey.
2) It doesn’t matter how you live your life. What you do on the outside w/ your body has no connection w/ who you are on the inside. Jesus: they are intimately related - flow from heart.
3) Holiness isn’t practical in the real world. She thinks nothing of the doctrine of sanctification/practical expression of holiness and the dangers of sin and the price Jesus paid on the cross.
Tolerate = forgive, let it go… She’s kidnapping God’s kids! She’s selling them crack in the front yard/teaching them how to light up – and you let it go! Christianity should be intolerant toward some things –that which hurts people/offends God. Eli tolerated the sin in his sons and it led to his condemnation. He didn’t take it seriously. This pastor wasn’t taking it seriously.
I have this against you… You’ve let something progress to the point where I have to come in and address it. The Lord is saying that it should never have come to this point. The pastor should have discharged his responsibility. He had authority to act, but now God has to step in. Apply to parents…
Why tolerate? Why not condemn it and seek to correct it?
Wife/loss of members/weak in himself? Employment depended upon guild membership. Was pastor afraid of small offerings if people lost jobs? Culture was on Jezebel’s side - on side of sexual sin/abortion/cheap relationships/easy money/lack of character. KOG out of step w/ culture.
Some of you are tolerating that which Jesus would cast out.
The followers of Jezebel are up to their eyeballs in sin/no one is taking it seriously. They were teaching that it doesn’t matter how you live your life as long as you’ve accepted Jesus. If it doesn’t matter 2u how you live your life, you’ve not received Jesus. If you say you love your wife and it doesn’t matter 2u how you liv your life, you don’t know love. Love puts boundaries on a life.
The Grace & Judgment of God 21-23
God had warned her, but she is unteachable. God has given her time, but she doesn’t want to repent. Directly relates to some of you. God has warned some of you and given you time to repent –
If you keep drinking, you’ll lose everything.
If you continue that emotional entanglement it will escalate into adultery.
If you continue to steal from your company you’ll be found out/prosecuted.
If you keep gambling behind your wife’s back, it’s going to hit the fan.
Bed of tribulation for Jezebel/followers, death for her children –
Repentance short-circuits the consequences of sin – not lose that marriage/reputation/$$/job.
The Recommendation to the Church 24-25
No other burden: stay away from Jezebel. Deep things of Satan – bottomless pit.
The Reward of the church 26-29
Who receives the reward: overcomer/keeps My deeds
What is the reward: authority
Why is Jezebel’s teaching so potent?
Because it coincides w/ what culture and the world says.
Why is Jezebel’s teaching so wicked?
It robs God’s servant of her reward.
Communion
Jezebel promised the world to those who followed her. God promises the world to those who follow Him. Difference: now or later. Two roads to choose from. Seek to save soul will lose it. Jezebel says you don’t have to deny yourself. Jesus says to deny yourself and commune w/ Him!
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