The Church at Thyatira - The Apostate Church - Parable of The Leaven

Temple Baptist Church - 1-26-2020

Revelation 2:18-29; Matthew 13:33

Introduction: 

A.  The Blessing of the Fundamental Church.  God has always and always will have people who seek, walk in, and maintain the Old Paths of the Fathers.

Revelation 2:19  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.

1.  A Working Church.  “thy works”

2.  A Loving Church.  “charity”

3.  A Serving Church.  “service”

4.  A Faithful Church.  “faith”

5.  A Patient Church.  “patience”

6.  A Flourishing Church.  “thy works; and the last to be more than the first”

B.  The Burden of the Fundamental Church.  “hold fast till I come”

C.  As Pergamos was the Compromising Church, Thyatira became the Apostate Church.

1.  Compromise Begets Compromise – Liberal Churches Become More Liberal

                       

2.  Compromise Begets Apostasy – Liberal Churches Become Apostate Churches

D.   Fundamental Churches cannot compromise what made them fundamental in the beginning.  Preaching the Word of God as it is to the people of God as they are.  Compassionate but straight.  Hot water destroys leaven!  Hot preaching will destroy apostasy!

1.  The Itching Ears Crowd will not like it.

2.  The Liberal Crowd will not like it.

3.  The Sinful Crowd will not like it.

4.  The Complacent Crowd will not like it.

E.  Paul used this phrase twice: “a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.”

1 Corinthians 5:7a  “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened.”  (You purge by washing with water.  Water is a type of “the Word of God.”  Leaven MUST be preached out.)

F.  “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.”

G.  3 Types of Leaven:

1.  The Leaven of Hypocrisy - Luke 12:1  In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

Matthew 23:1-3  Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,  Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:  All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.

            a.  The Testimony of John The Baptist.     

Matthew 3:7-8  But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

            b.  The Testimony of Jesus.

Matthew 21:12-13  And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,  And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

            c.  The Testimony of Paul.

2 Timothy 3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

d.  We must be real!

2.  The Leaven of False Doctrine - Matthew 16:11-12   How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?  Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

a.  The Testimony of Jesus.

Matthew 16:12  Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.  (Satan’s first lie concerned what God said: “Yea, hat God said?”  If I can change how you perceive the Word of God, I can change how you use the Word of God!)

b.  The Testimony of Paul.

Romans 16:17  Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

Ephesians 4:14  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

1Timothy 1:3  As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine,

                        1Timothy 4:13  Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to

doctrine.

1Timothy 4:16  Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

                       

3.  The Leaven of Sin - 1 Corinthians 5:1-8

1 Corinthians 5:6-8  Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

            1Corinthians 5:11  But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man

that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

            2 Thessalonians 3:6  Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus

Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.

WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT TO KEEP THE CHURCH CLEAN?

1.  Because it pleases God. 

2 Corinthians 6:17-18  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,   And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

2.  Because it keeps a right testimony before the world.

2 Timothy 3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

2 Peter 2:1  But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

Jude 4  For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

3.  Because it protects the local church.

1 Corinthians 5:6-7  Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?  Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

4.  Because it keeps purity among the brethren.

            Ecclesiastes  8:11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily,

therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

            1 Timothy 5:20  Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.

5.  Because it sets a right example before our children.

Judges 17:6  In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

Judges 2:10  And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.