This week we heard the good news preached from Revelation chapter 2 that God is at work making Jesus more and more the center of our lives. His grace gives us the ability to see where we are adding loyalty to our deepest desires to our loyalty to Jesus. His kindness leads us to repentance and deeper dependence on Jesus.
“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. “‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols (verses 18-20).
This letter from Jesus reminds us that the church has always struggled with believing false teachings. The particular teaching that this letter confronts is the idea that we can remain committed to satisfying our deepest desires while at the same time belonging body and soul to our Savior, Jesus. Some of the ways this false teaching shows up in our lives are sexual immorality and selfish protectiveness of our money.
How would you describe in your own words God’s plan for the sexual flourishing of human beings?
How would you describe in your own words God’s plan for how humans should relate to their money?
Can you connect both of these plans to the commitment and generosity of Jesus toward his people?
Especially for children: Why do you think it’s important to give part of our money to the church?
Pray: Thank you, Jesus, for laying down your life for us. Your commitment to us is the strongest force we know, even stronger than the grave. Your generosity towards us is the source of all life and flourishing. You have withheld nothing of yourself, giving even your body and your blood to meet our deepest need and unite us to yourself forever. Please win our hearts by the beauty of your love and work the pattern of your cross and resurrection into our lives and our relationships.
In our call to worship we heard God speak to us about remembering our first love:
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates (Deuteronomy 6:4-9).
It’s clear that we very easily forget (and benefit from constant reminders) that Jesus is our first love and our heart’s true home. He lovingly confronts us regarding our divided loyalties and leads us to repentance.
Can you think of things that you cling to more tightly than you cling to Jesus for identity, comfort or motivation?
Can you identify parts of your life where you’d like to welcome Jesus more fully?
Especially for children: What are some things that people sometimes want more than they want Jesus? Why is Jesus better than all those things?
Pray: Lord Jesus, getting what we want without reference to you or anyone else seems awesome. At times, it seems like enough to live for, yet we’ve experienced that it’s not long before our desires turn ferocious, making us shallow and causing harm to others. Holy Spirit, thank you for all the ways that you remind us of our first love: our families, our friends, our church, your Word, and the countless ways you care for and provide for us. Thank you that you are never cold toward us when we are forgetful of you.
Jesus gives us strong assurances that his love empowers us more and more to live for Him:
...Only hold fast what you have until I come. The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches (Revelation 2:25-29).
This passage assures us that Jesus’ love extends even to the restoration of all things. His love knows no bounds and will achieve full and final justice. Jesus gives us strong encouragement that his love empowers us to cling to him and to keep his works until he returns.
For children and adults: What is something that is wrong in the world that you are excited and hopeful about seeing Jesus fix and make right?
Pray: Lord Jesus, thank you for the good news that your love is powerfully at work in us and in the world, even unto the restoration of all things. We depend on you for strength, for growth, and for endurance because of this assurance that you are clinging more tightly to us that we will ever be able to cling to you.
Next week we will continue reading and thinking about the book of Revelation, remembering that God always finishes what he started. Finish this time of reflection by prayerfully reading over the following verses, asking that Jesus will be glorified as his people hear and live according to his word:
“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. 4 Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 5 The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches’ (Revelation 3:1-6).