2:18-19 “To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.
The fourth church is located in the city of Thyatira. The description of Jesus is now as the exalted Son of God who has the appearance of the mighty one who can peer with his blazing eyes of fire and who can go anywhere with his shining bronze feet. No one can hide from him. He can “know” our deeds, both good and bad. The church in Thyatira has a lot going for it. They have grown spiritually since they started. They have grown in their love, faith, service, and perseverance. These are remarkable things for any person or church. If we do not grow, then we begin to die. As the following verses will show, positive growth is not enough unless there is purity. We must deal with the deeper issues of heart purity.
There are many churches that look healthy on the outside. There is growth in many things, including the “numbers” (people and finances). Yet, there may still be something lacking, possibly in the preaching and teaching, perhaps in the spiritual maturity of the people. In our day, if a church has good music and the latest music, an enthusiastic and young pastor, people will be attracted. Yet, I have visited or attended churches where the people basically hear a concert each week and a little pep talk but yet do little beyond the 60 minutes of the worship time. This may be true in many traditional services as well where people just come for fellowship, communion, and hear a preacher. We have somehow missed what it means to “go to church.” We have may “church” an event, mostly on Sunday morning for an hour. And we think this is sufficient for spiritual growth. Have we become too much like the church of Thyatira? We have grown, but we still are empty and deceived inside?
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