The hero of the film The Terminal was stranded at an airport because his country had ceased to exist, and in time he learned to live there, even to like it. The Christians in Thyatira felt much the same: citizens of God’s kingdom who looked around, saw only Rome, and slowly began to make themselves at home in that reality (Revelation 2). Jesus comes to them as the one whose eyes are like a flame of fire: he praises their growth, yet names their compromise plainly and tells them to stop hiding. Listen and consider where in your own life you reach for the appearance of happiness.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- Jesus introduces himself to the church in Thyatira as the Son of God, with eyes like blazing fire and feet like bronze. What might these images have meant to believers living under an emperor who called himself a son of god?
- Jesus praises Thyatira because their latest works exceed their first, yet he rebukes them for tolerating Jezebel. How can love and faith grow in a church while compromise grows right alongside it?
- Christians in Thyatira had to choose between the trade guild with its pagan feasts and providing for their families. Where do you feel similar pressure to fit in today at work, at school, or in your family?
- The sermon compares temptations to chocolates filled with garlic: tempting on the outside, something very different inside. What fake chocolates promise happiness today but actually change us?
- Little Kuba covered his eyes and thought that if he couldn't see, no one could see him. In what situations do you live as if God doesn't see you, and what does the call to stop hiding mean for you?
- Jesus promises the faithful the morning star, himself as a new beginning and hope. What can you do this week so that others can see in your life that he is your king?
