Coffee Talk
Gary Wright
“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.’’” Revelation 2:18-19
My cousin owns a coffee business and they have coffee shows all over the U.S. Occasionally, my wife Kim and I sell their coffee at these shows. We let folks sample the different flavors in hopes they will like one and make a purchase. When we first started selling the coffee, I did not have much faith in the product, but when I saw how much folks loved it, my faith began to grow and I became a passionate salesman.
The church in Thyatira had some major issues that Jesus wanted them to deal with, but before He goes into those issues, Jesus commends them on their works.
First, He commended their “love and faith.” Believers in Thyatira did not put their faith in something fleeting like coffee, they put their faith in the “Son of God,” Jesus Christ!
Their faith and love in Jesus produced in them a heart for “service.” True love for Jesus overflows into love and service for others. This love is not just an outward “going through the motions” thing, it is a true heart change that comes from faith and love in Jesus. It is not just for those who are easy to love, but also for those who are hard to love.
Due to the strong idolatry in Thyatira, no doubt the believers had to go through some difficult circumstances. However, because of their faith in Jesus, they had “patient endurance.” In other words, they had peace knowing that Jesus was in control so they were able to stand firm in their faith no matter what hardships they were dealing with.
Lastly, Jesus commended them on their growth, “Your latter work exceeds the first.” They were growing as believers and because of their growth, more people were reached with the love of Christ. In the same way that my faith in my cousin’s coffee made me a passionate salesman, the love and faith for Jesus made the believers in Thyatira passionate about serving Him. All too often we are excited to talk about sports, stocks, shows, and stresses, but not the Savior.
Jesus was encouraging the believers in Thyatira to continue to grow in love and faith which produced service and patient endurance. Jesus is encouraging us to grow in these areas as well.
Have you put your faith in Jesus? Do your faith and your love for Jesus produce a heart change that overflows into love and service for others? Does your faith change the way you react to difficult circumstances? Are you growing as a believer?
What needs to change in your life so you can serve Jesus more passionately? If you need help in any of these areas, I recommend talking to a pastor at your location.