I want you to turn with me, please, to the book of Revelation, chapter 2, 18 to 29.

The amazing thing about this letter, it's the longest letter of all the seven to the least

significant town of all the seven. Thartyra was a town of least significance when you compare it with the others,

Ephesus and so on, the ones who have been looking at. Thartara was a town that was founded

by Alexander the Great. This little town, this Thartara, its only claim to fame is that it was the headquarters for all the trade unions,

all the trade unions. Thayatara's main industry was wool and dyeing of wool, particularly the

purple color dying of wool. The patron saint, or actually in every city,

they're calling the patron god. The patron god. The god of Thetara was the god Apollo. Read all about

Apollo when you have time. But in order to understand the extreme danger that that church was in,

in order to understand the extreme danger that many a church in the 21st century is in,

you must understand the nature of those trade unions in that town. You see, to hold a job in Thyotara,

you have to be a member of the trade union.

If you are leather worker, you have to belong to the leather workers' union.

If you are in business of dyeing wool,

you have to belong to the die workers' union. If you are a bronze

maker, you have to belong to bronze workers' union. But that's not where it stops. Each trade union

organization had their own patron god, their own God. Every union has their own God.

But that's not the worst of all.

Each patron God must be worshipped and honored in a pagan festival.

It's not the worst part of all yet.

Wait, wait, wait.

As soon as that festival is over, you have to eat the food that was offered to these idols.

...