Sunday, November 12, 2006
Revelation 3:1-6 ~ Jeff Ludington
Revelation 3:1-6 - Sardis
“Are you alive or dead?”
Recap:
· 7 letters to 7 churches
· Ephesus
o Theologically sound
o Lost it’s first love
· Smyrna
o Small, poor, and afflicted
o Yet Rich!
o Given the Crown of Life
· Pergamum
o Held to teachings that were idolatrous
o Were told to repent, and they would be given a new name
· Thyatira
o They were doing more than they did at first
o They were “tolerant”
Remember:
· Though each is a real church 1900 years ago
· Each has relevance today – IF WE JUST CHECK OUR HEARTS!
· Who are we in this story?
Read Revelation 3:1-6
Pray
Vs. 1a
"To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.
Sardis:
· Not real significant in background
· Known for two things at this point in time
o Red dye
o Woolen material
· Smyrna has an impregnable location
· But had been conquered twice
o Alexander the Great in 549bc
o Antiochus the Great in 218bc
o Devastated by an earthquake during Jesus time on Earth 17ad
No clues to how this church got started
· Unlike Thyatira last week
· We don’t know much about the church itself
Christ Revealed to Sardis:
· Christ who holds the 7 Spirits and 7 Stars in place
· We have to recognize the Jesus who holds the whole Church in His hands
John 10:25-30
My (Jesus) sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one."
· Jesus is the very hand who holds the Church in place
o He is the one who keeps it safe
o No one can steal us from His hand
· He says some significant things here
o I know my sheep
o They know my voice and follow me
o I give them eternal life
o No one can snatch them out of my hands
This is the Jesus, that the church in Sardis needs.
And, this is the church that the church at CPC needs.
Vs. 1b
I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
· This church has a great reputation with people
o Maybe this church is large in numbers
o Maybe it has great programs to be involved in
o Maybe it has a great reputation with outsiders
· We don’t know what it’s distinctives are
· We just know it has a reputation as being “alive”
Do you know what our church is known for?
· People from the outside tell us that this church is know for Bible teaching
· Pretty cool, huh?
If you really take a look though, what do you find?
· I am going to leave that to you, for your discernment
Hypocrisy:
· Jesus calls the Pharisees hypocrites
· What do we consider a hypocrite?
· One who does other than he/she says is right.
Dictionary.Com:
· A person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, esp. a person whose actions belie stated beliefs.
The Greek language where it came from gives us this:
· Hupocrites: was an actor
o In essence, one who pretended
o Or, one who put on a show
· It eventually became a charlatan, or pretender
“Hypocrisy is make-believe. It is the “let’s pretend” of religion.”
- John Stott
Jesus taught about this in:
Matthew 23:27-28
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”
· Other ways hypocrites were described by Jesus
o Giving publicly to the poor so all could see
o Praying loudly in public for the applause of men
o Fasting so everyone knew (looking hungry and un-nourished)
o Putting down others so that they would look good
God spoke through Isaiah:
Isaiah 29:13
“These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.”
· They put on a good show, but were only acting
· They look good on the outside, but were dying on the inside
New Testament picture:
2 Timothy 3:5
“Having a form of godliness but denying its power”
How are we denying the power?
Vs. 2
Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.
· I think that the change in metaphors here is possibly the most important key
· Jesus tells those that are “dead” to “wake up”
· Doesn’t that remind any of you of a story in the Gospels?
John 11 is devoted to Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead:
· We are only going to look at the first 11 verses
John 11:1-11 (edited)
Now a man named Lazarus was sick. So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it.” Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days. Then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.” After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”
All that is required for the dead to come alive is for Jesus to give it new life, and wake it up.
Sardis:
· Had the reputation of being alive, but was dead
What might this look like in our culture?
· Maybe if you judged on numbers/size
· Buildings
· Reputation
· Programs
Last part of verse 2:
“I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.”
· Interesting the way this is worded
· What would make this incomplete?
1 Corinthians 13:1-3
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love , I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.”
· The only thing I can think of is a church that does good things
· But has no real love for God
· Or love for others
· It would only be a show, or a religion
What if Sardis were dead?
What if we are dead?
What would wake it (or us) up?
Vs. 3a
Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent.
· What is the gift every follower of Christ has?
· What is the most misused asset to our faith?
o Some over use it !
o Some never use it!
· It is the SPIRIT OF GOD
John 7:37-39
Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Spirit , whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
· You got to love the Beloved John, he explains with in-text notes
· “Streams of Living Water”
· “By this I mean the Spirit of God”
· In other words, we all get the Spirit of God
John 14:15-17
“If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”
· Do you want to know if you are good, or just someone with a good reputation?
o Ask the Spirit of Truth!
· Do you want to know how to be good, not just have a good reputation?
o Get counsel from the Counselor.
Sardis:
Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent.
· If you want to be alive Sardis
· You must get the Streams of Living Water flowing through you
EmergeHB:
Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent.
· Do you want to know if you are on course?
· Ask the Counselor
Christ Presbyterian Church:
Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent.
· Do you want to know if you are good, or just have a good reputation
· Ask the Spirit of Truth.
REMEMBER:
· The only thing that can wake up a dead life is the Spirit of God!
· The only thing that can wake up a dead church, is the Spirit of God!
“Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent!”
· Those things that the Spirit convicts you of in Church, or in your time in the Word, or in prayer:
· Do them!
· That is the Spirit of God at work in your life
The difference between a church with a good reputation, and a church that is good in the sight of God, is the obedience to the Spirit of God.
Vs. 3b
But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
· Just like Jesus took His time getting to Lazarus (2 days before He went to him)
· Jesus is patient with us
· But eventually, the time is now!
Who is to say you won’t die in a car crash on the way home
Who is to say Christ won’t return tonight?
· We don’t know
· But we sure don’t want to get caught sleeping!
Remember!
· Sardis was said to be an impregnable city
o Surrounded well
o Great view of incoming invaders
· But it was conquered twice
o Alexander the Great and Antiochus the Great
Both conquered this capitol city, because it forgot to keep watch!
Vs. 4-5a
Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.
· In Sardis they were known for having this red dye, and woolen garments
· Christ uses this to illustrate that they are more like culture, than like the church
There are a few though:
· This church with a great reputation has only a few solid believers
· They are called those who are dressed in white
· This refers to their purity and their righteousness
He who overcomes will, like them.
· There is still time to change
· They will be dressed in white!
· You can still be known as pure and right!
Vs. 6
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
· Salvation is when God gives us an “ear to hear”
· Before the Spirit of God works in us, we cannot hear.
Isaiah tells us:
· “Though they are ever hearing, but never understanding”
· “Though they are ever seeing, but never believing”
You are among those who ARE ABLE to hear, and understand!
Doxology:
Vs. 5b
He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.
I want to know that every name in here is going to be confessed before the Father, by Jesus Christ Himself, the one who holds us in His hands!
“Are you alive or dead?”
Recap:
· 7 letters to 7 churches
· Ephesus
o Theologically sound
o Lost it’s first love
· Smyrna
o Small, poor, and afflicted
o Yet Rich!
o Given the Crown of Life
· Pergamum
o Held to teachings that were idolatrous
o Were told to repent, and they would be given a new name
· Thyatira
o They were doing more than they did at first
o They were “tolerant”
Remember:
· Though each is a real church 1900 years ago
· Each has relevance today – IF WE JUST CHECK OUR HEARTS!
· Who are we in this story?
Read Revelation 3:1-6
Pray
Vs. 1a
"To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.
Sardis:
· Not real significant in background
· Known for two things at this point in time
o Red dye
o Woolen material
· Smyrna has an impregnable location
· But had been conquered twice
o Alexander the Great in 549bc
o Antiochus the Great in 218bc
o Devastated by an earthquake during Jesus time on Earth 17ad
No clues to how this church got started
· Unlike Thyatira last week
· We don’t know much about the church itself
Christ Revealed to Sardis:
· Christ who holds the 7 Spirits and 7 Stars in place
· We have to recognize the Jesus who holds the whole Church in His hands
John 10:25-30
My (Jesus) sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one."
· Jesus is the very hand who holds the Church in place
o He is the one who keeps it safe
o No one can steal us from His hand
· He says some significant things here
o I know my sheep
o They know my voice and follow me
o I give them eternal life
o No one can snatch them out of my hands
This is the Jesus, that the church in Sardis needs.
And, this is the church that the church at CPC needs.
Vs. 1b
I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
· This church has a great reputation with people
o Maybe this church is large in numbers
o Maybe it has great programs to be involved in
o Maybe it has a great reputation with outsiders
· We don’t know what it’s distinctives are
· We just know it has a reputation as being “alive”
Do you know what our church is known for?
· People from the outside tell us that this church is know for Bible teaching
· Pretty cool, huh?
If you really take a look though, what do you find?
· I am going to leave that to you, for your discernment
Hypocrisy:
· Jesus calls the Pharisees hypocrites
· What do we consider a hypocrite?
· One who does other than he/she says is right.
Dictionary.Com:
· A person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, esp. a person whose actions belie stated beliefs.
The Greek language where it came from gives us this:
· Hupocrites: was an actor
o In essence, one who pretended
o Or, one who put on a show
· It eventually became a charlatan, or pretender
“Hypocrisy is make-believe. It is the “let’s pretend” of religion.”
- John Stott
Jesus taught about this in:
Matthew 23:27-28
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”
· Other ways hypocrites were described by Jesus
o Giving publicly to the poor so all could see
o Praying loudly in public for the applause of men
o Fasting so everyone knew (looking hungry and un-nourished)
o Putting down others so that they would look good
God spoke through Isaiah:
Isaiah 29:13
“These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.”
· They put on a good show, but were only acting
· They look good on the outside, but were dying on the inside
New Testament picture:
2 Timothy 3:5
“Having a form of godliness but denying its power”
How are we denying the power?
Vs. 2
Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.
· I think that the change in metaphors here is possibly the most important key
· Jesus tells those that are “dead” to “wake up”
· Doesn’t that remind any of you of a story in the Gospels?
John 11 is devoted to Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead:
· We are only going to look at the first 11 verses
John 11:1-11 (edited)
Now a man named Lazarus was sick. So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it.” Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days. Then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.” After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”
All that is required for the dead to come alive is for Jesus to give it new life, and wake it up.
Sardis:
· Had the reputation of being alive, but was dead
What might this look like in our culture?
· Maybe if you judged on numbers/size
· Buildings
· Reputation
· Programs
Last part of verse 2:
“I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.”
· Interesting the way this is worded
· What would make this incomplete?
1 Corinthians 13:1-3
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love , I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.”
· The only thing I can think of is a church that does good things
· But has no real love for God
· Or love for others
· It would only be a show, or a religion
What if Sardis were dead?
What if we are dead?
What would wake it (or us) up?
Vs. 3a
Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent.
· What is the gift every follower of Christ has?
· What is the most misused asset to our faith?
o Some over use it !
o Some never use it!
· It is the SPIRIT OF GOD
John 7:37-39
Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Spirit , whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
· You got to love the Beloved John, he explains with in-text notes
· “Streams of Living Water”
· “By this I mean the Spirit of God”
· In other words, we all get the Spirit of God
John 14:15-17
“If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”
· Do you want to know if you are good, or just someone with a good reputation?
o Ask the Spirit of Truth!
· Do you want to know how to be good, not just have a good reputation?
o Get counsel from the Counselor.
Sardis:
Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent.
· If you want to be alive Sardis
· You must get the Streams of Living Water flowing through you
EmergeHB:
Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent.
· Do you want to know if you are on course?
· Ask the Counselor
Christ Presbyterian Church:
Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent.
· Do you want to know if you are good, or just have a good reputation
· Ask the Spirit of Truth.
REMEMBER:
· The only thing that can wake up a dead life is the Spirit of God!
· The only thing that can wake up a dead church, is the Spirit of God!
“Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent!”
· Those things that the Spirit convicts you of in Church, or in your time in the Word, or in prayer:
· Do them!
· That is the Spirit of God at work in your life
The difference between a church with a good reputation, and a church that is good in the sight of God, is the obedience to the Spirit of God.
Vs. 3b
But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
· Just like Jesus took His time getting to Lazarus (2 days before He went to him)
· Jesus is patient with us
· But eventually, the time is now!
Who is to say you won’t die in a car crash on the way home
Who is to say Christ won’t return tonight?
· We don’t know
· But we sure don’t want to get caught sleeping!
Remember!
· Sardis was said to be an impregnable city
o Surrounded well
o Great view of incoming invaders
· But it was conquered twice
o Alexander the Great and Antiochus the Great
Both conquered this capitol city, because it forgot to keep watch!
Vs. 4-5a
Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.
· In Sardis they were known for having this red dye, and woolen garments
· Christ uses this to illustrate that they are more like culture, than like the church
There are a few though:
· This church with a great reputation has only a few solid believers
· They are called those who are dressed in white
· This refers to their purity and their righteousness
He who overcomes will, like them.
· There is still time to change
· They will be dressed in white!
· You can still be known as pure and right!
Vs. 6
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
· Salvation is when God gives us an “ear to hear”
· Before the Spirit of God works in us, we cannot hear.
Isaiah tells us:
· “Though they are ever hearing, but never understanding”
· “Though they are ever seeing, but never believing”
You are among those who ARE ABLE to hear, and understand!
Doxology:
Vs. 5b
He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.
I want to know that every name in here is going to be confessed before the Father, by Jesus Christ Himself, the one who holds us in His hands!
