2-17-2019 Dead Men Walking Revelation 3:1-6
Notes
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Introduction:
Earlier this week, I was reading Fox news and came across this article:
Deadly ‘zombie’ deer disease could possibly spread to humans, experts warn
In this article it talks about chronic wasting disease as a fatal neurological disease that is able to transfer to humans. Currently, there are no vaccines or treatments available for the disease, which scientists say spreads directly through animal-to-animal contact but also indirectly through contaminated drinking water or food.
While there have been no reported cases of chronic wasting disease in people, the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, warns that human cases of this “Zombie disease” will likely be “documented in the years ahead.”
Symptoms of the disease include drooling, stumbling, lack of coordination, lack of fear of people, aggression, and listlessness — which explains the “zombie” nickname. The symptoms are a result of neurons being killed off in the infected deers’ brain.
I would imagine that all of us are familiar with the term: “Dead Man Walking.” If not for any other reason than it being a title of a book, as well as a 1995 movie. This is a phrase came from prisoners to refer to those awaiting execution on “death row.” Apparently, those on death row are considered already dead in the eyes of the other prisoners.
With no cure to this “Zombie” disease in sight, these deer that are affected are as good as dead within days of displaying the symptoms. Those affected are “Dead Deer Walking”
Transition:
The next church we will look at in Revelation consists of Dead Men (& Women) walking. This church is the church in Sardis and can be found in the very start of chapter 3
Scripture Reading:
Revelation 3:1–6
1 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “ ‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. 4 Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 5 The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
The problem in this church was not heresy but spiritual death. Despite its reputation for being active, this church was near terminal with sin. The church’s deeds were evil, and its clothes were soiled. Jesus had no words of commendation for this church that looked so good on the outside but was so corrupt on the inside. Much like with the
Transition:
The church at Sardis was an example of congregations that had basically quit walking with the Lord and standing for Him. They may have still been going through the right motions, but in God’s eyes they were about to die (v. 2). There was a faithful remnant (v. 4), but it was time for the spiritually lethargic majority to wake up (v. 2) and repent (v. 3) or face serious consequences from the Lord.
We start once again with what all these letters start with: Christ!
I. The Proficiency of Christ (v.1)
I. The Proficiency of Christ (v.1)
“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “ ‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
“He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars” This phrase is another allusion to the glorified Christ from Chapter 1. We already know the seven stars refer to the churches and her leaders in 1:20; the seven spirits may be a related metaphor because in Rev 4:5 they are related to the seven lampstands, which are also mentioned in 1:20 as referring to the churches.
The first question that might come to our mind is what is meant by the seven Spirits of God? - well, turn to Isaiah 11:2
1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
“The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him-- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD”
We have here part of the prophecy of the Messiah and it lists seven spirits
The Spirit of the Lord
The Spirit of Wisdom
The Spirit of Understanding
The Spirit of Counsel
The Spirit of Might
The Spirit of Knowledge
The Spirit of Fear of the Lord
I think that the seven spirits of God refer to the completeness of the Holy Spirit in Revelation
“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “ ‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
The church at Sardis desperately needed to experience the reviving power of the full/complete Spirit of Christ. As in the message to the Ephesian church, Jesus also holds the “seven stars” or the seven angel/messengers of the seven churches.
“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “ ‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
“I know your works/deeds” Jesus was aware of the strengths and weaknesses of His churches Only Jesus’s power and sovereignty, made available through the complete Holy Spirit, can revive those on the verge of death.
“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “ ‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
“that you have a name that you are alive” ὄνομα — a name is the literal Greek
Throughout this passage, there is a powerful wordplay using the Greek term ὄνομα (used four times):
(v. 1) the church has a “reputation” (or “name”) for being alive,
(v. 4) although there are only a few “people” (names) who have not compromised.
(v. 5) To the faithful, Jesus promises never to blot their “names” out of the book of life but instead to acknowledge their “names” before the Father.
The problem for the majority of these believers is that their outstanding worldly reputation doesn’t match the reality of Jesus’s revelation of their spiritual condition. Everyone in that congregation thought that they are alive and well, yet Jesus pronounces them near “dead”.
This was a devastating revelation. They thought they were right with God, spiritually pleasing to Him [[Isa. 29:13]]
And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,
It is too easy for us to look good on the outside and deceive ourselves thinking, “I look so good on the outside, I do so many things for ministry, so I must then be okay on the inside” We avoid looking too close to ourselves in fear that our insides might show through.
And before you are quick to dismiss this as being for a church from centuries past, we must first ask: Does Grace Baptist Church have a reputation of being alive? Could this sound like us here at Grace? Are we looking alive to the rest of us here, only to be near dead on the inside? Is your relationship alive with Christ?
Illustration:
Reputation is not always reality
Quote: What Christ Thinks of the Church, by John Stott.
The distinction between reputation and reality, between what human beings see and what God sees, is of great importance to every age and place. Although we have responsibilities to others, we are primarily accountable to God. It is before him that we stand, and to him that one day we must give an account. We should not therefore rate human opinion too highly, becoming depressed when criticized and elated when flattered.
“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “ ‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
“but you are dead”
but this congregation was not spiritual at all! They were only about appearing spiritual to the rest. This cannot be us!
How is it that we come to a point like this? How is it that we end up like dead men walking?
One way is that we believers compromise our loyalty to Christ by doing anything which violates God’s standards for conduct—little sins, or as Jerry Bridges would call it, respectable sins. One such small sin act quickly snowballs to further compromises which become even easier to make. Finally the “Christian” has nothing left worth serving, suffering for, much less worth risking his life.
Being a constant witness and having a consistent resistance to the world’s ways and standards finally becomes a risk of one’s life. Accepting that risk is the meaning of bearing one’s cross.
Transition:
So the root problem was a spiritual “zombie” like state. Verse 2 elaborates with commands
II. The Problem at Church (v.2)
II. The Problem at Church (v.2)
The following two verses record five commands keeping watchfulness. The city of Sardis was recorded by this time being attacked twice because the watchmen on the walls had not seen the enemies scaling the cliffs. Thinking that they were invincible on the mountaintop led to a deadly complacency. What had happened to the city was happening to the church, and it needed to wake up.
Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.
“Wake up”
NKJV says: “Be watchful” This is an IMPERATIVE and is the first of the five found in verses 2 and 3 in order to shock them back to life. Jesus commands His church to keep watching and it is the same command Jesus uses a bit in the Gospels to the disciples in talking about future things!
Some of you may recall a while back, I titled one of my sermons this exactly “Wake Up!” now it is wake up, Jesus is among us!
Illustration:
It is difficult to “wake up” if the church around us is sleeping soundly
In the church, one of the most dangerous places to be is alone. When we do not have others helping us move forward, we are like an ice cube in room-temperature water—destined to dissolve to room temperature. That is why we must reach out and find at least one other person to help us stay awake. If you were to place an ice cube in your water at the start of my sermon, it would be long gone by the end of my 2 hour sermons.
Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.
“strengthen what remains” This is the second IMPERATIVE.
The situation was not completely hopeless—if they caught themselves in time, they could strengthen what little remains even though it, too, was at the point of death. They were to act now and continue to act to preserve what remained of their dying faith. In essence, Jesus is telling this church to first realize their condition and second, be willing to do something about it. This charge would have been especially meaningful because of surprise attacks on at least two occasions during its history. Those who are on the verge of spiritual death need to be strengthened or supported
Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.
“for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God” They were much like the religious people mentioned in Matt. 7:21–23 and Col. 2:16–23.
The term “completed” is πληρόω meaning “mature, perfect, equipped for the assigned task.” They had not allowed God to complete what faith had started (cf. Phil. 1:6). While their deeds seem perfectly acceptable to the surrounding people, they are coming up short of God’s standard. From God’s perspective, their works are unfinished or incomplete.
Transition:
The answer is to wake up! But Christ offers more!
III. The Power of Restoration (vv.3-4)
III. The Power of Restoration (vv.3-4)
Christ commanded the church at Sardis to obey the truth they had believed at first about Christ. They desperately need to “remember” (command # 3)
3 Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.
Remembering the historic true faith brings great benefit!
Second Chronicles 34 tells the story of King Josiah, the “boy king.” Though young, Josiah led Israel through a time of reform, return, and revival. His restoration of true worship culminates in the discovery of the Book of the Law. As it is read, King Josiah laments Israel’s hard-hearted forgetfulness. This story illustrates what happens when, over time, God’s people abandon his Word.
But they must do more than recall; they must also keep/obey/live out these truths (command # 4), which will surely involve repentance (command # 5).
Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.
“If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief,” Jesus warns that He will come to them in judgment if they refuse to change their ways. Now this thief image is used elsewhere to speak of His future return (Matt. 24:43; Luke 12:39; 1 Thess. 5:2–4; 2 Pet. 3:10; Rev. 16:15). Here, though, Jesus is likely warning about a sudden and unexpected judgment. Since His coming in judgment is a conditional statement based upon their repentance, a more immediate judgment is probably in view —likely the collapse of their local congregation.
While the entire community appears spiritually dead, there are some individuals who remain on life support, and a few others still in good spiritual health.
4 Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.
“a few names/people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments” The putting on and taking off of clothing was used as a metaphor of the Christian life (Eph. 4; Col. 3). Some believers had not compromised with their culture.
The faithful few have resisted moral and spiritual compromise, portrayed here as staining or defiling one’s clothing.
Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.
“they will walk with Me in white” White clothing is used as a symbol later in Revelation of holiness, purity, glory, or victory. The term “walk” is often used as a metaphor of the Christian life as well—we believers are commanded to walk in the Spirit many times in scripture. In this context, their worthiness seems connected to their works, specifically to their loyalty to Christ and refusal to be polluted by their pagan surroundings.
So What? (vv.5-6)
So What? (vv.5-6)
5 The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.
“He who overcomes”
The victorious conquerors (v. 5) and the faithful few mentioned in verse 4 are the same group of loyal Christ followers.
Four things will be given to the one who overcomes:
(1) he will walk with the Messiah, v. 4;
(2) he will be clothed in white;
(3) his name will never be blotted out of the book of life; and
(4) the Messiah will acknowledge him as His own in the presence of the Father and His angels.
Let’s look at these a little closer:
The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.
“I will not erase his name from the book of life” This is a strong DOUBLE NEGATIVE. When citizens died, their names would be erased from the rolls of their city, or even some of the believers likely had their names erased from the local synagogue register when they confessed Christ, which was an act making them vulnerable to persecution within the Roman Empire.
but God will never erase believers from His rolls.
Jesus promises never to erase or remove their names from the book of life, which is not the same as saying that he will erase their names if they fail to overcome.
This metaphorical phrase “the book of life” is also found in Rev. 20:12–15, where two books are mentioned:
the book of life which is made up of the names of God’s people (cf. Exod. 32:32; Ps. 69:28; Isa. 4:3; Dan. 12:1; Luke 10:20; Phil. 4:3; Heb. 12:23; Rev 13:8; 17:8; 20:15; 21:27); and
the book of deeds or remembrances which records the deeds of both wicked and righteous (cf. Ps. 56:8, 139:16; Isa. 65:6; Mal. 3:16-17).
Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.
The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.
Verse 5 has bothered people, because it seems to suggest that unfaithful Christians will have their names taken out of the book of life. The “book of life” contains the names of all those who are born. Those who reject Christ have their names blotted out of the book, for they are dead. True believers have their names recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life (13:8; 21:27). Those who do not have their names in the latter book of life will go to hell (20:15). A person may have his or her name on a church roll, but not be saved.
The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.
“I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels”
Christ will announce to the hosts of heaven that the believers belong to him. Christ had stated before, “If anyone acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will openly acknowledge that person before my Father in heaven” (Matthew 10:32). Just as believers confess Christ, He also confesses us before the Father (cf. Matt. 10:32; Luke 12:8). Believers can have no greater reward than to stand in heaven with Christ and have him announce, “They are mine” an extremely reassuring promise—especially if you consider that there is no higher authority!
This is the Greek term exomulogeō for confess was used before in scripture in three senses:
(1) to publically confess sins to God and others present (cf. Matt. 3:6; Mark 1:5; Acts 19:18; Jas. 5:16);
(2) to publically confess faith in Christ (cf. Phil. 2:1; and possibly Rom. 14:11); and
(3) to publically praise God (cf. Matt. 11:25; Luke 10:21; Rom. 14:11 {Isa. 45:23}; 15:9 {Ps. 18:49}).
6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
Christ emphasizes again and again the importance for the readers of Revelation to listen and understand. The message in this letter is for me and also for you.
So What?
So What?
Conclusion:
Throughout the seven messages we see several categories of people being addressed in the same church: unbelievers, faithful believers, and compromising “believers.” Jesus sternly warns those who claim to have faith but are failing to live out what they profess
What matters most is not our religious reputation before human beings but our standing before God, which is related to how we live.
For a sick and dying church to regain its health calls for specific action prescribed by Jesus Christ, and made effective by the Holy Spirit. If we want to experience spiritual revival, we must take particular actions. Keeping with the medical metaphor, a patient cannot do just anything and expect to get better. The five commands in verses 2–3 summarize what is most important from Christ’s point of view: wake up (or realize your situation) Be watchful, be alert;, strengthen what remains, the few things you do have; remember the Word you have received, the faith, and embrace it, hold fast and be ready which will necessitate a change of course or repentance. A dying church will surely become healthy and whole once again if it does what the Great Physician recommends.