Revelation 3:1-6

Revelation 3

MPT: An Epic picture of the Risen Christ will encourage the faithful to endure into Glory

Introduction:

Jeremiah Denton was a U.S. Navy pilot in the Vietnam War.

Denton was shot down and imprisoned as a prisoner of war in Hanoi in 1965.

He was the face of American POW’s in the War

He endured unimaginable suffering and abuse for over 6 years until his return home.

His return to the United States was a shock to Denton. He could not believe the degradation in values that had happened in almost a decade away.

He was a man familiar with suffering and had survived.

He saw the one thing in his return that no one could survive if unchecked.

Denton said this on his return “We have attained a great degree of luxury in America...man can cope with adversity but mans most difficult problem is coping with prosperity”

Prosperity is seductive and the one who provides it can lure our allegiance and worship

This is as true of people as it is true of the church

Jeremiah Denton warned a nation

2000 years before Him Jesus warned His church of it too.

After an earthquake destroyed the city Rome swooped in as an apparent savior and rebuilt the city.

There was not a more prosperous place to be then sardis. Excavations of graves in the area uncovered unparalleled jewelry the dead of Sardis were burried with. The wealth and power of Rome looked unstoppable.

This entire letter of revelation is a peeling back of the curtain to see reality

Revelation is a God’s eye view of the hardship his people face and the victory he holds for those who endure in faithfulness and mission.

God is calling the sardis church to truly see where Romes seductive promise of Prosperity will lead

When we are blinded by the lights of prosperity, when we are blinded by a fear of the purifying fire, God escalates the imagery and message to his church

We are going to look at 4 parts of this escalated message to Sardis

Christ Reigns (v1a)

Witness not Works (v1b-2)

Remember and repent (v3)

Those who have life (4-6)

Lets read this passage and dive in

“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.’

Christ Reigns (v1a)

And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him iwho has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “‘I know your works

Sardis was immersed in a culture of affluence, worldly prosperity, comfort, and compromise in the face of the power of Rome.

Here’s what the church in Sardis saw from the human perspective

Rome offered money, stability, security, peace, and PROSPERITY to each city. It was earned through the cities involvement in devotion to the Empire especially in worship in the Imperial Cult

A city showed its devotion through worship of the emperor, his family, and the pantheon of roman gods.

This was done At certain times during the year or day.

The more imperial temples, altars, and shrines a city had the more affluence it was allotted. Sardis had a lot of affluence.

But dont miss why here.

The worship was to show awe of Rome's sovereign rule and gratitude for the imperial families generous gift of prosperity and life...to the human eye Rome was all powerful, all controlling, and in whom life was found.

Jesus’ title alone was specific to challenge and redefine who reigned in Sardis

His title: The one iwho has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.

This Was strategic and for effect Because it addressed the specific problems of the Church at Sardis.

Jesus begins with a paradigm shattering picture of himself first as the one who is the Author of life.

The church in Sardis has forgotten where life is found and where it is from

The number 7 in jewish literature communicated PERFECTION. The 7 spirits are the Holy Spirit and the Perfect Work He accomplishes.

All the way back to Genesis and the creation of man it is the Spirit breathed in to the man that gives life, in the upper room Christ breathes New Creation life into the disciples at their conversion, on and on we see it is the Spirit who gives life.

It is a perfect life giving work because His work in believers is work that exalts Christ and makes us alive in Him.

Sardis as we read has been seduced to believe it is Rome’s prosperity and the Emproer who give the life of comfort they have.

Next we see the second problem Christ is about to address in His title.

The seven stars… who is sovereign over the moments of your life? Who are destined to reign?

Rome Ruled with a boot on the neck of its people. In public they were the gracious givers of life and reigned over the world give in to them and life and power was promised forever.

To hold the 7 stars in His hand was attacking the lie of Romes Reign. The stars reference back to Daniel and the wise of Israel resurrected to Glory, they are the just that shine into eternity because of their faithfulness.

Christ is defining who Reigns and who will Regin with him...because Rome had a promise of stars too.

There was an Imperial Roman myth that when an emperors son died they became a divine ruler over the stars of heaven.

He is GOING FOR THE HEART OF ROME’s LIE

Christ is not throwing funky titles of himself around because it was late one saturday night.

He is calling out the lies of Rome’s promises of life abundant forever...

He did this because in this life disobedience flows downstream from a small view of god.

Lack of perseverance comes from a small view of god.

Unfaithfulness in the mission of Christ comes from a small view of God.

Jesus is going big with his introduction

I struggle with this more than anyone i know. Despite what god did for me yesterday i will default to a lack of faith and need to control today.

Good news is I’m aware of it. Bad news is i have yet to stop doing it.

Christ Reigns not Rome.

Christ reigns not man. Christ reigns not our fears or our past or our own selfish hearts

God is the giver of good to his children not Rome.

Theologian Michael Bird says this:

“According to John, it was not Rome’s god’s but Israels God who was in charge of history. It was not the emperor but the Messiah who was the agent of salvation; and it was not the Roman people but the Church, that was destined to reign forever”

Christ’s introduction shattered the dim lens the Sardis church saw life through

.

He has announced that He alone holds life because the Sardis Church may look good on the outside with their work and programs but they are dead

Witness NOT Works(1b- 2)

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.

If there were christian conferences back in Rome in the 1st Century the Pastor of Sardis would have been the keynote speaker.

I was at the national TGC conference in Indianapolis a few years ago and there were thousands of people there. When it was Tim Keller or John Piper on the stage thousands packed in to hear them talk. I watched Piper sitting on the floor leaned up against a side wall.

Sardis would have been these guys. Lifeway would have published every book these guys wrote. They were known to be killing the church game.

Want a good reputation with man then have works and programs that make you look good.

Sardis would have had 7 different upward sports. Definitely a men’s fellowship where they had a wild game supper.

What else? Works for reputation may draw a consumer crowed but lead most in them to hell

Want a crowd.

Measure discipleship by how many programs you have

Entertain and have a low standard of entry to the church and an even lower level of commitment to the faith.

This is Sardis.

They were busy and had a good reputation with everyone...except God.

What is interesting in this letter to Sardis is that there is no persecution mentioned as in other churches.

What that says is that they had caved to much to the city and its lure of a pain free life that they were presenting a watered down gospel.

British Theologian G.B. Caird calls the Sardis Church “the perfect model of inoffensive Christianity”

This means that the gospel they preached was so inoffensive to human nature they were never opposed.

If the lost world applauds your christianity for being so tolerant of their lifestyle get a helmet because you are in line for God’s judgement

I really think that of all the 7 churches this is the American church.

These people in Sardis became so much like the culture they were unable to be seen as different from the culture.

This ties in again to This cosmic picture Jesus is showing John.

Remember Jesus’ title in the Open the one who Holds the 7 Spirits?

That was strategic because he is telling Sardis and us today that life is found only in new life from the Spirit

New wants

New desires

New love for the lordship of Christ not the sovereignty of self

These only come from the spirit

Life is found when we embrace the very reason we are saved and that is to be a witness.

Deadness in gods people has been measured by one dominate metric from the garden of eden until today.

Witness.

Why? From Adam and Eve until the church today we reject the call that our salvation is for service in witness to the world that life and goodness is only found in Jesus.

Instead like Sardis we see all the work as the mark of our favor with God, we stop being missional, we become inward focused, comfortable and proud.

When busy work takes over the witness it is a dead church in sin.

Theologian Cornelius Plantinga Jr. Says it perfectly here:

“SIn is the turning of loyalty, energy, and desire away from God and the Project of God in this world: it is the diversion of construction materials intended for the City of God to side projects of our own...often with a justifying of the diversion”

Life is not found in programs and work or church growth.

It is found in the people of God engaging in the project of God in this world

The Risen Lord issues a chilling call that they are on the verge of death because of their rejection of God’s purpose. He says strengthen what little is left.

He who has the 7 stars can send all of heaven to help...if we ask...and the one who has the 7 spirits shouts that as the Risen Lord it is that same Spirit available to them to bring the dead back to life.

They are called to strengthen what remains

What are you building at Monaghan ? A Witness to the Lord of All and His Saving Work of New Life...or busy work that looks good to the world but is dead inside.

Any work that is not done unto God fulfilling His mission in the world is wasted resources diverted from God’s project in the world to man’s own.

We begin to strengthen what remains by first remembering from where He saved us

Remember and Repent (v3)

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.

Their sin has been called out, Christ has shown HIs authority.

Now they are exhorted in a threefold pattern in how to place themselves within the saving reaches of Christ and revitalization.

They are told first to remember. Remember what you received and heard.

What they heard was the precious word of the Gospel and they heard it.

They heard and received the scandalous Gospel of Jesus.

They knew once what it was to deserve separation from their maker and the hope of being made new in Him.

I have heard it said oh i don’t have that good of a testimony or i got saved young and never did anything bad like so and so

Are you serious. If you are saved you have gone from death dead death to life untouchable and eternal. And that doesnt move you ?! you think theres a testimony ranking? Theres one testimony and it is the power of the Cross and new life for the dead and hopeless.

And if you did get saved at 3 and never done wrong if you haven’t been a witness those 20 years you are Sardis remember and repent

The Apostle Paul would have failed english class because as you read his letters in the new testament there's always a place where he will start to talk about Jesus and he just writes the longest run-on sentences. His teacher would have failed him for sure.

Paul saw the risen Christ and was never the same. He never got over his conversion and saw losing his life for the Gospel as the Ultimate Gain to be had.

Sardis had gotten over the Gospel.in the bright lights of Rome.

And remember from earlier sin is always downstream of a small view of God.

They must remember how to keep it.

Again Paul is a great reference point here. He tells his young apprentice Timothy to immerse himself in the Gospel, to fan his faith into flame, to remember, to persevere. In both letters he wrote him

When you see these commands in the positive you see how they were to keep the Gospel alive.

Be filled with the Spirit for He is the giver of Life

Be amazed at the Gospel and the truth it claims

Worship the true ruler Christ not Rome

Be alive and hungry for the world not starved and dying

Remember in awe what you have in the Gospel and Remember the unshakable joy of living for another Kingdom.

Remember keep it and Repent for the masquerade of sin is just that it is a lie

They had sinned by making the gospel a comfortable Gospel and then parade it as truth.

They had taken the evil of sin and put some gospel on it to look good.

Plantinga again says here “To do its worst evil needs to look its best. Evil has to spend a lot on makeup”

It is evil to sanitize the gospel of its radical call on our lives and then promote that trash as truth

If they do not keep vigilant Christ warns that he “Will come like a thief in the night and you will not know at what hour I will come against you”

While this has an echo of Christs words in Matthew 24 AND it had a specific cutting edge to those living in Sardis

Not only was Sardis numb with Prosperity it was protected.

Its location on a mountain side made it undefeatable in an attack. Never had it been taken head on...but it had been taken twice…

Each time under the dark of night, by Cyrus in 549 BC and Antiochus 216 BC. Cyrus sent one man in the dark to scale the mountain while the city slept comfortably unaware, Antiochus sent 15 men to scale the mountain in the dark. Both times the city was opened uncontested from the inside.

Sardis knew what a thief in the night could do.

Jesus told them that he would visit in judgement if they did not repent, return, and remember.

It is easy for us here today to think that we are getting away with sin.

Who cares what you looked at on your phone, or what you planned or did. No lightening struck you down so you can keep getting away with it right.

Listen to the words of Peter in 2 Peter 3:9

9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you,[a] not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

AND listen to the words of Jesus here. STOP !!!! Wake Up!!! Life isn't found in the pleasure of this life and compromise.

Life and flourishing are found in obedience to Christ alone.

He is loving to give us time to repent.

In case they say they don't know what it looks like anymore

Christ singles out some examples of faithfulness.

Lastly we see

Those who have life (4-6)

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.’

While most of the church at Sardis had faield to give witness to their faith in the culture a few had remained faithful to the task

To stand in witness to Christ in the daily rythem of that culture would have meant hostility, ostracism financially, mocking, abuse, even death.

In the face of that threat most of the church had chose to keep a low profile and go along with the culture. They loved their life too much to give it up for the Gospel. They didnt want the fire.

Those who have life are proved worthy in the fire. They don't want it but they don't avoid it when it comes.

Verse 4 is a clear allusion back to the end time visions of Daniel 11-12 which we will study in our wednesday study in a few weeks (shameless plug for viewership)

In Daniel's visions it is only through the refining fires of end time persecution where the saints are made white. These faithful few are gaining life by Loving the Cosmic Savior and Ruler of this world not Rome

GK Beale says this “Their acknowledged identification with Christ in this life will lead to identification and fellowship with Him in the next.

Christ was the faithful witness, and in doing so is called Worthy in Revelation of..because of these saints faithful witness the same word “axios” is used to describe Christs description of them

We can see the parallel to Daniel 12 even further in verse 5 where a reference to being named in the book of life is mentioned along with the purified righteous white and if that isnt enough imaging the day Christ says your name and that you are his before the Father and the throng of angels.

Matthew 10:32, and especially Luke 12:8 tell of Jesus’ promise repeated here to the faithful few in Sardis…

8 “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God,

The promise to blot out a name is specifically addressed to those who confess to follow Christ but are only playing the part.

Remember sin is a masquerade and in this life of the church age of the redemptive historical drama goats are in with the sheep. Tares are in with the wheat.

We fool men but we don't fool God.

The faithful have had their name written in the lambs book of life before time began...Revelation 21:27 references this book and it is the unchanging role call of the new Jerusalem.

This was a specific flex of power from Christ over the fear of man’s power in the Sardis church

There was a practice we see in Jewish literature from that time that when a jew would convert to Christianity the synagogue would erase that person's name from the role of the synagogue as a pronouncement that they would be blotted out of the book of life referenced in Daniel.

Don't you see that at every turn this letter is Christ crying out to them Crying out to us that He Rules and Reigns and He is worth it.

Love Him and this world will hate you. But in loving Him you gain it all.

This is the redemptive reversal of the gospel this is the upside down kingdom of God.

Neither Rome nor Synagogue could give life only Christ.

There is great warning here today for us in this. While the erasing doesnt mean a loss of your salvation it does mean a serious reflection

Listen to 2 Peter 1:10-11

10 Therefore, brothers,[a] be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Peter is saying that in examining your heart and pursuing the Virtue’s of the Gospel you see the Spirit at work in you...and it is the virtues that are internal.

He doesn’t say it is the show you can put on Peter and Christ here point to the heart we must examine diligently.

Ask yourself where you are on Mark 8:35

35 For whoever would save his life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it.

Where are you on that right now?

Which side of that would you place your striving and allegiance.

The love of Christ in this passage is to present himself as all Powerful, fully in control of the powers of this world, fully in control to reward faithfulness for eternity.

To present himself in this way to warn them and us to remember, repent, examine and choose this day whom you will follow. There is refining fire in this life for those who are his.

But there unmatched joy in Him to be found nowhere else

Plantinga paints an amazing picture of the joyous risk taking faith these few at Sardis should spurn us toward

“We must place our very life in the hands of God and trust what those hands might do to it…. We must become more and more the sort of person for whom eternal life with God would be sheer heaven”

Verse 6 ends with He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Now if you are like most people when you pray you end with an “in jesus name” i do and it is not a bad thing.

Oftentimes we don't give much thought to it. It is kind of a mail in statement.

The end of this letter can seem that way. It seems odd and maybe just a cultural end to a letter we don't need to pay attention to.

But let me close our time with the powerful message these last words leave us with. How Christ closed this letter is how we should close its study.

We have to start in Isaiah 6. You see the prophets had been given a message from God for His people to wake up, repent, return to Him and the mission of a faithfull witness to the nations.

Sounds familiar. Sounds like Sardis...and American church

When sermons didnt work they had to ramp up the rhetoric and the style.

The prophets had to begin using parables and aggressive language painting word pictures that would jolt and jar the lethargic back into obedience and life.

Isaiah 6 begins the shift from good cop to bad cop.

The language and the images will be so jolting that those with an ear to hear the warning will turn to life in repentance but the deaf and blind to God’s warning will be crushed when it was time to reap what they had sown

Jesus escalated his teaching and warning too in parables and woe to you statements

He too continued this formula from Isaiah.

Jesus’ parables shocked and jolted all who listened and to those who could hear the warning and good news there was life to be found.

Many were hardened and never repented.

So we come to the end of Revelation 3 and Jesus is pleading with those who see the warning in the imagery of this letter to hear it and act on it.

The good cop sermons have not jolted them to life and so this letter with its dramatic images of beasts and dragons and tribulations and fires and death and evil are a message to jolt those who still could hear back in to loving Christ more than this world.

If you have ears to hear at Monaghan today hear the call of Christ. Some of you may have come here to check this off the box for the week and the enterprise of God in this world don't cross your mind. Be jolted to life by this image of the Lamb who was dead and is now alive for ever more to rule and to reign.

If you have ears to hear this warning to return to an awe of the Gospel that saved you repent return.

If you have ears still today to hear the call to new life and salvation in Him alone repent return to Him today.

If you have ears to hear, hear the message to sardis. If you have compromised like they had with the idols of money sex power control liek they did repent before you become like that which you worship...having eyes but blind, having ears but not hearing.

Look at this all powerful Jesus and the good news of Jesus

Sin and folly flow downstream from a small view of God

Look at this Risen King and may we never lose our awe of our King

Lets pray and danny will play and we can respond i will be down front we will have some others here come pray hit your knees if you heard today