Sermon Tone Analysis

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.