Sermon Tone Analysis
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The Psalmist is under personal attack because His heart is for God and His Word.
He is in danger of being ashamed of his faith, struggling with the rejection that he is/may receive as he stands up for it (v.46).
With very human struggles the psalmist turns to God.
The psalmist requests God’s faithful love, His covenant love, to come to him, as He has promised, and remember him.
Exodus 2:23-24
What is their cry?
A cry of repentence and sorrow?
A cry of faith?
Based upon His promise of faithfulness, God acted.
Just as God delievered Israel from their bondage in Egypt, the Psalmist seeks delieverance from reproach, from attack.
He is confident that God will act because He is the Faithful God of His Word and the psalmist trusts in God’s word (v.
41).
The psalmist anticipates an answer of faithfullness.
Do we?
When we need help, do we seek God’s help?
Are we sure that He will answer because He has promised to be our God, to hear, to help, to answer based upon His promises sealed by His Son?
Do I trust in God? Do I trust in His word?
His promises?
Is His Word constantly before my eyes?
Do I meditate on His trustworthiness?
His faithfulness?
If not, His word, His promises, and our testimony of his faithfulness, will disappear from our mouths (v.43).
Are His commands a delight or a chore?
Our answer is an indicator of our perception and belief of the relationship, our belief in the very nature of God.
God’s grace requires faithfulness, trust exercised, instruction listened to and obeyed.
Because the psalmist actively seeks, pursues to obey, God’s commands, he walks freely, at liberty, because he seeks God’s precepts.
Prov 4:12
God’s Word is not merely given for our information.
God’s Word is given for our obedience.
This is the theme of the psalmist’s life.
Is it ours?
Do I walk at liberty in wide open places?
Am I walking by faith or by sight?
One walks with liberty by faith, not by sight (Hebrews 11).
Walking by faith is having the assurance of things hoped for, and the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 1:1).
By faith and obedience is how we receive God’s approval (Hebrews 1:2).
How are you and I walking during these days?
Are we walking with liberty?
Are you being hampered or hindered?
How is our obedience and faith to God’s Word?
God’s commands?
Is His testimony seen in our actions?
Or do I think one thing and do another?
Liberty is dead without obediece and faith in and towards God.
The Church of Sardis (Revelation 3:1-7)
This is Jesus’ wake up call towards the church of Sardis found in Revelation 3:1-7.
Wake up and strengthen what remains!
Your liberty is dead because you have refused to be faithful and obedient to your God.
Remember what you received and heard when you were born-again.
Keep it and repent!
Stop and change your direction!
Sardis had a reputation, in the community, at one time or another, for being alive in Christ, but are actually dead and dying.
Their work is incomplete before God.
They may go through the motions of being a church, but their motivation and love for God is gone, except for but a faithful few.
The Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, is nearly gone and is in danger of being fully removed.
Sardis (located in Turkey) was a key city for all empires that have come and gone.
It was weathy, wicked and well protected, having been built on a mountain side.
It had a reputation of being impenetrable, but was felled three times, in battle, by the suprise of attack at night.
The Assyrians called it ‘Gugu’ and later ‘Gog” in Ezekiel 38-39 (Rev.
20:8).
Antiochus III resettled 2000 Jewish families here, who become an integral part in society politically and financially.
They build a large synagogue and gymnasium for the education of their sons.
Syncretism crept into the synagogue and Jewish society with religious assimilation of traditions and Greek-style education.
The worship of Artemis (or Cybele) at the 4th largest temple was the norm.
A strong interest and belief in life after death was also a key understanding.
The citizens or Sardis sought, and received, the official designation of ‘Neokoros’ - ‘temple-keeper’ in the 1st and 2nd centuries.
This designation meant that the city was an official site of the Roman Imperial Cult (hence the large temples of Artemis, Zeus and Dionysus).
Receiving the title of ‘Neokoros’ was affirmation of the cities (and citizens) absolute loyalty to the Roman Imperial Cult and brought imperial benefits commercially and politically.
Citizens were harrassed and hard pressed to participate in the Imperial Cult.
To choose not to would have been a most difficult task.
The call to Sardis is to Wake up! Strengthen!
Repent!
Obey! and Remember!
Those who refuse to wake up will not be forgiven (v.4).
Those who sleep are not worthy and soil themselves, will have their names blotted out of the Book of Life (v.3-5).
White robes, new life, will not be given.
No confession, no acknowledgment, no public honor before God and His angels will be given (v.5).
Ultimately, Sardis’ refusal to repent and obey will lead to their lampstand being removed by God, His presense withdrawn, and the church lying in dust.
A cheap facade may remain, but all spiritual life is gone.
God’s hand of blessing removed.
The question we must ask is this: Are we Sardis?
Our orthodoxy may be good, but are we spiritually alive?
Are we walking in the Spirit?
Living with the Holy Spirit of God? Walking in obedience to His commands?
Seeking His Word and living His Word?
Or are we walking in formality?
Bowing to the Imperial Cult of science and experts?
Soiling ourselves with the fears, ways, and beliefs of our society?
Is God’s Word, His faithfulness, and promises still number one?
Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer said this about embracing God’s costly grace, “Only he who believes is obedient, and only he who is obedient believes.”
(The Cost of Discipleship, p.54).
He also went on to say, “For faith is only real where there is obedience, never without it, and faith only becomes faith in the act of obedience.”
(Ibid, p.54).
At some point, the Church of Sardis lost their faith, because they lost their obedience to God and living His Word.
Jesus said to His disciples to “Follow Him”.
He also says this same thing to us, “Follow Me”.
How did the disciples do so?
How did Peter do so, when He failed miserably in deny Christ?
How did he get back up and live a restored life once again, in the grace of Christ?
They all simply took the step of obedience and faith.
No hedging, no questioning, no hesitation…simply obedience and faith.
The Church of Sardis willingly entertained and engaged in wilful disobedience in the face of God’s grace.
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