Revelation Study Series 6 - God's Mysterious Plan Fulfilled
11.14.21
Message…
Most of you know the story of the Tortoise and the Hare who ran a race. The rabbit was very confident in his ability to win because of his speed. So, much so that along the race he took a nap. While he was sleeping the Tortoise overtook him and by the time the rabbit woke up it was too late...the Tortoise had won!
That is one of Aseop famous fables. And, if you are wondering what that has to do with anything, Aesop was from Sardis.
Revelation 3:1-6
1 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Sardis. This is the message from the One who has the sevenfold Spirit of God and the seven stars:
“I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive—but you are dead.
2 Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of My God.
3 Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to Me again. If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief.
4 “Yet there are some in the church in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes with evil. They will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.
5 All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before My Father and His angels that they are Mine.
6 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what He is saying to the churches.
*Sardis pic
Sardis was a very beautiful city built on a towering plateau overlooking rolling hills, and lush green meadows.
It was a wealthy city, in fact the king of Sardis was said to have been the richest man in the world during his reign. ($600 million at that time)
Sardis was the capital of its area. They made beautiful dyes there, which they incorporated into rugs and other things.
A stream ran through the city. The stream carried what was called, “sands of gold”...actually gold dust.
-wikipedia.com
Built on this towering plateau, Sardis was naturally fortified. There was only one way to enter the city. And, it was a secret. As long as they were watchful, and guarded that secret entrance they were protected.
But, they failed to do that one thing. They were captured and defeated by Cyrus the Great.
The story goes that one night while on guard duty a soldier walking along the top of the fortress wall, dropped his helmet. It fell off his head and rolled to the bottom of the hill. Thinking no one was watching he climbed down the secret passage on the back side of the hill, retrieved his helmet, and then made his way back up.
It doesn’t seem like a big deal however, someone was watching… and that someone was an enemy soldier.
In the dark of night the enemy entered that secret entrance, and conquered Sardis.
Revelation 3:1a
1a “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Sardis. This is the message from the One who has the sevenfold Spirit of God and the seven stars:...
Isaiah 11:1-3
1 Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot— yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.
2 And the Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him— the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
3 He will delight in obeying the LORD.
Vs. 1b...“I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive— but you are dead.
We have another “doing” church...another church filled with pagan practices, rituals, ceremony and religion.
“...you have a reputation for being alive...”
You have a sign that says you are a church...you have a reputation as such.
...“but, you are dead!”
What you were known for is not who you are now!
You may have once served the Lord passionately but, what have you done for Him lately?!
Someone likened the church in Sardis to that of a hollow chocolate Easter bunny. –(Guy Glass, “Wake Up!”; sermonillustrations.com)
It appears to be something it’s not. There was no life there! There was no Spirit of God there!
It was all about the work of men, but it was missing the hand of God! The power of God! The purpose of God!
The church in Sardis was a dead church filled with dead people. They were physically alive, yet spiritually dead!
Revelation 3:2
2 Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of My God.
This church was on life support and things were not looking good… “your actions do not meet the requirements of My God”...
Isaiah 29:13
The Lord says: “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 based on merely human rules they have been taught. NIV
Any problems in your relationship with God or worship of Him always stems from a heart problem!
God is looking for authentic faith and worship!
He told them to “strengthen what little remains”...
Revelation 3:3
3 Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to Me again. If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief.
You’ve been sleeping. You haven’t been paying attention!
Wake Up! Strengthen the foundation of your faith!
God wants relationship, not religion.
Hosea 6:6 I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know Me more than I want burnt offerings.
God wants authenticity.
It's not a big ask! God wants your faith to be genuine. He wants more than an outward appearance of worship! He wants a heart that is tuned and turned towards Him.
John 4:23
But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship Him that way.
God wants change. (Repentance/Turn)
James 4:8
Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.
God wants you to continually make adjustments in your life that draws you to Him!
(It is impossible for you to experience His presence, or Hear His Message/His Word and stay the same!)
James 1:22-25
22 But don’t just listen to God’s Word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.
23 For if you listen to the Word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.
24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.
25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.
You should always be growing in your walk/faith.
You should be more passionate for Him now then you ever have been!
Revelation 3:3
3 Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to Me again. If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief.
2 Peter 3:9-10
9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about His promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.
Matt. 24:42-44
42 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.
43 Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into.
44 You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.
Jesus is coming! His coming will be sudden!
“least expected” for many, because many will not be looking for it! Many will not be living in expectation of it!
Wake up! Wake up church!
Don’t be caught sleeping, don’t be caught unprepared! Don’t be caught resting on what you’ve done in the past! The Lord is coming!
You can’t set a snooze, nor take a break from following the Lord!
You can’t pause your worship of Him by thinking you’ve done enough already…
When the Lord is through with using you here on this earth, He will take you home! Until then, the very fact that you are here, means there's still more He wants to use you for!
Romans 13:11
This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.
The Lord had harsh words for those that were spiritually dead!
However, there were a few in Sardis who were the real thing. They were genuine followers of Jesus who continually lived their faith out.
Revelation 3:4
4 “Yet there are some in the church in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes with evil. They will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.
The Lord called them “worthy”...what made them worthy?
Amidst the ruins of where the city of Sardis used to lay has been found a place of shops. Almost like an outdoor shopping mall has been discovered.
In a few of those shops pagan artifacts were unearthed. Things like statues of lions which normally would have had a pagan god sitting on the back of the lion.
However, the false god has been knocked off, and the head of the lions defaced.
Large white stones, that look like headstones, have been found with writings on them, writings which paid worship to pagan gods.
But, as they were discovered, they were found turned upside down, the writings scratched off, as best as could be done, and a cross carved onto the stone.
They have found symbols of a fish carved as well...an early Christian symbol for Christ.
Among this pagan society were those “worthy”, who proudly stood and declared...we worship God, we follow Jesus Christ!
They had relationship, they had real fellowship/worship, and they obviously lived a life of continual repentance, adjustment to the Lord!
Paul wrote of being “worthy”…
Ephesians 4:1
Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.
Colossians 1:10
that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; NKJV
1 Thessalonians 2:12
that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. NKJV
And, to those the Lord declares...
Revelation 3:5
5 All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before My Father and His angels that they are Mine.
Revelation 21:27
Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
One day the Lord will open the Lambs book of Life. It records/declares all the names of genuine believers.
Psalm 69:28
Let them be blotted out of the book of the living,
And not be written with the righteous. NKJV
Revelation 20:15
And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. NKJV
“Wake up!”...the Lord said to those in Sardis.
Wake up to those that are dead who think they are alive. Wake up to those that are fake and not genuine.
To the real believer the Lord said...
Continue to hold to your faith in Him!
Keep living your faith in light of His return!
Continue adjusting your life to His Word (repent)! Continually make choices that draw yourself closer to Him!
Don’t just look alive...be alive!
