The church at Sardis
Review of the first 4 churches to this point. 1.Ephesus-get back to the way you were at first. 2. Smyrna- you are going to suffer tribulations, but trust me, I’ll be there 3. Pergamos-Get away from the false doctrines, and get into the word of God.
4. Thyatira-I want you for myself, in holiness and perfect
3 fold application/not dispensational as some would teach.
Rev. 3:1-6
V1. these things saith he that hath the seven spirits of God, and the seven stars. (ref. Is. 11:2-4)
The 7 spirits of God are not seven different types of The Holy Ghost, but the fullness of the Spirit. We know that from the creation of the earth, that 7 is the number of fullness.
Is. 11:2-4 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots, and the spirit of the lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom, and of understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of Knowledge, and the fear of the lord.
V1 cont. I know thy works, that thou has a name that thou livest, and are dead.
The church has a name that it lives, but is dead. The church today, is supposed to be a Christian Church. To be a Christian, means to be Christ like. To be Christ like, we have to love one another as much as we love ourselves. To be like Christ we must put the needs of others before our own selfish needs and desires. We have to serve God with all of our heart, mind, and strength. That is what it means to be like Christ.
If we are claiming to be Christians, it is time that we start representing the name of Christ. Because when we claim the name of Christ, we are saying that we are indeed one of his. How can I be like Christ, and serve myself?
The word Christ means the anointed one. Unfortunately, there are many churches and people who claim to be anointed ones, but have not a clue of what the anointing is.
The church to whom Christ was addressing here, had a name that they were living, but were dead. They were a lot like the whitewashed tombs that Jesus Spoke of in the book of Matthew. Remember that looks can kill.
Luke 4:18-19 The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor, He hat sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
He has anointed me to preach the Gospel: good news: to the poor-good news to a poor person, is that they do not have to be poor anymore………….
The anointing of God is not for you to be glorified by, but for God to receive the glory. It is the anointing of the Holy Ghost that gives us power to do the works of Christ.
2 Cor. 1:21-22 Now he which stablished us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us is God, who has also sealed us, and given the earnest of the spirit in our hearts.
1 Jn. 2:20 but you have an unction from the Holy one, and know all things. The greek word is anointing.
We, the body and bride of Christ need to get a hold on the power that God has in store for us, and run with it. The Power that God has in store for us is unlike anything that this world has seen before. The word of God says that we have the anointing. We already have it within us, we just need to activate what God has placed inside of us.
Jesus did not suffer the death of the cross so that we would always be running around defeated. He came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly. The bible says had the princes of this world known, they would never have crucified the king of Glory.
When Jesus was crucified, he gave us access to the throne room of God. When the veil was split from top to bottom, He gave us the power of the Holy spirit. He gave us the ability to do the very works that he did.
Jn. 14:12 verily I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do, because I go unto my father. The reason he said greater works than these shall I do because I go unto my father, was because he Knew that we would be able to walk in the same anointing that he had.
Acts 2:17And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams and on my servants, and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my spirit, and they shall prophesy.
Proverbs 18:21 The power of death and life are in the tongue. We have the power to change the rotation of the earth if we need to, but we rarely ever use it.
You have had a name that you were alive, but are dead. (I’m alive).
I will pour……. And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy.
To prophesy means to foretell, and to speak the oracles of God. We need to have the God kind of Faith, and speak those things that be not as though they were. Sick, down, broke, alone, do not claim these things.
When trouble arises in our lives, we can not always look at the way things are and speak on them. Because faith sees beyond the circumstances. Because we are to walk by faith and not by sight.
We need to watch the words that ware coming out of our mouths. Do not let the way that things look distract you from the true promises of God. Jesus never let the way that a situation looked distract him from doing a work for God.
Mt. 9:23-25 When Jesus went to Jairus’ house, the funeral prosession was already going on. The musicians were playing, and the people were in morning. Jesus did not just say oh well she’s already dead, I guess I’m too late……..He said get out of the way, she is not dead, she is only sleeping, and they laughed him to scorn.
Some times you have got to have the kind of faith that makes you look like a fool, In fact when you start speaking the God kind of faith, people will think that you are foolish. So when the people got out of the way, he went in and took her by the hand, and the maid arose. She is not dead, but she is sleeping.
Jn. 11 When Jesus heard of Lazarus being sick, he said this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God. By the time he arrived to the tomb he had been dead for 4 days, and the people were saying by now he stinks.
When Paul was preaching in Acts 20 and the man fell out of the window and died, he ran over to him and grabbed him and said don’t worry for life is in him. This man was laying there dead, and Paul said life is in him.
Eph. 6:12-17 When Paul is explaining about the whole armor of God, the last thing that he tells us to take up is the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.
As Christians, the only ammo that we carry is the word of God. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, he spoke the word of God to satan. Get thee behind me satan for it is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
We have got to start speaking in faith all of the time, and not only when we are in the house of God.
The same God that heard the cries of the prophets, is still on the throne today. The same God who withheld rain from the earth for 3 years is still alive and well. If God delivered David out of the hand of the giant, then he can surely deliver you out of the trouble that you are in. It all comes down to the words that you speak.
In the beginning, God gave man dominion over all of the things of the earth. The same rules still apply to us today. If there is something that is going on in your life, that you feel does not line up with the word of God, speak to it. Prophecy to it. Tell it to go in the name of Jesus. We have authority over all things on this earth.
The bible says that the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. It is time for the church to come alive in 2005 and grab on to the authority that we are given.
In the book of Ezekiel 37 God told Ezekeiel to prophesy to the dry bones.
The hand of the lord was on him and lead him into a VALLEY which was full of dry bones, and there were very many, and they were very dry. And God asked him, Can these bones live? Ezekiel said God you know!!! You know what is possible I do not.
Notice that God did not do the speaking, but he told Ezekiel to prophesy. O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live, and I will lay sinews, and bring flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath In you, and you shall live, and you will know that I am the lord.
God told Ezekiel to say it because he wanted him to know that no matter how bad, and how dry, or how many problems were around him, that he could speak to them in the name of the Lord, and it would all come together.
Ezekiel said, so I prophesied as I was commanded, and as I did, there was a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone, and he looked, and behold the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them above, but there was no breath in them.
Then God said prophesy to the wind, come from the 4 winds, o breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and they stood up on their feet an exceeding great army.
When he landed in this valley, everything was dead and very dry, but by the time that Ezekiel had finished speaking to those bones, they were standing upon their feet as an exceeding great army. When we are in the valleys in life and you don’t even know if things can survive, speak the word of God. I am more than a conquerer, I am always triumphant, I am well and not sick, I am above and not beneath, 1st and not the last, blessed in the field, blessed going in and coming out.
God wants to show you that the power of life and death are in the tongue.
The bible says that God is not a man that he should lie, nor the son of man that he should repent. If it is in the word of God, then it is the absolute truth. If God failed to honor one word of this bible, then the rest of it would be just a lie.
Jn. 14:13, 14 And whatsoever you shall ask in my name that will I do, that the father may be glorified in the son. If you shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.
No matter what the obstacle before you, If you speak to it, it will move.
Mt. 17:20 If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove, and nothing shall be impossible to you.
Its only going to move if you tell it to. When a child is small, if they have a hard time speaking, they have their hearing checked. If you are not speaking in faith, its because you are not hearing the word of God. Remember if a man does not work, neither shall he eat. If you are not doing works for the kingdom of God, then you are unable to comprehend the word of God.
You have a name that you are alive, but are dead. Pr.21:23 he who guards his mouth and tongue guards his soul from trouble.
V2-3 be watchful and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. ….I have not found your works perfect, you have been working, and doing some of the things that you are supposed to do, but you are not there yet.
Remember how you have received and heard, and hold fast and repent. If you are not watching, I will come on you as a thief, and thou shall not know what hour I will come upon you.
v.4 a few which have not defiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.
v.5 he that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment, and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, But I will confess his name before my father and before his angels.
Jesus is our advocate with the father. He is seated in heaven at the right hand of the father pleading our case before him. He said if you overcome, and wakeup you will be clothed in white. Repent from doing the dead works that you have been doing.
V6 he that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit saith to the churches. Jesus gave his life so that you and I could have fellowship with the father, all that he wants from us is for us to love him.
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