02.12. LECTURE No. 12 -- Rev_3:1-6
LECTURE No. 12 -- Revelation 3:1-6
The Truth in This Book a Divine Revelation - Revelation Defined - The Message of Christ to the Church at Sardis - The Seven Spirits and the Seven Stars - The Church at Sardis - Had a Good Reputation with Men but Jesus Knew Their True Spiritual Condition - A Divine Admonition to Strengthen the Things Which Remain - Present Day Application of This Truth - A Call to Repentance - A Faithful Remnant in the Church at Sardis - The Divine Promise to the Overcomers
LET us not forget that the title of the Book is The “Revelation of Jesus Christ.” The word “Revelation” means to unveil or to make manifest. The great theme and purpose of this book therefore, is to make Christ known to us.
If Christ had remained upon earth, after His crucifixion and resurrection, this book would have been unnecessary, but for those of us who have never seen the Lord Jesus Christ, this book is an absolute necessity, and we can truly thank God for such a revelation of His Son as He has given to us in the wonderful twenty-two chapters of this book.
Let us remember that, a Revelation is truth which has come to us direct from God, in other words, a Revelation is truth, which man never could have discovered by individual study or collective research. And so in this book we have truth, concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, which is contained nowhere else in the Word of God, and which we never could have known if God had not have given this revelation to Christ to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass.
Considering the general contents of the entire book, we may say that we have here a revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ,
(1)- In His relation to the earthly churches,
(2)-Then in His relation to the glorified Church in the heavenlies,
(3)-Then in His relation to the scenes of judgment upon the wicked, as they will be manifested here upon earth, during the opening of the seven seals, and the sounding of the seven trumpets, and the pouring out of the seven vials of the wrath of God,
(4)-And last of all, Jesus is revealed in His relation to the final acts of judgment which include the destruction of death and the grave, and the introduction of the final state in which man, who has been perfectly redeemed, will live when the consummation of all things shall have been accomplished.
We have progressed in our present study to Revelation the third chapter, and are now engaged in a study of the Seven Messages of the risen and glorified Christ, to the Seven Churches, which were in Asia.
In our last message we made a study of the message to the Church at Thyatira, as recorded in Revelation 2:18-29. In our study of the message to this Church we discovered the triumph of Balaamism and Nicolaitanism in the Church, and that in spite of these conditions there was a believing remnant who were faithful to the Lord. During the entire Thyatiran period of the Church, the Church was filled with corruption, which condition continued throughout the entire period, known as “The Dark Ages.” It was natural to believe that since reform was necessary, eventually reform would come, and that leads us to a study of the next message of the Risen Lord to the Church at Sardis, which is recorded in Revelation 3:1-6, where it says:
“And unto the angel of the Church in Sardis write; These things saith He that hath the Seven Spirits of God, and the Seven Stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
“Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die; for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
“Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee,
“Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white; for they are worthy.
“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 the Angels.
“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches. The Seven Spirits of God
Now, first of all let us notice how Jesus addressed Himself to the Church at Sardis. He said, “These things saith He that hath the Seven Spirits of God, and the Seven Stars.”
We do not need to be in doubt as to the Seven Spirits of God and the Seven Stars. In chapter Revelation 1:4, in the wonderful salutation to the Seven Churches, John made mention of the Seven Spirits which are before His Throne!
By referring to Isaiah 11:2, we discover that this refers to the sevenfold plentitude, or composite fullness of the Holy Spirit.
In Isaiah 11:2, speaking of Christ, it says, “The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of Wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and Might, the Spirit of Knowledge, and of the fear of the Lord.”
And thus did Jesus address them here as the one who possessed all these things, and also as the one who had the Seven Stars in His right hand, as stated in Revelation 1:16. The Seven Stars In Revelation 1:20, we are told that the Seven Stars are the Angels or messengers, or pastors of the seven churches. Therefore in His salutation to the Church at Sardis, Jesus revealed Himself to them as Christ the anointed one, who had been anointed with the sevenfold plentitude or fulness of the Holy Spirit, and who by divine authority held the messengers or pastors of the churches in His own right hand.
His salutation in this case was also quite abrupt; for He said, “I know thy works that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead.”
Such a salutation as this, my friends, not only impressed them with the divine authority of the one who was speaking, but it no doubt made some of them very angry; for it was in fact an accusation against the spiritual state of the Church at Sardis. The Spiritual Condition at Sardis From the wording of this introductory statement it is evident that the Church at Sardis had experienced a real spiritual revival which had given it a reputation among the Churches as being very much alive, but by the time this message was addressed to them, all they had left apparently, was a reputation based upon what had been the condition in their church. By this time, instead of being spiritually alive, Jesus said that they were dead.
Indeed, my friends, what a sad comment upon the spiritual condition of the Church at Sardis.
It is only natural, therefore, that the second verse of this chapter, Jesus should say to them, “Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die; for I have not found thy works perfect before God.”
They Stopped Short of Perfection The idea set forth here is that they had experienced genuine spiritual life in the Church, but they had stopped short of attaining unto, and performing the perfect will of God. This was true not only of the Church at Sardis, but it has been true of many churches throughout every age of Church history. When we have had a real revival we stop short of full and complete obedience.
Strange as it may seem, it is dangerous sometimes for a Church to attain unto too high a reputation, because, when they have done so it is often time difficult for them to maintain the reputation which they have acquired.
It is so easy for men to live on their reputation, while the zeal and fervor, and their love for God, and their vision for the work, gradually die away, and become nothing but smoldering embers, as it were, on the hearthstone of their hearts, where once the fire of God’s love burned brightly!
And so I truly believe that there are thousands of professing Christians, and Churches also, who once had a zeal for God, and who made a reputation for themselves that they were spiritually alive with faith and spiritual fervor, but today, like those at Sardis, they are in a backslidden condition, and all they have left is a name, a mere outward profession, and they are, shall we say, spiritually dead! The Things Which Remain To the Church at Sardis, which was in this condition, Jesus continued His message by saying in verse Revelation 3:2, “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die; for I have not found thy works perfect before God.”
No doubt there were those in the Church at Sardis, who still had faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, who still loved Him, because of the sacrifice which He had made for them, and who still prayed for the supply of their spiritual and material need, and who still worked perhaps in a half-hearted way for the salvation for those that were lost, but Jesus warned them to be watchful, and to strengthen the things which remained, that were ready to die.
What About Us? My friends, there is no question but what this is a dying age. The day of grace is about over. The times of the Gentiles are about over. Political and industrial institutions are crumbling beneath our feet, and are falling into decay and disuse, and to me the saddest thing of all, is when I am made to realize, and forced to confess, that the outward professing Church of Christ is also dying with the age.
As I travel up and down the land, I see great cathedrals in our cities, and churches in our towns, and country churches by the wayside, which represent millions of dollars in property investment, and which at one time represented an invincible, spiritual force, which was willing to do and dare, and sacrifice for the cause of Christ: but today, like the Church at Sardis, generally speaking, all they have left is a name that they are alive, but in reality many of them are spiritually dead.
It seems as if men in our churches no longer believe the Bible as their forefathers did. They can no longer love with a fervency of spirit which attracts men to themselves and to the Christ they profess to serve. Today men in these Churches pray, but the unction and the fervency and the power of prayer is gone. Today men who worship in these churches work, but their works are no longer for Christ and the salvation of the lost, but on the other hand their works are often times adulterated with selfish motives and purposes, which God can neither bless or set His approval upon. Alas, therefore, for the churches of our day, which have only a reputation that they are alive!
Surely, the statement which Jesus made to the Church at Sardis, when He said, “I have not found thy works perfect before God” would apply to many churches today, as much as it did to the Church at Sardis.
Hold Fast and Repent To the Church of Sardis, therefore, Jesus said in verse Revelation 3:3 :-’’Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.”
It is a sad comment upon the condition of any church, when He, who is the Lord of the Churches, calls upon professing Christians to repent, but that is what Jesus did in His message to nearly all of these seven Churches.
Indeed, my friends, when professing Christians, who have accepted Christ as their Saviour and Lord, fail to walk in faith they should repent of their unbelief. When a professing Christian fails to walk in love, as God has required, He should repent because of his lack of love!
When a Christian fail’s to pray as often as he should, in order that his own spiritual need and the needs of others might be supplied, he should repent for his sin of omission. When a professing Christian whose duty it is to serve God, by serving his fellowmen by good works, fails to work and to do his duty, by helping his brother in need, then he has much room to repent, and should repent of his slothfulness.
And so, my friends, we see that professing Christians, as well as sinners, often times have many things which need to be repented of. After all, we are all of us only sinners, saved by grace, and we who are Christians so often times sin against the will and purposes of God, that there is no room for self righteousness, even in our profession of Christ: “For to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”
They Are Worthy
Now in verse Revelation 3:4, Jesus said, “Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not denied their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.”
These words of our Lord were addressed to the believing remnant in Sardis, and how these words must have comforted and encouraged their hearts. In these words He acknowledged their faithfulness, and gave them promise of great reward! In Colossians 1:10, the Apostle Paul prayed for the Christians at Colosse that they might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God, and that they might be strengthened with all might according to His glorious power, unto all patience, and long suffering with joyfulness;-And that, my friends, was the desire of the Lord Jesus Christ for the Christians at Sardis, and it is also His desire for the believing remnant in every Church in our age. Therefore, let us pray that God will help us to walk worthy, that we too may walk with Him in white.
He That Overcometh And in Revelation 3:5, Jesus said “He that overcometh, the same shall clothed in white raiment; and I will no blot out his name out of the book life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before His angels.”
Here, my friends, is a promise from the lips of our Lord which should interest each and every one of us.
White, is the symbol of purity. And we cannot now fully realize all that it will mean to be fully redeemed and robed in white, and to share this joy with all who have been redeemed, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb!
And then today there is that assuring promise to the redeemed remnant of true believers who are accounted worthy, that their names will not be blotted out of the book of life! For Jesus said, “I will confess hid name before my Father and before His angels.”
My friends, it seems impossible for us to comprehend now, except in a very limited way, the full significance of such a statement. We cannot realize what it will mean when we have been fully redeemed and are brought into the very presence of our redeemer; for Him to call us by name and present us, as one of His blood washed throng to the Father, and then in turn introduce us to the mighty angels of heaven.
Such hope, such blessing, such final reward, should serve to inspire the faith and confidence, and the courage, the heart of every true Christian! It should make us willing to labor on, even though there are Tares among the Wheat, and even though we are often persecuted and ill spoken of by those who know not God, I and by those have counted the blood of Christ an unholy thing. Such reward as that which is promised here should serve to encourage us to press on in this holy war, though friends forsake us, though poverty overtake us, and foes assail us from every side.
May God help us therefore to look away from the cross to the glittering crown, and from the reproach of the present to the blessings and rewards of the future. For what joy unspeakable and full of glory it will be when Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah of Israel, and the Saviour of the World, presents us before the Father and before His Angels, and promotes us to a place of royalty and fellowship with Him in the great plans and purposes of God throughout all eternity. The Historical Application
Now there is also a historical application of the truth presented in this message to the Church at Sardis.
Historically speaking, the message to the Church at Sardis represents the period of the reformations, as we have already suggested. The Church of Thyatira represented the Church in the dark ages, when Baalism and Nicolaitanism had triumphed in the Church. During the dark ages the Church was married to the world.
In other words, the Church and State were united, and the Church was filled with corruption and spiritual fornication. God gave them space to repent, and they repented not.
And after a long time men such as Luther, and Melanchthon, Zwingly and others, were raised up of the Lord to lead the people in the great reformation, and help them to escape from the evils of the papacy. There is no doubt but what God was well pleased with their work in the beginning. The reformation which began in Germany swept over nearly all of Europe, and subsequently throughout many countries of the world; and just as the message to the Church at Thyatira gives to us God’s judgment of the Church during the dark ages, just so does the message to the Church of Sardis give to us His judgment and opinion of the church of the reformation period.
Under the leadership of those who led the reformation, the protestant portion of the church, which had broken away from the dead ritual, and the putrifying corruption of the Church, soon gained for themselves the reputation of being very much spiritually alive, and it was even so, until the strong spiritual leaders began to pass off of the stage of action, and in due course of time even the Protestant movement, which stood for reform, began to lag in spirituality, and slowly but surely came to need a reformation within its own ranks and things have continued to grow worse from then until now!
There is little wonder, therefore, that to the Churches of the reformation period, in estimating their work, Jesus said, “Thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful therefore and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die, for I have not found thy works perfect before God.”
And so, my friends, we see that the protestants who set out to reform the Church, have themselves come to need a reformation within their own ranks. In other words, many of the reformers need reforming themselves. A Believing Remnant But let us praise God and be thankful that in the midst of our decaying Protestantism there is still a believing remnant that believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and who are worthy, and shall walk with Him in white. Jesus closed His message to the Church at Sardis with these words: “He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches.”
~ end of lecture 12 ~