Revelation 3

1 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. 2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. 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 increasingly important that we keep our minds refreshed with the Word of God, not just the Revelation, but the entire Bible. As we look into this chapter, it will do most a god turn to review the letters in chapter 2. These letters are addressed and speak to seven Church Families in Asia but as they are read today a man walking with God should also, immediately pick up that these also apply to the church today for a Guide Line for our walk with the Christ. These have been described by some as representing the Church Age Periods from the first century until now. I do not teach that but the Church Universal is mighty like the last in this string of letters. The third verse is very solid advise for any Christian, at any point since our Chris left on the cloud.

4 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. 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. 6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

In class today we around and around with a gentleman about what I am about to say here and he is the only one in the class that never got it, that left me and all the others praying for him, it´s serious not to relate to this. In the eyes of God, you, I and every Christian we collectively know were given robes of the purest white, the very moment we were saved and have been dressed in them ever since. Those that remain faithfully serving the Master will have less stains on our garmets than the Carnal Christian. Some, better than 95% or the North American Church Family never have had a spiritual robe on, if the Barna Church Survey of the mid-eighties is correct. That makes the inside of our own churches a mission field white unto harvest.

7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; 8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

We find here that we can hide nothing from our God. We also see that he or she that is faithful and true to the Word of God has the door into Heaven opened to them. This scripture flies straight in the face of much of the errant theology being taught in the ear tickling churches today. This promise is conditional, they kept His Word and had not denied His name.

9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. 10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. 11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

With this passage I have always found that the Human Earth Worms always wiggle the worst! It is the Jew that is called out here and a study, completed by myself, over fifteen years ago illustrates why the Christians are not, seemly, included. When the First Century Church sprung up we were recognized as a Jewish Sect. Like it or not, we are still that sect from the Jewish Faith! As a Christian today, you are included in this warning. These conditions spelled out here were once, withing my life time, taught in the churches. It is a mark of just how far we have fallen.

12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. 13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

You see here that Jesus is stressing the conditions and the reward. I admit it, I am sick of seeing people, mistakenly, through ignorance of the truth and sometimes intentionally lying to people to fill their buildings. Just knowing Jesus has and will never save a single person. You cannot work or earn your way into Heaven but neither is it unconditional. You must learn to never qustion and to always obey.

14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

There is no possible worse pronouncement than this and because I do believe we are very close to Jesus on the cloud, it is not only my contention that we are in the Laodicean Church Age but that all these charges are cumlative and the Church, in general, is guilty and guilty of all of it! Better than 85% of the people in your Church Family are not doing a single thing for the cause of Christ and better than 95% do not believe He will Rapture them out. Without faith there is nothing, read your Bible just like the book it is.

17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

The United States Of America is in such a dangerous position today! The man living under the Freeway Bridge is among the top 10% of the wealthiest people in the world. We have so much material wealth that we have no Spiritual eyes to see our poor and wretched position! Some of you are so blind that these words will enrage you and you´ll never do a Spiritual Inventory.

18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Does God see you dressed white, Spiritual White?

20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. 22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Is Jesus your Master? Do you obey Him?

 

The saddest thing for the Anglo-Saxon Race is that we have become so narrow minded that we believe it is all about us. Not long ago I was assured that Christ was not due for decades yet because the Great Falling Away is just beginning and the Final Awaking (the explosion of the Church Growth) was yet to come.

I have, over the past twenty-one plus years served with some of the finest Christians I ever knew and as we die off, the replacements become fewer and fewer. And in the past decade converts in the South of Sudan were converting to Christianity by the thousands a month and right now the reports are that there is also a Spiritual Awaking in China with thousands a month coming to the LORDa month. The last Great Awakening is also happening and still we think it is about us.