be gracious to us this evening
as we join together and read his word and this evening we'll
come to that part in the revelation which speaks to the church at
Sardis which is the fifth church that the Apostle John was commanded
to write to. So this occurs in the third chapter
of the book of the Revelation and verses 1 to 6. So the book
of the Revelation chapter 3 and reading verses 1 to 6. 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 his angels. He that hath
an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. This letter that the Apostle
Paul was commanded to write to the Church of Sardis has some
very searching statements in it. I've said previously these seven
letters were to be read to each church, so each church would
read what was read and would, by God's grace, take those words
that the Apostle was commanded to speak to their hearts. And likewise today, as we read
these things, we shouldn't think that they don't have any application
to us. We should always consider the
word of God speaks to us in one way or another. And so the apostle
was commanded to say these things, saith he that hath the seven
spirits of God and the seven stars. Well we know of course
that was the Lord Jesus himself, the Son of God. And then he tells
them, I know thy works. I know thy works. Well, no doubt
there were good works, which were to be commended. And therefore
he says, I know thy works. And then he goes on to say that
thou hast a name, that thou livest and art dead. And that's a very
solemn statement, really. Because many people have lived
and have pretended to be Christians. They've gone under the name of
a Christian. And yet, in reality, they've
had no spiritual life. And they are dead. What a solemn
statement. What a solemn situation to hear
the Gospel, and the Gospel never enters into our heart. And worse still, to pretend that
we're receiving the Word, whereas in actual fact we're not. In
actual fact, we are at enmity with God. Apostle was commanded to write
this statement to the Church of Sardis and it's good for us
to realize that we must always not just pass such words off
and think well they don't have any application to me. We should
always examine ourselves and to test ourselves and to see
whether perhaps we give a wrong impression. Perhaps we pretend
to be what we're not. And in reality, we are dead people,
spiritually dead, no life. Well, we should be thankful that
God in his love toward us, toward his church, gives us really these
warnings. And they are warnings, and it's
good to take hold of them and to recognize the relevance of
them and how important it is that we don't just have a name
to live, a name which people look at and think, well, that's
a good Christian. In actual fact, we're not at
all. Well, one of the truths of the Word of God is, by their
fruits, he shall know them. And we have a whole list of the
fruits of the Spirit of God, and what a test that is. and
how relevant and important it is for us. Well, the Spirit of
God leads the Apostle on to say then, be watchful, be watchful,
to watch against the inroads that Satan can make into our
hearts. You see, he's very cunning, and
he knows what our weaknesses are. and our weaknesses are not
all the same but the Lord knows what our weaknesses are and he
therefore homes in on those weaknesses and therefore how important it
is that you and I are watchful that he's not as it were coming
in the back door but to realise we have a great adversary who
is intent on destroying our soul. So what a blessing it is that
the Lord, again in His love, has spoken these words, be watchful,
be watchful. And then He goes on, and strengthen
the things which remain. the great truths of the Gospel,
those things which we perhaps know about, heard about. Well,
we're not to just forget them, they are for us to strengthen,
to encourage one another with the great truths of the Gospel
and to recognise that God has given these things for us as
we journey through life to be a support to be an anchor, those
great gospel truths that we can rely upon, not because of what
we've done, but because of what the gracious and glorious Saviour
has done. Well, he tells us then, and it
says, and strengthen the things which remain. And then he gives
a further warning, that are ready to die, ready to die. Again, sometimes we're tempted,
well, that's not very important, you can forget about that, that's
a bit irrelevant. But here we have a statement
which tells us, strengthen the things which remain, which God
has granted to us, that we are blessed with the great truth
of the gospel, and we shouldn't think that any of them are of
no value. And then recognising that they
are ready to die. And so he goes on and says, for
I have not found thy works perfect before God. Again it's couched
in words which are very powerful and direct. It doesn't say, for
I have not found thy works perfect. He says, I have not found thy
works perfect before God. See again, it's not what people
think. It's what God thinks. You and
I stand before God. And you see, it's those works
which are perhaps not evident to people. Perhaps they're just
confined to our minds. Our minds is rampant after those
things which really do not profit. And so he says, for I have not
found thy works perfect before God. again another test isn't
it? to look into our hearts and to
see what there is there and see whether there are those things
which are not good which are evil well what a mercy it is
then that we have such words recorded for our instruction
and then he says having spoken like that Remember, remember. Many times in the Word of God
we are encouraged to remember. Remember all the way the Lord
has led us. And then he says here, remember
therefore how thou hast received and heard. It's good, isn't it,
to look back in our spiritual life and to find those things
which God has given to us, and those things which we have received,
received from the Holy Spirit of God, and have heard the great
and glorious truths of the Gospel, which the Holy Spirit may have
conveyed to us, perhaps by reading his Word, perhaps by meditating
on the great truths of God perhaps listening to the preachers as
they declare the great truths of God and so he tells us to
remember how we have received and heard it's good to bring
to remembrance such things it's good to sometimes be quiet and
meditate and look back and see the work of God in our hearts
in our souls remember therefore how thou hast received and heard
and then he tells us and as we're able to recount these things
what are we to do? if there are promises God has
given to us if there are words of instruction God's given to
us if there are words of correction that God's given to us we are
to Hold them fast. Hold them fast. And not let the
devil snatch them away. He's a past master at deceiving
us. Hold fast these things. And then, again he gives this
gracious word and repent. How important it is for all of
us if as we remember what we have received and perhaps we've
forgotten about it almost perhaps we passed it off and yet here
the word tells us to hold it fast hold fast the form of sound
words oh bless God for it and repent if we turned away from
it and then he says if therefore thou shalt not watch remember
we've already had those words we are to watch be watchful and
now he says if therefore thou shalt not watch it means that
we're all to watch watch our spiritual life watch where we
are if therefore thou shalt not watch he tells us I will come
on thee as a thief and thou shalt not know What hour I will come
upon thee? The Lord instructs us what to
do, how to act, how to respond. But He tells us we are to do
these things. And if we turn away from them,
and if we don't watch, then the Lord's telling us He won't give
us any warning. He won't come to us in that way,
but He'll come as a thief. And how does a thief come? Often
comes when we're not expecting it, often at night. I will come on thee as a thief,
and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. And
so it's a warning, isn't it? And let's just understand, These
warnings are in love to our souls. God's very gracious and very
kind. And so then goes on, 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. Well, what a great blessing it
is to be united to Christ and to be clothed with His righteousness
that spotless robe of righteousness again not because what we've
done but it's because of what He's done He gives to us this
great and glorious favour and privilege of that robe of His
righteousness Thou hast a few names even inside us a few names
in the church at Sardis. It doesn't say all of them, it
just says a few. But my friends, how important
that you and I are numbered amongst the few who not defile their garments
and they shall walk in me, with me, in white. for they are worthy
not worthy of what we've done but worthy because of what God's
done the Saviour's done and clothed us that's our worthiness comes
through his great and glorious finished work and really he runs
on with the same or very similar theme he that over cometh he
that over cometh the same shall be clothed in White Raymond. Well, surely this indicates there's
a battle. And there is a battle. There's
a spiritual battle. There is, all our life, to the
Church of God, a spiritual battle. The devil never gives up. He
always desires to overthrow us. But remember, you and I won't
be able to overcome because of our strength. We're told how
we will overcome. And they overcame through the
blood of the Lamb, through the finished work of the Saviour,
who defeated the devil when he dined upon that cross at Calvary. When he spoke those wonderful
words, it is finished. The work that his father gave
him to do, he completed. There were no failures with the
Saviour. And the same shall be clothed
in white raiment. And then he goes on. And I will
not blot out his name out of the Book of Life. What a wonderful
favour that is. Oh, my friends, you and I want
our name in the Book of Life. And we want it there. When that
great day comes, when all things this time state will be burnt
up we want to know that we have our names written in the book
of life and it will be well then with our souls and as such we're
then told the Savior says and it's a wonderful favor but I
will I will Confess his name before my father. This is the savior speaking to
him were about unworthy sinners. I will confess his name before
my father and before his angels. Well, that should be such a humbling
statement, something that should really encourage us and strengthen
us and bless us and give us cause to praise and honor and glorify
our great and glorious Savior. But I will confess his name.
before my father and before his angels. And then again, he reiterates
the statement, he that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
saith unto the churches. Well, may we, you and I hear
these gracious words. The Lord speaks to the seven
churches and recognize the relevance of them and they speak to our
hearts and may we be thankful for God's goodness and favour
toward us in giving us such gracious statements. Well may God bless
us indeed. Let's now join together in singing
hymn 1000 and