Turn with me to the book of the
Revelation chapter 3. Revelation chapter 3. Looking at the next letter that
was written through the means of the Apostle
John. The letter to the angel of the
church in Sardis was from, according to verse
1, these things saith he that hath the seven spirits of God
and the seven stars. The seven spirits of God. means the Holy Spirit Himself. Seven being the number, as we've
looked at before, of completeness, of perfection. The Spirit which
was given according to the Holy Scriptures to the Lord Jesus
without measure. without measure in perfection,
without measure in wisdom or understanding or counsel or might
or knowledge. These words are from Him who
cannot lie. And seven times we hear these
words spoken. He that hath ears to hear Let
him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." When the
Lord Jesus Christ speaks, He speaks always infallibly. He cannot lie. Therefore, this morning, first,
when I wrote down in my notes, we have much to be thankful for,
and I went back and scratched it out, and I put, we have all
to be thankful for, that the Spirit of God would speak this
morning. This is not a historical lesson
today. This is the Word of Almighty
God, and it is alive. It is as alive today as it was
the day that John heard it. It's always alive. powerful,
sharper, the Scripture says, than any two-edged sword. This is a message today to the
church, to God's people, to those called out of darkness. God speaks
to His people. I was talking to a friend this
week and told him, a fellow pastor. I told him, I said, I need to
be reminded every time I stand up, that whenever I preach, that
I'm preaching to God's sheep to comfort them. That's the calling
of God's pastors, comfort the sheep. Someone unregenerated is not
going to hear what you've got to say, Carl. They just don't
hear. They sit here and just talk all you want to. They're
just not going to hear. But you're here to comfort the
people of God. The Holy Spirit speaking is the
one that has been sent by the Lord Jesus Christ to quicken,
call, teach, and comfort the elect of God. The Lord Jesus
said in John 15 and 26, but when the Comforter is come, whom I
will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth which
proceedeth from the Father, he will testify of Me." Whenever
you hear anyone having anything to say, if they speak not of
Christ, of His honor, His glory, they speak not according to the
Spirit of God. The Lord says to the church,
and He's speaking to the church, but notice every letter says
unto the angel of the church, and I've said this before, God
speaks, and this is His providential way of doing things. He speaks
to His people through a pastor. Without a pastor, how are they
going to hear unless someone's sent? taught, given a heart to
look into the Scriptures and find out what is the message
today. Now, I'm going to be honest with
you. I've looked at this letter today and this is a letter that
is very strong. As I first began to read it,
I spent one day just reading the letter and I'd read over
it and I'd look and I'd read over it and look look again and
truthfully went home that day feeling very heavy about this
letter. And it is a letter that has got
some things to say that is very straightforward. And I stopped
and thought about this and I thought, you know, this is from Him who
cannot lie. And I have nothing to say but
what He has said. So I pray this morning truthfully
that the Lord would give us all understanding into what the Lord
has got to say to His church. He says to the church through
the pastor, These things saith he that hath the seven spirits
of God and the seven stars, that is, the seven pastors or the
completeness of all of his pastors, he said, I know thy works that
thou hast to name that thou livest and art dead. Now, I began to look at that
and the word dead here is one that is not hard to be understood. The Lord told the people, He
said, you have a name that you live. That is to say, they have
a name where the gospel of free grace is preached. The gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ. You have a name that you are
alive. Now, it is not hard to understand
that where Christ is not proclaimed, the gospel is not proclaimed. There is no name there that they
live. It doesn't matter what the sign
says on the outside. It's what is coming out of the
pulpit. What's being said concerning
how God justifies a sinner. He said you have a name that
you live and you are dead." Now, dead there, as I looked at that,
I asked the Lord for some understanding. It could mean two things, but
I'll tell you the one I think that it means for sure. It could
mean, in a sense, that there was a place, this church at Sardis,
where, and I know that this can be so without a doubt, that there
were some there of God's elect that were in the congregation
who were dead in trespasses and sins. That's what Ephesians 2
says, you know, that you were dead. God has quickened you.
You know, who were dead in trespasses and sins? I don't know who the
elect are. I don't know. There may be some
this morning that are sitting here that have yet to be called
out of darkness. They've sat here under the gospel.
They've had Brother Scott for years and years and years preach
to them. They've heard the gospel. But
as of this moment, the Lord has not been pleased being the potter
that Brother Scott just read about that has not called them
out of darkness, when it pleases God. That's when someone's called
out of darkness. When it pleased God, Paul said,
who separated me from my mother's womb, called me by His grace. So it could mean that there was
a place that the Lord had providentially set some of His people in there,
set them under the sound of the gospel. And they had yet. The meaning is of that word,
and I looked this word up to make sure that what I was saying
was so. That word dead also can mean
one that is lax through apathy, that is waning in their commitment
or barrenness. Now, I think if anyone was truthfully
honest with themselves, those that believe can say, I can see
where that can be so. With the hearing of this sobering
truth, the true church is aware that there are tares amongst
the wheat, and they can find great comfort in knowing that
the Lord keeps His people even in the midst. This was a church
where the Lord revealed that there were many in the congregation
where that gospel, where the gospel, the gospel of truth was
being proclaimed, many were in that congregation that were dead,
spiritually dead, because verse 4 says, Thou hast a few names
even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments. a few names. That is, in the
place where God's sovereign grace was proclaimed, Christ and Him
crucified, total depravity, unconditional election and particular redemption,
irresistible grace, perseverance of the saints, there were many
that sat in that congregation that knew nothing of the Lord
God Himself by faith. And those that did learned afresh
to be thankful that the Lord had given them a heart to believe
Christ. Someone says, oh, I don't think
that that could possibly be so. Oh, really? Oh, but it can be. Sardis was a very big church,
a very prosperous church. And they had a name. They were
well known throughout the congregations that believed just exactly what
they preached. They were known to have a name
that they were alive. And the Lord said, you're dead.
Not all. Not all in trespasses and sins. But you remember, that word there
means laxness and buriedness. Obviously, based on the fact
that some had not defiled their garments, that is to say, that
word means soiled, smeared and befiled, there were some that had. Though there were some that hadn't,
obviously there were some that had. Those that had not defiled
their garments were those who had trusted, leaned upon the
Lord Jesus Christ by faith, those that had been charged with His
righteousness, the imputation of His righteousness. Those who
had not defiled their garments were those who possessed by God's
grace a lively hope, having been born from above, begotten again,
the Scripture says, by the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from
the dead to an inheritance that is incorruptible, undefiled,
and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you." That which
is born of God is undefilable, meaning to be made defiled unto
damnation. But there were some in the church
who were defiled, unregenerate, and lost. Turn with me to Matthew
15, 18-20. Matthew chapter 15, beginning in verse 18. Those
things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart,
and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed
evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness,
blasphemies. These are the things which defile
a man, but to eat with unwashing hands defileth not a man. But my question is this. Scripture
says there are some that have not defiled their garments. Now, my way of thinking comes
down to this. What does it mean to be defiled? What is the Scriptural definition? Turn with me to the book of Titus. Titus chapter 1. Just look at
this. I've got it written in my notes
here. But I want you to look at it. Titus 1 verse 15. Titus 1 verse 15. Unto the pure,
that is to say, the clean, the washed, the regenerated. Unto the pure. All things are
pure, but unto them that are defiled," that is, contaminated
and unbelieving. There is the key right there.
"...is nothing pure, but even their mind and conscience is
defiled." Meaning this, they think that they themselves can
do something by their own free will. by their own ability, by
acting upon their own nature and within their own nature,
that they themselves can do something to reconcile themselves back
to God and they cannot. A man, a woman that thinks that
he has the ability by his own will, free will, to reconcile,
to get himself back to a right standing before God is defiled
in his mind because the Lord said, and again Brother Scott
read it, who were born not of the will of man but of God. This was a church where the gospel,
as I said a moment ago, was preached. But most in that congregation
had no heart for Christ. In the midst of the few undefiled,
that means in the midst of that place where there were those
who, like to the scribes and to the Pharisees who were hypocrites,
who the Lord said of them are like whited sepulchers which
indeed appear beautiful outward but within are full of dead men's
bones. There were some, there was a
few, a very, very few that were undefiled that believed Him. And while our Lord commands all
of His people to be watchful as He did the wise virgins, you
know, the five wise and five foolish Here, He especially,
I truly believe, commands the pastor to be diligent in his
work. You know, as the Lord has been
speaking to these churches, told them, He said, You've left your
first love. And He tells them, He's relating
to His churches, His people. This is the way that things are.
This is the way that you are. This is the way that I am. And he tells in writing to the
angel of the church in Sardis, he told that pastor, he said,
verse 2, be watchful. Strengthen the things which remain
that are ready to die. For I have not found thy works
perfect before God. Now you talk about a sobering
statement. Now that statement gets real sobering right there,
Robin, real quick. I know your works. I have not
found thy works perfect before God. The Lord here exhorts His
pastor to be watchful. The reason that He exhorts His
pastor to be watchful is because if he is called of God, He is
a watchman. That is what Isaiah 62, 6 says. Set upon the walls of Jerusalem,
that is spiritual Jerusalem, and they shall never hold their
peace day nor night if God calls a man to be a watchman. That man is faithful. Ezekiel
3, 17, the Scripture says He was made a watchman unto the
house of Israel." Why? To give them warning from the
Lord. Hebrews 13, 17 says concerning
God's pastors, they watch for your souls as they that must
give account. That is, give account, number
one, before Almighty God Himself according to Acts 20, 28. Number
two, they give account to their own consciences. and they give
account to the church to whom they minister." It's a serious
thing to stand in this pulpit. It's a serious thing to stand
before God's people because, as Paul says, we beseech you
in Christ's stead. The Lord Himself speaks through
His pastors and the realization of the responsibility of preparing
and asking God Almighty, Lord, would You give me the message
that You would have for Your people? This is a serious business
that we're in. It's a serious thing to hear
the gospel of free grace. It's serious. And that we stand
and hear day in, day out, and it has such little effect upon
us. And I speak to all of us. I mean,
this is serious what we're doing. We're not just coming here, as
I said before, as I heard that person in Franklin say that time,
you want to do church? You all want to do church today?
You say, have we got anything else to do today? This is serious
business. The hearing of this. He said,
you watch, be watchful. and strengthen the things which
remain." Remain. That word right there, remain,
means the remnant. The remnant. Brother Scott, as
I said, read a moment ago, the remnant. There is at this time
a remnant according to the election of God's grace. Strengthen them,
though we know not who they are. I'm standing here and I'm looking
at a group of people. There are some that in my heart
I truly think give a good profession. The evidence, some things that
the Scripture says will be evidences of life that's within them. But
I'm going to be honest with you. I don't know your heart and you
don't know mine. I don't know my own heart. But
the Scripture says strengthen those that remain. how I can
tell you what Almighty God's got to say to His people and
those who are His, that He's called out of darkness. The Spirit
of God will minister to that person, but I know He'll only
do it one way, through the preaching of Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ
Himself. Be watchful and strengthen the
things which remain that are ready to die. They're ready to
die. Now, you know, there's a big
difference between being ready to die and being dead. If something is ready to die,
then it's alive. Okay? Now, you think that one
through. If they're ready to die, but what does he mean when
he says, be watchful Strengthen the things which remain," and
I know the word remain there means the remnant, "...that are
ready to die." Well, I thought on that for a moment, and I thought
they're ready to die, first of all, knowing that this life is
but a vapor and that it's appointed unto man by the eternal counsel
and providence of Almighty God. It's appointed. unto man wants
to die. So God's people are ready to
die, being in the sense that they know that we are but flesh. Secondly, they are ready to die
for the honor of the Lord Jesus Christ. Those that God has given
a heart after Christ, they are. Acts 21.13 says, Paul speaking,
ìFor I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem
for the name of the Lord.î Thirdly, I know they are ready to die
having finished their course. 2 Timothy 4, 16 and 17 says,
For I am ready now to be offered, and the time of my departure
is at hand. I fought a good fight. I finished
my course. I have kept the faith. I tell
you, it is by the grace of God that a man say that. I am ready. I am ready. In His time, I am
ready. But I thought this last thing,
and it's just kind of a summation of what he said, God's people
are ready to die. Those in unbelief are not ready
to die. I'm telling you, man, woman leaves this world, all
of a sudden they're going to know what eternally they shall
regret. Those that God's given a heart
after Christ, they're ready. They are ready. The Lord told
his pastor, Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain that
are ready to die, for I have not found thy works perfect before
God. The word perfect there means
fulfilled or completed. Colossians chapter 1 and verse
25 says this, Paul speaking, he says, Whereof I am made a
minister according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for
you to fulfill. Now that word fulfill right there
is the same word as perfect. When the Lord told I have not
found thy works perfect It means fulfilled is what it actually
means. Paul says, I made a minister
according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for
you to fulfill the Word of God. Or in the margin there, you may
find it to mean fully preach the Word. This letter, remember, was written,
addressed to the pastor. Now this is a hard thing to have
to say, but I'm going to say it because I'm talking about
myself. We've heard what the Lord said
to His church, to His people. But possibly this pastor had
been negligent in his duty, in his study, in his stand for the
truth. I can say, and I'm thankful to
be able to say it, I know some of the things that have gone
forth in the years, not only in this church but in other churches,
and I'm thankful for the stand that has been taken for the gospel. I know it's hurt. I know it's
been hurtful. I know that. But let me ask you
this. Would you change it? I'm talking
about for the gospel, for the stand, for the honor of Christ. The Lord told this man, He said,
I have not found thy works fulfilled before God. It's a very sobering
thought. The pulpit is the greatest strength
or the greatest weakness in the church. If the pulpit is strong,
the church is strong. But if the pulpit is weak, if
the stand is weak, if it's wavering, if it's compromising, the whole
church suffers. The pulpit, the pulpit is guarded. No man can stand in this place
that absolutely does not set forth the glory of Almighty God
in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. It cannot be. It cannot
be. If the pastor is negligent, more
often than not, the deacons, the elders, the people all become
negligent. It is weak. It hurts. Pastors
are men, I know that, frail in their bodies, tempted and tested
and tried and in need of help. And this is a hard thing to have
to admit, but this is just the way it is. Paul said in Colossians
4, 3 and 4, with all praying also for us, that God would open
unto us a door of utterance to speak the mystery of Christ for
which I am also in bonds, that I may make it manifest how I
ought to speak. There's times that things have
to be said that are just hard on the flesh, but they're so. It's just the way it is. A man
that loves God's people is truthful with himself and truthful with
the people, just the way it is. And there's times that a pastor
has to say some things that just cut. But let me ask you this. Just ask yourself this, are they
truthful? Is that the way it is? I mean,
I know that everybody wants to be patted on the back and just
say, you know, you're doing just fine. You're doing good. It doesn't really matter. Yes,
it does. Let's not be careless about the
hearing of the gospel. Remember, the Scripture says,
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." He told them, he said, Remember
how thou hast received. That is, by faith. Remember how. Remember what you've heard. That is, God in Christ honored
in electing grace, redeeming grace, and quickening grace.
And he said, hold fast, hold fast to the truth. Not everybody
standing in a pulpit is preaching the truth. I was listening to
television this morning and there was a false prophet standing
up and he was preaching and he made a statement and he said
this, He said, now I can't prove this by Scripture. And I thought,
well, then shut up. If you can't prove it, then don't
say it because you're getting ready to make a mistake right
now. A believer hears the exhortation to remember what he's heard and
to hold fast to it, and he does. He hears this. Some want to read
that. And he says, remember therefore
how you've heard, what you've heard, and hold fast to it. and
repent daily of it, of not hearing the way we ought to and holding
fast to it. And a believer will hear that
and will do it. How? Because the Lord who called
him and keeps him causes him to hold fast to it. Faithful
is he who calleth you who also shall do it. I know this, that
of myself I can do nothing. I could do nothing before conversion
and I can't do anything after conversion. It's all of grace. He said to that pastor, 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. Now I want you just to look back
at Revelation 2.5. The Lord had said something to
the church at Ephesus. He says, Remember, therefore,
from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first
works, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove
thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. Now, if you
heard the message that I preached on the church at Ephesus, go
back and listen to it because I don't have time right now.
I've got ten minutes left. I don't have time to go back.
But those words from our Lord were words of graciousness, kindness,
and mercy to those that He knew effectually. He said, I will
come unto thee. Now in this particular passage,
in this word in chapter 3, He says, If therefore thou shalt
not watch, I will come..." Now you see what he's saying here?
"...I will come on you as a thief, and thou shalt not know what
hour I will come upon you." The word that the Lord spoke to this
church, I will come on you or upon you, is the word that is
interpreted against you. It's a different word. If the
Lord makes a man a watchman, the Lord will keep that watchman. If a man shows himself finally
unfaithful in watching, the Lord didn't call him. But the knowledge that a believer
has concerning the deceitfulness of that old carnal heart makes,
by the leadership of the Spirit of God, the regenerate to continually
examine himself to see, the Scripture says, if he be in the faith.
He gives all diligence to make his calling and election sure. He's kept by the Spirit of God. He's kept by the power of God. But if a man, woman walks away,
God did not keep them. That's just the way it is. 1
Corinthians. Read this. I'll try to wrap this
letter up. 1 Corinthians chapter 9, verse
26 and 27. Paul says, I therefore so run,
not as uncertainty. So fight I, not as one that beateth
the air. What he's saying this, Paul said,
I'm not shadow boxing here. I mean, it's not just a little
game with me. I'm just not going through the
motions is what he's saying. But I keep unto my body and bring
it unto subjection or into subjection, lest that by any means when I
preach to others, I myself should be a castaway. I've heard a lot of men make
comments on what that word means. Let me tell you what the word
castaway means. Just look it up. Here's what it means. Reprobate.
It's the same word reprobate. It means not standing the test
of reprobate mind or a mind that God must reject. Paul setting
forth this truth. says this, if a man is kept,
he's kept by the grace of God. If God calls a man out of darkness,
God will keep that man unto the day of salvation, redemption. If a man walks away, it's because
God didn't keep him. That's just the bottom line.
Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is all of the Lord,
not you and me of the Lord. salvations of the Lord. He said,
You remember how you received and heard, hold fast and repent.
If therefore thou shalt not watch, the Lord says, I will see you
in judgment. Thou hast, verse 4, a few names,
even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments, and they
shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy. The scripture says in Romans
chapter 11 verses 1 to 5, it says, I say then, hath God cast
away his people? The Lord told them, the church,
he said, you have a few names. There's a few that are in Sardis
that have not defiled their governance. Has God cast away his people?
God forbid, for I'm an Israelite of the seed of Abraham, of the
tribe of Benjamin. God has not cast away his people,
which he foreknew. What, or know ye not what the
Scriptures say of the Goliaths, how he maketh intercession to
God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets,
and dig down thine altars, and I am left alone, and they seek
my life? But what sayeth the answer of God unto him? I have
reserved to myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee
to the image of Baal. Even so, then, at this present
time, there is a remnant according to the election of grace." This
is a precious preservation. The Lord told this pastor, Church
of Sardis. He said, there's some. There's
a few. A precious few. Preserved to
a precious privilege. He said, they will walk, and
listen to this, with Me. They will walk with Me in white. For they are worthy. Not worthy in themselves. You
know that. They walk with Christ in the
white robe of His righteousness and worthy because, as He is,
so are we in this world. What is the worthiness of the
regenerate? The Lord Jesus Christ. They are
worthy. Those who have not defiled their
garments, that is to say, they believe Christ and are justified
by His grace. Verse 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 the angels. He that overcometh,
that is, he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God, the
Messiah, the sent one, the surety, the representative of God's people,
the substitute of the Those that overcome, I will not blot out
His name out of the book of life if our names be written in the
book of life. Revelation 17 verse 8 reveals
how long those names have been there. I know you don't because
you've been taught. But I had heard when I was coming
up in religion that whenever someone gave their heart to Jesus
and exercised their free will and walked down the aisle and
shook the preacher's hand, that there was an angel that wrote
their name at that time in the Lamb's book of life. That's not
true. That's not in the Scriptures.
What is in the Scriptures? Revelation 17 verse 8 says, that thou sawest was and is not,
and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit and go into perdition. And
they that dwell on the earth shall wonder whose names were
not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world."
How long has God's people's names been written in the book of life?
Eternally. They've always been there. And
the Lord told this church 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." Why? Because as we said last time
and time before and time before, God never changes. He that cometh
to me I will in no wise cast out, but I will confess his name
before my Father and before the angels. I will acknowledge His
name. I will proclaim Him to be mine,
is what He says, before my Father. He that confesses me before men,
the Lord says, I will confess before my Father. He that confesses
not me, I will not confess Him before my Father. When a man
believes in Romans chapter 10, Romans chapter 10, verse 9 and
10, If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and
shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from
the dead, thou shalt be saved. When a man believes in his heart,
truly believes in his heart, there are three things that I
want to say about a man that truly believes in his heart. Number one, there's a heart acquaintance
with the person and work and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ
that depends upon Him for salvation. The thought that I have done
something to merit it is just not there. Secondly, there's
a heart enjoyment of Him as the only way of salvation that thanks
God For the Lord God Himself, giving of His only begotten Son
to redeem a people, they're thankful. And then thirdly, there's a daily
coming to Christ. Leaning on Christ and cleaving
to Christ. That's the heart. That's the
heart. God's people want to hear of Him. They want to be where
God's people are. They want to hear the gospel.
Tell me one more time. how the Lord put away my guilt. Tell me one more time. And in
that last verse, He that hath an ear, that is, a new ear, a
hearing ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. This letter is a letter that
contains some very sobering thoughts. But I know they are true. And
when a believer hears a rebuke, a chastening word from the Lord
Himself, this is what he says. He doesn't get mad and just say,
He doesn't have a right to say that to me. You know what he
says? Lord, You're right. Forgive me. I'm sorry. Or keep me by Your
grace. Teach me. I need to be taught. Lord, I've heard of you before.
I need to hear of you again. When the Lord rebukes whom the
Lord loved it, when He loved it, He chastens. When I'd get on to my kids, when
they were young, it wasn't because I hated them. It was because
I loved them. It's hard. You know, I'd tell
them, I'd say, you know, this is going to hurt me worse than
it hurt you. Well, finally, they started understanding
what I meant. But I'm telling you whom the
Lord loves. He's honest with. And for that, I'm very thankful.