Would you join me tonight in
the book of Revelation chapter 3? The book of Revelation chapter
3. We have shared this in the past
that there are a couple of things in order to have some comprehension
of this book. There are a couple of things
that we must have at least some elementary understanding of and
that is all power is given unto him in heaven and in earth. Number
one. Number two, to have some elementary
understanding of this book, you also have to have some at least
elementary understanding that he reigns. Presently, now, as
we speak, he is reigning. He sits on his throne. He is
reigning. He is in power and authority
over all creation. He's in the power and authority
over all mankind. And yes, he rules and reigns
in yesterday's elections. He is always sovereign and will
not give up that place that he owns. He's the creator, and it
is quite evident as we go through these seven churches of Asia
that, number one, all power is given unto him in heaven and
in earth, and number two, he reigns. He is an absolute authority
over all those churches and all the circumstances that they're
going through and all the persecution that they're enduring. And every
word that he writes to them, he is sharing with them, I know. He is omniscient. He's omnipresent. He has these characteristics,
these attributes that are so plainly taught in this book.
Now as we come through this third chapter and approach the fourth
chapter, we certainly will see our God reigns. And all power and all authority
is given unto him in heaven and in earth. And whatsoever he does,
he does according to divine plan and purpose that was predestined
before the world began. Not once will we find him anywhere
in scripture surprised. He always has a purpose. History has never been changed.
It's on exact course. Now, we as humans may think sometimes
that that event changed history, but it only was God's divine
purpose and plan being carried out. Now, there's a verse that
came to my mind as I was sitting there singing the songs and that
really, I believe, is relevant to what we read with regard to
the seven churches of Asia, particularly when we realize that the God
of heaven came and gave them a letter, individually written to the pastor,
the star, or the angel of every one of these churches, and with
divine love, And with a forethought shared with each of these seven
churches, we find that this God is so carefully overwatching
everything that's going on and purposed in his churches. Now,
this verse is found in Matthew 18, so keep your finger right
there in Revelation chapter 3, and I just want to read one verse
out of Matthew 18 with regard to the kindness that the Lord
shared, even to the church at Laodicea, where they're often
beat on, but please, God spoke to them. They're often maligned,
but God spoke to them. He gave them ample opportunity
to leave the position that they were on and turn again to Christ. He gave them ample opportunity
to hear the gospel. He gave them ample opportunity
to go back to where they started from. And where do we start from? We start from Christ. That's
where he gives us life. So Matthew chapter 18, verse
20, for where two or three are gathered together in my name.
Now that does not mean that it's just in his name only, but in
the truths that are contained in his name, the truths about
him. He is not saying I'll just gather
with anybody that says I'm following Jesus, but there's going to be
some significant items that those people are agreed upon that will
permit the Lord Jesus to gather with them. He will not gather
with people that deny his word. He will not gather with people
who deny his purpose. He will not gather with people
who deny his salvation. He will not gather with people
who deny that he is God and beside him there is none else. He will
not gather with people that deny the gospel account found in the
word of God that he had a people in his purpose before the world
began and that he came for a purpose to die for those people on the
cross. He will gather with people that are in agreement because
he has changed their heart in agreement about the gospel. But
he says, those people that are gathered together in my name
and all that that significant is, there will I be with them
also. And what a blessing, what a blessing
to have the God that sits on a high and lifted throne, As
it says there, gathered together in my name, there am I in the
midst of them. Now I find that here in these
seven churches of Asia. My, he has gathered with them. He has sent a letter to them,
personal letter, personal letter. I remember at one time sending
my fiance a typewritten letter I did it once. She says, honey,
I want it handwritten. Well, I only had to be told once.
But she could read the typewritten one. But isn't that valuable? We have been inundated with letters
from people who wanted us to vote for them. Just inundated. But I just love getting a letter.
handwritten from someone who cares. And these churches must
have felt the same way. They got a letter from someone
who cared, cared what was going on, cared about them departing
from the faith, cared about them skipping over those things that
might be offensive. I think that's what's happening
here in the church at Sardis. So let us read here in the book
of Revelation chapter 3, and we notice here that Christ is
revealed to them in ways that in the combination of all of
these, and we have the privilege of putting them all together,
but he revealed himself here under the angel of the church
in Sardis, right, These things saith he that hath the seven
spirits of God and the seven stars, I know thy works that
thou hast to 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. Now, when I head out from here
to go to the town I grew up in. I hope I don't call it my hometown
anymore. This is my hometown. But I head
out there and I get down to La Pine, and I take off to the left
on Highway 31, cuts across to Highway 395. Now out there in
the wilderness, in the high desert, is a little town called Silver
Lake. Now at the turn of the century, Silver Lake was having
a Christmas party. So a hundred years ago now. And
I, I've never, I didn't live early enough for people to put
candles on a dry Christmas tree. But in that day they did. They
put dry, they put candles on their Christmas tree and they
had them lit. And, uh, someone bumped into
that tree. and knocked it over and it started
this fire. Now, they were having this party
in an upstairs of a building that didn't have adequate fire
escapes. And oh, it rampaged. And many people were injured
and a lot of people died. There's a monument in the cemetery.
Now, word was taken 90 miles away to Lakeview. There was a
Dr. Daley down there. And Dr. Daly got in a buggy and he rode
90 miles that night in a buggy to get to that catastrophe. Now when he pulled in, they had
people laid out that were dead. He couldn't help them. But the
dying, that's the ones he went to help. Now that's the ones
the Lord's sending a letter to. There's a lot of difference between
dead and dying. A lot of difference. Now, there's
several reasons that people may be dying, and as we look at this,
some of the reasons may have been they weren't getting proper
food. They weren't getting proper water. I'm talking about spiritual
food and spiritual water. They weren't getting what they
needed, and they had the appearance of dying. Now, they weren't dead.
Now in order for them to be dying, they had to be made alive. So
there's a big difference here in this church between those
who had been regenerated and those who were still dead in
their trespasses and sin. You can't be dying if you're
dead. And you can be dying if you've
made alive. And I'm convinced that there
were some people in this church, as it says here, you're dying
because they were on poor rations. Now I've been in a position like
that. I don't know about you, but I've been there. I've been
in a position where I felt like I was spiritually dying, and
when I heard the clear word of God, it was like water being
poured on a parched sponge. We have sponges, those paper
sponges, dry out, get hard, and you know, they're a sponge, they're
hard and they're dying but you get them around some water and
they just soak up and pretty soon they're malleable pliable
and can be used for their intended purposes now when I left the
place I was dying and went to the place where the preacher
started on Ephesians chapter 1 the Sunday I got there it was
like a breath of fresh air This dying soul was being rejuvenated. This dying spirit was being rejuvenated. I was dying. Now I've been made
alive, but I was just dying. And we're gonna see some of that
here. There's a great difference between
spiritually dying and spiritually dead. There's just a big difference.
And Lord is the only one that can help us turn to hear the
clear sound of the gospel, the gospel of a successful God, gospel
of a successful Christ, a God that sits on a throne. There's
nothing will stir the hearts of a believer than hearing that
their Savior is a great Savior. that their God is a great God,
that he saves great sinners, and he does it with great power,
and he will not release them and allow them to go. They may
get into a position where they're in a dying situation, but Dr. Daly is on the way. He'll leave
the dead alone, but he will take care of the dying. And there
were many people in that fire when Dr. Daly got there that
he was used of God to save their life, tended to their burns. and all of those things. And
so there were quite a number of survivors. But I can't imagine
traveling all night 90 miles in a buggy and getting there
and trying to help people, but he did. He was given extra grace,
I guess we'd have to say. And so here we are, this church
here at Sardis. I do want to read on verse three. 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. Oh, I love that. My goodness,
I have 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, for 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. Now, first of all,
we notice in this verse one that the Lord revealed himself under
the church at Sardis, he that hath seven spirits. Now we ran
into this in chapter one in verse four, and we just want to restate
this. There is not seven persons that
make up the spirit of God. Now, that word, number seven,
is a complete number of every need that we have the Holy Spirit
has used to fulfill. And turn with me, if you would,
over to the book of Isaiah, chapter 11, and we find in this verse
of scripture that there are seven aspects, spiritually speaking,
that the Holy Spirit demonstrates, and we are the recipients of
every one of these aspects when he gives us the new birth. In
the book of Isaiah chapter 11, Isaiah chapter 11, we read these
words with regard to the Spirit and the Spirit's blessing to
his people. Now, as it says there, seven
spirits, we don't have seven bodies, we don't have seven persons. It's given us the Spirit's seven
whole complete gifts and graces. This number is specific as implying
a fullness and perfection of all the gifts and blessings of
the Holy Ghost that imparts to the church in Christ. Now, we
do find in the book of Ephesians, he says, every spiritual blessing
is given to us in Christ. None of them in any other aspect. We don't get it in any of the
ordinances. We get every spiritual blessing in Christ. It's not
through a physical means, it's always through spiritual means. Now, book of Isaiah chapter 11
verse 2, it says, and the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him.
Now, we find witness of that in his personal ministry. The
Holy Spirit of God came down and attested the fact that this
is the Messiah. This is the one that has been
appointed. This is the one that bowed before
the Council Halls of Eternity and was ordained of God, the
Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit to be our Redeemer
and to be our Savior. He bowed before, they placed,
if you please, hands upon him in that great ordination before
the world began that he would be the anointed one and the appointed
one to be the redeemer of all his people. Now, the Holy Spirit
came upon him. Holy Spirit also comes upon his
people. The Holy Spirit is said to come
and convict or convince the world of sin and of righteousness and
of judgment. Seeing the whole I can't convince
you of that, but there's one more powerful that can He can
and he does He does us all The Holy Spirit is the only one that
can convince us now if we convince each other one's gonna go away
mad Well brother I got it I got a
I got a word to tell you I've been watching your life and You're
just going to have to clean up right here. And someone's going
to go away mad. And the other person's walking
away with a black eye. That's all there is to it. The
Holy Spirit take care of that, convince us, convict us. He does that in regeneration
when he shows us after we've been regenerated what sinners
we are. of righteousness, of righteous
sin and righteousness. My goodness, we come to this
world absolutely unrighteous, and he convinces us of the one
that is absolutely righteous, righteous in sin, righteous in
judgment. Now I like this part, what the
Holy Spirit convinces us of. I can honestly say this, and
I remember telling a preacher one time after the Lord saved
me, I don't fear the devil anymore. Now, I was taught, boy, he's
after you, and he's gonna have you, and he's gonna wrestle you
down, and he's gonna mistreat you, and all the rest of your
Christian life is gonna be in agony against the devil. And
the Lord taught, teaches in his word, taught me, I took care
of him at the cross. Now, your greatest enemy is yourself.
That's my greatest enemy, is myself. Satan was taken care
of at the cross. He said he killed him put him
to death put him to an open shame Now when I read there the Holy
Spirit is going to convince us of sin of righteousness and of
judgment Because the God of this world is judged You know what else the God of
this world is our old religion and It's judged to unworthy, fake,
fake, fake, won't hold water. So everything that we held to
and all that we feared has been taken care of. Holy Spirit's
ministry on God's people. Convince them of sin, of righteousness
and of judgment, of righteousness of Christ. There is no better. There's nothing to substitute
for the righteousness of Christ. Now, going back over here to
the book of Isaiah chapter 11, speaking of this verse two, the
spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him. Now notice this, the
spirit of wisdom. If you want spiritual wisdom,
you're only gonna get it through the Holy Spirit. There is nowhere
else to get it. And he gives it sovereignly.
Sovereignly. I know preachers, man, I'd give
my eye tooth to be as wise as they are. He gave it to them
sovereignly. That doesn't mean that we're
going to be static or standing still, but he gives it to us
sovereignly. He goes on here, the Holy Spirit,
this aspect of the Holy Spirit, understanding, oh my, to have
some understanding of our position before God and God and sin. The Holy Spirit, this aspect
of the Holy Spirit teaches us this and counsel, the spirit
of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel. Be up
against a brick wall and have the Holy Spirit through His Word
revealed to us. This is what I want you to do.
This is what I have for you. The Spirit of counsel, giving
us counsel. at all time. He is our counselor.
And then he goes on to say here, he's, and might, if you want
might, spiritual might, it comes through the Holy Spirit. We look
at Moses. Moses was, when it came to, he
was, no one was like him in meekness. Meekness, he says that he was
the meekest man. He was mighty. Meekness means power under control. And he had might. God's people
have a might about them. I look at this as God's people
are just gracious. They have power given unto them,
and might given unto them, but they're gracious with it. It
goes on to say, the spirit of knowledge. We have knowledge
only through the Holy Spirit, and fear, we only have fear about
God through the Holy Spirit. The wicked have no fear of God. The only ones that have a true
respect and reverence for God are God's people, the church.
They're the ones that are bowing down and saying, worthy is the
Lamb, and no one has their hand on their back pushing them down.
They're willingly bowing before a thrice holy God and worshiping
with every fiber of their being and singing great songs of redemption
to him, because the Holy Spirit has revealed that unto us. Now
there, that verse over there in the book of Revelation chapter
three and verse one, he that hath the seven spirits of God,
he sovereignly displays them. He sovereignly gives them in
every aspect about the Holy spirit and about the spirit of God and
about God himself. He's the one that reveals God.
You cannot come to me. That's earth shattering words. They're in the book of John.
You cannot come to me except the Father which has sent me
draw you. And you know what? A whole bunch
of people got mad. Instead of saying, I want to know more,
they got upset at the one who delivered the message. God grant
us the grace to say, I want to know more about that. God grants
the grace to say, I want to find out about that. If I can't come
to you without the leading of the Father, please, oh God, give
me that. Don't make me mad about it. Don't
make me upset about it. Give me the grace to come. That's
what God's going to do. He's going to make us mad or
He's going to make us glad. But it's us getting mad. Oh,
no one, we know that after he regenerated, we know we didn't
ever come. We were bound up, held and fettered. Sin held us
in sway. We were under the confines of
judgment and jail, and it is He that permitted us to go free. And then we know no man can come
to the Son, but the Father, which has sent Him, draw Him, bring
us out of the pit, bring us out of the mire, bring us out of
sin, bring us out of self, bring us out of everything around us. He had to draw us out. We come
kicking and screaming. You ever, my dad talked about
cows getting out in the muck, out in mud. They'd pull them
out and the cattle wanted to take them. Isn't that just, we'd
say, that cow ought to be thankful. Well, people come kicking and
screaming, and then when they get out, they thank God for the
rope around their neck. Thank God. Now, it says here,
be watchful. Oh, excuse me. I know thy works,
that thou hast a name, that thou livest and art dead. Thou hast a name, that thou livest
and art dead. This is not a nation. This is
a church. There's never been a Christian
nation in all the world. Never has been. Now there's some Christians that
live in some of them, but there's never been a Christian nation.
There's been a supposed theocracy, and that was Israel, and look
what they did with God. There's been some people, and
our forebears, forefathers in America, had some Christian principles
about them, but you read very few of them knew the Lord. There's not been a Christian
nation. Now, he's not talking about a nation. He's talking
about a church. He's talking about a group of
people. And he says, I know thy works. Thou hast a name that
thou livest and art dead. It's not an age, but it's a church.
Numbers there are who take up with the name to live who never
were regenerated and consequently are still dead in trespasses
and sin. The Lord had twelve disciples. I use the word Lord, L-O-R-D. The Lord had twelve disciples
that spent three and a half years with him in training, and one
of them was unregenerate. And there were times when we
look at all of those disciples and the Lord could have said
to each and every one of them, you're dying, but you're not
dead. Look at Peter when Jesus was arrested and look at the
rest of the disciples. They all did the same thing.
You're dying, but you're not dead. You've been made alive. You cannot die. You cannot be
dead, but you can be in the dying process. And God's people, as
here Smyrna shares with us, there was some people in here that
were not following the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and
they were in the process of dying. Their food supply was nil and
their water supply was terrible and all the other things that
could have been their shelter was awry. What is the only solution
for this? The gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ. The only solution. If you're
dying, there's only one hope. That's the gospel of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Now, if you're dead in trespasses and sin, that's
the only hope too. God has purposed that his gospel
is going to be used to raise people through the power of his
spirit in a miraculous way, raise them from the spiritual dead.
Turn with me, if you would, over to the book of Matthew chapter
six. Matthew chapter 6. It is only
by regeneration or the new birth that the child of God enters
into the sheepfold and everyone else that comes up any other
way is called a thief and a robber. Now notice with me here in the
book of Matthew chapter 6. The instructions are given. Now
there are some here that he is instructing that are dead. but
he is using his great grace to deliver the dying back to the
living. Now notice this, Matthew chapter
six, verse two, the scripture says, therefore, when thou doest
thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee as the hypocrites
do in the synagogue and in the streets that they may have glory
of men. Verily I say unto you, they have
their reward. When it comes to alms, to giving,
Don't toot the horn. Now there seems to have been
those in Sardis that had forgotten this principle, that they were
boasting about their alms. Now I'm just surmising, what
would bring this kind of word against a church of the living
God by the Lord God Almighty, a letter to the pastor to help
them come out of their days? What would be responsible for
them to be in such a condition except they had taken their eyes
off the Lord Jesus Christ and had their eyes on themselves? And here we find the solution
for that. Don't do it before men. Don't do it because of men. And
it goes on here in the book of Matthew chapter 6 and verse 3. But when thou doest thine alms,
let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth, that thine
alms may be in secret, and thy father, which seeth him secret
himself, shall reward thee openly. Now that's life-giving. when he rewards us openly, when
he speaks to us, draws us. My goodness, this is the way
that God has intended. And if the church at Sardis will
receive a warning for allowing other things to take over, then
he will also send warnings to our soul. In the book of Matthew
chapter 23, would you turn there with me, as we see their works
were not perfect. In Matthew chapter 23, we read
these words. Matthew chapter 23 and verse
5. But all their works they do for
to be seen of men. They make broad their phylacteries
and enlarge the borders of their garments. And the key word in
there is to be seen of men. Now there was a problem in Sardis
in the sense that God said there's some in there that are just out
and out dead. And that's just normal as can
be in any church anywhere. But the other part that gives
us hope and lends to us the grace of God is there's some in here
that are dying. Now there is a great physician
that is about the business of recuperating, rejuvenating, pulling
out, lifting up, healing the dying. Those that are dying,
those that are dying because of circumstances, those that
are dying because of the message they're not hearing, whatever
the reason, there is one that is able to lift us out of that
pit, and that's the living God. Thou art the Christ, the Son
of the living God. Dying has hope. Death doesn't. If there's a crash, the police
take care of the living. The undertaker takes care of
the dead. There's hope if you're living.
Here in the book of Matthew, chapter 23, verse 28, we read
these words. Even so, you also outwardly appear
righteous unto men, but within you're full of hypocrisy and
envy. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because
you build the tombs of the prophets and garnish the sepulchres of
the righteous. and say, if I had been in the
days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with
them in the blood of the prophets. Oh my goodness. Be careful. Be
careful. Be careful. Now, prayer, fasting, alms, they're
not for show or to be heard. They're between you and God. And that's it. That's it. Now, let's look here at what
might have happened in the church at Sardis to bring on this grave
condition that had developed. And yet it is not so grave that
the Lord would not come and deal with them and say, oh, repent,
turn, turn, turn us and we shall be turned. They had set aside
Christ. They had quit talking and telling
comers I believe this. This is how people are going
to die. This is how believers will die. This is how believers
will die. They quit telling people about
total depravity. And they put salve over the word
of God. Quit telling people about sin.
and sinners, and Adam, and what happened in the fall, and what
happened in the Garden of Eden, and what happened to his posterity.
Because if you don't have that, then there's no need to have
that God Almighty would send his Son to save sinners. There's
no need of a Savior. And really, we're dead. We're
not dying, if that's our condition. They had forgotten to tell the
comers that were there because of offenses of election and predestination. Oh, that just tells us of a wonderful
God that is so interested in saving his people from their
sins that he'd get things started before the world began. It's
a glorious thing to realize that God is so great and so powerful
and so eternal that he had the interest of saving people before
the world ever began. And that brings people that are
dying to life. God Almighty cared about me before
the world began. I was, and the world doesn't
want us to know that we're totally depraved. We're just in a little
shipwreck. But the Bible tells us so clearly where we are by
nature. And once you've ever been given
a grasp of that, then my goodness, you just need a God that's big
enough to take consideration of us before the world began.
And you can just see those who have the appearance of death
but are just dying start to take some breath into their nostrils
Because, oh my, there's a great God being spoken about. How little
God is among the general consensus of people and how great he is
when he saves his people and assembles his church and causes
them to see him. They had quit. When people came,
they had quit. Now they may do it over their
coffee clutches. But when the general population
was there, they had quit talking about a God that was so in love
with his people that he would choose them before time began. And you know what? When that
goes out, it sends the breath of life. Start to take breath. I know
I'm a sinner beyond all sinners. and a God so big that he can
save his people from their sins and purpose to do that. And this
is how he did it. He had a love for me, an everlasting
love, an eternal love, a love before time, a love before we
were created, love before we were born, before we could do
any good or evil. He had a love for his people
and how that breath comes upon his people and begins to raise
them out of their lackadaisicalness and their wretchedness and their
dying. And then we find, as went on
there, they probably had forget, forgot telling about regeneration
and effectual call. There were some in the church
that had started teaching that you can be educated into the
kingdom. We just, I mentioned this this
morning, I had a pastor one time that said the Catholics, he said
the Catholics had said, if we can have a child till they're
five, they're ours forever. And you know what? How little
God is when a statement is made like that. Because if that be
true, then every one of us are doomed to a devil's hell. God is greater than that. He
sends out his effectual call among all groups and peoples
of people that don't even believe in a God and a people that believe
in a fake God and a dead God and a little God and an immaterial
God. He sends out his effectual call
to the preaching of the gospel. and draws people out of every
kindred nation, people and tongue for his glory and honor and his
praise. And when people are in a dying
state and they begin to hear that he's the one that called
us out of this world and called us to himself and called us out
of sin, oh, breath starts to run through our veins. Breath
starts to enter into our lungs. I can just see that great army
over there in the 37th chapter of the book of Ezekiel. What'd
they hear? The purpose of God in Christ Jesus, the Lord preached
to them and breath was given. And then, oh, they didn't miss
this one, though. Even even though there's a whole
bunch of people in the church of Sardis that are not believers,
they didn't miss this one. We believe once saved, always
saved. Everybody does. That's that's the one we want
to hang on to. But you can't have that. If you
don't have the rest. No man can come unto me except
the Father which given him, it's given of the Father. So even
at that, notice in verse four, thou hast a few names even in
Sardis. You know who those are? Those
are the dying ones. They're the ones who are just
waiting for a message to come along and bring them out of that.
They're just waiting for a message about God saving totally depraved
sinners. They're waiting for a message
of God's predestination and purpose of grace. They're waiting for
a message of his effectual call, his elective grace. They're waiting
for a message that goes beyond once saved, always saved. They're
wanting to hear a message that when God saves his people, he
will not let them go. It just matters. It just depends
on who saved you. Now, if the Lord God Almighty
saved you, he will not let his people go. It's not up to us,
it's up to him. Thou hast a few names even in
Sardis which have not defiled their garments now notice in
verse 5 it says He that over cometh now turn with me back
to first John chapter 5 verse John chapter 5 Sardis had a group of people
that were dying There's a bunch of them in there dead But some
were dying a few names that hadn't that that had not given up. A few names that he was watching
over. Thou hast a few names in Sardis which have not defiled
their garments. They have, they're his people
and he'll bring them out. Now notice here in 1st John chapter
5, 1st John chapter 5 verses 4 and 5. These are the overcomers.
If you ever want to overcome, this is the formula. I hate to
use that word, but this is it. How are you going to overcome?
Oh, it's not us, Lord. It's not us. It's you. 1 John
5, verse 4, for whosoever is born of God, whosoever is regenerated,
whosoever has been given life by the Lord, whosoever Whatsoever
is born of God overcometh the world, and this is the victory
that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh
the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
Now those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God have been regenerated. That's the only way that you
can confess this great truth about God. Overcomers are born
of God, regenerated by God. And so in the church at Sardis,
there are a few whose names, even in Sardis, 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 this is security. Notice
this. This is perseverance of the saints. And this is preservation of God's
people. What does he say? I will not
blot out his name out of the book of life. That's the same
passage of scripture that we find over in Malachi. I am the
Lord, I change not. Therefore ye sons of Jacob are
not consumed. Even though you are dying and
the preaching of the gospel can bring you out of this lethargy
that you're in, you just get your ear off of that stuff and
get back to Christ. Oh, he said, even in that, I'll
not blot your names out of the Lamb's book of life. I'll not. That's eternal security. That
is eternal security. That is perseverance of the saints
and preservation of the saints. That's what it is. It's Christ
saying, I have a covenant for you. And as a result of that
covenant, I'll not block your names out of the book of life.
And then he goes on to tell us there, and I'll confess his name
before my father and before his angels. You know, there's one
way the Lord can confess us before the father and his angels that
takes on every other confession. Him sitting at the right hand
of the father with the wounds that he endured to save us from
our sin. That's how he confesses us. I'm
here. I'm overcome. I took on every
enemy of the church and came out victorious, and just as promised,
I ascended back to the Father. Father, restore unto me the glory
that I had with you before the world was, and you know what?
It happened. And now he is in constant, constant,
he is in constant confession of his people before the Father
and before his angels. I am here and I have these wounds. And you know what? He didn't
have to say a word. He was welcomed back by the Father
and all his angels. He's sitting at the right hand
of the Father, never again having to work. Priests in the Old Testament
had to work every day. This high priest sat down when
he had once endured the cross, despising the shame, and is now
sat down at the right hand of the Father. And then he goes
on to tell us here, He that hath an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit saith unto the churches. Lord, give us ears to hear. Lord, if I am dying, revive thy
work. Lord, pray I am not dead. Pray I am just dying. And if
your Spirit is so pleased to bring your word to me, You'll
bring me out of that. I know it. I can confess it. Boy, there'll nothing bring anybody
out of that like the first chapter of the book of Ephesians. That's
everything is contained in there. Everything I was missing, every
vitamin, mineral, every bit of food, and every bit of water
that I was missing in what I was hearing was fulfilled in the
hearing of the book of Ephesians chapter one, and chapter two,
and chapter three, and chapter four, chapter five, and chapter
six. It all came, and you know, it was just like a flower that's
been starved for water, and it finally gets some water on it,
the leaves get, They get all filled out and the flower raises
up. It's a miracle. It's a miracle. But God does that for his people.
And he said to Sardis, there's some in there, they're dead.
There's some in there dying. And this letter was sent to that
preacher to get the job done. Quit messing around and start
preaching the gospel, the gospel of God's free grace in Christ
Jesus and all that goes with it so that those people that
are dying can get back to life. That's God's way. Oh, I wonder
how many around are dying. They just need a good dose of
great God. Great God, capital G, capital
O, capital D. They just come out of that spindliness
to hear the great God. All right, we'll close there.