Revelation 3
Revelation 3:1-5(NIV) “To the angel of the church in Sardis, write: ‘These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. ‘I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.
The church in Sardis is dead, because their works is not completed in the sight of God. This spiritual condition applies to our churches today, many of God’s children are unaware that they have also become spiritually dead due to overwhelming deceptions everywhere. They are seriously wounded or defeated in the spiritual battle, causing them trapped by Satan. In fact, we can all sense strong forces trying to distract us and draw us away from our focus on God’s Word. Many people struggle to concentrate on Scripture because these worldly temptations.
Judged by works
The 7 letters to the churches in Revelation 2 and 3 all started with this statement, “I know your works”. It is so clear we are judged by works that is a true reflection of faith. For it is written:
(James 1:22) But be you doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
(James 2:14) What good is it, my brothers, if a man claim to has faith but he has no deeds? Can such faith save him?
(James 2:20) You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?
(James 2:26) As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
The Lord made this very clear in Revelation chapter 3, everyone who’s deeds are not completed can only been know by man as alive, but they are actually dead. They have to remember what they have received and heard, then obey it. Obviously Jesus did not mean they should remember any man-made doctrines or theologies that serve the purpose of justifying the lack of faith and sin. As Jesus said: (Matthew 23:8) But you must not be called Rabbi, for One is your teacher, Christ, and you are all brothers. Those who teach has to follow what is written: (I Peter 4:11) If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God gives: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Beware of those teachers who refuse to obey this Word, they are serving man, not God. Some of God’s servant may still be learning and trying, we need to pray for them.
What we heard
Here are just few verses we all heard Jesus said:
(Matthew 5:48) Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
(Matthew 6:33) But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
(Matthew 7:21) Not every one that says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven.
(Matthew 16:24) Then said Jesus to his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
(Luke 13:2-3) And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were sinners above all Galileans, because they suffered such things? No, I tell you; but if you do not repent, you shall all likewise perish.
(Luke 13:24) Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
(Luke 17:6) And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea’; and it would obey you.
(John 14:15) If you love me, you will obey my commandments.
(John 14:24 NIV) He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own, they belong to the Father who sent me.
(John 14:12)Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.
Jesus’ words “the works that I do” in John 14:12 are not limited only to the miracles, it is how He does things in obedience to the will of God. As He stated, (John 8:28) …… and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father has taught me, I speak these things. Thus if anyone will do what Jesus did, he has to imitate Him, “do nothing of myself”. After examining my own heart and mind, I have to confess I am not that serious about all the Word I have received and heard, I have treated them too casually. May the Lord have mercy on me.
Walk with God
What we just heard in this chapter is, only a few people in Sardis who will walk with Him and He will not blot out their name from the book of life. But what will happen to those who do not want to walk with God? After meditating on this for quite some time, Jesus’ word came into my mind: (Matthew 7:13-14) Enter in through the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter through it; For narrow the gate and difficult is the way that leads to life, and few are those who find it. Yes, this is the narrow gate —— to walk with Jesus. Now I remember Paul and john wrote about this many times in his letters:
(I Corinthians 4:16) Therefore, I am exhorting you to be imitators of me.
(I Corinthians 11:1) Be imitators of me, exactly as I also am of Christ.
(Ephesians 5:1) Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children;
(Philippians 3:17) Brethren, be imitators together of me, and bear in mind those who walk in this way, as you have us for an example.
(I Thessalonians 1:6) And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, having accepted the Word in much persecution with the joy of the Holy Spirit,
(I Thessalonians 2:14) For, brethren, you became imitators of the churches of God in Judea which are in Christ Jesus; because you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they also suffered from the Jews;
(I John 2:3-6 NIV) We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. the man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God a is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
I John 2:3-6 re-confirmed Jesus’ definition on what it means (John 14:12) “he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also” by stating clearly; “to live in him must walk as Jesus did“. However, everyone is free to pick a few verses what he or she wanted to believe and ignore other Word, but in the end, Jesus will judge, not any “evangelist” nor church. But before going down that path, better to inquire of the Lord first.
We can see Paul instructed everybody to be imitators of him as he of Christ, to walk with God. We saw some Thessalonians did become imitators but not all of them. As he wrote: (II Thessalonians 3:14-15) If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of him. Have nothing to do with him so that he will feel ashamed. Yet, don’t treat him like an enemy, but warn him like a brother.
There are large number of people refused, as he wrote, (II Timothy 1:15) You know that everyone in the province of Asia deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes. Many Philippians did not listen either: (Philippians 3:18) For I have often told you, and now tell you even with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. In fact, we all go through different stages in our faith journey, may not be willing in the beginning. But in the end many may still refused to obey. We have to warn them according to Paul’s writing, if we somehow decide not to obey, then ourselves might become those disobedient children as well.
Now it suddenly become clear to me, those who refuse to listen actually refused entering through the narrow gate. They choose the broad way because it’s more comfortable, because they are not willing to pick up their cross daily and die to the old self. But it will be so tragic Paul had to tell them “even with tears, that many live as the enemies of the cross of Christ”. As (3:19) pointed out: ” Their destiny is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on worldly things“. This is the real example of choosing the wide gate and broad way. They all went to the church, heard Paul’s message yet failed to produce good fruit, they refuse to imitate Paul, nor walk with Jesus.
Therefore, we have to be very careful not to follow their example of disobeying the Word and slip into the broad way. As it is written: (II Thessalonians 1:8-9 NIV) He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power. Obviously, partial obeying the gospel like the church in Sardis is not acceptable.
To be imitators of Jesus to walk with God is indeed very difficult as Jesus said: Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. We have to put our trust on God only, and pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit because too many are deceived or confused. We don’t want to become those as Jesus said “many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able”.
Now remember it is written: (Colossians 3:16) Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Let’s put it into practice with psalms;
I will cry to You, O LORD; my Rock, do not be silent to me, lest, if You be silent to me, I become like those who go down into the pit.
Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You, when I lift up my hands toward Your holy place.
Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, who speak peace to their neighbors, yet evil is in their hearts.
Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their practices, give them according to the work of their hands; give them what they deserve.
Because they do not regard the works of the LORD, nor the work of His hands, He shall tear them down and not build them up.
Blessed is the LORD because He has heard the voice of my supplications.
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him.
The LORD is their strength, and He is the saving strength of His anointed.
Save Your people and bless Your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever.
Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity and in whose spirit there is no guile.
When I kept silent, my bones wore away through my groaning all the day long,
For by day and by night Your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.
I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgression to the LORD,” and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
For this reason let every godly one pray to You in a time when You may be found; surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come near him.
You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall encircle me with songs of deliverance.
You said, I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you, My eye shall be upon you.
Be not like the horse, or like the mule, which have no understanding—which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you.
The wicked has many sorrows, but His steadfast love surrounds him who trusts in the LORD.
Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous; and shout for joy, all you upright in heart.
I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall always be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; the humble shall hear and be glad.
O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together.
I sought the LORD, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.
They looked to Him and were radiant; and their faces were not ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the LORD heard, and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him and delivers them.
O taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.
O fear the LORD, all you saints, for there is nothing lacking to those who fear Him.
The young lions do lack and suffer hunger, but those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.
Come, hearken to me, you children; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
Who is the man that desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good?
Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking guile.
Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry.
The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
The righteous cry, and the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are of a contrite spirit.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.
He keeps all His bones; not one of them is broken.
Evil shall slay the wicked; and those who hate the righteous shall be condemned.
The LORD redeems the soul of His servants; and none of them who take refuge in Him shall be condemned.
Amen.