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REVELATION - Behold, I am Coming Soon
Studies in the Book of Revelation
BOOK 1 - BEHOLD, I AM COMING QUICKLY! (REVELATION 1:1 - 3:22)
PART 1.2 THE FIRST VISION AND ITS CONSEQUENCES ON EARTH: THE APPEARING OF THE SON OF MAN TO SANCTIFY HIS CHURCHES (REVELATION 1:9 - 3:22)
PART 1.2.2 THE LETTERS OF JESUS CHRIST TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES IN ASIA MINOR (REVELATION 2:1 - 3:21)

5. Jesus' Message to the Leader of the Church in Sardis (Revelation 3:1-6)


REVELATION 3:1-6
1 “And to the angel of the assembly in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars says these things: I know your works, that you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up, and keep the things that remain, which you were about to throw away, for I have found no works of yours perfected before my God. 3 Remember therefore how you have received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If therefore you won’t watch, I will come as a thief, and you won’t know what hour I will come upon you. 4 Nevertheless you have a few names in Sardis that did not defile their garments. They will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 5 He who overcomes will be arrayed in white garments, and I will in no way blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.”

To the Angel of the Church in Sardis Write: Who sends a message to a dead man? Does this not appear useless? Yet Jesus dictated to John on Patmos a special revelation to a spiritually dead body. He had not given up on the extinguished star in his hand. Jesus had called this man and installed him in his office as the shepherd of a church. He had walked with and accompanied him all the way.

Sardis was the capital city of Lydia and the center of an important Roman administrative region. The spiritually dead church leader had a great responsibility hanging on his shoulders. Many of the chosen ones around him were expecting the call of the Gospel to come from his mouth.

The Seven Spirits of God and the Seven Stars: Jesus introduced himself to John as the Lord and the Head of the churches in Asia Minor. He held the seven church leaders in His hand of blessing. Jesus was holding in his right hand not just six stars, but seven, just as before. He had not yet allowed the extinguished star to drop from His hand (Revelation 1:4,16,20; 2:1).

He further introduced himself as He who has the seven Spirits of God. By that He also briefly illuminated the mystery of the Holy Trinity. The seven Spirits signify the entire fullness of the Holy Spirit. God does not give the Spirit by measure. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit (John 3:6,34). Therefore, Jesus could raise the dead and baptize those who were spiritually dead with His Holy Spirit (John 1:33). He did not throw away the extinguished star. It was as if He hastened with the fullness of the Holy Spirit “in an ambulance flashing with red light” to bring him who was dead back to life.

Jesus loves not only the living churches, but also the dead ones. He does not only weep over them, but does something for them. The dying are of special interest to Him; He comes to them with a command to arise.

I Know Your Works, That you Have a Name That you are Alive, but you are Dead: Jesus observed the church leader for a long time and saw his ministration. Perhaps the minister had attached special importance to his good reputation and, therefore, had not cared enough for the spiritual state of his church. The activities of his church may well have made him sparkle. He became well-known and was praised; yet his works were all self-centered. He desired self-adulation, and not the sole glorification of Jesus. His church developed into a mortuary, where the bodies of the spiritually dead were laid out.

There are many dead, empty cathedrals. The music of organs may sound in their halls and tourists may rush to see artistic antiquities. Thousands also come to church conferences. Yet for the most part, this remains self-deceit.

In Sardis Satan had already won the victory. Here prevailed the silence of tombs. The government authorities did not persecute the church members, for idolatry represented no acute danger to them. There was no dispute among those of different views, and nothing to criticize in the sermon. There was nothing at all! Everything was dead. There was no knowledge of sin or grace to comfort the fearful, no healthy nutrition, no word of God, no spiritual whole-grain bread to still the hunger for life in Sardis. Spiritual death stole through the church pews, bringing with it a deathly silence.

Jesus’ condemnation of the church leader came with terrible words: “You have a name that you are alive, but you are dead”. Yet this word of the Lord was not the Judge’s last word. There was still a chance that good might come, for the Lord Jesus still worked with the seven Spirits of God to give life to the dead church leader. He was still speaking to the dead.

The church leader was not merely spiritually asleep, nor was he in a state of just appearing dead. The heavenly doctor confirmed that his spiritual heart had stopped beating. He had no love in it. His spiritual brain was extinguished. There was no faith at work. His spiritual soul of the church was empty; there was no more hope in it. All what had happened had been built on egoism. The grand words of self-deceit sounded without the powerful working of the Holy Spirit.

What did Jesus do in this hopeless situation? Did He bless the dead minister or the proud bishop in his last resting place? No! Jesus spoke to him who was dead in sin and gave him five short commands. He addressed him with an incredible call to resurrection, which only the Son of God could speak forth:

Be Watchful, and Strengthen the Things Which Remain, That are Ready to die, For I Have not Found Your Works Perfect Before God: The church leader had not only been overwhelmed by sleep, but was spiritually dead indeed. When Jesus was called into Jairus' house, he explained death in another way, saying to the skeptical, “She is not dead, but sleeping”. He took her by the hand and called, saying, “Arise” (Luke 8:52-54).

Jesus had the authority to raise the dead with His word. He had the power to give life to the lifeless, loveless church by reviving her spiritually dead minister. Jesus’ call to arise was short and clear. All seven Spirits of God participated in His command. It was like the physician’s attempt to make the heart beat again by using electric shocks. The Doctor of all doctors did not use direct current, intermittent current, or movable three-phase current to restore beating to the heart, but poured out the sevenfold power of God into the heart and spirit of the spiritually dead that he might wake up immediately and rise to serve his Lord.

The minister of the church in Sardis was not only raised for his own sake, but primarily for the sake of his church, which was on the brink of spiritual death. The church leader, whose life had, until then, rotated around himself, had not been in a position to give his church members the power of God and eternal life. Yet following his new birth, the power of God was wanting, through him, to penetrate into his withered church. Jesus’ evangelistic sermon, with its five imperatives, had a broad spiritual revival as its goal, not just the salvation of a spiritually dead preacher.

The second birth of Christ’s servants is not intended to polish their dignity or to further them in their job climb; but rather, it contains a call to new service. The corrupt sinner, from whom the smell of putrefaction was already emanating, was granted pardon with Jesus’ call, commissioned anew, and sent out again. Jesus gave a converted pastor new grace for additional service. Just as the whole of heaven had been moved by his deliverance, even so should this minister run in haste to visit the dying in order to see them filled with the power of Jesus. The name of this servant was no longer important. His outward business ended. It was now a matter of life or death! His Lord was standing before him demanding restoration of his church. He granted the church guardian one last chance to drive out the sleeping sickness through his call for them to wake up. He was to lead them to a full repentance of heart, that they might be spiritually renewed. Their common praise was to glorify the crucified One that has been raised from the dead.

Jesus declared once again to the revived minister that his previous record of service had been deficient. He had not been lazy in his job. Everyone was saying: “This is a lively and dynamic church”. But the most important thing was missing, that is, life from God. Measured upon God’s holiness, he had nothing to offer. Following his conversion his inner emptiness should have been filled - through prayer, humility, dependence upon Jesus, and the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Just as in a house without electricity there is no light, no heating, and no bell working, so in a church without the Holy Spirit there is no knowledge, no love, no sacrifice and no prayer. The current of God’s love desired to flow through the minister into this dead church.

Jesus spared no effort in acknowledging His dependence on God, and called His Father His God. The subject of the evangelistic sermon for the spiritually dead pastor was not centered on faith in Jesus Christ’s Father, but on recognizing God as the Judge and Creator of heaven and earth, who demands account from every responsible person. Jesus placed Himself consciously and willingly under the holiness of God that passes judgment, even though He Himself was God, and all power and authority in heaven and on earth had been given to Him. Without humility there is no authority. Jesus permitted us a look inside His innermost essence when he taught us, “Learn from Me, for I am gentle in lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29-30). Jesus submitted himself completely to the will, design and holiness of His God.

The minister of the church in Sardis had to recognize that he himself was no small lord that could do as he pleased. He had to be broken and willingly bury his pride and stubbornness. He needed to follow his Lord’s will, all the while joyfully asking: “Lord, What is it that You want me to do and not do?”

The Lord is our righteousness. He wants to precisely lead us in our service and ministry. That is the reason we pray: “Your will be done in our churches as it is in heaven”. The hope and expectation of Jesus’ coming should be the foundation of ministry prayer for everyone who is weary because of the unresolved problems of this world.

Remember how you Have Received and Heard; Hold Fast and Repent: Whoever has been awakened out of spiritual death must learn to reflect, take time to be quiet before God, and ask the Holy Spirit to direct his thoughts. The Lord wanted to lead the church leader into thankfulness and worship. He wanted him to reflect back on how he had first encountered God. He was to recognize again his own election and choosing from God.

This third imperative of Jesus Christ led the minister to pause and reflect. It did not lead him into outward activities, but into the depth of the love of God. He had to recognize what power, joy and peace God had freely given him from the first moment of his conversion. He needed to recognize the grace of God that was working in his second birth. It might be that thankfulness and praise would then be awakened in him for what the holy God had made of this corrupt sinner.

The church leader had to recognize that Jesus, his Savior, did not condemn him or destroy him on account of his selfishness, busying and pride; rather, the living Lord had spoken once again to the spiritually dead in order to catapult him from spiritual death to spiritual life. Christ once more offered him His word and confirmed to him his original call. This man of Sardis should have directed his head, ear, mind, heart and faith precisely toward Jesus so that he might again learn “to hear”. The Lord had already opened his ear to the divine voice of God at the beginning of his conversion. Now, however, he had grown deaf; the range of sound frequencies he could perceive had shrunk to zero. He needed to learn to hear once again and begin doing what his Lord told him. It was not his own ideas, plans and goals that needed to be realized, but alone the love intentions of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

This was the beginning of the church leader's repentance. First, the Lord raised him from the sleep of death, and then sent him back to his church to render immediate help. He was not only to comfort the dying, but also to frighten them, awaken them, and lead them into repentance. Next, Jesus impressed it upon him to train his mind to reflect. He ordered him to preserve the knowledge that the Holy Spirit had created and instilled in him. He was to imprint deeply onto his mind God’s love and holiness. Jesus knew the danger into which this man had fallen, namely, that he might soon revert back to his old ways and selfish business. All that had to end! He needed to have his mind renewed in order that Jesus should become the only center and source of power in his life. He should memorize this reality, communicate it to others, and retain it before his own eyes. By so doing he might overcome the sin of his own selfish interests. Blessed is the preacher who has memorized by heart many essential words from the Bible. He then has in his subconscious an ever-flowing source of power. Everyone should learn at least one verse a week by heart, and not make flimsy excuses that his memory is weak or not trained. Where there is a will there is a way.

Jesus’ fifth and last command* led the minister of the church into a true and deliberate repentance. Jesus had brought him back to spiritual life after announcing a very serious warning. The Lord had renewed his mind, and now was the time for him to act. In Jesus' name he was to break with all his sins and bondages. Repentance is a joyful thing wherein burdens are cast away, bondages are broken, and lewdness and offenses are delivered to the Lamb of God. Because Jesus had turned to him personally he was now to turn toward Jesus entirely. Whoever commits himself eternally to the Son of God experiences that the power of His seven Spirits is able to heal and sanctify even the most degenerate and corrupt life.

* The five commands of Christ as listed are: 1. Be watchful! 2. Strengthen the things that remain! 3. Remember how you have received and heard! 4. Hold fast! and 5. Repent!

If you Will not Watch, I Will Come Upon you as a Thief, and you Will not Know What Hour I Will Come Upon you: The Lord knew those who say, “yes, yes” and act “no, no”. For them, the way to hell is paved with good intentions. This is why the Lord awakened the drowsy minister, and shook and threatened him, so that he might remain awake, not just for his own sake, but that he might fulfill his responsibility as watchman for the whole church. In Ezekiel 33:1-20 we read how the Holy Spirit clearly explained the watchman role and function of the prophets of God during the deportation. We would do well to impress these words upon our minds.

Jesus warned the renewed minister that he would come upon him silently as an enemy, as a thief, without being noticed by anybody and at the best time of rest (siesta), when no one would expect him. Jesus wanted to bring the church leader to a constant state of watchfulness, stressing to him that he be on alert not just for his own sake, but also for the sake of the entire church. He could expect at any time the coming of the divine Inspector. No one will be able to delay Jesus' coming. The Lord revealed to the minister of the church beforehand that he would come as a thief. A thief usually does not tell anybody in advance about his coming. He only watches the householder and seeks to distract his attention. Jesus, however, made every effort to shock the man of God, and to see that he was trained and wide-awake for his watchman service. Christ’s coming is nearer than we think.

This warning is the fifth promise in the Revelation of John relating to the second coming of Christ. The aim of this warning was to wake up a dead church leader and quicken him for service in his dying church.

Nobody knows if he will wake up again from his sleep or even return home safely again in the evening from the traffic jams of the city. There is not only a death hour for each of us individually, but also a final moment in which the rotation of our earth will end.

There is great uncertainty and indifference on the part of the guards and watchmen of the church that may even exceed that of the guarded church people. The Lord did not say in vain, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge”. The failure of not waiting and watching for Christ, who is coming soon, has become a widespread sin of omission all around the world.

Even now, overpopulation, air, earth and water pollution, depletion of raw materials, not to mention the growing misery in the Middle East resulting from the many unsuccessful efforts to solve the problem of Jerusalem, cause relatively few Christians to be watchful and alert.

Today, television can transmit into our living rooms eyewitness reports of natural disasters from all continents of the world. The futile conferences of statesmen and scientists should drive us to pray for the whole world. The world has become a global village in which we are spiritually responsible for one another. More than two-thirds of the world population does not yet know Jesus or His Gospel. Can we sleep in peace when we ourselves are spiritually alive, whereas the multitudes everywhere are spiritually dead? Let us pray for worldwide repentance and for worldwide revival, and for the spread of the gospel into all continents. Billions are spiritually dead. We have been entrusted to give Jesus’ life to others and to awaken many from their spiritual deadness.

This call is also valid for the churches of the despised Christian minority in the world of a growing Islam. Let us ask the Lord to revive these lifeless, fearful and humiliated churches. We must also pray for their pastors and leaders, asking that they take seriously their responsibility to be watchmen in an Islamic setting, and not to immigrate or cut themselves off from their environment.

Some church leaders try to walk the path of less resistance. They seek brotherhood and reconciliation among the world religions. They do not see that this begins with massive spiritual suicide in their own churches, thus strangling the last spiritually alive remnant in their churches. Without the crucified and resurrected One there is no righteousness, no peace with God, and no eternal life.

PRAYER: We thank You living Savior, who cares for the spiritually dead sinners, that You did not throw down the star of the minister of the church in Sardis, but kept him, diagnosed him, and commanded him to get up and strengthen those that are about to die spiritually. Lord, bring to life nowadays every servant who is on the point of spiritual death. Do not allow that we judge them, but that we judge ourselves first, and repent for the sake of Your great, kind grace.

QUESTION:

  1. What are the five commands with which the Lord tried to raise the spiritually dead pastor?

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