3. Three Messages
REVELATION 3:1-6
Sardis
And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, (Revelation 3:13).
Protestantism has a name that is alive but is dead.
It's tragic what has happened to the Protestant churches. A great percentage of the ministers don't believe in the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. They don't believe in His atoning death. They
don't believe in heaven or hell. They practically deny the faith.
So many Protestant churches are just a social club and a social organization, the term, born again, is meaningless to them. They have a name that they're alive but really they're dead.
The Lord encourages them to strengthen those things which
are left, because He has not found their works complete.
One thing about the Protestant Reformation - it didn't reform enough. Actually, the Protestants continued to use the many pagan customs adopted by the churches of Pergamos and Thyatira.
They still had infant baptism. They still had so many pagan symbols. They still had the pagan holidays. Their reformation
was incomplete.
The Lord says, "I've not found your work complete before God. Remember how you received and heard? Hold fast and repent. If you will not watch, I will come as a thief and you'll not know what hour I will come."
He's warning the Protestant churches of His coming; but if they're not watching for His coming, He'll come upon them as a thief.
They'll be taken by surprise.
Jesus said that we should watch and be ready for we know not what hour our Lord will come (Matthew 24:42,44).
Paul the apostle said that "we are not the children of darkness that the day should overtake us as a thief, but we're children of light; therefore, walk as children of light" (Ephesians 5:8).
"Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white," the Lord said.
For they are worthy. He that overcomes, the same shall be clothed in white raiment and I will not blot out his name out of the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels (Revelation 3:4-5).
What does Jesus mean about blotting names out of the Book of Life?
He means just that.
Don't think I'm going to take away from this book. For in the final chapter it says that if any man shall take away from this book, his name will be taken out of the Book of Life (Revelation 22:19).
I don't want mine blotted out!
You say, "What did He mean by that?" I don't know but I won't try to explain it away.
"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches" (Revelation 3:6).
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