STUDY THEME: "VICTORY IN JESUS NOW AND FOREVER.
RESTORATION TO FAITHFULNESS," REV. 3:1-5, 14-21
FEBRUARY 27, 2000
PLEASE OPEN YOUR BIBLE TO REVELATION 3. 

In Rev. 2 Jesus praised the church at Ephesus, the church of the first
century, for their loyalty to the truth. He rebuked them for leaving
their first love i.e. love for Christ and love for fellow Christians.
These two are inseparable. 

The suffering church in Smyrna was praised for their loyalty tested by
fire. Jesus recognized the persecution they were enduring in the 2nd and
3rd century and promised more persecution to follow. The letter closes
with the promise to everyone who is faithful unto death the "crown of
life." would be given. They would not be hurt  by the second death.

Jesus recognized the loyalty to Him demonstrated by the church in
Pergamum, Heven where Satan's seat is. Yet that church too was not free
from fault. They condoned the teachings of Baalim and the Nicolatians.
They represented the church period in history from 312 A.D. to 500 A.D. 

The longest of the seven letters is addressed to a church in the least
important of the seven cities. Thyatira represents the church in the Dark
Ages from 500 A.D. to the 16th century. This was the period when the
Church became he ward of the state and the state and the church became
one.  Like the first 3 churches, the church in Thyatira was true to the
faith, and had not yielded to the assaults of evil. Our Lord praised the
church for its charity and faith and helpful service and constant
steadfastness. For an active increase in these virtues and for a marked
growth in spiritual life and attainment. 

However, there is occasion for severe rebuke: Here not merely a small
minority were indifferent, but large numbers actually yielded to the
demoralizing influence of the false teaching of Jezebel, the one who
called herself a prophetess. 

The church in Philadelphia is called the church of the Renewal in the
19th century. It is the church of the open door. In the letter to the
church we find no word of criticism or rebuke. The fidelity and
missionary zeal of the church is praised. Severe trials were to come, but
in these the church would be kept by the power of Christ. "He that
overcometh, I will make a pillar in the temple of God.  

The two churches in today's lesson received the harshest words of any of
the seven churches. They looked good on the outside and were satisfied
with themselves, but they were in desperate spiritual plights. All the
other churches received at least some commendation, but the closest to
that for these churches is the mention of a few true believers in Sardis.
However, all the way thru the Bible, God is a God of the second chance.
We see this clearly demonstrated again in the word of the Resurrected
Christ to the late-first-century churches at Sardis and Laodicea. The
Lord showed His love by calling these churches to repent and by promising
to abide with them. 

The third chapter of Revelation begins with a picture of the Church at
Sardis, the church representative of the Renaissance and of the
Reformation period in Church history.  

1. PLEASE READ REVELATION 3: 1-6. 

The city of Sardis lay some 30 miles S.E. of Thyatira. The word "Sardis"
means "Remnant."  It was a wealthy city. It was also an ancient city. It
had been the capital of Lydia prior to becoming a part of the Roman
Empire. One of its earliest kings was Croesus, who ruled in the sixth
century B.C. He was the first to mint coins in that part of the world,
and his name became synonymous with great wealth. A river flowed thru the
city, and it brought a large amount of gold into the city's coffers.
Beyond that, Sardis commanded a position at the confluence of five great
commercial and military highways. So, a number of factors made Sardis one
of the richest and most important centers of its area. 

While it had lost most of its former splendor and glory, it was still
known for its wealth, and also for its wickedness. In Vs. 1 Christ
assured the members of the church in Sardis that He was fully in control.
He said that he held the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.
Because of this, He knew the believers' condition. Though they were
reputed to be alive, they were dead. Christ had no words of commendation
for the church at Sardis. The members were rich materially, but their
wealth did not add to their spiritual health. 

The church in Sarids was in a sad state of spiritual decline. When a
church loses her expectation of the second coming of Christ she dies. In
Vs. 1 Jesus said the church had a name that she was alive but He
pronounced her dead. The church had a reputation for activity. Probably
its services were well attended and properly conducted. It may have had
committees and anniversaries and rallies. It may number among its members
prominent social leaders. But it is dead. The key word to this church is
DEAD. 

There are two particular proofs: First, it is accomplishing nothing in
the spiritual realm; souls are not being saved; saints are not being
strengthened; help is not being rendered to those in need; its services
are formal, lifeless, meaningless. Jesus said "I have found none of thy
works perfected before God."   A church's crowded calendar of activities
is not necessarily the measure of its spiritual vitality. This church is
representative of the historical church age from 500 to 1700. This ages
is known as the period of  the Renaissance and the Reformation. The
Church of Sardis represents the general personality of the churches of 
that age. Not every Christian fits into the church age in which they
live.

When a church quits crusading and begins to coast it is dying. 
If a church begins to compromise it is about to die. 
A church is about to die when it begins to count the cost rather than
carry the cross. Jesus said every believer should take up his cross and
follow Him.
A dead church is not a pretty church. 

The solution to deadness is: 
Rediscovery of the Word of God.
The discovery of God's will.
Making soul-winning more important than self-business.

What produced this spiritual decadence in such an affluent city?
In Sardis the cult of emperor worship posed no threat to Christians, for
the city had no shrine for the emperor. Sardis had competed with Smyrna
for that privilege and had lost. Sardis was the center for the worship of
the pagan deity CYBELE.

Sardis, however, was a city characterized by moral decadence. Even the
pagans of the Roman world held the city in contempt, and it became a
by-word for immoral living. 

Evidently the Christians in the rich, immoral city of Sardis had come
under the influence of its surroundings. This can and does happen today.
Rather than a church's attitude changing a town, the town's atmosphere
may affect the church adversely. Too often today's churches become mirror
images of their culture rather than influencing the culture. When I
attended East Central in Ada I asked why there were not beer-joints in
the town. I was advised that Dr. Morris, pastor of the First Baptist
Church, would not tolerate beer-joints in Ada. I also learned that there
were no evening movies during the worship time at church. 

The church at Sardis faced no threat from without or from within. The
members were at peace, but it was the peace of the dead. The church was
not in danger from persecution or from heresy. Perhaps this was true
because it posed no threat to its community. It was conformed to its
community.

As a result of the carnality, division and worldliness of the Church at
Sardis, God rebukes its dead orthodoxy and in Vs. 4 He deals with the
remnant: "Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled
their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white: for they are
worthy."
 
2. PLEASE READ REVELATION 3: 14-16. 

The letter to the church in Philadelphia contains no reproof. It is
followed by the letter to the church in Laodicea, which contains no
praise. Laodicea was one of six cities by this name in the first-century
Roman world. To distinguish it from the others, it was called Laodicea on
the Lycus. This city was a great commercial center. It controlled the
commerce that flowed thru the Lycus valley, and three trade routes passed
thru the city.

Laodicea was not as old as Sardis. Antiochus 2nd, king of Syria, founded
Laodicea in about 250 B.C. He named it for his wife Laodice. While the
Church of Sardis continues in her formalism and dead theology and the
Philadelphian Church buys up every opportunity to utilize the open door
for the Gospel, the rest of professing Christendom will merge into the
last form of organized professing Christendom, pictured in the Church of
Laodicea. It is a sad, sad picture of the close of the age. 

This is God's picture of professing Christendom at the end of this age
and just before the Lord Jesus returns, as described in the opening
verses of Ch. 4. She is described as luke warm, indifferent. Lukewarm
water is produced by mixing hot and cold. There is a zeal and a fervor
for organization but a coldness and indifference to the Gospel. Not cold,
openly rejecting Christ, nor hot, filled with spiritual zeal. Instead its
members were luke-warm, hypocrites, professing to know Christ, but not
truly belonging to Him. Just like the dirty, tepid water of Laodicea,
these self-deceived hypocrites sickened Christ. Such a spirit of
indifference is the most tragic thing that can happen to a church. 

Christ prefers Churches to be on fire for Him. If a church is not on
fire, however, it does less damage and brings less scorn to Christ if it
is totally cold. Everyone would recognize a cold church and would not be
deceived by it. A lukewarm church, however, pretends to do Christ's work
and so is deceiving. This church, God says, He will reject. He will spue
her out of His mouth. 

While the church of Philadelphia will be raptured before the Tribulation,
and the Church of Thyatira will be cast into the Tribulation, the Church
of Laodicea will be utterly rejected of the Lord. But even in Laodicea
there are those who are the Lord's, and are, while identified with a
lukewarm Church, really a part of the Church of Philadelphia. Their names
shall never be blotted out of the book of life, but Christ will
acknowledge their names before His Father and His angels. 

3. PLEASE READ REVELATION 3: 17-19.

The lukewarm church in Laodicea is serenely unconscious of its condition
and absolutely unconcerned: "Thou sayest, I am rich, and have gotten
riches, and have need of nothing."  The church prides itself on its
condition, which it ascribes to its own skill and effort. It is lukewarm
and indifferent because of its self-deception and conceit. It is ignorant
of its own state: "And knowest not that thou art the wretched one and
miserable and poor and blind and naked," like a blind beggar barely clad.
Such in reality is the rich and self-complacent church. 

To such a church, Christ gives His solemn admonition: "I counsel thee to
buy of me gold refined by fire," that is, a vital faith, purified and
enriched by testing and by victory; "and white garments," the real
clothing of the soul, consisting of righteous deeds and holy activities:
and "eye-salve to anoint thine eyes"--not the eye powder of your local
physicians, but "the anointing of the spirit, whereby you will perceive
your desperate need and behold the boundless grace of Christ." These
gifts can be bought at the cost of real moral effort and humble
repentance and courageous faith.  

These words of sever rebuke are spoken in true sympathy and love. In
spite of its deplorable condition, Christ does not despair of the church.
"As many as I love, I reprove and chasten," is the message of the Lord,
whose heart yearns over this self-complacent and lukewarm church. "Be
zealous therefore, and repent."  

To this call to repentance Christ adds the most tender message found in
any of his letters. It is the more notable because addressed to the least
deserving Christians: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man
hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with
him, and he with me." 

Although Christ was standing on the outside looking in, He was still
present, seeking entrance into the church. A famous painting, of which
you may have a copy, depicts Christ knocking on the door of a dwelling.
It shows a door with no latch on the outside. The artist, Holman Hunt,
was right in his depiction. The text and the painting have been given an
evangelistic thrust. No one can open the hearts door from without. A
person must open it from within. The human heart is entered by
invitation.  Christ always stands and knocks,  He will not force Himself
on a person. Each person must hear His pleadings and must open the door
before He will enter. 

Christ declared that He would enter the open door and would enjoy
prolonged fellowship with the Laodicean church. Notice that if the
Laodicean Christians would invite Christ inside as their guest He would
become the gracious Host who would fellowship with them. In the
first-century Greco-Roman world, each day had three main meals. Lunch
usually was eaten outside the home, perhaps in the market, and it was
eaten on the run. 

The evening meal was a time not only to eat but also to fellowship. Often
it would last for a lengthy period of time while the participants
lingered over the meal, visited and talked about the day's events. This
meal generally was eaten leisurely. Christ assured the Laodicean
Christians that He did not want to meet with them casually. Rather He
wanted a time of unbroken fellowship with them. 

The promise Jesus gave to the overcomers of Laodicea is one of the most
beautiful promises made to any of the seven churches. The phrase in Vs.
21 "him who overcomes" surely referred to believers who allowed Christ to
have continuous and sustained fellowship with them. He promised that He
would give them the privilege of sitting with Him on His throne. This
promise is reminiscent of the promise Jesus made In Matt. 19:28 to His
disciples when He said "When the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne,
you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the
twelve tribes of Israel."

 All the saints in Laodicea who overcame would be more than mere
conquerors. They would receive the victor's ultimate prize. They not only
would wear the victor's crown, but they also would sit with the King on
His throne. What greater honor would await them? The King graciously
offered to share His rule with His faithful people. This remains the
glorious prospect for all people who follow Christ. Believers need to
realize that when they live in fellowship with Christ, enjoying His
companionship and allowing Him to be central in their lives, they are
better equipped to assist churches to be restored to faithfulness to
Christ.  

The Lord Jesus, the One who in the Church at Ephesus was walking in the
midst of the churches, who was the center and the object of all their
devotion and service, now stands outside the door and still offers to the
individual sinner His forgiveness and perfect salvation. Rejected by the
masses, He still calls to the individual, "If any man hear my voice."
Surely this is the picture of the end of the age religiously. There is no
wholesale revival anywhere. True to the prophecies concerning the last
days and in complete harmony with the predictions concerning the age of
professing Christendom, the age is closing in apostasy and lukewarmness.

Wickedness, immorality, crime, war and hatred are increasing apace in the
world, while religiously there is an apathy and an indifference, a
letting down of the bars, a denial of the faith and the cardinal truths
of the Bible. The man who still preaches the truth for which our
forefathers left their native country to find a place where freedom of
worship might be enjoyed without interference or persecution is now
considered a bigot. We have developed the spirit of compromise and a
modern theology that has lost its lifeblood. 

These conditions should not alarm and confuse us, for they are to us the
evidence of the coming again of the Head of the Church, the Lord Jesus.
The closing of the door in Laodicea is the signal for the opening of the
door in heaven and the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice,
therefore, that Rev. 3 ends with a closed door at which Jesus stands and
knocks, but our lesson next Sunday in Rev. 4 begins with an open door
thru which Jesus will return. With the story of Laodicea in the closing
part of Rev. 3 the Church Age ends, and it is the signal for the coming
of the Lord.

NEXT SUNDAY IN CH. 4 "LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PERSECUTE BELIEVERS"
OF CH. 2 & 3.                A.V. DAUGHERTY 2-27-00