The Complacent Church
Revelation- A Message to the Churches • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 41:40
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1 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “ ‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
Seven Spirits of God:
Robert Thomas
Revelation 1–7: An Exegetical Commentary Exegesis and Exposition
There the conclusion was that the title is a reference to the Holy Spirit against a background of Zech. 4:1–10. That Christ holds the seven spirits is reminiscent of the doctrine of the procession of the Spirit from Christ (cf. John 15:26; Rom. 8:9). The identification of the seven eyes of Zech. 4:10 with the seven spirits in Rev. 5:6 symbolizes the Spirit’s omniscience.
2 And he said to me, “What do you see?” I said, “I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on the top of it.
6 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
Revelation 1–7: An Exegetical Commentary Exegesis and Exposition
His further identification with the seven lamps of Zech. 4:2 (cf. Rev. 4:5) is a picture of the testimony He bears.
2 And he said to me, “What do you see?” I said, “I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on the top of it.
4 And I said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?”
5 Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.”
6 Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.
5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God,
Revelation 1–7: An Exegetical Commentary Exegesis and Exposition
The author of this message is one who is represented among the churches by the third Person of the Trinity, who knows all and whose purpose is to testify through the seven lampstands established in these seven cities.
1 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “ ‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
Seven Stars:
Symbol of Christ’s authority and control over the pastors of the churches, and thus to the entire church itself.
Revelation 1–7: An Exegetical Commentary Exegesis and Exposition
He wants to ensure that the lampstand in each community is shining brightly as it should. Sardis represents a situation where the church was surely not emitting spiritual light as it should have been.
What does Christ have against the church?
I know your works! You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
So are believers at the church performing works?
Do these works appear to be useful in the community?
What does Jesus say about these works?
2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.
Wake up?
1 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you.
2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.
5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.
6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.
7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night.
8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.
9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.
11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.
I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God? What was missing?
4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.
5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.
3 Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.
What was the remedy for their works that were not complete in the sight of my God?
Come against you?
Remove your lampstand from its place (2:5)
4 Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.
Soiled their garments?
23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.
They are worthy?
White?
8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.
All of those in Christ, all of those united to Christ participate in his righteousness and are thus worthy to be clothed in white. All the church will one day be clothed thus!
9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,
14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses.
Revelation 1–7: An Exegetical Commentary Exegesis and Exposition
Anticipation of wearing such apparel and enjoying the personal companionship of Christ provides ample incentive for continued faithfulness for the few in Sardis who were standing against the tide of apathy that had gripped the majority in the church.
4 Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.
5 The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.
Promise to the overcomer?
White garments
Never blot out his name of the book of life
12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.
When was your name written down in the book of life?
8 and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.
Revelation 1–7: An Exegetical Commentary Exegesis and Exposition
Revelation 13:8 lends itself to two possible interpretations. Either the book was written from the foundation of the world, or the Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world. If the former is the meaning, the time of the writing is explicitly placed before the foundation of the world. If the latter interpretation of 13:8 is correct, the time is still, by implication, the same because it is “the book of life of the Lamb” (cf. Rev. 21:27). The slain Lamb (cf. Rev. 5:6) is the one to whom the book relates, and its existence can presumably be traced to the time (in God’s eternal plan) of His slaying, i.e., before the foundation of the world (Caird).
A new name written down in glory- 623
5 The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.
Blot his name out?
I will confess his name?
38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’