This is the Truth Network. Welcome to Ignite the Light Ministries radio and podcast. It is our mission to help listeners develop a deeper relationship with Jesus by sharing what the Bible says and what it means. We aim to encourage and equip you to serve others, share the gospel, and reflect Christ in every aspect of your life. I'm Pastor Wyatt Cudd.
Thank you for tuning in. Who here has been asleep on a red-eye flight? And the stewardess runs over your foot with the car and I'm fucking up. Yeah. No, no.
Me I have, and my pinky toe does not see straight anymore.
Well, 1 Corinthians 4, 1, it tells us to be stewards of the mystery of God.
So when you think about an airplane steward, They don't own the airplane, they don't own the food or anything else on the airplane. The company owns everything. The steward is entrusted with the care of the plane and the passengers. The steward has been given the responsibility. taking care of what is not theirs, dispensing goods, dispensing resources.
Giving me my Diet Coke to the people on the plane to their benefit. That's the job of the steward on the plane. Genesis 1.1 says, In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The world, the heavens, everything, it belongs to God. He created light and declared it.
Good. He created the land and the seas and declared it good. God made the vegetation, made the sky and the stars, every living creature, and the air and the water on the land, and He declared it good. Then God created man. In his own image, Genesis 1:26, so that he might rule over the fish, the birds in the sky, the livestock, the wild animals.
He gave them every plant, every tree with fruit. that would be for them God created everything, owns everything, gives it to man to rule over, to steward, and then only then. Genesis 1.31, God sees everything that he has made. with the addition of his stewards, and declares it Fairy. Good.
Everything that we have, everything that we own. It belongs to God. It's on loan to us from the Creator. And he has called us, commissioned us to be good stewards. of the blessings that we have.
If we're to be good stewards of what we have, then we need to have an idea of.
Well, what is our purpose? What are we supposed to use these things for? What is our mission? Jesus' final commission before he ascended into heaven is the great commission. It says, Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, Baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I've commanded you, and surely I am with you always.
The very end of the age.
So, everything we own, everything that we do, all the days that we are given, if we're going to be good stewards of what God has given us, All of these things must come under this direction. Making disciples, baptizing them, teaching, training them to obedience in Christ. Everything must be brought under submission to this. Glorify God. and make his name.
No. That's good stewardship. Good stewardship has a mission, a direction. And that mission is the Great Commission. But sometimes we can lose sight of that.
We can lose sight of that through the murk and the messiness of life. Life gets busy and hectic.
Sometimes there's distractions.
Sometimes there's shiny things in the world around us that catch and hold our attention and draw us away from the mission.
So we're going to be looking at a church today in Revelation. You got your Bibles. We're going to be in Revelation. Chapter 3 Verses one through Six. Yeah.
One through six. Revelation 3, 1 through chapter 6. We're going to be looking at the church of Sardis. The Dead Church.
Now we started this look through yesterday. I think we got through the first three verses, so we're going to finish it off here today.
So, Revelation 3, we're going to do our read through, starting here at verse 1. It says 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 for being alive, but you are dead. Wake up!
Strengthen what remains and what is about to die. For I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard. Hold fast and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief.
and you will not know at what time I come to you. Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They walk with me dressed in white, for they are worthy. The one who is victorious will like them be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life.
but will acknowledge that name before my Father, and his angels. Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Okay.
So, I'm going to briefly touch on the church's context. We covered a good bit of it last week. If you're interested in a deeper dive, that sermon is on YouTube. Let's see here.
So, Sardis was once the capital of the ancient Lydian Empire. They were known for their wealth, for their power, for their strategic location. The city was incredibly wealthy.
Now they had similar social situations to the other churches. They were occupied by the Romans, so everyone was legally required to worship Caesar as a god. And then they had a good bit of pagan worship as the dominant. religion.
So there's plenty of reason for this society, the chur uh city of Sardis, to push back against these Christians, especially if the Christians are claiming Jesus is the only way and Jesus is king. They have plenty of reason to push back against that. Yet there's no mention of this church facing any kind of persecution. And if they're spiritually dead, as Jesus says they are, why bother? If I were Satan and this church is asleep, I'm not rocking that boat.
I'm going to let them think that they are awake, alive, and Christ. They're going to leave the rest of the city alone, and I'm just going to keep them nice and comfortable with their riches, their entertainment, and I'm just going to wait them out. Is this church doing what they're supposed to be doing as we look through this passage? If Jesus is calling them dead, The answer is no. For all that God has given them They're failing to be good stewards of the blessings that's been put in their lives.
They've lost sight of the mission, the purpose. They've taken their eye off the ball.
So verse 1 it says to the angel of the church in Sardis Right, so the letter is addressed to the angel of the church. Yes, the people will read this letter, but Jesus commissions the angel to commend them for the good things, convict them of the things they need to change.
Now I've said this with each letter, but it's repeated seven times. It's important for us to know. We as a church, we're not stranded. We don't do these things alone. We don't pursue God alone.
We have supernatural support from our Father. Jesus' hands rest over to the church. He will speak to us through us, guide us, and that's a huge comfort to us. Jesus is with us.
Now then it says, He who has the seven churches, seven spirits of God, and the seven stars. This is the authority of which Jesus speaks to this church. It's referencing back to Revelation 1, that vision that John had of Jesus.
So by what authority does Jesus correct his stewards who's lost their way? By the authority that he owns everything. The churches and the other churches is held in the hand of Jesus. He holds them up. He corrects the stewards on the basis that he owns the player.
In verse 1 he says, you have a name. A reputation that you were alive. Yet you are dead. That's the diagnosis. That's the problem this church is facing.
They are dead. But they think they are alive. They even have a reputation that they are alive.
Now why might they have a reputation? for being alive. Perhaps they got good programs. Perhaps they have a thriving youth group. Perhaps they have good preaching.
Or maybe the reputation comes from the unbelievers. Man, you know, this church really meshes well with our culture. That's not really something to brag about, is it? Christianity has a way, wherever it is, of being counter-cultural. No matter what culture Christianity is in, it is always going to be a light.
to the darkness and if the darkness thinks that the light fits in Well, that's not really a good thing. But if the reputation is from other Christians, from other churches, That's a little more complicated.
So I want to say this. A church with a lot of programs, with a thriving youth group, with a persuasive pastor, or a church with great financial stability, those are all blessings. But none of these things in and of themselves makes a church Alive in in Christ. A church that is alive in Christ is marked by their obedience to Christ first and foremost, not by the amount of blessings. that they have.
An example I think of today is uh Joel Osteen's church in Texas. It is a massive church. Tons of people work there. Tons of people are going to the service. It is a massive church with plenty of blessing.
But they sell people a prosperity gospel. I looked at their website as I was putting this sermon together. The closest thing I can find to the mission statement: what is the purpose? What are we being good stewards? To what end are we being good stewards?
Closest thing I can find to a mission statement.
Something to this effect. Say, we base our beliefs on the authority of Scripture. Great! In every way, we strive to maintain biblical standards of leaving and leadership. Great!
We believe that living life according to God's word is the way to an abundant and fulfilling life.
Well Maybe. Abundance is not guaranteed in our life, though. All of the disciples faithfully went to their death in the name of Jesus. Didn't exactly have a thriving 401k in a book deal there, did they?
So his wife in a sermon, this is a quote. His wife in a sermon said, quote, When we obey God, we are not doing it for God. That is one way to look at it. We are doing it for ourselves because God takes pleasure when we are happy. That's the thing that gives God the most joy, the greatest joy.
Just do good for your own self. Do good because God wants you to be happy. When you come to church, when you worship him, you are not doing it for God, really. You are doing it for yourself, because that's what makes God happy. Happy.
That's the prosperity gospel. It's me, me, me. I am the focus, and it's lies. You have to water down the gospel, take out some of the barter truths. And I mean, you get more people through the door when you do that, but this is a dead church with the reputation of being alive.
If we think even for a second God's chief aim in life is our temporary happiness, we got to reread the letter to the persecuted church. Revelation 2:10, do not be afraid for what you are about to suffer. I tell you the devil will put some of you in prison, test you, and you will suffer persecution for 10 days. But be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you a victor's crown. The persecuted church is one of the few letters of the seven that they receive absolutely no correction.
See, it's not about success. It's not about. Comfort or getting wealthy or accruing blessing.
Now, biblical principle can certainly lead you to that, but that's not the main point. That's not the main purpose. The main point is to be purpose-driven on mission for Jesus, no matter the cost. And when we lose sight of that mission, We can walk around thinking we are alive. when we are spiritually dead.
Now, when hardship comes in your life, and it will, when you're facing pain because of your faith. What does the prosperity gospel have? to offer. When there's a Charlie Kirk in the world who is martyred for his belief, There is pain, his family is in great pain. In mourning, there's not happiness.
What does the prosperity gospel have to offer? If you subscribe to that notion and you face pain and suffering and you're not experiencing happiness, you might think. Maybe this Jesus thing isn't real. But the true gospel, it doesn't promise an easy life. It promises meaning and purpose in everything.
In your hardship, you can have joy in Jesus. You may not have happiness every moment, but you will always have. Joy.
So verse 2 it says, wake up. strengthen what remains and is about to die. That's urgency. Church of Sardis, your light is going out. Wake up!
There's a chance to recover! But collapse is imminent. Wake up. How? Verse 3, it says, remember.
Remember what you have heard. Remember the gospel, the scriptures. Remember God's love and call on your life. The church is dead. That's the diagnosis.
Wake up. Remember. That's the prescription. Church, if we find ourselves drifting off face from our mission, We find ourselves getting tangled in sin. If we find ourselves feeling like God is distant, our prayers are just bouncing off the ceiling today.
What Jesus tells us is to Remember. Remember when you were on fire for God? what you were doing. How you are praying, what music you are listening to, the places you go, how you are reading scripture. Remember what you were doing there and return to that.
To be connected to Jesus, the true vine, He's the source of our love. We have to be in prayer. We have to be in the word. We have to be in worship. Consistently.
Now, worship's not just listening to Christian worship music. Worship is much deeper than that, it's a heart posture. No matter how far we've come on our walk with God, we actually never graduate from the basics. If you feel distant this morning, remember. Return to the basics.
Because the basics We don't graduate from them because the basics are the foundation of our relationship with God. That's why we never graduate from them. They're the foundation that we build our spiritual lives upon.
So if we feel distant from God, We return to the foundation. Verse 4. It says you have a few people in Sardis. Who have not soiled their clothes, they walk with me dressed in white, for they are worthy.
So there's a remnant. There's a remnant of faithful believers in this church. Uh They were remaining pure, Holy with integrity, unsoiled by the world and the culture around them. This is interesting to me. Even in a church that has lost its way, Is faithless, is dead, has lost its mission even in that church.
Jesus sees the individual. Jesus sees you. When you're doing the right thing, When people around don't believe in you, when you're doing good but good is uncool, when you are acting with integrity and nobody sees it, we have the assurance Jesus sees You. And he will reward you for your faithfulness. Verse 5, it says, The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed.
in white.
So those who have fallen away He's calling them to turn back, that they can be forgiven, that they can be made pure, dressed in white again. And it says, I will never blot the name of the person from the book of life, but I will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels.
Okay, so The Book of Life This is where the names of the saved are recorded in heaven. The one who overcomes, just because they may have stumbled, their name will not be blotted out over that.
So we read that and we're like, okay. I will never block the name of that person. Out from the book of life. Does that mean that Jesus might blot a name out for another reason? Or the ones who didn't overcome, was their name in the book of life and then he scribbled them out?
Short answer is No. God doesn't make mistakes. Salvation is not something that you can have and then you lose it and then you have to keep renewing your subscription to salvation. In the Greek, salvation is sozo. Every time that word is used, salvation, it is used to indicate a singular one-time event.
It happens once. When you are saved, you are legally declared justified before God on account of the cross. And when he looks at you, he sees Jesus. Salvation is not Progressive?
Now our walk with Christ is a progressive becoming more like Jesus, but salvation is one and done. We grow in our relationship with Jesus, but salvation, it's not like a monthly Netflix subscription. You gotta keep renewing. Jesus paid it all on the cross. Lifetime supply.
Your name is written by his blood. And your name was written in the Lamb's book of life before the creation of the world. It's Ephesians 1, 4 through 6. It said, He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. Why?
Because it is in accordance with His pleasure and will to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given to us, the ones. He loves. I think for this passage in verse 5, the Greek is really helpful. It says, I'm gonna butcher this. I know I'm gonna butcher this.
It says, Kaiu me exalipso. which means it literally translates to English. And no, not will I blot out. Then it continues, the name of him from the book of life.
So the Greek says, and no not will I blot out. It hits the negative twice. This person will never, ever, ever have their name removed because Jesus paid it all. It's not about our sin. It's not about if we backslide.
It's about Jesus. Return to Jesus, and you have the assurance your shortcomings will never, ever, ever be counted against you. That's what it's saying. You cut through the murk. You return to the mission and have no fear.
Jesus' blood on the cross was enough. You are covered. But you have to come home. That's what it's saying. Verse 6, whoever has ears to hear, let them hear what the Spirit says to the church.
Now this is a universal call. Jesus makes this call to all of the churches, to every believer. If you hear the gospel, if you hear the good news, if you hear the call to repentance, then really hear it. We don't just go back to what we were doing. We let the Spirit of God, the Word of God, change us, rearrange us, point us through the murk of life to the mission, our purpose.
To all the nations we must reach the lost. And every blessing we have. It is going to be brought under submission. to the Great Commission, brought under submission to Jesus's Leadership. Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.
So the Church of Sardis, it's spiritually dead, let you yet you have some that are spiritually alive. Paul talks about us being Dead in our sin. and alive in Christ.
Now the angel hasn't been removed from this church. But many in the church of Sardis are living like they are dead, not walking by the Spirit, walking. by the flesh. If this church is not walking in step with the Spirit, They are walking in the flesh, in the fruits of the Spirit. are not going to be evident in their life.
Now, the next church we're going to look at next week, the Church of Philadelphia, they're the exact opposite. of this church. They have this massive spirit of giving. The fruits of the Spirit in their lives is very evident.
Now they're not wealthy like Sardis. They don't have as many blessings, but they are faithful to God with the blessings that they do have. And the fruits of the Spirit are evident in their life. They're loving church. On Paul's missionary trips, You know who he was constantly receiving financial support from?
The Church of Philadelphia. Constantly.
Now they didn't have much, but they understood who their blessings came from. I hope this sermon has enriched your day. If you like this message, I want to personally invite you to join us for Sunday worship. We have two locations in Virginia, Trinity Methodist Church in Concord and Mount Humphrey Methodist Church in Appomattox. Come join us Sunday morning at 9.45 and we will help you get connected.
As always, I'm Pastor Wyatt Cudd. Thank you for tuning in.
