Hope in the Lord: Navigating Sin and Assurance - Glorious Hope | Studies in Revelation

As I've gotten older, I have realized there are two types of car

owner, especially when it comes to approaching that one thing

that we all dread, the mot.

There are car owners who take their car to a mechanic for an annual

service to make sure that everything is in working order, that

the vehicle is safe to drive, and that they will have a certain

confidence that the car indeed will pass the test through those

great big blue doors.

And this confidence is based on the fact that they have done everything

that they can to assure the vehicle is not only ready, but will

go through each part of the MoT and come out the other side with

a certificate of fitness.

Now, that's how I grew up.

It wasn't until I did my assistantship in Kirkpatrick Memorial

that I discovered my boss didn't do things that way.

And this is when I discovered there's a second type of person when

it comes to the MoT because there are those who use the MoT to

find out what's wrong with the car.

Can you believe it?

They will book the test, take the vehicle to the test center, and

then wait.

And in their waiting, they hope.

They hope.

They cling to that outside seat with hope that it will pass,

but they know that they will be ready to rebook a test if work

is needed to get the vehicle up to standard.

Now, you may already be placing yourself in one of these

categories, and you may already have judged which category

I'm in, thanks to my father, but I'm not here to judge your practice.

But I do want to make a point that when we approach the mot, we

generally have nothing to fear if we have done the work in advance,

because the other option is 20 minutes of an uncomfortable wait

until the result is revealed, and whatever's discovered is discovered.

You see, for the one who waits on the test to diagnose a problem

with the car, they could be in for a terrible shock when they hear

that work is needed.

And if they want to drive the vehicle, then they need to get the

work done within a certain time frame so that the car is road

worthy.

And I use this illustration because this is what it must have

been like for the church in Sardis.

They thought they were okay.

They thought they could pass any test, but under the judgment

of Christ, they were found to be wanting.

And if you've been following along, you will know that as you

look at this map with Patmos where John is writing in the Adriatic

Sea, there, you will see that we're moving across to the west.

And so we're coming now to these final three churches that are

the furthest away from Patmos, with Sardis and Philadelphia, and

then Laodicea, the furthest away.

And so here in Sardis, they think they have nothing to fear when

it comes to being judged by Jesus.

You see, this sense of security in this church in particular

may have come from the general attitude of the city in which it's

found.

The city of Sardis believed that it was invincible from attacks.

Its fortress was on cliffs thought to be unscalable.

But twice in its history, the cliffs were scaled and the city was

defeated.

And so the church in Sardis, as is recorded here for us, was repeating

the history of its city.

The risen Jesus addresses the Church as the one who has the Holy

Spirit and the seven angels.

Every church up to this point has received a commendation, but

Sardis receives absolutely none.

Their condemnation comes quickly.

In verse one, this is what Christ says to the church 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.

This is what Jesus says.

I know your works.

You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.

Now, that is a shocking judgment that the church was not

expecting.

The church may appear to be alive, they may appear to be busy,

they may appear to be doing things.

But when it comes to the reality of living for Jesus, by his

standard, the Church is actually dead, or at least near death.

And what Jesus is summoning this church to do is to wake up and

to act before it is too late.

Because the matter is urgent.

The church is summoned to remember and it is summoned to repent.

For if they continue to, let's face it, degenerate, Jesus will come

as a thief and he will judge them.

And the criticism of the Church isn't universal, because as

we read about this church, we know that there are some who are

worthy and who live in a way that is pleasing to God.

Only those who overcome will receive white garments, have their

names inscribed in the book of life, and be acknowledged before

the Father and the angels.

But look what Jesus says in verse two.

To them, again, it's wake up.

But after they wake up, look at what they're to do and strengthen

what remains and is about to die.

For I have not found your works complete in the sight of my

God.

And so the church of Sardis is told to wake up as if it is in a

slumber.

Jesus is sounding the alarm that they need to pay attention to

and that they need to act.

And this action is to strengthen what remains.

So there's a glimmer of faith within them, but it is at risk of

dying if they don't pay attention to their souls.

They've not been living as they should, and so they are found

lacking.

They've not kept to what they have heard and what they've been

taught about the Gospel.

And so Jesus is calling them back so that they might be saved.

He is challenging them to keep what they know and to repent of sin.

And only through this repentance can they know and can

they hold any assurance of salvation.

But there is a stark warning in the second half of verse three.

Verse three says, remember then, what you received and heard.

That's what they're told to base their strengthening on.

But Jesus says, 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.

I remember being told of a time before I was born when our family

home was broken into by burglars.

The burglars came when no one was expecting them.

And it was a surprise to my parents when they arrived home to

find the house ransacked.

And this is the image that Jesus is giving here.

This may be a church that thinks it is in touch with the matters

of God, but Jesus says that he will come to judge them when they

least expect it and notice how he approaches.

Not only is he coming as a thief who will come quietly and unexpectedly,

but because he knows their sin, sin that they clearly have not

acknowledged or repented of, he will come against them.

Now, this is very different from what the rest of what we read

in the New Testament.

All too often we see that Jesus is for his people and is close

to them.

Isn't that what we've read with other churches, that he is near?

But when it comes to sin, it cannot be tolerated, particularly

by those who ignore or even justify their wrongdoing and yet

take the name of Christ.

So let me ask you a question.

Now, this is for each and every one of us.

This is not one of those moments to guess who this question

is relevant for.

It is relevant for each of us, and each of us must answer it.

Are you aware of your own sin?

That's the challenge that is given to the church in Sardis, because

we all fall into sin.

And that sin pulls us away from the things of faith that we

claim to hold so dear.

We allow sin to run free at times because it makes us feel good,

or we get something off our chest, or we perceive it makes us

better than everyone else, yet it will only corrupt us and make

us unloving towards the things of God.

Like the Christians in Sardis, we can talk the talk, but sometimes

that's all it is.

And if you think this question doesn't apply to you, then please

think again.

Because remember the warning John gives in his first letter.

In First John 1, verse 8, if we say we have no sin, we deceive

1 John 1:8

ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Sin is a reality, and that reality of sin must be dealt with

by us all.

But there is hope.

And that's what verse four goes on to tell us.

Because if we repent, then we will know that great assurance of

salvation, just as Jesus says to the Church.

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.

Here are people who have not dirtied themselves with sin and are

living as they should, not perfect, but living by the standard

of God.

There are but a few in Sardis, but they are faithful, and they will

be faithful to the end.

They can be sure that the spiritual life that has been breathed

into them when they were joined to Christ would have its full

effect.

The righteousness of Christ pictured as white garments, would

become an increasing reality in their lives and would be fully

realized one day in his presence.

And when the day comes that the Book of Life is opened, well,

we'll read more about that when we get to Revelation 20.

But it will contain a list of names, their names because of their

faithfulness to God.

So Sardis has two people, a majority who are dead and a small

minority who are alive and who will know the blessing of their faithfulness.

And so this letter closes with the same words that we find in the

other seven letters.

The words of the risen Lord Jesus, the words of the One who has

the Spirit of God.

These are the words of the Spirit as well.

They're directed not just to the church in Sardis, but to all

the churches, and must be heeded with urgency.

And this urgency must be heeded.

Today, the day in which we're living remains an urgent day.

It's not like a car going to the MOT to see what is wrong, but

rather this is to be the day that we go to Christ, who loves us,

who gave his life for us, who forgives us of our sins and presents

us ready to meet the Father in glory.

We go to the One who knows us.

We can go to the One who makes us ready to meet God, rather than

taking our chances in the blind hope that we will get through,

do you take your sin seriously?

Do you have Christ deal with it?

Or are you simply gonna wait and hope for the best?

We may do that with our cars, and probably more times than not,

they pass.

But when it comes to the sin in our lives, it is something that

will not pass if we do not confess it and seek Christ and his

forgiveness.

So Sardis is in a very difficult position.

They're in a position where they need life because they are truly

dead.

And how different it is for the church in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia is the penultimate church that we look at,

that second to last before we come to Laodicea.

And, of course, Laodicea, we know famously, is lukewarm.

So it's a little bit better than Sardis, but not much.

But Philadelphia's different.

And so while the church in Sardis was given no commendation,

well, the church of Philadelphia, like the church of

Smyrna, receives no rebuke at all.

The church here was threatened, as were many cities in

the province of Asia, by this imperial cult, this worship, the

Caesar.

And this is addressed by the risen Son of man, who is holy and

true, exercising the authority of the key of David, and opens and

shuts according to his will.

And the church is commended for its works and has been given

an open door because of its faithfulness, an open door that no

one can shut.

The synagogue of the Jews is opposing the church.

And notice how it's described here as Satan's Synagogue.

And we'll think about that in a moment.

But we heard this charge against the Jews in Smyrna in chapter

two as well.

See, they will ultimately recognize that the believers here

in Philadelphia are loved by the Messiah, and they'll acknowledge

such before all.

But since the church has been faithful, they will be protected

in the time of testing that is striking the entire world.

And so Jesus calls the church to hold on, to hold fast in order

to receive the reward, because he is coming soon.

And what we're told of this church is that those who conquer

will be part of the new temple, the heavenly Jerusalem.

They will enjoy eternal life in the heavenly city, in the renewed

universe in which God dwells.

And so, as we get into the verses that speak of the church in

Philadelphia, we read of the key of David in verse seven.

And whenever we think of a key, we automatically think of a

lock, probably a lock in a door.

And having read on, we know that a door is mentioned in verse

8.

So what's the image that we're Given here?

Well, all of revelation, in fact.

The whole of the Bible is about the kingdom of God.

And as the Son of David, Jesus holds the keys to this kingdom.

He has thrown open the door for the nations to come in and nothing

can stop it.

That's what verse eight tells tells us.

I know your works.

Behold, I have set before you an open door which no one is able

to shut.

I know that you have but little power.

And yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.

Philadelphia, a church of Jew and Gentile coming together.

The nations coming in to worship.

And they have remained faithful even though they have little

power.

In other words, their social standing is so low that no one responds

them.

But they have kept his word and they have not denied his name

when society has forced them to see, this door was opened.

Because although the church at Philadelphia had little power, so

they're a small church with little influence, yet they have faithfully

kept to the words of Christ.

They faithfully held his name and did not go against it.

The Philadelphian church, despite opposition from the Emperor

cult in the Jewish synagogue, continue to be faithful.

They confessed the name of Christ in the face of what was concerted

opposition.

And we know this because it is coming from the Jewish synagogue.

And verse nine is of great comfort to the church because those

persecuting them, the Jews, will face their punishment.

These are the Jews who are supposed to be looking for the Messiah.

So there's no mistake here as to why the name Messiah is is written

in this section.

Well, Christ's judgment on them is that they are not Jews at

all.

They are simply religious hypocrites.

And so they will be punished.

And that will be seen in their being brought low.

And in that position, that low estate of punishment, they will see

God's love for Jew and Gentile who do believe in Jesus.

It is the church of Jesus Christ, not ethnic Jews who refuse

to believe in Jesus or the elect people of God.

And the faithfulness of the church in Philadelphia will be rewarded.

And this is what said to them in verse 10, because you have kept

my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the

hour of trial that is coming on the whole world to try those who

dwell on the earth.

And so their comfort continues because the believers will be kept

safe by Christ from the testing that was coming upon the

world.

And we find in this verse the idea that things will become more

difficult before the end.

And it is this time that Jesus speaks about in John chapter 17 and

John 17 · chapter mention

verse 15 when he says, I do not ask that you take them out of

the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.

So Christ is knowing that the church must endure the testing that

is about to come, and he actually prays that they will remain,

but that they will be kept from the evil one.

And in the words of the Protestant Reformers, we call this

preservation of the saints kept until the end.

And this is the promise that is given to them here.

They are to hold fast to the truth they know because Jesus is

returning and he wants to find them continuing to live as they have

been commended for those who do hold fast.

Those who conquer will be made a pillar in the temple of God and

have the name of God and His city written on them.

In other words, they will have a permanent place in the temple of

God, which is the people of God, who will endure into eternity.

They may have little power now, but the strength of Christ will

turn them into pillars of strength.

His name will be written on them, an affirmation of their belonging

to his city, where they will enjoy his presence and they'll enjoy

his protection forever.

And once again, we are urged to pay attention so that we will

hear the word of the Spirit to the churches.

And this word should encourage believers to keep going, knowing

that we will be kept by the Savior until the day we are called

home or he returns.

We are to set our hope on him and keep in his ways.

That's what the message to these two churches is.

The churches of Sardis and Philadelphia are to pay attention.

They're to pay attention to the risen Lord Jesus, so that they

may know forgiveness of their sins, and they may be kept until

the end.

The risen Lord Jesus, as He is commanding them, is commanding us

to look to him and not to the world.

He's commanding us to stay the course of faith so that we will know

our good and our true reward.

And for some here, perhaps the days are feeling long and wearisome.

Maybe we're thinking it's not worth it because of everything else

that's going on in the world, everything else that's going on in

work, everything else that's going on in our families, everything

else that's going on in society.

Maybe we feel it's just not worth it.

And so, like the church in Sardis, we want to appear to have

not change, but yet within we are dead because we have allowed

our hearts and our souls to be content in what is around us rather

than in what is above, simply because we believe it is too hard.

I want to encourage you this evening to take God's word and place

it deep within.

Keep going.

There is forgiveness for Sardis, and there is glorious hope

for Philadelphia.

That means there is grace for us and mercy.

And there is hope that we will keep going to the end.

That as we seek forgiveness of sins, as we live for Christ, so we

will set our hope on him.

And a hymn that has helped me to express this is entitled that

I Set My Hope in Jesus.

And the last verse says this.

Though the world call me to leave, my Lord, I set my hope on

Jesus.

Though it offer all its vain rewards, I set my hope on Jesus.

Though this heart of mine be pruned astray, Give me grace enough

to finish Till I worship on that final day, I set my hope on

Jesus.

In many ways, it's a verse that sums up the position that these

two churches are in.

Because whether you're in Sardis or Philadelphia, we all need

to set our hope on Jesus.

So as we finish, let me ask you, will you set your hope on Jesus

not as a car going to the MOT without having first been to the

mechanic, but with confidence, knowing that you are his and he has

done his work in you.

Will you repent of sin and have this glorious hope that you

are being preserved for that final day when you will worship God

for all eternity?

Because we need glorious hope.

We need to know the message that is given to the churches then

and the church now that we look to Jesus so that we can have

this great hope that indeed will see us through.

And not just that, but will see us home.

Set your hope on Jesus.

Trust only on him and know his guiding hand as we make our way through

this world until we reach heaven.

Let's pray.

Our Father God, once again we thank you for your word.

Your word that assures us of truth that indeed Christ is coming

back.

But our glorious hope is in him to keep us until that day, whatever

we may face.

For as we've sung through this evening, we've sung of your great

power through salvation.

We've sung of your love that will bring us into everlasting praise.

And, Father, we worship you because of what you've given us in

Jesus.

So, Father, may we respond to your word, not thinking that it is

for somebody else, but that we will look deep within.

And, Lord, we will come to you so that we will know your forgiveness.

We will know that renewed hope.

And, Father, as the Lord Jesus prayed, indeed we may be kept in

this world in this time of testing.

But, Father, we indeed will be kept from the evil one.

So, Father, keep us strong.

We pray as we look ever to you.

In Jesus name, amen.