Revelation 3:3 – 6 “Remember, then, what you have received and heard. Keep it and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know the hour when I will come upon you. But you do have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments, and because they are worthy, they will walk with Me in white. Like them, he who overcomes will be dressed in white. And I will never blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and His angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
First Church in Your USA, was a sight to see on Sundays! Some shopping malls were smaller than the First Church building. Many of the richest people in town were there dressed in their finery. The worship leader and the preacher were outstanding, and the 100 – voice choir and 75 – piece orchestra gave polished performances. There were huge video screens so that everyone in the huge auditorium or in other overflow areas could view the services. Yes, First Church really had it all together! But then one Sunday morning, a stranger showed up. Nobody noticed him at first; he was neatly dressed but not particularly impressive. Before anyone realized what was happening, the stranger ascended the platform and walked to the front of the stage. The head pastor and the deacons attempted to get up to stop the man, but found themselves paralyzed where they sat. With eyes flashing fire, the stranger spoke in a voice like thunder, “Let all the living come to me!” In an instant, a small part of the congregation disappeared, while those remaining looked around in horror! Instead of beautiful clothing and carefully arranged hairdos, those left in the congregation had the appearance of zombies – living corpses. Those who remained were literally dead men and women walking. Looking on the congregation with eyes full of tears, the stranger said, “Remember, then, what you have received and heard. Keep it and repent.” The stranger disappeared, and the congregation found themselves returned to normal appearances… but some of the members were still missing.
Yesterday we spoke about the church at Sardis and the fact that most of its members were spiritually dead! The church was literally on the brink of ruin, and most of its members had no idea how close they were to extinction. Just like the members of First Church in the story, those in Sardis had stopped watching. Barclay tells us that believers must be watchful at all times. We must be on the watch against the wiles of the devil. The Sardians didn’t all fall away at once; they slid away gradually, and it was their success that seduced them. Proverbs 30:7 – 9 says, “Two things I ask of You— do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread that is my portion. Otherwise, I may have too much and deny You, saying, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, profaning the name of my God.”
Christians are to be on the watch against temptation. Oswald Chambers points out that many times we don’t fail at our weakest point, but at our strongest points, because it is there that we think we don’t need God to help us. We are to be on the watch for the coming of the Lord. Jesus himself warned his disciples that they were to be watchful at all times. (Matthew 24:42-43) Barclay says, “No man knows the day and the hour when for him eternity will invade time.” “The last day is a secret,” says Augustine, “that every day may be watched.”
Christians must watch out for false teaching. There have always been heresies and today there are more of them than ever. There are many who are attempting to combine various other religions with Christianity; however, Jesus said in John 14:6 “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father, except by Me.” This is no time for sloppy thinking; we must study the Scriptures and know what we believe and why.
Christians are to live in the reality of the fact that Jesus is watching us. “I have not found your works perfect,” says the Risen Christ, “in the sight of my God.” Barclay comments, “Here two great truths meet us. (a) Christ is looking for something from us. We so often regard him as the one to whom we look for things; for his strength, his help, his support, his comfort. But we must never forget that he is looking for our love, our loyalty and our service. (b) The things a man must do lie to his hand. The old saying is true: “Fate is what we must do; destiny is what we are meant to do.” The Christian does not believe in an inescapable fate; but he does believe in a destiny which he can accept or refuse.”
Verse 3 has 4 commands for us: “Remember, then, what you have received and heard. Keep it and repent.” Remember – we are to REMEMBER the Gospel. We are to KEEP the Gospel. We are to continuously REPENT. Repentance is not a one – time act but a continuous heart searching coupled with confession of sins so that we might receive forgiveness. And we are to WATCH!
“ But you do have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments, and because they are worthy, they will walk with Me in white. Like them, he who overcomes will be dressed in white. And I will never blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and His angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Throughout the ages, white garments have had many meanings. White robes have symbolized purity and victory and celebration. Here in Ghana, people wear white clothes for special celebrations.
“they will walk with me…” Enoch was a man who pleased God and who walked with God. One day, Enoch simply went home with God. Jesus is promising believers that those who continue to confess Him and to follow him will walk with Him. Kings kept registers of the names of citizens and anyone who died had their name removed from the register. Jesus is promising that if we remain true to Him, our names will remain in His Book of Life forever and that Jesus will tell His Heavenly Father and the angels that we are His forever.
Today, we have a choice: will we be dead men and women walking, or will we repent, believe, follow and watch? The choice is ours, but remember that today is the only day in which we can make that choice. Nobody is guaranteed tomorrow!
PRAYER: Father God, let everyone who reads this devotional choose to follow you! Let them remember what Jesus has done for all of us, repent, keep the Gospel and watch! In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen. .
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