END OF TIME PROPHECIES 057

SARDIS        The Counsel         Revelation 3v2-3.  

He delivers a series of short, sharp, unequivocal, unmistakable commands:

1. Be watchful!
2. Strengthen!
3. Remember!
4. Hold fast!
5. Repent!    

"Be watchful"    -     Present tense....be continually on the watch; take your stations on the watchtower. This reminds us of His appeal to the disciples in the garden, "watch and pray lest ye enter into temptation".   Wake up, there is real work to be done, real service for God, if you want to be an entity in this world for Me.   This is to be a continuous exercise.   Paul writes to the Ephesians (chapter 5v14) "Awake thou that sleepest and Christ shall give thee light."   This is in the context of a world which is in darkness, and characterized by corruption of the mind.   Christians are to be salt and light; preventing corruption and illuminating darkness.   We are supposed to be active and make our presence on earth felt; but the salt has lost its savor and the light has been covered up.   The church is nothing more than a name.  

"Strengthen the thing s that remain that are ready to die"    -      The new living translation renders this "strengthen what little remains."   The things of God have been so demoted, and diluted, and diminished, that they are in danger of a complete wipeout.   The situation is like in the days of Nehemiah; "the walls of the city are broken down, and the gates are burned with fire."   Jerusalem the centre of divine worship had become a "by- word" to the surrounding neighbours.   The call here is to strengthen things that have been let go.   Since we know what strengthening of a building means we can understand what strengthening of invisible spiritual things will involve.   Firstly, it involves a change; secondly, it involves work; thirdly it involves perseverance; and fourthly it will involve defence.    We are to plug the gaps, build the walls, set up gates and buttress the defence.    Such strength can only come from the Lord.

"Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard"      -       This is the second church which has been called to remember.   To Ephesus He says "remember from whence thou hast fallen."   To Sardis He says "remember how you heard and received."   Ephesus have gone downwards, Sardis didn't even start!   They are called to remember how they heard and received; not what they heard but how they heard.   At the point of their salvation they heard it as God speaking to them and not man.   God wants us to do His work in the very same way, and with the very same attitude that we first heard the truth and responded to it.  He is very concerned about how we do His work.   Listed below are a number of things about that.

• Matthew 13v23     -     They heard the word with understanding.
• Acts 2v41               -     They gladly received the word and were baptized.
• Acts 17v11             -     They received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily.
• 1st Thessalonians 1v6     -     They received the word in much affliction and joy in the Holy Spirit.
• 1st Thessalonians 2v13     -     They received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth the word of God.

Paul wrote to the Colossians  "As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in Him" (chapter 2v6)    It is not enough to be doing the right thing, it is only enough to be doing God's work in God's way, and that is in the very same way in which we first put our trust in Him.  

Hold fast     -     The word is tereo and the main usage is to keep or to guard .   Put a brake on the slide.   Paul said "I have kept the faith "; Jude says "keep yourselves in the love of God."   Proverbs says "Buy the truth sell it not meddle not with them that are given to change."   Like a priceless treasure we are to guard the things of God.   Holding fast is the opposite of letting go.   It is standing instead of sliding.   The world trend is always downward; the Christian is to stand firm.  

Repent     -     The word means to think differently, to reconsider, to do a "U" turn.   It means spiritual transformation of the mind that is contrary to the way of the world.   This will have the effect of changing our ways.   Churches are very reluctant to admit wrong, to accept that they are going in the wrong direction.   Pride forbids them to change, but change we must when the divine assessment writes us off.   The church is presented with divine resources for real spiritual service.    It is not enough to know that these are available; we must put them into practice.