The Church at Sardis: The Joyful, but Dead Church The Church at Sardis had made a name for themselves. In modern terms they would have been on the main TV Network regularly. Everybody knew about them. They probably had the largest tape, CD, DVD, and/or digital resources ministry of their time. They were producing more books than anybody else. They were sending missionaries and evangelists out. They were known worldwide and were very important. When you mentioned the name Sardis everybody said, Oh yes, we have heard about them. Thats a wonderful church. They are magnificent. You should see their new church building. It is beautiful. The church looked great. It was beautiful. You came to look at this tree and you saw beautiful flowers on it. You saw beautiful green leaves and lush foliage. You saw all the branches. You saw a tree that the birds would come and land in because it was such a lovely place to nest in. It was a tree where people would want to come and sit in the shade underneath it. It was a lovely tree, except ... you guessed it. There was no fruit. You cannot produce all that foliage and growth and fruit at the same time. You cannot make a name for yourself, exalt yourself and build a reputation to draw people to yourself and still glorify the Lord, and walk in faith, hope and love. You will be instead like the tower of Babel where the people wanted to build a great big tower to make a name for themselves; to come together and make a great big church that had a good reputation. It is rotten and of no use to the Lord at all. Do you know what the Lord said to them? He said, Im going to come as a thief upon you, and Im going to take away everything that you are boasting in. Im going to demolish you and strip you naked. Im going to take it all away, and then youll realize what it is that really counts. What would happen to this type of church if they decided to listen to the Lords counsel? ... [if you do overcome] the same shall be clothed in white raiment [Christ’s righteousness in His saints, Rev. 19:9 vs. Phil. 3:9]; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of [the] life [of the Lamb], but I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels. (Rev. 3:5). That’s CHRIST! Jesus Christ IS The Book of Life! This is not a literal, physical book with names written on pages of paper. No indeed, this is not merely the book of life, this is the book OF SOMEONE’S LIFE! Whose life? Let’s read it and believe: And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him [Satan, the dragon, the devil, the serpent], whose names are not written in THE BOOK OF THE [‘the’ is in the Greek manuscripts] LIFE OF THE LAMB [THAT’S CHRIST] slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8)! Your name (that’s YOU, your name IS WHO AND WHAT YOU ARE), YOU must be IN CHRIST, Who IS LIFE, or your name is not written in the book of life. Jesus is The Word of God (John 1:1). The world often treats God’s saints as if they were heretics. Only those who possess the Name of Jesus Christ truly know what the name is and all that it represents. Not all who speak of the Name, have the name written within them. Men’s lips are often far, far from their heart. I already covered how that name is representative of THE PERSON WHO BEARS IT. To believe in THE NAME of Jesus Christ is to believe ALL THAT JESUS IS! And the reason we have a new name is because all whom are IN Christ are NEW creatures [new creations]: old things are passed away; behold, ALL THINGS ARE BECOME NEW (2 Cor. 5:17). We not only have a new name, but we become and ARE A NEW NAME as well. Oh how much we lose when translators both translate and interpret wrongly. I realize that this was not intentional, however, it was wrong of them to leave out the article the in this verse, as it is IN the Greek manuscripts. It is not merely the book of life … of the Lamb, but rather, the book of … the life of the Lamb! WOW! What a difference a simple three letter article makes in the meaning of this most profound verse! This book is not merely a list of the names of the saints in alphabetical order or by chronological number. The book of life is the book of SOMEONE’S life—Jesus Christ’s LIFE! Not only that, but we are letters and epistles in that book of life (sort of like pages and chapters of HIS Life; His book) written in mens hearts and read by everyone: Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, EPISTLES [Gk: a written message:--epistle, letter] of commendation to you, or LETTERS of commendation from you? YE [ALL OF YOU] ARE our EPISTLE written in our hearts, known and read of all men [And they overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb, AND THE WORD OF THEIR (YOURS, MINE, ALL SAINTS EVERYWHERE) TESTIMONY; and they loved not their lives unto the death. (Rev. 12:11)]: forasmuch as ye are MANIFESTLY DECLARED TO BE THE EPISTLE OF CHRIST ministered by us, written not with ink, but [WRITTEN] with the SPIRIT of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables OF THE HEART. And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; who also hath made us able ministers of the NEW Testament; not of the letter [of the Law of Moses, called the Old Testament], but OF THE SPIRIT: for the letter [of the Law of Moses, called the Old Testament] killeth, BUT THE SPIRIT [For the law of the SPIRIT OF LIFE in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:2), of the New Testament] GIVETH LIFE. (2nd Corinthians 3:1-6). Oh that we would have ears to SPIRITUALLY hear: Therefore if any man be IN Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (2 Cor. 5:17). This is the new, converted, believer’s life IN Christ. And when God comes to judge the world, we will have no fear of judgment for we are being judged now IN Christ. Highlight this verse in your Bibles: And we have known and believed the love that God has to us. God is love; and He that dwells in love dwells IN GOD, and GOD IN HIM. Herein is your love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: BECAUSE [get ready; here it comes …] As He [Jesus Christ] IS [right now, this minute IN GOD] SO ARE WE [IN CHRIST, IN GOD] in this world (1st John 4:16-17). And just how is that? We just read it—because we live IN CHRIST, and Christ lives IN US!!! Our names are written in the book of THE LIFE OF THE LAMB only if WE TOO LIVE THE life OF the Lamb, IN THE LAMB! Abide in Me, and I in you (John 15:4). I pray for God to give you spiritual eyes to see these grand Truths that have been hid from the blinded eyes of the Church today. A stern warning: How many does Jesus say through His Spirit, will He … not blot out his name out of the book of life? Let’s read it: Thou has A FEW names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and shall walk with Me in white: for they are worthy (Rev. 3:4). Dear readers it is always, just the FEW who will be in Christ in His glory in the first resurrection. All of the rest, ALL of them, will come up in the Second Resurrection, and white throne judgment with its lake of fire and second death. I feel it necessary to show you just how sobering our Lord’s statement to the churches really is. Not many escaped the flood that came on the world in Noah’s day because the thoughts of men were only evil continually, … while the ark was a preparing, wherein FEW, that is, eight souls were saved … (1 Pet. 3:20). Are things better now? NO, Paul said things would get worse AND WORSE. And Jesus Himself said, Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto life, and FEW there be that find it (Matt. 7:14). So the last shall be first, and the first last: and many be called, but FEW chosen (Matt. 20:16). For MANY [Gk: full many (a lot of, lots of, numerous, loads of, countless), i.e. immense (huge, vast, enormous, massive, giant, mammoth, colossal, gigantic):--very great, the MAJORITY] ... are CALLED [Gk: invited (bidden, attracted), i.e. appointed, or (SPECIFICALLY) a SAINT:--called (identified, termed, labeled)], ... ... but FEW [Gk: puny (in extent, degree, number, duration or value):--+ few (a small number of, hardly any, little, not many, only some, a small amount of, the MINORITY), (a) little, + short, small] ... ... are CHOSEN [Gk: select (chosen, picked, decided on, top-quality, first rate); implication favorite (preferred, much loved, beloved, most wanted, desired, chosen):--chosen (selected, chosen, GODS elected, special), elect (chosen by ballot, selected by ballot, voted for, decided on)] (Matt. 22:14). Thanks for the connection! What are you wrestling with? What can I pray about for you? My name is Ricardo Butler and I have a passion for helping and equipping emerging young Kingdom Leaders from ages 18 to 30 to be Five Fold Ministry Leaders and to understand how to greatly increase the church’s impact in its work for the Kingdom of God so that their churches, ministries, or businesses result in tangible fruit in God’s Garden! If you or another leader you know is hitting the wall on how to successfully fulfill your leadership responsibility within the government of God with the measure of the grace that God has given you, Subscribe to my Newsletters to learn how I can help you @ ricardoequips/newsletter/ & LIKE my NEW page @ https://facebook/ApostleRicardoButler as I am transitioning my personal profiles to this one. #MobilizingTheRoyalPriesthood #RicardoEquips #FiveFoldMinistry #ChurchLeadership #ServantLeadership #KingdomLeadership #ApostolicLeadership Love you and Christ bless! Ricardo Reason Butler SERVANT, Apostolic Founder & CEO of ... - Ricardo Equips Artistic Leaders (R.E.A.L.), LLC @ ricardoequips/aboutricardo P.S. If you have any questions, or if I can help you in any way, feel free to write me at ricardo@ricardoequips
Posted on: Wed, 03 Dec 2014 04:24:24 +0000
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