Now we're turning in our Bibles this evening to Revelation chapter 3 and verse 1. We've been making our way slowly but surely through the opening chapters of the book of the Revelation under the general title Exploring the Future. And tonight we have come to our seventh study entitled A Morgue with a Steeple. And we're going to look at the church at Sardis. And then next Tuesday evening, in the will of the Lord, we're going to look at a little church with a big God, the church at Philadelphia. And then the following Tuesday evening, in the will of the Lord, we're going to look at the church that makes the Lord sick, the church at Laodicea. And then we're moving into chapters 4 and 5, and then we're going to conclude for Christmas. First Tuesday in December we'll finish, and then we'll begin again, God willing, in the new year. And that will be a natural stop. Because chapters 6 to 18 contain a period that the Bible calls the great tribulation period, the day of the Lord, Jacob's trouble, the indignation. And that will just be a natural break for us. And once we resume in the new year in the will of the Lord, we'll be back opening at chapter 6. But tonight we're reading at Revelation chapter 3 and verse 1. And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write, These things saith he that hath the seven spirits of God, and the seven stars, I know thy works, that thou hast a name, that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die. For I have not found thy works perfect or complete before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. Thou hast a few names, even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy. He that overcometh the same shall be clothed in white raiment. And I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." Calvin Coolidge was America's 30th president. He was an extremely quiet and reserved man. When questioned, He rarely answered in more than two or three words, a tendency which earned him the nickname, Silent Cow. The public in America saw him as a stiff man, emotionless. In 1933, the radio airwaves crackled with the news of Coolidge's death. Columnist Dorothy Parker was in her office at the New Yorker when a colleague flung open the door and blurted out, Dottie, did you hear? Coolidge is dead. Endowed with a very sharp wit, she's shot back. How can they tell? As we stand under the hot glare of our Savior's letter to the church at Sardis, we have to look honestly within and ask ourselves, can anyone tell if we are dead or alive? Or do I just have a reputation, a name, for being alive? The Lord's words to the church at Sardis are blunt and strong. Verse 1, Thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead. How can you have a dead church, especially if the living Lord Jesus indwells it? How can a congregation be dead If the life of God pulsates through that body, tragically, there are many churches that are dead. Like the rotting carcass of Lazarus, these church bodies have the foul stench of death upon them. They have all the appearance of life, but they are in actuality dead. They are sanctuary. is a morgue with a steeple. They are congregations of corpses. They have undertakers for ushers. They have embalmers for elders. They have morticians for ministers. Their pastor has graduated from the cemetery. The choir master is the local coroner. And they always sing, Embanned in Gilead. At the rapture, they're going to be the first churches to be taken, for the Bible says the dead in Christ shall rise first. I wonder, did you hear about the little boy who was at church one Sunday, and after the service was over, he walked into the foyer of the church, and out there in the porch there was an engraved plaque listing all the members of the church who had died in the war. The little boy looked at it and said, Daddy, what's that for? Daddy said, Son, that's for the members who died in the services. And to which the little boy replied very quickly, Which service did they die in, Daddy? The morning or the evening service? Maybe we've attended a dead church like that. The message was dead. The worship was dead. The fellowship was dead. They lost vital signs years ago. Worse still, We may attend a church like that now. Even worse, our own spiritual life may be like that, dead and dormant and dull. Once you were excited about your faith in Christ, but now your heart is lifeless. Once you lived on the cutting edge, but now you've gone over the edge. The fact is that you're dead, not unconverted, saved, but uncommitted, undisciplined, unfaithful. A do-not-disturb sign hangs around your neck, and no one can see it but God. You used to study the Word of God daily. Your fellowship with the Lord was sweet, but no longer. My dear friends, this was the church at Sardis. A church with a tremendous reputation, but now there is no light. There is no dynamic. There's no heartbeat. There's no pulse. Now, this letter to the church at Sardis is one of the most severe letters in the seven. Its criticism from the risen Lord Jesus is almost unrelieved. Its spiritual history, like its civil history, belonged to the past. Let me tell you a little bit tonight about the city of Sardis, which is modern Sart in the country of Turkey. Because once we find out a little bit about the city, we'll see that what happened in the city and what happened in society permeated into the church. Let me say quickly four things about the city of Sarnas. Historically it was important. It had been once one of the greatest cities of the ancient world. It was founded some seven centuries before the advent of our Lord Jesus Christ. And it had a long and rich history. As the capital of the ancient kingdom of Lydia, it was one of the wealthiest cities in the ancient world. The name of Lydia's most famous king, Croas, lives on in the saying, as rich as Croas. Much of Sardis' wealth came from the gold that was taken from the nearby Patakalos River. And even archaeologists have found hundreds of crucibles that were used for refining gold in the ruins of Sardis. So historically, it was important. Geographically, Sardis was impregnable. It was located on an almost inaccessible plateau. The Acropolis of Sardis, the center of Sardis, was some fifteen hundred feet above the valley floor. And as such, the citizens of the city felt that this city was totally impregnable. And this security among the citizens bred a smug self-sufficiency. You see, these citizens in Sardis thought that they were invincible against the invading enemies. And so what they did was this. They ceased to place any watchmen on the tower. Even in John's day, several centuries later, there was a proverb that went around and went like this. To capture the Acropolis of Sardis was to do the impossible. To capture the city of Sardis was to do the impossible. But Cyrus, king of the Medo-Persians, captured Sardis by stealing a secret path right on the cliff below. And once conquered, that city fell into a downward spiral from which they never recovered. And by the end of the first century, when the book of the Revelation was written, the city was a mere shadow of its former glory. And so, historically, it was important. Geographically, it was impregnable. Commercially, it was industrious. If we had a map tonight, we would discover that Sardis lay about 50 miles east of the city of Ephesus. And it just came in at a junction of five roads, and it was a center for trade. The city was known for the manufacture of woolen garments. And the main religion in the city was the worship of Artemis, one of the nature gods that was founded on the belief of death and rebirth. And so, when we think about the city of Sardis tonight, we think of historically it was very important, geographically it was impregnable, it was difficult for an invading army to reach, and then commercially it was industrious, and then morally it was indecent. It was a name of contempt. Its people were loose-living and luxury-loving. It was a city of decadence. You see, this city had a name that it was alive, but it was dead. And the church in Sardis just became like the city – proud, smug, self-sufficient, cruising on past momentum, alive in name only. What a warning to all great churches that are living on past glory. Dr. Vance Havner, that great American preacher, once said that spiritual ministries often go through four stages. A man, a movement, a machine, and a monument. A man, a movement, a machine, and a monument. Sardis was at the monument stage, but still there was hope. Look with me at Revelation chapter 3 tonight. There are three things that I've put down on your outline that I think summarize the Lord's teaching to this church. First of all, I want to deal with a reputation that was impressive. A reputation that was impressive. And then secondly, I want to deal with a reformation that was imperative, especially to the godly remnant within this church, because there was a godly remnant within the church. And then thirdly, I want you to notice a recognition that was instructive. Thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead. Or, as another translation puts it, you have a reputation of being alive. This church had acquired a name. Its reputation spread far and wide. It was known by the other six churches in Asia for its vitality. Isn't it interesting that no false doctrine was taking root in the church at Sardis? The Lord Jesus doesn't speak here about the Nicolaitans. The Lord Jesus doesn't speak here about Balaam. The Lord Jesus doesn't speak here about Jezebel. No false doctrine was taking root in this church. You see, this church had built up quite an impressive reputation. This was the place to be. It was highly respected. It was highly revered. What a live church you have in Sardis! They would exclaim with admiration when they attended the services, when they watched the activities of the fellowship. No doubt this church prided themselves on their illustrious past. But you know, my friends, that was the problem. They lived in the past. In the present they had only an empty, lifeless profession. Reputations are a very funny thing. We care more about what we think people think about us than what they actually think about us. Someone has said that when we reach the age of 20, we worry about what people think about us. When we turn to 40, we stop worrying about what others think about us. And when we reach the age of 60, we realize that no one's been thinking about us at all. Now, this was the problem with the church at Stardust. They so prided the reputation built up in the past that they lost all spiritual power in the present. They had quite an impressive reputation. Notice what the Lord Jesus says in verse 1. He says, Unto the angel of the church in Sardis write, These things saith he that hath the seven spirits of God and the seven stars, I know thy works, that thou hast a name, a reputation, that thou art living and art dead." They had built up an impressive reputation, but inwardly they were dead. What does it mean? Does it mean that they were spiritually lost? The Bible says that those who are without Christ are dead in trespasses and in sins. I think that this death of the church at Sardis simply means this, that the spiritual vitality of the membership was non-existent. The church was outwardly active. They had all the signs of dynamic ministry, but their inward condition was death. They were living off yesterday's spiritual momentum. A cold, rigid formalism had set in. You say to me tonight, what does a dead church look like? Well, there's dead preaching. There's dead preaching. In the pulpit there's a mild-mannered man who speaks to mild-mannered people, encouraging them to be more mild-mannered. He's got eloquence, but no unction. He's got proper diction, but no dynamic. He's like an old heater that is broken. The blower is still working, but the heat, the power has gone. Dead preaching. What's a dead church like? Dead worship. It's like walking into a wax museum. There's no excitement. There's no buzz. They worship as if the Lord Jesus was still dead and buried in the grave. They begin at eleven o'clock sharp and get out at twelve o'clock dull. There are no amens. There are no hallelujahs. There are no praise the Lord. Dead preaching. Dead worship. dead ministry, no evangelism, no missions outreach, no church growth. Cobwebs are spun in the baptistry. Old Oliver Cromwell was once faced with a shortage of precious metal for coins, and so he sent out his troops into the country to find some metal. And when they returned, they said, the only metal that we can find, Oliver Cromwell, is the statutes of the saints that are in the churches. And Cromwell said, he said, melt the saints down and put them in circulation. Isn't that the problem with the saints today? The saints are no longer in circulation, and they need to be melted down. Dead preaching, dead ministry, dead worship, dead hope. All they do is live in the past. At the bottom of their church stationery, they proudly display their church motto. Do you know what it is? We have never done it that way before. You ever hear that? We have never done it that way before. They worship at the shrine of tradition. They live in the good old days. They don't have revivals. They have reunions. My friends, I wonder tonight, is this church, is your church like Sardis? Have we just got a name, just a name, just a reputation? Wonder are we living in the past? I don't know how many people say to me, you know, Lurgan Baptist Church today is not like it used to be when it was in Windsor Avenue. The good old days. Thank God for those days. Thank God for the ministry of Pastor Mullen, under which many of you were saved this evening. But my dear friends, we don't live in the past. We learn from the past, but we don't live in the past. Wonder how we just got a reputation just to name. Reputation for our standards, our stand, our separation. No wonder is that all we have got tonight. Just living on past glory. Outward appearance, but no inward reality. Doctrinally sound, but inwardly dead. No wonder tonight is your spiritual life, like this church, dry and dormant and dead. Maybe you once had a close walk in fellowship with the Lord Jesus. Perhaps even some looked up to you as a dynamic Christian, but it's no longer. Is your ministry dead? Is your personal evangelism dead? Are your personal devotions dead? Oh, they had an impressive reputation, but inwardly they were dead. Look at verse 2. Spiritually, they were deficient. The Lord Jesus says, Be watchful. Strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found thy works perfect before God." That word perfect there means complete. It would seem that in Sardis there were a lot of people like there are today, and they're great starters but poor finishers. They were doing many things but completing none. D.L. Moody, the famous evangelist, said on one occasion, I would rather say this, this one thing I do, rather than these forty things I dabble with. The church's artists were dabbling instead of doing. The risen Lord says, I have not found thy works perfect, complete before God. All their works measured up to man's standard, but not to God. Before God, this church was the opposite of what she was before man. Man looked upon her works, her activities, with delight. God looked upon her activities with disgust. Sometimes I have to ask myself the question, am I more concerned about my reputation before men than I am about my real state before God? Reputation is what others think. Character is what God knows. God's interested in character. Oh, they had an impressive reputation. No doubt, if you come into their services on Sunday, it was packed. You have an illium that you're living. But inwardly, they were dead. Spiritually, they were deficient. Look at verse 4. Morally, they were defiled. The risen Lord says, Thou hast a few names, even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy. There is a faithful remnant here. There were a few people in Sardis who were still spiritually vibrant. And this core group, this little group within the church, had abstained from moral impurity. They had not compromised with the world around them. They had not grown comfortable with the godless culture. They refused to stain their robes with the world's filth. And because they hadn't yielded to temptation in the city of Sardis, the Lord promises them that they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. But the majority in Sardis were defiled. According to the Greek historian Herodotus, the citizens of Sardis over the years had developed a reputation for lax moral standards. In other words, in this city, it was a city known for sensuality. It was a city that was renowned for its openness, sensuousness, And tragically, this permeated into the life of the fellowship, and it was detected by the eye of the risen Lord Jesus. But you see, while the vast majority in the church at Sardis had gone the way of the world, they were defiled, there was a core group that had abstained from moral impurity. I wonder tonight, can I ask you, in which group do you find yourself? If there are groupings in your church and there's a little group out here that is dead and a little group out here that's devoted, I wonder which group you're in. If there's a little group out here and they've only got reputation, but there's another group out here and they've got reality, I wonder which group you're in. If there's a little group out here and they're dead and there's another group out here and they've got life, I wonder which group are you in? Are you a pillar of the church? Or are you just a caterpillar that crawls in and out? A name that the livest and are dead. A reputation that was impressive. But notice how the risen Lord deals with this church. He wants them to reform. He wants them to renew. The problem with the church at Sardis was that she was dead, but all was not lost, for the risen Lord saw the glow of embers among the ashes, and He exhorted the believers, especially, I believe, this godly remnant to fan the flame. Look at what He says in verse 4. He talks about a godly remnant. He says, You have got a few names in Sardis. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments, And they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy." You see, there was a reformation that the Lord Jesus sought in the saints of God. What did the risen Lord say to this church of zombies? Well, look at verse 2. The first thing that He said to them was, Be watchful. Be watchful. Now, in the Greek, in the original, those words are sharp, staccato commands. They're like a slap in the face. They're like a dash of cool water. They're like a sniff of ammonia. Christ is saying to this church, come out of your spiritual hibernation. Arouse yourself. Now, this almost impregnable city had twice fallen to surprise attacks. If we could visualize in our minds tonight, I'm trying to think of a city. Edinburgh. Edinburgh. You know, when you're walking up Princess Street and you look up at the castle, did you know that in the history of the city of Edinburgh, that castle was only taken once in its whole history? You see, the defenders of the castle thought that on one side, I assume, the side that you look up to when you're looking up from Princess Street, they assumed that that city was impregnable, that the fortress was impregnable, and one night they put no guard there, and a little group, a little group came up a path, and they made their way up that steep side of the hill, and they forced the guard into surrender. And I assume that the city of Sardis was just like that. And the first time it fell, it fell to a man called Cyrus. He was a Medo-Persian. And the second time it fell, it fell to a man called Antiochus. And you see, what happened in the city happened in the church. Some of you go to Turkey for your holidays. Some of you prefer Turkey for Christmas. But listen, isn't it amazing tonight? Isn't it amazing that this area that we call now Turkey, where these seven churches were, isn't it amazing that in the first century it was throbbing with gospel life? Tonight, the lampstands have been removed. This country that was once a bright spot for the gospel, today, is overgrown with the Muslims. The lampstand, the testimony has been removed. But let me personalize it tonight. I wonder, do you need to wake up? I wonder tonight, do you need to honestly face up to your dullness, to admit to the Lord Jesus, the Lord of the lampstands, that Christ of the candlesticks, to admit to Christ that there's something missing? Christ says, be watchful. And then look at verse 2. He says, Be useful. He says, Strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die. And that refers to the basics of spiritual life. Bible study, and prayer, and worship, and fellowship. And Christ is saying here, Get back into the Word. Get back into prayer. Get back into fellowship. Get back to the basics. That word strengthens an interesting word. You know, when Paul was going around the churches on his missionary journeys, Paul not only believed in evangelism, but he believed in edification. He not only believed in church evangelism, but he believed in church development. And you remember that the apostles appointed elders. And the New Testament church that hasn't got a plurality of elders, well, I suppose it's not a New Testament church, but they appointed elders. But as Paul went round these different churches, these young believers whom he had brought to the birth in Christ through the Word of God, what he did was this. He strengthened them. You Christians are weak. They need to be strengthened. Babes need to be nurtured. The unstable needs to be established. I sometimes wonder, do you mature believers tonight, those of you who have been on the road of life, the Christian pathway for many years. I wonder sometimes, do you see this as your responsibility? Do you ever put your arm around the lambs of the flock and encourage them in the things of God? You know, when I came to Lurgan Baptist Church as a teenager, I was not only blessed through the ministry, but I was encouraged through the eldership. Well, I should say, one, two elders. One of them's in Armagh tonight, Billy Russell. And the other one's in glory, Bob Minnis. Do you remember what Bob did after the Bible class? I wonder if some of the elders here could take up that role, just to encourage the young Christians, just to open to them the Scriptures, The Lord's saying to this church, be watchful. He's saying to this church, be useful. Look at verse three again. He's saying to this church, be mindful. He says, remember, therefore, how thou hast received and heard. What have they received and heard at the beginning? The gospel. They had received the basic truths of the Christian life. This is not a call to live in the past. This is a command to remember the rich spiritual heritage in Christ. He's saying, remember how you were saved. Remember how you were nothing before God found you. Remember how God's grace reached you and redeemed you. We so easily forget, don't we? The Lord is ever calling our wandering thoughts and our affections back to Himself. His last act before he went to Calvary was to institute a feast of remembrance. We call it the Lord's Supper, communion, the breaking of bread. Why? To draw us back to himself again and again and again. To draw us back to the centrality of the Christian faith, which is the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. There's staccato commands. He's saying to this church, be watchful, be useful, be mindful. Look at verse 3 again. He's saying, be heedful. Remember, therefore, how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast and repent. Remember the Word that you received and obey it. Here's Christ's command to keep His Word, to keep His commandment in every area of their lives. Disobedience and dryness are twin sisters. Wherever you find one, you'll be sure to find the other. What Christ is saying is this. Weave God's word through every area of your life. Keep the truth. Put it into practice. Husband and wife were discussing the possibility of taking a trip to the promised land, Israel, the holy land. He said to her, wouldn't it be fantastic to go to the holy land? Wouldn't it be fantastic not only to go to Israel, but cross into Egypt? Wouldn't it be fantastic to go to the top of Mount Sinai and shout the Ten Commandments from the summit of Sinai? His wife said it would be better if we stayed at home and kept them. Hold fast and repent. It means to let go of your sins. Obedience, repentance. Now, Reformation is sought in the sense of God, but look, Reformation is wrought by the Spirit of God. You see, the way the risen Lord presents himself to each church is a clue to what that particular church needs. Look at verse one. Look at how he addresses this church. Unto the angel, the messenger of the church in Sardis, right? These things saith he that hath the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. Now, who or what are the seven spirits of God? Come back to chapter one. Have a look at chapter one for a moment. The first occurrence of this phrase is in chapter one. Look at verse four. Chapter one, verse four. John to the seven churches which are in Asia, grace beyond you and peace from him which is and which was and which is to come. That's the father. And from the seven Spirits which are before His throne, that's the Spirit. And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness and the first begotten of the dead and the Prince of the kings of the earth, unto Him that loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood. There, the seven Spirits. Here, the seven Spirits are linked with the Eternal Father and with Jesus Christ as the single source of both grace and peace. Come over to chapter 4 for a moment. Revelation chapter 4. This is the throne chapter. It's all about the throne. Revelation chapter 4, verse 4. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats, and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment, and they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunders and voices, and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God. Same phrase. Look at chapter 5 for a moment. Chapter 5, verse 1. And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the back side sealed with seven seals. By the way, this is the Lamb chapter. And I saw a strong voice proclaiming with a loud voice, a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book and to lose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven or on earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not. Behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, of the root of David, hath prevailed to open the book and to lose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne, and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a lamb, as it had been slain actively, the original says, a freshly slain lamb, having seven horns, and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth." Who or what are the seven Spirits? My dear friends, the seven Spirits are the Holy Spirit. When John says in verse 1, unto the angel of the church in Sardis write, These things saith he that hath the seven spirits of God, he is not saying that there are seven Holy Spirits, but that there is one perfect Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit comes, He comes in full and perfect power. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of life. You say, what did the church at Sardis need? Well, they were dead. They needed life. You see, it's the Spirit of God that can breathe life into the form of worship and making living. It's the Spirit of God who can animate our dead works and make them pulsate with life. It's not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit saith the Lord. Now look, He says, These things saith He that hath the seven Spirits of God. Go back to verse 1. And the seven stars. Now, who are the stars? We'll go back to chapter 1. Chapter 1. Look at verse 16. Who are the stars? And he had in his right hand – this is the description of Christ, chapter 1 – and he had in his right hand seven stars. And out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches. And the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. You see, the stars are the angels. Who are the angels? The angels are the messengers. Who are the messengers? Well, as I've said before, there are some who feel that these are heavenly angels in charge of local churches. I'm more concerned with the view that I believe that these are overseeing brethren, pastor-teachers. the messengers of the churches. I read nowhere in the New Testament of an angel being involved in the leadership of the church. The seven stars are seven angels. Now look at verse 16 again. And he had in his right hand seven stars. In his right hand. I wonder, my dear friends, and I'm only suggesting this, I wonder, has he the seven spirits of God in his left hand? if He only would bring us hands together, if only the Holy Spirit of God would fill and control the messengers specifically and the believers continually. Is there a more urgent need? Is there a more urgent message for this generation today than this message, Be filled with the Spirit? My friend, tonight the Holy Spirit of God indwells you, but does He fill you? You've got all of Him, but has He got all of you? Are you moment by moment being controlled by the Spirit of God? Now, come back to chapter 3, verse 1. Notice what it says. And unto the angel of the church in Sardis. Now, that word Sardis means a remnant. It means those who have escaped. If we look at this church prophetically, and I believe we can do that, it brings us to the period 1517 to 1700. It brings before us the great state churches of the Reformation who escaped from the power of Rome only to fall eventually into cold, lifeless formalism. J. Vermon McGee writes, and I quote, this is a picture of Protestantism. The great truths which were recovered in the Reformation have been surrendered by a compromising church. Although the great denominations and churches still repeat, thy wrote the creeds of the church in mind and heart and life they have repudiated them, imposing programs Elaborate rituals, multiplication of organizations have been substituted for the Word of God. In real spiritual life, McGee continues, there is activity but no actions. There is motion without movement. There is promotion without progress. There is program without power. Although the outward form remains, the living creature has vacated the shell. Thank God that throughout this period, God raised up His men, His messengers. Martin Luther, after three miserable years in the Roman priesthood, he discovered that as he was going up St. Peter's Steps, the just shall live by faith. And he was helped by his companion Zingwillie, Luther's co-worker. And then there was John Calvin, one of the greatest theologians of the Christian faith. I stood just about eighteen months ago in Calvin's church in Geneva, and my dear friends, you would hardly believe that John Calvin ministered in that place, because it is so lifeless and so dead. And then there was John Knox at this time, who swept potpourri out of Scotland. Brethren and sisters, we need to cry that God would raise up men again, for once again, my dear friends, there are things that are ready to die. Back to Sardis. Look at how the Lord ends the letter. My time is almost gone. Look at verse 5. There's a recognition here that's instructive. He says, "...he that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment, and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels." Think of it. To be taken by the hand by the Lord Jesus. to be led up past the ranks of marshaled angels, up past the cherubim and the seraphim, up to the throne of God Himself, and to hear the Lord Jesus call you by name and present you in person as His well-beloved, and then to hear the Father say, bring the best robe and put it on Him. That is recognition. But notice that this recognition is only possible if fellowship is real. Look at verse 5. He that overcometh, who will be clothed in white raiment? The overcomer. Who will walk with Christ in white? The overcomer. Those who have not defiled their garments, those who do not disgrace the garments of grace, will don the garments of glory. Recognition. But only if fellowship is real. Look at verse 5. Recognition, but only if citizenship is named. And I will not blot out his name out of the book of life. Does that mean tonight that it's possible for your name and mine to be blotted out of the book of life? Does that mean tonight that a Christian can lose his salvation? Unquestionably, the Bible teaches the eternal security of the believer. Once saved, always saved. What's Christ promising here? In John's day, a king kept an official register that contained all the names of the citizens. And all the names of the citizens would be there. But if you committed a crime, here's what would happen. They would take the name out of the register. If you moved house, they would take the name out of the register. If you died, they would take the name out of the register. Conversely, the Lord says that He will never blot out the names of His beloved out of His book. Indeed, the passage could be actually rendered like this, I will never, never, never under any circumstances blot out your name from the book of life. Aren't you glad tonight that you're eternally secure? Once in Christ, in Christ forever, nothing from His love can sever. Who shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus, His Paul? I tell you, my dear friends, there's nothing on earth, there's nothing in heaven, there's nothing in hell that can separate us from God's love in Christ. Recognition. Recognition, my dear friends, if fellowship is real, if citizenship is real, if discipleship is real. Look at verse 5. He that overcometh, he that overcometh this deadness, this apathy, this indifference, he that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment. And I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father and before his angel. Is that not what the Lord Jesus said during His earthly ministry? Whosoever shall confess me before man, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. What an honor to hear the Father say, to hear the Savior say, Father, Father, He confessed me. He confessed me in a godless culture. Father, He confessed me in essential society. I confess Him before Thee." And so the letter ends. Now listen just for a moment before I close. There's no indication that this church would hear the call of the risen Lord Jesus. There's no indication that the whole of this church would hear the call of the risen Lord Jesus. But there's always a remnant. There's always a remnant. I wonder tonight, will you be numbered among the faithful remnant? I wonder, will you hear what the Holy Spirit of God is saying to this church, to your church, to my life, to your life? I'll tell you what he's saying tonight. Listen very carefully. It's not reputation we need. It's reality. Not reputation, but reality. Lurgan Baptist Church can have an impressive building. They can do all the extensions they want. But I want to tell you tonight, if it's only a reputation we have, God help us. We need reality. You see, that's another mark of a living church. The first mark of a living church is love, the church at Ephesus. The second mark of a living church is suffering, the church at Smyrna. The third mark of a living church is truth. The church at Pergamos, the fourth mark of the living church, is holiness. The church at Thyatira and the fifth mark of the living church is reality. The church at Sardis. The distinction between reputation and reality is vital. It is the distinction between what human beings see and what God sees. My friends, each one of us tonight have great responsibilities to others. But listen, my primary responsibility tonight and yours is to God. One day at the judgment seat of Christ, I will stand before the Lord Jesus and give an account of this ministry. Let us therefore not rate human opinion too high. Sometimes we become depressed when criticized. We become elated when flattered. We need to remember tonight that the Lord, that man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. Men hate thee, love thee, praise thee not. The Master praises what are men. The Lord reads our thoughts. The Lord knows our motives. The Lord knows tonight how much reality is behind our profession, how much life is behind our facade. The fifth mark of a living church is reality. A man came to Gypsy Smith on one occasion, the great English evangelist. He said to him, Gypsy, I want to have a revival. Can you tell me how to have a revival? Gypsy said to the man, do you have a place where you can pray? Yes. He says, I'll tell you what to do. Go to that place. and take a piece of chalk along and kneel down on the ground. And with the chalk, draw a complete circle completely around you. And then pray to God to send revival on everyone who is inside of the circle. And Gypsy Smith said to him, Sir, you stay there until God answers, and you will have A revival. Brethren and sisters, is that not what we need tonight? Reality, renewal, revival. May God grant it to us before the Savior comes to take us home. Let's pray together. Father, we thank Thee for Thy Word afresh to our hearts this evening. And, O God, we confess to Thee that so often we are concerned about what others think instead of being concerned about what the Lord thinks. Help us, our Father, to live with the eye of eternity upon us. Help us, our gracious God, we beseech of Thee, to live in the light of the judgment seat of Christ. And grant, our Father, that when we stand before the Bhima, we might hear the well-done, good and faithful servant. We ask it for Christ's sake. Amen.