Today we want to look at the parable of The Sower and its relation to the letter to the church at Ephesus.

The Parable of The Sower

That day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea. And large crowds gathered to Him, so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach. –Matthew 13:1-2.

Before we get too far ahead, it should be noted that the parables we will be studying in Matthew 13 all deal with the kingdom after it had been offered to the people of Israel. This is based on:

• Whenever the kingdom is mentioned in the Bible, it comes in multiples of seven (seven parables, seven letters, etc.).
• The elders of Israel had effectively rejected Christ in the preceding chapters, most notably in Matthew 12:24, when they actually accused Jesus of doing miracles by Satan’s power!
• The symbolism of Matthew 13:1-2.

When Matthew says “Jesus went out of the house,” the symbolism is Jesus leaving the house of Israel for the gentiles. The sea that is mentioned is, of course, the Sea of Galilee, but symbolically it represents the nations of the gentiles. We see examples of this in the book of Daniel, for example, in Daniel 7:2-3. Therefore, this is Jesus giving parables of the kingdom from the time of His rejection to His Second Coming.

Jesus only interprets two of the seven parables: that of The Sower and that of The Wheat and the Tares. It’s critical that we understand these two parables because the rest of them hinge upon the symbolism and interpretation of these.

And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow; and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up.” –Matthew 13:3-4.

The sower is Christ. The seed is the Word of God. What is crucial to understand is that the birds are representative of Satan.

“Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.” –Matthew 13:5-6.

How deep are your roots? Do you have a depth of relationship with Christ that your roots run deep into His Word and His promises? Or, when that sun comes up, blazing hot, do you wither away under it’s heat?

“Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out.” –Matthew 13:7.

Have the cares of this life and of this world choked out your relationship with God? Are you striving after things of this world that have no lasting value?

“And others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.” –Matthew 13:8-9.

If you are bearing fruit for the kingdom, keep on bearing fruit! Don’t stop if you think “I’ve done enough.” If you’re still on this earth, don’t stop bearing fruit for God!

The Sower and the Letter to Ephesus

Jesus commended the Ephesian church for:

1. Deeds and toil
2. Perseverance
3. Intolerance of evil men
4. Testing those who call themselves apostles who are not
5. Perseverance (a second time)
6. Endurance for Christ’s sake
7. Not growing weary

Each of these require roots in the Word of God. As Jesus said in Matthew 13:8-9, the Ephesians were bearing fruit through their deeds, toil, perseverance and endurance. They could not test those who called themselves apostles apart from the Word of God. Without the Word of God, they would fall into the trap of tolerating evil as well.

Without roots in the Word of God, the evil one can easily snatch you away on every wind of false doctrine.

As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming. –Ephesians 4:14.

How do you avoid this? By getting rooted in the Word of God!

Next time

We will study the next parable, The Wheat and the Tares, and the letter to the church at Smyrna.

May He Increase!

• Contemporary
• Composite
• Chronological

As a recap, the churches Jesus wrote to were:

1. Ephesus
2. Smyrna
3. Pergamum
4. Thyatira
5. Sardis
6. Philadelphia
7. Laodicea

These churches represented the following periods in church history:

1. “The Light of Asia,” the period just after Pentecost.
2. The Persecuted Church
3. The Pagan Church
4. The Church of Romanism
5. The Protestant Church
6. The Revived Church
7. The Apostate Church

The Seven Parables of Matthew 13: A Summary

When you carefully read the seven parables of Jesus found in Matthew 13, you are struck by the parallels between those parables and the seven letters.

The seven parables and their audiences are as follows:

1. The Sower – publicly given
2. The Wheat and the Tares – publicly given
3. The Mustard Seed – publicly given
4. The Leaven – publicly given
5. The Hidden Treasure – privately given to the disciples
6. The Pearl of Great Price – privately given to the disciples
7. The Dragnet – privately given to the disciples

Over and over again in the Bible we are presented with the number 7. Even the division between the publicly spoken parables and the private ones are a sum of 7. All of this is evidence of the skillful and deliberate design of the Creator.

Some commentaries have pointed out that the first parable–that of the sower–serves as an introduction to the remaining six. Of the remaining six, they can then each be paired up: the second and the seventh, the third and the fourth, and the fifth and the sixth. Each of these pairs speak the same truth but each in its own way. This, too, is evidence of deliberate and supernatural design of the scripture.

Why Parables?

Jesus’ disciples asked Him privately why He used parables to teach the people. Jesus told them,

“To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.” –Matthew 13:11-13.

In other words, those who were rejecting Jesus as the Messiah, would be in capable of understanding the meaning of His words. This fulfilled exactly what Isaiah had prophesied in Isaiah 6:9-10!

Jesus continues:

“But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” –Matthew 13:16-17.

This is why Jesus spoke in parables.

Next time

In the next post, we will study the first parable, that of The Sower and its relation to the first church in Revelation: Ephesus.

May He Increase!

We have looked at the first six letters to the churches of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, and Philadelphia.

We have looked at each of these letters and churches from a contemporary, composite and chronological application as well as the way each is structured.

And so we conclude with the letter to the church of Laodicea. It is one of the most sobering of the letters but one that is not without a hopeful ending.

Laodicea: “The Apostate Church”

Laodicea was located about 90 miles due east of Ephesus and 45 miles southeast of Philadelphia.

The name is “Λαοδίκεια” in the Greek. Transliterated it is “Laodikeia” which means “justice of the people.” It was named for the wife of Antiochus: Laodice.

It was destroyed by an earthquake in 66 A.D. and rebuilt by Marcus Aurelius. It was the seat of the Christian church. Under Roman rule it was a wealthy city.

Laodicea was a place of great wealth, of commerce, and of Greek culture. It was a place of science and literature. It boasted an excellent medical school which, again, was very primitive and actually very heathen. Here is where they developed what was known in the Roman world as Phrygian powder, a salve for the ears and the eyes. Laodicea was also a center of industry with extensive banking operations. Cicero held court here. It is said that he brought notes here to be cashed in this city. Jupiter, or Zeus, was the object of worship in Laodicea. –J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee.

In church history, Laodicea and Philadelphia represent the same time period: now. The line of division between these two churches and these two letters are those who follow the Word of God and those that do not. This isn’t a denominational division. This isn’t about Roman Catholic and Protestant. This is about following God’s Word or abandoning it.

Jesus’ Letter to the Church at Laodicea

“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this.” –Revelation 3:14.

Here is the seven description Jesus gives of Himself. This is the only time in the Bible where Amen is a proper name. This is the name of Jesus Christ.

Here is a little interesting background on the word from the Blue Letter Bible:

The word “amen” is a most remarkable word. It was transliterated directly from the Hebrew into the Greek of the New Testament, then into Latin and into English and many other languages, so that it is practically a universal word. It has been called the best known word in human speech. The word is directly related — in fact, almost identical — to the Hebrew word for “believe” (amam), or faithful. Thus, it came to mean “sure” or “truly”, an expression of absolute trust and confidence. — HMM

Jesus says that He is:

The Faithful One

The Sure One

The Absolutely Trustworthy One

The Alpha and the Omega

The First and the Last

The Fulfillment of all of God’s promises

The Creator

The Amen!

Like the letter to Sardis, Laodicea will receive only very brief commendation. Jesus will move quickly into condemnation.

The Bad News

“‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.’” –Revelation 3:15-16.

The last part of this verse should read “I will vomit you out of my mouth.” Can you imagine? This is Jesus, the Creator of the universe, telling this church that He is sick and nauseated by this church! He’s going to puke! Why?

Here is some vivid background that will help paint the picture:

This had a local meaning for the people in that day. Being down in the valley, they had difficulty getting water in Laodicea. The Laodiceans built an aqueduct to bring . . . cold water down from the mountains. When it left the mountains, it was ice cold, but by the time it made that trip all the way down the mountains to Laodicea, it was lukewarm. And lukewarm water is not very good.

Down in the valley where the Lycus River joins the Maeander River, there are hot springs. The springs are so hot that steam is produced. The Turkish government has capped it and is using it today, and . . . they intend to develop its use even more because it is there in abundance. It is the hottest water you can imagine; a lot of it is just steam. However, when they would take this hot water up to Laodicea, by the time it got there, it was no longer hot–it had become lukewarm water.

When the Lord Jesus said to the Laodicean church, “You are neither cold nor hot,” they knew exactly what He was talking about. They had been drinking lukewarm water for years. –J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee.

So we are dealing with two extremes. The cold church is one that has abandoned the Word of God and have denied the faith. The hot church is like the one found at Ephesus, although they had “left [their] first love.”

But here in Laodicea, this church is neither one of those extremes! This church is neutral and/or compromising and/or accommodating. And it is utterly repulsive to our Lord!

It’s the church that attempts to maintain a moderate position, playing both sides of the fence. It’s the church that is more comfortable with being gray than black and white. It’s the politically correct church. It’s the church that wishes to call themselves Christian, but will not take a stand for what is truth as revealed in the Bible.

“‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.’” –Revelation 3:17.

The Laodicean church was so busy being wrapped up in their outward material “success,” they failed to realize that they were indeed wretched. Sadly, many mainstream churches are in this very condition. Outwardly, they have all the trappings of material success, but are spiritually dead. They boast large numbers of attendees but are they spiritually alive?

There is a cathedral in Lübeck, Germany. It has a famous inscription that reads:

Thus speaketh Christ our Lord to us:

Ye call Me Master and obey Me not.

Ye call Me Light and see Me not.

Ye call Me Way and walk Me not.

Ye call Me Life and choose Me not.

Ye call Me Wise and follow Me not.

Ye call Me Fair and and love Me not.

Ye call Me Rich and ask Me not.

Ye call Me Eternal and seek Me not.

Ye call Me Noble and serve Me not.

Ye call Me Gracious and trust Me not.

Ye call Me Might and honor Me not.

Ye call Me Just and fear Me not.

If I condemn you, blame Me not.

A Ray of Hope

“‘I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.’” –Revelation 3:18.

So what does Jesus counsel Laodicea to become rich? It has nothing to do with money! It has everything to do with seeking Jesus’ atoning blood, His righteousness, and the Holy Spirit to reveal His truth. These are the true riches.

“‘Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.’” –Revelation 3:19.

With this statement, Jesus concludes His specific messages to these seven churches. He concludes by telling this lukewarm church to get on fire! Be zealous! Be hot! And repent.

Jesus’ Invitation

“‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.’” –Revelation 3:20.

Jesus doesn’t force Himself on to anyone. He has given each one the gift of free will. He loves you so much that He has given you the choice to choose to love Him or not.

The eating aspect of this is somewhat lost on us in our modern dining practices. In Jesus’ time, they ate with their hands. There weren’t forks and spoons and knives. You shared a meal with your hands. It was intimate. It was also a matter of trust. This is the kind of relationship that Jesus, the Creator of all, wants to have with you and me.

The Promise to the Overcomer

“‘He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” –Revelation 3:21-22.

Jesus reminds the reader that in the coming kingdom, we will be co-rulers with Him.

Closing Thoughts

As we postulated, we are living in the days of the Philadelphian and the Laodicean church. Both of these churches exist in the world today. The question then, becomes are we part of a Philadelphian or a Laodicean church? Are we attending one of those? Are we, personally, a Philadelphian or a Laodicean in our relationship with Christ?

One church will be raptured. One church will be left behind to face the Great Tribulation. Which one are you and I?

May He Increase!

The letters we have looked at so far are:

• Ephesus: “The Light of Asia“
• Smyrna: “The Church of Suffering“
• Pergamum: “The Pagan Church“
• Thyatira: “The Church of Romanism“
• Sardis: “The Protestant Church“

We now come to Philadelphia. It’s one of my favorite letters. It’s the letter that speaks to the church of our time!

Philadelphia: “The Revived Church”

Philadelphia is the smallest city of the seven. As you probably know, “Philadelphia” means “brotherly love.” It was located about 38 miles SE of Sardis.

Today, Philadelphia is a prosperous little Turkish town known as Alasehir. It sits on the Cogamis River, a tributary of the Hermus River. The city got its name from Attalus II. He had a great love for his brother, Eumenes who was king of Pergamum. Because of Attalus’ great love and loyalty to Eumenes, it is called “the city of brotherly love.”

Philadelphia is the only other church, besides Smyrna, that Jesus has no word of condemnation. It’s noteworthy that the two churches Jesus only has praise for, are the only to cities still in existence! The churches have disappeared, though, since that time.

The church in Philadelphia represents church history from about the beginning of the nineteenth century to the Rapture. This is the revived church: the church that turns back to the Word the God.

Jesus’ Letter to the Church at Philadelphia

“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this.” –Revelation 3:7.

Here is yet another self-description of Jesus. Jesus describes Himself as the Holy One, the truth, and the All-Powerful One.

The “key of David” is a quote from Isaiah:

“Then I will set the key of the house of David on his shoulder, when he opens no one will shut, when he shuts no one will open.” –Isaiah 22:22.

This is a different key from the “keys of death and of Hades” that were mentioned in Revelation 1:18 and the “keys of the kingdom” that are found in Matthew 16:19. The key of David signifies Jesus’ royal claim as Ruler of the Universe.

“He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” –Luke 1:32-33.

Jesus is clear who has the authority:

“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” –Matthew 28:18.

The Good News

“‘I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name.’” –Revelation 3:8.

Jesus commends this church on several points:

• “I know your deeds”: Jesus is looking for our fruit (Ephesians 2:8-10).
• “An open door which no one can shut”: this is the Word of God.
• “You have a little power”: the Greek word used is “δύναμις” which is transliterated “dynamis” where we get our English word “dynamite.” As we have said, Philadelphia was the smallest of the churches. But their power was likened to dynamite. What was that power? The Word of God!
• “Kept My Word”: Jesus praises this church for keeping His word. Jesus would have the same praise for us today who treat His word–the Bible–as the authoritative and inspired Word of God!
• “Not denied My Name.”

“‘Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie–I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you.’” –Revelation 3:9.

The true “Jews” spoken of here are those that left the synagogue and the practice of the law for Christ (Romans 9:6). Paul considered the true Jews to be those who gave up the law as a means of salvation and justification for Christ’s redemptive work of the cross.

• “I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you”: Jesus tells the church that the enemies of Philadelphia will know that Jesus loves this church.

“‘Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.’” –Revelation 3:10.

• Perseverance: so often Jesus tells His followers to have patience and perseverance (2 Thessalonians 3:5).

Jesus then promises to keep the believer from the “hour of testing.” Here Jesus specifically says that He will deliver His church from the Great Tribulation that “is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”

The Deliverance of the Church from the Great Tribulation

I believe the Bible teaches a pre-Tribulation rapture. There are different schools of thought on this point, but I believe that if you carefully study what the Bible teaches, it would appear that the church will be taken up to heaven before the Great Tribulation begins.

Paul sets the stage for this in his second letter to the Thessalonians:

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. –2 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

This is the believer’s “blessed hope”:

Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus. –Titus 2:13.

Because of this, the church should not anticipate the Great Tribulation with all of its judgment:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” –John 5:24.

And:

It was also given to [the Antichrist] to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. –Revelation 13:7-8.

Getting back to Revelation 3:10, Jesus specifically says that He will keep the church “from the hour of testing.”

If the rapture had occurred in the first century preceding the tribulation which the book of Revelation describes, they were assured of deliverance. By contrast, those sealed out of the twelve tribes of Israel in [Revelation 7:4] clearly go through the time of trouble. This implies the rapture of the church before the time of trouble referred to as the great tribulation. Such a promise of deliverance to them would seemingly have been impossible if the rapture of the church were delayed until the end of the tribulation prior to the second coming of Christ and the establishment of the kingdom. –Dr. John Walvoord, The Revelation of Jesus Christ.

The Believer’s Crown

“‘I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown.’” –Revelation 3:11.

This is a short, but interesting verse. The flip side of this verse is that you can lose your crown.

In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing. –2 Timothy 4:8.

Incredible. But keep in mind, this is not the believer’s salvation. That is completely different. The crown is the reward for works done in faith because of the believer’s free gift of salvation.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. –Romans 6:23.

The Promise to the Overcomer

“‘He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” –Revelation 3:12-13.

J. Vernon McGee says of the pillars:

There are two pillars in Philadelphia today. One is that of the Byzantine church, which I do not think is the reference here. But there is also a pillar on the side of the hill, hidden among those cedar and laurel trees. That pillar is all that remains of the city of John’s day. “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God.” The church down here was destroyed, but the permanent pillar is up yonder. –J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee.

Jesus’ statements about writing “the name of My God” and the “city of My God,” are the authorizations for the believer’s access anywhere in God’s kingdom. Much like a passport gives you access to other countries, this is our heavenly passport in the heavenlies!

The last letter, written to the church of Laodicea, we will look at next time. The church of Laodicea is the apostate church. It’s a sobering letter, but not one without hope.

May He Increase!

As we move into the third chapter of Revelation, we will look at the Protestant Church in Jesus’ letter to the church of Sardis. This is the fifth of the seven letters.

Sardis: The Protestant Church

Sardis was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Lydia, located approximately 30 miles south of Thyatira. The imperial cult of ancient Rome was strong in this city.

In the Greek, Sardis is “Σάρδεις,” or transliterated to “Sardeis.” The word is plural and means “red ones.” Sardis was one of the oldest and most important cities of Asia Minor. Built on a small, elevated plateau, the city rises above the Hermus Valley.

It became the center of the carpet industry and was noted for its wealth. Coins were first minted there. Its last prince was the wealthy Croesus who was captured by Cyrus. He was considered the wealthiest man in the world, and everything he touched seemed to turn to gold. Sardis was ruled by the Persians, by Alexander, by Antiochus the Great, and finally by the Romans. It was destroyed by an earthquake during the reign of Tiberius. –J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee.

Sardis represents the Protestant Church in history between A.D. 1517 and about A.D. 1800. The beginning of this period is marked by Martin Luther nailing his Ninety-Five Theses on the door of the church at Wittenburg, Germany.

Jesus’ Letter to the Church at Sardis

“To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this.” –Revelation 3:1.

Here is the fifth description Jesus gives of Himself. Here Jesus asserts His complete control over the Spirits of God and the seven stars. Whenever you see the number seven in the Bible, it signifies completeness. So here Jesus is saying that the fullness of the Holy Spirit dwells within Him. This also means that He has the ability and the authority to give the Holy Spirit to the churches.

On the night before Jesus went to the cross, at the Last Supper in the upper room, Jesus told His Disciples that He would send the Holy Spirit.

“But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.” –John 16:7-15.

This is such a important passage in John. Jesus validates the rest of the New Testament with these words, especially in John 16:15. But here Jesus gives the Disciples a view to the Holy Spirit that gives them the foreknowledge of what is to come.

Going back to Revelation 3:1, Jesus again refers to the “seven stars.” We saw previously that these seven stars are the pastors of each of the seven churches. Jesus repeats that He has the pastors of the churches in His hand.

What follows next differs from the previous letters that followed commendation and condemnation. Where Smyrna only received commendation, Sardis is going to weigh heavily on the condemnation side.

The Bad News

“‘I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.’” –Revelation 3:1.

Jesus acknowledges the churches’ deeds, but almost dismisses them by a shocking condemnation: “you are dead.”

If we look at the trends today in the modern, American, Christian churches, we can see evidences of “seeker-sensitive” churches. These churches would appear be to be alive, especially considering their attendance records, but what are these churches teaching?

The largest church in America since 2006 is Lakewood Church in Houston, TX. Who is the pastor? Joel Osteen, a pastor with a well-known reputation for “feel-good theology.” And I’m not necessarily just picking on Joel Osteen. This type of approach is being embraced by many churches across the United States and it’s troubling. You cannot “tone down the message.” The Bible is clear: unless you have Christ, you are going to perish; you will die in your sins!

“‘Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God’” –Revelation 3:2.

Here is the second word of condemnation. J. Vernon McGee has a great visual description of the city of Sardis that will help explain Jesus’ words.

Sardis was located on the top of a mountain. It had one entrance on the southern side which was the only way you could get  into the city in the old days. Therefore, all that Sardis had to do was to put a detail at that one place to watch the city. But on two occasions in their history they had been invaded by their enemies because they had felt secure, believing that the hill was impregnable, and the guard went to sleep on the job. In 549 B.C. the Median soldiers of Cyrus scaled the parapet, and then against in 218 B.C. Antiochus the Great captured Sardis because a Cretan slipped over the walls while the sentries were careless. What the Lord says to this church at Sardis is this: “You wake up and watch out!” This was embarrassing because of the two occasions in their history when they had been caught napping. He says to the church, “Don’t you go to sleep!” –J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee.

Have we, as the Christian church, failed to realize that Jesus can come back at any moment? How can the pastor of America’s largest church say things like:

KING: Is it hard to lead a Christian life?

OSTEEN: I don’t think it’s that hard. To me it’s fun. We have joy and happiness. Our family — I don’t feel like that at all. I’m not trying to follow a set of rules and stuff. I’m just living my life.

KING: But you have rules, don’t you?

OSTEEN: We do have rules. But the main rule to me is to honor God with your life. To life a life of integrity. Not be selfish. You know, help others. But that’s really the essence of the Christian faith.

KING: That we live in deeds?

OSTEEN: I don’t know. What do you mean by that?

KING: Because we’ve had ministers on who said, your record don’t count. You either believe in Christ or you don’t. If you believe in Christ, you are, you are going to heaven. And if you don’t no matter what you’ve done in your life, you ain’t.

OSTEEN: Yeah, I don’t know. There’s probably a balance between. I believe you have to know Christ. But I think that if you know Christ, if you’re a believer in God, you’re going to have some good works. I think it’s a cop-out to say I’m a Christian but I don’t ever do anything …

KING: What if you’re Jewish or Muslim, you don’t accept Christ at all?

OSTEEN: You know, I’m very careful about saying who would and wouldn’t go to heaven. I don’t know …

KING: If you believe you have to believe in Christ? They’re wrong, aren’t they?

OSTEEN: Well, I don’t know if I believe they’re wrong. I believe here’s what the Bible teaches and from the Christian faith this is what I believe. But I just think that only God with judge a person’s heart. I spent a lot of time in India with my father. I don’t know all about their religion. But I know they love God. And I don’t know. I’ve seen their sincerity. So I don’t know. I know for me, and what the Bible teaches, I want to have a relationship with Jesus.

*   *   *

“‘So remember what what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.’” –Revelation 3:3.

Jesus is telling this church, that is about to die, to wake up and repent! The great truths of the Protestant Reformation are slowly being lost again:

• The authority of the Word of God
• Doctrine of the total depravity of man
• Doctrine of justification by faith alone

In their place, we have self-help, bestselling books. We have messages that you can become a better you. We have teachings like the one above: “We do have rules. But the main rule to me is to honor God with your life. To life a life of integrity. Not be selfish. You know, help others. But that’s really the essence of the Christian faith,” which ends up being works-based and something you do to earn your way into heaven.

A Little Light in the Darkness

“‘But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garment; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.’” –Revelation 3:4.

The Bible has many occasions where there was always a remnant that stayed faithful to God. Jesus acknowledge this “little flock” in Luke.

“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.” –Luke 12:32.

There are lights that shine out of the darkness. Jesus used this imagery in Matthew, when He spoke of salt and light. When Jesus speaks of the lamp in Matthew, this is the type of lamp He is referring to.

The light would have been feeble, at best. So Jesus knows that His “little flock” has a little light. The key is to let that little light shine!

The Promise to the Overcomer

“‘He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” –Revelation 3:5-6.

J. Vernon McGee quotes an explanation of this verse from Dr. John Walvoord:

Some have indicated that there is no explicit statement here that anybody will have his named blotted out, but rather the promise that his name will not be blotted out because of his faith in Christ. The implication, however, is that such is a possibility. On the basis of this some have considered the book of life not as the roll of those who are saved but rather a list of those for whom Christ died, that is, all humanity who have possessed physical life. As they come to maturity and are faced with the responsibility of accepting or rejecting Christ, their names are blotted our if they fail to receive Jesus Christ as Saviour; whereas those who do accept Christ as Saviour are confirmed in their position in the book of life, and their names are confessed before the Father and the heavenly angels. –Dr. John Walvoord, The Revelation of Jesus Christ.

The Bible is clear on this point: you cannot lose your salvation. Jesus reassures the overcomer/the believer that their name is written in the book of life.

If your name is not written in the book of life, it can be.

This is the Protestant Church: the church at Sardis.

The next church we will study is the church at Philadelphia: the revived church.

May He Increase!