Being A Believer Who Has Life—The Lesson From The Church In Sardis

Message given by Rex Beck on October 8th, 2023

In spirit John saw the churches as lampstands and Christ walking in the middle

Revelation 1:10–13
I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, ¹¹ saying, “Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.” ¹² Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; ¹³ and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash.

Ephesus, a church where the believers abandoned their first love and are given a chance to repent and overcome, loving the Lord in the first place

Revelation 2:4-5
‘But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. ⁵ ‘Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent

Smyrna, a church where believers are taught how to be faithful in the midst of suffering

Revelation 2:10
‘Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Sardis, a church where believers are taught to be filled with life

Revelation 3:1–6
“To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. ² ‘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. ³ ‘So remember 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. ⁴ ‘But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. ⁵ ‘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. ⁶ ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Being alive is of the utmost importance to the Christian

Revelation 3:1
“To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.

Jesus came that we might have life

John 10:10b
I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

Life is relationship, a basis for union and communion, and a sharing of nature. It cannot be separated from God Himself.

John 17:3
This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

Life is Christ Himself

Colossians 3:4
When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

1 John 5:11–13
And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. ¹² He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. ¹³ These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

We manifest His life by allowing death to work in us

2 Corinthians 4:11–12
For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. ¹² So death works in us, but life in you.