Sermon(Rev 3:1-13): The living church

The original Korean text: https://blog.naver.com/stevision/50025506533

 

>> "1 And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: 'The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. "'I know your works; you have the name of being alive, and you are dead. 2 Awake, and strengthen what remains and is on the point of death, for I have not found your works perfect in the sight of my God. 3 Remember then what you received and heard; keep that, and repent. If you will not awake, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you. 4 Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 5 He who conquers shall be clad thus in white garments, and I will not blot his name out of the book of life; 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.' .... (Rev 3:1-13) <<

 

In times of tribulation and persecution, there is no reason for the church to corrupt. If you receive all kinds of persecution when you go to church and become a Christian, there is no reason why you should pretend to be a Christian and go to church to receive the persecution. But, if you can enjoy various privileges and get some unique delight and benefit when you go to church, the so-called pseudo-Christians (the false Christians) begin to be active in the church. Since you can enjoy respect and financial stability these days if you become a pastor of a large Church (or a mega-church), a lot of problems have arisen in relation to the appointment of the pastors of big churches. Positively thinking, such problems have happened because this generation has become rich thanks to God's blessing; negatively thinking, now the church has begun to rot. In the age of tribulation, the church looks like a dead one when seen from the outside but in fact is wholly alive; while, in the age of peace and abundance, a lot of churches look like living ones when seen from the outside but in fact are thoroughly rotten and on the verge of death. According to the biblical text today, the church in Sardis is a church that is wholly rotten inside, while the church in Philadelphia is a church that has succeeded in self-reform and has become a healthy church, expecting a great reward (Rev 3:8).

 

In the text, Jesus is speaking to the church in Sardis which is sick and almost dead. And the Scripture says about Jesus, "He has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. (v. 1)" The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches (Rev 1:20). The seven spirits of God seem to be spiritual beings serving God near God. So this passage implies that Jesus who has been entrusted with all the authority of God the Father has put all the spirits serving the Father under his control. The spirits of God, or the angels, seem to watch over all the churches on earth, and to report the circumstances of the churches to Jesus who is the head and owner of church, and to communicate Jesus' commands to the churches. In other words, Jesus clearly sees through all the circumstances of the churches, including Sardis Church, and points out their faults, sometimes warns, comforts, and encourages them. Jesus' words to Sardis Church are true and truly necessary. Jesus searches man and church with flame-like eyes. "His eyes were like a flame fire. (Rev 1:14)"

 

What was the judgment on Sardis Church? There are a lot of fakes in the church! "I know your works; you have the name of being alive, and you are dead. (v. 1)" That is, there are many great names in the church, but there are many there who are empty inside. There are many false deacons(집사), false exhorters(권사), false elders(장로), and even false pastors(목사) in the church of Sardis. Of course there can be false churches among the churches of Sardis. (The Sardis Church symbolizes the church of this age.) Leaders of heresy established churches with the tag of Christianity, gathered foolish believers, satisfied their sexual desire through them, and lived like wealthy bosses. M** of U** Ch** and J** of J** are such people. There can be some wicked people who sneak in the orthodox church and occupy holy occupations. Such wicked people are all of those who reject the words of Jesus, and satisfy their greed to the hurt of the glory of God.

 

But the name of a man is mostly called by others rather than by the man himself. So according to the text today, a good church or a good Christian in the sight of others can be as good as dead in the sight of Jesus who searches the church and the heart of man with the flame-like eyes. Sardis Church is a church where there are a lot of secret invisible sins. My brethren, do not try to deceive Jesus. Jesus is the master of the church. It is Jesus who is able to cut off the affected area of the church. When Jesus points out the faults of the church in Sardis, they must humbly repent of their sins so that their names may not be erased from the book of life. He who conquers in the church of Sardis is one who acknowledges the sins Jesus points out, and repents. Jesus says of him who conquers, "He who conquers shall be clad thus in white garments, and I will not blot his name out of the book of life; I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. (v. 5)" To be clothed with white robes means that Jesus will forgive those who repent, and consider them righteous. And just as a king in the past kept a book with a list of his living people near himself, so Jesus acknowledges his repented people as his people.

 

Then, what is the sin of the church of Sardis that Jesus points out? The church did not hold fast to the word Jesus gave but lost it. In other words, the church of Sardis had a lot of dead words of God. "Remember then what you received and heard; keep that, and repent. (v. 3)" The Sardis Church was guilty of subtracting arbitrarily some of the words Jesus gave to the church. My brethren, we must not arbitrarily omit some of the commands of the Bible. If you have lost a lot of teeth, you cannot chew food properly and eat sufficient amount. If you like eating some particular food only, you can't take other essential food, so that you become feeble. The same is true with the church. If the church neglects some of the words of the Bible and keeps only the other words, it becomes sick and gradually dies. If you investigate a sick church, you'll certainly find that the church neglects some of the words of the Bible. If the church emphasizes only love but neglects justice, the church will be a den of swindlers. If the church emphasizes only justice but neglects love, the church will degenerate into Judaism (full of pharisees). When both are kept in the church, the church can be healthy. It is possible in the healthy church that any sinners come to it, are forgiven, and become pillars of the church. It is a sick church with cancer that tolerates unrepentant wicked people. And it is heretic if the church exclude some people who, repenting past sins, decide not to commit the same sins again. There were such heretics. If you repent your past sins, you can be an elder or a pastor. But the church should expel from the church immediately any pastors and any elders who refuse to repent of their apparent sins.

 

Even if others call you a good Christian or your church a good church, you must judge yourself by the words of Bible Jesus the master of church gave you. If there are some words neglected by you, you must awake and immediately revive the dying words in you. "Awake, and strengthen what remains and is on the point of death. (v. 2)" Only then can you become perfect Christians and a whole and healthy church before God. "Your works perfect in the sight of my God. (v. 2)" What are the words of Bible that Korean church is neglecting these days? Isn't it today's Korean church that turned a blind eye to an elder (장로) who bowed to a Buddha statue to win the election by winning the votes of the Buddhists? Isn't it possible in today's Korean church that a pastor, who organized a political group to support such an elder and publicly supported him, can still be a pastor in the church? Unfaithful Christians! They are indeed dirtier than whores. Did the pastor scold you for evading taxes? Isn't it the church these days that gladly accepted tithes and thank offerings gained by speculating in real estate, that is, by fraud? Those Christian speculators are robbers who lack only knives in their hands. There are denominations that ordain anyone as a pastor. They are sons of Jeroboam, king of northern Israel. Those who occupy high positions by means of money are simoniacs. Some rotten pastor has spent a lot of money in the election of the denomination, and is still serving as a pastor without being excommunicated. All who say the church should unconditionally forgive obstinate sinners refusing to repent are servants of the Devil, regardless of their status. (American church should not accept unrepentant homosexuals into the church. They can never be God's children. My God, destroy all who vindicate and support homosexuals!) Dear my brethren, do you understand how our Korean church has fallen into a deep sleep? Jesus says, "Repent. If you will not awake, I will come like a thief. (v. 3)" Jesus said that he would take what remained to those who bore no fruits, were lazy, and liked sleeping, and would give it to those who had more. Jesus comes like a thief to the saints and the churches that ignore Jesus' continual warnings, and takes away his candles from them. "Repent. ... If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. (Rev 2:5)"

 

Who is it that denies Jesus? First, he who does not recognize Jesus as the Savior is one who denies Jesus. And a denier of Jesus is he who believes in Jesus as the Savior indeed but does not confess publicly that Jesus is his Savior in order to live in times of tribulation and persecution. Jesus said that he also would deny such a man before God the Father and his angels on the last day. All whom Jesus does not acknowledge as his sheep will be cast into the hell. However, there is another kind of denier of Jesus in the church. They are those who defy Jesus' words. Didn't the Lord say, "Not every one who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven. (Mt 7:21)"? Deniers of Jesus are also those who take only the words of Bible that taste just right to them. Believers of Sardis are that kind of religioners. That is, some Christians of this country (Korea) today are the very deniers of Jesus. Isn't it the Korean Christianity today that still recognizes him who went to a Buddhist temple and bowed to Buddha, as an elder (장로)? The Korean church where elders can serve idols! Jesus says that he will confess the names of those who do not reduce the words of God but keep them all, before the Father and his angels (v. 5).

 

The words, Rev 3:7-13, are about the church in Philadelphia. Jesus loved and praised that church. What are the characteristics of the Philadelphia church? "I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. (v. 8)" Yes, my brethren! It is the Philadelphia church that does not remove some words of God but obeys all of them as they are written (Deut 4:2). It is the Philadelphia church that does not betray Jesus in the age of peace and abundance. Today, the Korean church has broken God's commandment so seriously. Today, the Korean church, living in peace and opulence, has betrayed Jesus. We must quickly wake up from deep sleep and revive the dying word of God within us. We must hold onto that word again and even risk our lives to keep it. "I am coming soon; hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. (v. 11)" A church that holds fast to the word of God is a Philadelphia church, to which a glorious crown is given. The nominal clergy are pillars of the church of Sardis while those who hold the words of God hard are pillars of the church of Philadelphia. "He who conquests, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. (v. 12)" Sardis Church is full of nominal Christians, but Philadelphia Church has a living faith, so that it receives the name of God, the name of the city of God, the new Jerusalem, and Jesus' own name (v. 12). Nominal Christians have the name of being alive but are dead. However, if you cherish and obey every word of God, you will receive the name of God. In other words, you'll be called holy children of God. And you'll receive the name, the new Jerusalem. Therefore you'll become the citizens of heaven and inherit the heaven. And you'll receive Jesus' new name. That is, you'll become the true disciples of the risen Jesus and obtain eternal life. "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 from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. (v. 12)" "He who has the Son has life; he who has not the Son of God has not life. (1 Jn 5:12)" Sardis Church is a church whose members betrayed Jesus when they lived comfortably and richly, while Philadelphia Church is a church whose members are always faithful to Jesus. I hope all of you will always be loyal to Jesus.

 

You must repent with tears, who, occupying high positions, commit sins, publicly or secretly, in filthy greed, and to the hurt of God's glory. May the blessings of Philadelphia Church be upon all of you who have kept Jesus' word of patient endurance (v. 12) and have become Jesus' true disciples.

 

Chong Tack Kim

                            - Dongtoma Sunshine Church -