that invites you to open up your Bibles
with me to the book of Revelation
chapter 3 and as you know we're going
through the letters from Jesus to the
churches that begin the book of
Revelation these were specific messages
that Jesus spoke to different churches
because he knew that throughout the
centuries the devil was going to do
everything he possibly could to try to
neutralize the Church of God and Jesus
wanted to see his church be an
overcoming church until he cums so when
every letter Jesus usually starts by
introducing himself in some special way
a special vision of who he is and then
he would go on to usually save the good
things about that church and then he
would say but I have a few things
against you and then he would challenge
them to be an overcoming church and end
it with a promise but the church were
about to read about Jesus didn't have
anything good to say about them now I
know some of you are thinking okay here
we go again every time we go through one
of these letters were getting beat up
here but it's because God loves us and
he wants us to be all that we can be and
this church that we're going to read
about today from the city of Sardis is
one that was suffering one of Satan's
most creative and sneaky schemes you see
the devil had tried everything in these
other letters we read about how the
devil tried to squelch the church with
persecution he tried to intimidate them
but Jesus challenged Christians to say
be faithful even unto the point of death
and that persecution is just going to
make you stronger there were other times
where the devil would send false
teachers false apostles or maybe false
prophets like bayla more like a Jezebel
we talked about a couple weeks ago but
even then God says you're going to be
strengthened as you discern the lies
that the devil tries to throw you even
through people who seem like they're
speaking in the name of the Lord but
we're going to see
here the most insidious temptation yet
and that is the temptation that comes
with success the devil says I am going
to let them be a successful famous
Church and I'm not even going to waste
false prophets on them I'm not even
going to waste persecution because
they're going to fall fast asleep and
the devil knows how to let sleeping dogs
lie and so we're going to talk today
about the sleepy church the church that
settles for less the church that becomes
complacent and settles for reputation
over reality and that is fast asleep and
Jesus has a strong message for them in
apocalipsis apocalipsis Revelation
chapter 3 I was looking at the left side
of my Bible there Revelation chapter 3
verse 12 the Angel of the church in
Sardis right these are the words of him
who holds the seven spirits of God and
the seven stars I know your deeds that
you have a reputation for being alive
but you are dead wake up strengthen what
remains and is about to die for I have
not found your deeds complete in the
sight of my god remember therefore what
you have received and heard obey it and
repent but if you do not wake up I will
come like a thief and you will not know
at what time I will come to you yet you
have a few people in Sardis who have not
soiled their clothes they will walk with
me dressed in white for they are worthy
he who overcomes will like them be
dressed in white I will never blot out
his name from the book of life but will
acknowledge his name before my father
and his angels he who has an ear let him
hear what the Spirit says to the
churches god I thank you that you have
already begun to preach this message
among us Lord God I thank you Father
that you know how to protect
thus from the deadly poison of
complacency God we want to be awake we
want to be alive not just in name but in
reality and I pray God that is we read
this text and meditate on it together
Lord that you would minister to us that
this would be a prophetic exercise visit
us we pray Holy Spirit in the name of
Jesus amen amen complacency complacency
can be very very dangerous just ask an
electrician or a carpenter about what
happens when you get comfortable when
you get careless and you forget that
you're dealing with pretty high voltage
right the definition of complacency is a
feeling of smug or uncritical
satisfaction with oneself and one's
achievements complacency can kill you do
we have the picture of the guy reading
the newspaper yes we were you this guy's
complacent he's comfortable he decided
to sit down on a rocking chair and read
his newspaper because a train hasn't
come by here in hours I should be fine
until he dozes off and that is not the
best place to sit down and read a
newspaper complacency can kill you right
just ask King David Wright you know the
story in the Old Testament about King
David as a young man he's in the field
with his sheep he's singing Psalms he's
writing the Lord is my shepherd I shall
not want he's worshiping lord and you
can you could take the picture off now
so David is is worshiping God as a young
man fightin tigers and praying and God's
helping him out in the wilderness
remember David as a young man Goliath is
there insulting the people of god and
david says who does this guy think he is
insulting the p the god of israel I'll
take come on and then cuz I don't even
need your armor he just brings his
little slingshot remember that you know
then he's being chased by saw for all
those years he's running around he's
hiding in caves
he's praying and seeking the Lord and
God is protecting him and finally he
becomes king over all of Israel and he
wins battles and he brings the the Ark
of the Covenant into Jerusalem and
there's dancing in their celebration he
is the king of Israel he's a man of god
it's like Camelot everything is great
and he gets so comfortable that one
spring he decides when it's time for
Kings to go to war that he decides to
take a break right remember the story he
stays home right it's springtime he's
supposed to be off at war but instead
he's at home sleeping the Bible says he
got up from his bed from his nap in the
late afternoon so I don't know if he had
been up late all night partying and he
slept until late afternoon or if he just
decided to sort of have a second night
sleep but he was getting sleepy and lazy
and he goes up on the roof and he's
relaxing and he's stretching and I you
think we even have a picture of him up
there to have a picture of King David up
on the roof he's up on there and he
looks out and he sees through a window
or down below he sees a woman bathing
the wife of one of his great warriors
name Bathsheba and he had let his guard
down and he ends up committing adultery
and there he is there he is he's on his
roof and there's another one did it does
the other one where there he is that's
that's King David's Lego set of himself
on his there he is he sees something
because he's just chilling up there he's
relaxing and sleeping when he should be
fighting he became complacent and things
went sour for him now the people in this
city that received this letter thank you
my lad we can we can take poor thing
David off now that's good enough but the
people in Sardis should have known about
this because Sardis the city that
received this letter had been a powerful
successful city for centuries there was
a time when they were considered the
capital of the region and they became
complacent history says that in the year
549 bc under King Cyrus there was a
single mountain climber soldier who
scale the cliff one guy who snuck in to
a weak point of the city of Sardis and
went around and opened up the gates from
within and King Cyrus came in and
conquered that city about 200 years
later the same thing happened with a
little squad of 15 guys who snuck into
the city at night and opened up the
gates from within and again this was a
different king antiochus who conquered
Sardis by the time this letter was
written Sardis was a second-rate City it
was not so important anymore and God is
making a point he's saying as it
happened to your city it can happen to
your church be careful of complacency
complacency I was reading I found online
a little article about complacency in
the literature about business they call
this the rust out syndrome you've heard
of getting burned out and we never
struggled with getting burned out
because you're working so hard well
there's something even more dangerous
than burnout it's called rust out okay
and a guy named Richard lighter and
Steve Buckholtz that complacency is akin
to something called rust out rust out is
even scarier than burnout because while
burnout can wear down your body rust out
can wipe out your soul and spirit rust
out is the slow death that follows when
we stop making the choices that keep
life alive it's the feeling of numbness
that comes from taking the safeway never
accepting new challenges continually
surrendering to the day-to-day routine
rust out means we are no longer growing
but at best are simply maintaining rust
out is the opposite of burnout burnout
is overdoing rust out is under being
rust out and complacency means you
settle for less when our God always has
more
our God is never done with us the
beginning of this letter says that this
is what the one says who has the seven
spirits of God and the seven stars in
his hands what does that mean that God
has that Jesus as he speaking is holding
the seven spirits of God what's that all
about you ever wondered at the beginning
of Revelation it's addressed to the
people of God saying grace and peace to
you from him who is and who was and who
is to come and from the seven spirits
who were before his throne so these
seven spirits are actually in a way
writing the letter of Revelation seven
spirits of God we see it again as seven
lamps of fire that are burning before
the throne which are the seven spirits
of God so in other words the vision of
the throne you see the tabernacle you
see God seated on his throne and you see
a menorah with seven flames and the
Bible says those are the seven spirits
of God now where else in the Bible do
you read about the spirit being like
fire that divides into little pieces of
fire does that sound familiar to anyone
maybe on the day of can anyone yell it
out for me the day of on the day of
Pentecost the day of Pentecost the
Spirit comes wishing into the room and
divides into little pieces of fire on
all the Apostles it was one Holy Spirit
but multiplied over the entire group I
think the seven spirits are of God are
the one spirit of god that spreads out
around all the people on earth there's
another really weird vision in the book
of Revelation where the Apostle John has
a vision of a lamb looking as if it's
been slaying who's the lamb that looks
as if he's been slain right that's Jesus
the Lamb of God and he said he had seven
horns and seven eyes weird that is one
weird lamb okay which are the seven
spirits of God sent out into all the
earth the symbolic language the horns
the power of God the eyes are the
presence of God and the seventh Spirit
is the Spirit of God that goes out from
Jesus to cover the whole earth the Holy
Spirit is everywhere God pours him out
he is the Horn of Jesus the power of
Jesus and the eyes of Jesus among us the
Holy Spirit and the number seven in the
Bible is the number of fullness that he
is full he goes out everywhere and there
is no limit to what God can pour out in
His Holy Spirit it's like a bottomless
cup you know we've we read last year
about when Jesus turned the water into
wine and the Bible says he filled the
jugs big jugs to the brim six of them
big jugs of water turned into wine and
the man who tasted says you saved the
best wine for last where our God pours
out his spirit as the seven spirits of
God and he saves the best for last
there's always more of the Holy Spirit
to be poured out for a thirsty church do
not be drunk on wine but be filled with
the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit is one
but we can be filled with the Holy
Spirit more or less depending on what we
desire in other words we can have less
filling of the Holy Spirit or more and
it depends on you there's an interesting
story about a neighbor right remember
when Jesus said which of you you have
company who comes in the night you go to
a neighbor at night and you don't have
any food to put before them so you go to
a friend of yours your neighbor you
knock at the door and say hey I got
company can you lend me some bread to
feed them because I don't have anything
to give them and your friend says I'm
tucked into bed with my kids leave me
alone don't bother me and you keep
knocking jesus says I tell you the truth
he will not get up and give you what you
ask for because he's your friend
but because you're so annoying he will
get up and give you everything you asked
for in the Greek you're shameless
audacity and then Jesus says I want you
to be annoying with me okay he says ask
and you'll receive seek and you will
find knock and the door will be open to
you because everyone who asks receives
the one who seeks find the one who
knocks the door will be open he says
which of you fathers or mothers if you
have a son who asks you for a fish would
give him a scorpion or if he asked you
for bread will give him a stone if you
though you are evil know how to give
good gifts to your children how much
more will your heavenly Father give the
Holy Spirit to those who ask him we have
as much or as little of the Holy Spirit
as we want I want to pause there if
we're a Christian you have the Holy
Spirit inside you but if we are
satisfied with what we have then God
will leave us there he says I want you
to be unsatisfied and seeking more and
more and more and be filled every day
with more of the Holy Spirit he has the
seven spirits of God in his hand and
those seven stars represent the pastor's
of the churches and there is no limit to
the spirit he will pour out the question
is are we hungry for more the complacent
church has ceased to be thirsty they're
not thirsty anymore they're good they're
satisfied there's a lack of hunger and
when we do that we start starving to
death now the church in Sardis had
settled for success it says I know your
works jesus said that you have a name
that you are alive but you are dead they
had a reputation for being alive they
were famous but in reality they were
already falling asleep and there was
death setting in and I think of that for
us as a church right I'm so grateful
that our that password Roberto is never
her satisfied he's always going to push
us because complacency can kill us cuz
amen you can you can you can yeah yeah
cuz Lion of Judah you know what I don't
want to make too much out of us but you
people know about us especially in
Spanish circles right the mayor like
wants to come and hang out with us on
thanksgiving that's nice the governor's
come senator Warren came the governor
you know all these people want to come
right so where we have a name that were
alive if you visit cities around the
country and you talk about lyon dick
without especially in spanish-speaking
circles people have heard about us they
listened to the sermons on the internet
they're using the discipleship you can
go anywhere in the world and there are
people that you can find to know about
line of Judah we have a name for being
alive now here's the question are we are
we really you know the challenge in this
is a church that is alive is going to
want to constantly get drunk on the Holy
Spirit and I thought of this cool little
phrase instead of drinking the kool aid
of their own reputation right we want to
be a people that doesn't rest on our
laurels right a people that have the
reality and not just a reputation it
doesn't matter what people think it
matters what God thinks now the church
in Sardis was famous but they had fallen
asleep they'd fallen asleep I think I
might even have some pictures of the
people in Sardis who had fallen asleep
and they had probably fought hard to get
where they were right they had their
probably been amazing visitations of the
Holy Spirit they were there that's the
church in Sardis getting said the Holy
Spirit had been poured out among them
they probably had fought hard to become
the church that they were meant to be
and they were tired it had been a long
day and they were ready to sleep they
were famous they had already had a
harvest of souls they thought they were
done when God was not done with them yet
right there's a saying in spanish come
out on in case a the wet or may we have
a lot of spanish speakers here don't we
the commot anche SE the weather may
eva la corriente the shellfish it's
gotta be locked on the rock right if it
goes to sleep the current will just wash
it away if you're staying still you're
moving backwards right they thought they
were done already I'm going to ask you a
little question here how many people
here have heard of someone a very
important person in the Bible named Tara
how many people know who Tara is okay
one two three okay Tara I'll give you
another hint he's in the book of Genesis
he's in chapter 11 of the book of
Genesis I'll give you another hint he's
Abraham's father okay I guess I didn't
give you a hint I gave it away Tara we
know that he lived in a city called or
in the southern part of Iraq probably
near basrah around there modern day and
he got up the Bible says in Genesis 11
that he took his family in all his
belongings and he started on a journey
to go to Canaan which later becomes the
Promised Land of Israel right he was on
a journey and he was going north and he
was going to go around the sea to go to
Canaan and the Bible says but when he
came to her on he stopped and settled
there and then he died but his son Abram
received a calling to go to Canaan they
God said and I will make your name great
and i will make give you descendants and
a nation and through you all nations on
earth will be blessed now I've always
wondered about Tara why did he take all
his stuff and start heading to Canaan
and why didn't he make it why did he
stop halfway and settle in this place of
her on and I almost wonder I don't know
because the Bible doesn't tell us why so
I'm just guessing but I almost wonder if
God called him first and he got
comfortable along the way and then God
called his son to finish what his father
had started I don't know all I know is
he got to her on and he stopped there
he thought he had arrived the church in
Sardis had a destiny it had a calling to
fulfill and they were going somewhere
but somewhere along the way they got
comfortable and they settled down they
stopped in her on they had not yet
arrived yet and Jesus speaks to them and
says wake up be watchful and strengthen
the things which remain and are ready to
die for I have found your deeds to be
unfinished in the sight of my god you
think you've arrived but you haven't yet
your deeds are unfinished there is more
left to do now here's the question for
us here at Lion of Judah have we arrived
is this our destination buildings right
we got the big buildings took a lot of
work to get here all right a lot of work
took a lot of sacrificial giving a lot
of Prayer we're here we're in these big
buildings we have english we have
spanish that's nice that's great we've
been praying for that for 25 years have
we arrived is this it I guess I'll you
Paso Roberto did not lose all of this
sleep for this line of Judah I have good
news for you we're not done yet there is
a lot more that God has for this church
to do their God is the God who saves the
seven spirits of God and pours them out
without limit and he saves the best wine
for last this English service might seem
like something that is very small as
we're just getting it going and it's
just beginning but this is part of the
destiny that God has called our church
to fulfill and these are these little
steps but we're just getting started God
has more for us to do we built the ark
we've compared this to building an ark
right the ark is built but now it's time
for rain right let's see how this thing
floats right let's see what God has
really made us to do everything up to
now we could say
has been a rehearsal has been
preparation for the season to which God
has called this church I am so grateful
that we have many people who come to
this service this English service who
don't even speak much English but
they've been praying for this for 20
years and they come here because they
know it's part of the fulfillment of
God's le doy gracias por la persona que
vienen aqui que casi no habla ingles
pero saben que dios esta cumpliendo algo
entre nosotros y vienen para apoyar lo
por que quiera in very apoyo y lo que
dios quiere hacer but they come and they
support this because they know that God
is doing something that we're not done
yet we could have stayed comfortable but
God has called us to get uncomfortable
he's called us to complicate our lives
and glorious ways and to fan the fire
and rekindle that spiritual hunger that
God has for us getting back to see
Sardis had lost the eye of the tiger
anyone know the movie reference I'm
making when I say losing the eye of the
tiger I know I'm dating myself you seen
rocky right rocky started out right if
you're just imagine a boxer in in in
Philadelphia a young man the Italian
stallion right you know and he was
hungry to fight no one knew about him
but he was good and he drink you know
raw eggs in the morning remember glug
glug and get up at five in the morn he
go running and he run up the stairs yeah
no no not him via the other guy the
white guy yeah right the the Italian
let's do another picture of rocky the el
otro sososososo a key your hunger look
at those eyes do you don't want to mess
with him right right but then he won and
he was successful it watched the movie
it's good look it up on YouTube Netflix
whatever then he gets successful and he
starts wearing you know red white and
blue shorts and getting on talk shows
and he gets comfortable and relaxed and
he loses the eye of the tiger then comes
along the other guy Joe hora ahora vamos
para el Malo ESO con el Ojo
so yeah and then we got in clubber Lang
who comes he's got that I right he's got
the eye of the tiger right he's got it
no and he's like I'm gonna mess you what
bull mania and rocky gets beat up
because less el que estan mere and ova
mohammad RSO where they looking at each
other but nada el otro ano throw and
there's another one where they look at
there you go you see clubber lang is
looking right at him where's Rocky
looking he's looking down cuz he's lost
his edge believe me things didn't go
well at this fight but eventually he got
that fire back but what he had to do he
had to wake up he had to get back to the
old gym with his old buddies right
remember he had to go to the meat
lockers and punch the rod you know meat
and chase chickens around and do all the
stuff you had to do to become a lean
mean fighter again ya vamos esta bien
gracias and at the end though he did you
attend a MOS otro klk got en el Ojo otra
vez so then eventually he comes around
and he gets that fire back he gets the
eye of the tiger back churches can lose
that fierce intensity if they're not
careful they can get comfortable they
can get polite they can get too
civilized right we can't get too
civilized but it needs to be a raw
intense energy that is waking up that
fire and bringing it to life again
getting back to the gym where you
initially learned how to fight that gym
might be sweaty it might be dirty it's
not one of those you know yuppie gyms
you know where we all go it's it's a
nasty gym but that's where it's at
remember how you have received and heard
hold it fast and repent now it's
interesting remember a couple months ago
we talked about the church in Ephesus
that had lost its first love right and
they had to get back to their first work
this is similar to that but it's a
little different in the original Greek
it says here then you need to remember
not what you have received and heard but
remember how you first received and
heard now the only translation that
translates it that way is the King James
but that's what it says in the original
and I wonder if there's an intention
behind that you see I think they
remember the gospel I think they
remembered what it means to be a
Christian but they'd forgotten how they
felt and how they were when they first
received the gospel how did you first
receive the gospel were you cautious and
conservative and as a new believer what
was your how were you I was impossible I
shared some stories last time right
stomping messages in the snow around the
school hungry for God I love being
around new believers who can't get
enough that's part of why I love hanging
out with a young adult group so much cuz
they got that hunger to like jab tumne
yeah Leviticus ah Leviticus I want to
eat Leviticus they're hungry for
anything I will throw at them they're
just like yeah I want that I was 16
years old and I remember hearing
teaching about being baptized in the
Holy Spirit right they said that as a
Christian you have the Holy Spirit when
you get saved because you receive Jesus
and the Holy Spirit comes into you but
there's more that you can be filled with
the Holy Spirit you can get baptized in
the Holy Spirit and and and people can
lay hands on you and you can start
speaking in tongues speaking in other
languages you don't even understand and
and I heard this and I thought yeah that
sounds good I want that you know reminds
me my dog it we have a dog that will eat
anything anything in its vicinity this
dog ate my computer charger recently I
mean there were sparks it was he's
glowing now is he's going to be a
superhero dog I was like that as a new
believer you give it to me at my job i
want that are hungry hungry for the Holy
Spirit and I remember they prayed for me
and I'm like yeah I want to get filled
with the Holy Spirit and so they prayed
for me and we're all yelling and I'm
squeezing I'm squinting my eyes and I
didn't feel anything at all and I
thought
man and then a couple weeks later we
tried it again and people are singing in
jean de la bata bata you know they're
praying and you know pushing me and
nothing happened to me and I'm like come
on I'm hungry I'm knocking at the door I
want more of your spirit and I won't let
go and then I remember 16 years old some
people prayed for me there were some
adults in the room this time maybe God
was waiting for some you know adults to
be in the circle and they gave me
prophetic messages and and I went home
that night as I'm driving home I know I
shared this story halfway home I start
speaking words that I didn't even know
and I thought maybe I'm just making this
up you know it feels so normal so
natural I'm supposed to be in a trance
right I don't know I don't know but it
felt really natural but I'm speaking
another language and I get home and I
and it's flowing by the time I get home
and my mother looks at me funny and says
what are you doing at those meetings
over there huh apparently I had a look
of some sort and I told her I said mom I
now speak in tongues my mother right
little Italian mother now I've told you
guys this story before literal words
I'll tell you again she said don't tell
your father he'll call the child
psychologist those are her literal words
I've never forget that she might be
seeing this on the internet I'm sure she
hasn't forgotten either I was hungry you
know I never forget the day it was
december fifth nineteen eighty-four
right that's tomorrow the anniversaries
of that sets tomorrow december fifth
nineteen eighty-four but that was you
know but wait a minute before you clap
that was 32 years ago has anything
happened since yeah that night I mean I
couldn't sleep I was awake all night it
was like I was in love with Jesus I was
preaching to people in the library
people thought I was drunk that was 32
years ago though anything since then I
don't want to look back to 32 years ago
when you asked me when you were you
filled with the Holy Spirit I don't want
to say December fifth nineteen
eighty-four I want to say this morning
when I was worshiping God right because
there is always more
or there is always where God is the God
who has the seven spirits that he is
pouring out we need to never stop hungry
for more of God never stop growing as a
Christian the day we stop growing is the
day we start dying God's mercies are new
every morning and the best wine is still
cooking I don't know what you do to wine
fermenting now i'm not encouraging us
just to get busy okay although sometimes
the problem is we're not active enough
but i don't want you to just to start
running around and getting busy again
sometimes the best way to renew our
spiritual passion is to begin observing
something very ancient in the Bible all
the way back Genesis chapter 1 every
seven days rest in the presence of God
you see our God doesn't want us just to
be frenetically busy all the time God
wants us to rest when we should be
resting so will work when we should be
working the problem is if we don't rest
when God wants us to rest then we might
be rest resting when we should be
working i think i just talked to myself
in a circle do you get the message that
all those times where you just have a
date night with god so god I've just got
to get alone with you I'm just going to
rest with you again i'm going to read
your word and just be in your presence
and listen to worship music i'm going to
take a deep breath and let you renew my
strength and those who wait on the Lord
will renew their strength and if we do
that then we are more likely to stay
awake and do what God has called us to
do the board says therefore if you will
not watch I will come upon you as a
thief and you will not know at what hour
I am coming upon you now this is meant
to be a little bit scary I think I don't
wanna I don't want to water that down
the whole idea of a thief in the night
that if you know when the burglar is
coming you're more likely to be awake
and to keep that from
benning right and I think this is meant
to shake us up a little bit and I love
it the word for watchfulness is the word
one of my favorite Greek words Gregorio
Gregorio you can guess why it's one of
my favorite Greek words right and we
need to be watching it's a word that is
used of security guards right it just so
happens I was a security guard for many
years I know you don't believe it but I
was no mess with my insurance building
in the suburbs I i got the corporate
america was safe under my watch but we
need to be your only responsibility as a
figure your main responsibility is
simply don't fall asleep that's your
main responsibility very few of us did
it but and we got to beware of
complacency first Thessalonians says the
day of the Lord will come like a thief
in the night while people are saying
peace and safety destruction will come
on them suddenly we need to beware of
business as usual that can be hypnotic
almost to us jesus said two men will be
in the field one will be taken the other
left two women will be grinding with a
hand mill one will be taken and the
other left therefore you keep watch
because you do not know on what day your
Lord will come stay awake stay awake and
this is meant to be sobering but I
believe that is also meant to be a
joyful image we stay awake because we
are waiting for a thief that is a good
thief we are waiting not just for anyone
we're waiting for our Lord Jesus to come
back and I don't want to be sleeping
through that moment to you christmas is
coming soon right now in many cultures
you celebrate christmas on the
twenty-fourth on christmas eve in my
culture my mom is Italian so we did
Christmas Eve but we also did Christmas
morning and the way the lie goes is
Santa Claus will come in the night and
bring you your presence now did anyone
grow up you know believing that that
even some of us about half of us might
have done the Santa Claus that you can
admit it it's been many years I know but
you could
minute now here's another we have the
three kings to los tres reyes an LDS ice
de enero right do they come at night to
or do they sneak in while your way at
school they come in at night okay cool
same idea then right has anybody ever
tried staying awake to catch Santa Claus
were the three kings I don't anyone ever
never you think did anyone ever catch
them anyone know you tried staying awake
for that one now was that a horrible
burden to stay know you like you just
couldn't go to sleep because he's think
he's coming tonight I think that's
supposed to be our attitude towards
Jesus he is coming and I want to be
dressed and ready jesus said be dressed
and ready because it's not just the
three kings coming this time this is the
king that is on his way right the King
of Kings is coming back this is the one
you're really waiting for Santa Claus is
nothing compared to this right and Jesus
said be dressed and ready for service
and keep your lamps burning like
servants waiting for their master to
return from wedding banquet so that when
he comes and knocks they can immediately
open the door for him it will be good
for those servants whose master finds
them watching when he comes truly I tell
you he will dress himself to serve and
we'll have them recline at the table and
he will come and wait on them do you
want to sleep through that no that's a
good thing that's a happy thing that is
worth waiting up for now I want to take
some moments as we bring this as we sort
of bring this to a head here that part
of this means keeping our uniform ready
for the king who is coming Jesus says
you have a few names even in Sardis who
have not defiled their garments and they
shall walk with me in white for they are
worthy the uniform of heaven when Jesus
was transfigured on the Mount of
Transfiguration his clothes started
glowing with miraculous white light
shining exceedingly white the Bible says
likes no such as no laundry on earth can
whiten them you can't put enough bleach
on the clothes to make
them shine like that you need sunglasses
even to look the Angels when Jesus rose
from the dead and ascended were clothed
in white it's the uniform of heaven
Bible says that before the throne there
will be a great multitude which no one
can number of every nation tribe people
and tongue standing before the throne
and before the lamb clothed in white
robes white robes that they were wearing
before the throne of God now there were
a few people in Sardis who were dressed
appropriately for heaven in other words
their clothing had not been stained or
defiled they were wearing white now in
the Old Testament what people wore white
all the time not a bride I don't want to
send Bridewell the bride was white right
now can anyone know who were the people
who would wear white linen everyday
there John the priests the people who
serve in the the tabernacle with the
Shekinah glory would wear white linen
all in white now the high priest had all
kinds of fancy stuff he would put on but
a normal priest would just wear white
the white garment but in order for them
to serve their garment had to be clean
okay now that doesn't mean literal clean
for them in the Old Testament it meant
that they had to be ceremonially clean
if you want to go in and serve in the
presence of God you had to observe a
whole collection of laws to keep
yourself ceremonially clean you could
become unclean in a thousand ways by
touching a dead body on the on the
street when you're with there's a dead
animal or or your morning a dead person
you could become unclean by eating
unclean foods you had to be very
vigilant to be sure that you remain
ceremonially clean so that your garments
were appropriate for entering the
presence of God and inevitably your
garment would get defiled because every
II would become unclean at some point
but there were rituals that they would
go through to go through ceremonial
cleansing with offerings and cleanse
ease cleansing so that they were ready
to serve in the temple it was possible
to be a priest who was called to be a
priest who had priestly garments but who
had become careless in keeping their
uniform ceremonially clean and they
would be disqualified from entering into
the tabernacle or the temple to serve so
Jesus is saying that many of you have
become careless and you have not been
keeping yourself fit and ready to enter
in to the presence and do what you're
called to do there but thank God it's
never too late in the book of Revelation
Jesus talks about the ones who had
washed their robes and made them white
in the blood of the Lamb these are the
ones were before the throne of God and
serve Him day and night in his temple
now here's the message for us the
complacent church or a complacent
Christian stops doing the little things
to keep themselves ready before God and
then when the time comes they're caught
unprepared we need to get our uniforms
prepared because congregation line of
Judah you are not done yet we have more
to do God wants to pour out his spirit
and we are called not just to be a group
of religious people we are called to be
priests of the Living God we are called
to be a community that channels the
Shekinah glory of God on earth and that
is no small calling God calls his people
to be prepared the end of this is an
amazing scene where Jesus says I will
not blot the name of that person out of
the book of life the one who overcomes
will be clothed in white garments I
won't blot their name from the book of
life but I'll confess his name before my
father and his angels you see a merely
successful church
has a name on earth but an overcoming
church has a name in heaven has Fame in
heaven has done things that matter in
eternity now that's not a greedy kind of
Fame it means that it's a church that
has fulfilled its destiny in the
heavenly dimension in the Old Testament
there was the great prophet Daniel who
was famous he served under several kings
he was a famous man but that was nothing
compared to what an angel once said to
him they said Daniel you who are highly
esteemed see Daniel was famous in
Babylon but even more important that he
was esteemed in heaven angels talked
about Daniel God talked about Daniel
like he did with job have you seen my
servant job of course things didn't go
too well for him for a little while but
we know that being famous in heaven is a
good thing having a name that is
recognized because at the end of all
things the final evaluation of my life
and of your life and of this church is
not how successful we are numerically or
in other institutional ways the final
evaluation will come in a great assembly
at the end of all things the Bible
describes it in the Book of Daniel or
talks about Thrones that were set in
place and the Ancient of Days who takes
his seat his clothing was white as snow
his hair of his head was white like wool
his throne was flaming fire and its
wheels were all the blaze a river of
fire was flowing coming out from before
him thousands upon thousands attended
him 10,000 times 10,000 stood before him
the court was seated and the books were
open and the names were read I want my
name on that list right I want my name
in that book our names can be mentioned
in a thousand other places but that's
the only place that really counts thank
God we have a God who promises through
the blood of Jesus
that our name can be written there and
that is a graduation ceremony unlike
anyone you will ever attend right it
says you have come to Mount Zion the
city of the Living God the heavenly
Jerusalem you've come to thousands upon
thousands of angels and joyful assembly
to the Church of the firstborn whose
names are written in heaven and there in
that awesome place and there will be
surprises there will be some people
you've never even heard of and their
names will be read and there will be
thunderous applause of angels and Jesus
will confess their name before his
father and all the holy angels and he
will say well done good and faithful
servant I want my name read there I want
to have a name in heaven now as we bring
this to a close here I want to challenge
us we're going to close this time at the
Lord's Supper pastor Sam is going to
lead us in this time as a Christian it
is inevitable that our clothes get dirty
sometimes right we become careless thank
God the Lord has the best detergent in
the universe it is called the blood of
Jesus we need constantly to come to this
table not ever as a religious ritual or
routine but as a living encounter with
God where we remember his sacrifice and
we wash our robes and make them white in
the blood of the Lamb it's never too
late you're called to be a priest of the
living god you're called to fulfill a
destiny and whatever has happened in any
way you might have failed the gifts and
calling of God are irrevocable he does
not take it back he will fulfill his
purpose in you but you and I need to
come to the table and say Jesus I need
you now more than ever make me hungry
again help me remember how
I once hungered after you and Lord pours
out the wine of his spirit as we do so I
invite you to come before God with an
open heart pastor say and we'll invite
you and I'm going to pray just to
transition into this moment father in
Jesus name I thank you Lord that you are
not done with us yet God it is wonderful
to know that our deeds are unfinished
that our destiny is yet to be fulfilled
that if we are alive today it's because
there's more to do for you your father I
pray that as we come to the table right
now we would rest in knowing Lord that
it all depends on you and your cross in
Jesus name