PART 2
(BUILDING TO WITHSTAND THE STORMS)
I delivered a message that God put in my spirit to present to the church concerning Storms, As hurricane Matthew was moving towards the south coast of Florida, and as we now know the devastation that it produced in Haitti, Cuba, The Bahamas, and other places , it shows us the shanty building that homes were built like and lives were even lost because of it. In many of those places building codes were either non existent or never followed.
I spoke on the storms that come our way and how we can survive them if we would only follow the building codes our Lord and Saviour gave us to build upon. I went through a series of scriptures that applied to our lives as our buildings.
Building our lives on a solid foundation is what Jesus is looking for, but are we building on a foundation of sand as a foolish builder or are we building on a solid rock as a wise builder.
BELOVED, a storm is brewing and coming that many are not paying much attention to and we need to wake up and notice the brewing take place.
We all know that when and inspector comes to inspect the homes
prepared for re sale they don't leave a stone unturned.
Today I want to leave us all with a few brief thoughts on why it is of utmost importance that we build, prepare, and examine our house to see that it is prepared for the storm. So we must needs be prepared for the worse at all times !!
Today I want to remind us all that Jesus as the chief code inspector out of Gods kingdom will come to inspect our homes to see how well we built our homes.
I called them building codes...for example
Mt 7:1-6 Judge not, that ye be not judged.2For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.3
Mt 6:19-2119Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:2
Mt 6:3333But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Mt 7:15-2015Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.1
Mt 6:30-3430Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?3
Mt 6:1-18Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
Mt 6:22-2922The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.23But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness.
Over in the book of revelations it is written that He spoke to the churches and inspected them as a chief inspector and His findings for some were not very pretty.
Let us read out of ....
"THE BOOK OF REVELATION"
Scripture Reading....Rev.3:1-22 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.2Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.3Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.4Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.5He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.6He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.7And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;8I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.9Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.10Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.11Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.12Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.13He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.14And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;15I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.16So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.17Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:18I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.19As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.20Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.21To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.22He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches
THERE ARE TWO MAIN POINTS THAT WE WANT TO ENTERTAIN AND PONDER thru this message!!
* To examine the last three of seven letters to the churches in Asia
* To view what we can about the condition of each church: their
strengths and weaknesses, the warnings and promises given.
So then In Chapter Three we want to look at these three churches and see WHERE we may or may not fit in OR HOW WE CAN BENEFIT FROM THEM.
As we know The Lord continues His letters to the churches in Asia, with this chapter containing those written to Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.
I. IN THE LETTER TO THE CHURCH IN SARDIS
A. THE LORD'S SELF-DESIGNATION (1a) I CALL HIM... ( THE CHIEF CODE INSPECTOR)(1-6)
1. The Bible calls Him "He who has the seven Spirits of God" fOUND CODE VIOLATIONS THAT NEEDED TO BE CORRECTED!!!-
Isa 11:1-2; 11And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:2And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord,
Notice the seven Manifestations.....Spirit of the Lord, Wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, Fear of The Lord, however.....(The Holy Spirit, called the seven spirits, is not seven in number, nor in nature, but the infinite perfect Spirit of God, in whom there is a diversity of gifts and operations.)
Re 1:4; 4John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
HERE IS HIS LIST OF CODE VIOLATIONS....of the church of Sardi s
B. CONDEMNATIONS AND WARNINGS (1b-3)
1. (2) Condemnations
a. They have a name that they are alive, but they are dead
God is saying here...STOP THE ACTING ROLE!!! AND BECOME
THE REAL THING!! Listen to what was really happening to this lively church...Hypocrisy, and a lamentable decay in religion, are the sins charged upon this church, by one who knew her well, and knew all her works.
(1.) This church had gained a great reputation; it had a name, and a very honourable one, for a flourishing church, a name for vital lively religion, for purity of doctrine, unity among themselves, uniformity in worship, decency, and order. We read not of any unhappy divisions among themselves. Every thing appeared well, according to what people observed.
(2.) This church was not really what it was reputed to be. They had a name to live up to, but they were dead; in other words...there was a form of godliness, but not the power thereof , a name to live by, but not a principle of life. there was a great deadness in their souls and in their services, a great deadness in the spirits of their ministers, and a great deadness in their ministry, in their praying, in their preaching, in their conversation, and a great deadness in the people in hearing, in prayer, and in conversation; what little life was yet left among them was, quickly expiring, and ready to die.
b. Their works were not found perfect before God.
2. (4) Warnings
a. Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain and are
ready to die.
The cause of their sinful deadness and decline was that they had let down their watch.
Beloved, Whenever we are off our watch, we lose ground, and therefore must return to our watchfulness against sin, and Satan, and whatever is destructive to the life and power of godliness.
(2.) God called on them To strengthen the things that remain, and that are ready to die.
There were a few who had retained their integrity, but they were in danger of declining with the rest.
It is a difficult thing to keep up to the life and power of godliness when we see a universal deadness and decline prevailing all around us.
The Practices in the Church were not in right standing with God....
The Chief Code Inspector Jesus said,....I have not found thy works perfect before God!!
In other words they were not filled up; there was something wanting in them;
There was the shell, but not the kernel;
There was the carcass, but not the substance.
Their inward thing was really wanting!!
Their works were are hollow and empty!
Their prayers were not filled up with holy desires!
Their alms-deeds were not filled up with true charity!
Their Sabbaths were not filled up with suitable devotion of soul to God! They lacked inward affections to match outward acts and expressions.
God called them To recollect themselves, and remember how they have received and heard (Rev. 3:3);
Not only to remember what they had received and heard, but to live out the very messages they had received from God!
What blessings of his mercy and favor towards them!!
What sermons they had heard, but how they had received and heard,
What impressions the mercies of God had made upon their souls at first! What affections they felt working under their word and ordinances.
The love of their espousals, the kindness of their youth,
How welcome the gospel and the grace of God were to them when they first received them.
Where is the blessedness they then spoke of?
God spoke to them & told them to hold fast what they had received, that they might not lose all, and repent sincerely because they had lost so much of the life of religion, and had run the risk of losing all.
EVERY CHURCH HAS ITS PARTS THAT ARE WEAK BUT ARE STILL
LINGERING AND HOLDING ON, AND THEY ARE TO BE STRENGTHEN
THUS SAITH THE LORD!!!
WE CANNOT HOLD ON TO GRUDGES,RESENTMENTS,BITTERNESS AND
EXPECT TO BE RIGHT IN THE EYES OF GOD!!! BELOVED WE WILL
LOSE THE WAR AND THE BATTLE!!!
d. If they don't watch, the Lord will come upon them as a
thief.
C. COMMENDATION vs(4)
1. There are few names in Sardis who have not defiled their
garments.
2. They shall walk with Him in white, for they are worthy.
D. THERE WERE ALSO A SERIES OF PROMISE AND EXHORTATION (5-6)
1. He who overcomes...THE CODE INSPECTORS INSPECTION....
a. Shall be clothed in white garments
b. The Lord will not blot his name from the Book of Life
c. The Lord will confess his name before HIS Father and His
angels
2. IN HIS FINAL INSPECTION REPORT TO THE CHURCH IN SARDIS HE
WRITES...
Hear what the Spirit says to the churches...!!!!
IN RECAP.....
The church in Sardis as we know it is rebuked for having a name that they are alive, when in reality they are dead. With their works not perfected before God, they are exhorted to be watchful and to strengthen the things which remain. They are also told to remember how they had received and heard in the past, to hold fast and repent. Otherwise, the Lord will come upon them as a thief in the night. Notice is taken, however, of a few in Sardis who had not defiled their garments and are still worthy,who are promised to walk with the Lord in white (1-6).
WE TOO AS A CHURCH ARE CALLED OUT...BY THE CODE INSPECTOR....
TO MAKE THE NECESSARY CORRECTIONS AND TAKE ACTION IF YOU WANT YOUR BUILDING TO STAND WHEN THE STORM COMES!!! WE NEED TO STRIVE TO MAKE THINGS PERFECT IN THE LORD!!! WE ARE CALLED TO BE WATCHFUL AND STRENGTHEN THE THINGS WHICH ARE WEAK FOR AT THE END OF THE DAY IF THESE WARNINGS AND INSTRUCTIONS ARE NOT PERFECTED OR GIVEN HEED TO THE BUILDING WILL COLLAPSE WHEN THE WINDS OF STORMS AND STRIFE COME.