Wake up! Don’t Sleepwalk For God | Revelation 3:1-6 | 9-20-26 | Sunday PM

Pastor Andrew Montoro (0:00)

All right, so let's find our places, Revelation chapter 3 Revelation chapter 3 tonight, as at this point, we're still continuing through the individual messages that Jesus has to his churches. And as one man said it this way, churches are people, right? Churches aren't buildings, churches are people, and human nature hasn't changed. So as we continue our study, we must not look at these letters as ancient relics. On the contrary, they are mirrors in which we see ourselves. That as Jesus Christ is writing to each of his churches, he's in the midst of the golden candlesticks, he sees what's going on, and he's writing, these are things that every church is going to, can or will deal with, and we must be aware of if we're gonna be prepared for his return. And Christ is going to reveal the coming Revelation, the coming of Christ, so that we can be prepared. And in verse number one, unto the angel of the church in Sardis, unto the pastor there, he said, right, here's my message. These things sayeth 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 aren't dead. Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die, for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember 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. Thou 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. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment, and I will not blot out his name, blot out his name out of the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before my father and before his angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit sayeth unto the churches.

A pretty somber message that Jesus has for the church here at Sardis. They have some problems, and so here's our title tonight is, Wake Up, Don't Sleep, Walk For God. Wake up, don't sleep, walk for God.

Reputation does not mean that you're serving God. So let's pray, let's ask the Lord's help as we get into it. Heavenly Father, I come before you this evening. Lord, I pray that you would speak to each and every one of us. Lord, it can be easy to think we're doing all right, but Lord, you know what's going on in our hearts, and I pray, Lord, that we would allow you to examine us. Lord, you already know what's going on, and I pray, Lord, that we would be sensitive to what you see, and Lord, that we would be usable for your service. I pray, Lord, for just your help in preaching. Lord, that it would be all of you. In Jesus' name, we pray, amen.

A reputation takes a while to build up, right? You don't get a reputation just in a couple of days, and it is something that you are known by, right? We could say this way, the Yankees have had a reputation. They are supposed to be someone who wins World Series on a regular basis. They are the most winning franchise in any sport as far as championships come. Sometimes the Yankees just make great sermon illustrations for where they are right now. But we would say this, they have a reputation, but when was the last time they won a World Series? I don't even want to tell you how old I was the last time they won a World Series, right? It was a while back. I remember it very well. But it was before I even went to Bible College. I mean, we're going all the way back to 2009, and then before that, it was all the way back to 2000 The Boston Red Sox have won more World Series in the last 25, recently, but right in the last 25 years than the Yankees. We would say this, they have a reputation. They're supposed to win championships, but when you go to a game and you watch them stand there and you watch 3 balls down the middle and only swing at the ones off the plate, you wonder, okay, we need to see you do something now. Okay? Gotta throw some humor in there, right? But maybe we can put it this way. There's restaurants that can develop great reputations over time. And they're considered, if you want to go eat, that's a place you want to go eat. And they have, they're supposed to have the best of this, and are supposed to have that. And yet, sometimes, sometimes that can be good. And sometimes you can show up and say, they had a reputation, but maybe the chef changed, or maybe some, or maybe they just kind of got used to having it, and having this reputation, and they expect you to be good with whatever they put on the table. And you're like, this isn't what I paid for it. They may have the name, but the reality doesn't match the reputation. Okay, and there's all through life we can see that, where it shows up, where maybe things were once going good, and there's a name that it was good, but when we actually go to what is going on now, it's a different story. Okay, and when it comes to serving God, God is concerned, okay, yes, God is going to hold us accountable for everything that does, and yes, we are to have a reputation for serving God, and we should have a reputation for preaching the word of God here at Community Baptist Church, where there's the word of God is going forth, and it's going to be simple, but it's going to be clear, and it's going to be only what God's word says, and that we love people, we're doing the work of God, but if we're not careful, there's a danger for us. There's a danger for even an individual Christian to have once served God, and then allow the reality to not be what it once was, so that we have a name, but we're not living up to that, all right? And Jesus addressed himself to the church at Sardis by reminding them that he is the head of his churches and that he sees what's going on. He reminds them that he is the seven spirits of God, by the way, each one of these churches, in his address, he goes back to the vision of John, right? In chapter one, John saw Christ with the white hair, with the sword coming out of his mouth, and he said, these are the seven spirits which are before the throne of God, simply that this is all of the Holy Spirit of God, and he's speaking with the complete authority and the complete knowledge of God. And the message of this to this church comes from the one who holds the seven stars. Remember, the seven stars were the seven messengers or the seven pastors of the church, that Christ was holding them in his hands. He did not have a distant relationship with this church.