A Glorious Standing Awaits the Faithful - Lessons From Sardis: Part 3 - Revelation 3: 4-6

0:44We also know that there is a remedy for spiritually dead churches. Look at verse 2 and 3. 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. 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.

1:18Well, Jesus wanted this church to come alive through repentance, through remembering, keeping the gospel, remembering and keeping the gospel, and to get to work doing the things. Things that God had called them to do and to complete the things that God had called them to do. So we know there's a reality looking at this church of spiritually dead churches, even in our time. We also know the remedy for those is to come alive, come awake. And then we can look and notice that there is a reward for those who are spiritually alive, the reward for those who are spiritually alive. So not only does he talk about the reality of spiritually dead churches and the remedy for spiritually dead churches, but there is a reward for the spiritually alive who care, who care about the spiritual vitality of the church. Beginning in verse 4, that's what we'll be looking at today. 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. 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. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Well, it's clear that in spite of this church that was compromised to the point of spiritual deadness, that even though on the whole the church was spiritually dead, there Were those who were still faithful, a remnant that was still faithful to him. It's clear that they're described here in verse 4. And we really come to the main point of the letter. At this point, we've looked at the reality and the remedy for spiritually dead churches, but here is the main point of the letter, and that is to encourage faithfulness in Sardis. To encourage faithfulness in Sardis and beyond Sardis to the other churches of Asia Minor, to the other churches that would come down through the corridors of time, even to our place in time here. He wants to encourage faithfulness.

3:52But it's clear there were some faithful there. Look at verse 4. But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments. That's how he describes them. There are faithful there, and they have not soiled their garments. He describes their present condition. They have not soiled their garments. And then he describes their future condition, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. So just look at these for just a moment. The faithful are described as being alive. That's who they are. The faithful are alive.

4:34Contrasted with the spiritual deadness that characterized the whole of the church, you have a few. Like springs in the desert, like an oasis in a barren land, like flowers on a barren field, you have a few. Faithfulness. Faithfulness. And he looks, he knows them by name. You have a few people. The word is actually, you have a few names. There's an emphasis upon names here in this letter, names. It's mentioned four times. But you have a few names. Certainly referring to people. You have a few names. The church had a name as being alive. It had a good reputation with outsiders, but it had a very poor reputation with Christ. He says, I know your name, but you are dead. You are spiritually dead.

5:30And there are those that they don't have a good reputation or a good name with outsiders and many within the church, but they do have a good name with Christ. They have a good name. They are known by Christ. You have a few people there, and I know them. I know them by name, and they are like an oasis in the desert. And look at. They're described by what they have not done. They have not soiled their garments. Now, this is an imagery that would really strike home with the luxury clothing industry that was alive and well and prosperous in Sardis.

6:21They understood what it meant to put out pristine clothes, shiny, white, clean. They also understood what it was like to have them soiled, dirtied, like gallons of dirty, stinky grease poured all over them. They understood what soiled garments and the tragedy of what soiled garments meant for their industry. You know, a little stain you might be able to get away with, but a lot of stain, the garment, is absolutely worthless. And that is what has happened. That is how this church is described by Christ. They have stained themselves. They have polluted themselves.

7:13Their garments, soiled their garments. The garments, what are the garments referring to? Garments describe a person's character, a person's conduct. Their clothing describes their spiritual and moral and practical life. Lifestyle. So it's a depiction of their spiritual conduct. And Jesus is describing the faithful as those who have not soiled themselves, who have not polluted gospel truth, who have not polluted themselves with the ideology of a compromised and spiritually dead church. And that's what you have at Sardis: two camps: the stained and the unstained. The stained was the bulk. The majority of the church had polluted and defiled the name of Christ by their worldly philosophy, spiritual conduct, and way of living. They refused to walk in the way of gospel purity. That's what's happening.

8:28They didn't want to live consistent with the demands of discipleship. And so they learned a kind of Christianity that just avoided all of that. They were stained by the influences of their secular society of their day. And listen, when a church lets society dictate their morality and not Christ, it's like dumping a pile of dirty Grease over a clean garment. It defiles the name of Christ. It pollutes the purity of the gospel. All of that is bound up in this imagery. Those are the stained.

9:14And then there is the unstained. The unstained at Sardis. These are the faithful. They are spiritually alive. They haven't embraced the influence of a spiritually dead church. They have given themselves and kept giving themselves to the purity of the gospel. They have received the gospel. And they haven't been influenced by their secular society or a church that has just married to their secular society. That's the unstained. And even as we, before we even go forward, we really need to bring this home to ourselves. Where do you see yourself in this?

10:05If Christ is to describe this church as stained and unstained, where are you? Have you embraced the morality of the culture that you live in? Or have you taken upon the demands of discipleship that Christ said, come and follow me? Have you compromised? Gospel purity, so that people can think well of you in your workplace, in your school place, in your whatever place. Well, there are the stained and the unstained. But look at the promise that he makes to the faithful in Sardis.

10:51And they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. The faithful may not have a glorious standing in their own time and place, but they have a glorious standing with Christ. They already have a glorious standing, he knows them by name. Even if the world doesn't grant them a favorable standing, Christ does, and that's what really matters. Do you want the world to think well of you? Let me ask you this: Do you want to increase your standing with the world? Let me give you a few suggestions. Dirty yourselves a little bit.

11:39Repent of biblical morality. Embrace worldly idolatry and ideology. And the spirit of the age will think a lot more of you. You see, the spirit of the age feels much better when a Christian falls into a little sin. Or turns away from the biblical morality that they once held, or dirties themselves a little bit with the world. That's what the spirit of the age wants, and it makes them feel good when you see Christians fall. Such is the spirit of our age.

12:20But look how Jesus describes the intimacy that he has with his people now and in the future. And they will walk with me in white. They will walk with me. This is a description of intimate fellowship. These are the ones who I am going to have intimate fellowship throughout eternity with. They will walk with me. They have a name with me, and they will walk with me. You see, if you're going to walk with a person, you're going to have to be where that person is. It's kind of hard to walk with somebody that you're not around. Walk involves proximity. Intimacy involves proximity. And so you're going to go. You have to go where he goes. They will walk in white. Notice that. And they will walk with me in white. White.

13:19What is this? This is speaking about spotless purity, the spotless innocence of Christ. They will walk with me. They will have intimate. Intimate fellowship with me in purity, in that innocent joy that loves life. Christ loves life, and he loves life in a very pure and holy and innocent way. And that's where real living is. It's Christ. You see, even in this white, it speaks of the proper garments for a festival setting. You have to have certain garments. You have to be clothed appropriately. You know, even among the pagan temples at this time, if you showed up with dirty clothes, it was an offense to the pagan deities. How much more does this expression strike home? That spotless purity of Christ. Garments are important. You must be appropriately dressed for the occasion in which you are going to participate. And no one really knew that more than Sardis and their luxury clothing industry.

14:44You see, the faithful have been justified by Christ, they have been cleansed by Him. White, bright, shining, gleaming. That's the word. They reflect His holy character now. But in the future, what Christ is saying is they will reflect him even more, and Christ Himself will put them on display in the clothes that He puts them in. They will walk with me in white. And look at what He says. And they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.

15:25Think about it. And the word for worthy there is a word appropriate, proper. It is proper for them. It is appropriate for them to walk in white. They are worthy. They are worthy. And he tells you why they're going to walk in white, because they are worthy. Now, this is not a statement about their intrinsic ability to justify themselves, to cleanse themselves, to become holy by themselves. But what it speaks about is their unwillingness to forfeit the righteousness that Christ has given them. They were given righteousness by Christ. They were washed by Christ. And they put on his righteousness in their practical daily lifestyle. They didn't forfeit the purity of the gospel or the demands of discipleship.

16:15They didn't forfeit it. They walked in it. And in this sense, they're worthy. They received the truth and did not let the influences of their secular society or secular world or secular. Church pollute, defile, or stain the name of Christ. These are the ones who Christ says are worthy to walk with me in white. And it's very clear that, look at chapter 5 and verse 9, that they were washed by Christ. It isn't speaking about their own justification. In chapter 5, verse 9, it says, Worthy are you to take the book, speaking to the Lamb, and break its seals, for you were slain and purchased for God with your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. They were all purchased by Christ, but they followed him.

17:17They didn't undermine the gospel by their sexual immorality or their idolatry or their compromise. And this isn't talking about someone who has sinned and has repented and asked forgiveness. This is talking about those who have embraced a worldly ideology that okays sexual immorality, that okay's idolatry and okays compromise with biblical truth. That's the pollution. He's not talking about somebody who inadvertently falls in these areas, but he's talking about somebody who has embraced it, who has okayed it because of the pressures of the society they live.

18:01Well, he is going to put their fidelity on display. He promises to showcase it one day. Matthew chapter 10, verse 27, Jesus says, there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Both hidden evil will be brought to light, but also concealed righteousness is going to be brought to the forefront, and they're going to walk with Christ. Well, we can think of that there are also two kinds of people in the church today, and even here in our church today. There are the spiritually dead, and they are the spiritually alive. And ask yourself again, where are you? Are you alive to God or are you dead to him? Ask yourself that. Be honest. Where are you? I'm going to tell you what the spiritually dead look like. They're ashamed of Christ, ashamed of his words. They want to redefine the Christ. They want a Christ that's just a little bit more like the world.

19:25They seek to keep a low profile in this culture. Collision between the holy and the profane, and they're afraid to speak, afraid to act. They're ashamed of the name and the words and the morality and the lifestyle of Christ. The spiritually dead are the ones who have ceased to truly be Christian in a secular world. Maybe in outward appearance, they may even have a reputation with being alive and spiritually sound, but the reality is dead. But then there are the spiritually alive.

20:09The world cannot see your glorious standing at present, but it's real. Even the faithful, even we, cannot see our standing at times. We have to see it only through Scripture. But all are going to see it one day. Christ has made that clear. Who are you? Spiritually dead? Spiritually alive? Come alive. Come alive. Look to Christ. Repent. Put your faith in Him. Turn to Him. Come alive. Well, it's clear that Jesus wants alive churches. That's why He wrote this whole letter to Sardis in the first place. It's a reason this letter exists.

21:00There are those who are spiritually alive at Sardis. There are those who are spiritually alive among us today, even in the church at large. And sometimes it feels like maybe our influence is negligible. Same as true in Sardis. But Christ sends this letter to encourage them to continue in faithfulness. Let us be faithful to him. He wants to encourage the faithful to be faithful, but he also wants to invite the unfaithful to become faithful. That's part of what's going on in this letter.

21:46And he does that through reward. And so, with the remaining time, I want to talk to you about this standing. There is this glorious future that awaits the faithful. It's articulated in verse 5: a glorious future. And he articulates it. Not so that you will be motivated primarily for reward, but so that you can see his heart and how he delights in faithfulness, how he delights in his church, and he wants you to be part of this glorious standing that is to come because he's excited about it.

22:30So, I want us to consider three aspects of this glorious standing that awaits the faithful in heaven. It's a standing that you and I will enjoy as the faithful. And he writes this so that we would encourage us to be faithful and to invite others to be faithful. In some ways, this is really a sermon about heaven, but it's a call to faithfulness, to come alive, to be spiritually alert, to join to him. So, I want to, in the time we have, I want us to consider three aspects of this glorious standing that's awaiting the faithful so that you and I will endeavor to be more and more faithful. Let's be faithful, let's help one another be faithful. This is the way to live, being faithful to Christ. I want you to see this glorious standing that awaits. First of all, the glorious standing that awaits the faithful is that it will be public. One aspect, it will be public. Look at verse 5: He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments. He who overcomes. So now he's not just talking about the faithful in Sardis, he is expanding this to everyone who overcomes, to the one who is overcoming.

24:00In the same manner, he who overcomes will thus, in the same manner, as just has been described about the church in Sardis, the faithful in Sardis, just like them, he will be clothed in white garments. So, everything that has just been said about the faithful, Sardis applies to the faithful of all time. Look at the one who is overcoming. Who is the one who is overcoming? Well, the victorious one, literally, the one, the Nike one, the one who is overcoming, the true victory, the true victor, the one who is overcoming.

24:40He is the one who is victorious. And what is he doing? He is overcoming the temptations and the pressures to defile himself by embracing a church philosophy that has become dead because it is in love with the world. It's the vomit of worldly philosophy. Taking in. Sorry for the image, but it really is. It's like taking in. The one who is overcoming is the one who's not just walking around. Yeah, throw up on there. Come on, throw your philosophy on here. Vomit your worldly ideology upon me.

25:26This is the one who is overcoming, the one who doesn't. He is overcoming. He is resisting the temptation and the pressures to defile himself by embracing a dead church philosophy, compromise. And the one, this is the one who remains pure and faithful in the midst of a secular world. The pressures are all around us. You know, when I was, I didn't grow up in the South, so I didn't get this church, cultural church world. I lived in the West, very irreligious state for the most part, very little. The Bible Belt didn't, the Bible Belt ends before you get to northern New Mexico or New Mexico, the land of enchantment. I didn't grow up in this world where it's culturally expected that you would be in church.

26:33And when I came to Christ in Arkansas, I really took things at face value. Wow, this is a people who love Christ. I didn't get the cultural aspect of it. And then I was, I remember a really defining moment when I was on a youth event with a bunch of the kids, and I was so excited. Everything was new and fresh. Christ was new and fresh and alive, and I remember. Being on this event, and some of the guys went out and they were smoking a bunch of dope. They came to the youth event. They went out and then they started smoking dope. And I got to thinking that just seemed like such an improper setting. I couldn't get it. I'm like, look, if you just want to go smoke dope, just go do that. Why in the world do you want to become part of the church and go and do that? That makes absolutely no sense at all. If Christ is Christ, serve him. If he's not, go do your own thing. I don't get this blending.

27:39It's hard for me to understand that. Of course, I'm a little older now. I still don't understand it. If you're going to name the name Christ, follow him. If not, have nothing to do with him. But I mean, are you such a vacillating person that you cannot be either or, that you have to be somewhere in the quagmire between? I mean, what is that? Choose you. This day, are you going to serve him or not? Well, Jesus promised to showcase their fidelity of character and service one day.

28:24He's going to. Just like at Sardis, he promises to do with all who overcome. It will be Public. Fidelity to Christ is going to have an outward manifestation. They will be intimately acquainted with Christ, and he will set them on. They will be dressed as he is dressed in his righteousness. Fitting, proper, appropriate. It's interesting. In Revelation 7, 9, speak about another group of people who are clothed in white robes. 7.9 says, After these things, I looked and behold a great multitude, which no one could count from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands. Question is asked, who are these? And in verse 14, 7, 14, he said to me, These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. This imagery of being dressed in white speaks of the righteousness of Christ, the white clothing, righteousness of Christ, those who have been justified, those who have been washed in his blood. So this imagery speaks of the justification of Christ, being washed in his blood by his sacrifice, Christ's work. But this white robe is also expressive of the righteousness. Acts of the saints. In Revelation 19:8, as the army comes dressed in white, says this, it was given to her to clothe herself, army, the bride, in fine linen, bright and clean. For the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. So you think about what's this imagery of being washed, this white clothing. It speaks of the washing that has taken place by the blood of the Lamb. They have washed in Christ's righteousness, but they have also embraced Christ's righteousness in their sanctification, their righteous acts. They have been washed in Christ's righteousness, and they have put on Christ's righteousness, and they walk with him now, and they will walk with him later. And Christ will make them known. It will be public. A glorious standing in heaven that is public. Second, it will be permanent. It will be permanent. Their standing will be permanent. Look back at verse 5. He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments. And here it comes, see this. And I will not erase his name from the book of life. I will not erase his name from the book of life. There are two details you need to see here. First of all, the book of life.

31:30Book of life. Where these names, notice again, and I will not erase his name, where their names are written indicate their spiritual status. They are in the book of life. They're spiritually alive. Makes sense. Not hard to understand. The spiritually alive are written. He knows who they are, written, image, book of life, a registry of life. And this spiritual life has implications. As you go on through the book of Revelation, because they're spiritually alive, they're not going to worship the beast. Revelation 13:8 says this: all who dwell on the earth will worship him, the beast. Everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. Those who are married to the worldly system and spiritually dead, those and their kind are going to worship the personification of the devil. He is manifested. They already have embraced the ways of the worldly system. They've already embraced it and they will worship the culminating expression of it. ones who will not are the ones who are spiritually alive, who are written in the book of life.

33:09Those who are written in the book of life will also, instead of worshiping the beast, they will worship in the New Jerusalem. Revelation 21, 27 says, This nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying shall ever come into it, speaking of the New Jerusalem, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Because they are spiritually alive, they will not worship the personification of spiritual deadness and alienation from God. They will worship in the New Jerusalem. Second detail you need to see is the statement, I will not erase. I will not erase.

33:57The promise is, future verb, their names will never be removed from the registry of heaven. They are permanent. I will not erase his name from the book of life. This is an expression of permanence. Now, this brings up an interpretive question that many ask. Does this statement imply that a person can lose their salvation? If he says, I will. Not erase his name from the book of life, does it really say it's possible I will remove his name from the book of life?

34:42Well, one of the problems with this interpretation is that it obviously doesn't square with a lot of other texts about the permanency. What is born of God is going to overcome the world, as John has pointed out already. What is born of God is overcoming. One who is born of God doesn't become unborn of God. But the problem with those who would take this and say, yes, this is teaching that you can lose your salvation, make it say the exact opposite of what it's declaring. It is declaring, I will not erase permanence.

35:26And those who would say, well, but the implication is, he will erase some. I think that's moving in a direction that is adding to and changing. This is a statement of permanence. But does this, others would say, no, this isn't teaching that a person can lose their salvation. We make it all about salvation here in your systematic world. I think it's very clear what Jesus is doing here and what he's saying here. But others would say, no.

36:01That what's happening is he's speaking about a hypothetical situation that would never take place. Well, some struggle with this and say, well, no, there may be an implication, and they would say, they would express it like this. Others would say, all are written in the book of life and are removed when they permanently reject the testimony of the Holy Spirit. A permanent rejection. That the ones who end up spiritually dead are the ones that permanently reject Christ, and so therefore their names are erased from the living.

36:55Well, I think what's clearly being stated here is permanence. Permanence. This is an expression of permanence. Those on earth, and if you put it in context, those on earth are subject to being blotted out from the land of the living. Their names, a registry of the living, citizenship. Even those who would, many who would refuse, especially at Pergamum, who would refuse to the emperor worship. Would lose their citizenship and they would be blotted out from the registry, their citizenship, and even of the living. Criminals would be blotted out.

37:43It's certainly an expression of permanence, even if you have different opinions about what the implications may be. We're still all friends, by the way. Okay, whatever. But don't miss the statement of permanence here. Those on earth are always subject to being blotted out from good standing with people or the registry of citizenship or even cut off from life itself. We have this right now. If you die, you don't pay taxes anymore, or not supposed to. If you die, you're removed from the voting records, right? Of course.

38:30Yeah, when you die, you're no longer, we have this registry of who's alive and who's not. And so when you die, you're taken off that record of the living, whether it's locally, state, whatever it is. Not so in heaven. The book of life, the spiritually alive, is permanent. A glorious standing. Think about it. That is going to be forever put on display publicly and permanently. What a beautiful, what a glorious standing that Christ would make so much of his people that he would put them on public display permanently throughout heaven.

39:28That is the glorious standing that awaits you who are faithful. And I hope it will motivate you and drive you to greater faithfulness. But there's a third that I want you to see: this glorious standing that awaits the faithful is going to be in the presence of God. It's going to be in his presence. It'll be public, it'll be permanent, and it will be in his presence. Look at verse 5. And I will confess his name before my father and before his angels. I will confess, the word, I will acknowledge, I will claim, I will assure, I will profess, I will declare.

40:18This one is mine. I confess his name. He confessed my name. I will confess his name. I will confess. His name before my Father and before His angels. Let me tell you a little bit about this heavenly environment. Before my Father and before His angels. Think about that. Before, literally in the faith, before my Father and before His angels. It's a picture of perfect holiness. Infinite holiness, perfect holiness, and a zeal for holiness. These angels, talk about the angels for a minute. You've got the infinite holiness and the perfect holiness of the Heavenly Father, and then there are these powerful angels, angels who are zealous to carry out His word, to carry out His will and His ways. You get glimpses of these powerful beings in the presence. Some of them are in ceaseless flight. I mean, you and I have to take a nap after being in church for an hour. These go on forever.

41:43Ceaseless strength, power. They are as powerful, it's like lightning. They are powerful like lightning, and they are swift like lightning, and they are zealous to do his will. Let me give you one picture of this. If you turn to chapter 20, let me read to you about the power of just one of these angels. Chapter 20, verse 1. Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil, and he bound him for a thousand years, and he threw him into the abyss and shut it and sealed it. Get this picture of this holy being coming down. He's like, Good, it's time. I'm ready to bind this guy, and it's no contest. You can tell it's none of our sci-fi fiction writers of our day that wrote this book because there'd be this long, epic battle, battle, battle scene, battle scene. And if you get one of those clear play devices and you cut out the battle scenes of many of the movies, you know, you've left about 15 minutes. And so you know that this is inspired because it doesn't reflect the spirit of the age at all. But here is this being that comes down with the chain and a key, and he takes this Satan, this devil, this master deceiver, this one with incredible powers who has laid down the nations, and he takes him and he throws him.

43:22That's a holy angel, zealous to kill. Carry out God's will. They're as powerful as they are swift. Just one of them. And I will confess his name in the holiest environment, the heavenly environment. How do you want to be remembered? The importance of a name, your name, cannot be understated. You see, in the ancient world, the name spoke of the very essence of a person. As you work your way through Revelation, you realize there are those who have the name of the beast upon them. They take his character, his antichrist sentiment and mode. And then there are those who bear the name of God. They reflect the character and righteousness of God. They are the spiritually alive. They are the ones who are written in the book of life. They have been given a new identity, one of an overcomer. They bear the name of God. They have a new citizenship, a glorious standing away from. These are the spiritually alive. And this is laid out for you today so that you can become spiritually alive.

44:51Christ is being presented to you today that you would come to him and put your faith and trust in him. He is calling the Unfaithful to be faithful. And he is willing to confess your name before the holiest environment. If you'll come and wash your robes and his righteousness and put on his righteousness, do you hear Christ calling you today? He is calling. How and where Christ confesses your name is what lasts. How and where you confess Christ's name determines and impacts how he will confess your name. Listen to what Matthew 10, 32, Jesus says, Therefore, everyone who confesses me before men, I will also confess him before my father who is in heaven. But whoever denies me before men, I will also deny him before my father who is in heaven. There is coming a day when you are going to stand in the presence of perfect holiness.

46:09Do you believe that? If you really do, you will confess him now. Mark 8:38, for whoever who is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father's words. With the holy angels. How do you see yourself? Are you an overcomer? Let me say this: Are you not ashamed to be identified with Christ? Are you growing in your affinity to be identified with Christ? Or do you see in your life a pattern of wilting connection with Christ? The trajectory speaks of who you are.

47:02You can be sure if you're ashamed of Christ now, this is the kind that Jesus will be ashamed of in the future. And he promises it. But those who are not ashamed of him and his way now of this kind, Christ will not be ashamed of. Listen, this isn't about coming perfect to him. We don't come perfect. That's why we have to wash. And this is an invitation to come to agree with him about sin and learn to put on his righteousness and follow him. That's the demands of discipleship. But antagonistic to this, and in every age, is this worldly ideology. And don't expect the world to stand up and applaud and help you on your way to Christ. It's going to do the very opposite. But this is what's beautiful: the faithful do have a home. We do have a place of belonging, even though now we may feel the hostilities of the world turn against us at times. We do have a glorious standing awaiting us in the presence of God.

48:16Listen, if the most worthy in heaven is not ashamed of you, you have a glorious future awaiting. The church is most valuable to Christ. He writes this letter so that the faithful there would be encouraged to awaken, to be involved in strengthening that which was dying, that which remains. Listen, the church is most valuable to him. He loves us as individuals, he loves us collectively, and to love Christ is to love what he loves. Church was bought with the precious blood, with his precious blood.

49:04You can be sure that those who give themselves to his church in edifying and strengthening and building her up, there is coming a day when God, when Christ Himself will reward you in celebration over the top. And we are not to be a people who are motivated by reward. We are motivated out of a love for. For Christ. But this gives us a picture, a window into the reward that He, out of the celebration of His heart, is going to bring about in heaven, publicly, permanently, and in the most infinitely, perfectly holy place.

49:52So, a glorious standing awaits you. This is an invitation to those who are spiritually dead to become spiritually alive. This is also an invitation to you who have been faithful but want to be faithful more. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for this invitation to come before you to wash our robes, to watch our conduct, our life, our thinking, our philosophy, to bring all of that before you, to wash it according to your righteousness, the shed blood of Christ. And Father, you didn't just leave us there to be justified, but you gave us something to live for. You gave us a new life, a life that loves you and wants to walk in you and cannot be detached from you. Help us, Father, as we navigate through the wilderness of this world that we would.

51:01Earnestly desire connection with you, respond to you, and faithfulness to you. Thank you for the joy of life. In Christ's name, amen.