Introduction

Revelation 3:1-6 ESV  “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.  (2)  Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.  (3)  Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.  (4)  Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.  (5)  The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.  (6)  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

• Welcome to the third chapter of Genesis! Here we have a letter addressed to the angel of the church in Sardis.
  • What I find striking is the similarity between this church, the first letter in the 3^rd chapter, and the church in Ephesus, the 1^st letter in chapter two.
  • Both churches have a similar struggle, they used to be doing really really well, but somewhere along they lost what they had at first.
  • Remember, the church in Ephesus was the church that lost it’s first love.
  • Yet here in Sardis we have a church that was once spiritually alive and is now spiritually dead.
  • We also see some contrast to the church in Thyatira…
    • The church in Thyatira was commended for its good works… for it’s works of love and faith and service and patient endurance…
  • But here in Sardis Jesus says

Revelation 3:1b ESV  “‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. “

• In other words… Jesus is saying that the Sardians works have not been sufficient to keep them considered spiritually alive.
  • If you are interested in learning about how works prove our faith I encourage you to go and listen the first two sermons I preached about the church in Thyatira.
• We also see in this letter imagery of clothing, which is written about in more detail in the letter to the church of Laodicia, we will touch on it when we get there… but for now know that “Soiling your garments” doesn’t mean pooping yourself…
  • It means being a Christians, I.E. you have been made pure, and then going back to the filth and the mud and the sin of the world that you left behind.
• And that is the problem that we see here in the church of Sardis…
  • These are Christians… people who have bene born again, who have given their life to Christ, who had at one point been all in, who had been made pure by the blood of the lamb…
    • But they went back to their old sin.
    • They compromised with the world.
    • They tolerated sin.
    • They are like a dog who returns to his own vomit…
      • And because of that, they have not just soiled their garments, but they have abandoned their identity in Christ.
• This morning’s sermon is titled “What Name are you known by?” and we are going to be talking about who we chose to represent.

Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray Pray

Point One – Whose Name Do You Represent?

• The first question, the first point, in todays sermon is this “Who’s name do you represent”?

Revelation 3:1 ESV  “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.”

• The word here translated in the ESV as reputation is the Greek word on-om-ah (ὄνομα) which literally translates to name…
  • In fact, in this short letter to the church in Sardis Jesus uses the word on-om-ah 4 times:

Revelation 3:1 ESV  “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “‘I know your works. You have the reputation (on-om-ah) of being alive, but you are dead.

Revelation 3:4 ESV  Yet you have still a few names (on-om-ah) in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.

Revelation 3:5 ESV  The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name (on-om-ah) out of the book of life. I will confess his name (on-om-ah)  before my Father and before his angels.

• We know that the book of revelation, like the book of Psalms, is a poetic book… which means that the words that are used are IMPORTANT.
  • Not just what’s being said is important, but how it is said that is important. God used very specific words to paint a very specific picture… so there must be a lot of importance in this word on-om-ah… there must be importance in our name… or more specifically, the name we represent… that is, our reputation.
• So I ask again, who’s name do you represent…
  • Maybe you represent your own name… “I represent Jerry Owens”.
  • Maybe you represent your family name… “I represent the Kargbo family”
  • Maybe you represent your work place or your church “I represent Collins Areospace”
  • Maybe you represent your church “I represent Christian Life Church”…
  • Or maybe, just maybe, you represent your God “I represent Jesus Christ”.
• Now of course you can represent multiple things in your life… your life can be a representation of Christ’s power in you and it can be a representation of the character of your family…
  • But I promise you, when the people of the world pick apart who you are, there will be one name that outshines them all… what name will that be.
    • Will you be an aerospace engineer who happens to love Christ…
    • Or will you be a sold out Christian who happens to be an aerospace engineer.
    • Will you be a member of Christian Life Church who happens to love Christ?
    • Or will you be a sold out, all in, signed up to die Christian who happens to have Chosen CLC as your home base?
• When Pastor Amanda and I moved to Iowa, we were shocked to find out all the things people represented before Christ…
  • Honestly, we would talk to people and they would ask “What do you do” and we would say “We are planting a church”…
    • Then they would ask, oh… what religion…
    • And we would say “We are Bible believing Christians who preach the Gospel” and they would say “Oh, I’m presbyterian…” or “That’s nice, I’m a Lutheran” or even “Oh, that’s interesting, I am a Methodist”.
      • It was so bazar, and these people would always seem confused that we identified with Christ and not some denomination…
        • Not that denominations are bad in and of themselves… but that is how they chose to identify.
        • That is the name they chose to represent…
        • And it broke their minds to think someone would represent the name of Christ…
• So again, saints, I ask… who’s name do you represent?

Acts 4:11-12 ESV  This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.  (12)  And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name (on-om-ah)  under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

• There is no other name by which we can be saved… what do you think that means, do you think that means that the name of Jesus is a magic word… like abracadabra?
  • If  we just utter these syllables we will be saved?

John 14:13-14 ESV  Whatever you ask in my name(on-om-ah)  , this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  (14)  If you ask me anything in my name(on-om-ah)  , I will do it.

• Does this mean that we don’t need to have any relationship with Christ… if we just say the word “Jesus” then He will grant us any wish we have?
  • Does that power translate into English… is it then wrong to pray saying “Jesus” maybe we should say ee-ay-sooce’ , Jesus’ name in Greek… if we want him to answer…
  • Or maybe Yeshua… His name in Hebrew… I mean which language should we use if all a name is is a group of sounds put together to make a word…

Luke 10:17 ESV  The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!”

• If the name of Jesus is just a word… then why did the demons obey the seventy two… but they did not listen to the Seven Sons of Sceva…

Acts 19:13-16 ESV  Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name (on-om-ah)   of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.”  (14)  Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this.  (15)  But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?”  (16)  And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

• If it was just a magic word, then shouldn’t the Seven Sons of Sceva been able to cast out demons with it?
• But of course the Name of Jesus, the on-om-ah of Jesus is not the sounds we make with our mouth when we say Jesus…
  • Instead it is the authority we are given by Christ through obedience and a relationship with Him.
  • You see when we love Christ, and Obey Christ… HE GIVES US AUTHORITY. And it is through that Authrotity that He attaches His name to our lives… that He attaches His name to our name… and then we have the power that comes with the authority in Christ…
  • David G, this next verse is for you!

Luke 10:17-20 ESV  The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name (on-om-ah) !”  (18)  And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.  (19)  Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.  (20)  Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names (on-om-ah) are written in heaven.”

• This brings me to my second point… are you known by the name that you represent?

Point Two – Are You Know You By that Name?

Revelation 3:1 ESV  “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.

• Are you known by the Name you represent? Are you known by that name… that’s my second point this morning…
  • You see the church of Sardis had a name they liked to tout… they like to acted like they represented the name of Christ…
    • They had a reputation… a name… a on-om-ah of being alive… but they were dead…
    • And if your representation is false… if you are faking it… if you are lying… if you are saying you represent one name, but your works, your life, your actions are saying another… then eventually you will be found out to be a phony…
    • The world will find you out… and the spirits, both good and bad, will find you out… as the Seven Sons of Sceva found out the hard way.
• The best way to explain this, and I have done this before but it is such an important concept to understand that I will keep using this example as it comes up…
  • The best way to understand this is to think of yourself as a peasant in a village in King Arthur’s Kingdoms.
  • Now, let’s assume your village is 100 miles away from King Authors castle… which might as well be an eternity for you, a hardworking mud farming peasant… but none-the-less you respect the King, you have seen his knights, you have benefited from his benevolence, you pay your taxes and obey his laws…
  • Now imagine one day a knight in shinning armor rides into your town square… His is riding a beautiful steed, he has a golden emblem of the kings seal on his chest and in his hands he holds a letter sealed with the kings signet ring…
    • He reads it “The evil French King Poppy Battom has mustered his forces against our kingdom… therefore, in the name of King Author, all households are required to pay an emergency tax of one gold coin or one abled body horse. Anyone who refuses to pay this tax will be imprisoned for treason in King Authors dungeon until their debt is paid”.
    • Now, what do you do in that situation…
      • Well you could resist… but you know the knight will overpower you and arrest you.
      • You could rally the town, and overthrow and kill the knight… but you know that would mean war with all of King Authors army, and your little peasant village would be crushed and you would be killed.
      • No probably what you would do is pay the gold coin or give up your horse… even if it was the last of your money or livestock…
      • BECAUSE THE KNIGHT COMES IN THE NAME OF KING AUTHOR AND YOU KNOW THE REPUTATION OF KING AUTHORS KNIGHTS.
        • His knights are known by that name!
    • But what if it wasn’t  knight who came running into the town square… instead it was Jeffery… Ugh… Jeffery…
      • Everyone in town knows Jeffery… He is a drunk, and a thief, and a liar…
      • And Jeffery pulls out a letter with no seal on it and reads it to all the towns folk…
      • Hear Ye, Hear Ye, in the evil king Poopy Bottom is invade our country, therefore in the name of King Author I levy an emergency tax of 1 gold coin or 1 able bodied horse… Anyone who does not pay me will be thrown into King Authors Dungeon.
        • Now what are you going to do?
          • Well you could ignore Jeffery.
          • You could beat him up.
          • Or you could rally the town together and tar and feather ol’ Jeffery to really teach him a lesson.
          • But what you are certainly NOT going to do is give him the last of your livestock or money… why? Because Jeffery is not known by the name of King Author…
            • He is known by the names “Drunk” and “Thief” and “Liar”.
• So the Seven Sons of Sceva found themselves like ol’ Jeffery… they acted like they represented the name of Jesus… but the demons did not know them by that name.
• So church, are you known by the name of Christ… you may represent the name of Christ all well and good, but are you known by that name.
• Back to our key verses this morning:

Revelation 3:3-4 ESV  Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.  (4)  Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.

• There are two kinds of people in the church of Sardis… those who solid their garments, and those who didn’t…
  • Our garments, church, are what the world sees… they see what we wear on the outside…
  • Do we wear Christ and the thing of Christ on the outside? Love, Joy, Peace, Righteousness, Hope… Do we bear the name of Christ on our garments…
  • Or have we soiled our garments by acting a fool, like sorry ol’ Jeffery?

Philippians 2:12-16 ESV  Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,  (13)  for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.  (14)  Do all things without grumbling or disputing,  (15)  that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,  (16)  holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.

• Did you catch that? When you don’t obey… when you grumble, and argue, and are guilty of sin… when you do these things you blemish your garments… in other words YOU SOIL YOURSELF.
  • And it’s not just in the presence of Christ… it’s not just at church or religious functions… BUT MUCH MORE when you are in the world…

Philippians 2:12 ESV  Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence…

• Now Jesus was literally saying “I am here with you now, but I am fixing to ascend into heaven… you have to live right even more so when I am not with you.
  • But I think the application still stands… obey Christ in church and religious functions… but even more so obey Christ at work, and at school, and when around un-believing family.
  • Because they are watching you.
    • And they know that you claim the name of Christ… at least I hope they do…
    • Therefore, PROVE THAT YOU ARE WHO YOU SAY YOU ARE.
    • Do all things with love and patience and endurance.
    • Because when you cuss someone out, you are doing that as someone who bares the name of Christ.
      • When you have sex outside of marriage, you are doing so as someone who bares the name of Christ.
      • When you are dishonest or greedy in your business dealings, you are doing so as someone who bares the name of Christ.
  • I AM SO SICK OF THE WORLD SAYING “The church is full of hypocrites” because THEY ARE RIGHT. The problem is not with the world, it is with us!
    • Imagine if everyone who claimed the name of Christ LIVED the name of Christ…
    • Then I think many more would come to know Jesus…
    • I think many more demons would be cast out.
    • I think many more nations would bow down.
  • BUT IT STARTS WITH US! We must not only bare the name of Christ… but live a life that proves the name of Christ, then in so doing we will have the power and authority of the name of Christ in our lives.
• It starts with CLC… let us be the most loving, peaceful, joyful, hopeful, righteous, holy, God honoring, Christ obeying church that we can be… and let our names, our on-om-ah be found in the book of life.

Conclusion

• Let me conclude with this… if you have already soiled your garments, you have already made a mess of things in your life… there is good news, clothes were made to be washed.
  • John 1:17 tells us the blood of Christ will wash our sins away…
  • If you have never been born again, you need your sins washed away, you need to be saved.
• Gospel Call
  • Now maybe you have been born again, but you have taken your brand new white garments and soiled them with sin after sin… there is good news for you too… clothes were made to be washed…

Revelation 3:4-5 ESV  Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.  (5)  The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.

• You see there are some living righteously, they have not soiled their garments with sexual immorality, with tolerating sin, with false idols… they are called worthy.
  • But still there are others, others who have sin that they have allowed to creep in and mess everything up… But if they are to conquer that sin, but repenting, by confessing, by finding healing and forgiveness in Christ… they too will be clothed in white garments.
  • Now there is a warning here… some may find their names blotted out or erased from the book of life… if you fall into sin, and you don’t fight it, you don’t conquer it… you may find your name erased from the book of life, that’s what verse 5 implies…
  • And I don’t know how that works, and I am not saying you can necessarily lose your salvation… but the implication of having your name blotted out is there… and I certainly don’t want that for you, so I beg of you… get your life right… conquer that sin… and be washed afresh in the blood of Christ.
    • We are not going to do an altar call, we did that last week, instead I urge you, overcome… conquer, fight, confess, and repent.
    • Find someone to confess to and hold you accountable and get some allies in the fight! Amen?!