SESSION 6 RECAP: H.B. CHARLES JR., "Sardis"

Editor’s Note: Shaan Sloan is the Teaching Pastor at Heritage Christian Fellowship in Albuquerque, NM. He is a member of the Albuquerque Chapter of The Gospel Coalition. This post is a summary of H.B. Charles Jr.’s message from Saturday afternoon at Clarus, March 2, “Sardis” from Revelation 3.:1-6

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In HB’s careful fashion, he gave an overview of this text’s warning to the church in Sardis. Jesus gives four wake up calls to this dead church:

1.   “The rebuke came when Jesus said, “I know your works” – “I know” the reality about who you are and what you have done. You have reputation for being alive, but I know you are dead.” This is a warning about nominal Christianity, a false presumption of salvation. They pretend to be something they are not. This is Jesus rebuke of religious hypocrisy. (Verse 1)

2.   HB warns to be complete in our obedience (rather than careful in our disobedience). Cleverly he points out, shifting metaphors from “dead church” to “sleeping church”:  “WAKE UP!” (Verse 2)

3.   Remember what you received from God, and the Lord Jesus, in the gospel. He admonished us, that if we are to be restored, we must remember what we received. Keep it and repent. The call to repent is a picture of His mercy. You CAN come to God because He is rich in mercy (Eph. 2:4-6). HB, here gave an excellent Gospel proclamation. Bad news (sin has alienated us from God), worse news (we can’t fix), good news (God has provided a way for us to be saved through the death and resurrection of Jesus), and best news (God will give you new life and eternal hope if you will repent). (Verse 3)

4.   Those in white garments, these are the overcomers; they are those who have victory after struggle. HB quoted Rev. 7:13-14, “These are the ones coming out of the Great Tribulation… They overcame by the blood of the Lamb.” Their salvation, like ours, is not a work of the flesh but a gift of God.