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As I've gotten older, I have
realized there are two types of car

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owner, especially when it
comes to approaching that one thing

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that we all dread, the mot.

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There are car owners who take
their car to a mechanic for an annual

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service to make sure that
everything is in working order, that

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the vehicle is safe to drive,
and that they will have a certain

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confidence that the car indeed
will pass the test through those

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great big blue doors.

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And this confidence is based
on the fact that they have done everything

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that they can to assure the
vehicle is not only ready, but will

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go through each part of the
MoT and come out the other side with

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a certificate of fitness.

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Now, that's how I grew up.

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It wasn't until I did my
assistantship in Kirkpatrick Memorial

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that I discovered my boss
didn't do things that way.

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And this is when I discovered
there's a second type of person when

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it comes to the MoT because
there are those who use the MoT to

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find out what's wrong with the car.

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Can you believe it?

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They will book the test, take
the vehicle to the test center, and

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then wait.

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And in their waiting, they hope.

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They hope.

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They cling to that outside
seat with hope that it will pass,

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but they know that they will
be ready to rebook a test if work

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is needed to get the vehicle
up to standard.

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Now, you may already be
placing yourself in one of these

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categories, and you may
already have judged which category

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I'm in, thanks to my father,
but I'm not here to judge your practice.

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But I do want to make a point
that when we approach the mot, we

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generally have nothing to fear
if we have done the work in advance,

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because the other option is 20
minutes of an uncomfortable wait

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until the result is revealed,
and whatever's discovered is discovered.

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You see, for the one who waits
on the test to diagnose a problem

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with the car, they could be in
for a terrible shock when they hear

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that work is needed.

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And if they want to drive the
vehicle, then they need to get the

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work done within a certain
time frame so that the car is road

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worthy.

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And I use this illustration
because this is what it must have

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been like for the church in Sardis.

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They thought they were okay.

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They thought they could pass
any test, but under the judgment

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of Christ, they were found to
be wanting.

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And if you've been following
along, you will know that as you

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look at this map with Patmos
where John is writing in the Adriatic

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Sea, there, you will see that
we're moving across to the west.

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And so we're coming now to
these final three churches that are

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the furthest away from Patmos,
with Sardis and Philadelphia, and

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then Laodicea, the furthest away.

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And so here in Sardis, they
think they have nothing to fear when

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it comes to being judged by Jesus.

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You see, this sense of
security in this church in particular

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may have come from the general
attitude of the city in which it's

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found.

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The city of Sardis believed
that it was invincible from attacks.

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Its fortress was on cliffs
thought to be unscalable.

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But twice in its history, the
cliffs were scaled and the city was

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defeated.

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And so the church in Sardis,
as is recorded here for us, was repeating

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the history of its city.

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The risen Jesus addresses the
Church as the one who has the Holy

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Spirit and the seven angels.

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Every church up to this point
has received a commendation, but

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Sardis receives absolutely none.

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Their condemnation comes quickly.

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In verse one, this is what
Christ says to the church and to

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the angel of the church in
Sardis write the words of him who

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has the seven spirits of God
and the seven stars.

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This is what Jesus says.

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I know your works.

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You have the reputation of
being alive, but you are dead.

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Now, that is a shocking
judgment that the church was not

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expecting.

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The church may appear to be
alive, they may appear to be busy,

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they may appear to be doing things.

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But when it comes to the
reality of living for Jesus, by his

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standard, the Church is
actually dead, or at least near death.

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And what Jesus is summoning
this church to do is to wake up and

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to act before it is too late.

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Because the matter is urgent.

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The church is summoned to
remember and it is summoned to repent.

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For if they continue to, let's
face it, degenerate, Jesus will come

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as a thief and he will judge them.

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And the criticism of the
Church isn't universal, because as

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we read about this church, we
know that there are some who are

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worthy and who live in a way
that is pleasing to God.

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Only those who overcome will
receive white garments, have their

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names inscribed in the book of
life, and be acknowledged before

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the Father and the angels.

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But look what Jesus says in
verse two.

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To them, again, it's wake up.

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But after they wake up, look
at what they're to do and strengthen

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what remains and is about to die.

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For I have not found your
works complete in the sight of my

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God.

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And so the church of Sardis is
told to wake up as if it is in a

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slumber.

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Jesus is sounding the alarm
that they need to pay attention to

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and that they need to act.

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And this action is to
strengthen what remains.

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So there's a glimmer of faith
within them, but it is at risk of

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dying if they don't pay
attention to their souls.

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They've not been living as
they should, and so they are found

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lacking.

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They've not kept to what they
have heard and what they've been

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taught about the Gospel.

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And so Jesus is calling them
back so that they might be saved.

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He is challenging them to keep
what they know and to repent of sin.

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And only through this
repentance can they know and can

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they hold any assurance of salvation.

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But there is a stark warning
in the second half of verse three.

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Verse three says, remember
then, what you received and heard.

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That's what they're told to
base their strengthening on.

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But Jesus says, keep it and repent.

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If you will not wake up, I
will come like a thief.

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And you will not know at what
hour I will come against you.

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I remember being told of a
time before I was born when our family

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home was broken into by burglars.

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The burglars came when no one
was expecting them.

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And it was a surprise to my
parents when they arrived home to

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find the house ransacked.

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And this is the image that
Jesus is giving here.

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This may be a church that
thinks it is in touch with the matters

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of God, but Jesus says that he
will come to judge them when they

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least expect it and notice how
he approaches.

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Not only is he coming as a
thief who will come quietly and unexpectedly,

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but because he knows their
sin, sin that they clearly have not

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acknowledged or repented of,
he will come against them.

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Now, this is very different
from what the rest of what we read

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in the New Testament.

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All too often we see that
Jesus is for his people and is close

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to them.

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Isn't that what we've read
with other churches, that he is near?

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But when it comes to sin, it
cannot be tolerated, particularly

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by those who ignore or even
justify their wrongdoing and yet

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take the name of Christ.

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So let me ask you a question.

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Now, this is for each and
every one of us.

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This is not one of those
moments to guess who this question

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is relevant for.

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It is relevant for each of us,
and each of us must answer it.

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Are you aware of your own sin?

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That's the challenge that is
given to the church in Sardis, because

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we all fall into sin.

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And that sin pulls us away
from the things of faith that we

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claim to hold so dear.

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We allow sin to run free at
times because it makes us feel good,

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or we get something off our
chest, or we perceive it makes us

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better than everyone else, yet
it will only corrupt us and make

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us unloving towards the things
of God.

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Like the Christians in Sardis,
we can talk the talk, but sometimes

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that's all it is.

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And if you think this question
doesn't apply to you, then please

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think again.

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Because remember the warning
John gives in his first letter.

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In First John 1, verse 8, if
we say we have no sin, we deceive

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ourselves, and the truth is
not in us.

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Sin is a reality, and that
reality of sin must be dealt with

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by us all.

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But there is hope.

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And that's what verse four
goes on to tell us.

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Because if we repent, then we
will know that great assurance of

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salvation, just as Jesus says
to the Church.

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Yet you have still a few names
in Sardis, people who have not soiled

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their garments, and they will
walk with me in white, for they are

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worthy.

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Here are people who have not
dirtied themselves with sin and are

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living as they should, not
perfect, but living by the standard

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of God.

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There are but a few in Sardis,
but they are faithful, and they will

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be faithful to the end.

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They can be sure that the
spiritual life that has been breathed

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into them when they were
joined to Christ would have its full

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effect.

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The righteousness of Christ
pictured as white garments, would

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become an increasing reality
in their lives and would be fully

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realized one day in his presence.

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And when the day comes that
the Book of Life is opened, well,

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we'll read more about that
when we get to Revelation 20.

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But it will contain a list of
names, their names because of their

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faithfulness to God.

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So Sardis has two people, a
majority who are dead and a small

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minority who are alive and who
will know the blessing of their faithfulness.

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And so this letter closes with
the same words that we find in the

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other seven letters.

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The words of the risen Lord
Jesus, the words of the One who has

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the Spirit of God.

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These are the words of the
Spirit as well.

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They're directed not just to
the church in Sardis, but to all

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the churches, and must be
heeded with urgency.

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And this urgency must be heeded.

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Today, the day in which we're
living remains an urgent day.

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It's not like a car going to
the MOT to see what is wrong, but

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rather this is to be the day
that we go to Christ, who loves us,

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who gave his life for us, who
forgives us of our sins and presents

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us ready to meet the Father in glory.

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We go to the One who knows us.

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We can go to the One who makes
us ready to meet God, rather than

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taking our chances in the
blind hope that we will get through,

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do you take your sin seriously?

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Do you have Christ deal with it?

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Or are you simply gonna wait
and hope for the best?

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We may do that with our cars,
and probably more times than not,

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they pass.

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But when it comes to the sin
in our lives, it is something that

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will not pass if we do not
confess it and seek Christ and his

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forgiveness.

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So Sardis is in a very
difficult position.

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They're in a position where
they need life because they are truly

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dead.

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And how different it is for
the church in Philadelphia.

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Philadelphia is the
penultimate church that we look at,

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that second to last before we
come to Laodicea.

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And, of course, Laodicea, we
know famously, is lukewarm.

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So it's a little bit better
than Sardis, but not much.

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But Philadelphia's different.

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And so while the church in
Sardis was given no commendation,

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well, the church of
Philadelphia, like the church of

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Smyrna, receives no rebuke at all.

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The church here was
threatened, as were many cities in

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the province of Asia, by this
imperial cult, this worship, the

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Caesar.

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And this is addressed by the
risen Son of man, who is holy and

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true, exercising the authority
of the key of David, and opens and

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shuts according to his will.

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And the church is commended
for its works and has been given

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an open door because of its
faithfulness, an open door that no

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one can shut.

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The synagogue of the Jews is
opposing the church.

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And notice how it's described
here as Satan's Synagogue.

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And we'll think about that in
a moment.

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But we heard this charge
against the Jews in Smyrna in chapter

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two as well.

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See, they will ultimately
recognize that the believers here

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in Philadelphia are loved by
the Messiah, and they'll acknowledge

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such before all.

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But since the church has been
faithful, they will be protected

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in the time of testing that is
striking the entire world.

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And so Jesus calls the church
to hold on, to hold fast in order

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to receive the reward, because
he is coming soon.

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And what we're told of this
church is that those who conquer

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will be part of the new
temple, the heavenly Jerusalem.

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They will enjoy eternal life
in the heavenly city, in the renewed

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universe in which God dwells.

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And so, as we get into the
verses that speak of the church in

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Philadelphia, we read of the
key of David in verse seven.

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And whenever we think of a
key, we automatically think of a

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lock, probably a lock in a door.

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And having read on, we know
that a door is mentioned in verse

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8.

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So what's the image that we're
Given here?

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Well, all of revelation, in fact.

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The whole of the Bible is
about the kingdom of God.

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And as the Son of David, Jesus
holds the keys to this kingdom.

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He has thrown open the door
for the nations to come in and nothing

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can stop it.

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That's what verse eight tells
tells us.

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I know your works.

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Behold, I have set before you
an open door which no one is able

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to shut.

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I know that you have but
little power.

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And yet you have kept my word
and have not denied my name.

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Philadelphia, a church of Jew
and Gentile coming together.

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The nations coming in to worship.

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And they have remained
faithful even though they have little

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power.

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In other words, their social
standing is so low that no one responds

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them.

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But they have kept his word
and they have not denied his name

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when society has forced them
to see, this door was opened.

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Because although the church at
Philadelphia had little power, so

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they're a small church with
little influence, yet they have faithfully

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kept to the words of Christ.

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They faithfully held his name
and did not go against it.

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The Philadelphian church,
despite opposition from the Emperor

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cult in the Jewish synagogue,
continue to be faithful.

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They confessed the name of
Christ in the face of what was concerted

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opposition.

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And we know this because it is
coming from the Jewish synagogue.

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And verse nine is of great
comfort to the church because those

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persecuting them, the Jews,
will face their punishment.

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These are the Jews who are
supposed to be looking for the Messiah.

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So there's no mistake here as
to why the name Messiah is is written

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in this section.

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Well, Christ's judgment on
them is that they are not Jews at

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all.

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They are simply religious hypocrites.

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And so they will be punished.

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00:17:23,860 --> 00:17:26,580
And that will be seen in their
being brought low.

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00:17:27,780 --> 00:17:33,260
And in that position, that low
estate of punishment, they will see

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God's love for Jew and Gentile
who do believe in Jesus.

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It is the church of Jesus
Christ, not ethnic Jews who refuse

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to believe in Jesus or the
elect people of God.

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00:17:48,360 --> 00:17:51,560
And the faithfulness of the
church in Philadelphia will be rewarded.

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00:17:51,880 --> 00:17:55,640
And this is what said to them
in verse 10, because you have kept

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my word about patient
endurance, I will keep you from the

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hour of trial that is coming
on the whole world to try those who

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dwell on the earth.

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And so their comfort continues
because the believers will be kept

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safe by Christ from the
testing that was coming upon the

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world.

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And we find in this verse the
idea that things will become more

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difficult before the end.

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00:18:19,280 --> 00:18:24,440
And it is this time that Jesus
speaks about in John chapter 17 and

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00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:28,800
verse 15 when he says, I do
not ask that you take them out of

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the world, but that you keep
them from the evil one.

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So Christ is knowing that the
church must endure the testing that

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is about to come, and he
actually prays that they will remain,

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but that they will be kept
from the evil one.

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And in the words of the
Protestant Reformers, we call this

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preservation of the saints
kept until the end.

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And this is the promise that
is given to them here.

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They are to hold fast to the
truth they know because Jesus is

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00:19:03,770 --> 00:19:08,850
returning and he wants to find
them continuing to live as they have

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00:19:08,850 --> 00:19:12,210
been commended for those who
do hold fast.

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Those who conquer will be made
a pillar in the temple of God and

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00:19:16,210 --> 00:19:18,610
have the name of God and His
city written on them.

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00:19:18,610 --> 00:19:22,610
In other words, they will have
a permanent place in the temple of

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00:19:22,610 --> 00:19:27,770
God, which is the people of
God, who will endure into eternity.

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00:19:28,090 --> 00:19:31,690
They may have little power
now, but the strength of Christ will

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00:19:31,690 --> 00:19:33,930
turn them into pillars of strength.

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00:19:34,410 --> 00:19:39,410
His name will be written on
them, an affirmation of their belonging

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00:19:39,410 --> 00:19:43,450
to his city, where they will
enjoy his presence and they'll enjoy

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00:19:43,450 --> 00:19:45,850
his protection forever.

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00:19:47,050 --> 00:19:50,930
And once again, we are urged
to pay attention so that we will

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hear the word of the Spirit to
the churches.

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And this word should encourage
believers to keep going, knowing

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that we will be kept by the
Savior until the day we are called

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00:20:02,020 --> 00:20:03,860
home or he returns.

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00:20:04,660 --> 00:20:08,820
We are to set our hope on him
and keep in his ways.

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00:20:08,820 --> 00:20:12,420
That's what the message to
these two churches is.

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The churches of Sardis and
Philadelphia are to pay attention.

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00:20:18,820 --> 00:20:23,080
They're to pay attention to
the risen Lord Jesus, so that they

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00:20:23,080 --> 00:20:27,400
may know forgiveness of their
sins, and they may be kept until

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00:20:27,400 --> 00:20:28,040
the end.

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00:20:30,440 --> 00:20:35,480
The risen Lord Jesus, as He is
commanding them, is commanding us

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00:20:35,560 --> 00:20:38,520
to look to him and not to the world.

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00:20:39,160 --> 00:20:43,960
He's commanding us to stay the
course of faith so that we will know

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00:20:43,960 --> 00:20:46,600
our good and our true reward.

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00:20:49,810 --> 00:20:55,570
And for some here, perhaps the
days are feeling long and wearisome.

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00:20:56,850 --> 00:21:01,250
Maybe we're thinking it's not
worth it because of everything else

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00:21:01,250 --> 00:21:06,450
that's going on in the world,
everything else that's going on in

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00:21:06,450 --> 00:21:10,810
work, everything else that's
going on in our families, everything

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00:21:10,810 --> 00:21:12,450
else that's going on in society.

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00:21:13,580 --> 00:21:16,620
Maybe we feel it's just not
worth it.

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00:21:17,420 --> 00:21:22,500
And so, like the church in
Sardis, we want to appear to have

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00:21:22,500 --> 00:21:26,580
not change, but yet within we
are dead because we have allowed

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00:21:26,580 --> 00:21:33,140
our hearts and our souls to be
content in what is around us rather

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00:21:33,140 --> 00:21:38,140
than in what is above, simply
because we believe it is too hard.

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00:21:40,150 --> 00:21:45,830
I want to encourage you this
evening to take God's word and place

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00:21:45,830 --> 00:21:46,630
it deep within.

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00:21:47,830 --> 00:21:49,190
Keep going.

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00:21:50,150 --> 00:21:55,910
There is forgiveness for
Sardis, and there is glorious hope

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00:21:55,990 --> 00:21:57,110
for Philadelphia.

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00:21:58,310 --> 00:22:02,150
That means there is grace for
us and mercy.

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00:22:02,790 --> 00:22:07,760
And there is hope that we will
keep going to the end.

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00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:13,600
That as we seek forgiveness of
sins, as we live for Christ, so we

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00:22:13,600 --> 00:22:16,080
will set our hope on him.

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00:22:16,640 --> 00:22:20,599
And a hymn that has helped me
to express this is entitled that

361
00:22:20,599 --> 00:22:21,920
I Set My Hope in Jesus.

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00:22:22,400 --> 00:22:24,320
And the last verse says this.

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00:22:24,880 --> 00:22:29,800
Though the world call me to
leave, my Lord, I set my hope on

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00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:30,240
Jesus.

365
00:22:31,210 --> 00:22:36,970
Though it offer all its vain
rewards, I set my hope on Jesus.

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00:22:37,850 --> 00:22:42,810
Though this heart of mine be
pruned astray, Give me grace enough

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00:22:42,890 --> 00:22:50,210
to finish Till I worship on
that final day, I set my hope on

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00:22:50,210 --> 00:22:50,810
Jesus.

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00:22:54,090 --> 00:22:58,730
In many ways, it's a verse
that sums up the position that these

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00:22:58,810 --> 00:23:00,010
two churches are in.

371
00:23:00,970 --> 00:23:04,610
Because whether you're in
Sardis or Philadelphia, we all need

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00:23:04,610 --> 00:23:06,570
to set our hope on Jesus.

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00:23:07,610 --> 00:23:10,810
So as we finish, let me ask
you, will you set your hope on Jesus

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00:23:12,010 --> 00:23:16,050
not as a car going to the MOT
without having first been to the

375
00:23:16,050 --> 00:23:21,450
mechanic, but with confidence,
knowing that you are his and he has

376
00:23:21,450 --> 00:23:22,970
done his work in you.

377
00:23:23,870 --> 00:23:28,390
Will you repent of sin and
have this glorious hope that you

378
00:23:28,390 --> 00:23:32,630
are being preserved for that
final day when you will worship God

379
00:23:32,630 --> 00:23:34,030
for all eternity?

380
00:23:34,990 --> 00:23:37,550
Because we need glorious hope.

381
00:23:38,110 --> 00:23:41,590
We need to know the message
that is given to the churches then

382
00:23:41,590 --> 00:23:47,310
and the church now that we
look to Jesus so that we can have

383
00:23:47,310 --> 00:23:49,870
this great hope that indeed
will see us through.

384
00:23:49,870 --> 00:23:54,170
And not just that, but will
see us home.

385
00:23:55,210 --> 00:23:56,730
Set your hope on Jesus.

386
00:23:57,450 --> 00:24:05,050
Trust only on him and know his
guiding hand as we make our way through

387
00:24:05,050 --> 00:24:07,930
this world until we reach heaven.

388
00:24:08,330 --> 00:24:09,130
Let's pray.

389
00:24:10,010 --> 00:24:13,930
Our Father God, once again we
thank you for your word.

390
00:24:14,490 --> 00:24:20,030
Your word that assures us of
truth that indeed Christ is coming

391
00:24:20,030 --> 00:24:20,430
back.

392
00:24:20,990 --> 00:24:26,550
But our glorious hope is in
him to keep us until that day, whatever

393
00:24:26,550 --> 00:24:27,390
we may face.

394
00:24:28,190 --> 00:24:32,710
For as we've sung through this
evening, we've sung of your great

395
00:24:32,710 --> 00:24:34,030
power through salvation.

396
00:24:34,510 --> 00:24:38,430
We've sung of your love that
will bring us into everlasting praise.

397
00:24:39,550 --> 00:24:42,870
And, Father, we worship you
because of what you've given us in

398
00:24:42,870 --> 00:24:43,310
Jesus.

399
00:24:45,060 --> 00:24:47,900
So, Father, may we respond to
your word, not thinking that it is

400
00:24:47,900 --> 00:24:50,980
for somebody else, but that we
will look deep within.

401
00:24:52,100 --> 00:24:55,140
And, Lord, we will come to you
so that we will know your forgiveness.

402
00:24:55,860 --> 00:24:57,540
We will know that renewed hope.

403
00:24:58,340 --> 00:25:02,460
And, Father, as the Lord Jesus
prayed, indeed we may be kept in

404
00:25:02,460 --> 00:25:04,340
this world in this time of testing.

405
00:25:04,820 --> 00:25:07,540
But, Father, we indeed will be
kept from the evil one.

406
00:25:08,260 --> 00:25:09,420
So, Father, keep us strong.

407
00:25:09,420 --> 00:25:11,770
We pray as we look ever to you.

408
00:25:12,410 --> 00:25:14,890
In Jesus name, amen.