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Heat. Good morning everyone. I'm Renee and welcome to First Baptist Church Fort Mill.

We are so excited you and [music] your family are here. Whether you are joining us online or in person, there are so many ways to stay connected here at the church. Our celebrators senior adult group will be having its annual cookout this Wednesday, July 15th, from 11:30 until 1:00 p.m.

here at the church. There will be food and a pianoist. [music] Please bring a side dish or dessert to share.

You can register online or call the church office. We hope you'll join us on Saturday, August 1st, where we will be sharing Jesus across the street in the paradise community. We will provide backpacks and school supplies for students, host activities [music] for children, pray over our neighbors, and share the love of Christ.

We are in need of school supplies. To find out a list and to sign up for the event, just go to fbcfm.com/events. [music] And on the evening of Sunday, August 2nd, we will come together as a church family for a baptism celebration.

[music] We will host a special baptism service followed by an ice cream social. We would love for you to be a part of this [music] special celebration. To learn more, just go to our website.

Thanks again [music] for being here with us today. We would love to stay connected with you throughout the week and there are some simple ways that you [music] can do that. You can simply follow the instructions on the tap card located in front of you or fill out a connect card.

[music] And thank you so much for your faithful giving. Because of it, we can share the hope of Christ [music] here in our community and around the world. Thanks again for being here.

Have a great weekend. >> Well, good morning church. >> It's good to see everybody.

We are so glad that you have joined us in worship this morning here at First Baptist Church Fort Mill. My name is Todd Hersburgger and this is my 30 closest friends right here. Tell everybody hi.

>> There you go. They are about to sing for us here in a few minutes. As you know, we had a kids uh music camp here about uh about two weeks ago and they learned all sorts of instruments and songs and and dances and all the things.

And so they are going to uh sing for us here in a moment. But we're just glad that you have chosen to worship with us and we're excited uh just to be in the Lord's house today. If you are here for the first time or maybe the first time in a long time or maybe you just have some questions about who we are, in front of you on the seat back in front of you there is a tap card.

uh you can just hold your phone up to it and it'll give you uh it'll send you to our app, our website that'll allow you to just to see who we are. If you're here for the very first time, uh you could just fill out a couple of lines of who you are and we can connect with you. We would love to just share what's happening here at First Baptist Church Fort Mill and how we can serve you and your family better.

And so we would love to connect with you through that tap card. Uh again, as you saw on on the screens, there's so much happening. Uh it is the middle of July and everybody's been to the beach three or four times, but we're still here and we're doing all the things.

And we're super excited this week as we'll be doing kids camp. We'll be going to Central Kid at Gardener Web and we're excited about uh those kids and leaders that'll be there. And then our student ministry uh our youth group is going to be heading to Anderson University uh for Crossroads Summer Camp.

And and we're excited to load up some charter buses and head uh head west and just have an amazing week. and we're looking forward to what God is going to do in the life of our next generation that is here. But if you are a kid or if you're a student or if you're a parent, there's so much for you to do.

But also, if you saw the screen, we have a celebrator's lunchon uh this Wednesday. So, if you're a senior adult, we would love for you to to jump in on that, build community and relationships and enjoy some good food while you get to know people. We love to do life together here at First Baptist Church, Fort Mill, and we would love for you to be a part of that.

And so we're excited about what God is doing on our campus and we're excited that we get to worship this morning. So we would love to connect with you if you're here for the first time or maybe you haven't been here in a while. We would love love love to connect with you with that.

Well, we've got a special day. As you can see, these kids are about to sing here in a minute. We're going to go to the Lord in prayer and then I'm going to introduce them and then we're going to begin to worship.

Father, we love you this morning. God, we thank you for all of your many blessings in our lives. God, you've been so good to us.

God, we are grateful that you are the same yesterday, today, and forever. And God, I just pray that you'll be with each individual in this room as they come in here with their burdens of uh of the world, of of life, and just all the distractions that are outside of this room. And I pray now that you'll help us to focus on you for this next hour, God.

I pray that we can set everything aside and we can hear from you. And God, that you'll just move in many lives. And God, as we uh load up buses and vans this week with kids and students, God, I pray that you will go with us and keep us safe.

Lord, that you will move uh powerfully in the in the lives of our students and our kids. So God, we just love you and we just lift you up and we praise you this morning for all that you have done and all that you're going to do. God, in your name we pray.

Amen. And so our kids music camp was a couple of weeks ago and there were 150 plus kids that showed up and and they did a lot of things. Well, the premise around the entire camp was Psalm 105.

And so they kind of built everything around that. Well, because they had the premise, but they didn't have a song. There's this wonderful kid sitting over here at the piano named Asher Walker.

And so he composed the song that they're about to sing. And so, um, I wrote it and gave him all the ideas. He just Oh, no.

Maybe not. [laughter] Maybe not. So, uh, Asher Walker is, uh, going to play and he composed it and our kids are about to sing.

Are we ready for this this morning? I know mama and daddies are. All right, Miss Melinda.

[music] Give thanks to the Lord. Hallelujah. Happy [music] single glory is [music] the glory host.

>> [music] >> Sing to him for [music] holy and the holy people. >> [applause] >> I [music] told you what you got to do is to give those [music] people I'm talking Jonah [singing] started whining and whailing. [music] So he got in the boat to start [singing] sailing Jonah.

[singing and music] We should go and tell the news to the [music and singing] great big city of Naba. [music] Storm [singing] came up in the middle of the night and gave the sailor [music and singing] quite a whiff [music] [singing] of whailing. >> [music] >> You are you [singing] going [music] to go and tell the news to the great [singing] big city of above.

[music] After [singing] Jonah with the whale, he reached God's [music] mercies without fail. [singing] covered in the people's hearts. Despite the smell of fishy parts [music and singing] on Jon [music and singing] show through [music and singing] the darkness of the great big city of [music] the lesson [singing] it [music] all to God's God save him with his power.

[music] [singing] >> [music] >> grown up. [music and singing] Great big city of great big [music] city of the great big city of [music] Jonah. [applause] >> [applause] >> Well, thank you, kids choir.

You guys did such a good job. You don't have to turn around and look at me. It's okay.

You can you can make your way off the stage. Thank you guys so much. I was so uh privileged to be a part of our music camp a couple weeks ago.

We had a worship band class and guitar class and so many classes. And it's so cool to be a part of a church that truly is invest in investing in the next generation, but also the church of today. And so some of these students will be in our student band as they get in middle school.

And then uh we'll continue to utilize them and teach them what worship is as they grow in their relationship with Christ. And so thank you for being so generous and allowing us to be a part of a church where we get to do things like that. Well, church, uh I hope that started your morning off right.

And like Pastor Todd said, there's a ton going on this summer. So, be in prayer for our our camps coming up and all that God is doing. And I just want to encourage you out of Lamentations chapter 3 this morning.

God's word says this. But this I call to mind and therefore I have hope. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases.

His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.

The Lord is my portion, says my soul. Therefore, I will hope in him. The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.

I don't know if you're tired this morning, church, or you're weary, but God continues to offer you grace and will sustain you no matter what you're going through. And so, we're going to learn a new song this morning called abide. And I just want you to think about, man, we talk about that word.

What does it mean to abide in Christ? And so I kind of like the definition that I heard and so it'll be on the screen in a second, but essentially abiding in Christ is allowing God's word to fill our minds, direct our wills, and transform our affections for him. It's a constant trusting in and reliance upon God that's from him.

It's all grace. And so I'm going to teach you a song this morning. I'm going to sing it once and then invite you to sing it with me.

Uh and then we'll all stand and worship together this morning. It's really simple. It goes like this.

goes like this. You're the way, the truth, and the life. You're the well [singing] that never runs dry.

I'm the branch and you are the vine. Draw me close and teach me to abide. All right, you got that?

Can you sing it with me this morning? All right, let's try it. Here we go.

You're the way, the truth, and the life. It goes like this. You're the way, the truth, and the life.

That's right. You're the well that never runs dry. [singing] I'm [music] the branch and you are the vine.

Draw me close [singing] and teach me [music] to abide. Let's sing this morning. Let's stand, church.

[music] For my every breath, for my daily [music] breath, I [music and singing] depend on you. That's right. I depend on you [music] for the [singing] sun to rise for my sleep [music] at night.

I [music] depend on you. Yes, I [music and singing] depend on you. You're the way, the truth, and the life.

[music] You're the well that never runs dry. [singing] [music] I'm the branch and you are find. Draw [music] me close [singing] and teach me to abide in [music] where the spirit leads.

As I'm following, [music and singing] I depend on [music and singing] you. Yes, I depend on you for the victory [music] stand in front [singing] of me. [music] I depend [singing] on you.

Yes, I deepen on you. You're the way, [music] truth, and life. You're the world that never runs right.

[singing] I'm the bridge in [music] you. I was right. Draw me close and teach me to be [music] my strength, my song in the night.

Be my home, my treasure, my prize. I am yours forever. You're [music] mine.

Draw me close and teach me [music] to abide. Yes, [singing] Lord. [music] So we pass through death.

As I pass through [music] death, as I enter, [singing] we depend. I [music] depend on you. Yes, I depend on [singing] you.

For [music] eternal [singing] life, I to be raised with [music] Christ [singing] on you. [music] Yes, I deep on you. You're the way, [music] the truth, and life.

You're the will that never die. I'm [music] you close and teach me to be my strength, my soul [music] in the night. Be my home, my treasure, [music] my prize.

I am yours forever. >> [music] >> Dra teach me to [music] Lord. I am yours [music] forever.

Draw me close [music] and teach me to. Thank you, Lord. [music] Christ is worthy this morning, church, every voice.

Here we go. [music] Cuz I hear the Savior say I'm straight into his home. [music] How we watch what you find in me thy Jesus.

[music] Jesus made it all [singing] [music] to him. Sin [music] had left the thorns in stain. He lost to my [music] indeed I find my [music] friend and I alone.

and change [singing] the songs and [music] the heart. Jesus Jesus [music] made it all. That's [singing] right.

Oh to him [music] I s he washing white and snow. He washed away all my sin, [music] all my shame. Thank you, Lord.

Before the throne and [music] before [singing] your throne, I stand in him complete. [music] Jesus died [singing] my soul to sing. You believe that [music] shall every voice.

[music and singing] That's right. >> All to him I [music] sin [singing] had left a crimson stain. He washed it white and smelt the sin.

[music] Sing [singing] of crimson stain. [music] He wash it white as snow. He washed.

He wash it white as snow. He wash He wash it white as snow. [music] The name of all nations church the [music] word my dead raise his life from the dead praise the [music] word my dead raises [music] life from the dead praise the word my [music] Praise his life from the dead.

Praise the world. [music] My dead life from the dead. Oh, praise the world.

My dead [music] life from the dead. Raise the world. my dead [music] raises my dead [music] Jesus made [singing] it all.

To him I sin had left a crimson stain. He washed [singing] it [music] white as snow. >> Jesus >> Jesus [singing] paid it all.

All [singing] to him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed [singing] it white as snow.

>> Lord, you were the only savior, the only one worthy of our praise, of our affections, the only one who we truly find satisfaction in. Lord, help us put away all distractions for these next few minutes to focus on you and your will for our lives. In Jesus name we pray.

All God's people said, "Amen." You can have a seat, church. >> Amen. Oh, well, wasn't it great hearing from the children this morning?

Didn't they do a great job? Yeah, absolutely. And uh so grateful for all the folks that invested in the music camp and those who invest in our children uh preschooler students week by week by week uh here on our campus and uh not just those special weeks in the summer and we are we are so grateful for them.

We take some time as we gather together in our services to pray together. And very specifically, we want to direct our our praying. And we want to pray for some camps that are coming up this week.

Todd mentioned it in the welcome time. We have a children's camp going on for older elementary school kids. And then there's our student ministry camp that's going to be taking place as well.

Uh we have 100 plus kids going in different directions. And so, uh, we just want to cover them in prayer. In your worship material there, there's some prayer points.

And what I just want to encourage you to do is is not only to use those for a few moments this morning, but you might just want to keep that close by. Uh, if uh you have your quiet time or a devotion time, prayer time, whatever you call it, time alone with God, however you read God's word, uh pray, just keep that close. And just this week, would you just cover those camps uh in prayer and just ask God to move very powerfully in some of our older children uh but also uh among our students this week.

And so that's that's how we want to very specifically pray together. So what I want to invite you to do is just adopt whatever posture helps you to focus on God. If you want to bow ahead, close eyes, you can lift hands, uh you can stand, you can kneel, you can do whatever posture seems appropriate for you to pray.

[snorts] But we're just going to begin. And would you just take a moment and just and just thank God? Thank God for just his goodness.

We just been singing Jesus paid it all. Would you just take a moment and just thank God for what he's done in your life spiritually, materially, relationally? And even as we celebrate the goodness of God, we know the scripture reminds us that we're blessed to be a blessing.

That to whom much has been given, much uh is is required. And would you just pray? God, just want to come before you with open hands to receive everything you want me to receive, but to just surrender it to you a new and aresh.

Lord, use whatever you've entrusted to me for your glory, for the good of others, for my benefit and good. And then as you continue to pray, would you just pray very specifically for the the kids camp and the students camps taking place this week? Pray as they'll be traveling on Monday.

Pray for God to just use this week powerfully in their lives. Father, we do thank you for the opportunity to be here together today to sing praise to your name, to to gather with uh church family, uh to meet new friends, to reacquaint and reconnect with those who we've walked with for maybe weeks, months, or years now. And Father, we thank you that we are bound together in Christ Jesus and that he did pay it all and all to him we owe.

And Father, we come before you even knowing that this access that we have to you in prayer was bought and paid for through the blood of Jesus Christ. And so we come in his name. We come in his authority.

We come seeking his will, his way. And father, we pray that very specifically for these camps that are going on. Lord, we pray for your will to be done.

We pray for you to have your way fully and completely. and every child, every student, every adult that will be on these trips. Father, we pray even now you are preparing those who are going to be leading in worship gatherings, those who will be proclaiming the word, those who will be facilitating and working in small groups or recreation or whatever it may be.

Father, we pray Lord now that you would just have a hand upon them and you would use them, Father, to make an eternal lifechanging impact. Father, we pray certainly for safety of travel. We pray, Father, for you to open hearts and open minds.

We pray, Father, where there are hard hearts, you would soften them. Where there are closed minds, you would open them. Father, we pray that you would speak not only to the the students, but Father, we pray that even the adults that go would be would be marked by these days.

And Father, we pray not only for their relationship with you, but we pray, Father, for relationships with one another. We pray, Father, for your hand to be upon that. We pray, Father, that you would deepen some relationships.

You would help new relationships to form. You would help friendships to to be made, Lord, that would carry forth even into a school year to encourage one another in Christ. And Lord, we thank you for the gift of your word.

And as we open it up today, Father, we pray that you would open up our hearts and minds to you and to your word. We pray that Christ Jesus would be glorified. that that we would be a little more conformed to the image of Jesus Christ because your Holy Spirit speaks to us through your word today.

And Lord, that's our desire as we come before you now in Christ Jesus' name. Amen. Well, thank you.

And please do continue to to cover that in prayer this this whole week. It just could be very very impactful. And some of you maybe can trace back to some some key moments in your life that God used to shape you.

Revelation, the last book in the Bible, Revelation chapter 3. We're going to be jumping back into a summer series on the seven letters. Seven letters to seven churches in the beginning of the book of Revelation.

And as you're finding that, I do want to just say one other one other word. Todd, I think mentioned it or Renee mentioned it even in the announcements. Sunday, August 2nd, is a baptism Sunday.

We're going to gather in the evening for uh baptism celebration. And then uh uh you can't have summer celebration without ice cream. And so we're going to have some ice cream after that.

And I I just want to encourage you one to to pray uh about that. Uh but to to consider being a part of that. Uh actually, even as we've just gotten the word out about this, uh I've heard of uh one adult that just was just the Holy Spirit just kind of spoke and said, you know, uh you you were baptized as a child, uh but you didn't come to genuine faith until later.

Uh and they they just felt like they needed to they needed to get their baptism right. They needed to do it in the right order, belief first and then baptism. And so they're going to participate in that.

That's I'm just excited about that because that's that kind of takes a bold step as an adult, right? To to be able to stand before people and say, you know, I I need to get this right. And so if you have questions about what it means to be a follower of Christ, what it means to follow Christ in baptism, or if we can answer any of those questions, please stop by the next steps area and then the lobbies, reach out to us in a variety of ways through the uh connect card or through the the dot on the back of the the seat there.

We would be happy to continue that conversation with you. All right, let's jump into God's word together. there.

I don't know if if some of you are outdoor people, but sometimes if you can get outdoors and particularly if you can get away from kind of the light pollution of a city, you you can see stars. You can see stars at night much more clearly and and powerfully than you can when you're you're kind of surrounded by light all the time. But it's one of those kind of quirks that maybe we don't really think about, although we most of us probably know it.

And the fact is that what you're seeing when you see a star is not how the star really is in that moment. You're seeing light that's been traveling for quite some time before it reaches your eyeballs. Light, so they tell us, travels at roughly 186,2862 miles per second.

So it takes right now over four minutes for sunlight to reach the earth. So four minutes from leaving the sun to reach us and earth. The next closest star, our next closest interstellar neighbor is Alpha Centuri.

It actually takes that light about four years to reach us. Four years. So the light you would be seeing from the closest star other than our sun is 4 years old.

So here's the thing, just speculate. It's possible that a star a thousand light years away, you could see, but it has been dead for 800 years. But the light has continued to travel.

And even though from your viewpoint it seems twinkle twinkle little star, right? The star has been dead for maybe even hundreds of years. And I raise that because when Jesus is writing this letter to a church in Sardis, he knows not just how they appear, but he knows the reality of their situation.

As we'll see, they have a reputation for being alive, but they are actually dead. And it reminds us that Jesus knows the difference. He knows the difference between appearances and reality.

We we might look at a star and it appears to be alive, but maybe it's actually dead. Jesus knows not only the appearance, but he knows the reality. And that's what I want us to kind of think about as we lean into this letter and ask God to teach us.

Let's let's give a little background here. And first kind of historical geographic background. from the city of Sardis, one of the most uh illustrious cities in ancient Asia Minor, now modern-day Turkey.

Located approximately 50 miles east of Smyrna. Its history and its geography are very intricral to understanding the letter and the words that Jesus uses. It was a place of great wealth and great opulence.

It was the capital of the kingdom of Lydia. It was the seed of King Cus who was uh a byword almost of the riches of Crisis of unprecedented wealth. Sardis had gold.

It was found in the stream sands nearby uh rivers industry marked by textiles, jewelry, the dying industry. It was on the Roman trade route. It was a terminus there.

So it became a hub point for major trade. But one of the in outstanding features of Sardis was this perception of this impregnable fortress. The city's acropolis was built on top of this mountain that that was 1,500 ft above the valley floor and it had sheer cliffs on the side and it was considered to be almost invincible.

But the history of Sardis is it fell twice. Once in 549 BC, a soldier was watching, a soldier of Cyrus of Persia. They were watching.

They were trying to figure out how they're going to attack this this fortress that nobody could get to. And they saw one of the soldiers from Sardis climb down a secret fault to retrieve a dropped helmet. And as they followed him back up, they knew the way to get up.

And so at night, the Persian troops troops followed that exact same path and found totally unguarded at the top. The same thing happened a few centuries later, 214 BC, Antiochus the Great. Again, they they didn't feel a need to watch because they didn't feel like anybody could get to them.

And yet and yet the same negligence ended up leading to their fall as they figured out a way to get up through the secret fault and to be able to attack the city which was unguarded. Its religious landscape was a center of pagan worship featured a massive temple to Artemis a local goddess civil. It discovered uh also there in the archaeological digs was the remnants of a large wealthy Jewish synagogue.

Historically, the city itself had a bit of a resurrection. In AD17, it had a tremendous catastrophic earthquake. Tacitus described it as the greatest disaster in human memory.

The city was resurrected, if you will, through the aid of Tiberius and Claudius. A historical rebuilding that provides a backdrop. And you say, Jeff, why are you giving us all this?

Well, it's not for a history lesson. And yeah, it's not so like if Sardis is a category on Jeopardy, you can ace it or anything, but it's actually like those bits of information feed into the letter we're about to read and and some of the references that Jesus makes. So, let's dive into the letter kind of with that as our backdrop.

And we begin with Jesus self-description. Revelation 3:1, "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." Now, just just very very briefly there kind of this self-description of Jesus, if you will, the seven spirits. I think most understand that to be a picture of the Holy Spirit, that that seven, that number of of wholeness, of completion, of perfection.

So, he's a picture of of the Holy Spirit. And the seven stars we've already seen earlier is the seven messengers. And those messengers some define as maybe the pastors of those churches or some would say an angelic messenger of those churches.

So, so Jesus is the one with with all authority, the authority of the spirit, the authority over the messengers himself. And his message begins, interestingly enough, with a word of criticism as he continues in verse one. I know your works.

You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Now, and I'll pause there for just a moment. If you've been tracking with this series a little bit this summer, what you may have noticed is that in almost every letter there is some word of commenation.

Some of the things that they did well, some of the things that they're on target with, there's no commenation here for this group in Sardis. He leans immediately into the critique into the the criticism he has. Warren Wearsby describes it this way.

The unsaved in Sardis [snorts] saw the church as a respectable group of people who were neither dangerous nor desirable. They were decent people with a dying witness and a decaying ministry. Will you sit with that just a moment?

Because that's a that's a devastating description. And in some sense, I think it speaks to A lot of the church in North America today, people don't consider it dangerous. They don't consider it particularly desirable.

They might say, "Well, those are pretty decent people that participate there, but their impact is a dying witness in midst of a decaying ministry." And note, not only was there no commendation, but there was no persecution. There's no mention of persecution. We've seen time and again that there was persecution in the midst of of these people were experiencing in the different cities.

There's no mention here. Why? Because there's no need to persecute a dead church, right?

You don't persecute a church that's no threat. that's not dangerous or desirable. Could it be that that at times we say, "God, thank you that that we don't we don't live in the midst of persecution." Could it be?

And maybe there's no reason for us to be persecuted because people aren't particularly threatened by the life of Jesus Christ that they see in his church. I'm reminded of that Old Testament story. Samson.

Samson who the spirit of God upon him. Samson appointed a judge. Samson incredible in strength.

Samson who compromised. Samson who dallied in things he shouldn't dedi with and came that moment with the deception of Delilah and he gives away the the source of his strength and she says at that moment some of you remember the Philistines are upon you Samson and he awoke from his sleep he said I'll go out as at other times and shake myself free no issue no problem I've handled this before and then this devast stating line. But he did not know the Lord had left him.

He did not know. He was not aware enough. He was not sensitive enough to know that the Lord's hand was no longer upon him.

The appearance of strength, but not the reality anymore. to the church in Sardis. He's saying you have the appearance of life but it is not the reality anymore.

So there's the critique the criticism but then he moves to loving correction to loving correction in verses two and three. 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. Remember then what you have 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. There there's a series of of quick commands, quick course corrections.

The first one is wake up. Wake up. Wake up to an honest awareness that something is wrong.

Something isn't right. And we we still use this language today, don't we? We use language like, man, that was a wakeup call, right?

That was a wakeup call. Maybe it was a health thing. And I I didn't realize I'd kind of been neglecting my health and then started having these chest pains and man, that was a wakeup call.

Or a wakeup call financially or a wakeup call relationally. Maybe it's it's in a work situation where all of a sudden you discover something that that you just kind of assumed wasn't there or maybe you just hoped it wasn't there and all of a sudden you you have an honest awareness that something is wrong and you have this this wakeup call and that's what he's saying to them. Experience a a wakeup call in the context of their history.

It was a a call to continuous vigilance. Don't fall asleep. Don't think that you are this impregnable fortress.

Don't think that you are secure. Wake up to the reality. And when you wake up, strengthen what remains.

Strengthen what remains. He he gives that picture of of of fanning into flame the dying embers of um spiritual graces. Some of you are are campers, right?

Or maybe you'd love to have a a fire pit in your backyard or something. Not so much when it's 90s some degrees outside, but you you kind of like there's something about a fire, right? But people that deal with fires, particularly those who are concerned about fire safety, realize that even when you think a fire is completely out, it's not completely out.

Right? that sometimes under that ash there's still some embers that are burning and not properly tended to. Sometimes those embers can start fires where they're not supposed to start.

But sometimes if you wake up in the morning and you need a little heat, [snorts] you may not have to start over, but you may just be able to stir those embers a little bit and get a little oxygen in there and start to add some fuel again. And you you begin to fan into flame those dying embers. And that's what he's saying.

He's saying, "Listen, there there's still opportunity. There's still opportunity for you to strengthen what remains. But in order to do so, you're going to have to wake up and you're going to have to remember.

Remember what you have received. Remember what you have heard. And for us today, it's go back to the truths of God's word.

Go back. Recall how we received the gospel. Recall what it was to to walk in surrender and in trust and obedience to Jesus Christ, the fullness and the filling of the Holy Spirit.

Remember what you have received and what you have heard. And as you strengthen and as you remember, then obey. Not just remember God's word, but obey.

Do what God says to do. Wake up, strengthen, and remember what you've received. Keep it.

The picture here is of holding on, continually holding fast to the original apostolic preaching. And as I thought about that, I those familiar words of James and that letter James, that halfb brotherther of of Jesus wrote, it's it's familiar to many of you. If anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.

For he looks at himself and goes away at once and forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets, but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. But it's not enough just to know the stories.

It's not enough to be able to recite the teachings. It's not enough even to be able to teach it. It's not enough to be able to discuss it in a Bible study setting.

No, it is when I actually obey. When I begin to conform my life to the truth of God's word. When I live my life under the authority and submitting to the authority of God's word.

When I do what he says, then I begin to move again toward life. And sometimes that requires that I repent. That I repent.

That I change direction in life. keep it and repent. That we have to make that that decisive Uturn sometimes in our thinking, in our behavior.

We have to recognize that God's way is right. That my choices have been wrong. through the prophet Jeremiah and the Old Testament book of Lamentations, there's this wonderful phrase, "Let us test and examine our ways and return to the Lord." I I think that's that's what he's saying to them here.

Look, test, examine your way, and return to the Lord. You know, in the GPS terminology, it's like you need to recalculate, right? You need to change direction.

You've made a wrong turn. You've made a poor choice. You you've rebelled against God.

Repent and change direction along the way. That's the the calling. That's the course correction.

But with that goes a warning. the warning in the last part of verse three that Jesus says, "I will come like a thief and you will not know at what hour I come against you." It's a picture of the the imminent judgment. It's not specifically speaking here about the second coming of Christ as much as it is the unexpected visitation of judgment upon this local assembly.

Again, the historical context matters. Just as Cyrus and Antiochus entered the city through unguarded gates while the citizens slept, while they thought they were secure and comfortable, and then this this movement of of enemy troops came. He said, "That's the picture.

Unexpected, like a thief in the night. Don't be unaware. You do not know when that moment of judgment will come." And as I was thinking about this and reviewing some of this again early this morning, I had just I had seen the news that many of you have probably already seen this morning that our US Senator Lindsey Graham died, right?

Just totally unexpected. At least far as the public knew. He was still doing stuff on Friday, traveling internationally, all these things that quick, that unexpected.

He's saying, "Don't don't don't be unaware." The reality is you have a moment, a moment to remember, a moment to recalibrate, a moment to test and examine and return to the Lord. There is going to be a point when that moment is no longer available to you. Return to the Lord.

But then he gives encouragement, the encouragement of promises. And and I want you just to see, read verses 4 to 6. Just see that God God always has a remnant of faithful people.

Look at verse four. Yet you still have a few names in Sardis. People who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.

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, before his angels, and he who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches.

He says, "There is still a people." There's still a people. Just like the the Old Testament proverb, Elijah got so so discouraged. It almost thought he was the only one.

Right? And God said, "No, no. I've got I've got thousands that have never bent the knee.

You are not the only one. God always has a remnant." And he identifies that remnant with white clothing. And it's a picture of purity and it's a picture of holiness.

A picture of purity and a picture of holiness. And again, the white garments would have spoken to this historical setting, this city, this textile center. They would understand the difference between the clothes that had been soiled and those that were unsoiled.

And the symbolism here is of their their purity, their victory, their righteousness of the the saints. And he talks about the fact that they are worthy. It's not because they were so perfect in their performance.

They were worthy because of the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ and their refusal to compromise with the pagan culture. And so they they he they symbolize wearing these these white garments. And he said, "For those people, for those faithful remnant, I want you to know two specific promises.

For those who conquer, number one, their name will never be blotted out of the book of life. will never be blotted out of the book of life. Perhaps drawing on a civic metaphor.

In Athens and other Greek cities, a citizen's name would sometimes be erased from the town register if they were executed for a crime. It's just like we we we don't even acknowledge that they existed anymore. We take their name off.

Also thinking about the presence of a Jewish synagogue there. Some scholars suggest that this was a counterpromise to a Jewish curse for Christians that called for Christians to be blotted out of the book of life. And Christ here is is reassuring the faithful that their heavenly citizenship is secure.

First promise, you will never you'll never be blotted out of the book of life. Secondly, I will acknowledge you. Jesus said, I will acknowledge them before the Father and his angels.

Those who who consistently acknowledge Jesus Christ, who consistently walked in in faithfulness to him, he said, "I will acknowledge you before my father and before angels." It's reminiscent of Jesus words as he walked the earth. Remember in Matthew 10, so everyone, Jesus said, who acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge before my father who is in heaven. But whoever whoever denies me before men, I will also deny before my father who is in heaven.

He said, those who have been faithful, I will never deny. I will never deny. I will acknowledge you before the father.

So that's the history. That's the message to that church at that moment in time. But what about for you and I today thinking about this, I want to just offer to you just something very simple today.

Three, I think rather simple prayers that I hope will make this practical. Okay. We think about the difference between reality and and perception.

We think about the the difference between what sometimes people see on the outside and what the reality is on the inside. Three prayers. The first is this.

Lord, help me to see the gaps in my life. What if what if we just on a regular rhythm began to pray prayers like this. Lord, help me to see the gaps in my life.

See, Christ knows the difference. God knows the difference between my reputation and my character. My reputation is what everybody thinks I am.

My character is who I am. I can curate my reputation online and other venues, right? But my character is who I really am.

Lord, help me to see the gaps in my life. Help me to see the gaps between what I say and what I do. What I say and what I do.

Anybody have some of those gaps in their life sometimes like me? Yeah. I mean, isn't it easy sometimes to tell other folks what they should do?

Right. Oh, yeah. It's clear about you.

It's like, are you doing this? Yeah. There's a gap.

I think it was LeBron James said his mother or grandmother, one of them told him all the time, don't don't talk about it, be about it. Right. Don't talk about it, be about it.

That not just saying, Lord, show me the gaps. Show me the gaps between what I say and what I actually do. Show me the gap, Lord, between my values and my actions.

Those things that I say I value. Those things that I say are important to me with my lips, with my mind, but what my actions show maybe are my real values. And you've heard it said many, many different ways.

You want to know what you really value? Look at your calendar and look at your checkbook or your bank account or your credit card statement, however you manage your finances, right? Because that's where our values show up in a very specific fashion, right?

I make time for the things that I truly value. Sometimes you have to fight for it, but if I value it, I make time for it. I will direct resources to the things that I value.

I will not direct resources to things I don't value very much. I Lord, help me to see the gaps, my values and my actions. But I also want to maybe say Lord help me to see the gap between where I was and where I am.

And thi this this this can be positive or it can be negative. It can be negative if I've if I've slidened, if I've deteriorated, if I've if I've kind of fallen away where I was and where I am now. But it can also be an encouragement along the way.

Some of you have read the the business book, The Gap and the Gain. And the basic premise of the book is that we always sometimes can focus on on the next goal or the next thing or you know what what we need yet to gain and so or the gap between where we are now and where we want to be. But he said don't also take time to reflect on the gain.

Where have you been? Where have you come from? And sometimes we just need to see that in ourselves.

Sometimes we just need God to help us to see because some of us we get frustrated, right? We get beat up because I, oh, I blew this again or I I missed this opportunity. And it's like, yeah, but look, look how far you've come.

It's not perfection, but there is a there is progress. There is direction here. And so sometimes that prayer is God show me where I was and where I am.

And sometimes that's calls for celebration. Not there completely yet, but I'm celebrating. Sometimes it's calls for course correction.

Lord, show me the gaps in my life where I am and where you want me to be. Where I am right now and where you want me to be. You know, growth always requires some change along the way, doesn't it?

It requires something new of us. And as Lord, as he works in our life to conform us to the image of Jesus Christ, Lord, here I am. Help me to see where you want me to be.

First prayer, Lord, help me to see the gaps in my life. Secondly, Lord, help me to close the gaps in my life. Lord, help me to close the gaps in my life.

And he's already kind of given us the the roadmap for that. Lord, help me to wake up. Lord, help me to have those wakeup calls where I need to have a wakeup call.

And Lord, help me to strengthen what remains. There are some things in my life that can be fanned in a flame again. There are things that can be strengthened and encouraged.

And Lord, help me to go back to the truths of your word to begin to to close those gaps in my life. And as I go back to those truths, Lord, help me to not just know about it, but to obey, to actually put into practice, to take that next step of obedience. And and Lord, as as you help me to close the gaps in my life, show me where I need to turn.

Show me where I I I need to repent. where I need that Uturn, a change of direction in my life. Lord, help me to see the gaps in my life.

Lord, help me to close the gaps in my life. And then the third kind of part of that prayer is really an encouragement. It's clinging to the promises of God.

Lord, thank you that by your strength, I can overcome the gaps in my life. I I want to encourage maybe somebody today. You know, sometimes we see the gaps and we feel help helpless, right?

And sometimes we feel helpless, but we're not. We're not alone if we are in Christ Jesus. Just just a a quick examples.

First John 4, little children, you are from God and have overcome them. For he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. If you are in Jesus Christ, be reminded, rest on, count on the fact that you are sealed with the Holy Spirit.

Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. That he can empower you. He can help you.

He can direct you to overcome, to close the gaps in your life. One of my favorite scriptures is Philippians 1:6. And I am sure of this.

Paul wrote, he's encouraging the believers in Philippi, that he being God who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. God, thank you. Thank you that that even when I blow it, God, thank you.

Even when I stumble, God, as you help me to see the gaps, you create in me the desire to close those gaps. God, you are working in me to complete that work which you have started in me. You will bring it to completion.

And then there's all the wonderful promises of Romans chapter 8 verse 37 being among them. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us that we have the the love of Christ surrounding us. reading, if you've been following our our Bible reading plan, we were in in Colossians and one of the verses that just jumped out to me was just just that reminder that that in Christ Jesus, we are we are chosen.

We are holy and we are beloved. And that just ministered to my heart as I was reading it again just just to be reminded of that. Lord, thank you that by your strength I can overcome the gaps in my life.

John Newton is well known to perhaps many if for nothing else because he's the one that wrote the hymn Amazing Grace and he wrote a whole lot of other hymns and a whole lot of other things. But one of the words that he wrote, I think it was in a letter, kind of captures this tension between spiritual growth and human imperfection. Here are his words.

Though I am not what I ought to be, nor what I wish to be, nor what I hope to be, I can truly say I am not what I once was. than quoting Paul. By the grace of God, I am what I am.

Listen to it again. Though I am not what I ought to be, not what I wish to be, I see the gaps nor what I hope to be. But I can truly say I am not what I once was.

The game by the grace of God. I am what I am. The tension.

Paul later in Philippians, not that I have already obtained this or I'm already perfect. There's still gaps. But I press on.

I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider what I have made that I have made it my own. But one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

That's the picture. That's the picture. God, help me to see the gaps in my life.

Lord, help me to close the gaps in my life. straining forward, forgetting what lies behind, straining forward to what is head. And God, depending on the fact, Lord, that by your grace, by your strength, you will help me to overcome the gaps in my life.

Some of you have traveled in London. If you're in London and you make your way to the underground, to the tube, the mass transportation system that that runs back and forth, you will see all over the place signs like that. Mind the gap.

Then you'll hear in toned over the speaker system and that wonderful British accent, mind the gap. Mind the gap. And it's just a reminder.

It's a reminder in an age of distraction. It's a reminder when we're all looking at our cell phones. It's a reminder when tourists are trying to figure out which way to go that there's a gap.

There's a gap between the edge of the platform and the train. And you need to mind the gap. You need to pay attention to the gap.

And in essence, that's what I want you to hear today. the call of God upon our life to mind the gap. Mind the gap and just ask God, God, help me to see the gaps in my life.

And Lord, help me to close the gaps in my life. And Lord, I thank you that by your grace, by your strength, I can overcome the gaps in my life. But it only happens when I mind a gap.

Let's pray together, please. I'm going to just invite you to take a moment. I just want to speak over you.

But more than hearing my voice, I I want to invite you to tune in and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you. And maybe just in the quietness of these moments, you just need to pray those simple prayers. Lord, help me to see the gaps, to close the gaps.

Lord, I need your strength to overcome the gaps. It's a sobering truth that echoes through this passage that it's possible to look alive without truly being alive. to have a reputation that impresses others.

But Jesus sees what no one else can see. In Sardis, he looked beyond their reputation, beyond the activity, beyond the appearance. But the good news is that Jesus didn't speak these words just to condemn them without hope.

He spoke them because he loved them enough to call them back to life. Perhaps today as you just sit for a moment in the presence of the Holy Spirit and just ask him about the gaps in your life, you sense him speaking. And maybe there's a gap between what people think about you and who you really are.

A gap between what you know and what you obey. A gap between where you once were with Christ and where you are today. And if that's you today, don't ignore that voice.

Jesus doesn't simply expose our condition. He provides the way back. He provides a wakeup call.

He'll empower you to strengthen what remains. To return to the truth, to obey it, to repent and return fully to him. And if you're here today and maybe as a follower of Christ, your heart's grown a little cold or complacent, today is the day to come back.

There's no shame in admitting your need before the one who already knows it. The same savior who rebukes us is the savior who wants to restore us. Don't leave today with the same spiritual gaps that you came in with.

But there may be others here right now that you've discovered something even more serious. [music] You've been religious. You've attended church.

You've tried to be a good person. Others may even think you're a Christian, but if you're honest, you've never truly surrendered your life to Jesus Christ. Religion cannot make a dead heart alive.

Only Jesus Christ can. And the one who spoke to Sardis is the same one who went to the cross [music] for your sins, who died in your place, who rose again in victory over sin and death. And today he offers you forgiveness, a new heart, an eternal life [music] if you'll turn from your sin and you'll place your faith and trust in him.

If you never trusted Christ as savior and lord, today can be the day that you cross from death into life. Listen, brothers [music] and sisters, don't settle for having the appearance of faith when Jesus is offering you the reality of a new life. In [music] just a moment, we're going to stand and we're going to sing.

And as we do, if if God is calling [music] you to trust him, if you know the next step that God is calling you to take, if you you you have a question about what it means to know Christ, [music] baptism, any of those things, then even as we sing, I'm just going to encourage you just to [music] to move out from the aisles to make your way to one of our lobbies. Some of our pastors are there waiting for you by the Next Steps area. [music] They they want to pray with you.

They want to talk with you. They want to answer your questions. We invite you to come today.

Jesus closes these letters with the words, "He who has an ear to hear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches." The question is not [music] is Jesus speaking. The question is always how will we respond. Father, thank you that in love you point out the gaps.

Not to condemn us, but to call us. [music] To call us to life which is truly life. To call us to the one who can heal and restore.

[music] The one who is the author, the perfector, the one who is the beginning and the end. And Father, we ask [music] now that even as we worship you with our lips, that we would worship you with our lives as we turn our hearts towards [music] you. We pray this together now in Christ Jesus' name.

[music] Amen. Well, as always, we want to help you take that next step. Whatever your next step is, if we can help you, we're here to do that.

Let's stand together. We're going to worship our God in song. Our pastors are ready for you at the next steps areas.

[music] You can see them now as we sing right after the close of our service. I'm going to head to the central lobby to hang out. Want to be available to you.

I particularly would love to have a chance to meet you if you're new here. Let's close as we worship our God together. [music] This be our prayer today before we leave.

In the morning [singing and music] as I pray for the day that you have made, I [singing] have hope and I have peace. For your presence is [music] with me. So whatever comes my way.

[singing] Lord, remind me of [music] this grace. I can [singing] face it with this hope. [music] Jesus won't forget his all cuz he holds us.

And Jesus [music and singing] holds me safely in his hands. Ever [music] close, he leads [singing] me in his plans. And when I [music] can't see [singing] the way, I have hope and I have faith after day.

Jesus reigns. [music] Leave me in the evening as I rest. [music] I recall your faithfulness.

How you [singing] never left my side. [music] From the morning to the night. [singing] Now until the dawning sun.

Be the light [music] that leads me [singing] on. I can face it with this hope. Jesus [singing] won't forget [music] his own.

Cuz Jesus [singing] holds me safely [music] in his hands. Thank you, Lord. Ever [singing] close, he leads me in his place.

And when I can't [music] see the way, I have hope and I have [singing] faith. Day after day, Jesus [music and singing] reigns. He's always before me [singing] [music] and always beside me.

My shepher is always [singing] close. He will not leave your church. Morning to evening each day that [music and singing] I'm giving my sheer is always close always before me and [music and singing] always beside me.

My shepher is always [singing] close in morning, morning [music and singing] to evening. Each day that I'm giving, my sheer is always [music and singing] close for tomorrow. This I pray.

Father, help me live your way. Every breath and [singing] every word for the glory of the Lord. If the [singing] day should test my faith or fill my heart with songs [music] of [singing] praise, I can face it with this hope.

Jesus [music] won't forget [singing] his own. Cuz Jesus holds me safely [music] in his hands. Ever [singing] close, he [music] leads me in his plans.

And when I can't see [music and singing] the way, I have hope and I have faith. Day after day, Jesus [music and singing] reigns. Day after day, day after day, Jesus reigns.

[music and singing] Let that encourage you this week, church. May the Lord bless you and keep you. We'll see you next Sunday.

[music]