Sardis - Thief and Garments - Part 2

 Sardis

Rev 3:3 

Remember therefore how thou hast received and didst hear; and keep it, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. 

1. What do we know about Jesus "coming as a thief"?

1. If He comes as a thief, we won't know the hour that He comes Rev 3:3

2. Jesus breaks into or through "houses"

Mat 24:43 

But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch the thief was coming, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken through.

3. It occurs when his people are not watching Matt 24:43

4. Because they aren't watching, they don't know what watch the thief comes in. 

Matt 24:43

Which watch does the thief come in? 

Luk 12:38 

And if he shall come in the second watch, and (and, also, even, indeed, but) if in the third, and find them so, blessed are those servants. (Twice?)

5. Thieves break in when the master of the house isn't watching (Luke 12:39)

6. Thieves steal treasure that is laid up on earth (instead of heaven)

Mat 6:19-20 

19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust consume, and 12:39 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

7. Thief comes at night

1Th 5:2

2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

8. Jesus comes as thief on the "day of the Lord" 1Th 5:2 - Day 7

9. Thief comes when those who aren't watching say "peace and safety"

1 The 5:3-4

3 When they are saying, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall in no wise escape. 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

10. The thief comes when Jesus' people are in "darkness" 1Th 5:4

11. The thief comes when Jesus people are asleep, not watching, or sober

1Th 5:5-6 

5 for ye are all sons of light, and sons of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness; 6 so then let us not sleep, as do the rest, but let us watch and be sober.

12. Day of the Lord comes as a thief

2Pe 3:10 

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief (some versions include 'in the night'); in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

13. Jesus comes as a thief to steal garments

Rev 16:15 

(Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.)

14. Jesus' coming as "a thief" exposes the nakedness and shame of His sleeping people Rev 16:15

15. Pro 6:30-31 

30 Men do not despise a thief, if he steal  To satisfy himself when he is hungry: 31 But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold;  He shall give all the substance of his house.

Garments?

1. What does the thief take? Your garments 

G2812 -kleptēs

From G2813 - klepto

an embezzler, pilferer

2. What are our garments?

1. 2Co 5:1-3

1 For we know that if the earthly house of our tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens. 2 For verily in this we groan, longing to be clothed upon with our habitation which is from heaven: 3 if so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. 

If we are being clothed (w our habitation from heaven) we shall not be found naked.

Why is "if" used?

Because it is our choice.

Vs5 

Now he that wrought us for this very thing is God, who gave unto us the earnest of the Spirit.

God who provides this for us, gave us the Holy Spirit to help us accomplish this.

2. Gal 3:27 

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ.

sink into (clothing), put on, clothe one's self

***Put on the garments of Christ***

3. Col 3:1-2

1 If then ye were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are upon the earth. 

1. Our responsibility is to seek the things that are above

2. And to "set our mind" on the things that are above…

4. Read this carefully:

Col 3:3-4 

3 For ye died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall be manifested, then shall ye also with him be manifested in glory.

For you have died (our old man OR the things that are upon the earth) and your life is hid in Christ (you have covered yourself with the things that are above OR Christ OR His garment).

When Christ who is your life appears, (on day 7) then you also will appear with him in glory. (you won't be ashamed or be naked BECAUSE you have kept your garments)

5. Eph 4:22-24

22 that ye put away, as concerning your former manner of life, the old man, that waxeth corrupt after the lusts of deceit; 23 and that ye be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man, that after God hath been created in righteousness and holiness of truth.

1. Whose job is it to "put away" the old corrupted man? Our job (with the help of the HS)

2. We need to be renewed in the "spirit of our mind". Can this even begin if we don't begin to take off the fleshly man? No

3. What are we putting on? The new man

4. Who is the new man? Jesus (Gal 3:27) in some form or fashion

What exactly are our garments we put on in the New Testament? What is the nitty gritty of this?

1. A few examples

Eph 4:25-26 

25 Wherefore, putting away falsehood, speak ye truth each one with his neighbor: for we are members one of another. 26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

2. Col 3:5

Put to death therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry; 

3. Col 3:8-10

8 but now do ye also put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, railing, shameful speaking out of your mouth: 9 lie not one to another; seeing that ye have put off the old man with his doings, 10 and have put on the new man, that is being renewed unto knowledge after the image of him that created him 

4. Col 3:12 

12 Put on therefore, as God's elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering; 13 forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a complaint against any; even as the Lord forgave you, so also do ye: 14 and above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to the which also ye were called in one body; and be ye thankful.

This garment swapping process is called sanctification.

1. Sardis in Rev 3 seemed to have begun this process, then ceased. Outwardly they looked fine. But inwardly they were dead or partially dead. Sanctification process stopped.

1. Heb 10:14 

For by one offering he hath perfected for ever those being sanctified.

2. 1Th 5:23 

And the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly (completely)….

3. Mat 5:8 

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Those being sanctified are pure in heart.

B. Example of an individual like Sardis

1. Heb 12:14-17 

14 Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man shall see the Lord: 15 looking carefully lest there be any man that falleth short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby the many be defiled; 

Root of bitterness = fleshly = the old man = that which is upon the earth'

Should have been put to death or put away

16 lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one mess of meat sold his own birthright. 17 For ye know that even when he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected; for he found no place for a change of mind in his father, though he sought it diligently with tears.

So Esau doesn't take off the fleshly garments that he wears. He keeps them on and in essense stops the sanctification process that the Holy Spirit had started.

His own root of bitterness (or flesh) sabataged the inheritance that he was to receive as the first born son. And his father rejected him, even tho Esau sought the forgiveness of his father.

So like Sardis, God would have desired that Esau put off the old man and put on (or leave on) the new man. But he didn't. 

Sardis was mercifully shown their true condition before it was too. I'm not sure what they did with it.

So what might be the point of Jesus coming as the thief on day 7 to steal garments and exposed shame and nakedness?