The Church in Sardis
1.Read Revelation 2:29; 3:1.
2.Is Christ ever held or controlled by the churches
No.
3.In what realm does the Sardis-type church come short of the Glory of God
The anointing of the Spirit and the lordship and power of Christ.
4.What reputation did Sardis have
Christian people considered it to be a living, active, growing assembly of believers.
5.What actually was true of Sardis
Sardis was an active, growing corpse to which members were being added daily.
6.What life was missing from the corpse in Sardis
The life of the Holy Spirit.
7.What source of energy was giving the illusion of life to the church in Sardis
The life of human endeavor.
8.What was present among the believers in Sardis
There were a few believers, even in the animated corpse in Sardis, who were found worthy to walk with Christ in the white garments of righteous behavior.
9.What does the name Sardis mean
Remnant.
10.What is the concept of a remnant
The idea is that of the "Elijah" company—those who serve God with a pure heart during a period when the people of the Lord are cold and backslidden.
11.Read Isaiah 10:20,21; Romans 9:27; 11:5.
12.What prophet does Paul mention in association with the remnant
Elijah.
13.Who are the remnant
The "remnant" are those persons, either Jewish or Gentile by natural birth, whom God has called— as Elijah—to stand before Israel and the world as the representatives of His Person, will, ways, and eternal purpose.
14.What service will the remnant provide during the tribulation that is to come on the earth
It is our understanding that the remnant will give an earth-shaking testimony of Christ during the days of Antichrist, as symbolized by the two witnesses of Revelation, Chapter 11.
15.Read Joel 2:32.
16.In what area does the remnant especially fulfill the will of God
The area of the anointing, and of the Person and power of Christ.
17.In what does the human-oriented church place its trust in order to accomplish its goals
Human wisdom, human energy and diligence, human talents, money, entertainment, and all other fleshly endeavor.
18.What is the battle cry of the remnant
"Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts."
19.What expression of position rings eternally in the holy of holies of every conqueror
"The Lord God before whom I stand."
20.In what environment does each conqueror live continually
In the anointing of the Spirit of God. He or she always remains conscious of the almighty power of Christ.
21.Read Revelation 3:2.
22.What is the warning to Christians of the Sardis-type assembly
To wake up spiritually, to begin watching in prayer in order to regain the mind of the Holy Spirit. Strengthen whatever remains of worship, of holiness, and of the unadulterated Word of God; for all that is of God will be choked out and die when the success of the assembly is being brought about by the ability and industry of human beings.
23.What activity distinguishes the remnant from the Sardis-type assembly
The amount of prayer that is exercised.
24.What two people described in the Gospel of Luke illustrate the difference between the remnant and the church in Sardis
Simeon and Anna.
25.What kinds of activity took place in Herod’s Temple
The priests, scribes, and Pharisees practiced the politics and discussed the problems of their nation. Money changed hands. Younger men studied under the leading rabbis and made the important contacts that would insure that one day they too would be distinguished as leaders of prominence in Israel.
26.What should have happened when Joseph and Mary came in holding the baby Jesus
Every mouth should have shut. Every action should have stopped. Every eye should have been fastened on Immanuel. Every knee should have bent in worship before the thundering God of Sinai now appearing as a Babe.
27.What was taking place before their eyes
The almighty God of Israel had this day visited His people with salvation, with redemption, with eternal atonement for sin.
28.What was the response of this Sardis-type assembly
None of them turned. None of them worshiped. The priests, scribes, and Pharisees continued to practice the politics and discuss the problems of the nation. Money continued to change hands. The young men continued their studies and professional contacts.
29.How can we account for this blindness, this inability to perceive the Presence of God
They were putting human effort ahead of prayer and reliance on God.
30.Why were Simeon and Anna able to recognize that the greatest event of human history was taking place
They were people of prayer and of the anointing.
31.Read Luke 2:26.
32.Who was leading Simeon and Anna
The Holy Spirit.
33.What was leading the remainder of Israel
The blindness of the flesh.
34.What did the common people do while the God of Heaven was in their cities and villages
The common people baked their bread, worked in the fields, watered their animals.
35.Do the Scriptures teach us that God often uses one person, or a few people, to do His work
Yes.
36.How many believers of the entire church in Sardis were selected by Christ as being worthy to walk with Him in white
A few.
37.What is the worst possible thing that could happen to any human being
To miss the Lord’s Christ!
38.How can we avoid missing the Lord’s Christ
By watching diligently in prayer. By looking to the Holy Spirit for guidance and enablement rather than to human help. By exalting Christ in the church and worshiping Him rather than filling up the Divine service with activities operated by human skill and talent.
39.Read Revelation 3:3.
40.What does the Lord Jesus advise the human-oriented church to do
To "remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent." He tells the members to go back to the fire in which their church was born, to the faith in God and holy living that were passed on to them by their founders.
41.Does Christ advise the saints to imitate the events that transpired in former years
No.
42.To what, then, are we to return
To prayer, to holy living, to the preaching and teaching of the Scriptures rather than the traditions of men, to reliance on the Person of Christ and the anointing of the Holy Spirit of God instead of on the ideas and ambitions of human beings.
43.Were the large denominations of today a remnant in time past
Yes.
44.Does the Lord always have His remnant
Yes.
45.How can we recognize the remnant
The remnant are not employing a program of human-oriented activity. The remnant are not building the Kingdom of God by the wisdom and efforts of flesh and blood. The remnant are watching faithfully in prayer, waiting on the Lord always for every detail of what they are to be in personality and to do.
46.What is true the works of religious flesh
They are as grass that springs up in a moment and perishes in a moment.
47.What happens when the Spirit of the Lord blows on the works of religious flesh
They wither and fade away.
48.How are the eternal accomplishments of the Kingdom of God brought to pass
By the Spirit of God.
49.What will happen to us if we do not repent of our man-contentedness
We will be caught off guard one day and found penniless as to the true riches of Heaven.
50.Read Revelation 3:4.
51.Is the worthiness of the believer a new-covenant concept
Yes.
52.How does the believer become worthy
By the righteousness of Christ that is assigned freely to him on the basis of his confession of faith in Christ, and then by the righteousness, holiness, and obedience created in the believer’s character as the result of Christ being formed in him. The believer is found to be worthy of the Kingdom of God as he faithfully follows the Lord Jesus through many fires and tribulations.
53.What are our "garments"
Our actions, our words, our motives, our thoughts, and our imaginations.
54. Describe the believer in Christ who is wearing "dirty clothes."
He or she is unclean in action, word, motive, thought, and imagination.
55.Name some behaviors that are unclean.
Lust, hatred, violence, covetousness, occult practices, drunkenness, and revelry.
56.How do we wash our robes and make them white in the blood of the Lamb
(I John 1:9)(James 4:7)
In order to wash our robes in the blood of the Lamb we first must decide once and for all, with vigor and firmness, that what we are doing, saying, and thinking really is sin and not some pardonable frailty God is winking at. Second, we must repent of our sins. Having denounced them as unworthy of the Kingdom of God we must resolve that by the Lord’s help we never again will practice those deeds, words, or thoughts. Third, we must believe firmly in God’s promise that when we " confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness". Finally, when the same temptation returns we are to submit ourselves to God and resist the devil. Then the devil will flee from us . Confession, repentance, faith in God’s forgiveness, and resistance—these are the four scriptural steps for washing our robes and making them white in the blood of the Lamb. Every one of Christ’s conquerors keeps his robe clean by washing it regularly in the blood of Lamb. He conquers by the blood of the Lamb.
57.By what means do we overcome the accuser of the brothers
By the blood of the Lamb.
58.What will be true of those who do not prove to be worthy
They will not be able to walk in white with Christ.
59.Read Revelation 3:5.
60.What is the first reward to the overcomer in Sardis
He or she will be "clothed in white raiment." Being clothed in white raiment is part of the early resurrection from the dead that Paul was seeking to attain.
61.What does the "white raiment" signify
The power to live righteously.
62.Read Revelation 19:8.
63.What two kinds of righteousness does the saint receive from Christ
Imputed (ascribed) righteousness; also, the power to behave righteously.
64.Read Romans 7:24.
65.Read Matthew 5:6; Isaiah 61:10.
66.What is the saint weaving now by means of the grace of Christ being imparted to him each day
A robe of righteous conduct.
67.Is the ability to live righteously in every situation an important aspect of the first resurrection from the dead
Yes.
68.How will the coming of the Lord from Heaven affect the individual believer
The coming of the Lord from Heaven will not result principally in a change in what he is as much as it will in a revelation of what he has become during his discipleship on the earth.
69.What is true of the believer in Christ who is compromising with the world, with Satan, and with his own fleshly nature
He is faced with the possibility of being blotted out of the Book of Life. It may be true that the majority of Christian believers of our day, even though they profess to believe in the Divine authority of the Scriptures, absolutely refuse to believe that a person could begin a walk in Jesus, and then turn aside to such an extent that his name was blotted out of the Book of Life. However, the unwillingness of today’s believers to accept the Scriptures that present the sternness of God will not affect the Word. Those who do not lead a victorious Christian life stand in clear danger of having their names blotted from the Book of Life.
70.What is the end result of the conqueror’s determination to walk each day in Christ
The end result of such walking with Christ is that our name is engraved for eternity in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
71.Is there a reward for seeking the Lord diligently each day
Yes.
72.What is the third reward assigned to the conqueror in Sardis
Christ will confess his name before the Father and the holy angels.
73.Why does Christ announce the name of each conqueror in the Presence of the Father and the holy angels
Because of the willingness of the remnant to flow with the Spirit of God, to point to the immediate Presence of Christ among us, and to seek the approval of Christ whether or not people also give their approval.
74.Does the Father pay close attention to the name of each individual whom Christ announces in His Presence
Yes. The Father, God Almighty, pays exceedingly careful attention to each name proclaimed in His Presence. The attention of God is drawn to that particular saint because he or she has lifted up the name of God’s beloved Son in the midst of human beings who are determined to seek their own welfare, who scorn the thought of laying aside their interests in favor of exalting Jesus.
75.Do the elect angels pay close attention to the name of each person whom Christ announces in their Presence
Yes. The holy angels who perform God’s will take special note of each name confessed by Christ in the Presence of the Almighty, for the elect angels are spirits who minister to the heirs of salvation. They have been charged with the welfare of the sons of God.
76.Will the holy angels also know the servants of Antichrist
Yes. All those who choose to worship and serve Antichrist will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the Presence of the holy angels.
77.In what hour are we living now
The time of the harvest (latter) rain.
78.Can any person who so desires become one of Christ’s conquerors
Yes.
79.If we would be a conqueror, what must we do
Our part is to pray, read the Scriptures, believe what they state, and by the Lord’s help seek the will of the Spirit for our life and do what He directs us to do.
80.What is the Lord’s part
To provide every resource, every circumstance, thing, and relationship necessary for our complete and perfect victory in Him.