In the letter to the church in Sardis in Revelation 3:1-6, Jesus had a surprise announcement for the church and promised a surprise visit if things did not change for the better. The announcement was that, in spite of appearances of vitality, the church was really quite dead, which would have fallen as a huge surprise to the church itself and to everyone who knew the church’s great reputation. Jesus had called the church in Ephesus to remember its earlier works, but Jesus called the church in Sardis to remember something even more foundational: how they received and heard the gospel. His call to them forces us to ask ourselves how we are hearing it today.
The same joy that the first disciples experienced upon seeing Jesus again is available to us.
Not only did Christ die and rise for his people, but they also died and rose with him, liberating them from sin to live...
Because God had fulfilled one of his promises to Abraham by making his descendants a great nation, the next announcement of the Covenant of...