So about that ‘thief’ comment...and Jesus coming back in a way that we might not be expecting; not to mention how the ‘brethren know perfectly well...that the Day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night’...” (1 Thess. 5:1-3)... let’s pick up from where we left off yesterday...

I will be the first one to admit that if you have been taught to believe that ‘all is well with your soul because you ‘accepted Christ as Savior’, and at some point in the not too-far-off future, Jesus is coming back to ‘rapture’ you out of here before all hell breaks loose on the earth...well, this line of discussion today will not set well with you and probably confuse you some. But please remember, I’m not asking you to believe all that I’m sharing here; just be willing to examine the scriptures for yourself to see if the Holy Spirit might confirm any ‘truth’ to you, maybe even for the first time. (Acts 17:11)

Would you take a moment an open up to Revelation 3 and read vs. 1-6. You’ll find there (in chapters 2-3) where the seven churches ‘got a letter’...from Jesus. We are focusing on the one sent to Sardis and let me assure you, there are serious reminders in there that all of us should sit up and make note of. And you will find things in here that will be challenging to process and accept if you are convinced you already have things ‘figured out’. (1 Cor. 10:12)

The very first thing we are made aware of is that this particular church seemingly had a ‘reputation’ of being ‘alive’. How often today, do we hear that about so many ‘churches’ and how ‘they really have it going on’ and ‘great things are happening’ there, clearly evident by their ‘increase in numbers’? And yet....what was Jesus’s assessment of them as He declares in vs.1? “You are dead!” Friends...how could/can this be? How could a church seemingly have so much going for them in the kingdom of God,  thinking they were 'alive'...yet be declared ‘dead’ by Jesus? Is this not remarkable? Which then reminds me of what we read in Matt. 7:22 where ‘many’ thought they were on the right track doing some pretty impressive things ‘in His name’; but Jesus was not...impressed. Now go read 1 Cor. 13:1-3 real quick.

If we are serious about wanting to ‘live’ or ‘have life’, then maybe we should stop and re-evaluate what it really means to ‘come to Jesus’ based on what He shares in John 5:39-40.

And for all those sincere folks who truly believe they are ‘bringing glory to God’ by all those great things they are ‘doing’ ...how does that figure in compared to what Jesus taught brings glory to the Father in John 15:8? Have you ever heard me say that ‘fruit matters’? It really does. (Matt. 3:10; 7:17-20)

Then there is the next point of contention that will confuse some of you no doubt, where Jesus points out how He has ‘not found their works perfect or complete before God’. (Rev. 3:2). Whatever it is that He is addressing here (more on that later), Jesus makes it clear there is a need to....’repent’. And what does Jesus warn will happen when we fail to repent, in Luke 13:3,5? Then comes the warning if they fail to ‘not watch’, which in the Greek language, comes from a term that means to ‘wake up’. – “I will come upon you as a ....thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.” You can read where Jesus makes the same statement again, later in Rev. 16:15, and I’d encourage you to make note of that as well.

Now...real fast...what does Jesus tell us a ‘thief’ is known for doing in John 10:10? I would encourage you to finish up with reading Matt. 24:42-43...prayerfully. Then meet me back here tomorrow, Lord willing.