Christian: Remember What You Have Heard

Have you ever done a "double-take"?

You know, where you look at something, look away, then feel compelled to look again?

The term supposedly originates from movie directors wanting to study a scene one more time to make certain everything was filmed correctly. This double-look at the take eventually found its way into the common vernacular to mean: looking a second time, or looking more intently.

In a recent Bible Study, our group was looking at a passage from Revelation 3. As the discussion continued, I found myself doing a double-take, and looking intently at verse 3.

To quickly summarize, Revelation 3:1-6 documents a letter to the church of Sardis which Christ had the apostle John write down. Christ acknowledges the works of the church, but condemns them for activities that are empty of worship. In His words, "you have a name that you were alive, but you are dead."

Christ then says, "Wake up..."

It is a stern, forceful, attention grabbing command. He wants their full attention.

We now arrive at verse 3, where Christ gives the church direction. His instruction, which caused me to double-take, is "remember what you have received and heard;"

What had they "received and heard"?

We need to remember that Christ is writing a letter to the church in Sardis. The church is the body of Christ, so these are believers; or non-believers who are part of a body of believers. Therefore, what they had "received and heard" was the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and very specifically, the gospel.

Why was it important for the church of Sardis to remember what they had received and heard? I think the answer is two-fold. On first read, I think he is telling them to remember the source of salvation: Christ alone. As they perform their works, they are to perform them as an act of worship to their savior.

In addition, I think He is telling them that going out into the world and doing a bunch of works is meaningless if they do not share the gospel!

How do I draw this conclusion? Because the church of Sardis was known as an active church in a mostly non-Christian city. They were actively involved in the community. This was probably similar to how many churches today are involved in communities: clothing drives, feeding the hungry, helping the sick, caring for those who are at the end of their rope, taking in the homeless, or repairing damaged homes. The list of things churches, then and now, get involved in is endless. But without the gospel, it is also meaningless for more than a short time.

Christian, "Wake up!" Remember what you have received and heard!

Looking good before a fallen world is meaningless if you leave those you help as hopeless, lost, and doomed as they were before you dug the new well, painted a few walls, or filled an empty belly.

Remember that "faith comes from hearing, and hearing from the Word".

Remember that we are not called to go into the world and act like nice people, we are to go into the world and make disciples! (Matt 28:19).

If you are involved in community activities, thank you for physically expressing the love of the Lord. But sooner or later your witness must become verbal. As Paul wrote in the second letter to the Corinthians, "But having the same ​spirit of faith, according to what is written, “​​I believed, therefore I spoke,” we also believe, therefore we also speak..." (4:13)