Revelation Chapter 3-The remaining churches

Revelation 3 addresses the 3 other churches to which John wrote letters from Jesus Christ.
To the church is Sardis:

 v. 1 ... you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.

•  The people are dead because they aren't living for Christ.
• wake up and repent, for if you don't, Christ will come at you like a thief and you won't know when
• those that walk with me will be dressed in white, and those that turn from their ways to follow me will be dressed in white:

v. 5... I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels.

To every church John writes something similar to the following: 
v. 6 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. This is because Christ forgives those who repent and follow Him.


To the church in Philadelphia:
7-10 These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.  I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. ¹⁰ Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.

To the church of Laodicea:

v 15-18 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

• this set of verses says that the church is doing some things good and some things not good. They aren't recognizing sin as wrong, but chosing their own path to follow. 
• The verses to not refer to literal riches- in terms of clothing- but rather walking in faith and truth, in light and acknowledgment of Christ Jesus
• These verses also don't refer to literal nakedness, but the nakedness Adam and Eve felt when their sins were revealed eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. They hid away from God and for the first time felt shame and were punished.

v 19-21 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne.

• Once again, this set of verses does not talk about literal eating. This talks about taking in the Spirit and living by the "fruit" or spirit that we gain through accepting Jesus Christ as our savior. We must believe, repent, and follow him by accepting Him into our hearts and allowing the Spirit to enter our hearts. Every heart has a door, and many ignore the figurative "knocking."
• Christ was victorious when He gave himself for the sins of the world, a blemish-less lamb, a perfect offering.
• We can be victorious when we live our lives for Christ, giving up our "rights" to worldly happiness in order to please Christ, which will also make us more joyful.

image from: http://www.reallynatural.com/archives/lamb.jpg