Introduction: Wake up Sardis
Previously we have travelled from Patmos, where John was held in exile and where he recieved the revelation of the Risen Lord Jesus. So far we have looked at the letters written to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira and today we are visiting Sardis where the Church community is told to wake up.
Background
- Sardis was located at crossroads of some of the most important roads in Asia. This made it one of the greatest trade centres in the region and contributed to the city’s great wealth and one of the most important cities in the ancient world.
- The Acropolis used natural rock walls to form a fortress against invading armies. They withstood multiple attacks, and fell only twice. These were the times guards fell asleep leaving city vulnerable and open for attack.
- Due to their amazing defences, the citizens of Sardis never had to fight. When the enemy was within the walls, the citizens of Sardis, just gave up. They rested solely on the reputation of being impregnable. Which was their downfall. They didn’t know how to fight.
- Nor did they even try to fight to save their city from collapse. In time, roads were diverted away from their front door and the city fell into decline. By the second century AD, Sardis began to lose prominence as a trading centre. Today, in its place is a small village, Sart.
- They rested on their reputation—impregnable, their natural defences – unscalable city wall— and local resources— gold. And this made them lazy and illequipped
In every other letter Jesus has a commendation for the community. But in Sardis, he has nothing good to say. He starts off with a bit of a kick telling them they are dead and need to wake up.
Condemnation
3 “To the angel of the Messianic Community in Sardis, write: ‘Here is the message from the one who has the sevenfold Spirit of God and the seven stars: “I know what you are doing — you have a reputation for being alive, but in fact you are dead! Revelation 3:1-6 CJB
Not only did they have nothing good to commend them, Jesus called them dead. They had the reputation for being alive. But that was all it was. Here Jesus refers to himself as the one who has the sevenfold Spirit. That is, The Holy Spirit – the Spirit of completeness, wholeness and perfection (7). The one who sees and knows everything.
We may be able to fool the world, we may even be able to fool those closest to us. But we cannot hide from and fool our Lord. The opening to this letter reminds me of one of Jesus’ accusations against the Pharisees:
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. Matthew 23:27
In his letter to the church meeting in Sardis, Jesus gives 4 commands:
1. Wake up
2 Wake up! Revelation 3:2
As we continue on our journey through these studies looking at how we should live in these rapidly changing times, it is important we know what Sardis was doing wrong so that we don’t do the same. So, what would their church have looked like? What exactly were they doing wrong?
The Christian community in Sardis was a big church in relation to other Christian churches at that time. They were socially involved and renowned throughout the region—and possibly Asia Minor—as relevant to the contemporary culture. Their doors were wide open, and they were very welcoming to all who came. However, there was not challenge, encouragement or incentive to change. There was great comfort but no fruit. This reminds me of when Jesus cursed the fig tree.
18 Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered. Mathew 21:18
Even though it wasn’t fig season, the fig tree should have borne small pre-season fruit that was very sweet and refreshing. But this tree had green leaves and no fruit, much like the church in Sardis. They looked alive, but they were the walking dead: zombies.
Unseasonably calm
We know that, despite there being a significant Christian community in Sardis, there were no Christian persecutions recorded there. Even in a time of growing Christian hatred and suffering. Why? Because they were no different to everyone else. They were so busy fitting in, they forgot the command to “Be Different” – be holy, as I your God am holy.
Once they were well known for their Christ-centeredness, but that was long ago. By the time this letter was written, they were coasting along on their reputation. They were so confident that they had it right, they grew lazy and didn’t fight. They fell asleep and let the enemy in. In his letter, Jesus warns them to wake up, or He will come like a thief in the night, and they wouldn’t fall victim to their enemy. They would fall victim to him.
Jesus second command:
2. Strengthen
Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. Revelation 3:2
How do we rekindle a dying coal? Bring it back to the fire. Jesus was calling them to fan back into life their smouldering fire. Within the Christian community there was a remnant of the faithful: a small group from whom the spark could take hold.
Essentially, what Jesus was saying is “Don’t just wake up, grow up. Stop being so weak-willed and lazy. For goodness’ sake, get a backbone and toughen up.” (paraphrase)
They had started a good work, then downed tools; He challenged them to get back to the plough. Get back to work. The work of the lord that bares eternal fruit, not the fruit that makes you palatable to the world, the fruit the feeds the starving, and give water to the thirsty. This does not win popularity votes from the community, but it wins votes from God.
Yes, life would get hard. But this was no excuse to give up, it was the call to get tougher. For the church in Sardis, the clock was ticking. But, there was still time. There was still hope. The Holy spirit was poised to breathe life and strength, and capacity and wisdom, and tenacity, and ability into their dying body. If only they would receive.
3. Remember
3Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, Revelation 3:3 CJB
Remember what? Hold fast to what?
Jesus was challenging them to remember your calling. Remember whose you are, Remember your commissioning. Remember your first love. Remember your commitment. The people in Sardis had received the gospel of Jesus Christ, the liberating, living word of God.They were to hold fast, not only to His promises to them. But their promises to him.
Along with the blessings of being a child of God there are responsibilities. They were guards—Protectors—of the body of Christ. Yet they had fallen asleep whilst on watch and let the enemy in.
4. Repent
and repent Revelation 3:3 CJB
In a previous study we learned Jesus’ instruction for when we have taken the wrong path. We are to stop, turn around and head back and start again.
When do we do this?
Not when we feel like it. Not when it fits into our schedule. But as soon as the awareness is upon us.
Why? Because none of us know the hour the Lord is coming.
Jesus warmed:
3 “If you do not wake up, I shall come to you like a thief, and you will have no idea at what hour I shall come upon you.” Revelation 3:3 CJB
What were they repenting of? Letting the enemy invade the temple of God. That is, the body of Christ. The church.
And if they didn’t wake up?
If they didn’t wake up, they would miss out. And not just in the final coming. The verbs in this passage indicate a local, imminent consequence.
4 Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5 The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. 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. Revelation 3:4-5 CJB
If they did not repent, they would not:
- be dressed in white (bridal clothes, clothes suitable for the wedding feast, have their sins forgiven)
- have the blessings of eternal relationship and connection with God (starting right there and then).
- be acknowledged before the Father in the final coming.
As we consider the church in Sardis, let us remember Jesus warning in Mathew 7
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Matthew 7:21
The Christian community had grown lazy, forgotten their call, and become soft, but…
The door was still open
6 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Revelation 3:6 CJB
The Christians in Sardis were not expected to be perfect. But they were expected to have ears to hear and eyes to see the writing on the wall. They were expected to wake up and have receptive hearts.
Those who remained faithful, even after they’d fallen, would receive the white robes of the righteousness of Jesus. The gift of resurrection with Jesus, and endorsement by Jesus to the Father.
God’s mercy is just that: mercy, compassion, understanding. Let us not make the mistake of thinking it is weakness or acceptance of our sin. Turning a blind eye to those unacceptable sins. No, God’s mercy is demonstrated by giving us explicit instructions of his expectations, ample warning that his judgement is coming and time to turn from our sins and be ready. He has promised, judgement is coming. It will be just and absolute.
The church is Sardis did come to life for a while, it did listen. But their revival didn’t last for long.
So what?
In these rapidly changing times what can we learn from Jesus’ letter to Sardis on how to we live, as a church and as individuals?
Considering current world events, and how freely and loosely the term “Christian” is thrown about, I feel a very strong call for us to get back to absolute bottom line. Before God, let us define, for ourselves, what it is to be “Christian”? What is it that Christians do? How do we identify as “Christian”?
In the past I have suggested the Christ is the armour of God. When we are IN HIM, we are IN God’s Armour: Christ is our salvation, righteousness, truth and peace. He is the Word, the Sword of the Spirit. And our faith in him distinguishes the enemy’s fiery arrows. What is it to be Christian? One who is IN CHRIST.
How is this possible?
If we have had an encounter with the HS, accepted Christ’s gift of salvation, acknowledge his sacrifice for our sins, and accepted the invitation of adoption into God’s family then, each of us, becomes a temple of the Living God. We are each—individually and corporately—the Tabernacle, the tent of meeting. The Holy Spirit Dwells within us and we are encased in the body of Christ.
And now, because we are the temple of God, we must acknowledge the holiness, the honour, the importance, the sanctity of that responsibility. There can be no dual worship or cast-off, second-rate offerings. Jesus gave his all so that we could be reconciled to the Father. And we are to give our all in response.
Wake up Church
Like the church in Sardis, we want our doors wide open. But not to grow just bigger. Instead, our goal is to grow deeper. We want people to be here in Church—the body of Christ, the fellowship of believers—to meet with our Lord, to have a life changing encounter with the Holy Spirit—to wake up—and to receive the invitation to come home from the Father. Not to be comfortable. When we are comfortable, we get lazy. When we get lazy, our eyes droop and our focus waivers.
This is simple, but not always easy
There are times when life is so hard, and we crumble under the weight of the cross—the execution-stick—we are charged to bare. The battle is relentless and overwhelming, and sometimes we just want to run and hide in a cave and pull down the rocks shutting out everything. To escape. Rest. And sleep.
And I honestly think, at times, like Elijah after his battle with Jezebel, this is okay. But when our Lord and God comes to the mouth of the cave and calls to us, “Wake up. What you doing here?”
We are challenged to lift our eyes from ourselves and our perspective to Jesus. To allow him to help him to carry the load, to help us get back up, and keep going, and keep loving, and keep serving, and keep on fighting, and keep on standing, and keep on bearing fruit in Him, by the power of the Holy Spirit. For us, this is what it is to fight. This is our battle.
Repent:
We need to repent of the belief that we stand in our own strength, we’re going our own way, following our own council, believing we are on our own, that we are the only ones left. That it is our mission, our church, our battle. Because it isn’t. It’s His. It is, was and will always be, all about Him.
Remember: We are challenged to remember whose we are, whom we serve, the promises we made to Him, and more importantly, the promises He has made to us. To remember the hope, we have received in Him. And stand firm in the armour of God, that is our Lord, Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit. A genuine relationship with the living God, evidenced by fruit to the glory of God, standing firm in his command to love and be Holy, just as he is holy. This is what it is to be Christian. And this is how we live in these rapidly changing times.
