Sardis: A Church who has Done Little Right

Beware of being a “christian” in name only.

The idea of name figures prominently in Jesus’ letter to the church at Sardis. The ESV says that the church has the reputation of being alive. The GRK for reputation is that same word that is later translated “name.”

Notice what Jesus says He knows about this church: Rev.3:1 ““And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “ ‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.” Sardis is a church that is so spiritually lethargic they’re almost completely dead, still has hope. But, their revitalization can only come from the Spirit of God.

For Sardis, the letter changes from the previous norms and does not include commendation, only condemnation. There is a reputation (similar to a self—proclamation) of being alive, but their true ID is that they are dead. Their actual identity is more in line with the famous necropolis (large cemetery belonging to an ancient city) outside of the city.

It’s not uncommon for the NT to provide an opportunity to test the veracity, the validity of our salvation. It’s one of the reasons I emphasize time and again the true nature of the call of salvation.

So, we study the Scripture to test the validity then of our confession:

1 John 5:13 “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.” Throughout the book, John (same author BTW) has said things like:

1 John 1:6-7 “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”

1 John 2:3 “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.”

1 John 2:15 “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

1 John 3:23-24 “And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.”

There’s more, and it could probably be summed up by Jesus’ instruction in John 14:15 ““If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

Then you have Paul’s logic in Romans where after systematically defending the gospel for eleven chapters, he gets to the culmination by saying, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Rom.12:1-2).

All this to say, Jesus’ warning to the church is that it does no good to only claim to be a Christian. So, He warns them: Rev.3:2-3 “Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.” And this brings us to our second point...

Make every effort to make your calling sure.

This is a call to spiritual alertness…to…“wake up and smell the coffee” if you will.

The fact of the matter is that their works are incomplete (I remember when I was a teenager living in St. Augustine and I wanted to grill some fish we’d just caught. I didn’t know all the steps you’re supposed to go through to grill on charcoal, so I threw the fish on there while the coals were black as soot and still on fire from the lighter fluid. That’s what the church has done…none of their works have been followed through on or done properly, they’ve just been left incomplete)

…they’ve been weighed and found wanting (Jesus paid for full-fledged followers, but He got a church that wanted all the benefits of salvation with none of the follow through)

…they fail to live up to God’s standard (which certainly is one of the pitfalls we slip in to…I’m not the best Christian, but I’m better than ______________. God’s response truly is, “So?! They’re not the standard — I am.”)

They’re to remember what they’d received, chiefly the gospel, but we can assume that they were taught to obey Christ as well (see the Great Commission).

And if they fail to do so, Jesus issues a stern warning. The pressing nature calls for an immediate response.

Hearing all of this, it seems best to encourage the church this morning with the words of 2 Pet.1:10a “Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election...”

Persevere through the certainty of salvation.

Finally, there might seem to be a degree of uncertainty that hangs in the air. There is not. For those that belong to Christ, there is held out a promise that what belongs to them cannot be undone.

There are a few in Sardis who are genuine, who actually do what Christ is saying…they’ve not soiled their garments, and so they will walk with Christ in white because they are deserving of this…He says they’re worthy.

Their names will never be blotted out of the book of life. (Dan.12:1; Ex.32:33; in case we think this only relates to a Revelation idea). No, instead, these who have faithfully identified, openly associated with Jesus, He says He will confess his name before the Father.

It’s not that we are obedient in order to earn the love of Christ. Rather, it’s because we are loved and redeemed by Christ, because of the certainty of our position and relationship with Him, because we have been saved, that we joyfully offer submission and obedience to Him…as an act of worship. We live to declare to all that the absolute most important thing to us is Jesus Christ.