Do Over: From Reputation to Reality

Have you made an idol of reputation?

Fishing… Brook Trout, Brown trout, and rainbow trout

Dress right… blend in… look like a fisherman.

Looks are important in fishing. Have to have the right Gear, the right clothes, and most importantly the right looking flies.

Truth to be told… we did a poor job making plastic, feathers, and thread look like a bug that any smart fish would want to eat… I looked like a fisherman… many people thought I was a fisherman… but we weren’t catching fish.

In real life, I do a pretty good job making my life look like one that is fully devoted to Jesus

But why do I do that? Is it because my life is driven by the Holy Spirit… or is it because I want to have the reputation of being a faithful disciple?

One of these is rooted in Reality and the other is rooted in a desired reputation. The problem with our living into a desired reputation is that it leads us into one of the greatest plagues of individual disciples and local churches. Living for a good reputation leads to spiritual hypocrisy.

Spiritual Hypocrisy is something that riled Jesus up more than any other…

Not only that, but it’s said to be the #1 complaint from non-Christians about Xians—Churches are full of Hypocrites!

Spiritual Hypocrisy: The Plague of Sardis

In fishing hypocrisy is necessary...

Surface Appearance vs. True Intentions: Just as a hypocrite projects an outward appearance that doesn't align with their inner intentions, fishing can involve using artificial lures that mimic real insects or bait. The fish are deceived into thinking they are getting something they need, only to find out it's a trap. Similarly, a hypocrite might present themselves as virtuous or genuine but have hidden motives or behaviors that contradict their image.

Deception and Manipulation: In fishing, the act of luring fish with an artificial bait can be seen as a form of manipulation. Similarly, a hypocrite manipulates perceptions by pretending to be something they are not, leading others to believe in their sincerity when, in fact, they are acting contrary to their professed beliefs.

Selective Presentation: Just as a fisherman might choose to keep only the biggest or most impressive catches while releasing the rest, a hypocrite might showcase their virtuous actions or beliefs while concealing their less favorable aspects. Both actions involve selective presentation to create a specific impression.

Lack of Authenticity: Just as fishing with artificial bait lacks the authenticity of using real bait, being a hypocrite lacks the authenticity of living in alignment with one's true beliefs and values. Both actions involve a detachment from what is genuine and natural.

Disruption of Trust: Just as fish become wary of lures after encountering hooks, people can become distrustful when they discover that someone they trusted is a hypocrite. The breach of trust can lead to emotional and relational damage.

Don’t go to church because of all the hypocrites—Room for 1 more.

People hurt—Lied to me.

Looked up to—Deceived.

Bullied.

Molested.

“The single greatest cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door, and deny him with their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.” Brennan Manning

What hypocrisy is NOT -

Hypocrisy is not the difference between what we do and what we wish we did.

Wish didn’t have bad thoughts—Do.

Wish didn’t lie—Did.

Not hyp, sin.

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Hypocrisy is the gap between our reputation and our character.

The difference between our actions and our motives

Difference between reputation and character.

Titus 1:16 NIV

16 They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.

This describes when people can see your actions… Spiritual Hypocrisy takes things a bit further

But spiritual hypocrisy is when your actions say you are a follower of Jesus… do all the right things… but your heart says otherwise.

Jesus addressed this several times in the Gospels, as did the other writers of the Scriptures, yet it continues to be a problem today and it was the problem for the church in Sardis as well… which is why Jesus addressed it in Revelation 3:1-6.

Study of Revelation… study of end times… but the book wasn’t written for the end times… it was written as a letter to 7 churches… real churches of real disciples living real lives in real cities.

We have been taking these letters to show us what things we might need to change as we as a church are approaching a significant reboot… as we begin a Do-Over.

But also as individuals, we are given do-overs daily as God reveals his truth to us and we are given opportunities to live obedient lives...

Today we are in the city of Sardis was a city that was well known for it’s Acropolis, that is it’s high city. Built on a 1500’ hill with cliffs on 3/4 the way around. The Acropolis became the wealthy part of the city, the well defended part. The working class lived down at the foot of the hill.

The city was also known for its’ Necropolis… that is it’s city of the dead… it’s cemetery was filled with burial mounds that were described by the ancients as being visible from 7 miles away.

The city had a fascination with death.

To Sardis, Jesus writes:

Revelation 3:1–6 NIV

1 “To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. 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. 6 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Normally, Jesus commends a church before rebuking it. But in today’s letter, he has now applause line; he jumps straight into rebuke.

Revelation 3:1 NIV

1 “To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.

You have a reputation but not the reality of life...

Now if you remember Jesus’s problem with the Pharisee’s

Giving to be seen—Fasting impress—Praying to be heard.

Criticizing others, doing the same—Taking advantage of the poor.

Temple—House of Worship

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Jesus never spoke more harshly than to hypocrites.

Matt 23—The Seven Woes.

27 “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. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness…33 “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? Matt 23:27-28, 33

Wants to look good on the outside while being dirty on the inside

Wants the illusion of pubic virtue while hiding private vices

Wasn’t calling out sinners… but hypocrites

Calling out people who sin but act like they don’t

People who are busy with spiritual things but lacking true spirituality.

When this is us, we are living as hypocrites.

When you have reputation without reality, reputation is all you have.

People like Sardinians.... who had a good reputation, but spiritually were dead.

Lord help us from pursuing a good reputation… that doesn’t sound like a good thing to pray does it?

Reputation is a good thing, we would all agree with that. Jesus isn’t saying don’t have good reputations… but he is saying there is something much more important.

He’s pointing out that being approved by the people in our community, it’s important, but it isn’t the most important thing.

We don’t want to be offensive… we are to love our neighbors… but as the church, as disciples of Jesus, we are to love God first, to seek his will first. We exist for Him and His glory.

Now another thing that made Sardis famous was it’s Synagogue. It is the largest one known. It’s construction was paid for by generous donors who would inscribe their names on the portion they financed… much like the stained glass we have in church today.

In Roman world they would build a Gymnasium. This would be the place for sport for sure, but more than that, it was the cultural center. It was the place for education, for health care, for philosophy and debate, for baths, for social interactions. It was where Rome impressed it’s way of living on a culture. And do you know what was connected to the gymnasium in Sardis? That’s right their synagogue was right next door, attached to the Gym… even with a doorway connecting the two.

But its not the size that makes it unique.

That’s not all, on artifacts inside the synagogue, they have found several elements. One was the table that held the Torah. A very special piece of furniture no doubt… holding the word of God… and right on the stand next to the scroll was an eagle - the symbol of the empire.

That’s not all, throughout the Synagogue were statues of Lions, another empire symbol. Visible reminders that this synagogue was a part of Sardis… and Sardis was a part of this synagogue

He went on:

Revelation 3:2 NIV

2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.

Wake up Jesus says.

This is a view from their temple to Artemis so you can see the hill top where the city center was held. It was considered an impenetrable city, yet twice it was over run.

First, around 550 BC, the city was under seige by Cyrus the Great for weeks. He couldn’t figure out how to overtake the city. Until one day a watchman saw a soldier on the wall drop his helmet. The helmet rolled down the hill. Out of boredom, he watched the helmet and would keep track of it. Then as darkness approached, he saw someone on the hillside pick up the helmet and a few moments later the helmet-less soldier on the wall put his back on. He figured there was a passageway in the cliff. They created a distraction on the other side of the city and a group of soldiers snuck into the city through the secret passageway to find the bulk of the soldiers of the city all asleep.

400 yrs later the city was under seige again. And as animals inside would die they would be discarded over the wall, the soldiers noted that the buzzards on one section of the wall seemed to roost for hours at a time. They figured that this section of the wall wasn’t defended, and they were right. They climbed the wall and found the army asleep again.

Jesus says to the sleeping church…

Identifying the problem

Wake up before you die.

We think of a dying church as one with few people… but here Jesus says a dying church is one that has a good reputation… one that is doing what seems like the right thing. Which means church that is actually alive is alive spiritually.

One thing that separates the living form the dead is our appetite. What do you desire? What do you have an appetite for?

When you come to church, is there a desire for God? or is this all boring habit? Is there passion in your acts of devotion?

The rest of the week, do you desire to know and spend time with God?

Does the gap between you and Jesus grow during week or are you able to get closer during the week?

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Revelation 3:3 NIV

3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.

Good News for the Hypocrite: Remember and Repent

Jesus has zero tolerance for hypocrisy.

He has unlimited grace for a sinner in need of forgiveness.

Proverbs 28:13 NIV

13 Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

Psalm 139:23–24 NIV

23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

We aren’t pursuing perfection… we are pursuing Christ

Jesus has zero tolerance for hypocrisy. He has unlimited grace for a sinner in need of forgiveness.