Sermon Tone Analysis

Scripture Introduction

Main Point: Because we are called to have an undefiled faith we must take risks for what we believe and know to be true.

In recent years, much of my time has been spent with other leaders who are trying to understand how the different generations relate to one another.

An older generation came of age during a time of a Judeao-Christian consensus in our nation.

The goal of this older generation was to create a “moral majority” that could influence politics and shape our nation.

My generation came of age during a time of great skepticism and doubt about the authenticity of religion and it’s leaders.

My generation starting to look for answers in other directions and wanted to create a more pluralistic and open society and culture and we became a “minority” of believers who traded away control for “credibility.”

And, the generation coming behind me has entered into a time like we have never known before.

A time when being “credible” is more important and harder than ever before.

For most of us we are faced with a very pressing question:

Application Consistent Outline

How do we make our faith credible to a society that wants nothing to do with the faith of our fathers?

The Book of Revelation, with its powerful prophetic foresight, prepares for the questions of such a younger generation with this letter to the congregation in Sardis.

These are a young generation of believers who once were part of an acceptable majority of faith adherents but now as disciples of Yeshua were part of a persecuted minority whose status ranged somewhere between criminals of the Empire of Rome to heretics worthy of banishment from the synagogue.

For the believers in Sardis to make the historic faith of Yeshua credible is an immense challenge that contains timely guidance for us.

With all the immense pressures they were facing how do they keep faithful among the faithless.

The answer is in living out their convictions with undefiled faith.

Ha-Foke-Bah Hebrew

Ha-Foke-Bah English

Let’s read together this portion of Scripture

Around this time last year, I was at lunch in Downtown Houston with a room for a full of professional businesses leaders and aspiring leaders.

It was the Christian business' men's fellowship.

And, I was there was to hear a friend and a Board Member of Beth El Shalom Mark Lanier speak.

Mark is not only an accomplished trial lawyer, but he is an author, speaker, and servant at his local church and supporter of the Gospel around the world.

I went because I thought Mark would deliver a fantastic exposition on a particular text of Scripture.

Perhaps discuss some tremendous discoveries that have been brought to his library.

Instead, I found myself listening with high intent as he talked about his young years as a trial lawyer.

A time when faith was challenged by the faithless and the risks he took s to keep his faith undefiled.

As a young lawyer, he was working for another law firm and learning the ropes as a new lawyer.

He actually grew up wanting to be a pastor, but his own pastor encouraged him to pursue law.

Mark did well as a young trial lawyer.

He was succeeding and winning significant cases.

He had caught the eye of many influential and powerful people, but he also found the eye fo those who did not share his faith convictions.

On one particular afternoon, Mark was closing up his files and workload and getting ready to head home to be with his family.

It just so happened that his boss, the principal partner of this law firm, saw Mark getting ready to leave.

So he went over to Mark and said, "You know Mark, you are a great trial lawyer, but you are not an A+ lawyer, yet you are just a solid A lawyer."

Mark, who is very teachable and open to instruction, said, "What do I have to do to be an A+ lawyer?"

His boss said, "You put your family ahead of your work., that is causing you to not rise to your full potential."

Mark is not only an accomplished trial lawyer but he is an author, speaker and servant at his local church and supporter of the Gospel around the world.

I went because I thought Mark would deliver an amazing exposition on a certain text of Scripture or discuss some amazing discoveries that have been brought to his library but instead I found myself listening intently as talked about his young years as trial lawyer, how his faith was challenged by the faithless and the risks he took s to keep his faith undefiled.

At that moment, Mark knew this man could put his future in jeopardy.

His reputation, his career.

But he knew there was so much more in danger than just his job.

Mark wanted a family and believed he was called to love his bride above his career, and this would break a solemn conviction he held.

And, Mark believed that God called him to this career and that all his hopes of making a positive impact on the legal system in America could be in jeopardy by what he did next.

For Mark, all he had learned in school and church about God's attributes, power, and provision would boil down to the next decision.

Could he afford to keep his faith undefiled from the contamination the world was urging him to approve?

As a young lawyer he was working for another law firm and learning the ropes as a new lawyer.

He actually grew up wanting to be a pastor but his own pastor encouraged him to pursue law.

Mark did well as a young trial lawyer.

He was succeeding and winning significant cases.

He had caught the eye of many influential and powerful people but he also caught the eye fo those who did not share his faith convictions.

Was an undefiled faith worth what it would cost?

On one particular afternoon, Mark was closing up his files and workload and getting ready to head home to be with his family.

It just so happened that his boss the major partner of this law firm saw Mark getting ready to leave.

So he went over to Mark and said, “You know Mark, you are a great trial lawyer but you are not an A+ lawyer yet you are just a solid A lawyer.”

Mark who is very teachable and open to instruction said, “What do I have to do to be an A+ lawyer?”

His boss said, “You put your family ahead of your work and that is what is causing you to lag behind and not rise to your full potential.”

Mark's situation was not unique to him, of course.

In all ages, God's people are pressured to pollute the purity of their faith.

The pressures come from an array of sources: bosses, finances, competitors, friends, relatives, and congregations, as well as our own desires for success and significance.

Mark faced such pressures.

You have faced them.

The disciples at Sardis faced them.

These pressures face anyone who seeks to live out an undefiled faith in a world of sin.

In that moment, Mark knew this man could put his future in jeopardy.

His reputation, his career.

But he knew there was so much more in jeopardy than just his job.

Mark wanted a family and believed he was called to love his bride above his career and this would break a solemn conviction he held.

And, Mark believed that God called him to this career and that all his hopes of making a positive impact on the legal system in America could be in jeopardy by what he did next.

For Mark, all he had learned in school and church about God’s attributes, power, and provision would boil down to the next decision.

In all ages God’s people are pressured to pollute the purity of their dedication to God.

The pressures come from an array of sources: bosses, finances, competitors, friends, relatives, and congregations, as well as our own desires for success and significance.

This couple faced such pressures.

You have faced them.

Daniel and his friends faced them.

These pressures face anyone who seeks to live an undefiled life in a world of sin.

That is why the Bible, in order to help us face these pressures, speaks so plainly about the risks, reasons, and rewards of holiness.

That is why this letter to Sardis is so important, despite the apparent problems at Sardis, ultimately Yeshua wants to help his people face these pressures, and so he speaks so directly about the risks, reasons, and rewards of having an undefiled faith.

Could he afford to keep his faith undefiled from the contamination the world was urging him to approve?

The Risks of Contending for your Faith.

Was an undefiled faith worth what it would cost?

The letter to the disciples at Sardis makes it clear many had already defiled their faith.

The book of Revelation as a whole is practical enough to tell us that having an undefiled faith is going to take courage.

The problems at the congregation in Sardis are only a microcosm of what will become a world-wide problem when the false religion of the anti-christ appears on the stage of world history.

Yeshua is direct enough to tell us to play “heads-up baseball.”

Get prepared.

Pay attention.

The Ball is going to come your way.

As a coach, I have seen what happens when a ball meets the face of player unaware.

And what is likely to come your way as a faithful believer is risks.

The risk of contending for your faith ()

The background of the city of Sardis is very revealing.

Sardis was an important city in Asia Minor and served as the capital of the Lydian empire for more than a 100 years until the cities watchmen fell asleep.

No joke.

The watchmen of the city were not playing heads-up baseball and Cyrus the Great snuck soldiers in and took the city by night and two hundred years later another Military leader did the same thing.

The city was also home to the dispersed Jewish community.

It was one of the few cities we know for sure people went after the Babylonian invasion.

The prophet Obadiah () mentions this city by name in Hebrew as Sepharad.

The Jewish community had come to peace with its foreign neighbors even building a synagogue right next to a Greek Gymnasium.