Revelation Sermon - 8

Revelation: Wake Up Dead Man

Revelation 3:1-6

1. Introduction – Let me tell you about the city of Sardis. Even in John’s day it was an ancient city with a celebrated past.

a. It was a military stronghold. Built on a plateau with 3 normally sloped sides and 1 side so steep it was deemed impassible.

i. And even when the low-lying plains around this mountain was developed, the acropolis was still heavily fortified.

1. It rarely lost an outright military battle and the city of Sardis was feared.

b. But there were a couple embarrassing military losses in Sardis’ history.

i. Twice…let me say it again…Twice an invading army had a soldier scale the unscalable steep cliff.

1. That soldier climber the cliff right into the city and opened the city gate from the inside to let the invading army in.

a. Twice in their history, the watchmen failed at their task – they were not alert or on guard. Maybe they even fell asleep.

c. Sardis was once a great city – but much of its glory lay in the past.

i. And in AD 96, when John was writing this letter, all Sardis had was a reputation.

1. It was no longer an elite, world-class city. It was depleted, incomplete, and was great in name and reputation only. Sardis had a great name, but that’s all it had

d. But there’s a church in this city – and the church has taken on similar characteristics of its city.

i. Notice that unlike Smyrna or Pergamum, Sardis isn’t experiencing any pressure or persecution from the outside world.

1. The church in Sardis was untroubled by heresy, and free from outside pressure.

a. It had so completely come to terms with it’s pagan environment that although it retained all the outward appearances of a church – of life – Jesus said that church was actually spiritually dead.

ii. The church in Sardis had a reputation of being alive. But what they were was a 1st century model of inoffensive Christianity.

1. They were not experiencing pressure from the outside world because they were not raising voice against it. In Sardis, it was hard to tell a Christian from a non-Christian.

a. It was hard to tell the difference between the church and any other social club.

iii. And like the city they were in – the church’s reputation, their name, was built on past experiences.

1. The city of Sardis had a reputation of being great, but much of its present glory was gone.

a. And same with the church – they had a reputation of being alive and doing things, but Jesus warns that a name, a reputation, is all they have…and that’s not good enough.

2. Jesus’ Message – So what does Jesus say to this church that’s a church in name only?

a. What can he say to this lethargic and sleepwalking church? Jesus gives this church a series of commands in an attempt to wake it from its stupor.

b. And no surprise, the first command Jesus gives this sleepy church is “Wake up.”

i. Like the guards who allowed the enemy invaders into the city, the church in Sardis isn’t being watchful.

1. They were going through the motions of church but they weren’t experiencing transformation.

c. So Jesus commands them to snap out of it. Wake up. Quit sleep walking through church – stop being lethargic in your Christian life.

i. The Sardian Christians had grown comfortable. The felt comfortable with where their church was, with its place in society – and they felt secure.

1. But to consider yourself secure and fail to remain alert is to court disaster.

a. And so, to get their attention Jesus starts with a stern command – Wake up people.

d. Next, Jesus says “strengthen what remains.”

i. The church was mostly dead, but there was a little that survived. Most of the church was spiritually dead, but a small minority still had life.

1. But even that small bit in on the verge of dying.

a. They were running out of time, so they have to act quickly.

e. The reason for this command is the inadequacies of their deeds.

i. Sure, to the outside world they had a reputation of doing good things, of having life, but in God’s eyes, God the Judge – he has found their deeds to be incomplete.

f. Why would Jesus say this to this church? Why are their deeds incomplete?

i. Well, here’s a little bit about Sardis the city that I left out at the beginning.

1. Much like the city of Ephesus, Sardis also built a giant temple for the god Artemis. When we studied Ephesus, I said that the temple for Artemis in Ephesus was 2 football fields big.

a. Well, the temple in Sardis rivaled that temple in size…with one noticeable difference.

i. The temple in Sardis was incomplete.

1. It was huge. It dominated the city skyline, but it was a giant public reminder that it wasn’t finished…and it wasn’t going to be finished.

g. So, Jesus says to this church – your works look impressive, but they fail to meet the basic requirements of God.

i. Jesus says they need to strengthen, build up, or finish what little remains.

1. In the eyes of their city, the church’s works were more than adequate, but not in the eyes of God.

a. I see your deeds…and you’re dead.

3. Go Back and Repent – The third command gives the solution the problem. They need to wake up, they need to build up the little spiritual vitality they have…

a. And they do that by going back to what they heard at first.

i. The church wasn’t always spiritually dead. Like most they were probably sincere and passionate when they first formed.

1. They heard and accepted the word with vigor. They spoke up about Jesus in their culture.

a. But they allowed a spirit of complacency and lethargy to sneak into their church.

i. And most likely, they started going through the motions of church and the Christian life.

b. They went to church, the sang the songs, heard the word preached, but didn’t even focus on the one they were supposedly worshipping.

i. They heard God’s word read and preached – but it didn’t transform them more into Christ’s likeness.

1. Jesus says, “Snap out of it. You’re nominal Christians.” Christians by name only – you’re a church by name only – at your core, at your very essence…you’re dead.

c. Go back and reclaim the fervor and passion you once had. Kick apathy out the door.

i. And Jesus gives a familiar fourth command – Repent. Repent means to turn around and go the opposite direction.

1. The Sardis church was walking down the path of apathy and spiritual lethargy – and they were close to death.

a. They needed to turn around and head down the path of awareness and spiritual vitality.

4. Urgency – Jesus gives them a sense of urgency. Jesus says he will come to them like a thief.

a. Surely this is an image that hit home for the Sardians – who twice were invaded by unexpected visitors.

i. This image of Jesus coming like an unexpected thief is quite popular in the NT.

1. And each time the image is used, it stresses alertness, readiness and a constant state of vigilance.

b. If the Sardian church didn’t maintain alertness and vigilance, they’ll be just like the guards who twice allowed invading armies to come right into the city.

i. Jesus will come and they’ll sleep right through it.

5. Everything’s Not Lost – And like in the previous 4 letters, Jesus gives a promise to the overcomers.

a. To the Sardians Jesus gives a threefold promise.

i. First, the faithful will be clothed in white. As we’ve seen before, the colour white in apocalyptic literature represents purity and holiness. The faithful are those who don’t soil their clothes by being spiritually apathetic or lethargic.

b. Next, Jesus promises that their names will not be erased from the book of life. Or on the positive side that their names will be written there.

i. The book of life is mentioned 5 times in the book of Revelation and it contains the names of all believers for all time.

1. The point is that names have been written in there and cannot be erased.

a. Whereas those who are about to perish – their names were never written in there in the first place.

c. The third promise is an affirmation by Jesus in front of God. This promise should cause our jaws to hit the floor. I’m serious.

i. Jesus said if people affirm him to other people in this lifetime, he will affirm them before God in the next lifetime.

1. And in the Gospels, Jesus makes the same promise – only he adds that if people are ashamed of Jesus or deny him this lifetime – he will be ashamed of them before God.

a. It sounds like the church in Sardis was ashamed of Jesus – they weren’t speaking up for him.

i. And unless they change their ways, the vast majority of their church was going to be denied by Jesus in eternity.

d. Let that image captivate you…affirmed by Jesus in front of God… Wow. If that’s the reward, why not speak up for Jesus in this lifetime? If that’s the reward, why not affirm him before other people?

i. This letter to the church in Sardis is a stark warning and a harsh rebuke. And this is a letter that we need to pay attention to.

1. Because we’d like to think that in the 20 centuries since this letter was written, lethargy and apathy have left the church…but sadly it hasn’t. And it’s quite possible that its even gotten worse.

6. Name – And here’s why as Christians and the church we still struggle with spiritual apathy and lethargy.

a. It’s because we have a shallow understanding of the concept of name.

i. The idea of a name was mentioned multiple times throughout this letter to Sardis.

b. In our world, and in the Sardis church, a name is simply something you’re called. It’s a way of identifying people.

i. But in the Bible – names have deep significance because what a person is named spoke of the very essence and character of that person.

1. To have the name of God, as a Christian, means that the ways of God should penetrate right down to the very essence and core of your being.

c. But in Sardis, the church was happy simply being called a church; individuals were happy being called a Christian.

i. But those names and the significance of those names didn’t make a deep impact on their character.

1. They were called Christians, but it wasn’t at the core of their beings.

d. The church in Sardis had a name – they had a reputation, but like their city, this church was resting on their past experiences, not their present actions or transformation.

i. They were rest on their past actions and past decisions. They weren’t thriving. They weren’t striving forward.

1. They weren’t pressing on towards the prize. They were coasting, content, comfortable and complacent.

a. They were satisfied simply being called a church – called Christians – but not really doing anything about in the present.

7. For Us Today – And for us today, a lot of times we too settle for the same shallow meaning of Christian or church.

a. What the letter to the church in Sardis reminds us it that we can’t rest on past decisions and experiences.

i. We can’t rest on our spiritual laurels or we’ll be come spiritually lethargic.

1. Yes, a decision is very important. A decision to follow Jesus is of utmost importance…deciding to be baptized is absolutely important.

a. But the Christian life is more than a decision, as important as that decision is.

i. Yes, I have decided to follow Jesus, but for me that decision was 32 years ago. I hope I’m more spiritually aware and mature now than I was when I accepted Jesus.

1. Or when I was baptized at 10, that was 26 years ago. If I haven’t grown spiritually in the 26 years since my baptism, then there would be something wrong.

b. The Christian life isn’t a life of kicking back after we’ve made a couple decisions – Paul uses the words “striving” and “pressing on” to describe how we must continue in this life.

i. We must grow in our knowledge of the gospel, the good news of Jesus. We must grow in our knowledge of who God is. We must familiarize ourselves with the tremendous legacy of Christians we are following.

1. We must grow in our dependence on God. We must grow in our witness.

c. And if hearing the letter to the church in Sardis, you’re realizing you are spiritual lethargic; if you’re realizing that you’re resting on past decisions and not striving in the present…the good news is that its not too late to turn it around.

i. It’s not too late to follow the instructions of Jesus.

1. Recognize your apathy and snap out of it. Strengthen what faith remains. Receive the Word of God like you did when you first heard it.

a. Recapture the passion you had in your life when you first came to Jesus.

i. It’s not too late…but time is running out.

ii. Don’t settle. Don’t you dare settle for a shallow understanding and a shallow experience of the Christian life that based on past decisions.

1. Don’t settle for simply being called a Christian. Let the name of Christ and the character of Christ makes it way into the very essence of who you are.

a. It’s not to late for you to live a thriving spiritual life in the present.

d. And quickly as we close, as a whole church, if upon hearing this letter we realize that we are spiritually sleepwalking – let’s snap out of it while there is still time.

i. We have a long, rich and storied history as a church in this community – but if we are simply resting on our past – Jesus has some pretty harsh words of churches that do that.

1. If we are resting on our past, we are missing out on growth opportunities in the present and future.

a. Let’s not settle for simply being called a church. Let’s make sure our deeds are complete and adequate in God’s eyes.

e. Let’s not settle for simply a name or reputation based on the past. Let’s more forward. Let’s passionately strive as church towards the requirements of God.

i. Jesus says if we have ears, we need to listen and understand what’s being said.

1. Don’t let lethargy and apathy be normal, Jesus said to Sardis and to us. Don’t let spiritual sleepwalking be normal in your church…because it’s not!

a. It’s not normal for individuals or for churches.

f. If we’ve allowed that happen, personally or corporately, we need to correct course and live with a passion and vigor towards the things of God.

i. Amazing promises are in store for those who are faithful…don’t you want to share in them?

8. Conclusion – Next week – Philadelphia. Read Revelation 3:7-13.