The Self-Deceived Church (Revelation 3:1-6)

Big Idea: Guard against spiritual lethargy by staying close to Jesus.

In Revelation 2 and 3, Jesus addresses seven churches. Jesus understands the state of each church and addresses them individually with praise, corrections, potential consequences for ignoring him, and promises for those who listen.

These seven churches are meant to be representative churches. “It turns out that the seven churches of Asia embody every major issue with which the church has struggled in every age in every cultural setting” (Johnson). And so, as we read these letters, we’re meant to consider what these letters have to say to us.

Today we get to the fifth of the seven letters, and the one that scares me the most.

Why do I find this letter particularly scary? Here’s why: because this church was in denial about their true spiritual condition. From all appearances, this church appeared to be doing well. As you read this letter, you get the sense that they would have rated themselves highly as a church. And yet Jesus’ message to the church is almost entirely negative. In fact, Jesus’ evaluation of the church is so scathing that this letter departs a little from the structure of the other letters. Their situation is so critical that Jesus begins to instruct them on the corrective actions they must take almost immediately.

Here’s the thing about this letter that scares me the most. This church should have been in better condition than some of the others we’ve looked at. There are no doctrinal problems that need correction. There is no mention of opposition or persecution. In fact, this is the only one of the seven churches with no mention of hardship or hostility. Yet they are still in desperate spiritual condition.

This letter scares me because it’s possible for a church to look successful, for a church to believe they’re doing well, for a church to hold to sound doctrine, for a church to face little external pressure to compromise, and for that church still to be in critical condition. “Churches can appear healthy on the outside, but many are living off the reservoir of past faithfulness and blessing” (David Campbell).

This letter scares me because, as Darrell Johnson puts it, we are always on the brink of losing it.

Introducing Sardis

Let’s back up a little. Let me introduce you to Sardis.

Sardis was a city with an illustrious past. You’ve heard of Midas, the figure from Greek mythology, best known for his ability to turn anything he touched into gold. His wife turned to gold. His kids turned to gold. His food turned to gold. He couldn’t eat, because everything he touched turned to gold. Eventually, he begged for this ability to be taken away from him, and so he instructed to wash himself in a river near Sardis to rid himself of the golden touch. Sardis was known for its wealth, largely derived from its strategic location, fertile lands, and the nearby Pactolus River, which was a source of gold. Sardis was one of the first places where coins were minted and used for trade.

Sardis had also been the capital of the ancient kingdom of Lydia, which was a major power in the region during the 7th and 6th centuries BCE. It was at the crossroads of major trade routes. Even later, it remained an important city under Persian rule and later during the Hellenistic period.

There’s a piece of this city’s history that may be relevant. In 546 BC, Cyrus the Great marched on Sardis. The city was considered well-fortified and difficult to capture. However, a Persian soldier saw a soldier accidentally drop his helmet from the battlements and then retrieve it by using a hidden path. The Persians used this path to infiltrate the city, catching the defenders by surprise. Ancient commentators blamed Sardis’s tragic fall on “a lack of vigilance in its defenders.”

A similar attack happened a few hundred years later. One unobserved and unguarded weak point, one chance in a thousand, was all that was necessary to deliver a crushing blow to the arrogant citizens of Sardis.

By the time that Jesus wrote to the church in Sardis, the city was a shadow of its former splendor. It was a city in decline. The once brilliant city now showed decay. Ironically, one of the most prominent features of the city was its cemetery. It had become a city of peace — not the type of peace won through battle, but “the peace of the man whose dreams are dead and whose mind is asleep, the peace of lethargy and evasion” (William Barclay). It was a city that had once been glorious, but had seen better days. They had fame in the past, but they had faded, and they didn’t even know it.

Jesus’ Message to Sardis

Jesus has a message for this church. It’s a message that contains three parts: the condition of the church, the remedy, and encouragement.

The Church’s Condition

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.” (3:1)

Again, there are no doctrinal problems that need correction. There is no mention of opposition or persecution. In fact, the church in Sardis was known as an active, vigorous congregation, characterized by good works and charitable activities. And yet, despite the lack of doctrinal problems, and despite the lack of opposition, there is something striking about Christ’s letter to the church at Sardis. There are no words of commendation. The church is not what it appears to be. It looks like it’s alive, but Jesus tells them their true spiritual condition: they are dead.

It may be, in fact, that this church wasn’t being persecuted because there was no need for Satan to oppose the church.

This is a solemn warning for every church.

Just as the city had been rich and had fallen into decline, just as the city had been considered impregnable but had been taken twice, the church had a reputation for being rich, impregnable, and alive, but they were actually dead. This is a church that thinks it’s strong, but it’s in critical danger.

We are always in danger of dying and not even knowing it. We can be a busy church, a church with a good reputation, and still fall into this trap. In fact, the church that thinks it’s in good condition may be in the greatest danger. The church that thinks it’s impregnable may be most in danger of collapse. The church that has had an illustrious past may be in the greatest danger of coasting on its past success rather than walking with God today.

C.S. Lewis said something that applies here. This is one of the most profound quotes I’ve ever read. “Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done.” You can’t coast on yesterday’s faith. Our faith and obedience in Jesus must be renewed every day. Every Christian, every church, must make a fresh commitment to trust God, as if starting anew, regardless of any past spiritual progress or achievements. Trusting God is not a one-time event but a daily practice. We can’t coast on past spiritual accomplishments.

We need a daily, humble, and present-focused approach to faith. GFC has an amazing history. God has been so good to this church. But we can’t rely on yesterday’s faith, yesterday’s prayer, or yesterday’s sacrifice. We must follow God today, or we’ll die without knowing it.

Darrell Johnson compares the Christian life to waterskiing. Drop the rope and it’s over. Actually, you’ll be able to go for a few seconds before you sink, but you won’t go far. That’s how it is with Jesus. The minute a church drops the rope, we’re done, no matter what’s happened in the past. Don’t rely on yesterday’s faith and obedience. Hold on to Jesus today.

The Remedy

We need to look at the remedy Jesus gives this church. The letter to Sardis jumps straight into Jesus' concern for the church without any commendation, which is unlike the other letters.

What should a church do that looks good outwardly but has lost its spiritual vitality?

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. (3:2-3)

Here’s how we find our way back. Four things:

• Wake up. Remember that Sardis had been defeated twice at night because of a lack of alertness. Jesus tells the church in Sardis to wake up, to stay watchful. It’s not a one-time thing; it’s an ongoing action. We must stay vigilant on an ongoing basis against the danger of spiritual lethargy.
• Strengthen what remains — Even though the church is all but dead, we’re about to see that there were some small signs of life. Jesus tells the church to strengthen those. The small bit that’s left is on the verge of dying, but Jesus holds out some hope. Act fast while there’s still time. Look for signs of hope, and build on those.
• Remember what you’ve received and keep it — This is always the cure for spiritual inadequacy. Go back to what you received in the beginning. Go back to the truths you’ve been taught. Hold on to the message that was preached. Don’t let it go. Keep it. Guard it. Change your downward spiral by going back to what you first had and guarding it with your life.
• Repent — This is a summary of the entire message Jesus has to the church. Repent. Change your downward spiral. Change your direction. Get back to what you once had and don’t let it go.

The message is urgent. Jesus reminds them of how the city has been taken twice in the past by stealth at night. He says, “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.” If they don’t pay attention, they will be taken again. This time it won’t be the Cyrus the Great or Antiochus the Great who takes them; it will be Jesus himself.

Encouragement

I hope you see why I find this letter so disturbing. We’re always in danger of losing our spiritual vitality. We can’t coast on what happened yesterday. I don’t want to rely on what’s happened before and end up spiritually dead without even knowing it.

How kind of Jesus, though, to end with a note of hope, even with a church like the one in Sardis.

Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ (3:4-6)

Even this church still has some who are faithful, who haven’t soiled their garments. The imagery builds on the wool industry in Sardis. Jesus sees these faithful believers, these few. He knows their name. He sees their faithfulness. And he promises three rewards:

• When Jesus returns, they will walk with him in triumphant procession wearing robes of white.
• Their names will appear in the book of life, and they will not be blotted out. Their names will be written in heaven eternally.
• And Jesus will confess their names before the Father.

All of this is only possible by the sustaining grace of Jesus. To those who refuse to be lulled to sleep, who keep walking with Jesus, they will experience eternal reward.

This is what I want for us. I don’t want to coast. I don’t want to rely on yesterday’s faithfulness. I don’t want to let go of the rope. I don’t want us to die and not even know it. Guard against spiritual lethargy by staying close to Jesus. There are few things more tragic than a church that thinks it’s alive, but that Jesus says has died. Let’s not let this happen to us.