LITMIR.BIZ

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the American population, waiting for the opportunity to strike again, when the nation once again falls asleep.

      I think this is a perfect parallel to what has happened to many churches around the world. We have had enemies enter into our churches, penetrate its leadership, lull the church to sleep, and then strike with a death blow—division, immorality, apathy, and bitterness. All of these are like petrol-laden airplanes crashing into the church of God. Some of these internal enemies, these penetrations to our church walls, have begun within. They were not enemies on the outside who went undercover in order to destroy. These are enemies who slowly grow on the inside, as the heart hardens, as unforgiveness builds, as apathy for the vision and purpose of the church grows. The church lulls itself to sleep only to be kicked by passers-by, because they think it is a dead corpse.

      Exposition

The church of Sardis was on its death-bed before it was personally visited by the Doctor. Sardis was fifty miles east of Ephesus. A large temple was dedicated to Artemis, destroyed in the sixth century B.C.120 and then partially rebuilt and dedicated to a local Asian goddess, Cybele, by the time of Alexander the Great in the 4th century B.C. The city suffered a severe earthquake in 17 A.D. but was rebuilt with the financial assistance of the emperor, Tiberius. Gold and silver coins were first struck at Sardis.121 Aune estimates that the population of the city was between 60,000 and 100,000.122

      Jesus is identified, like in chapter 1, with the seven-fold Spirit and the seven stars. He is identified in this way because of his presence through the Spirit amidst the church in Sardis. Because Jesus alone is the One who sends the Holy Spirit and holds the fate of the church in his hand, we must submit to him and listen carefully to his diagnosis as the Great Doctor. The church in Sardis had a reputation of being a vibrant church. They maybe had a good community reputation. They had a good reputation among the churches of the area. They probably had visible leadership and good programs. They were outwardly prosperous, busy with externals of religious activity, but devoid of spiritual life and power. Deep down, under the surface, the church was really dead. And just like in the history of the city which fell because of unseen vulnerabilities, the church in Sardis must heed the warnings of its Lord.

      Think about what this says to reputation. There are so many “doctors” giving churches a healthy report around the world, when actually they are sick to the core. But there is only one Doctor’s diagnosis that matters. What does Jesus think? A church can have a great music program, ministries for all the age groups that are flashy and expensive and smartly run. A church can have a clean, sprucely kept building. A church can have a reputation in the community of being a great place to belong. “Wow! You belong to that church? How did you get to do that? It’s a special honor to belong to that church!” A church can have a radio or television broadcast, or an audience of 5,000 people. It can have all these things and still be dead.

What was the Doctor’s prescription for the church in Sardis? He commanded them to wake up and strengthen what remained and was about to die. There was still life in the church, but it was dying. What Jesus considered dead in verse 1 he then called asleep in verse 2. Thus, they are commanded to wake up. Their works had not been complete. In other words, there was no evidence of a full faith, or a fully-matured faith. Beale comments, “The so-called Christians of Sardis are living in such a way as to call into question whether or not they possess true, living faith in Christ.”123 Mounce writes that the “wake up” should be translated “show yourself watchful.” This would be meaningful for Sardis because of the two times they had been attacked and conquered by their enemies because of their lack of vigilance.124

Jesus commanded them to remember what they had received. What is it that they had received? Probably the gospel message and instruction from the likes of Paul and/or his associates, or from John himself. They were commanded to obey and repent. Repent from their walking death. Repent from their lethargy. And repent from their neglect of their faith heritage. Thomas comments that there is a concrete action envisioned in this call. They are to be awakened, strengthen what remains, remember the things received, and heard, as well as keep those things.125 If they continued in their lethargic spiritual state, Jesus promised to come to them like a thief, at an unexpected time. This can be understood both as reference to an imminent visitation as well to the Parousia of the day of the Lord. Jesus used the idea of thief for his second coming in Matthew 24:42–44.126

      In application, the message is clear for the church today. Proverbs 6:9–11 says, “How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.” The enemy wants to penetrate the church from the outside and the inside. The church must be alert and prepared for battle. We cannot let him in and, when even the hint of disunity, immorality, or bitterness begin to creep in, the alarm must be sounded by those who see it.

      There are a lot of depressed people in the world. With some of them, if you look at their sleeping habits, you begin to get a clue why they are depressed. Some stay up real late watching television, and then do not get up until 12:00pm or 1:00pm. The morning is gone, and the opportunity for productivity as well. This is going to contribute to depression. The church is the same. The longer we sleep, the more we flirt around with the night, the more depressed we will become and the more sleep we will want. It is a vicious cycle and only the Holy Spirit can break us from it. The prayer of the church must be, “Revive us, Lord. Wake us up. Keep us alert and on guard, against the desires of the flesh and the attacks of the enemy.”

      If the people of the church in Sardis did not wake up, they would miss the coming of the Lord. As in the parable of the wicked servant in Matthew 24, if the servant in charge of the Master’s household begins to lose faith and begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards, “the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites.”

      Not all in Sardis were asleep. There were a few who had not compromised or had not forgotten the heritage of faith. They had kept themselves clean, which implies that the problem in the church may have been a moral issue. It also means that their Sardis church friends had probably participated in the idolatrous feasts of the city, thus staining their clothes and their reputations as follower of Jesus. See the use of the word “defiled” in 14:4, 6–9. Those who remain faithful will be dressed in white (see Revelation 19), white clothes being the righteous deeds of the saints and given to them by the Lamb.

Literally the Greek in verse 4 means, “They will walk with me in white.” The primary thrust of the white clothes and walking with Jesus is purity and holiness,127 but a purity and holiness that came as the result of being justified by Jesus.128 There is a parallel here with Revelation 7:9, 13–14 and possibly with Daniel 11:35 and 12:10 where the saints are made white through the fires of persecution.129 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “And we all, with unveiled faces, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” All purity, holiness, and glory come from Jesus. Romans 13:14 says, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”

The one who proves faithful will show himself faithful. The one who overcomes will wear white clothes as well, and their names will not be blotted out of the book of life. For more on the book of life see Revelation 13:8; 17:8 and Revelation 20:12, 15; 21:27, as well as Daniel 12:1–2

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