dead – Moment to Moment (Bible blog)

If we are caught unprepared

The city of Sardis was supposed to be a near impenetrable city. But twice it fell. Why? Because their watchmen were asleep on the job.

And here Jesus uses their own history to try to wake up the church that dwelt there.

He said,

I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.

Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.

Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, 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. (Revelation 3:1-3)

What is Jesus saying here?

Like the city it dwelt in, the church seemed strong, healthy, and alive. But it was dead as it stood. Why? Because Jesus was coming in judgment, and the church wasn’t ready for it.

In what ways was the church not ready? Jesus tells them, “I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.”

What does that mean? I’m not entirely sure, but I think there were probably two things.

Number one, they had let holiness slip in their lives. They had started to compromise and do things they knew were wrong.

That’s why Jesus draws a sharp contrast between those who were “sleeping” and those few in the church who had, “not soiled their clothes.” (4)

But there is probably another thing he meant.

This church in the past had probably done a lot of good, touching the lives of the world around them. But perhaps, they had now become self-centered.

They were no longer focusing on touching the world. Instead, they were resting on their laurels, looking with pride at what they had done, but doing little else.

As a result, they were dying spiritually. Their works were incomplete in holiness and in mission.

And Jesus said, “Get back to basics. Remember the things that are truly important. Repent from your inward way of thinking. Repent of your sins. For if you don’t, I will come back, and you will be judged.”

It is in fact, very similar to all the parables Jesus gave in Matthew 24-25.

Often times, we look at these parables and this letter to Sardis and think of them in individualistic terms. Are we as individual Christians ready for our Lord’s return?

And there is definitely an element of that here, particularly in verses 4-5 when Jesus addresses the individual faithful in the church.

But remember that this letter for the most part is addressed to the church at large.

And like the church in Sardis, many churches have the reputation of being alive, but are dead. They seem so vibrant because of their dynamic pastors, emotional worship, and bright atmosphere.

But inside they are rotting from the undealt with sin in their lives. From the compromise that belies their professions of faith.

Other churches are resting on the laurels of what they did years ago.

Before they were reaching out and touching their community for Christ. But now, they look around at each other and what they accomplished, and they spend all their time congratulating themselves.

They have essentially become a social club, simply enjoying the fellowship they have with each other. But they forget that their work is not yet finished, and will not be until Jesus returns.

And that’s the key thing to remember. Jesus is coming back. When he comes back, how will he find our churches?

Will he find us alive, touching the world for him? Or will he find a self-centered church? Or just as bad, a soiled church?

What does he see when he sees your church?

Dead, even while you live

Paul is talking specifically here about widows, but the words he speaks is relevant to all.

In talking about the kind of widow the church is to support, he says,

The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. (1 Timothy 5:5)

In other words, the church was to meet the needs of truly godly widows who had no means of support, but whose hope was in God.

They were to be women who throughout their lives, were known for their good deeds, serving and helping those around them. (9-10)

And I have to believe that even in their old age, even after their husbands died, they continued in these things.

They didn’t engage in pity parties or start looking only to themselves and their own needs. Rather, they continued to turn their face to God and committed themselves in Christ’s name to touching the lives of others.

But then Paul said,

But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. (6)

The ESV puts it,

She who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives.

Many times, people, not just widows, get to the point in life where they think, “I’ve done enough for others. It’s time to live for myself.”

For many that’s at retirement. For others, it can come even earlier than that. But either way, it’s a very selfish way of living.

And God says that when we focus merely on ourselves, we become dead even while we live.

God did not raise us with Christ simply to live for ourselves. As Paul wrote the Corinthians,

[Jesus] died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. (2 Corinthians 5:15)

To live for yourself is not life at all. It’s death. It is when we get our eyes off of ourselves and onto God and what he wants us to do in the lives of those around us, that we truly find life.

How about you? Where is your focus? On yourself? On what God and others can do for you? Then you are dead while you are still living.

God has called you to so much more. So let us get our eyes off of ourselves and onto the God who has given us new life. And let us live that new life.

Who are you living for?