The Letter To Sardis
Sermon
Paradise Restored
Sermons From Revelation For Lent And Easter
Pat and Mike were somberly looking over the casket that held their late good friend Liam.
"He's looking so good, dressed in that fine suit. He'll be the envy of all the fine folks in heaven," Pat said.
Mike said, "Faith and begorrah, don't ya know, he won't be going to heaven. He was an atheist."
Pat said, "'Tis a pity, that. Well, he'll be the envy of all the folks in the other place."
Mike said, "Faith and begorrah, you're forgetting what a fine man our friend Liam was. He was too good a man to be going to the other place."
Pat said, "Ah and you're right as rain, by all the saints." And they were quiet for another minute. Finally, Pat could stand the silence no longer and said, "'Tis a real pity then. All dressed up and havin' no place to go."
Actually, Liam and the church at Sardis have one thing in common. They look really good, maybe even the envy of the churches, but they are both dead inside.
About 550 years before Christ, when Israel was in captivity to Babylon, Cyrus of Persia was conquering the Medes on his way to conquering the world. The book of Isaiah calls Cyrus the messiah, the anointed of God. He was a benevolent conqueror, and eventually conquered Babylon and sent the Babylonian Captives of Israel home.
On his way to do that, Cyrus conquered a kingdom called Lydia, and captured the king of Lydia, Croesus. Croesus was legendary for his wealth and riches. He lived in the capital of Lydia, Sardis. Legend says that the political philosopher of Athens, Solon, visited Croesus at Sardis. Croesus, in a manner of bragging about his power and riches, asked Solon if he thought such a rich man would be the happiest of men. Solon said, "Call no man happy before his death."
About eleven years into his reign, Cyrus captured Croesus. One of the many legends about Croesus says that Cyrus was making ready to burn him alive. That's when Croesus called out to Solon about his wise words. Solon wasn't there, so Cyrus asked Croesus what he meant. Cyrus liked the wisdom of Solon and Croesus' memory of it, and ordered the fire doused. Cyrus' men couldn't put out the fire, but the god Apollo sent a storm that put it out.
At any rate, we know from history that Croesus became a puppet king under Cyrus, and was the last king of Lydia.
Six hundred and fifty years later, Sardis has been conquered and destroyed a couple more times, and restored by the generosity of another emperor, this time the Roman, Tiberius Caesar. And there is a church there, and it is to this church that the fifth letter of Revelation is written.
The Romans have put John on their prison island, Patmos. The Spirit calls John to write to the seven churches in Asia Minor which lie on a circular road, like the round trip a missionary would make to end up near his home. He couches his report in colorful language, cradled in his vision of the risen Lord who is the Lamb who was slain for the sins of the world.
He has a vision of a glorious Jesus in a white robe amidst seven golden lampstands and holding seven stars. Jesus explains that the stars are the angels of the seven churches and the lampstands are the seven churches.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus calls us to be the light of the world, a city set on a hill, a lampstand that is not hidden under a bushel. Here in Revelation, the Lord Christ stands among the lampstands and he holds the angels of the churches in his hand.
*
Ephesus, the loveless church
*
Smyrna, the persecuted church
*
Pergamum, the compromising church
*
Thyatira, the corrupt church
*
Sardis, the dead church
*
Philadelphia, the faithful church
*
Laodicea, the lukewarm church
In the first letter, the Lord calls the church at Ephesus to task for being the fruit of shallow soil; they began with much love and great and good works, but they have lost their zeal. About the only thing in their favor is that they are pure. They test everyone and find out the false apostles and teachers.
The letter to the Smyrna church is short and glowing in praise for the small church that bravely faces death.
The church at Pergamum he criticizes for accepting the immorality and practices of the culture around them, adultery, and idol worship. He tells them to avoid even the appearance of evil, because others may not be so discerning in their vision. The strong need to set examples for the weak.
The church at Thyatira has grown in their good works. Love and faith and service and endurance have exceeded what they had at first. But they have a Jezebel that corrupts them.
The church at Sardis looks really good. They have the confidence of Croesus bragging to Solon. "Faith and begorrah," they are the envy of all the churches. But the Lord who has the seven stars, the angels of the churches says, "I know your works, you have the name of being alive, and you are dead."
They have some wonderful things in their church: apathy, indifference, and self-satisfaction. Things you can't identify easily, but which you can use to deceive yourself. They look alive, but they are dead inside. Like a mighty oak that looks strong but has a bug or disease inside that is killing it.
In this letter, John's words come very close to sounding like the Gospels. Awake, arise, revive, remember, repent! Jesus will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour he will come upon you. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all quote Jesus with words like this.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, "Not every one who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 7:21).
Words are not enough. What you believe is not as important as the difference it makes that you believe.
A church tends to have a personality. It gets into habits, maybe even ruts. Lyle Schaller, a consultant on church administration, says a church does what it has the most practice doing. Ephesus has endurance. Smyrna has faith and courage in the face of persecution. Pergamum has compromised itself with the society around it. Thyatira follows its Jezebel down the garden path. Sardis has mastered the art of looking alive when really it is dead.
So the message here is to analyze our habit. We must ask ourselves: What is it we do with routine acceptance that may not be in the Spirit of the Lamb who gives his life in sacrifice for the church and those who walk with him in white? For no church is all bad. Even Sardis has some names still written in the Lamb's book of life, "People who have not soiled their garments ... for they are worthy." Now what is it that makes them worthy? They may not be worthy in themselves, but the Lamb who is worthy has made them worthy. For Revelation, that makes the Lamb worthy. And he who conquers surrenders to the leading of God's Spirit, makes the good confession with courage and without lapsing, and sacrifices his life in love.
Helen Keller lived from 1880 to 1968. From the age of two she was deaf and blind, and the story of her rehabilitation is legendary. Deaf and blind all her life, she was still one of the most alive and vital persons in history. One of the great things she said was this:
I believe that we can live on earth according to the teachings of Jesus, and that the greatest happiness will come to the world when [each person] obeys His commandment, "Love one another."
I believe that every question between [people] is a religious question, and that every social wrong is a moral wrong....
I believe that life is given us so that we may grow in love, and I believe that God is in me as the sun is in the color and fragrance of a flower -- the light in my darkness, the Voice in my silence.
Now there's a person who has a habit of being alive! Make that your creed, your motto for living, and no one will have to say, "'Tis a real pity then. All dressed up and havin' no place to go."
For John of Patmos, the victory of the Lord at the end of time is sure and certain, and there is comfort for the believers, and an uncounted multitude will be saved. He warns Ephesus that for some, the lampstand will be removed. They could lose their church. They could lose their salvation. For Smyrna he has the promise of a crown of life for the faithful. For Pergamum he promises the hidden manna and the new name on the white stone. To Thyatira he offers the bright morning star, which is Jesus, the Lamb, whose sacrifice ushers in a new day. To Sardis he promises the white garment of purity, and to confess his name before the Father and before his angels.
For this Lent, we have a vision of the Lord of the Church who knows our suffering because he has given his blood for us, and it is in his name that we have patient endurance, test all who come among us, constantly renew our enthusiasm in faith, certain we are different from the world around us, awake and alive in Christ. All dressed up, and knowing where we're going.
Lord, make us alive, keeping us from deceiving ourselves, and help us to say no to everything that makes it more difficult to say yes to you.
"He's looking so good, dressed in that fine suit. He'll be the envy of all the fine folks in heaven," Pat said.
Mike said, "Faith and begorrah, don't ya know, he won't be going to heaven. He was an atheist."
Pat said, "'Tis a pity, that. Well, he'll be the envy of all the folks in the other place."
Mike said, "Faith and begorrah, you're forgetting what a fine man our friend Liam was. He was too good a man to be going to the other place."
Pat said, "Ah and you're right as rain, by all the saints." And they were quiet for another minute. Finally, Pat could stand the silence no longer and said, "'Tis a real pity then. All dressed up and havin' no place to go."
Actually, Liam and the church at Sardis have one thing in common. They look really good, maybe even the envy of the churches, but they are both dead inside.
About 550 years before Christ, when Israel was in captivity to Babylon, Cyrus of Persia was conquering the Medes on his way to conquering the world. The book of Isaiah calls Cyrus the messiah, the anointed of God. He was a benevolent conqueror, and eventually conquered Babylon and sent the Babylonian Captives of Israel home.
On his way to do that, Cyrus conquered a kingdom called Lydia, and captured the king of Lydia, Croesus. Croesus was legendary for his wealth and riches. He lived in the capital of Lydia, Sardis. Legend says that the political philosopher of Athens, Solon, visited Croesus at Sardis. Croesus, in a manner of bragging about his power and riches, asked Solon if he thought such a rich man would be the happiest of men. Solon said, "Call no man happy before his death."
About eleven years into his reign, Cyrus captured Croesus. One of the many legends about Croesus says that Cyrus was making ready to burn him alive. That's when Croesus called out to Solon about his wise words. Solon wasn't there, so Cyrus asked Croesus what he meant. Cyrus liked the wisdom of Solon and Croesus' memory of it, and ordered the fire doused. Cyrus' men couldn't put out the fire, but the god Apollo sent a storm that put it out.
At any rate, we know from history that Croesus became a puppet king under Cyrus, and was the last king of Lydia.
Six hundred and fifty years later, Sardis has been conquered and destroyed a couple more times, and restored by the generosity of another emperor, this time the Roman, Tiberius Caesar. And there is a church there, and it is to this church that the fifth letter of Revelation is written.
The Romans have put John on their prison island, Patmos. The Spirit calls John to write to the seven churches in Asia Minor which lie on a circular road, like the round trip a missionary would make to end up near his home. He couches his report in colorful language, cradled in his vision of the risen Lord who is the Lamb who was slain for the sins of the world.
He has a vision of a glorious Jesus in a white robe amidst seven golden lampstands and holding seven stars. Jesus explains that the stars are the angels of the seven churches and the lampstands are the seven churches.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus calls us to be the light of the world, a city set on a hill, a lampstand that is not hidden under a bushel. Here in Revelation, the Lord Christ stands among the lampstands and he holds the angels of the churches in his hand.
*
Ephesus, the loveless church
*
Smyrna, the persecuted church
*
Pergamum, the compromising church
*
Thyatira, the corrupt church
*
Sardis, the dead church
*
Philadelphia, the faithful church
*
Laodicea, the lukewarm church
In the first letter, the Lord calls the church at Ephesus to task for being the fruit of shallow soil; they began with much love and great and good works, but they have lost their zeal. About the only thing in their favor is that they are pure. They test everyone and find out the false apostles and teachers.
The letter to the Smyrna church is short and glowing in praise for the small church that bravely faces death.
The church at Pergamum he criticizes for accepting the immorality and practices of the culture around them, adultery, and idol worship. He tells them to avoid even the appearance of evil, because others may not be so discerning in their vision. The strong need to set examples for the weak.
The church at Thyatira has grown in their good works. Love and faith and service and endurance have exceeded what they had at first. But they have a Jezebel that corrupts them.
The church at Sardis looks really good. They have the confidence of Croesus bragging to Solon. "Faith and begorrah," they are the envy of all the churches. But the Lord who has the seven stars, the angels of the churches says, "I know your works, you have the name of being alive, and you are dead."
They have some wonderful things in their church: apathy, indifference, and self-satisfaction. Things you can't identify easily, but which you can use to deceive yourself. They look alive, but they are dead inside. Like a mighty oak that looks strong but has a bug or disease inside that is killing it.
In this letter, John's words come very close to sounding like the Gospels. Awake, arise, revive, remember, repent! Jesus will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour he will come upon you. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all quote Jesus with words like this.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, "Not every one who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 7:21).
Words are not enough. What you believe is not as important as the difference it makes that you believe.
A church tends to have a personality. It gets into habits, maybe even ruts. Lyle Schaller, a consultant on church administration, says a church does what it has the most practice doing. Ephesus has endurance. Smyrna has faith and courage in the face of persecution. Pergamum has compromised itself with the society around it. Thyatira follows its Jezebel down the garden path. Sardis has mastered the art of looking alive when really it is dead.
So the message here is to analyze our habit. We must ask ourselves: What is it we do with routine acceptance that may not be in the Spirit of the Lamb who gives his life in sacrifice for the church and those who walk with him in white? For no church is all bad. Even Sardis has some names still written in the Lamb's book of life, "People who have not soiled their garments ... for they are worthy." Now what is it that makes them worthy? They may not be worthy in themselves, but the Lamb who is worthy has made them worthy. For Revelation, that makes the Lamb worthy. And he who conquers surrenders to the leading of God's Spirit, makes the good confession with courage and without lapsing, and sacrifices his life in love.
Helen Keller lived from 1880 to 1968. From the age of two she was deaf and blind, and the story of her rehabilitation is legendary. Deaf and blind all her life, she was still one of the most alive and vital persons in history. One of the great things she said was this:
I believe that we can live on earth according to the teachings of Jesus, and that the greatest happiness will come to the world when [each person] obeys His commandment, "Love one another."
I believe that every question between [people] is a religious question, and that every social wrong is a moral wrong....
I believe that life is given us so that we may grow in love, and I believe that God is in me as the sun is in the color and fragrance of a flower -- the light in my darkness, the Voice in my silence.
Now there's a person who has a habit of being alive! Make that your creed, your motto for living, and no one will have to say, "'Tis a real pity then. All dressed up and havin' no place to go."
For John of Patmos, the victory of the Lord at the end of time is sure and certain, and there is comfort for the believers, and an uncounted multitude will be saved. He warns Ephesus that for some, the lampstand will be removed. They could lose their church. They could lose their salvation. For Smyrna he has the promise of a crown of life for the faithful. For Pergamum he promises the hidden manna and the new name on the white stone. To Thyatira he offers the bright morning star, which is Jesus, the Lamb, whose sacrifice ushers in a new day. To Sardis he promises the white garment of purity, and to confess his name before the Father and before his angels.
For this Lent, we have a vision of the Lord of the Church who knows our suffering because he has given his blood for us, and it is in his name that we have patient endurance, test all who come among us, constantly renew our enthusiasm in faith, certain we are different from the world around us, awake and alive in Christ. All dressed up, and knowing where we're going.
Lord, make us alive, keeping us from deceiving ourselves, and help us to say no to everything that makes it more difficult to say yes to you.
