“I know your record and what you are doing; you are supposed to be alive, but [in reality] you are dead. Rouse yourselves and keep awake, and strengthen and invigorate what remains and is on the point of dying; for I have not found a thing that you have done [any work of yours] meeting the requirements of My God or perfect in His sight.” Revelation 3:1b-2 ->me: This is the sharp condemnation of Sardis and I think this might be how God sees most of us American Christians who have become slack in our walk; we are too comfy. This was me for 33 years! Sardis had been overthrown twice before the birth of Jesus. The city was built on a hill so steep that its defenses seemed impregnable. On both occasions enemy troops scaled the walls by night and found that the overconfident Sardians had set no guard. So Jesus’ words here to ‘rouse yourselves and keep awake’ would mean something to this church. The church in Sardis may have pleased men but it did not please God. Nothing it did was complete in the sight of “My God”; its works were not brought to fulfilment. Why did both Jews and Romans leave this church undisturbed (unlike some of its neighbors [Pergamum and Thyatira])? The answer is probably its lack of aggressive and positive Christianity. The church didn’t do anything with conviction that would draw attention to itself and therefore not worth persecuting. I can’t allow myself to ever get here again – that place where I am so secure and comfortable where I am lulled into living a life that bears no fruit for His Kingdom. Lord, please help me to never be called out by you like this.
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