Wake Up and Live
Revelation 3:1–6 (ESV)
To the Church in Sardis
3 “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. 2 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. 3 Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. 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. 4 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. 5 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. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
To the Church in Sardis
3 “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. 2 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. 3 Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. 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. 4 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. 5 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. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
Dear fellow redeemed:
The letter to the church in Sardis begins, as do the others, with a
reference back to the Lord who commissions the letters: 3 “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. The emphasis this time around is on His life–giving power and on his care for the pastors. The ”seven spirits of God” refer to the Holy Spirit, Who along creates spiritual life and faith. The church in Sardis is spiritually dead and needs life such as only the Holy Spirit gives. The seven stars are the pastors through whom the Sprit comes as the gospel is proclaimed by the pastors. This is a fitting way for Christ to describe himself to the congregation. We would then expect a word of commendation as in the other churches, but the seriousness of the situation in Sardis causes Jesus to go straight to the point. “ ‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. That is as serious a warning as it gets: Listen or you will die! He goes on… 2 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. The works here are the works that come of
faith, and their faith is dead or dying.
Scripture is very clear that faith comes only from God through the means of grace. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8–9, ESV) “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17, ESV) There is this absolute connection between our spiritual life and the gospel in our lives. To come to faith is to become spiritually alive.
Paul put it this way, again from Ephesians 2, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—” (Ephesians 2:4–5, ESV)
So we have no power to come to faith on our own, or to “decide for Christ.” Jesus says it is like being born (again). But from the time we come to faith, and become alive in the Spirit, the concern is one of faithfulness, and that is on us – in the sense that we are to be continually nourished and strengthened by the Holy Spirit through the word and sacraments. Will a person keep the faith or die spiritually? Many people think of the Christian faith as a function of mind or memory. They remember Jesus; they remember their Christian instruction; they know all sorts of things about Christianity and the Bible. But do they have saving faith? Are they alive toward Christ? Jesus warns I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. During His ministry, he said something similar: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21, ESV) In fact, nothing in these letters is strange or new. It is just more pointed, more emphatically in the here and now. Remember Paul wrote, “Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.” (Romans 13:11, ESV)
reference back to the Lord who commissions the letters: 3 “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. The emphasis this time around is on His life–giving power and on his care for the pastors. The ”seven spirits of God” refer to the Holy Spirit, Who along creates spiritual life and faith. The church in Sardis is spiritually dead and needs life such as only the Holy Spirit gives. The seven stars are the pastors through whom the Sprit comes as the gospel is proclaimed by the pastors. This is a fitting way for Christ to describe himself to the congregation. We would then expect a word of commendation as in the other churches, but the seriousness of the situation in Sardis causes Jesus to go straight to the point. “ ‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. That is as serious a warning as it gets: Listen or you will die! He goes on… 2 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. The works here are the works that come of
faith, and their faith is dead or dying.
Scripture is very clear that faith comes only from God through the means of grace. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8–9, ESV) “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17, ESV) There is this absolute connection between our spiritual life and the gospel in our lives. To come to faith is to become spiritually alive.
Paul put it this way, again from Ephesians 2, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—” (Ephesians 2:4–5, ESV)
So we have no power to come to faith on our own, or to “decide for Christ.” Jesus says it is like being born (again). But from the time we come to faith, and become alive in the Spirit, the concern is one of faithfulness, and that is on us – in the sense that we are to be continually nourished and strengthened by the Holy Spirit through the word and sacraments. Will a person keep the faith or die spiritually? Many people think of the Christian faith as a function of mind or memory. They remember Jesus; they remember their Christian instruction; they know all sorts of things about Christianity and the Bible. But do they have saving faith? Are they alive toward Christ? Jesus warns I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. During His ministry, he said something similar: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21, ESV) In fact, nothing in these letters is strange or new. It is just more pointed, more emphatically in the here and now. Remember Paul wrote, “Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.” (Romans 13:11, ESV)
What we have here is another variation on the theme, “Remain faithful!” Only it is directed this time to people who are nearly lost. So how can they, or you, or I, when we have become slack, sleepy, comatose, and nearly dead spiritually, how can we regain spiritual health and life? When we realize 2 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. … 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. The warning is to awaken, or die in our sins, or be cast out on the last day. How does this warning resonate in our day? There are congregations that surely have a reputation as being alive. They have numbers, they have activity, they have a big social footprint. They have a reputation for being alive. But they are dead. There is no gospel there. There is no serious recognition of the dangers of sin, so there is no preaching of repentance, and if someone is so convinced of their own righteousness, what need is there of Christ and forgiveness? Such a church for all its pizzazz is sterile and dead.
This is true also on an individual basis. As I said earlier, here are those who think of Christian faith as a function of mind or memory. They remember about Jesus; they remember their Christian instruction; they know all sorts of things about Christianity and the Bible. They call themselves Christians, but its all about the outward show, and nothing about sin and grace. So then, to those who are religious without being Christian, spiritual without acknowledging sin and turning to Christ for forgiveness, to those who have the outward trappings of a Christian life, but seem to know nothing of grace, Jesus says, 3 Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. Go back to the word and sacraments, the saving Gospel, that you first received. Listen to it. Keep it. Repent of your neglect of God’s word. Remember the essential humility of confessing your sins and finding the only true hope in the atoning death of Christ and His victorious resurrection.
During sixth and seventh grades I attended an Episcopal school. I’ve mentioned it before in one class or another. The priest of the church there didn’t believe in life after death. He didn’t believe in the resurrection of Christ or in His divinity. He was spiritually dead, and so were many of his flock. But he still read from the Bible and the traditional liturgy is full of our sin and God’s grace for the sake of Jesus Christ., so there were still some there who were believers. So it was in Sardis. 4 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. 5 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. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ You can see from this that where there is faith that faith takes hold of the fullness of Christ’s righteousness. The righteousness that we need isn’t what we live, but what Christ lived for us, the righteousness that is from God and is by faith. So let us always be on guard against anything that pushes the law and the gospel into the background. For to die spiritually is to be lost forever. But to be nourished by the promises of Christ is to be forever blessed.
This is true also on an individual basis. As I said earlier, here are those who think of Christian faith as a function of mind or memory. They remember about Jesus; they remember their Christian instruction; they know all sorts of things about Christianity and the Bible. They call themselves Christians, but its all about the outward show, and nothing about sin and grace. So then, to those who are religious without being Christian, spiritual without acknowledging sin and turning to Christ for forgiveness, to those who have the outward trappings of a Christian life, but seem to know nothing of grace, Jesus says, 3 Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. Go back to the word and sacraments, the saving Gospel, that you first received. Listen to it. Keep it. Repent of your neglect of God’s word. Remember the essential humility of confessing your sins and finding the only true hope in the atoning death of Christ and His victorious resurrection.
During sixth and seventh grades I attended an Episcopal school. I’ve mentioned it before in one class or another. The priest of the church there didn’t believe in life after death. He didn’t believe in the resurrection of Christ or in His divinity. He was spiritually dead, and so were many of his flock. But he still read from the Bible and the traditional liturgy is full of our sin and God’s grace for the sake of Jesus Christ., so there were still some there who were believers. So it was in Sardis. 4 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. 5 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. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ You can see from this that where there is faith that faith takes hold of the fullness of Christ’s righteousness. The righteousness that we need isn’t what we live, but what Christ lived for us, the righteousness that is from God and is by faith. So let us always be on guard against anything that pushes the law and the gospel into the background. For to die spiritually is to be lost forever. But to be nourished by the promises of Christ is to be forever blessed.
AMEN