As young people, we would go out Friday and Saturday nights,
play hockey and hang out until the wee hours of the morning, but we always made
it to church Sunday morning. Then, as soon as the pastor opened the Bible for
the sermon, we promptly fell sleep and woke up when we heard him say, “Amen.”
We believed in Jesus, but Jesus didn’t have much of an impact in how we lived.
We were more influenced by our parents who wanted us to get a good education and
a good job, we were influenced by teachers who wanted us to be successful, we
were influenced by friends who loved sports and having fun more than anything
else, we were influenced by a culture that said we could become anything we
wanted. Jesus kind of got tacked onto life.
I hate to admit it, but we were like the church in Sardis. We
didn’t take our faith and relationship with Jesus too seriously. We did the
right things mostly, we went to church even when we didn’t get much sleep, we
did what we thought we needed to do as a Christian, but no more. Like Sardis
seems to have done, we did basic obedience, but I can’t say that our lives were
shaped by worshiping and adoring Jesus, we loved the same things our
non-Christian friends loved. We were asleep in our faith, Jesus was good for
Sunday morning, but real life happened during the rest of the week. Advent is
the church’s way of waking us up and helping us remember why Jesus came to
earth.
This letter to Sardis, like all the other 6 letters, were
written for the entire church, not just for one specific church. Sardis is not
the only church that needs a wake-up call, most churches need a wake-up call
from time to time. The problem in Sardis is they had fallen so deeply asleep
that they were like the dead. The call to wake-up is like a poke in the ribs
for the church there since the city was home to the temple of Cybele. Cybele
was a mother goddess, a goddess of fertility with the power to bring the dead
back to life, yet unable to do anything with this church. The fertility part of
Cybele worship may be part of why the church is described as dead. This is why
the church is being called to repent; they want to be like everyone else
instead of just following Jesus.
But there’s another poke in the call to wake-up. Sardis was
conquered twice in the past because of a lack of vigilance. Enemy spies were
able to sneak into the city to let in attacking armies because the sentries
weren’t paying attention. It’s like they fell asleep as the enemy surrounded
them. Now the church is asleep, sleeping like the dead, careless in their lives,
eyes closed to the danger of taking Jesus so lightly. While all this is
happening, Jesus is holding the 7 stars, which are the angels of the churches,
in his hands as he walks among the churches, which are the lamp-stands John
mentions at the beginning of the letters to the churches. Jesus sees what’s
going on.
Jesus calls us to wake-up otherwise he’s going to come like a
thief in the night, showing up when we least expect and we won’t see him
coming, much like those sentries in Sardis who didn’t see their enemies
sneaking into the city. Even though the church is close to death, there’s still
hope for life to be restored into the church. Jesus tells them to strengthen what remains and to remember what they’ve
received and heard; to hang onto it with all their strength and repent.
There are some who have not soiled their
clothes, who have not gone back to the ways of the city and culture,
but remained focused on Jesus and his call on their lives. They remember what
Jesus has given them. Sometimes we get so used to what Jesus has done for us
and what we’ve been given, that we forget just how life changing and earth
shattering it is. As the band Rend Collective sings, Jesus is our rescuer,
rescuing us from sin, redeeming us, making us new people. Jesus left heaven
to come to earth to become just like us. He was born in a stable instead of the
world’s greatest palace, surrounded by shepherds instead of the kings and
queens. Jesus grew up, learning obedience, going to school and learning a
trade. Before Jesus began his ministry, Jesus likely worked alongside his
father Joseph as a carpenter and builder.
Jesus left his earthly family to wander the area of Galilee,
Samaria, and Judea, calling the people to repent and
believe, teaching the people who God is. This all culminates with Jesus’
betrayal and crucifixion on the cross where he takes our sin to the grave for
us. In Jesus’ death we receive freedom from sin and earth, freedom from fear
and worry, filled with joy and peace as we are forgiven our sin and receive God’s
grace in the gift of the Holy Spirit. We’re given new hearts that are open to
the leading of the Holy Spirit.
As children of God, we’re called to a way of living that reveals
to the world who our God is, what kind of a God he is. As God forgives us, we’re
called to forgive, as God is generous, we’re called to be generous. We’re
called to be light and salt, helping to transform our communities through how
we live as followers of Jesus. We live by a different moral standard, called to
holiness and purity in thought and action, people of integrity, a people who
love rather than hate, a people who walk through life trusting that we’re
provided for as we look to help and bless others; building our lives and church
on the teachings of Jesus. A living awake church looks like people whose lives
are shaped by worshiping and adoring Jesus. Following Jesus, loving others,
serving our community and sharing our faith keeps us awake and alive. Worship
keeps us aware of God among us. Repentance keeps our focus on Jesus, reminding
us that Jesus is our saviour and messiah.
It’s not always going to be easy: this is why we gather together
as a church on Sundays to encourage each other, build each other up, hear the
words of forgiveness and grace and the challenge to continue living as Jesus
calls us to live, receiving the strength found in worshiping God. The church
in Philadelphia is held up as a church going through persecution and yet stays
strong in following Jesus, Philadelphia is the example against Sardis. They’ve
stayed awake, even in times of persecution. In spite of their smallness, their
weakness, their lack of influence or power in the city, the church in Philadelphia
stays true, stays awake in the faith. Because of their faithfulness, Jesus
promises to protect them from the hour of trial, the persecution that’s coming. This protection rests in the cross where Jesus defeated Satan and all God's enemies, even though they still have power and influence for right now. At some point, these enemies are going to end up on their faces before these
followers of Jesus, confessing that they are loved by Jesus.
This is an encouragement for us today. When we stay strong in
following Jesus, even those who are against us will end up acknowledging that
we are loved by God. Peter echoes the same message in his first letter, where
he encourages the people to “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they
accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the
day he visits us.” Ann Voskamp wrote this week, “Advent is a whole lot more
than passively waiting for the King — it’s about participating in the work of
the Kingdom of God.” The church in Sardis does wake -up. In mid-2nd
century, Melito, bishop of the church in Sardis became well-known for his piety
and learning, even writing a commentary on this book.
Jesus came to earth to take
the punishment for our sin, to call
us back to God through repentance and belief, and to bring God glory, as the
angels did that first Christmas evening, “And there
were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks
at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory
of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the
angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause
great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born
to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to
you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly
a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and
saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace
to those on whom his favor rests.” May the peace of God be with you as
we journey towards Christmas.
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