October 17, 2014
WAKE UP AND EAT
Revelation 3:1–6
Bob Dyer
Central Truth
Reputation is what people think we are. Reality is what Christ knows we are. Jesus isn't interested in image, labels, or good intentions, but in living The Truth out loud. Living out loud requires being alive to the reality of what God has done for you through Jesus Christ.
Key Verse | Revelation 3:1
"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.'" (Revelation 3:1)
Revelation 3:1–6
To the Church in Sardis
1 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.’
Dive Deeper | Revelation 3:1–6
Not very different from Dallas, Sardis was a large, rich, and powerful city in its day, with temples, a synagogue, and the church this letter is addressed to. John, exiled to Patmos, is charged with writing Jesus's message to the church -- and it's not a happy one.
You were probably taught that if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. The fact was that Jesus didn't have much good to say about the church in Sardis, and He had the authority to speak the truth. "[Y]ou are dead" (verse 1) is hard to misunderstand; it means you aren't living. I never understood the phrases "half alive" or "half dead." You're either one or the other, and that's exactly the point Jesus' letter is addressing. In the United States alone, 3,500 churches die and close every year. While I'm sure I'm oversimplifying it, I believe it's because people quit caring -- caring about the gospel, caring about community, and caring about a life lived by conviction, not preference.
But there is a remedy, a prescription, and it starts with simply waking up (verse 2)! We all know the importance of breakfast. It gets us going. It "fuels," strengthens, and sustains us. But we don't eat breakfast in our sleep; we have to be awake first. In the same way, we can't live effective lives for Christ unless we wake up and nourish ourselves with what we have received (verse 3) -- life through God's gift of grace, fuel from His Word, strength from His Spirit, and eternal sustenance through His Son, "the bread of life." (John 6:35)
Discussion Questions
1. When you are at work or school, can you be mistaken for anything other than a follower of Christ? Are you alive or dead?
2. Is what people see (reputation) the reality of your heart (what Jesus knows)?
3. Do you find yourself living more out of preference (what "I" want: comfort, ease, safety) or conviction (what we know about life based on God's Word)? Daniel is a great example of someone that lived by conviction when he "made up his mind" to not give in to Nebuchadnezzar's decision about what Daniel should eat (read Daniel 1:8).
4. The church in Sardis was sinking from its former glory from a lack of persistence in the faith. Come up with three things that could be or are getting in the way of you being strong in the faith. What are steps you can take to become strong again?