Living in Sardis - December 16, Readings: Micah 5-7, Revelation 3–4, Psalm 143:1–3, Proverbs 30:24–28

Link to Today's Readings

Do you live in Sardis?

Jesus confronted the church of Sardis in Revelation 3:1-6, but it is in verse 1 that he uses a few simple words to nail their problem down clearly.

You have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead. 

The things people would say about the church of Sardis. Lively. Going and growing. Exciting. Vibrant. Everything you could possibly want a church to be. They were the "it" church; all the other churches were talking about them, envying them, wishing they could be like them. But God saw something very different. He saw death.

All their vibrancy, their liveliness, their excitement - it came from the flesh and not from the Spirit. They were able to make everyone else believe that it came from God, but in reality there was no spiritual life. It was a fleshly imitation that could fool others, but not God.

In our culture, we worry much about what people think of us. We devote much to managing our appearance, maintaining positive public image and controlling public opinion. But just because we look spiritual, or people think we are, doesn't mean that we are.

We must seek God in reality, in repentance and in purity. What matters is the life of God in us, and what God knows is in our hearts, not what people think about us.

Sardis Christians are not concerned as much about honoring God as they are making people think they are honoring God. They care more about what people think of them than what God thinks. They care more about the outside than the inside. Living in Sardis means a fake spirituality - trying to make people think you are what you are not.

And that is no place to live!

Father, I don't want to be a Sardis Christian. Help me to be real before you.