No Place to Hang Your Hat
(Masterpiece of Hope Series)
Revelation 3:1-6 [Sardis]
We cannot rely on what we’ve done; so keep doing
Chapel Service of Plainfield Christian Church
Rob Hoos
Introduction to Revelation
Good evening. How are you all doing this evening? Before we get started into this week’s sermon, I just want to take a moment to go over some basics of the book of Revelation and introduce this sermon series to you. This whole month of April, with the exception of Easter Sunday, we will be studying the book of Revelation. The book of Revelation was never meant to show us what some call the “prophetic timeline,” nor was it to let us know when the end of the world is coming. It is so strange to me that we understand that we need to know the background context for all of the other books of the bible, but when it comes to the book of Revelation, all of the sudden we think that we can ignore the context it was written in. Another interesting fact to note is that Revelation is a book of Prophesy. If something is prophetic, it does not mean that the entire book is about the future; in fact it typically means something nearer to the opposite. In Jeremiah we see that this prophet talks to the people about God’s quickly coming judgment, their current sin and other issues that deal with the people that he is talking to in that day and time. Very little of Jeremiah is predictive prophesy; the rest is simply telling the people God’s word. See, the purpose of the book of Revelation is to give hope to churches in the midst of suffering, persecution, and a counter-church culture. It is a book of hope, not telling the future. That is why this sermon series is titles “Masterpiece of Hope.” Jesus brilliantly paints this inspiring book of hope using the colors of imagery, symbols, Old Testament references, and events from their time.
Introduction
I have a story for you all tonight that have just stuck with me since they happened. It happened during my sophomore year at Cincinnati Bible College.
The second story, the one from my sophomore year, also came at the end of a semester. One of my friends who we call J-Mac had left a half gallon of 2% milk in his fridge for the entire semester/possibly the whole school year (he couldn’t remember). It was so spoiled that the bottle was bloated to the point of breaking. Well, I had come into the room to see this amazing sight, and when I picked up the half-gallon to examine it, it began to burst. A small leak in the top quarter began to spray a barely visible stream of spoiled milk all over me and their dorm room. In a moment of panic, my friend Alex and I went tearing down the hallway to the nearest window that was over some grass. We made it to the stairwell’s window and as soon as possible threw the container out the window into the grass on the side of the parking lot. When it hit bottom the bottle burst, releasing a mixture that looked like cottage cheese, spoiled milk, and cream cheese. Unfortunately it burst near enough to someone’s car that it defiled their tires and lower door panel. All this because my friend left the milk sit for too long.
See, there are consequences to inactivity and laziness; typically it results in something being ruined, or stinking. Often it results in destruction. We even see this idea repeated in the wisdom books of Solomon.
18 If a man is lazy, the rafters sag;
if his hands are idle, the house leaks.
(Ecclesiastes 10:18)
What Solomon is saying here is that if a man is lazy and does not maintain his home, it will fall apart.
19 The way of the sluggard is blocked with thorns,
but the path of the upright is a highway.
(Proverbs 15:19)
The reason that the sluggard’s path is blocked with thorns is because he is too lazy to clear them off. The upright person, however, cleans the thorns off of his path.
Its a lot like a river. When the river is flowing and moving it teems with life, and bring life wherever it goes. When water is left to sit, it breeds bacteria and mosquitoes, and stinks. There are few things that are worse than the smell of stagnant water.
The City of Sardis
The city of Sardis was like a flowing river that had become a stale and stagnant pond. It was one of the cities that John wrote to in the book of Revelation (more specifically Revelation 3:1-6). Sardis was a town located in present day Turkey.
It was a town of great wealth and opulence. In fact, the place was so rich that the name Sardis had become a byword for wealth. Some believe (according to folklore) that the reason it was such a wealthy area is because it is by the river where King Midas bathed in order to remove the curse of the golden touch.
It was one of the major fortresses of the ancient kingdom of Lydia; it was thought to be impregnable. During the attack by Cyrus, king of Media-Persia, they were attacked through a small weakness in their defenses at night. They were brought low because they were not vigilant at night. Later on, the city was conquered by Antiochus the Great for the same reasons.
Sardis had been destroyed by an earthquake in 17 A.D. and was subsequently rebuilt.
During the time that John wrote the book of Revelation, Sardis was no longer the town of wealth and opulence. Rather it was know for being a town that was once wealthy. The city as a whole relied on its reputation, yet it had done nothing since. The city as a whole was living in the past.
The Church at Sardis
Isn’t it sad when a church is influenced by the city and culture around it instead of influencing the city and culture that it is a part of?
The Church at Sardis had become like the city of Sardis in many ways.
Open with me to Revelation Chapter 3.
1"To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: ’I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.
Let’s digest this first verse a little bit. Jesus introduces himself to this church in John’s letter by saying that he is the one who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars. Jesus is sending them this message, not as an advisor or a councilor, but as the one who possesses the church.
It is also good to note that Jesus uses the phrase “I know your deeds. . .” with five of the seven churches. Sometimes he uses it to encourage them saying that he knows they are working hard for the kingdom and are doing good. Other times he uses it to chastise the church for what they have done. This case is the latter.
They, as a church, had the same reputation that the city of Sardis. They had a reputation, they were known for being a church that was alive. They were known to be an active church, but they were now dead.
We don’t get the full description of what the church was doing that had given it a reputation for being alive. But imagine this with me.
Anyhow, they had hung their hats on what the church had done, instead of striving forward to do more things for the kingdom. Therefore, Jesus says:
2’Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God.
3’So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.
His exhortation to this church is to become a church that is moving, acting, living, doing. I don’t know about you, but in my mind I see this as being like when your leg falls to sleep. The reason that your leg falls asleep is because its blood flow has been restricted, and if you let it sit like that for too long, then your leg will be damaged, and ultimately if you don’t move, your leg will die.
Jesus says to them, that he has not found their works “complete” or full, before God. Because their works are not full, they need to repent and begin acting as they had originally been taught. But if they do not wake up, then he will come to them like a thief in the night and overthrow them just as their city had been overthrown. If they are not vigilant by working for the Lord, then he will come to them like a thief.
It is necessary to note that it is not works that save us. Rather it is works that evidence to our faith. James 2:14 says, “14What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?” Therefore it is not that what we do saves us, but it is what we do that shows whether or not our faith is truly in Him. Sardis’ faith in the lord was beginning to wane.
4’But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.
5’He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and 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.’
As I said earlier, this is a book of hope. Imagine the frustration of those who had been in Sardis and were really trying to do things for God. To them, this is definitely a book of encouragement. God knows that they have been working despite the fact that the majority of the Christian community around them had been doing nothing. That person will be clothed in a white garment like a victorious Olympian.
There is also hope for the others among the church at Sardis. To those among them who conquer, who overcome, who win, they too will have the opportunity to be dressed in white with Jesus. Their name will never be blotted out of the book of life. Back then, whenever someone died, or was banished from the community, their name was blotted out of the city’s book. That meant that they had lost their rights as a citizen of that city. Jesus will allow those who overcome to retain their rights as citizens as the kingdom of heaven. Not only that, but God will confess their name before God in heaven.
Whoever has an ear to hear, let them hear.
Here at Plainfield Christian Church
Here at Plainfield Christian Church, I was looking through your 175 year celebration book. This church has come a long way, hasn’t it?
Who has been here for more than 10 years. . .20. . .30. . .40. . .50. . .?
P.C.C. as a church has done some great things. It have baptized hundreds, even thousands of people into the Lord. The church on a whole has supported many missionaries and mission trips to several locations around the world. It has reached the community with programs like “Upward Basketball”, and various other sports related outreach programs. Seriously, this church has done some amazing things for the kingdom. But it’s not enough.
The reason that it is not enough is because we cannot find ourselves acting like the church at Sardis that relied only on past achievements instead of striving ahead.
It’s good to look at things like what are in that 175 year anniversary booklet to remember where we have come from, and what God has done in us and through us. But if all we do is sit there and reminisce about the good days then we are acting in a way that is displeasing to God. We need to keep striving forward to reach more people as a church, to reach out to more people for the Lord Jesus Christ.
We the people
This doesn’t just apply to churches though. The original context of the letter sent to those in Sardis was that it was sent to a church, but a church consists of a group of people. If the individuals in the church do not make a life change, then the message to the church is useless.
There are many among you who have been amazing servants to the Lord throughout your lives. Many of you have told me stories of past ministries and achievements that you have been blessed to take part in. To those who have been examples to others of what a Christian life looks like I thank you. Whether you realize it or not, we younger less experienced generations look to you for an example. But you cannot quit giving us that example. Not only for the sake of giving us an example, but because there is still much kingdom work to do. We can never hang our hat on our past, regardless of how distinguished it may be before God.
We may have baptized ten people in our lives, we may have been a constant witness to the world for the Lord Jesus, and we may have helped people in their time of need and modeled the love of God to a world that desperately needs it. But we cannot become content to simply remember those times and do nothing today.
We must continually strive to move forward to do the work of the Lord.
If our deeds do not match what we profess to believe, it calls into question whether or not we believe in the message of Christ. If we don’t have true faith in Christ, then we will lose our rights as citizens in the kingdom of God. Our names will be blotted out.
If we continue with the Lord then we will one day inherit the same promise that was made to those who were faithful in the church at Sardis. We will walk with Jesus clothed in the victors robe, we will have the rights of being citizens in the kingdom of God.
(Matthew 9:37-38)
37Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.
38"Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest."
