FBC Daily Devotions

Read Revelation 3:2-3.

In these few short verses, there are no less than five imperatives given: wake up, strengthen, remember, keep, and repent. They kind of sound like a typical day – wake up, eat breakfast & exercise (well, maybe not this one), remember what I have to do today, do it, and then at the end of the day repent of the things I shouldn’t have or should have done!  After a long day, we go back to sleep and start all over again. Of course, it was far more serious for the church at Sardis. They had fallen asleep on the job. They needed to recognize their emptiness. No doubt this message was their alarm clock.

How about you and me? I believe self-reflection and self-examination are a necessary part of waking up to the reality of what we are doing and who we are becoming. I’m not talking about self-absorption here, just a serious reflection of ourselves in light of our walks with Christ. Who are you becoming as you run your current course?

Then Jesus speaks of strengthening those things that remain. Usually when it comes to growing or getting stronger, we focus our attention on our weaknesses and on the things that are lacking. But here Jesus tells us to work on the things that remain. What little we may have, Jesus says get those things straight first. A company must bolster its bread and butter first or else anything new will have nothing to stand on. What things remain in your life that need to be strengthened or that are on the verge of dying?

And then remember… remember the things that are basic to our faith and life. Remember what matters most. How are you doing in the fundamentals areas of faith? How is the gospel present in your life? How is your love for God and others?

When we have remembered those basics and have gotten back to the things that really matter, then resolve to do something about it. Jesus says, “Keep it.” Don’t lose it by lack of use or by putting it off. Continue in it. Persist in the fundamentals.

And lastly, Jesus tells the church to repent. Here Jesus is reemphasizing the need for the church to stop what they are doing and do what He has just instructed them to do: wake up, strengthen, remember, and do it. This is really the thrust of all these commands to change what they are doing.  And so we must ask ourselves, are there things that need to change in our lives?  I want to encourage you to follow the same command today. If you have time, stop and consider your relationship with God. Do you need a wakeup call? Are there areas that need to be shored up? Does your life reflect the simple (but difficult) priorities of God?

(On a personal note, this is something I tend to do at the beginning of each year. But I am reminded that I should do this more often. It is not unusual to find at the end of the year that I am a little off track and need to make some adjustments. If I would simply examine my life and priorities a little more often, perhaps I wouldn’t get off track in the first place. I don’t know, maybe that’s a little ideal, but a little preventive maintenance has to better than none at all.)

This week we are going out of order in the book of Revelation for the purposes of the sermon content and appropriateness for the congregation (the children will be staying in worship service this Sunday).

As we begin looking at the message to the church at Sardis, read the message in its entirety: Revelation 3:1-6.

The city of Sardis was the ancient capital of Lydia and was located on an important trade route between the east and west. As such it was a very wealthy city. Religiously, it stood at the center of pagan worship, most notably the worship of the goddess Artemis (see Acts 19 for more a glimpse of just how important Artemis was to the area). It is interesting to note that archaeologists have uncovered the ruins of a Christian church at the location of the ancient city… right next to the temple of Artemis. What significance this might have is unclear, but the possibilities are interesting to consider.

In addressing the church, Jesus refers to Himself as the one who holds the seven spirits of God (i.e. the Holy Spirit) and the seven stars (i.e. the elders or pastors of the seven churches). Jesus is the One who has authority and power over the churches and her leaders. What He is about to say ought not be ignored or taken lightly, for in the case of Sardis, she was in bad shape. What was her condition? Hypocrisy. They had a reputation for being alive – a flourishing and effective church – but inside Jesus knew they were dead.

Recently our Home Group was discussing how sometimes we can fall into the habit of doing good things, but for the wrong reasons. We can turn our faith into a list of do’s and don’ts and measure godliness by actions defined by us. The danger of that is Pharisaism, which is a heartless adherence to rules and deeds. If there was one thing that stood out in Jesus’ ministry it was His denouncing of hypocrisy. He hated it. It angered Him. Some of His harshest words are to the Pharisees on this subject (just read Matthew 23). While they looked good on the outside, in reality they were white-washed tombs.

It is clear that the mark of a healthy and pleasing church is not in its outward appearance alone. It must work from the inside out. According to James, works are a necessary part of our faith (James 2:18). But equally true is the necessity of an inward motivation first. It has been asked that if it requires the right motivation, then should I do the right thing with the wrong motivation? And to that we must recognize that doing the right thing is always the right thing. It is when we do the right thing with a wrong motivation (e.g. to look good, to avoid criticism, etc.) that we get into trouble. We mustn’t confuse bad motivations for bad feelings. We may not feel like doing the right thing, but it is still good and pleasing to God if we do it (although God prefers a cheerful giver). One can still have a heart for God but not have the feelings to obey and yet still obey. And who knows if doing the right thing while dragging our feet won’t produce in us a greater awareness and appreciation of God? I think God is pleased with that sacrifice of obedience. But to do something in order to look good in the sight of man, then that’s hypocrisy because it is not done with a heart for God.

Hypocrisy. God’s despises it. True “aliveness” begins on the inside. Avoid doing things because you want to look good on the outside. Do things because it will help make you better on the inside. Do it because it will help you grow a more Christ-centered life.

Read Revelation 2:17.

The one who overcomes is promised hidden manna and a white stone with a new name only known to the one receiving it. Now if that doesn’t motivate you to persevere, I don’t know what would! (sarcasm for those who didn’t detect it) What is this hidden manna? And what is the significance of the white stone with a new name?

Manna dates back to the early days of Israel when God provided manna for food as they wandered in the desert. The manna was one example of God’s faithful provision to sustain a people who were unsustainable on their own. So important was manna that some was put into the Ark of the Covenant to continually remind the people of God’s faithful provision – He would always take care of them. So what is this hidden manna referred to in this revelation? Most commentators see this as a reference to Christ Himself, the Bread from heaven, or the Bread of Life (John 6:35). Those who overcome will receive Christ Himself in all His glory, the ultimate display of God’s grace and faithfulness.

As for the white stone with a new name, there is no definitive interpretation of this. What is significant, however, is that a new name will be given to us in glory. Our old names – and we have many, from “unlovable” to “dumb” to “clumsy” and so on – those names and all the baggage that comes with our present name will be thrown away – almost symbolic of the last of this world’s evidence on our life.  And we will be given a new name… a name given by Christ Himself… a perfect name and a unique name known only to each of us. I don’t know about you, but that is going to be a great day when my past will be completely wiped clean in such a way that is perhaps impossible to fully comprehend at this time.

Manna from heaven and a white stone with a new name – they may not seem like much initially, but what could be better than receiving the fullness of Christ and a new name without blemish or baggage? What awaits us in eternity is difficult to put into words, but we can be confident that it will be better than anything we can imagine.

Read Revelation 2:16.

So serious was the church’s offense of allowing the influence of false teaching to continue in their church, Jesus warned that He would remove those offenders Himself. Essentially Jesus was telling them, “Either you take care of this problem or I will!” As is often the case, God gives us the first shot at taking care of sin before He will step in to give perhaps stronger medicine due to an escalating condition. Like Sapphira who was given an opportunity to come clean before the apostles, she continued to lie about her misdeeds (Acts 5:7-11). The end result was God taking her life. That sounds like awfully harsh treatment especially considering that you and I probably can think of greater sins in our lives than that of Sapphira! But this is a case where God did not allow sin to continue by willful and sinful behavior.

Does God really step in to stop sin from continuing in our lives? Certainly God disciplines those He loves just as a father disciplines his children (Heb. 12:4-11). As we struggle with sin, God disciplines us to make us holy (Heb. 12:10) and to train us (Heb. 12:11). What kind of God would He be if He did not guide, direct, and correct our sinful ways? So it is with the church at Pergamum. If they continued to walk their current path, God would do something about it. While this is a warning to the church, it also serves as a reminder to us that God cares too much for His children and His reputation to allow sin to go unaddressed. As the writer of Hebrews argues, if we receive discipline from God, it proves we are His children. That is not to say we should continue to sin to prove God’s care for us, though! On the contrary, the pain of discipline ought to be a deterrent for sinful behavior – which is the point of this warning to the church.

Is there sin in your life that needs to be taken care of? Know that God loves you too much to allow it to continue. Take care of it because He never stops caring for you.

Read Revelation 2:14-15.

While Pergamum was a persevering church, she was unfortunately a compromising one. Have you ever compromised in order to persevere? It is like being on a mission where everything is focused on accomplishing the task at hand. Maybe it’s something simple like getting to work on time. Maybe it’s something more complex like a building project or a big event. Some people can get so focused on the end goal that they feel the need compromise in order to reach it. “The ends justify the means” is often the argument.

The church at Pergamum, while remaining strong in their commitment to the Lord despite tremendous persecution, compromised in the process. Jesus says they tolerated the teachings of Balaam and the Nicolaitans. Balaam was guilty of counseling King Balak to cause Israel to sin by intermarrying with heathen women and then causing the Israelites to worship their gods (Num. 22-25; 31:15-16). Like Balaam, there were people in the church who were intermarrying with heathen women, who were leading them to participate in the worship of other gods. These people began to accept other gods alongside the One true God. While little is known of the Nicolaitans, the message was clear: the church was accepting among them those whose beliefs were completely contrary to God and the teachings of Christ. History records a slow eroding of the church with this compromise, and by the by the beginning of the second century, there is evidence of much confusion in the church. A notable structure in Pergamum was the Serapis Temple to this Hellenistic-Egyptian god. The most renowned temple to Serapis was located in Alexandria, where one source notes:

The land of Egypt, the praises of which you have been recounting to me, my dear Servianus, I have found to be wholly light-minded, unstable, and blown about by every breath of rumour. There those who worship Serapis are, in fact, Christians, and those who call themselves bishops of Christ are, in fact, devotees of Serapis. There is no chief of the Jewish synagogue, no Samaritan, no Christian presbyter, who is not an astrologer, a soothsayer, or an anointer. Even the Patriarch himself, when he comes to Egypt, is forced by some to worship Serapis, by others to worship Christ.[1]

It came to a point where the differences between Christ and Serapis were no longer distinguishable.

Compromise – whether intended or not – has a way of eroding the foundations of our faith and making us more like the world around us rather than the faith-walkers God desires. Compromise, no matter what the situation, allows the subtleties of Satan’s schemes to slowly erode our foundation.

Don’t compromise! Consider if there are areas or things in your life where you may be allowing compromise to slowly erode your foundation.