Year 0, Day 15: Revelation 3

Sardis

Here we have a sad description people who think they are spiritual but God thinks contrary to them.   Going through what my congregation has gone through with its prior denomination, I find these verses particularly saddening.  Sardis is a place where they talk about how alive they are – but there is only spiritual death within it.  It is sad to suddenly look up and realize just how “dead” familiar – and sometimes even favorite – places have become. 

But all hope is not to be taken away.  Even here God beckons to Sardis to repent.  If they only repent, God will forgive and fold them back into His plan.  But alas, we know that repentance is difficult and unlikely.  When we voluntarily walk away from God, it is difficult to turn back to Him.  Not impossible, mind you.  But it is certainly difficult.

God goes on to say that even still, there are a select few who are unblemished.  There are a select few who walk as yet by faith.  Rest assured, there is always hope for repentance.  And if not, there is always hope that even within a place of spiritual death there are a few sparks of spiritual life.  Where repentance does not happen, the faithful remnant becomes the new answer.

Philadelphia

Here we have a small but strong church.  They only have a little power.  Perhaps they are few in numbers or perhaps they don’t have any “community leaders” within them.  But the amount of power is not what is important.  God is not interested in their worldly power.

They have kept God’s word and they have not denied the name of Christ.  Worldly power is irrelevant when compared to spiritual obedience.  God can - and will - use the most insignificant obedient person.  God has no use for the powerful one who will not obey. 

Notice also that here there are no words of condemnation to Philadelphia.  They are small in power but faithful.  God need not always work through the biggest, wealthiest, and the most powerful. Because of their faithfulness God will keep them from the hour of trial to come.  Because of their faithfulness, God works in them.

Laodicea

Here we have the famous “spew you out of my mouth” line.  For the record, I personally prefer the more literal transition of “vomit” to “spew” – it bring more of the sense of just how displeasing the sensation is.  It is one thing to drink something that is marginally spoiled.  It is another thing to drink something that is so rotten that the body immediate convulses to get it out of influence with the body.

That is precisely what I read when I read those words.  This is no mild displeasure.  This is a violent irritation. 

Look at the condemnations listed here.  Why is the reaction so violent?  Well, because they are completely out of touch with God’s perspective.  They think they have it all, but from where God is standing they have nothing.  It is like those who come to church, who can say all the right words, who can even make an argument about being “saved by grace” … but yet bear no fruit and have no distinguishable spark of faith within them. 

I know that feeling.  I was that man for several years … close to a decade.  I believed there was a God – I even believe Jesus Christ came and died on the cross for me – but there was no spark of faith within me.  I could say all the right words to make you think I was a pious and holy person.  But I was deceiving everyone, including myself.  I was to be pitied at that time in my life.  I thought I had it all – understanding, knowledge, respect – and yet I really had nothing that could sustain me. 

But even so there is hope.  “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”  There is always hope, even when people are deceiving themselves.  They simply need to sit back and listen for the call of the Christ!

I hate to say it, but I have more in common with Laodicea than I would like to publically admit.  I’d like to say I was Philadelphia or even Smyrna.  I really wish I could say I had the most in common with them.  But I would be setting myself up for false pride.  In fact, to fall back into that trap of believing I had most in common with Philadelphia or Smyrna would only show just how much like Laodicea I can be if left unchecked! 

But no, I am a recovering Laodicean.  I seek the gold sold by God.  I seek refinement in His fire.  I seek the day when God shall take this recovering Laodicean and dress me in His “unspoilable” white.  Truth be told, that is precisely why I do not wear a white alb but a brown one.  Every time I go before people as a spiritual leader of worship I remind myself that if left unchecked, I could convince myself that “I’m already rich and already what God wants me to be.”  Oh, wretched Laodicean that I am.  One day I will be there, but today I will remember that such a day has not yet come.

God’s peace; and I hope that you have enjoyed this tour of early Christianity in Asia Minor.  There are great lessons to be learned by these churches – if nothing else that there are varying degrees of success and depravity in God’s kingdom!  But remember – even in the most depraved churches there is still hope handed out by God.  As when Peter sinks into the water after crawling out of the boat … Jesus is always there to grab our hand if we but cry out and earnestly seek him.  So long as you are alive, there is always hope.  Repent, dear Christian.  Believe and obey!