Sardis was a city whose glory lay in the past: it had been the capital of Lydia and a centre of Persian government. Now it was a quiet backwater, but a nice backwater. It's people live in the relative luxury. And the Church in Sardis seemed, outwardly, to be quite lively and active. It was known for its good works. Everyone said what a great lively church there was at Sardis. It was busy with the externals of religious activity. But inside, the reality was, it was dead. There was no real spiritual life or power. I was "not infused with the life-giving Holy Spirit" (G E Ladd) Maybe the Church's glory, too, lay in the past. So what does the church which is all image and no substance, which looks alive but is dead, need to do?
Firstly, wake up. Douglas quoted Bob Dylan last week – “You gotta serve somebody.” This week's Bob Dylan quote (from the same album) is “When you gonna wake up?” "Awake" means "be watching". Sardis had never been taken in a frontal attack, but twice had been taken by stealth because its defenders were not vigilant. Church, as we enter our “healthy Church” journey, we want to be paying attention, not to our own judgements or even the opinions of others. We need to be hearing from Jesus. “Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.”
Remember and Repent, do the things yo did at first. Jesus calls the church back to its earlies experience of love and devotion. Churches, mission agencies, charities and even businesses and government agencies can go through a recognised “Bell curve” – beginning with a God-given vision, a truth discovered, a great idea, slowly building momentum and strength, learning how to do things – developing and growing, until the growth slows, the movement plateaus out and eventually begins to decline, slowly first, then rapidly. The way to halt decline is to rediscover the vision, the deposit of truth, the guiding principles (not the way of doing things – that will always be changing) that were present at the start of the movement. We need to return to the original vision.
"I will come like a thief" the Lord will bring upon a lethargic church an unexpected experience which will mean a divine judgement. He knows our names. He knows the names, the identities of those who have not become dirtied and dead. So as individuals, we are the Church. We can either be part of life or of death for our Church. We can settle down to enjoy life in our nice backwater – but that's death. We can complacently tell ourselves that our Church is doing OK – but that's death. We can do what needs to be done to make our church look okay – but that's death. Or we can strengthen the life of the Spirit within us – through repentance, prayer and the word, and faith
Philadelphia was the youngest of the seven cities. Problems included Jewish persecution and the pagan cult of Dionysius. The church was small and weak, with limited influence, But the Lord was pleased with its good works.
Jesus is “Holy and true. "True" in Greek designates reality , but in Hebrew designates trustworthiness. Jesus is the trustworthy steward who has the key of David. In Isaiah 22. 15-22. the guy in charge of “David's house” – that is, the royal palace – was a steward called Shebna, but he was using the royal resources for himself (getting his own tomb cut in the royal garden!) so the Lord says that another official called Eliakim will take over that responsibility and have the keys of David. And that is one of those double-meaning prophecies that looks forward to the messianic kingdom, and to Jesus.
And Jesus who has these keys says to the Church in Philadelphia, “I have set before you an open door that no man can shut.” What does that mean?
The Jews (as in Smyrna Jews in race and name only, not in heart) claimed that only the Jews could enter the Kingdom of Heaven. But Jesus is telling the Church that HE has these keys – the Messianic Kingdom comes though what Jesus. does. He uses them to open the door to the Kingdom, for believers.
Jesus has the keys to the Kingdom – not just the keys to heaven but the keys to the “Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven”. These keys are not just about who gets to seven. They are about who experiences the power and authority of the reign of God in and through their own lives. We have an open door into the kingdom, the rule of God. And as we go through that open door into the kingdom we go through open doors of opportunity. People often jump to the conclusion that the “open door” is about opportunity for the Gospel (as in 1 Cor 16. 9, Col 4. 3) But that door opens to us the door to the Kingdom opens to us. When we begin to enter in and explore the authority and power of the Kingdom, we begin to discover our opportunities! The Lord promised that the Jews (as in Smyrna Jews in race and name only, not in heart) will bow down in respect to the Church. We have an open door to the Kingdom and thus an open door of opportunity among the hardest opposition to the Gospel.
Jesus has the keys of the Kingdom, and he gives them to his people. I think, that sometimes, we are like people who have lost their keys!
Laodicea was a commercial center, famous for black woollen cloth, medical school, and eye salve. It is likely that church members were full participants in this affluent society, and that their affluence had exercised a deadly influence on the spiritual life of the church. As a result, there is nothing the Lord can commend in this church. As a community, and as individuals, they are “neither hot nor cold”: they were characterized neither by coldness to the Gospel or hostility to faith , nor by zeal or fervour. they were simply indifferent nominal complacent.
But despite that, they thought they were doing just fine. "I am rich, I have prospered" literally "I am rich, I have gotten riches" so the church was not only boasting of her supposed spiritual well-being, but boasting that she had acquired wealth by her own efforts.
How do we sort that out? What does “repentance” look like of the Church in that state. Jesus comes to his Church and says “Guys, I have a word of advice for you – you need to start trading with me, with Jesus instead of trading with the world.” (Verse 18). The verse is almost a quote from Isaiah 55 v 1 “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labour on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare.” We are wearing ourselves out, trying to be keep ourselves going, to pay our way and reach our community in our own strength. We need t trade with Jesus – and he will give us what we need without money and without price: not for free but as we give our lives to him.
Jesus says “I stand at the door and knock – who's going to let me in?” The scary thing is that he isn't saying that to pagans, he's saying it to the Church. Like a heavenly door-to-door salesman, Jesus. is knocking our door. HE has clothes for our nakedness, ointment for our blinded eyes, free of charge. All he wants is his place at the table, as we share a meal as a symbol of affection,of confidence,and of intimacy. Who will let him in?
© Gilmour Lilly September 2015
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