Have you noticed how churches have a reputation of their own? One church has good Bible teaching, another is known for its fabulous worship, a third offers amazing youth ministry. There is a danger though that churches can live on their reputation or history, not realising that spiritually they have fallen asleep and lost their way.

Many people pray for revival in the nation, and that is good and commendable, but revival must begin first in the church. The church in Sardis had become comfortable, indeed so comfortable it had fallen asleep (vs 1–3). This spiritual slumber had caused them to become lax and careless. They needed to be woken up, to be revived before it was too late.

The antidote to complacency is repentance, to acknowledge that things are not as they should be, and to seek to put things right. Repentance and revival go hand in hand. Once we humble ourselves and admit our need, not only will God forgive us, but his reviving Spirit will flow into us again. What a difference it would make if our churches were throbbing again with divine life! 

‘Revive us, Lord, the world is waiting! Equip your church to spread the light.’¹

Like many cities in the ancient world, Sardis was built on a hill, which made it defensible from conventional attack. Its inhabitants were proud of the fact that it had never been overrun by invaders, but on two occasions enemies had infiltrated the city and taken its defenders by surprise. Christ’s warning to this church that he may ‘come like a thief’ when least expected (v 3), suggests that the complacency which had led to the city’s downfall was being replicated in a church which relied on a reputation that had no basis in reality.

In contrast to other letters, there is no specific information concerning the weakness of this church, beyond the fact that its image and self-understanding were based merely on a reputation of being alive. The stark reality is that it was spiritually dead. Twice it is said that the church’s deeds were lacking, suggesting a superficial faith which lacked the power to bring about transformation in life and behaviour. Perhaps this congregation is an example of churches which have a semblance of life, recalling past glories and achievements and clinging to the memory of what had once been true, but unaware of the tragic reality of decline. 

However, there were a ‘few people’ (v 4) in Sardis who remained faithful, a reminder that in churches that may be described as ‘dead’ (v 1) there are genuine saints who refuse to abandon a congregation with obvious defects and remain personally faithful to Christ. Their commitment to Jesus may be treated as odd by the lukewarm majority, but to them is given the promise that they will be acknowledged ‘before my Father and his angels’ (v 5).  

The ‘white’ robes (vs 4,5) may remind believers of the new clothes given at baptism to symbolise new life in Christ. How significant is your baptism in following Jesus today? 

¹ Elizabeth Ann Head, 1850–1936, ‘O Breath of life, come sweeping through us’