Did you know that your church can be at peace, have a good reputation and still be dead? Revelation 3 talks to us about the church in Sardis. Before I tell you more about that church, I want to share some historical facts for context. Sardis was the birthplace of modern money as we know it today. A city where you would go to make some quick cash and get rich quick. A city is full of luxury, the ideal place for someone of this world to call home. It was also home to a large temple in honor of the goddess Cybele, worshiped with sexual immorality and impurity. This city is prime real estate for the good news of the Gospel. You would also assume that the church would be getting some nasty pushback and suffering persecution from the evil powers in Sardis. That wasn’t the case here; the church was at peace. But don’t be fooled, they were at peace, but it was the peace of the dead! Jesus himself said in Rev 3:1, “I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.” One thing we need to understand about the devil is that he is not concerned with the church (building) or even with those that attend. If you keep the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ tucked away in those four walls, the devil has no problem with that because you’re no threat to his dominion. That was the case with the church in Sardis. They loved God; they worshiped Him but kept their devotion confined to the four walls of the church. He then proceeds to warn what a continued life like this would lead to, and verse 6 ends on a note that they must go out and share this news. “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Rev 3:6 Now I ask you, does Jesus see you as dead or alive? Are you a threat to satan’s dominion? Are you sharing the good news of the Gospel or keeping it to yourself? The irony here is that when we choose life, we are putting a part of ourselves to death, but we stand on the truth that when we were dead in our sins, God made us alive in Christ.
Prayer:
Jesus, I pray that you reveal the part of me that is dead to you. I desire to be alive in you and to have the courage to go and share the truth and good news of your Gospel. I don’t want to live a life in comfort if it means I’m dead to you. Help me to fulfill your purpose and disrupt the plans of the enemy. Shield me from any retaliation that no weapon formed against me would prosper in Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen!
Devotional Written by Roberto Martinez