Possibly the scariest warning-Sardis

This is described as a dead church. It is an asleep church. What is left is about to die. Only a few walk with the Lord. Put simply, this would basically mean that only a few people in that church were actually saved.

Yet, this church had a reputation of being alive!

Let me say that again for emphasis: most people in Sardis were not saved, yet they had a reputation of being alive. This is serious.

See this contrast. Other people saw this church, what they did, how they behaved and lived their lives etc. and thought they were a good church. But no one knew or could see, apart from the Lord, that they were dead or dying. I find this very disconcerting. That church you admire, listen to, follow may actually be dead. They may have a great reputation, people might say they are clearly alive as a church, yet they are dead!

There is a warning in the sermon on the mount that reflects this, 'Many will say to me on that day Lord Lord....yet I will plainly tell them, I NEVER, knew you...' (see Matthew 7:21-23).

Now, here is the key part of the warning. In James there is an emphasis on faith without works being dead. Yet this church has a reputation of being alive, which is hard to do without good works. So this is a church which is known by others to be an alive church, i.e. saved. It appears they do good works, because the phrase 'I know your deeds' is followed by 'you have a reputation of being alive' (Revelation 3:1b). They have a reputation of being alive because of their good deeds. But there is something fundamental missing.

In verse 2, their deeds are described as being incomplete. Does this suggest some sort of half hearted deeds, you plan to feed the poor but don't get round to it? Or is it something more fundamental? The fact that they had a good reputation suggests they completed the works. They would not have a good reputation if they never actually did anything or achieved anything.

Therefore if they do good works, what makes them dead? If I feed the poor am I alive in Christ? No, atheists can feed the poor, we are only made alive through faith in Christ. While James challenges faith without deeds being dead, here we have deeds without faith being dead. This makes their deeds incomplete.

This reminds us that that what people can get away with when it comes to what other people see, doesn't work with God. People see-good reputation built on deeds, God sees-a largely dead church. This follows a biblical theme, that man looks at the outward appearance, whereas God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). Good deeds can very much be part of our outward appearance. Yet this warning to Sardis is a humbling lesson and reminder for us all.

We may admire churches and individuals with a good reputation. But God sees the heart. Sometimes we can see people where all of a sudden, like a thief, something is revealed about them. This could be their behaviour, attitude or some hidden sin they never repented of comes to light. It happens. But it might not be this at all. They may not have some hidden secret sin. They may well do good works in every area of their lives. But this warning to Sardis is clearly reminding us that works do not save, even when you do so many works that everyone else thinks you are saved.

It is also a reminder that as works do not save, that non believers are not saved through good works either. People are dead to God, dead in sin, even when on the outside they are 'good' people to you and me.

What matters to God is the heart so we need to address the matter of our heart. Yes, we may well expect to see a church have good deeds as part of its life and ministry that is alive. But we cannot assume that all churches or church members are saved on the basis of good deeds. Deeds, without faith, is dead.

Yet some in Sardis are alive. Who are they and what makes them alive? They have not soiled their clothes.

When Jesus was talking to his disciples recorded in John 15:3 he speaks of them being 'clean' because of the word he has spoken to them. Essentially, our clothes are soiled because of sin. Isaiah 64v6 even goes so far as to say that even our acts of righteousness are as filthy rags to God (probably one of the most offensive statements in scripture to our post modern ears). The point being that the only thing that makes us clean is Jesus. And thank God for that!

  So Sardis is a church busy going about doing good deeds, so much so that they have a good reputation with other believers who believe they are alive in Christ-but the majority of them are dead, they are unsaved. But as with ourselves, if we ever feel convicted with this passage that we rely on our works to prove our salvation, and that we are not actually saved, Jesus is giving this warning NOT to condemn but to reoffer true salvation. A salvation that may lead to works but is not based on works, but on Jesus Christ himself and him crucified. Within the stark warning there is still a great hope.

For those who are saved, the challenge here is how dependent are you on your works to prove yourself a 'good' Christian, and how dependent are you really on the work of Jesus? For it is all about him and his life flowing through you. Make it more about him, and don't let works take over from the message of the gospel. A social gospel exists of doing good works, but very often it is devoid of the gospel message. Romans 10:17 says 'faith comes by hearing...'. You can feed the poor until they die and they remain unsaved and dead to God, facing his judgement. Yet, while feeding, share Jesus, while helping, share Jesus, while serving, share Jesus. Do not let your works be incomplete by missing the gospel.