A Revelation Invitation

“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: …
“‘Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.’”(Revelation 3:1a,3 ESV)

In 546 BC Croesus, king of Lydia, met Cyrus the Great of Persia on the field of battle. The two armies fought to a draw. Croesus decided to fall back to Sardis, the Lydian capital, for the winter, enlist new allies and resume the war the following spring. Believing that Cyrus would also retire for the winter, Croesus disbanded his army. When Cyrus heard of this, he pressed forward with his own forces with such speed that he arrived at Sardis before Croesus had any notice. Cyrus and his army then laid siege to the city.

The city of Sardis was well-fortified having been built on a hill with nearly inaccessible cliffs (1500 feet high) on three sides making it a logical choice as a capital city. Because it was so easily defended Croesus was confident in his safety even with his military dispersed as it was. Because Cyrus also recognized the difficulty that the geography presented, he offered his troops a large reward for the first solders who could breach the city’s defenses. As expected, several assaults were launched on the city and repelled. With each failed assault Sardis grew more confident in its security. After two weeks of this stalemate, one of Cyrus’ soldiers witnessed a Lydian drop his helmet over the wall. Shortly thereafter he observed him retrieve it at the base of the cliffs and concluded that there must be a pathway to the top. So this soldier led a group of Persian troops up the passage at night finding the post at the summit completely unguarded! While the city slept, Sardis was overrun and conquered.

The city of Sardis was overcome when it failed to keep watch. The church in Sardis of John’s day was at risk of being overcome as well. They were not attentive to the dangers of conforming to the culture that besieged them. Jesus called out their complacency. They had a reputation of being alive, but that reputation did not reflect their spiritual condition (3:1b). With the church in jeopardy of repeating the mistake of their city’s historic military defeat, Jesus warned them of his coming. But would they heed this wake-up call? Would they repent?

When we become complacent, we become blind to our condition. Because the devil’s crafty and subtle schemes often go unrecognized, we may not even realize the danger we are in. We drift along going through the religious motions, that form of godliness when we honor God with our lips while our hearts are far from him. When the world’s allure increasingly grows more attractive, we compromise our convictions. We entertain sin until we become ensnared. Jesus warned the church in Sardis that he would come like a thief, that is, unexpectedly. What did he mean when he said he would come? He intended to act against the church if necessary to discipline, to judge or even to reject them as his church. Jesus was not pleased with the church in Sardis in this regard. We must do as Jesus warned: Remember what we have received, keep what we have heard, wake up to the dangers, then repent of our complacency and sin. Diligent Bible study with an attentive ear and thoughtful self-reflection will keep us alert to these dangers. Jesus calls us to act before it’s too late.

Lord Jesus, I recognize that there are dangers all around me. I know that the culture I live in values comfort and self-indulgence. If I conform to these ways, I will not be conscious of the spiritual perils in my life. Open my eyes that I may see myself as you do. Shake me from my complacency! Wake me before those dangers destroy me! Amen.