The Apostle John was exiled to the island of Patmos during the cruel reign of Domitian. John’s crime was that he proclaimed and shared the saving message of the Lord Jesus (Revelation 1:9). On Patmos, John received a prophetic revelation but also seven letters to seven churches that existed at that time in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). These letters are filled with correction and encouragement not only for the believers in those days but also today.
The fifth church addressed was the church in Sardis which was approximately 30 miles from Thyatira. The location “was famous for its military history, jewelry, dye, and textiles. Due to its situation on a steep hill, many people thought the city was impregnable.”[1] Unfortunately, unlike the previous churches, Jesus had nothing good to really say about the church.
In Revelation 3:1, Jesus states that He knew (oida) their true condition even though externally everything appeared fine. The church in Sardis was busy doing various “deeds”, but Jesus was able to see the motives of their hearts. This is reminiscent of what Jesus said about the Pharisees in Matthew 23:27-28.
“Christ can judge His church righteously because nothing is hidden from His omniscient gaze. While we human beings are limited in what we can see, Christ sees the heart.”[2]
One lesson that we learn from the church at Sardis is that being busy for the Lord does not always mean that our hearts are right with Him. While we are all to serve Him, we must first make sure that the condition of our hearts is right with the One we seek to serve. Let us commit ourselves to not simply going through the motions in our service to the Lord.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Steven