A Few in Sardis

Have you noticed that the news does not seem to be getting any better across the world or across the country? Protests and demonstrations are rampant. Nations are in turmoil as are groups in Wisconsin and Indiana.

It makes me wonder if the church and the end times somehow fit into this scene. I especially questioned that as I saw on the news last night that there are “churches” welcoming other religions to worship in their buildings.

Is that a nice or kind thing to do? I suppose. Is it tolerant? Again, I suppose. But, is it a wise?

I began to search the scriptures for some Godly wisdom because of this one thing I am sure--at all times we should seek to understand the world around us in the light of God’s Word.

Deuteronomy 6:14-16 “Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land. Do not put the LORD your God to the test…”

Wow! That “destroy you from the face of the land” thing is pretty clear and pretty strong.

Exodus 34:10-15 Then the LORD said: “I am making a covenant with you…Obey what I command you today… Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land where you are or they will be a snare among you…Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land; for when they sacrifice to their gods, they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices.”

Sharing a sanctuary with groups who oppose Christianity just smacks of compromise.

The Rock Group SS class has been studying the letters to the churches in Revelation 2, and we learned that some churches were doing well and some were not doing at all well and were in danger of being removed by the Lord Himself. In the letter to Pergamum in verse 14, the Lord spoke strongly against compromise; and again in verse 20, He spoke against some in Thyatira for compromising.

This past Sunday, we read Revelation 3 and the letter to Sardis. The Sardis church had a great reputation for being alive. Horizontally, it looked like a wonderful church to attend. However, vertically from above, it looked “dead.” What about our churches today? Can being nice and open-minded show that a church is a “live church?” Is being tolerant of other gods pleasing to the Lord?

Jesus announced that “a FEW people in Sardis” were not buying into the social gospel and to showy church activities replacing a relationship with Him. Further, He announced that He has new white garments for that FEW, and He said, “I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels.”

Most of the attendees at Sardis LOOKED good, but Jesus spoke against them. The FEW that truly loved Him were commended and, I might point out, safe from the eraser on Jesus’ pencil.

Wait, I remember a story about God sharing a “church building” with another god. I Samuel 5:1-4,

“After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. Then they carried the ark into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon. When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the LORD! They took Dagon and put him back in his place. But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the LORD! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained.”

May God grant us Godly wisdom and discernment of how to be pleasing to Him!

♫ I don’t wanna’ go through the motions
I don’t wanna’ go one more day
Without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don’t wanna’ spend my whole life asking
What if I had given everything?
Instead of going through the motions? ♫
Songwriters: Jason Houser, Sam Mizell, Matthew West