LWMS Northwoods Circuit

Jolynn,

I really enjoyed reading this! Thanks for sending it my way.

I think we have to be on guard against "sleeping" in the LWMS too-- we may become complacent and resist change or progress. I think this devotion also conveys the sense of urgency we must feel as well in what we do.

Thank you again!

Sarah

Sarah Malchow, President
Lutheran Women's Missionary Society
(915) 822-3748 office
e-mail: president@lwms.org
website: www.lwms.org
"How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" Romans 10:15

wels@messenger.wels.net wrote:
From: wels@messenger.wels.net
Subject: Daily Devotions : Revelation 3:1-6
Date: Thu, 09 Feb 2006 04:56:48 -0600

A www.wels.net News Service Special Delivery

Revelation 3:1-6

REVELATION 3:1-6

Introduction: The Letter to Sardis

""To the angel of the church in Sardis write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
4 Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5 He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

Sleeping had often led to disaster in Sardis (see "About Sardis" below). Jesus uses this problem as an illustration for what has been happening in the congregation. Only a few are awake and watchful. The whole group is in danger of fading completely away -- they have become comfortable.

Unlike the other churches in Revelation, there is no warning about mixing with the Nicolaitans, nor is there any warning about coming persecutions. It's been suggested that the people of Sardis had gotten too lazy with their faith -- too sleepy -- to really mix with a heresy or be bothersome enough with their evangelism or their stand for Jesus to be persecuted.

How many congregations today suffer from the sleeping sickness of Sardis? When we get too comfortable, we are in grave danger of slipping away into oblivion. When we give up on reaching out with the gospel and only want to be fed with it, then we're hoarding it! We need to wake up!

Certainly there come times when we need ! to pull back and examine how we're using God's gifts -- but then it's time to get back into the spiritual fight and get the gospel of Jesus Christ into every tribe, nation and language. Because Jesus has forgiven our sins -- even our spiritual sleepiness -- we rejoice and thank God, and we put our thanks into practice in our lives. That's what Paul was talking about when he said: "Put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light" (Romans 13:12) and "Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature" (Romans 13:14). We keep watchful, because the enemy is at the gate. We spread the word of God to other people, firstly out of love for Christ and concern for the lost, but also because more and more watchful eyes will make for a stronger camp. We can watch out for one another as well as ourselves. And we do it for Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship t! o call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.

About Sardis: Sardis was located on a steep peak at the crossing of five important roads. The slopes leading up to the city were so steep that the people fell to thinking that no army could ever conquer the city -- but two armies did. The first was led by Cyrus the Great just a few years before he conquered Persia and let the Jews return to Jerusalem. At that time Sardis was ruled by King Croesus, still famous for his wealth. Under Croesus, Sardis became the first place in the world to use gold rather than electrum or silver as its standard of money, although the Greek philosopher Solon warned him about trusting wealth when he told him "Call no man happy before his death." Sardis fell in 546 BC when Cyrus' men climbed up the steep slopes and found no guards posted. The same thing happened again in 214 BC for the same reasons. Notice that Jesus warns: "If you do not wake up, ! I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you."

View this online at: BPS-COE: WELS Evangelism Devotion Service: Daily Devotions : Revelation 3:1-6