1 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Sardis”. This is the message from the one who has the sevenfold Spirit of God and the seven stars: “I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive - but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God. 3 Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief.

4 “Yet there are some in the church in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes with evil. They will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 5 All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine. 6 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. Revelation 2:1-6 New Living Translation.

One of the lines in a well known pop folk song of the past went: “I know I'm faking it . . . I'm not really making it”. Sadly, it seems this was true of quite a few Christians in the town of Sardis. They had a good reputation. Everyone thought they were really great Christians. But what did the one who sees hearts say of them in verse 1?

We don't know what it was that 'killed' the love they once had for Jesus, but perhaps what He says in verse 4 about the few in Sardis who had not 'soiled their clothes with evil' gives us a clue. Perhaps their love had grown cold because they wanted to be part of the 'in crowd' and do the things the world did. Perhaps they'd not let go of some unclean activity and it had now grown large in their life again and was quenching the faith they once had.

But notice that while Jesus warned them of the great danger they were in – He did so because He wanted them to return to Him. What would you say verses 2-3 tell us are the steps a backslidden Christian needs to take to recover, and fully return to the Lord?

But Jesus also had a word for Christians in Sardis who had stayed faithful. What would you say the word 'some' in verse 4 indicates about those who had not given in to peer pressure?

Sometimes it can be lonely keeping to the narrow path *. It's so much easier to compromise and do wrong things that even other Christians may be doing. But look at what Jesus says in verse 5 about those who overcome temptation and stay true to Him! Imagine Jesus leading you to the Father and saying “This is my disciple (put your name here) who stayed true to Me through the years!” Nothing this world offers could ever match the joy of that moment!

Jesus spoke firmly to those Christians in Sardis because He loved them. He did not want anyone to drift into eternity without Him because they had been faking it, not really making it. How is it with my soul today?

* “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:13-14.