A Protestant Bull

“These things saith He that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.” Rev. 3:1

My friends, are we the citizens of Sardis? They were members of an ancient church which I believe mirrors many of our own churches today. How do you think they would have been described by their fellow Christians? Were they “Deep”? Theologically-minded? Reverent? What was their worship like? How was the preaching? I would venture to say that they would have passed all of these tests. If you had the privilege to visit, the First Baptist Church of Sardis would have left a pristine mark on your mind. They would have been deep, they would have been reverent, they would have been zealous. The word on the street was that if any church were alive, it was Sardis. For all we know, the entire city could have walked passed their congregation and nodded in approval, “I may not agree with them, but there is a Christian church.”

But it did not matter what the church thought of itself, nor even what anyone else thought. To the judgment of Christ, the Sardisians were dead. Christ looked upon all their activity, all their evangelism, all their theological discussions, all their prayers and Bible-preaching meetings and He renders His verdict. He says not, “good enough;” He says not, “mighty ill;” He says not, “nearing the end.” The Lord of Life here stands as a coroner over His church and says, “Dead.” The word is ominous, blunt and final. What a verdict to such a lively church.

Now the question needs asking, how can one tell if he or she is like the Sardisians? In the text the Lord tells them, “I know thy works…” but what are the works of which He speaks? If you look at it, the works of the church of Sardis don’t just reveal their hypocrisy — hypocrisy is the very essence of their works. The Lord defines them as such when He says, “I know thy works that thou hast a name that thou art alive but are dead.” That they have a reputation for being alive contrary to reality, that is the very work of which He speaks and for which He reproves them.

Hypocrisy…is any sin more fear-inducing to the true Christian? You and I are too afraid to physically commit adultery. It would cost us too much. Our families and our reputations would be ruined. Nor would we would allow our anger to so flare that we would strike a man or woman so as to kill him or her. The mere thought of stealing from the grocer, the mere scent of arrogant boasting repulses our spirits. These and sins like them are to us vile, they’re petty, they’re uncivilized and un-Christian. But oh to play the hypocrite, there is a beautifying sin…The honest man knows its siren song. To build up a front of godliness at once presents a heavenly reputation and also allows our hearts to revel secretly in hellish gutters. To play the part of Christian, to know what to say and how to act, how to evangelize at work and how to pray in church, we know how to word our Facebook posts and what links to share, we know how to sprinkle “church” and “abstinence” and “I’ve been been think about” into our conversations which will satisfy and impress our acquaintances— this is a mighty enticement for it allows us to build a name in the open and yet safeguards our hearts to serve our own pleasures in the dark. That is hypocrisy’s sweet promise.

Concerning hypocrisy, the God of heaven reveals its core, “Forasmuch as this people draw near [Me] with their mouth, and with their lips do honor Me, but have removed their heart far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the precept of men… (Isa 29:13; cf. Mt 15:8). Oh the mouth and the lips might be present in the pew, but where are their hearts? That’s what the Omniscient God cares about. In the Sermon on the Mount, in addition to warning us of giving our offerings and fasting in the sight of men, the Lord Jesus warns us not to pray in order be seen of men, “Verily I say unto you, they have their reward” (Mt 6:5). Those who do so are like Esau who sell heaven’s ear in exchange for the impressed nods and “amen’s” of dying mortals. There will be many in that last day whose epitaphs read, “The Dead: Whose Names Were ‘Alive.’” These will cry out to the Judge, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy Name? and in Thy Name cast out devils? and in Thy Name done many mighty works?” But the King with eyes like a flame a fire will scatter the shadow of their lie; and in unalterable truth declare, “Depart from Me, I never knew you” (Mt 7:22–23). As He recites the verdict, the Lord does not so much as give a nod to their prophesies (no matter how profound), nor to their exorcisms and miracles (no matter how impressive), “depart from Me ye that work iniquity” (Mt 7:23). Their heart-grown belief of and adherence to His Word and in particular, their utter lack of it told the whole story. And therein lies the heart of the matter. Even if our lips confess Him as Lord, whom do we really serve as Lord? Whose wishes do we actually obey? That’s the pulse to the heart of spirituality. And where there is no pulse, there is no life: “I know your works, that you have a name to be alive, but you are dead.”

What? It is possible that the professed churches of God might shake the rafters with hymns of praise but whose hearts play on hell’s brink? Are our churches, indeed, are we among the number who have learned to recognize the fraudulent nature of someone’s fervent prayers yet deaf to it in ourselves? Can we recite the creeds and answer catechism questions, have an Instagram littered with pictures of family, Bible verses and soundbites of preachers all the while serving our own names and not the Lord’s? Is it possible that the Lord could say of me who does so much good what He said to so many — “hypocrite.” Oh He knows our true state, are we willing to see it (Jn 9:41)?

Brother, sister, the ultimate question now is not whether you are aware of a Sardisian church in your city. As important as that question is, set it aside for a moment and ask a second one: are you a Sardisian? Is Revelation 3:1ff. a letter meant for your heart? Could it be possible? As the messenger ushers this letter to your heart, will the sentinels of your conscience let it pass unmolested? There stands Sgt. Knowledge, a careful guard who loves to preserve the peace. He habitually assures our hearts that through his mere presence, our eternity is quite safe. And beside him stands Sgt. Activity, a watchman quick to assuage us that his untiring readiness is true proof of our spiritual vitality. And there stands Sgt. Zeal, and Sgt. Theological Conversation and Fervor of Spirit and Religious Disciplines and etc. who have all given a sense of peace to many a dead man. So the question is, can this letter enter the citadel or will the messenger be turned away to another address? Can we pray, “Lord, what sayest Thou of me? I believe I live, and my friends and neighbors agree, but how judgest Thou? Lord, it is possible I’ve played the hypocrite?”

Friend, to be honest with Him who is Truth is the safest of all positions. Even in the verdict of Revelation 3:1, a glimmer of hope shines brightly. Why do you think the Lord bothers to speak to His dead church but that He wishes to rouse them from their spiritual death? He renders His verdict and sends this letter not to bury their corpses, but for love of them He offers hope to the one who would heed the words of the Savior. Here we can apply the words He spoke to the lukewarm church of Laodicea, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches” (Rev 3:19–22).

There it is friends. It’s time to forget the show. Forget what your fellow churchmen may think, forget what your fellow pastors may conclude, and how your family and neighbors will react when they learn it has been fake up until now. Have you been a Sardisian? Can you, like me, feel its terrible impulses in your heart, wooing you to keep and to build up the reputation? May the Lord have mercy upon us. May we be among the number who hear what the Spirit says to the churches, repent from our spiritual death, and walk in the way of truth to really serve and worship Him.

• inspired by a sermon from Charles Spurgeon called, “A Solemn Warning for All Churches.” You can listen to the sermon here