Class Lesson July 4, 2021

 

Question 1:

What are some things that easily distract us?

THE POINT

Stay alert and focused

on the things of God.

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

For so many of us, childhood was a time of reminders. It was too easy to be distracted by play or the TV, and we’d have to be reminded to do our homework, feed the cat, or take out the trash. As we were learning a new skill, an adult often corrected us by reminding us of the correct approach.

Unfortunately, as adults we can be just as easily distracted. We get distracted from what we should be doing, and then another distraction comes along that distracts us from the first distraction! We need someone whispering in our ear constantly to remind us to focus.

A lot of things deserve our focus: our family, jobs, health, and church activities. But even when we’re focusing on these good things, we may need someone still whispering in our ear: Focus on God. Even with the good things we can do, we can lose focus of the main thing. We can become complacent in our walk with God.

The church in Sardis had become complacent. We can benefit from the words Christ spoke to them: His reminder to stay focused on what matters.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Revelation 3:1-2

1 “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 found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.”

Jesus’ fifth message was to the church in Sardis. Sardis was one of the oldest, wealthiest, and most important cities in Asia Minor. As we shall see, a complacent spirit ran through the church, which seemed to reflect the city itself. The city was set on a 1,500-foot-high plateau, and at its base flowed the Pactolus River, serving like a moat.

The citizens mistakenly saw their location as impregnable; perhaps that misplaced confidence led them to be complacent. Not impenetrable at all, they were conquered multiple times—first by the Persians, then by the Greeks, and finally by the Romans. In AD 17, Sardis was destroyed by an earthquake; and although the Romans rebuilt the city, it never recaptured its former glory. Even their massive temple to Artemis appears never to have been completed.

Such was the environment of the church in Sardis. When Jesus addressed the church, He identified Himself as “him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.” The apostle John had previously identified the seven stars as the seven messengers, or “angels of the seven churches” in Revelation 2–3 (Rev. 1:20). The seven spirits may refer to the Holy Spirit (1:4). In his prophecy about the Messiah, Isaiah mentioned the Holy Spirit seven ways. In addition to being “the Spirit of the Lord,” He is “the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord” (Isa. 11:3). This captures the Holy Spirit in His fullness—and the church in Sardis was in great need of the Spirit of God.

Question 2:

What does spiritual complacency

look like?

Jesus gave no indication that false doctrine was being taught in the church or any indication of troublemakers in the church. They may have looked problem-free, but they weren’t. Christ cut straight to the core and told them that, although they gave the appearance of “being alive,” they were dead! It would appear the church had adopted the same attitude as the rest of the city and was relying on its past successes. The church of Sardis was known for being alive and active; therefore, people far and wide would have talked about them and their good works. So why would Christ tell them they were dead? Because He is able to look below the surface and knew their works were ineffective.

Even today it is easy for churches to rest on the past. Satisfied with past successes, the church can become complacent and fail to complete the works God has given them to do. The church of today must maintain a bold witness for the Lord and not just rest on what was done in the past. Our work is not complete until the day Christ calls His church home.

Revelation 3:3

3 “Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, 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.”

Christ called the church to remember the things they received from Him, specifically the things they had learned about Him. It would be valuable to remember where they were spiritually when He found them and the relationship that was started at that time.

In the classic resource for new believers, Survival Kit: Five Keys to Spiritual Growth, the Christian life is described as moving through stages. The first stage is excitement. When someone first comes to Christ, he typically feels an excitement that cannot be contained. An immense joy can flow out of him indicating that something is certainly different in his life. However, many believers progress to the silent stage when their enthusiasm and love for Christ have diminished. Christ was calling the church in Sardis to look back and remember what it was like in that first stage of excitement and joy and not continue living in the silent stage, failing to complete the works He had for them to do. Remembering the things we first learned in Christ should compel us and stir our hearts to return to and maintain the joy and fulfillment we once had in Christ.

Christ wanted them to do more than just remember; He wanted them to repent. Without repentance, one cannot experience the true joy and fulfillment that can come only through an active, personal, and growing relationship with Christ. Repentance involves a 180-degree change in direction. Failing to repent and turn back to Him meant Jesus was going to “come like a thief” in the night; they would have no idea when He would come.

HOW AM I DOING?

Evaluate the following areas of your Christian walk.

For each one, circle a response that best fits where you are right now.

Then write a prayer, asking God for wisdom and strength to stay alert and focused.

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the

faith; be courageous; be strong.”

1 CORINTHIANS 16:13

Jesus told His disciples that His second coming would be like a thief in the night (Luke 12:39-40). Jesus’ return is something believers can joyfully anticipate, but Jesus was not referring to His second coming in verse 3. Jesus’ words carried a threat. Unless they repented, Jesus would visit their church for the purpose of discipline and chastisement.

Question 3:

What steps can we take to

maintain spiritual alertness?

Revelation 3:4-6

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 The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. 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. 6 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

The church in Sardis was not without hope. They could still repent! And a few were in their ranks who had remained true to the faith. They had not given in to merely living on past hopes and successes; nor had they stained their lives with sin or compromise.

Question 4:

What are some ways our church

is like the church at Sardis?

Jesus promised three things for those who remained faithful.

1. Dressed in white. During the reign of King Croesus in Sardis, no temple worshiper was allowed to approach the temple of the gods with unclean garments. Worshipers were required to wear clean, white robes to approach their gods. Their physical garments may have been white, but their lives were soiled with sin. Unfortunately, that was true in the church as well, with the exception of those who had remained faithful. Christ said those few would “walk with me, dressed in white” (v. 4). White is the symbol of purity and the faithful were seen as worthy to wear white. In Christ, we are made pure through the blood of Christ. It is Christ who has made us worthy to walk with Him.                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
2. Permanently listed in the book of life. Jesus promised the righteous saints in Sardis that their names would appear in the Lamb’s book of life. Jesus’ affirmation, “I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life” (v. 5), is to be read as a promise, not a threat. We cannot imply from this that it is possible, once your name is recorded in the book of life that it can be erased. Rather, it is a promise that the believers whose names are entered in this book will spend all of eternity with Christ.                                                                                                                                     
3. Acknowledged before the Father. When we faithfully stand with Him and for Him, He does the same for us. “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven” (Matt. 10:32). Even now, He stands at the Father’s side, interceding for us as our Advocate (1 John 2:1).

We must choose to live in such a way that our reputation and works are a solid reflection of our life in Christ. We cannot grow complacent and allow our work for the Lord to remain incomplete. Our garments must not be soiled with sin. Let’s reflect the worth Christ has given us!

Question 5:

How does our group help us avoid spiritual

complacency?

LIVE IT OUT

How will you make sure you don’t become spiritually complacent? What will you do to remain focused on Christ?

Choose one of the following applications:

• Celebrate. Thank God for salvation and the way He has worked in your life. Celebrate what He has done but ask God to keep you from resting on what He has done in the past.                                                                                                                                          
• Create a timeline. Chart out your spiritual progress beginning with the moment you placed your trust in Christ. Note the high points and times you faltered in your walk with Christ. Use this to challenge yourself to continued growth in Christ.                                                                                                                                                          
• Stand Together. God never meant for the Christian life to be lived alone. Partner with another Christian to help one another stay faithful and focused on Christ. Set aside specific times when you can meet, discuss victories and challenges, and pray for one another. 

Life is certainly full of distractions and things that would draw us away. But let’s stay alert and focused on our Lord.

Teacher's Notes:

Video: Church of Sardis

Click Here to Watch

 

Vigilant Against Complacency

The Passage: Revelation 3:1-6                      

Point: Stay alert and focused on the things of God.

 

 

The church in Sardis had become complacent. We can benefit from the words Christ spoke to them: His reminder to stay focused on what matters.

 

Synonyms for Complacency: an instance of usually unaware or uninformed self-satisfaction

 

bighead, conceitedness, egotism, pompousness, pridefulness, self-admiration, self-assumption, self-conceit, self-congratulation, self-esteem, self-glory, self-importance, self-love, self-opinion, self-satisfaction, smugness, swelled head, vanity

 

 

The Church God Desires is one that is alert, vigilant, and relevant. The passage warns us against self-deception, self-destruction, and self-deprivation.

 

What is being described in the passage is a sleeping church. The church is said to have a reputation for being alive, but Christ declares that it is really dead. The church assumes that it is alert, but it is really oblivious to the fact that it actually on life support. This sounds like some of our congregations today. We are doing well by the world’s standards, but we are missing it by kingdom-standards.

 

The challenge for this church—and the challenge for us today—is to Be Real Before God (v.1-2), Be Responsive to God (v. 3), and Be Renewed by God (v. 4-6).

 

May the Lord help us—through this message—to stay alert and focused on the things of God.

 

 

Revelation 3:1-2

1 “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 found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.”

 

 

1. Be Real before God. (v. 1-2)

The Lord tells this group, “I know your works, you have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead. Be alert and strengthen what remains, which is about to die, for I have not found your works complete before my God”. What a stinging indictment. They think that they are alive, but they are dead and the few things that has a little life is actually about to die. Sounds like a classic case of consumer Christianity.

 

A consumer-Christian is one who goes to church but is not changing. It is a Christian who may do church-work but is not involved in the work of the church. It may be someone who has good religion, but who lacks a good relationship with the Lord. The consumer Christ is the casual Christian who is not walking by the Spirit, who is not living by the Book, and who is not falling deeper and deeper in love with Christ. The challenge for us is to be real before God—to confess our sins, our selfish ambitions, and our success-driven service to God.

 

CHANGE REQUIRES MAKING CHOICES. It’s not enough to dream of changing. It’s not enough to desire change. To change, you need to make a decision. You must choose to change. Change is intentional. Are you going to be any different in six months? Are you going to be better a year from now? Are you going to be healthier, stronger, and more mature? Are you going to be happier? Are you going to be less in debt? Are you going to be more like God wants you to be? I can tell you the answer right now: These changes will only happen if you choose to change—because change doesn’t happen accidentally. Change requires a choice.

A lot of times we think we’re waiting on God to change us. No! God is waiting on you. He’s waiting on you to say, “Yes, Lord, I’m willing to make these changes.”

You will need to make intentional choices in order to grow. There is no growth without change, there is no change without loss, and there is no loss without pain. If you are going to grow, you will have to change. And change means you let go of some old things in order to grab hold of some new things.

 

It’s like swinging on a trapeze. The trapeze artist swings out on one bar and then has to reach out and grab the other one. At some point, he’s got to let go of one to grab on to the other, or he’s not going to make it to the other side. If he thinks he can hold on to both, what happens? He gets stuck in the middle, and he’s going to fall.

Some of you are stuck in the middle, and you’re falling because you haven’t let go of the old patterns, the old habits, and the old ways of thinking. You have to let go of your old ways.

 

The Bible says, “Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life” (Ephesians 4:22 NLT). In other words, let it go. Those old habits, those old hurts, those old patterns, those old sins in your life—let them go. The Bible says to throw them off and trust that God is working in you “to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose” (Philippians 2:13 NIV).

 

 

What does spiritual complacency look like?

What words come to mind when you think about being alive for Christ?

How do we let our guard slip in matters of faith?

How would you describe the reputation of Christians in today’s culture?

  

 

Revelation 3:3

3 “Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, 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.”

 

 

2. Be Responsive to God. (v. 3)

In verse two, He called them to vigilance and alertness, but in verse three, He calls them to remember, retain, and repent. He wants them to remember the Word that they have received and heard. Then He wants them to retain the Word that they have received and heard, and finally, He wants them to repent.

 

That’s a word for us. Let’s remember what we have received from the Word. Let’s retain what we have received from the Word. And, let’s repent of the things that have caused us to get away from the things of God. Sometimes we can get too focused on what the world says about us and forget or ignore what the Word says about us. We must check our hearts and avail ourselves to the Lord so He can change our hearts.

 

What steps can we take to maintain spiritual alertness?

What are the consequences today of not being spiritually alert?

What are the benefits of being spiritually alert?

 

Revelation 3:4-6

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 The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. 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. 6 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

 

 

3. Be Renewed by God. (v. 4-6)

The words in this portion of the passage are very encouraging. Christ says, “But you have a few people in Sardis who have not defiled their clothes, and they will walk with me in white, because they are worthy.” Christ is saying that every Christian in the congregation is not a consumer Christian, is not a casual Christian, and/or is not a carnal Christian. There are some who have kept themselves spotless from the world and in intimate fellowship with Christ.

 

The question becomes: which are you? Are you a committed Christian or are you a casual or consumer or carnal Christian. Whatever your answer is, the good news is, you can be renewed today. You can be reassured that if you rededicate to staying alert and focused on the things of God, God will renew you now and reward you later.

 

How does our group help us avoid spiritual complacency?

How do even Christians defile their garments today?

What does a pure life look like?

How do we model purity in a culture that celebrates sexual impurity?

   

Conclusion: When we’re real with God, we can be real with ourselves. And, when we are real with ourselves, we can be real with others. When we are real with others, we can be blessed and be a blessing. May the Lord help us to be real with Him, be responsive to Him, and be renewed by Him.