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Revelation 3:1-6, 14-22
I, John, heard the Lord saying to me:
“To the angel of the Church in Sardis, write this:
“‘The one who has the seven spirits of God
and the seven stars says this: “I know your works,
that you have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
Be watchful and strengthen what is left, which is going to die,
for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.
Remember then how you accepted and heard; keep it, and repent.
If you are not watchful, I will come like a thief,
and you will never know at what hour I will come upon you.
However, you have a few people in Sardis
who have not soiled their garments;
they will walk with me dressed in white,
because they are worthy.“‘
The victor will thus be dressed in white,
and I will never erase his name from the book of life
but will acknowledge his name in the presence of my Father
and of his angels.
“‘Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”“
“To the angel of the Church in Laodicea, write this:
“‘The Amen, the faithful and true witness,
the source of God’s creation, says this:
“I know your works;
I know that you are neither cold nor hot.
I wish you were either cold or hot.
So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold,
I will spit you out of my mouth.
For you say, ‘I am rich and affluent and have no need of anything,’
and yet do not realize that you are wretched,
pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich,
and white garments to put on
so that your shameful nakedness may not be exposed,
and buy ointment to smear on your eyes so that you may see.
Those whom I love, I reprove and chastise.
Be earnest, therefore, and repent.
“‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock.
If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,
then I will enter his house and dine with him,
and he with me.
I will give the victor the right to sit with me on my throne,
as I myself first won the victory
and sit with my Father on his throne.
“‘Whoever has ears ought to hear
what the Spirit says to the churches.’”
The Word of the Lord.
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The Book of Revelation includes a compilation of letters written to seven different churches, including the church in Sardis, an ancient city located in western Turkey.
Seven centuries prior to Revelation being written, Sardis was one of the greatest cities on earth, admired for its immense wealth.
The city center was tucked away high on a hill, surrounded by flat-faced mountains. Many considered Sardis to be unconquerable because there was only one steep, slippery way in or out.
Yet the city was destroyed twice several centuries apart for the same reason: no one guarded the city gates. By the time John wrote this letter, the city – and the local church – were in steep decline.
As he says in our first reading, “I, John, heard the Lord saying to me: ‘To the Church in Sardis, write this: You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.’”
They were dead because no one watched.
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This is the most frequent command in the bible: “watch.”
We are all responsible for guarding our minds, bodies, hearts, and souls. Satan, the great tempter, is cunning and patient, often waiting until our guard is down to approach our “city gates” – when we’re tired, frustrated, proud, or buzzed.
When he strikes, how often we fall, losing the grace we cannot live without.
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As we approach the holy season of Advent, the Lord encourages us to double-down on our defenses – pray, confess, be humble and disciplined.
Unlike Sardis, keep watch, ready to receive the Lord upon his return.
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Image credits: (1) Forsythe Church of Christ, YouTube (2) The Archeological Exploration of Sardis (3) Tumblr