The Coasting Church (Revelation 3:1-6)

Big Idea: Churches face spiritual death through complacency, but renewal is possible by waking up, reviving what remains, and recapturing their commitment to Christ.

In November 1995, shortly after Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination in Israel, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien faced his own security threats. A man with a knife bypassed sleeping RCMP guards and entered 24 Sussex Drive, the Prime Minister's official residence. A man reached Chrétien's bedroom, but Mrs. Chrétien, armed with an Inuit carving, slammed the door shut. She and the prime minister waited until he was apprehended over half an hour later. It's the Canadian version of the Keystone Cops. You can be sure that security is a lot tighter at 24 Sussex Drive these days.

It is safe to say that communist Russia had developed and positioned the finest anti-aircraft system in the world. Powerful radar monitored the air above major Soviet cities, while missiles were ready to target enemy aircraft at any height. No city in communist Russia was more protected than Moscow, especially Red Square near the Kremlin. The world was shocked when a young man rented a small airplane in Denmark, buzzed the Kremlin, and landed in Red Square. Before being taken away, he greeted some surprised Muscovites and even managed to sign a few autographs. And when the incident was over, a couple of top generals were promptly fired.

We call these lapses in security, and they're all over. Security personnel can make mistakes, as shown by a man who broke into Queen Elizabeth's bedroom at Buckingham Palace and security lapses at the White House and 24 Sussex Drive. They are caught unprepared or even asleep, and danger is the outcome.

Introducing Sardis

The city of Sardis, in Revelation 3:1-6, was an impregnable city. The ancient city was located on a steep hill that rose 1,500 feet above the roads, making it hard to access. It had rock walls which were nearly vertical on all sides, except the south side. The city was attacked frequently, but without success. As a result, the people of Sardis grew arrogant, believing no one could ever conquer their hill. Until one day a Sardian soldier dropped his helmet. And he took the one path – the one weak point in the defense – out to retrieve his helmet. A Persian soldier led the army back up the summit, surprising everyone and capturing the city. A similar attack happened two hundred years later. A single overlooked weakness, just a one-in-a-thousand chance, was enough to deliver a devastating blow to the proud citizens of Sardis.

By the time that Jesus wrote to the church in Sardis, the city was a shadow of its former splendor. It was a city in decline. A century before the Sardian church received this letter from Jesus, Sardis was partially destroyed by an earthquake. The city, once vibrant and full of life, now stood in a state of deterioration. Ironically, one of the most prominent features of the city was its cemetery. The military threats to Sardis had faded into history, and the city settled into a different kind of peace – not the hard-won peace of victory, but what William Barclay calls "the peace of the man whose dreams are dead and whose mind is asleep, the peace of lethargy and evasion." It enjoyed peace, but it was the peace of the cemetery.

The Problem with Sardis

As we read about the church of Sardis in Revelation 3:1-6, a number of things stand out. This church should have it better than some of the others we've looked at. There are no doctrinal problems that need correction. There is no mention of opposition or persecution. Neither Jews nor the Gentiles seem to have troubled the people of Sardis. In fact, it was well known as an active, vigorous Christian congregation, characterized by good works and charitable activities. Jesus says in Revelation 3:1: "I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive..."

Despite no doctrinal issues or opposition, Christ's letter to the church at Sardis is notably striking. There are no words of commendation. In Revelation 2 and 3, Jesus always starts by introducing himself. In five of the seven letters, he praised the churches for their positive actions. And then, in every case but two, some words of warning or correction. But look how Christ begins addressing the church in 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. (Revelation 3:1)

There are no "attaboys" to this church. Because this church has a similarity to the city of Sardis in two ways. Here's one: it's a church in decay.

Verse 1 says, "You have a reputation of being alive, but you are all dead." You're open for business, but none of the right type of business is going on. Even though they look and smell like a healthy Christian church, in reality, they're dead. One person describes the church as outwardly prosperous and active, but lacking spiritual life and power.

How does a church die? Why does Christ use this expression for Sardis, even though the churches in Thyatira and Laodicea also had serious problems? We're told in verse 3 that their deeds are lacking. And we can figure out in verse 4 that some in the church had soiled their clothes. This likely refers to some members of the church starting to compromise with the surrounding pagan culture. What accounts for the fact that without any doctrinal problems or persecution, this was a dying church? Why, out of all the churches listed, is this one considered the dying church? And what, if anything, does this church have to do with Richview Baptist Church?

This morning is Richview's fortieth anniversary – did you know that? The recognition service for Richview took place on February 9th, 1959 – forty years ago this coming Tuesday. The church originated from a prayerful vision to connect with the local community for Jesus Christ. At the recognition service, 25 members were charged to fulfill the Great Commission by preaching the Gospel worldwide. Those 25 charter members grew to 185 members within five years. There were an average of seven baptisms a year. There was a vision – a God-given belief that God had placed Richview in that community, and that he had a specific purpose for the church that would propel them into the future. The vision was demonstrated in very practical ways – even the size of the property purchased, and the construction of a gymnatorium that would allow for future growth.

There were many highlights in the growth of the church. In 1971, there were a remarkable 28 baptisms, with an astounding twenty taking place on a single Sunday. Lives were transformed through the love of Jesus Christ. The birth of a vision for a seniors' ministry on the church's property. The building of a new sanctuary. The time of great blessing as the church sacrificed to furnish the new building in a program called "Join Our Blessing" – raising $300,000 in three years. This was a church on the move – not to build an edifice for itself; but to use its resources to reach the neighborhood for Jesus Christ. The first song taught to the young Richview congregation was "Teach Us to Pray, Lord; Teach Us to Pray." The records of the church show that Richview was begun by "a small group of people whose hearts were burdened for the ministry in central Etobicoke. They were… a people of prayer. They were smitten with the concept that nothing should be undertaken without a strong and ongoing prayer base." Many of you who were present during this time felt a strong dependence on God, believing he would use the church for his glory. Richview was a church with a future.

But friends, the vision of the past is not sufficient for the church of today. Somebody has wisely observed that churches go through four stages:

• The birth stage, in which a newly planted church is bursting with energy and enthusiasm.
• The developmental stage in which a church begins to get set in its ways and begins to develop programs and policies.
• The mature stage, in which the people, practices, policies, perspectives, and places are firmly established. Very often, this stage could be called the plateau stage.
• The decaying stage is when the enthusiastic supporters of the church lose their energy and drive. In which structures in place inhibit rather than encourage ministry intensity. In which fewer visitors come and even fewer stay. In which the church begins a long, slow slide to death.

All churches eventually become like the church in Sardis—a shadow of their former glory, relying on past achievements, and starting to stagnate. Churches that are open for business, but with all the wrong type of business going on.

One person writes:

Thousands of churches… have deteriorated to the point where they are a ministry in theory only, a shell of what they had been. In these churches, little, if any, outreach takes place. The name and buildings may insinuate a church is present, but lives are not touched in a significant, spiritual way by such artifacts. As long as these churches have a handful of faithful attenders and can afford some meeting space and a speaker, they remain in existence. They have, however, essentially completed their life as a church. (George Barna)

I want to ask you this morning, what stage is Richview in? Are we in danger of becoming like the church in Sardis, living on past glory and lacking vision? Are we in the mature stage, in which the vision has been lost, and structures inhibit ministry? Or is it even possible we've slipped to the decaying stage? A stage where everything appears fine externally, and we have a reputation for being alive, but we're actually dead, and our actions fall short before God.

To such a church, Jesus says:

Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. 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. (Revelation 3:2-3)

Three Steps

There are three steps a church can take to recapture its vision again.

Wake up.

Christ's command in verse two could literally be translated, "Be alert – right now!" This command was particularly important in a city deemed impregnable, which had been captured twice due to inattention. This command from Christ lets us know that the church in Sardis – almost dead – was not beyond hope. It was not too late to awaken from their spiritual stupor. Revival could take place. But first, wake up and recognize the seriousness of your situation. The first step toward renewal in a decaying church is that people become aware that something is wrong.

Strengthen what remains.

There were some people, according to verses 4 and 5, who had not compromised their zeal. There were some in the church who were still working, and still praying. The Lord refers to the few faithful believers in Sardis who were awake, alert, and living devoted lives. But Jesus says, all of you ought to be awake! All of you ought to be leading lives filled with the Holy Spirit so a lot of action can happen. Rock some boats, rattle some cages, wake up some sleepy brothers and sisters and remind them that the church is engaged in a high-stakes war. The battle is over the souls and lives of people who matter to God. Remind them that nothing is more important or exciting than playing a vital role in God's work to transform lives through church ministry. Remind them that the true fear is not death, but a wasted life—one spent in inactivity, lacking focus, direction, or purpose, and stuck in spiritual mediocrity. Take some action!

Wake up. Strengthen what remains. The third step, mentioned in verse 3, is this:

Recapture your church's earlier devotion to Christ.

"Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent." Recapture your church's earliest passion for Christ. Remember the early days when you received the Gospel; when you had a vision. Repent of the indifference into which you have fallen.

I mentioned earlier that the church in Sardis was like the city for two reasons. First, because it's in decay. The second similarity in verse 3 is that the church is at risk of a sudden attack: "If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know when I will come." The city was attacked and conquered by surprise twice. Similarly, Jesus warns that He will come in judgment against the church unexpectedly if it doesn't take immediate action to correct its ways.

On this Sunday, forty years into the history of Richview Baptist Church, we stand at a crossroads. We have the buildings, the people, and a reputation for being alive. But we also have the very real danger of coasting on past greatness and great vision. Or, we also have the option of doing what they did forty years ago, when "they were…a people of prayer. They were smitten with the concept that nothing should be undertaken without a strong and ongoing prayer base." We have the option of coasting, or we have the option of recapturing a vision for the future. We envision a church where the next forty years bring new growth and development, rather than decline.

I'm going to ask us to pray that Richview will be a church of spiritual passion, a church with vision, a church of prayer. I'm going to pray that you will be a key player in Richview Baptist Church as we move to the future.

Jesus Christ, we pray to you this morning – the one who holds the seven spirits of God, and the seven stars. You are the one with the divine power to sustain, give life, and mobilize us to do your will. We thank you this morning for the vision of those who have built this church over the past forty years. And now, as we stand on the threshold of the future, we acknowledge that we need a rekindled vision. I pray that you would prevent us from becoming comfortable or complacent, lest we find ourselves slowly dying.

I pray that you inspire us to share the good news of Jesus Christ with our local community. I pray that our desires will be met with growth – growth in spirituality, in new people coming to know you; and in baptisms. I hope we become people of prayer, believing that nothing should be done without a solid prayer foundation. I hope that the first song taught to the Richview congregation forty years ago, "Teach Us to Pray, Lord, Teach Us to Pray," reflects the spirit of our current community and helps us move forward. Amen.