Earlier this month the Academy casted its approval on all things Hollywood—that great story-telling kingdom. Who would win best actor, actress, director, best movie, etc.? We all sat on the edge of our seats with baited breath when each presenter tore open the envelope and said those iconic words “And the winner is…” One of the surprising winners was in the documentary category—true stories of real people, of real events minus the acting. This year’s winner was “No Other Land,” a documentary made by a four-person Palestinian-Israeli team. Imagine that—the story of people at war told by the same people as a team. One of the Oscar recipients said—and I am paraphrasing: “Can’t you see that we are intertwined? That my people can be truly safe if their people are truly free and safe? There is another way.”
In documentaries, acting is forbidden. In a way, churches and Christians are on a big screen where, as Shakespeare said it, “All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances…"
On Shakespeare's stage, actors hiding under masks played many roles—often conflicting parts—literally playing the hypocrite. Hypocrisy comes from the Greek word hypokritḗs derived from two words: hypo, "under" and krínō, "to judge". It literally means, a judging undercover, like a performer acting under a mask; figuratively, a two-faced person whose profession does not match their practice, someone who say one thing but do another.
However, on God’s stage set with God’s people—the church—hypocrisy doesn't play well. Acting is forbidden. There is another way. How will God grade the two-faced, hypocritical Church? In Revelation 3:1-6, we have a stage preview of the hypocritical church—Sardis. They are one of the seven churches Christ gave an advanced Academy Awards preview—if you will—of His approval, not as cinema, but as Church. Sardis is the fifth church in our Lenten Church series: Lent: It’s more than what you give up. It’s what you gain. As you look within for that which you need to give up, and look forward to what you gain as His “award winning” Church, consider Sardis.
We will see the reality of the hypocritical church, the remedy for the hypocritical church and the reward for the “real” church. Reality, remedy and reward. Someday, Christ will open an envelope, and read his own rendition of these iconic words, “And the winner is…”
First, the reality of the hypocritical church is this: it has a reputation given by man that does not live up to the expectations of God. Sardis was such a church, like an actor, who was playing a role, wearing two masks—pretending, if you will, playing church. The Sardis Church had a reputation of being materially alive, but the reality was they were spiritually dead. We see this in Rev. 3:1:
"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. Rev. 3:1
They were the church of the living dead. In the movies, they call the living dead zombies. Sardis was walking around like a zombie. To have the reputation of being alive yet being dead is the height of hypocrisy; the pentacle of pretend; the summit of charades. They had a reputation by men of being an alive church. If seen through today’s lens, they had the money, the crowd, the had music on the outside. But on the inside, they were dead. How can you tell if a church is dead? Like a doctor with a stethoscope, you can listen. There are signs that can be heard in the bywords of the worship of a dying, hypocritical church. Just listen:
•“Back in the day, we were this.” History worship is a sign of a dead church.
•“This is the only way we do it here.” Ritual worship is a sign of a dead church.
•“The policy and procedure manual says this.” Policy worship is a sign of a dead church
•“We have this much money in the bank.” Material worship is a sign of a dead church.
If you hear a lot of this in your church, you’re might just be a member of a dying, hypocritical church. King Saul was a member of that church. King Saul was a hypocrite: one thing on the outside and a different thing on the inside. Saul was “a choice and handsome man and there was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel” according to 1 Samuel 9:2. But on the inside, Saul wore another mask. He was disobedient. He took on the role of the prophet and made sacrifices that were not his role. He also didn’t completely destroy his enemies’ property as God had commanded.
David, on the other hand, had a reputation of external beauty. “Now he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance” according to 1Samuel 16, but on the inside, he met God’s approval—a man after God’s heart. Are you a Saul or a David?
Look within. Evaluate your reputation verses your reality in light of how God would evaluate you. Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. When the Prophet Samuel was seeking a king among Jesse’s boys, things favored the outward appearance of one his sons. But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look on the outside, but God is concerned about the insides.
What is your outward appearance: holier than thou, squeaky clean, a Mother Theresa reputation? But what’s in your heart? Does it line up with God’s heart? Are you disobedient? Are you rebellious at midnight when the freaks come out? Are you wearing two masks: slaying on Sundays and laying on Mondays? Do you have the reputation as “alive” in Christ, but inside you are dead? You might be a member of the church of the living dead—a zombie church, a pretending to be alive, yet dead, a two-masks, “playing church” church. Don’t despair. There is a remedy for hypocrisy.
Second, the remedy for the hypocritical church is to have a spiritual revival. Christ commands the Sardis Church to get back to their spiritual basis or die out. There are five imperatives for a revival of an almost dead church to become alive again. We see that in verses 2 and 3.
2 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. 3 Remember then how you accepted and heard; obey 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.
First, wake up from spiritual sleep and watch out for your weakness (2a). Christ told his disciples on the night of his arrest in Mark 14:38: Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." Every rock has a crack. Every Titanic has an iceberg with its name written on it. Wake up and watch out.
Second, strengthen your spiritual embers. Don’t let your spiritual fire go out. In ancient Israel, the priests were instructed in Leviticus 6:9 not to let the fire on the altar. This required a lot of work. Prayer is a way to strengthen the spiritual fire to keep it from going out. Jesus told his disciples in the garden to watch and pray.
Third, remember your spiritual roots. Those roots are fixed in the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 when the church received the power of Holy Spirit. Remember your power point. Don’t leave home without it.
Fourth, obey the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised us the Holy Spirit to be another Counselor to be with you forever. He wouldn’t have given you an advisor unless he wanted you to follow the advice of that counselor.
Finally, Christ commands us to repent of your spiritual laziness. Turn from a napping Christianity lest he comes as a thief in the take your lampstand. Don’t be like the 5 foolish virgins in Mathew 25 who did not keep their lamps trimmed and burning. The bridegroom came at an unknown hour. He would not let them in. He replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’
Look within. Wake up hypocritical church and get spiritual again or get left behind. Keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. That is the remedy for the church of the living dead—the zombie church—wake up.
Finally, the reward for the remnant church is a true spiritual reality, outside and inside. You get to be one thing, in and out—spiritual. Church, look forward to real clothes and a real name consistent with Christ’s character. Look at verse 4 and 5:
"Revelation 3:4-5 4 'But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white; for they are worthy. 5 'He who overcomes shall thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels. '"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.
The spiritual church will be wearing white. The white stands for:
Purity: The Psalmist says (51:7): "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."
Festivity: Those clothed in white will feast at the marriage supper of the Lamb in the kingdom of God according to Revelation 19:9. White is what everybody will be wearing to the party.
Victory: Those who have been martyred will wear white for their victory over death according to Rev. 6:11.
Not only will the remnant of the spiritual church will have spiritual clothes on the outside that represent their spiritual worthiness on the inside, they will have a name written in the Book of life. Their names will be in the registry. Ancient cities in the Greek world kept registers of the names of their citizens. Criminals were removed from the civil register and lost their citizenship. Not so for the “real, living” church members. Their membership in eternity is signed, sealed and delivered. Instead of the reputation of men, they will have a name approved by God. I would rather have my name on God’s lips than men’s.
Church, look forward to authenticity, inside and out: purity on the inside, and a reputable name on the outside.
The reality of the Sardis Church was church of the living dead. It was materially alive in reputation, but spiritually dead. It was an actor playing two-faced church. Their reality was hypocrisy.
But there was a pulse of hope for this living dead church. The remedy was to wake up and go back to its spiritual roots—the Holy Spirit. Have a rival.
If they would, they can look forward to the reward will be spiritual authenticity, inside and out: a spiritual wardrobe outside that represents their purity on the inside. And they will a spiritual name in the book of life. They won’t be the living dead, but the dead, now living.
Shakespeare say,
All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances….
If so, churches are like movies in a theological way. Covet what counts as a church on God’s stage. Someday, the great Presenter will tear open an envelope, and pronounce his own version of the iconic words, “And the winner is…” when it comes to His church. Don’t stay seated until your name is read. Start now, making your way to the podium, as Blessed Assurance is played. Hear Him say, “Loved it”, my good and faith church. “Loved it”. Please have your speech ready, under two minutes please. Just because you have eternity, doesn’t mean you have to use all of it.
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