"Living in Sardis" December 16 Readings: Micah 5-7, Revelation 3–4, Psalm 143:1–3, Proverbs 30:24–28

  

Reading the Bible in 2025

Each day this year, we will read a selection from the Old Testament, the New Testament, a portion of the Psalms, and a part of Proverbs. By the end of the year, you will have read the entire Bible. We read this way to give you a bit of variety. 

NOTE: If you get behind, do not give up. Read today's readings and try to catch up when you have a chance. The goal is not to "accomplish a task" but to meet God in his word. Read the word. Also, if you are short on time, READ GOD'S WORD and skip my devotional!

Bible Readings: Micah 5-7, Revelation 3–4, Psalm 143:1–3, Proverbs 30:24–28

    Scriptures linked to Bible Gateway in ESV version 

Daily Devotional: Living in Sardis

There may be no better picture of the American church than Jesus' description of the church in Sardis. In Revelation 3:1-6, he confronts them with devastating simplicity.

You have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead. 

No one but Jesus would have said that about Sardis. Everyone else would have described the church in glowing terms. Growing. Vibrant. Lively. I'm guessing their praise band rocked! Their hip preacher delivered the best sermon in Asia Minor. It was everything anyone would want a church to be. Other churches were jealous - if only we could be like Sardis. They attended seminars on the Sardis Model - how to make your church just like that one. Of course, this is all hyperbole, but Jesus' words are clear - they had a reputation for being a lively Christian church.

He saw something very different. He saw death. All their vibrancy, their liveliness, their excitement - it came from the flesh and not from the Spirit. They were able to make everyone else believe that it came from God, but in reality, there was no spiritual life. It was a fleshly imitation that could fool others, but not God. The world saw life, but Jesus saw death. That which is built by the flesh, no matter how appealing it looks, is always death.

We worry so much about what people think about us, about our reputation and image. We devote much to managing our appearance, maintaining a positive public image, developing our brand, and controlling public opinion. But just because we look spiritual, or people think we are, doesn't mean that we are.

God wants reality. The world wants celebration, but sometimes Jesus demands brokenness and repentance. The world wants relentless positivity, but Jesus forces us to confront our negatives so that we can live in his blessings. We must abandon the flesh to walk in the Spirit, to live the life of God. When that happens, there is only one audience for our lives. We live to please him and him alone. What people think matters, but only a little. We want to maintain a good testimony and reputation, but we seek only to glorify God, and our identity comes from his pleasure, not the world's. 

Sardis Christians put the opinions of men ahead of the pleasure of God. They care more about what people think of them than about whether people are being drawn to God. Their focus is on the outside, not the inside. Sardis is a fake spirituality, one that impresses people but doesn't fool God.

And he's the one we ultimately answer to, right? Sardis is no place to live!

Father, I don't want to be a Sardis Christian. Help me to be real before you. 

Consider God's Word:

Which of these four passages spoke most clearly to you today? 

Is there sin in your life that needs to be confessed and dealt with that was revealed in one of these passages? 

Is there something in your life that needs to change?

Is there a struggle in your life that one of these passages spoke to? 

How much do the opinions of people matter to you?
Can you say that God's approval and his glory are the driving focus of your life, or is pleasing people and managing the opinions of others about you what matters most?