FINISHING WELL
Lessons
From the Church in Sardis
When
the 1964 Olympic Games were held in Tokyo, Sri Lanka sent a contingent that
included a 10,000-meter runner named Ranatunge Karunananda. The 10,000-meter
race was won by Billy Mills of the USA, and when Mills passed the finish line,
Ranatunge was still 4 laps behind. (It is said that he was unwell that day). Spectators
expected him to quit at some point, but he kept running. As he kept running
alone, people began to laugh at him, and some even began to heckle him. But he
still kept running.
When
the spectators realized this unknown athlete was determined to finish the race,
the jeers slowly turned to admiration, and applause began to rise across the
Stadium. As he started the final lap, the applause grew louder as the crowd,
inspired by his perseverance, encouraged him to finish the race. Cheers and
applause erupted as the exhausted athlete eventually finished the race. Interviewed
after the race, Ranatunge said, "The Olympic Spirit is not to win, but to
take part. So, I completed my rounds." This story captured the imagination
and the heart of the Japanese public so vividly that it eventually found its
way into Japanese school textbooks!"[1]
Christian
Life is like running a long-distance race, like a marathon. Today, many
Christians are giving up on their spiritual race due to hardships and
challenges that come their way. Let's be inspired by the Apostle Paul, who ran
his race and said, "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is
ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me
heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Phil 3:13-14).
For
Christians, winning the race is not our primary goal; finishing the race well
is. As we trace the lives of the Christians in the seven churches in Asia Minor
recorded in Revelation, we will meet the Christians in the Church of Sardis
today. What lessons can we learn from them that would help us finish our
Christian race well? Finishing Well: Rev 3:1-6.
I. What do we know about Sardis?
Sardis was one of the most glorious
cities in Asia, located thirty to forty miles southeast of Thyatira. Sardis was
the first to mint gold and silver coins. In A.D. 17, a terrible earthquake
devastated Sardis, and it was rebuilt after extensive aid from the Emperor
Augustus.
To express their appreciation, the
citizens of Sardis created a coin with his likeness and inscribed it "Cesarean
Sardis." The people of Sardis had a special interest in death and
immortality, and much of their religious life focused on nature worship, the
fertility cycle, and bringing life out of death. The Church in Sardis looked
alive, but in reality it was dying, not fully dead yet. To an almost-dead
church, Christ introduces Himself as the giver of life.
Rev 3:1-2: "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." The
Sardian Church, though it outwardly looked lively and successful, was dying
inside. It is a typical example of churches and individual Christians who put
up an appearance as though everything is going well, while in reality inwardly
they might be crumbling and almost dying.
How is your Christian life, family
life, and marriage? Are you putting up an appearance of success, as though all
is well? You may fool yourselves and others, but can not fool God. Our God
looks not only at outward appearance but also at what is really going on inside.
We can not hide from Him. Out of love
and concern for our physical and spiritual well-being, He comes to us with a
warning, a wake-up call, and leaves us with principles that would do damage
control.
II. What does a spiritually dying christian do to come
alive?
Rev 3:2, "Wake Up! Strengthen
what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the
sight of my God." The Church in Sardis is almost to be plucked by the
roots, yet Christ comes to her still holding her in his hand, along with the
life-giving Spirit. What does this say about a church or an individual believer
today? Barton notes, "As long as there is the slightest bit of life left,
there is hope for renewal and revival. He does not abandon His Church even at
the brink of death. He still extends life to all those who will receive it."[2]
The same rebuke Christ gave to the
Sardinians applies to all sleepy and wayward Christians: "Wake Up!"
In Scripture, whenever you see the words "Wake Up," we must pay
attention, because they remind us of God's upcoming judgment on sleeping
believers. We are to wake up from our slumber and complacency and do the work
of strengthening.
What areas of your spiritual life are
dying and need revival? Is it your prayer life, your reading of Scripture,
attending Church and the fellowship of believers, or your marriage? You have to
work hard to strengthen those areas before it is too late and beyond repair.
Once we regain strength in those weak areas, we can keep running the race to
the finish line. What would help us finish our race well? Three keys to finish
well, followed by three promises of reward.
III. Three Keys to help us finish our race well.
Rev 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." These days, there is so much emphasis on the right kind of strategies,
tools, teachings, etc to revitalize the dying churches. We spend a lot of money
attending conferences and getting resources. What resources did Christ give to
revitalize the Sardis Church?
A.
Remember: "Remember therefore, what you have received and heard."
Scripture advises us to remember several times. What are we to remember? What
we have received from the Lord, and heard from our teachers, above all from the
Holy Spirit. Here are a few things from the word we need to remember:
Deuteronomy 8:2, "And
you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these
forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know
what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not."
Psalm 143:5, "I remember the days of old; I meditate on
all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands.
The best way to remember what you
have received and heard is to worship with God's people every Sunday. We gather
to remember who God is, what he promises to us, and how he has called us to
live. To finish what you started, let the Word of God restore and nourish your
soul every day. Every time we celebrate Communion, we are remembering his death
and resurrection until He comes. We also remember all the blessings he has
poured out on us.
B.
Holding Fast: We
are not only called to remember all that God has done for us but also to hold
fast to Him and his teachings no matter the cost, like the Smyrnanians. That
calls us to run the race marked out for us with perseverance. Fixing our eyes
on Jesus, the pioneer and the perfector of our faith." Hebrews 12:2
C.
Repent: We
remember God's faithfulness, we hold fast to His faithfulness, and we repent of
the things that we should not have done. Remember, each time we confess our
sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If we use these keys regularly, as often as needed, they will help us finish
our race well and unlock three rewards in the End.
IV.
Three Promises
In our Christian walk, we have times of high and low,
victories and defeats, but as long as we use the three keys of remembrance,
holding fast, and repentance, Jesus promises us three rewards. First reward: White
Clothes: White clothes symbolize purity and victory. On the last day, when
we finish our race well, you will take a victory lap, pure and blameless before
God.
Jesus's second promise is that he
will never blot out your name from the book of life (Rev. 3:5).
If you have genuine
faith in him, he will keep you till the End. You will finish what you started! Our
names must be written in the Lamb's book of life; without that, no one will
enter into Heaven. Those who finish well will surely find their names in the
book of life.
Jesus's third promise: He will
acknowledge our name before the Father and the angels. It's a picture of Jesus
as a judge, pronouncing his verdict. On that last day, he will declare before
the Father that those who are faithful to the End are righteous, pure, and
victorious. As G. K. Beale suggests, "you may hear him read aloud your
name from the book of life." We all experience spiritual lows and times
when we wander away from God. What matters most is what you do in those times.
Reach out to him. Let's be committed to Finishing Well in the End.
