In the letter to the church in Sardis in Revelation 3:1-6, Jesus had a surprise announcement for the church and promised a surprise visit if things did not change for the better. The announcement was that, in spite of appearances of vitality, the church was really quite dead, which would have fallen as a huge surprise to the church itself and to everyone who knew the church’s great reputation. Jesus had called the church in Ephesus to remember its earlier works, but Jesus called the church in Sardis to remember something even more foundational: how they received and heard the gospel. His call to them forces us to ask ourselves how we are hearing it today.
After telling his disciples that they should love one another, Jesus began preparing them in John 15:18-16:11 to be hated by the world. Even...
Because of a general persecution in Jerusalem, the believers were scattered and took the gospel to Judea and Samaria, where many believed in Christ.
Between the establishment of a relationship with God and the final resurrection, Christians need to press on to know Christ and be more like...