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.
Although we work for the growth of the kingdom, it grows mysteriously in ways that we cannot understand or control.
Just like us, the people of Jesus’ day spent much of their time laboring for things that perish. Just like us, they often found...
The early church produced several creeds that continue to exercise great influence over what Christians believe about Jesus Christ to this day. (Here is...