Thursday, August 25, 2011

Carelessness--The Story of Sardis

And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
Revelation 3:1-3

The ancient city of Sardis was strategically located on an escarpment at the base of Mt. Tmolus about 1000 feet above the valley of Hermus.  This location gave the inhabitants of this community a false sense of security.  History tells us that this distorted view of their invulnerability led to disaster when Cyrus the Great attacked the city circa 549 to 546 BC.  King Croseus of Lydia decided not to guard the cliffs on three sides of Sardis, his capital, as he assumed that the Persians would not be able to scale the sheer faces and attack.  The story goes that a soldier of Sardis accidentally dropped his helmet over one of the cliffs.  He then used a path known to the locals to recover the helmet, but his actions were observed by a Persian warrior named Hyeroeades.  The next night, Hyeroeades and an assault team used the path on the unguarded side of the cliffs thus gaining access to the city.  Sardis was soon overrun.


The people of Sardis did not learn their lesson.  Around 214 BC the city was again under siege by Antiochus III.  His rival, Achaeus, apparently made the same mistake as his predecessor, Croseus.  Soon the city was captured and razed.  Surely, this is what Jesus was referring to when he mentioned for them to be watchful.  The problem was that the city was not situated on a solid rock mountain, but on a hill of clay.  As the clay weathered and eroded, it left places that could be climbed and exploited by the enemy.  They were not as secure as they thought they were.  

It seems that many are living like the people of Sardis.  They momentarily get worked up if an unexpected catastrophe happens, such as the unusual Mineral, VA earthquake.  However, as soon as things settle  it is business as normal without a second thought for their eternal soul.  Many are not paying attention to the writing on the wall and are therefore leaving their lives unguarded.  It is high time we hear Jesus' message to be watchful! 

So what is there to watch anyways?  Have you noticed the unprecedented number of disasters this year in America and around the world?  It would take paragraphs to list them all, but they have not gone unnoticed.  Here is an article outlining the disasters in America by a British news service.  2011 set to become worst ever year for US weather disasters | Mail Online


This seems to be a worldwide problem!  Are you paying attention or are you like the unwary people of Sardis?  These are only the beginning of sorrows.  Don't trust in an uncertain foundation with the appearance of invulnerability.  Trust is the Rock of Ages!  Get your heart right with Jesus. He is Soon2Come!

Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
Matthew 24:42-44


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1 comment:

  1. GerieAugust 26, 2011 at 8:00 PM

    Thanks John,
    Keep warning, because so much of the church is still unprepared for what is coming.
    Everybody seems to be so busy and worried but they are wasting their time trying to do the wrong things to protect themselves.
    Unless the Lord protects us all, we're wasting our time trying to prepare. Whats coming in the future is going to be so big there is no way to prepare for it physically anyway.
    The most important thing that we can do is prepare our hearts first,and then let God take care of the rest.
    The most fearful thing that's coming is not a natural disaster but the great falling away from the faith.
    Its not talked about or mentioned very much, but so many in the church do not have discernment to know what is from God and what is not. How can they not be deceived in the future and be offended and fall away?When Jesus used spiritual words many of His disciples fell away and followed Him no more. The Holy Spirit warns us that a falling away is going to happen. We should be preparing for that since it hasn't happened yet and growing strong in the truth being filled with His word.
    It takes time to grow spiritually. Jesus said seek first the Kingdom and that He would take care of the rest but everybody today being moved with fear is focusing on "all the rest".I am forever amazed at the way people are wasting this little window of time we have left, except to say that I used to be one of them.
    That's why we should never give up on praying for America.I hear that some are thinking that God said not to pray for America anymore because they are being judged. This idea is from Satan and if its passed from one to another, we're in big trouble because the only thing that has protected America up till now is the prayers of the saints. God is still working here. He hasn't left us completely. We need to be helping Him and working with Him with our prayers and intercession for this country.
    Prayer works!

    When the hurricane first started they said that it would hit SC, when I saw that I prayed for God to not let it hit our state.Its course changed and we are in the clear. Prayer and faith in God works! People will explain it all away, but I choose to believe that I prayed and He was faithful to answer my prayer. That's what we say we believe, after all.
    So I bless and praise God for causing it to turn some other way. I still believe that when we see a storm change course that somebody somewhere is praying and I believe that in SC there were many of us believing God for the same thing.
    God Bless you John!

    Gerie

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