According to scholars, it didn’t cost much to be a follower of Jesus in Sardis. The city leaders were very accommodating of Christianity. That sounds like a good thing. In some ways it was a blessing, but it also created a problem for the church: spiritual apathy. They had a good reputation, but in reality, they had become so comfortable in their accommodating culture, they fell asleep, which is why Jesus begins his letter to them with the strong words, “Wake up!” Their relationship with the Lord had turned into ritual and routine. It’s always more important about being in Christ than it is doing for Christ. In this letter we find Jesus challenging them to remember what they had originally heard and received before it’s too late.
