Before diving into today’s reading, go to page 52 of your Awaken Guidebook and take a few minutes to complete the “Look Ahead” section.
Read Revelation 3:1-6 in your personal Bible or at the link provided.
Review
- What was the reputation of the church in Sardis?
- What were they really like?
- What were they urged to do?
Reflect
Twice in its history, the city of Sardis was captured because its watchmen neglected to see an army sneaking up on it. A similar thing happened in the church of Sardis. They had become complacent, mindless, and apathetic. Despite looking good on the outside, they let the enemy creep inside the walls of their hearts, pulling them from what mattered most. Jesus admonished them to wake up.
2,000 years later, we’re urged to do the same. It’s easy to “sleepwalk” through life – to go on autopilot, numb out, put off things we need to do, and fail to maximize the life God has given us. This not only threatens our impact, it puts us in danger. If we don’t awaken to God’s plan and purpose, our light will go out, and we’ll be susceptible to attack.
Before you can be awakened to something, you have to be awakened from the things that are holding you back. Apathy, complacency, busyness, comparison, fear, materialism, lukewarm Christianity – all of these can keep you from being awakened to what God wants to do in you and through you in this season. Wake up! Now is the time.
Respond
- In what areas of your life would you say you’re asleep? Is there anything that appears good on the surface but could be described as “dead” or “almost dead” underneath?
- Verse 3 says, “Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly.” In what ways have you perhaps stopped being as intentional with this? What could it look like for you to go back to the foundations of your faith and hold more firmly to God’s Word and promises?
- Sardis was encouraged to repent and turn to Jesus again. In what ways is He calling you to do the same? What would this require of you?
As you process these questions, use page 53 of your Awaken Guidebook to jot down any key reflections or next steps. Be sure to bring your guidebook to your group! Page 54 is a great place to write down things that you want to process together.