Spiritual Vigilance: Insights from the Churches

Partial Churches: Lessons from Ephesus and Sardis in Revelation 2-3 (PART I)

Revelation chapters 2 and 3 present letters to the churches in Ephesus and Sardis, offering both commendations and warnings. The church in Ephesus is praised for its perseverance in truth and rejection of false teachings like those of the Nicolaitans but is rebuked for abandoning its first love, becoming inwardly focused and losing sight of its mission to love others and reach the lost. Sardis, conversely, has an outward reputation for being alive, with vibrant ministries and cultural engagement, but is condemned for being spiritually dead due to compromised teaching and shallow beliefs. Both churches illustrate the danger of disconnecting belief and practice, highlighting the need for alignment between biblical conviction and outward action. Churches today are challenged to hold firm to the truth while actively engaging their communities, both physically and digitally, to share the gospel and remain faithful witnesses of Christ in a world desperate for redemption.

Sermon Transcript

“Write to the angel of the church in Ephesus: Thus says the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and who walks among the seven golden lampstands: I know your works, your labor, and your endurance, and that you cannot tolerate evil people. You have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and you have found them to be liars. I know that you have persevered and endured hardships for the sake of my name, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember then how far you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Yet you do have this: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

“Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

(Revelation 2:1–7, CSB)

“Write to the angel of the church in Sardis: Thus says the one who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: I know your works; you have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead. Be alert and strengthen what remains, which is about to die, for I have not found your works complete before my God. Remember, then, what you have received and heard; keep it, and repent. If you are not alert, I will come like a thief, and you have no idea at what hour I will come upon you. But you have a few people in Sardis who have not defiled their clothes, and they will walk with me in white, because they are worthy.

“In the same way, the one who conquers will be dressed in white clothes, and I will never erase his name from the book of life but will acknowledge his name before my Father and before his angels.

“Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.

(Revelation 3:1–6, CSB)

Welcome to Sonrise Church. I’m excited to continue our series in the book of Revelation, titled All Glory Be to Christ. Today, as we explore the theme of glory belonging to Jesus now and forever, we’ll look at seven letters written to churches in Revelation chapters 2 and 3. These letters serve as narratives or case studies for us to consider.

Case studies are not histories in the strict sense, but they give us examples to examine and learn from. Historians often use documents like these to study the past and understand what really happened by piecing together different accounts. Similarly, we have these seven letters, and today, we’ll focus on two of them—Ephesus and Sardis.

These two letters work as case studies that complement each other. In Ephesus, Jesus acknowledges what they are doing well but also points out a significant shortcoming. He warns them that if they don’t address this issue, he will remove their lampstand, which represents the church itself. The message is clear: if they don’t correct their failure, the church will cease to exist.

On the other hand, Sardis is the opposite. They excel in the area where Ephesus is failing, but they fail where Ephesus excels. By comparing and contrasting these two churches, we can learn what it means to be a complete and faithful church. As Sonrise Church, we want to make sure we are not failing in any critical way that might threaten our witness or our mission. We want to ensure that the gospel of Jesus Christ continues to go out to our community and that our church remains a light in this world.

Let’s begin with the first case study: Ephesus. We’ll call these two examples “Partial Church 1” and “Partial Church 2.” Our first question is this: what is Ephesus doing right? Jesus begins by giving them praise, and there is much we can learn from this.

In Revelation 2, Jesus says, “I know your works, your labor, and your endurance, and that you cannot tolerate evil people. You have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and you have found them to be liars.” Ephesus is commended for their discernment and their unwillingness to tolerate evil. But who are these “evil people” that Jesus is referring to?

The context suggests these are not just immoral individuals in a general sense. Instead, these are people who come into the church claiming to be apostles. The Ephesian believers knew who the true apostles were—those like the Twelve and Paul. They were familiar with their teachings and letters, and they could recognize when someone was presenting a false gospel. These false apostles might resemble what we would today call missionaries or, in earlier church history, itinerant preachers—people who traveled from place to place teaching.

When these false teachers came into Ephesus, the church, likely led by its elders, identified their teachings as false. They would confront them, refuse to tolerate their message, and teach the congregation to reject this false doctrine. This level of discernment was critical for the church’s faithfulness to Christ.

So, the church in Ephesus had persevered in their commitment to truth. Revelation 2:3 says, “I know that you have persevered and endured hardships for the sake of my name, and you have not grown weary.” It’s important to understand the cultural context they were in. In the Greco-Roman world, it was common for teachers, philosophers, and religious leaders from various backgrounds to travel and share their ideas. People would listen, take what they liked, and incorporate it into their own personal beliefs. Truth was viewed as subjective and individualistic—a concept very similar to what we experience today.

In that culture, it wasn’t uncommon to mix teachings from various sources—Epicureans, Stoics, Gnostics, and even elements of Scripture. But the Ephesian church stood firm, refusing to tolerate a mix of beliefs that contradicted the gospel. They understood that the truth revealed by God in Scripture and through Jesus Christ could not be compromised or supplemented by other philosophies. Their perseverance in holding to the truth is praiseworthy, and it serves as an example for us today as we navigate a similarly pluralistic culture.

Now, moving to Revelation 2:6, Jesus adds, “Yet you do have this: you hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.” The Nicolaitans represented a false teaching that Jesus strongly condemned, and the Ephesians rejected it as well because they were committed to his truth.

Who were the Nicolaitans? Their teaching can be traced back to the story of Balaam in the Old Testament. Balaam was a prophet from another nation, serving another god, who was hired by a king to curse Israel. As Balaam traveled to deliver his message, the Lord intervened—using Balaam’s donkey and an angel to stop him (Numbers 22–24). Later, in Numbers 31:16, we learn that Balaam led Israel into sin by encouraging them to worship pagan gods and engage in immorality.

The Nicolaitans promoted similar ideas. Their teaching encouraged participation in pagan practices, including idolatry and sexual immorality. In Revelation 2:14–15, we see that the church in Pergamum tolerated these teachings, but the Ephesians did not. The Nicolaitans weren’t just another denomination or sect within Christianity—they were actively spreading false doctrine that opposed the truth of the gospel. They were evangelizing their ideas, claiming secret knowledge that superseded Scripture. This aligns with the ideas of Gnosticism, which emphasized hidden, superior knowledge as a way to salvation.

The Nicolaitans twisted Scripture and claimed divine authority for their false teaching. They sought to lead the church away from the gospel, replacing Christ-centered truth with their own ideas. Today, we might call this demonic—voices speaking lies into the church in a way that pulls people away from the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Ephesians’ rejection of the Nicolaitans demonstrates their faithfulness to the truth. They refused to tolerate false teaching and remained committed to Jesus and his Word. Their example reminds us of the importance of discernment and perseverance in guarding the truth within the church.

This is what was happening in Ephesus. The Nicolaitans were causing Christians to fall into idol worship—worshiping gods who were not God. They were no longer worshiping Jesus exclusively, as Scripture commands, but mixing their worship of Jesus with other gods. As a result, people were falling away, committing acts of idolatry and sexual immorality. These weren’t just personal sins—they were part of religious rites meant to please these other gods, appealing both to the flesh and to cultural norms.

Today, we don’t have Nicolaitans in the same sense, but similar cultural teachings infiltrate the truth of the gospel. These modern teachings mirror the Nicolaitans in significant ways. For example, there are pastors and preachers who lead their congregations into dangerous practices of idolatry. What do I mean by that? Some focus on health, claiming that the eternal health we’ll have in heaven—where there will be no more pain or tears—is available now. They frame faith as a way to achieve healing here and now. This is often tied to the concept of “faith healing,” where the emphasis shifts from Jesus dying for our sins to Jesus dying so we can be physically healed.

Another modern parallel is the idolatry of wealth. Some preachers teach that following Jesus will bring you material riches now—the “streets of gold” promised in eternity can be yours today if you just have enough faith. They preach a prosperity gospel that replaces Jesus with materialism. It becomes all about getting what you want—wealth, possessions, and comfort—rather than about following Jesus for who he is. They may even ask congregants to show their faith by giving large sums of money to their ministry, further elevating wealth as the central focus rather than Christ.

Prosperity teaching extends beyond health and wealth to fame or any other form of worldly success. It promotes the idea that following Jesus is a means to an end, that you can have your best life now if you just follow him. This shifts the focus from following Jesus to get Jesus—which is the gospel—to following Jesus to get what you want, making prosperity itself an idol.

These modern false teachings also lead to compromises on sexual ethics, which is consistent with what we see in the Nicolaitan practices. Historically, when idolatry takes root, sexual sin often follows. Today, some churches compromise on issues like premarital sex, divorce, and other forms of sexual immorality. For instance, there are churches teaching “no-fault divorce,” where divorce is treated as a minor issue without consequence. My view on divorce is that it is always a sin, though at times it may be necessary and deeply painful, breaking God’s heart. Yet some churches go further, teaching that divorce is acceptable without cause and encouraging remarriage without considering biblical teachings on the matter.

Other compromises include the normalization of abortion, with some churches teaching that it isn’t a sin. Often, this stems from idolizing sexual freedom over obedience to God. Similarly, some churches now affirm homosexuality despite the clear teachings of Scripture—both in the Old and New Testaments—that marriage is between a man and a woman. These compromises are made to appeal to culture rather than staying faithful to God’s Word.

Finally, there’s the normalization of gender dysphoria, with some churches teaching that it reflects the way God created individuals. Scripture, however, is clear: “God created them male and female” (Genesis 1:27). These teachings, like those of the Nicolaitans, draw people away from the truth of Scripture, prioritizing cultural acceptance over faithfulness to Jesus.

I know these are hard topics, but if you have questions or are struggling with any of these issues, I encourage you to reach out to me. We can pray through them and work to understand what Scripture teaches and why.

It’s important for our church, like the church in Ephesus, to stand firm on these difficult issues. We must remain unwavering in our commitment to the truth, even when the culture around us pressures us to compromise. Just as the church in Ephesus refused to tolerate the Nicolaitans’ false teaching, we must hold fast to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Why is this so important? Because these truths are what Jesus praised the church in Ephesus for, and they are the same truths for which we’ll be commended on the Day of the Lord. But now let’s ask: what weren’t they doing? What was missing?

Revelation 2:4–5 says, “But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember then how far you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first.” Ephesus had lost their first love. They were still doing works—they were active. If we were to translate this into a modern church context, you’d see a church that was busy with potlucks, midweek services, Bible studies, fellowship groups, women’s groups, men’s groups, Sunday morning worship, and even Sunday night services. The church had all these activities, but they had become inwardly focused.

Their programs and ministries weren’t about meeting the spiritual needs of their community or reaching lost people. Instead, they were about fulfilling the desires of their members. The church became a social club, catering to what their members wanted rather than keeping their eyes outward, focused on the needs of the community around them. They were caught in their traditions, doing what they had always done, but they had lost the love that Jesus calls his people to embody.

This loss of first love meant they weren’t loving Jesus fully or doing his works in the world. Loving Jesus includes loving others as Christ has loved us—caring for the needs of others outside the church, bearing one another’s burdens, and making disciples of all nations. These were the things the Ephesians had stopped doing. They had forgotten how Jesus rescued them from sin and how, in their early days, they proclaimed that message of rescue to the world.

Jesus calls them to remember how they once loved him and how they expressed that love by loving others. That love isn’t always communicated through words alone. Sometimes it’s expressed through actions—feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, housing the homeless—acts of care and service that flow out of Jesus’ love for us. Returning to their first love meant returning to these works.

And what happens if they don’t? Revelation 2:5 continues, “Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place unless you repent.” This is a sobering warning. If they don’t repent, their church will die. Jesus makes it clear: a church that forgets its first love and focuses only on itself will not endure.

This warning is just as relevant for us at Sonrise Church. We are a church deeply committed to the truth of Scripture, and that’s a good thing—it was praiseworthy in Ephesus. But we must ask ourselves: are we also focused outwardly, on our community? Are we loving one another in ways so supernatural, so remarkable, that the world around us notices? Are we living in such a way that people say, “Look how they love one another. Look how Christ has loved them. I want that too”?

Ephesus had lost that outward focus. They had lost their love for one another and their message to the world. They became consumed with themselves. So, I ask: is Sonrise Church looking out? Is our love visible and compelling to the world around us? If we have, in any way, lost our first love, let us repent and return to it. Let us make sure our love for Christ and for others is evident so that we do not lose our lampstand. Let us remain a voice and presence in East Palmdale and the greater Antelope Valley, shining as a light for Jesus in our community.

Alright, let’s look at our second case study of a partial church: the church in Sardis. We’ll move through this a bit faster, as there’s slightly less to unpack here. In Revelation, Sardis is praised for appearing spiritually alive to the world around them. Revelation 3:1 says, “Thus says the one who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: I know your works. You have a reputation for being alive.”

What does it mean that Sardis had a reputation for being alive? Sardis was the opposite of Ephesus in many ways. While Ephesus was tradition-focused and inward-looking, Sardis was outward-facing. They had a vibrant outward program. Imagine a church with excellent music, art, and other creative expressions of the Christian faith—this was Sardis. In the Greco-Roman world, art and culture were central, much like how Los Angeles is known for Hollywood and its vibrant entertainment scene. Sardis embraced this cultural expression and used it to present their faith.

Their preaching and teaching were likely dynamic and engaging, drawing large crowds. Sardis probably had teachers and preachers with exceptional talent, making their services a spectacle that garnered attention. Other churches and pastors might have even admired Sardis for its outward success, saying, “Did you hear about the service at Sardis last week?” or “I wish I could preach or grow my church like that.” This reputation for excellence made Sardis stand out.

In today’s terms, Sardis might resemble large online churches with professional-level music, highly trained preachers, and polished production. These churches invest heavily in outward appearances—music, sound engineering, and carefully curated, non-offensive sermons—to draw a crowd. Sardis likely had a similar approach, and this outward focus earned them their reputation for being alive.

But then Jesus delivers the sobering reality: “I know your works; you have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead.” This is terrifying. Their outward appearance did not match their spiritual reality. They looked alive, but inwardly they were lifeless.

This reminds me of James’ teaching in James 2:15–17, where he says, “If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, stay warm, and be well fed,’ but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself.” James challenges believers to back up their words with action. Similarly, Sardis’ outward reputation was meaningless without the genuine works of faith to sustain it. Their “faith” was as lifeless as a church Jesus calls dead.

We could debate what it means for faith or a church to be “dead,” but here’s the point: a dead church is no better than dead faith. Sardis’ outward vibrancy couldn’t mask their lack of true spiritual life, and Jesus was calling them out for it.

I don’t want to be a part of anything dead—whether that’s faith, a church, or anything else. Jesus has given us life, and we are called to live and express that life in everything we do. Sardis had an outward appearance of life, but at their core, they were missing something crucial.

They had great teaching, vibrant corporate prayer, beautiful art, and outward expressions of faith. But the problem seems to have been rooted in their core fundamentals, particularly their teaching. It’s possible their teaching was shallow or intentionally non-offensive, avoiding hard truths to keep people comfortable. In the early church, there was already a tendency to compromise for the sake of not offending others. For example, leaders might have avoided mentioning prohibitions or moral commands, thinking, “If we talk about these things, people won’t come, and they won’t hear about Jesus.” This might come from a good motive—wanting people to hear the message of redemption—but it ultimately compromises the gospel.

From there, it’s a slippery slope. Questions start to arise: “Is Jesus truly God, the Yahweh of the Old Testament, as Revelation 1 declares? Or is he simply a good teacher with encouraging ideas for life?” The church at Sardis appears to have leaned toward the latter. They sacrificed the fullness of Jesus’ identity as the holy and righteous God, who is also judge and the purest form of love and mercy. They emphasized love but left out the harder truths that come with it.

J. Ramsey Michaels, a scholar I appreciate, describes it this way: “It is likely that the problem at Sardis was a strong tendency to compromise Christian faith for the sake of conformity to social and cultural standards set by Asian society and the Roman Empire.” Sardis was caught between two cultural forces: the Hellenistic influence of the Roman Empire, which sought to impose Roman ideals and values, and the existing cultural values of the local Asian region where Sardis was located.

The church seems to have tried to adapt the gospel to fit these cultural norms. They likely thought, “We brought this Hebrew teaching from Jerusalem, but it doesn’t resonate with everyone here, so let’s teach it in a way that appeals to people.” On the surface, this might sound reasonable—it’s important to speak in a way people can understand. But if the full truth isn’t taught, people won’t come to know the full truth. Compromising or omitting parts of the gospel for cultural admiration undermines the foundation of faith.

This is what was happening in Sardis. The biblical foundation of the Old Testament, the teachings of Jesus, and the apostolic witness had been compromised to gain cultural acceptance and admiration. Sardis became exactly what Ephesus resisted but also failed to embody the love that Jesus called Ephesus to restore. They were a partial church in every sense.

We see this same issue in churches today—churches that elevate cultural norms and values above the truth of Scripture. They prioritize the world’s approval over biblical faithfulness, compromising hard truths for the sake of being admired by the culture around them. This is exactly what Sardis was doing, and it’s something Jesus condemns.

In Revelation 3:3, Jesus says, “Remember then what you have received and heard; keep it, and repent. If you are not alert, I will come like a thief, and you have no idea at what hour I will come upon you.” Here, Jesus references his earlier teaching in the Gospels, where he warned his followers to always be ready because they would not know the day or hour of his return. He said his coming would be like a thief in the night—unexpected and sudden. His message to Sardis is clear: repent, hold fast to what you’ve been taught, and remain alert.

I wonder if, like in Sardis, there were some biblically solid Christians who truly understood the truth but were hesitating. Perhaps they were having conversations like, “When should we start teaching the deeper things? When should we step up and teach doctrine, justice, and the judgment of God?” Maybe they thought, “Let’s wait for the right time.” But Jesus says, “You don’t know when I’m coming.” What if he comes tomorrow, and the people haven’t been taught how to truly follow him? What if they fall into condemnation because no one showed them the way? That’s the issue. Jesus’ return will come like a thief in the night, and we must be ready.

Revelation 3:4 says, “But you have a few people in Sardis who have not defiled their clothes, and they will walk with me in white, because they are worthy.” There were faithful, biblically grounded believers in Sardis, and they hadn’t compromised. These individuals were doing well, and Jesus commends them. But it seems Jesus is calling these faithful few to step up—to lead, to teach, and to guide the rest of the church back to the truth.

What happens if they don’t? The result won’t be good. Just as with Ephesus, if they fail to repent, the consequences will be severe. Revelation 3:5 says, “In the same way, the one who conquers will be dressed in white clothes, and I will never erase his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and before his angels.” This is great news for those who remain faithful. They will receive the reward of eternal life and acknowledgment before the Father. But for everyone else—those who aren’t faithful—this promise doesn’t apply. And that’s not where we want to be as a church.

We want to have a vibrant, outward, life-giving ministry. This includes our online communities, our small groups, our neighborhoods, and the broader community of East Palmdale, Palmdale, and the Antelope Valley. Like Sardis, it’s praiseworthy to have an outward focus and vibrant ministries, but we also need to stand firm in the truth, like Ephesus.

Now that we’ve looked at these two case studies, I think it’s clear how they come together. But before we close, let’s consider what a full church looks like.

In the ancient world, philosophy and practice were deeply connected. People didn’t separate their beliefs from how they lived. For example, a hedonist might believe it was good to indulge in immorality, drunkenness, and other pleasures because their lifestyle shaped their beliefs. On the other hand, religious teachings often worked the opposite way—beliefs shaped practices. But the two always go hand in hand: practices flow from beliefs, or beliefs adapt to justify practices.

We see this dynamic in politics today. Most people don’t vote to change their beliefs; they vote for candidates who align with what they already believe. Politicians, knowing this, make promises designed to appeal to people’s preexisting views. Similarly, in our personal lives, we’re often unwilling to change our beliefs or practices unless we’re deeply convicted of the truth.

This is why it’s so dangerous to compromise biblical teaching. In Sardis, it seems there was an attempt to blend the doctrines of grace with the cultural beliefs and practices around them. The result was cognitive dissonance—trying to follow Jesus while also conforming to the norms of pagan society. This led to immorality, drunkenness, idolatry, and other sins. False teaching leads to false practices, and false practices reinforce false beliefs.

Sardis appeared outwardly vibrant. They had practices that were biblical, right, and praiseworthy. But those practices may have been flowing from faulty beliefs—beliefs that were more influenced by cultural norms than by the objective truth of Scripture as revealed by God.

By this, I don’t mean that every value of God is immediately clear and obvious in the Bible. What I mean is that as you study Scripture and discern God’s truth, those truths should shape not just your beliefs but also the way you live. Belief and practice are meant to flow together.

Ephesus had the belief but not the practice. Sardis had the practice but not the belief. This disconnect creates cognitive dissonance—a state where belief and practice are at odds. A church can’t function well for long in this kind of dissonance. At Sonrise Church, we can’t just be a Bible-believing, doctrine-driven church if our convictions don’t lead to transformed lives and actions.

Many of you are loving this Revelation series—we’re only in week two, and small groups are already diving into it. My group was so engaged on Tuesday during our Q&A, eating up all the imagery and the awesome picture of the glory of Christ. But if those convictions don’t lead to practice, it will eventually cause problems. Cognitive dissonance happens when your brain tries to reconcile believing one thing but living another. It won’t last. That’s why churches like Ephesus are warned, “You’re going to lose your lampstand.” And why Sardis is told, “You have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead.” A church can’t survive long when belief and practice are disconnected.

The challenge is to bring belief and practice into alignment. A church should hold firm to biblical convictions like Ephesus, but it should also evaluate traditions, challenge assumptions, and ask hard questions. Are we being biblical in all we do? And not just in what we are doing, but in what we aren’t doing. Many churches fall short not because they’re doing something wrong, but because they’re failing to do the things they’ve been called to do.

Sardis was outwardly focused—they accomplished things that many churches struggle with today. They had a reputation for reaching their community and engaging society. That outwardness is valuable, but when it’s not grounded in truth, it creates dissonance, struggle, and eventually failure.

Here’s where this applies to us: if we want to reach society and culture without compromising the message of the gospel, we need to focus on what I call the “two front doors” of the church. The first front door is the people. Are you living out your faith and speaking about Jesus in your everyday life? In your neighborhood, apartment building, workplace, or family, are you sharing the truth about Jesus and loving others as Christ has loved you? The people of the church are the first front door. Through your words and actions, others are introduced to the gospel. And when they step into the church—whether physically or through conversations with you—they hear the message of Jesus clearly and are drawn by the Spirit of God to faith in Christ.

The second front door is digital. In our modern society, the internet, social media, and search engines are often the first place people turn. If someone searches online for “churches in Palmdale,” Sonrise Church will appear in the top results. That’s intentional—we’ve developed an online presence to reach people where they are searching. But it goes deeper than that. Is our digital presence such that someone searching for connection or friendship might find the church? Are we visible to someone looking for answers to life’s deeper, existential questions?

These front doors—the people and the digital presence—are critical for connecting with those who don’t yet know Christ. They allow us to meet people’s needs, whether spiritual or physical, and invite them into a life of faith. Some churches excel in meeting outward needs, like food ministries in areas with food insecurity. While we may not have food needs everywhere, the principle remains: our church must be both outwardly focused and inwardly grounded in truth.

Sometimes, churches have more outward ministries than their communities need. For example, there might be too many food ministries in areas without significant food insecurity. However, if there is a need, the church should absolutely meet it. Whether it’s a Celebrate Recovery group, an AA meeting, or addressing another specific need in the community, the outward expression of our faith is essential. But beyond these physical needs, we must also consider existential needs—the deeper questions of meaning and purpose that only Christ can fulfill.

This is why leveraging tools like social media, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and live streaming, as we’re doing right now, is such an important “front door” for the church. Many of you at Sonrise Church are already seeing the fruits of this effort, but I want to emphasize why we’re doing it. There can be a stigma against using online platforms in some circles, but if we’re going to follow what’s praiseworthy in Sardis while holding on to the truth emphasized in Ephesus, we must engage both our physical and digital communities.

It’s not just the responsibility of church leadership—it’s the job of every follower of Jesus to be a witness in their workplace, neighborhood, city, and beyond. At the same time, it is the responsibility of Sonrise Church and every local church to maintain a presence in the online world where so many voices are spreading lies and drawing people away from the truth. Just as the Nicolaitans spread false teaching in their day, many voices today are leading people toward spiritual destruction. But we have the message of Jesus Christ—the power to rescue people not just for a moment but for eternity.

How much better is it to rescue someone for eternity than to merely meet a temporary need? Both are important, but the ultimate mission of the church is to bring people into the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. To be a full church, we must be biblically grounded and outwardly engaged. We must be a light in both the physical and digital spheres, bringing the truth of the gospel to the world around us.

Let’s pray.

Father, we come before you, thankful for your Word and for the glorious message of Jesus Christ that leads us into all truth. We are grateful for this book of Revelation and these letters to the churches—case studies that show us how we ought to live as your people.

Lord, we pray that Sonrise Church would never lose our biblical convictions. May the gospel remain the central motivator for everything we do as a local church. At the same time, may we, like the church in Sardis, reach outward into the world, gaining a reputation for being alive. In a world filled with death, destruction, pestilence, and pain—all of which you said would characterize this age—may we shine as a beacon of life, light, and redemption.

Lord, we ask that you redeem people through our church. Use us to bring them into your kingdom for your glory. May the message of eternal life, health, and redemption we proclaim trump every false teaching and imperfect message being spread in this world.

We ask all this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.