Good News

With the sun beating down on us and our faces dripping from the 110 degree Turkish heat, we put one foot in front of the other. With every step, backs ached and knees wobbled, but we knew we had to meet Rod at the top of the rocky pass. Weaving through rows of grape vines and ducking under overgrown holly bushes, we stopped in a grassy clearing and found brief relief under tree shade. In our resting spot, overlooking the rolling fields of Sardis, we were halfway up the mountain to the ruins of the Acropolis-- the upper city.

So a little backstory on Sardis and its Acropolis (given to us by Rod and Libby). Rewind before the Greco-Roman period, this area has a past dating back to the Lydian period (8th-6th century BC). It was a wealthy area--especially fertile for the production of wine and abundant in gold. In the Roman Era, it stood as a gateway between the Eastern and Western Empire, with a prime location on the Royal Road (a central trade route).

The main point: this area was thriving. And at the very top of this wealth (both literally and figuratively)? The Acropolis, filled with Sardis' most prominent citizens.

It was with this historical and geographical context in mind that Rod delved into Revelation 3 and Jesus' message to the church in Sardis. Jesus tells them, "I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead" (v1). Rod tells us that Jesus is talking to a church located in an area that, in the eyes of the world, has everything. Wealth. Prominence. Good wine. Gold. The pagans in the area annually celebrated Dionysus-- the God of wine and celebration. It's a church located in a land that knows how to "live" and the worldly opulence added a shine to the church too-- making it appear "alive" and perfect.

But Jesus saw through the shine, to the death and decay within the hearts of believers there. He tells the church in Sardis to "Wake Up!" (v2). As the lover of their souls who demands faith not perfection, He tells his people to "remember what they have received (in Him, not in the world)... and repent" (v3). He calls them to lay down their hypocrisy at the foot of the cross and be reconciled to him. He calls them to truly live.

In this message, Christ also recognizes the virtuous and holy people of Sardis-- those who "have not soiled their clothes" (v4), who wholeheartedly and genuinely followed Him. Christ says it's these people who will "walk with (Him), dressed in white, for they are worthy" (v4).

After hiking up to the Acropolis, we walked through the ruins of the lower city of Sardis. We weaved in and out of the ancient stoa, a row of square spaces that housed different shops and workspaces. In this area, we found the coolest discoveries--remnants of early believers right there on what would have been main street Sardis. One paint maker boldly displayed large crosses on a basin in the corner of his shop. A restaurant owner engraved a cross on his outer wall, notifying anyone who entered his establishment of who he was and the God he served. I believe (and I hope I'm not making too much of a stretch) that these believers of the lower city--normal, everyday men and women--were counted among the righteous of Revelation verse 4, and their faith (marked clearly and confidently; engraved in stone) have stood the test of time as a testament to the work they did in the Kingdom.

Among the lower city ruins, Rod asked us this question: what kind of church are we? Are we the church of the Acropolis-- isolated, elevated, perfect? Or are we the church of the lower city-- mundane, but beautifully bold and obedient?

We must have the marks engraved on our doors, in our restaurants, in our businesses and on our hearts. John 13:35 says, "By this everyone will know you are my disciples, if you love one another." This is our mark on the world. This is our engraved cross that shows the world who we are and whose we are. We are not a church called to isolation or gleaming in perfection. We are a people made beautiful by the justification of a bloody cross and the radical love of a perfect savior.

As we sweat, step and sometimes slip, we are becoming intimately acquainted with the brothers and sisters who have trekked the path before us. Ordinary, faithful people who God used to shake this world and bring the Roman Empire to shambles.

The Greeks coined the term "Euangelion," meaning gospel--or good news. By this they meant the "good news" of Greece and its Hellenistic values. But God redeemed this word to its true and proper form: the Gospel and good news of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Is our church shaking the world with this good news by the way we live our imperfect, but faithfully obedient lives?

I will not boast in anything, no gift no power no wisdom. But I will boast in Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection! - "How Deep the Father's love for us"

To our friends, families and readers who are following our journey, thank you for your continued prayers. Please keep them up! They are sustaining us in this heat as we learn through our feet. Please pray for me in particular as I'm dealing with a twisted ankle. It's not painful, just a few twinges here and there. Pray for healing and discernment!

In Christ, Jessa.