To the Church in Sardis—Revelation 3:1–6 Open It 1. What is the absolute dirtiest (we’re talking mud and slime here) you’ve ever gotten? When and how did it happen? 2. What is the difference between character and reputation? 3. Which do you think is worse—wrongfully having a bad reputation, or wrongfully having a good reputation? Why? 4. *When are you most prone to being lazy? Explore It 1. Who instructed John to write down this vision? (3:1) 2. What church was the focus of this letter from Jesus? (3:1) 3. How did the speaker identify Himself? (3:1) 4. What did Christ know about the church at Sardis? (3:1) 5. What was the reputation of the church at Sardis? (3:1) 6. How did the church’s true nature match its reputation? (3:1) 7. *What did Christ think about the church at Sardis? (3:1–3) 8. What was wrong with the church at Sardis? (3:2) 9. What warnings did Christ issue to the church at Sardis? (3:2) 10. What did Christ urge as the first step to restoration? (3:3) 11. What consequences were promised to those who refused to wake up? (3:3) 12. *How do we know that not all the Christians in Sardis were “asleep”? (3:4) 13. *What blessings were promised to those who would “overcome”? (3:5) 14. In addition to the church at Sardis, who else was commanded to pay heed to this message? (3:6) Get It 1. How can a person know if his or her name is in the Book of Life? 2. What do you think is your reputation among your coworkers? Neighbors? People at church? 3. When in your life has your reputation been misleading? How? 4. How can a church appear to be alive and thriving and yet be dead? 5. In what way do we “soil our clothes”? 6. What does it mean to be “dressed in white”? 7. What advice would you give to a young Christian who asked, “How can I keep from sinning?” 8. *Why isn’t it enough just to know what God wants from us? 9. What does it mean to “overcome” as a Christian? 10. *In what specific areas of Christian devotion (Bible reading, evangelism, prayer, etc.) have you been lazy or sleepy over the last month? Apply It 1. What can you do today to enhance your reputation in the world and in heaven? 2. *What can you do to improve your acts of Christian devotion (prayer, Bible reading, etc.)? 3. What temptations that you know you’ll be facing in the coming week do you need to prepare for in advance? How?