part 12: Sardis: The Dead Church
Puzzled About Revelation, may 20 2021
“To the angel of the church in Sardis write…”
Introduction
So far, we have looked at: (1) Ephesus: The Loveless Church (2:1-7), (2) Smyrna: The Persecuted Church (2:8-11), (3) Pergamum: The Compromising Church (2:12-17), and (4) Thyatira: The Corrupt Church (Rev. 2:18-29).
This week, we will study Sardis: The Dead Church (Rev. 3:1-6):
5-fold pattern: Christ, Commendation, Criticism, Instruction, Promise
Call to hear: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Rev. 2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,13,22).
I. SARDIS: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
Located 50km SE of Thyatira on important trade and military route through the Hermus River valley.
Capital of the province of Lydia in Asia Minor (Turkey).
Temple to Artemis (Diana), the fertility goddess; it rivalled the temple in Ephesusbut was never completed.
Sardis was also famous for its necropolis (lit. “city of the dead”, or cemetery), being called the “city of 1000 hills” because of all its burial mounds.
o Virtually “impregnable” rock wall Acropolis rose from 800-1500’ above the valley floor; it was said that “even a child could defend the city”.
Sardis was only conquered twice in its history, the 1st time by Cyrus, king of Persia, in the 6th century B.C.
o The guards were not watchful, having indulged in pagan revelry and fallen asleep at their post. When one of them dropped their helmet over the wall and went in search for it, the Persians, being watchful, saw how he re-entered the city and that’s how they took it by surprise (Expositor’s Bible Commentary, p.447).
Commercially prosperous city–wool and dye industry. Moral decadence & luxurious living led to its downfall…
o It was said that “no city in Asia at that time showed such a melancholy contrast between past splendor and present decay as Sardis.” (EBC, 447)
II. SARDIS: THE DEAD CHURCH (Rev. 3:1-6)
3:1a: To the angel of the church in Sardis write…
John was instructed by Jesus to write to the angel (messenger, pastor) of the CHURCH. In those days, churches were city-wide assemblies; there were NO DENOMINATIONS.
Christ
3:1b: These are the words of Him who holds the seven spirits (or sevenfold Spirit) of God and the seven stars. (Rev. 1:4)
Seven spirits (sevenfold Spirit) of God: Jesus reveals Himself to this church as God and the One who “holds” or possesses the Holy Spirit, making Himself equal to God.
Seven Stars: These are symbolic of the seven angels, or messengers, of the churches (Rev. 1:20). Jesus is the One who is in authority over the churches.
Criticism
3:1c: I know your deeds; you have a reputation [name] of being alive, but you are dead.
Jesus’ evaluation of their condition was quite different from their REPUTATION in the community. In NAME they were alive, but in REALITY, they were dead! Like the Pharisees, they looked good on the outside but inwardly they were dead men’s bones (See Matt. 23:27-28)!
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”
Correction
3:2: Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.
Like the guards of Sardis, they had fallen asleep spiritually and needed to WAKE UP and be ON GUARD to their true condition and spiritual dangers!
There was still HOPE because a remnant remained that needed to be revived and strengthened in the faith.
God has prepared in advance GOOD WORKS for us to do (See Eph. 2:8-9); this church had not yet COMPLETED these good works. (James 2:26)
“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
3:3: Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. (CORRECTION)
Jesus gave the church several more instructions:
o REMEMBER what you have received and heard—the Gospel! (Romans 10:17)
o OBEY its message.
o REPENT of your present course of action.
We might say the “secret” to true spiritual REVIVAL is this: WAKE UP - REMEMBER - REPENT - OBEY.
The “thief in the night” passage is NOT about a secret rapture of the church, but rather, a warning to those who are asleep and need to wake up, remember, repent and obey, strengthening what is about to die. These are the ones who are about to be “surprised.”
Parable of the ten virgins: All fell asleep, but half were unprepared. (Matthew 25:1-13)
Commendation
3:4: Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy.
Jesus’ statement calls to mind the wool and dye industry in Sardis whereby the pure white wool would be “dipped” or “stained” in the dye to make different coloured clothing. Stained or “soiled” (“dipped”) clothing is a bad thing. Biblically speaking, soiled clothing means to be dressed in our own filthy rags of righteousness (See Isa. 64:6).
Those few who are UNSTAINED and DRESSED IN WHITE are those who are trusting in the blood of Christ and the righteousness of Christ alone for salvation, not a mixture of GRACE and WORKS. They are called WORTHY by Jesus and will walk with Him, both now and in eternity!
Promise
3:5: The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels.
Those who overcome the temptation to self-righteous pride, hypocrisy, and people-pleasing will also be dressed in white and will never have their names blotted out of the Lamb’s book of life. Hallelujah!
Jesus will also publicly confess their names before His Father and the angels in heaven—what an awesome honor!
3:6: Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Conclusion
Jesus loves His bride, the Church, and is continually PURIFYING her. Here are some lessons we can learn from this letter to the Church in Sardis:
1. Hypocrisy and self-righteousness can deceive us to our true spiritual condition. We may deceive ourselves and others, but Jesus is not deceived! He calls us to wake up and repent!
2. True revival begins with waking up, admitting the truth about ourselves, and repenting of our sinful behaviour.
3. Those who overcome and put their trust in Christ alone are dressed in white and will walk with Jesus!
“He who has ears, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
