Verse 1 - In each of the seven letters, Jesus introduces Himself differently to each church congregation. He does this because, in each case, the way He introduces Himself is relevant to the situations of each church congregation and the message they need to heed.
Jesus introduces Himself to the church at Sardis as “He Who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars.” Here we understand that the seven Spirits of God symbolically represents the Holy Spirit in His completeness or perfection. The seven stars, which we noted earlier in the letter to Ephesus, represents the leadership of each of the seven congregations.
The Holy Spirit and the leadership are the most powerful influences in the local congregation. As they are joined together, here, it is implied they are to work cooperatively to not only guide the congregation but instill the congregation with true spiritual life and vitality. The point that Jesus is trying to convey, at the very beginning of this letter, is that He gives the Holy Spirit to give life to a congregation..but the Holy Spirit can only give spiritual life and vitality to a congregation if the leadership asks for and welcomes the ministry of the Holy Spirit in their own lives and in the life of the congregation. The Spirit cannot bring life and vitality to the congregation, as a whole, if the leadership suppresses or quenches the powerful impulses of the Spirit within the congregation. Understanding and acting upon this truth was desperately needed in Sardis.
Jesus says to the leadership at Sardis that the congregation has “a name”. They may have been listed in the 'Church Directory', they may have a sign or shingle outside their place of meeting naming themselves the 'Sardis Church of Christ'... as if to indicate that they were truly the living, breathing Body of Christ in that city. However, in reality (that is, in the eyes of Jesus), the congregation was “dead”. The congregation was a cemetery. It was not the vibrant, Spirit-infused organization that was impacting their community as Jesus intended and expected it to be.
The sad fact is that the leaders and membership in general didn't even know they were dead. Through carelessness, through complacency, they allowed themselves to die and now spiritual rigor mortis had set in. In their stagnation, they were simply in the rut of playing church. They had lost vision and, thereby, lost any impetus and passion for growth and development and forward progress. Proverb 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Spirit-filled leadership provides the congregation with a vision of what they can and should be. Spirit-filled leadership establishes goals to reach for, relying upon the power that only the Spirit gives. Not only does spirit-filled leadership give a vision of the future for the congregation, a vision based upon what Jesus wants the Church to be, but they also inspire and motivate the congregation to reach for the lofty goals and to make the vision a reality.
Verse 2 - Jesus says, “I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God.” By saying that the Sardis congregation had not “completed” their deeds or ministries, it is implied that it had at one time started a work or ministry. In other words, they had had a good beginning but they just stopped.
This brings to my mind an analogy of a sports team. The team makes a good showing in the opening quarters or periods or innings of the game. Then, inexplicably, they roll-over and seem to forget that they have to be aggressive throughout the remainder of the game to ensure victory...or, if not victory, at least to ensure that they will not be completely humiliated.
And, that is what has occurred here with the Sardis congregation. They started well but, by rolling-over or stagnating, they have humiliated themselves before Jesus, the Head of the Church. In its condition, Jesus doesn't have anything positive to say about this church congregation. Nothing!
Before going on, there is an important observation that I want to bring to your attention. Satan is not attacking this congregation in any fashion. Satan isn't sending to this congregation any false apostles or prophets or teachers. Satan isn't trying to derail them with false doctrines or heresies. Satan isn't using the evil Jews nor the officials of the Roman government to persecute them. There isn't anyone being put into prison or being put to death for serving Jesus. Why is this? It is because this congregation was so spiritually powerless and ineffective that Satan didn't have to waste any of his time and energy with it. All Satan has to do is sit back and allow the congregation to keep thinking that they are alive and well. As long as the congregation remains in that pitiful mind-set and condition, they are no threat to Satan's purposes and goals in the world.
Verse 4 - Even though Jesus pronounced this congregation as being dead, He says there were “a few” who were “worthy” of the privilege of walking with Jesus in the “white garments” of purity and victory. For, these few had not “soiled their garments” with the sins of apathy, indifference, complacency and lethargy.
There are three important lessons to be gleaned from this 4th verse:
1. Having spiritual life is not dependent upon others. We can be a member of a congregation with dead leadership and a majority of dead brethren and yet we can be spiritually vigorous and full of zeal and zest. That's because our spiritual life and well-being is based upon a personal relationship with Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
2. Belonging to a church congregation alone will not save us. While it is essential that we be a member of a congregation that correctly understands the plan of salvation and correctly performs the various parts of congregational worship, being a part of such a congregation will not guarantee our eternal salvation. Eternal salvation is dependent upon our own personal spirituality...our own faith and obedience. On the flip-side of the coin, we will not be damned to Hell because we belonged to a congregation whose leadership and membership majority were dead.
3. We don't have to wait for and depend upon the congregation's leadership to initiate ministries that may bear fruit for Jesus. It is our own individual obligation and privilege to discern doors of opportunity to minister to the physical and spiritual needs of people, whether they be in or outside the congregation.
Verses 2-3 - We are going to close our message by examining the instructions Jesus delivers to this dead church. There are four steps they must take to be 'overcomers':
I. Jesus first says “Wake up!” This reminds me of Ephesians 5:14, where Paul quotes the lyrics of a song sung by the early churches - “Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." Whenever the Lord says “Wake up” He is saying, 'open your eyes to your true condition'. Here, He is saying, 'Humbly and earnestly and soberly examine whether or not you leaders who preside over the congregation are demonstrating true spiritual leadership'. And, 'Humbly and earnestly and soberly examine if the congregation is fulfilling its mission'.
II. Jesus says, “Strengthen the things that remain.” That is to say, 'Take note of the little that is still good and right in the congregation and do not let them die like the other things. Keep and strengthen those things...build upon those things.
III. Jesus, then, commands “remember what you have received and heard and keep it.” This congregation's leaders were given inspired instructions on what the Lord intends and expects of the local church. They were given instruction on how to make new Christians, what doctrines to stand on, how to collectively worship God, how to be unstained by the world, how to cooperate with the Spirit to mortify the flesh and its desires, how to let Christ shine through their lives, and the need to reach-out to the dying mass of humanity. They received all that instruction (just as we have in the written Scriptures), the leaders needed to recall that instruction and keep or obey it. The leadership, cooperating with the Spirit, needed to start a revival within the congregation.
IV. Lastly, Jesus orders them to “Repent!” By this, Jesus is saying, even if you and your congregation are spiritually dead...you can be quickened, you can turn it around, you can change things, there’s hope. You must get out of the rut you have created. Break the chains of habit. Quit doing the things the same way if that way has not bore fruit. You cannot expect a different result if you continue do to things the way you have always done them. Think outside of the box of mere routine and tradition. Stick to Scripture, but be creative in how you apply the Scriptural principles so that you bear fruit.
Jesus says to those in Sardis, if you people don't have a revival. If you don't wake-up from your slumbers...I'll come like a thief in the night and bring judgment upon you. He is not speaking of the Second Coming. Jesus is talking about coming in judgment upon that specific congregation in their lifetime. Jesus will erase their names from the Book of Life and shut the congregation down. 1 Peter 4:17, “For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?”
