The Church at Sardis: A Crippled Church - Revelation 2:18-29 - 1/31/10
Turn with me this morning to the last book in the Bible, the book of Revelation, chapter 2. We want to continue on today, looking at the question, “What does God think of His church?” Here in Revelation 1, we find the disciple John, living on an island off the coast of Turkey, writing about 95 AD, some 65 years after Jesus has died and resurrected. He is given a vision of Christ, and Jesus gives John a message in chapters 2 & 3 for 7 churches in Asia Minor, the area we know today as Turkey. Jesus has words of encouragement and words of rebuke for these churches. And we want to look at these churches to see what message God might have for us as well.
First we looked at the church of Ephesus. It was a CARELESS church. This was a large church, an active, working church, a well-taught church, a weathered church, they hard faced trials -- yet it was a church that faced a rebuke. We often look at large, active churches as healthy churches, but often they are not. Jesus told the church at Ephesus they had lost their passionate love for God. And we want to make sure that we are always more concerned about who we ARE, in our hearts, than just being concerned about what we DO.
Then, we looked at the second church, the church at Smyrna. It was a CRUSHED church and a CROWNED church. They faced pressure and poverty and putdowns, but they faithfully endured, and so they received commendation from the Lord. The Lord tells them that persecution will come, but to continue to live faithfully and He would reward them greatly. We want to be faithful, even when life gets difficult.
Then we looked at the church at Pergamum. It was a COMPROMISING church. It was a city where Satan had set up camp; but the church had tolerated Satan’s presence. We want to make sure that we do not compromise and tolerate evil.
Then we looked at the church at Thyatira. It was a CORRUPT church. The people had followed a self-proclaimed prophetess who taught them to deny the truth, and the people accepted the teaching. We learn the lesson that we cannot allow ourselves to follow any false teaching that would lead us to embrace sin, but rather we need to lead holy lives, in the world, but not of the world. Instead, we live as a witness to the world.
Today, we look at the church at Sardis. It is a CRIPPLED church. I realize that we don’t use that word much any more; it is not politically correct. We use a word like physically challenged. But the truth is, this church WAS crippled. It was dying of cancer, internally destroyed, even though it looked good on the outside. Let’s see what Jesus has to say about it. Look with me in Revelation 3:1-6. READ TEXT - PRAY.
As we think about a messenger continuing on from church to church, delivering these letters of John, he would have next traveled about 30 miles southeast from Thyatira. [show map] The city of Sardis was situated at the junction of five main roads; so it was a major center for trade. It was also a military center, for it was located on an almost inaccessible plateau. The city started as a fortress up on top of the mountain, and then later expanded to the valley below. [show mountain] The acropolis of Sardis was about 1,500 feet above the main roads, and it formed an impregnable fortress.
The city had been the capital of Lydia, and the home of the Lydian emperor Croesus, who had been reported to be the wealthiest man alive. The city was later conquered by Cyrus the Persian, then by Alexander the Great, and in 214 BC was captured by Antiochus the Great for the Romans.
At the time of John’s writing, the city is somewhere between 700 and 1200 years old. But it had lost its once famous splendor. In our day, that would be like a city that has been around since before Columbus, maybe even back to the time of William the Conqueror who settled England. But first conqueror, Cyrus of Persia, assured that there would be no rebellion or uprising in the city. No one in the city was allowed to possess a weapon, he prohibited the people for wearing sandals instead they had wear the soft slipper type footwear used by actors. And then he ordered that the boys of Sardis be instructed in music, song and dance. The result was that the city lost it’s spirit. By the time John wrote this letter the city was wealthy but soft and degenerate and it would appear the church there was much the same.
Almost all churches go through “lifecycles” - they start with a MAN, a visionary leader has a passion to to accomplish a God-given vision
-- then they become a MOVEMENT - ; At this stage the people are nearly 100% committed. They come for Sunday School, Worship, Sunday Evening, Wednesday Night. They spend time together at each other’s homes and in Bible studies.
-- Then they become a MACHINE - They’ve reached a higher level of attendance. Because of their size, they can begin to do things they could only dream about before. However, at this point the commitment of the group dips to about 50%. They still have the vision, and a dream, but the intensity has diminished. They focus simply on keeping things going.
-- Then they become a MONUMENT - At this stage, the congregation still does things to increase growth, but they begin to talk less about the future than they do about their past. They’ve reached the point where they work at maintaining their past reputation. They do things because that’s the way they’ve always done them. At this stage, the church is often cursed by power struggles. Commitment level dips to between 10 to 30%.
-- Then they become a MAUSOLEUM - this is the one we would most commonly identify as the “dead church.” People have drifted away or died. Attendance levels are between 10 to 50 on any Sunday, and new people - when they show up - are normally viewed skeptically; they are not welcomed, because they might change things in the church.
Or to put it another way, churches go from INCLINE to RECLINE to DECLINE. From Growth to Complacency to Apathy.
What does Jesus say about the church at Sardis? Look at verse 1 - you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Jesus said their REPUTATION did not match their REALITY. They were considered to be healthy and alive and active, but that was not the reality. The truth is they were dead and dying. Let’s remember today that it doesn’t matter what others think about us; it matters what GOD thinks about us. As we think this morning about what God thinks about the church, we see that God looks at us differently than others do. 1 Samuel 16:7 reminds us - The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.
Jesus told the church in Ephesus that He knew their works, to the church in Smyrna that He knew their worries, and He tells the church in Pergamum that He knows their whereabouts, He knows where they live. He told the church at Thyatira that He knows the woman in their midst. He knows her whoring. Now, He tells tells the church at Sardis that He knows their withering.
If you have a tree that is dying, it can look fine on the outside; it can be tall and have lots of leaves. But up comes a strong storm, and the tree topples, because the inside of the tree has been eaten away with decay. What do live and dead churches look like?
• Live churches are constantly changing. Dead churches don’t have to.
• Live churches have lots of noisy kids. Dead churches are fairly quiet.
• Live churches are constantly improving for the future. Dead churches worship their past.
• Live churches move out in faith. Dead churches operate totally by human sight.
• Live churches focus on people. Dead churches focus on programs.
• Live churches are filled with tithers. Dead churches are filled with tippers.
• Live churches dream great dreams of God. Dead churches relive nightmares.
• Live churches strategise about reaching the lost. Dead churches focus on the mundane.
• Live churches evangelize. Dead churches fossilize.
Many churches are like that dead tree. They look good on the outside; they still have Sunday service, they have clubs meet there and bingo nights monthly. But there is internal corruption. They lost their inner strength. They no longer preach the truth of God’s word or worry about sharing the gospel. They have a country club mentality.
It’s easy to lose our focus on what our priority is as a church. But it has extreme consequences. Consider the message of this video. [Show Life-saving Station video].
The church at Sardis had lost its focus on making a difference in its community. As a result, they really didn’t face persecution, like the church at Smyrna, because they were no threat to the community life. Last Sunday night we watched a video about Sardis, showing a giant Jewish synagogue there, the largest in Turkey, one of the largest in the world, and it was located right inside the Roman gymnasium, where athletes would compete in the nude. Apparently, the Jews found it easy to accommodate the Roman culture. The ruins of a church was also found in Sardis [show picture] right beside a temple to Artemis. Apparently the church had become so friendly with the Roman culture that they could meet right beside the idol worshipers.
In verse 2, Jesus tells them, Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. These Christians at Sardis wanted a “Light Christianity” - they wanted to be Christians, but they didn’t follow Jesus all the way. They “played” church. On Sunday morning, they dressed up and looked just like the rest of the Christians. But come Friday night, you couldn’t tell the difference between them and the pagan world.
There are a lot of people like that in our world today. I once walked into a car lot here in town, browsing. A salesman came out, and started his spiel, trying to sell me a car. He asked me what I did, and when I told him I was a pastor he said, “Well, praise the Lord brother, I’ll get a good deal for you.”
It’s easy to be a “Convenient Christian”. Many of the most immoral politicians on the scene today want to talk about how “faith” is a great comfort for them. They don’t want to FOLLOW God, they just want to TALK about God.
Jesus said the church was dead, but it wasn’t completely dead. It was “mostly dead.” If you’ve ever seen the movie, The Princess Bride, you’ll remember the scene where Billy Crystal plays the Medicine Man who says the hero isn’t dead, he only “mostly dead.” There IS hope for the church at Sardis. What is that hope? It is found in the way that Jesus addresses the church.
Jesus personalizes his message to each church. In verse 1, we find the greeting: To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. Jesus is said to hold the seven stars, which were the pastors of the churches, in his hand. But it also says He holds the seven spirits of God. This may be a reference to 7 angels who serve God. Or more likely, it is a reference to the Holy Spirit being the complete expression of lifegiving power. Seven is a number of completion in the Bible. The Holy Spirit was active in EACH of the 7 churches given the letters. In Isaiah 11:2 we find this phrasing: The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him--the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. To a church that was mostly dead, Jesus comes as the one who holds the Spirit, as the one who gives life.
In Ezekiel 37, the prophet Ezekiel is taken to a valley filled with dry, dead bones. God asks Ezekiel if the bones could live. It looked hopeless, but Ezekiel knew that with God, all things are possible. Ezekiel prophecies to the bones, and the Spirit comes into them and they return to life again. This was God’s message that he could resurrect the nation of Israel from captivity in Babylon. In verse 14, of that chapter, we find these words: I will put my Spirit in you and you will live . . . then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.
What does the church at Sardis need? They need to follow the leading of the Spirit in their life. What were they following? Their passions and desires. John gave this warning in his epistle of 1 John: Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world.
To a dead church, Jesus comes as the one who holds the Spirit who gives life. Look in verse 2 what He tells them: Wake up! . . . (verse 3) Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. The church at Sardis had been lulled to sleep by Satan. They had focused on pleasure and prestige, and had lost any form of impact in its community. They had grown complacent. God tells them to wake up.
Where does complacency come from? From not obeying the truth you already know. Just like the church at Thyatira -- they were looking for new truth, some secret deep teachings -- so also Christians today flock for sensationalism. They look for prophetic words or miraculous healings - because they don’t want to follow the truth they have already been given. But what does Jesus say?
Remember the truth, and obey it! These are in the present tense, which in the Greek language signifies continuing action. Jesus says, “Keep on remembering the truth, and keep on obeying it!” The problem is that far too many Christians know the truth, but they don’t obey it. We talk to friends who say, “I know I should go to church, but . . .” - “I know I should read my bible, but . . .” - “I know I should pray, but . . .”
They know the truth, but they won’t obey it. And when they do this, they are literally saying, God, I know what you tell me, but I know better than you! God, I am smarter than you. God, you are no longer God of my life, because I control my destiny. God, when I need you, I’ll let you know!
For those who refuse to change their ways, God says He will bring judgment. Verse 3 - 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. To the people of Sardis, this image would hit home. As I said earlier, the fortress city of Sardis lay high on top a mountain citadel. King Croesus felt secure in this impregnable fortress. But the Persian conqueror Cyrus offered a reward to the first one who was able to climb the seemingly unscalable city wall. A watchful soldier observed a city guard accidentally drop his helmet over the battlements. Thinking that no one was watching, the guard climbed down the precipice to retrieve his helmet and carried it back. The soldier at the bottom knew there must be a secret path up the steep hillside. That night the watchful Persian soldier scaled the rocky cliff unhindered, followed by a large number of his fellow troops. When they reached the top they discovered the battlements were completely unguarded. The Lydians felt so secure in their fortress that they were complacent, not even bothering to watch the walls.
Far too many Christians are complacent: they know their life isn’t what it is supposed to be, but they don’t care. They aren’t worried about God bringing judgment, until it’s too late! God tells the Christians at Sardis to stay awake, stay on guard. In Peter’s first epistle, 1 Peter 5:8 - Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. If you aren’t watching for Satan’s attacks, you’ll fall victim to him.
In Matthew 24, Jesus gave some very pointed words to his disciples: Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. . .
Suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ and he then begins to beat his fellow-servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Are you watching for the Lord’s return? Far too many Christians think, God’s not coming back today. I’ll get my life in order sometime, but for now, I’ll live for pleasure and myself. In the future I’ll serve God. But Matthew’s reminder is that Tomorrow may be too late! We need to live like Jesus will come back TODAY!
Why would we want to deny ourselves pleasure and live a life following a bunch of rules in a 2000 year old book? Because Jesus IS coming back, and when He does, he’s going to have a victory parade! When Roman generals would win great battles, they would have a parade marching back into Rome with all the spoils of war in front of them. They would be dressed in white, and march into the city. I believe that is the picture Jesus gives in verse 4 - They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. When Jesus returns, he will not be the simple carpenter’s son, but he will return as the conquering king, and He will set up his throne in Jerusalem and all the nations on the earth will come and worship Him there. Zechariah 14 tells us, The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name. . . Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.
Why do we live different than the world? Why do we seek to change our world? Why do we stay spiritually awake, and not allow ourselves to be lulled into complacency? Why do we follow God’s word faithfully? Because verse 5 reminds us, He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. Eternal life, and eternal blessings await those who are faithful to God. May God keep our church awake and alive and influential in our community. Will you live like Jesus was coming back today? Let’s pray.
