A. Revelation 3:1-2a (READ)
1. Okay, I have a question for you, and I want to be completely honest. “How many of you have ever
fallen asleep in church?” (I think some are ASLEEP right now and didn’t even hear the question.)
2. When Christ says, “WAKE UP!” He’s not referring to people who occasionally DOZE off in church, but the church of Sardis, itself, that is NO LONGER making an IMPACT for Christ as they once did.
B. BACKGROUND OF THE CITY:
1. Sardis was located 32 miles southeast of Thyatira and 46 miles northeast of Smyrna. You can see some
of the RUINS of the city still standing today. (BATH and GYMNASIUM)
a. It was the capital of ancient Lydia of the Persian Empire, and was a very WEALTHY city—and
once touted the WEALTHIEST CITY in the WORLD.
b. It was known for its rich GOLD and SILVER deposits
COMMENT:
It was the first city where GOLD and SILVER coins were MINTED in 550 BC under the orders of King Croesus the last king of Lydia. (So, if you have a QUARTER in your pocket, you can thank
SARDIS.)
c. It was also known for its TEXTILE industry and the makers of costly DYES, exporting EXPENSIVE wool cloths and fabrics all over the Roman Empire.
2. Sardis had also built a magnificent TEMPLE to the goddess Artemis (Diana), as did the city of Ephesus.
COMMENT:
You may recall in Acts 19 how Paul’s LIFE was in DANGER by WORSHIPPERS of ARTEMIS because of his TEACHING that there was only ONE true God. And, later, the church of Ephesus
also endured persecution because of their FAITH in Jesus as the Son of God.
However, there is no indication in this TEXT or SECULAR HISTORY, that the church of Sardis was PERSECUTED for their FAITH. (MORE ON THAT LATER.)
C. Christ’s DESCRIPTION of Himself.
1. First, “He holds the seven spirits of God.”
a. Most scholars that I’ve read believe the “seven spirits” refer to the Holy Spirit, Himself.
COMMENT:
Again, the #7 is the number of COMPLETENESS and PERFECTION, which the Holy Spirit is. However, Isaiah describes a seven-fold manifestation of the Spirit that came upon Jesus, apparently “at His BAPTISM when the Holy Spirit descended upon Him like a dove”- Mark 1:10.
Isaiah 11:1-2- “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse (the Father of David), from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit on 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.” (Paul described “Jesus being the root of Jesse, in whom the Gentiles will find hope”- Romans 15:12.)
The Holy Spirit will attest to the DEITY of Jesus as Lord, and will provide WISDOM, UNDERSTANDING, COUNSEL, POWER, KNOWLEDGE, and FEAR. (Seven-fold ministry of the Spirit upon Jesus as the Messiah.)
b. Second, “He holds the seven stars.”
COMMENT:
We learned from Revelation 1:19 that the “seven stars are the angels or messengers of the seven churches.” Christ has the AUTHORITY over these churches, including Sardis. He is the HEAD of
the church. The “messengers” (church leaders) answer to Him—no one else but Christ.
MESSAGE:
I. THE CHASTISEMENT OF CHRIST- Revelation 3:1
A. Unlike the other four churches we studied: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, and even Thyatira, Jesus
does not begin with a COMMENDATION as He speaks to the Christians at Sardis.
COMMENT:
Now, Christ will END His message with a COMMENDATION for a SMALL GROUP of BELIEVERS in that church, but He immediately begins with a sharp REBUKE for the church as a
whole.
1. “You have a reputation of being alive...”
a. The church of Sardis was ALIVE on FAME.
COMMENT:
If you asked other Christians in Asia Minor about the church at Sardis, apparently, they would give you a glowing APPRAISAL about how they were a VIBRANT, THRIVING, ACTIVE church making a great impact on their COMMUNITY for the Lord.
An OUTSIDER would look at this church and think it was the IDEAL church—ALIVE and ACTIVE and everything going GREAT.
b. And, undoubtedly, the Christians at Sardis reveled in their REPUTATION: “Look at us! Look at our activities. Look at our programs. Look at all the things that we are doing. We’re
the envy of all the churches in Asia Minor.”
COMMENT:
Just as long others recognized what a “GREAT CHURCH” they were, they were HAPPY. It didn’t matter if SOULS were being SAVED or if they were GROWING in their FAITH. All that mattered was their REPUTATION.
2. “…but you are dead.”
a. Apparently their “CHURCH ACTIVITIES” never ceased, but their SPIRITUALITY did.
b. I believe the reason that Christ described Himself as “holding the seven Spirits”, a unique
greeting just to this church, is because the Holy Spirit was no longer impacting their lives.
COMMENT:
Whatever outward ACTIVITIES that had been going on in this church, the Holy Spirit was not in the middle of it. Where the Holy Spirit is no longer MOVING through a church there is DEATH—no matter how POPULAR or ACTIVE or LARGE that church may be.
Being a SMALL CHURCH does not make a DEAD CHURCH. Next week we will study the church of Philadelphia that was a SMALL church with “little strength”, Christ said, but He had no words of CONDEMNATION or CHASTISEMENT for that little church at ALL. Why? Because the Holy Spirit was moving through that church regardless of how SMALL it was.
c. The Lord knows it takes more than OUTWARD ACTIVITY to bring LIFE to a CHURCH.
COMMENT:
The things that count are deep LOVE for GOD and PEOPLE, genuine COMMITMENT to Christ, craving the WORD of God and being OBEDIENT to it, unceasing PRAYER, SERVING others in NEED, a WORSHIPFUL SPIRIT. These were sadly lacking in the church of Sardis and in many churches today.
B. Interestingly, the churches of Sardis and Laodicea (that we will soon study) were the only churches of
the SEVEN not faced with OPPOSITION, yet they were the least FAVORABLE in Christ’s eyes.
1. They didn’t have to contend with FALSE TEACHERS as did Ephesus, Pergamum and Thyatira.
2. They weren’t under attack by the Jews and Romans as were Smyrna and Philadelphia.
3. There is no sign of OPPOSITION toward the church of Sardis because of their FAITH, at all.
COMMENT:
The reason (I BELIEVE) is because Satan did not see this church as a THREAT—they were
of no CONSEQUENCE to the PAGANS living AROUND them.
They weren’t IMPACTING their COMMUNITY for Christ. They weren’t SHARING their
FAITH. They weren’t SERVING others.
Their WORSHIP was LIFELESS. Their MINISTRY was LIFELESS. Their WITNESS was
LIFELESS.
Whatever the church of Sardis was doing in the PAST that warranted their “REPUTATION of being ALIVE”, was NO MORE.
C. If you ask long-time members of Garfield Christian Church what this church was like 20, 30, 40, 50
years ago, they will paint a very different PICTURE from what we see today.
COMMENT:
They will tell you how the SANCTUARY was filled with WORSHIPPERS, how CHILDREN were running all over the PLACE, how YOUNG FAMILIES were involved in
MINISTRY, how PEOPLE were being brought to Christ through the ATHLETICS MINISTRY.
1. This church had a “reputation of being alive”.
COMMENT:
And, again, being a SMALL CHURCH does not make us a DEAD CHURCH. Yet, I believe every MEMBER of this church will tell you that Garfield Christian Church is not where
we WANT it to be.
We want more than a REPUTATION of being ALIVE, we want to be a LIVING, THRIVING, VIBRANT church that is making a SPIRITUAL IMPACT on our COMMUNITY for
Christ.
2. And the church of Sardis was not WHERE Christ wanted it to be, either.
II. THE COUNSEL OF CHRIST- Revelation 3:2-3 (READ)
A. Although Christ said this church was “DEAD”; there is still HOPE for REVIVAL.
1. “WAKE UP!” …This is the call that Christians in America desperately need to hear: WAKE UP!
COMMENT:
WAKE UP from your spiritually LETHARGIC lives. WAKE UP from your lifeless WORSHIP, your lifeless PRAYER, your lifeless MINISTRY, your lifeless WITNESS. Each of us needs to take an honest look at our SPIRITUAL LIVES to see what needs to be REVIVED.
2. “Strengthen what remains…”
a. There are ASPECTS of the church of Sardis that are still ALIVE but they’re on LIFE SUPPORT.
COMMENT:
As a church we must constantly REEVALUATE our overall SPIRITUALLY—our COMMITMENT to the LORD, our KNOWLEDGE of GOD’S WORD, our PRAYER LIFE, our WORSHIP, our MINISTRIES, our MISSIONS, our WITNESS to DETERMINE if we are
THRIVING in these AREAS or if we are DYING.
And if any or all these areas are DYING, we need to “STRENGTHEN what REMAINS”.
b. Christ looks at a church that He says is “DEAD” and still sees HOPE!! Even though they are not
fulfilling their PURPOSE as a church, Christ still sees HOPE!
ILLUSTRATION:
We look around this sanctuary with all its EMPTY PEWS and we ask the QUESTIONS: “Are we dying as a church? Are we still committed to the Lord? Are we still growing in our faith and in the knowledge of God’s Word? Are we making ANY impact in our community? Is the
Holy Spirit still moving through Garfield Christian Church? Is Christ DONE with us?”
c. LIFE (REVIVAL) in Garfield Christian Church begins with YOU and ME!
B. Christ goes FROM addressing the church collectively to the Christians individually.
1. “Remember what you have received and heard...”
COMMENT:
Christ wants these Christians to return to the BASICS—to REMEMBER when they first heard
the GOSPEL and received Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
When we start taking Christ for GRANTED, it is imperative that we REMEMBER why we gave our lives to Him in the first place . . . to REMEMBER the commitment we made to make Him LORD of our LIVES.
2. “…obey it…”
COMMENT:
This is a Divine call to remain OBEDIENT to the TEACHINGS that we have learned about Christ and what it means to be His FOLLOWER.
3. “…repent.”
COMMENT:
This is the COMMAND that Christ used over and over in addressing the Christians of Asia Minor. It is a call to TURN AWAY from anything that was HINDERING their WALK with Christ and to RETURN to Him.
After being a Christian for a while, it is so easy to take our RELATIONSHIP with Christ for GRANTED. Our Christian WALK becomes BORING and MUNDANE. We quit READING our Bibles like we used to. We PRAY only when we need something or when trouble comes. Our WORSHIP ATTENDANCE becomes sporadic and almost non-existent. Seldom do we ever SHARE OUR FAITH in Christ with others. Sadly, it becomes more and more DIFFICULT to tell us APART from the REST of the WORLD.
So Christ says, “REMEMBER what it was like when you accepted the gospel and gave your life to Me. Continue to OBEY my Word. And REPENT—TURN AWAY from ANYTHING that RIVALS your LOVE for Me.”
III. THE COMMENDATION OF CHRIST- Revelation 3:4-6 (READ)
A. There are a few FAITHFUL, DEDICATED Christians in Sardis who are still EXCITED about their
WALK with Christ and have not taken their RELATIONSHIP with Him for granted.
1. Unlike others in that church, Christ said “they have not soiled their clothes.”
a. Clothes (garments) in Scripture often symbolized one’s CHARACTER.
-Isaiah writes- “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are
like filthy rags…”- Isaiah 64:6. (Our RIGHTEOUSNESS is like SOILED CLOTHES.)
b. The Greek word for “soiled” means “to stain”, a word very familiar to Sardis who knew what
DYE would do to WOOL.
COMMENT:
Only a few in that church had not been STAINED by the CULTURE around them. While
others BLENDED IN with the PAGANS around them, these FEW stood APART from the REST.
2. Christ said, “They shall walk with me dressed in white for they are worthy.”
B. This same PROMISE is made for all who OVERCOME—for YOU and ME who remain FAITHFUL in
our WALK with Christ.
1. Christ said, “All who OVERCOMES will be dressed in white”- v. 5.
a. The color “WHITE” represents PURITY.
COMMENT:
Although the prophet Isaiah said that “our righteous acts are like filthy rags”, meaning that compared to the righteousness of God we are all STAINED no matter how GOOD we might be.
b. We who “OVERCOME”—who are “cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 7:14) and continue to WALK faithfully with Him, will be clothed with God’s RIGHTEOUSNESS—
not our OWN.
-2 Corinthians 5:21- “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteous of God.” (Through Christ we take on the PURITY of God.)
2. Then Christ says, “I will never blot out his name (THE OVERCOMER) from the book of Life, but
will acknowledge his name before my Father and His angels.”
a. Those whose names are in the “book of life” are not only those whom have given their lives to Christ, but CONTINUE to LIVE for Christ—even as the “few in Sardis who had not soiled their
clothes.”
b. These are the ones who continue to “acknowledge Christ as Lord” by their VERY LIVES.
COMMENT:
Remember what Jesus said: “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before
my Father in heaven.”- Matthew 10:32-33.
These faithful few in Sardis continued to acknowledge Jesus by LIVING their LIVES for Him for all to SEE. They had a LIVING FAITH evidenced by their COMMITMENT to Christ as Lord
of their lives.
CONCLUSION:
