Sardis—wake Up! Church…

Sardis—Wake Up! Church…

Revelation 3:1-6NIV

We begin by reading prayerfully the same scriptures in Revelation 1.

First, Revelation 1:1-3NIV The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

Secondly, Revelation 1:9-11NIV I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 11 saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.

These warnings in Revelation 2 and 3, serve generally as a wakeup call. A call to attention, A call to leave nothing undone, A call to carry God’s gospel with firsthand experience and knowledge of the gospels ability to do whatever is needed!

Sardis was once one of the greatest cities of the world. It had been the capital of the ancient kingdom of Lydia, and in the 6th century B. C. was ruled by a fabulously wealthy king whose name, Croesus, became a byword for uncounted wealth. When I was young I remember hearing rich people described as being "as rich as Croesus." (You do not hear that proverb much anymore, now it is "as rich as Merv Griffin!") Sardis was built on a mountain spur about 1500 feet above the valley floor. It was regarded as virtually impregnable to military assault.

Several times armies had tried to overthrow it but were unable to do so. But twice in its history it had fallen to foreign assault, once by the Persians, and once by the Greeks, and both victories were achieved by stealth. Sardis was so confident it could not be overcome that it failed to guard its walls adequately. In the dead of the night a band of brave soldiers climbed up the sides of the ravine and entered an unwatched gate and overthrew the city. Thus, Sardis was a city characterized by a complacent spirit.

This evening, I want to take these 6 verses of scripture pertaining to the church of Sardis as well as to CECC.

Revelation 3:1NIV 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. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.

President Harry Truman enjoyed telling the story about a man who was hit on the head at work. The blow was so severe that he was knocked unconscious for an extended period. His family was convinced that he was dead. The funeral home was called, and the undertaker picked him up at the hospital. Early the next morning, the man awoke and sat straight up in the coffin. Confused, he blinked several times and looked around trying to put the whole thing together.

He thought: “If I’m alive, what in the world am I doing in this soft, satin-filled box? If I’m dead, why do I have to go to the bathroom?”

“We shouldn’t be confused about rather we are alive or dead. There can’t be any mistaking that.” P.H

Jesus addresses—the angel of the church, meaning the pastors, and elders of the church.

The leadership of any church is the utmost important! James 3:1NLT Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly.

Revelation 3:1… The Almighty holding the seven spirits of God—Seven marking completion.

Again Verse 1, of Revelation 3, Jesus say’s, I AM the One who holds the seven stars. Meaning His churches.

Jesus goes on and states—Revelation 3:1b… I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.

A good reputation never warrants bad fruit. In other words, You never earn a license to do bad deeds that produce sin.

A good reputation can be earned by man—by their deeds seen in public, or because of their wealth, but always remember, God sees everything—He sees our motivation. P.H

Revelation 3:1TM Write this to Sardis, to the Angel of the church. The One holding the Seven Spirits of God in one hand, a firm grip on the Seven Stars with the other, speaks: