Moving right along the road that leads to the church at Sardis which makes this #5 out of 7 churches addressed in the book of Revelation. Here's the text surrounding this letter:
1“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write,
‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 2“Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. 3“Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. 4“You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. 5“He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. 6“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’
We find no commendation at all here, only condemnation for this Church is to be found. Sardis was a city of degeneration. Seven hundred years before this letter was written it was one of the greatest cities of the world. This city was built in two parts. One part in the valley below and the other part built 1500 feet high up on a hillside and was thought impregnable. It was surrounded by three giant cliffs to the right, left and behind it.
Sardis was known for their wealth; their luxurious living. King Croesus (Midas) first developed gold and silver coins here. It was the center for the wollen trade industry and it was claimed to be that the art of dying wool was first introduced here.
Sardis was also called a Necropolis basically making it a big cemetery known for their many mounds of dirt seen as far as seven miles away. Here we see not only were they filled with the physical dead but also the spiritually dead.
So here in the letter we see Sardis described as a dead church. How fitting for a city known for its graveyards. A dead church is one without the power of the Holy Spirit. God is saying to this church they have no Holy Spirit. How awful. Is the Holy Spirit in the church we attend now? Are we going to a dead church or one on fire under the power of the Holy Spirit?
We can see they were full of works. They were active, doing things but like walking dead. There are a variety of ways to see deadness in a church. The preacher preaching with no emotion, God's word not being the center of worship, the people apathetic and cold, the music boring with no emotion displayed on the part of the ones singing the lyrics.
They had a name for themselves, maybe even a big steeple with the stain glass windows. They may have had the best sound system, visuals, light shows, big choir and even good food. To the world they had a good reputation. Maybe it's like our mega churches of today. Huge doesn't mean the church is alive. A church can be on the cutting edge with a bookstore, coffee shop, lights, drama and still be dead. It doesn't mean it's alive, just busy. There are many spiritually dead churches out there. The world is filled with them. It may be called a church but for many it's nothing but a business.
The spiritually dead cannot worship God. A man-centered church may sound good and feel good but we need to ask ourselves, "what draws us to church?" If it's for any other reason other than the power of God and his Spirit to worship him then you're going for the wrong reason.
This church didn't die overnight. It died overtime as they lost their focus. Years passed as they started to die corporately. Maybe a few of the faithful few died and then the message got watered down. There are three different groups of people usually found in every church.
1. The true believer on fire for God.
2. The Christian who quenches the Holy Spirit. This Christian lives too closely to the sinful lifestyle taking him down
3. The Unbelievers coming into the church for whatever reason
What usually starts to happen is the unbelievers start taking on some of the roles in the church. They start to dominate and the message gets distorted. This letter says only a few here were unsoiled by the world. This church was filled with unbelivers. God did not intend for churches to be run by unbelievers. When that starts to happen it looks more like a business. There's no difference with the rest of the world. We are called to be different and to operate on His power, not our own.
Paul in his letter to Timothy said that in the last days there would be a growing form of godliness with no power. It looks like God on the outside but on the inside there is no power, no spirit. Isaiah gave an example of what a dead church sounds like when he wrote this in 29:13
Therefore the Lord said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me,
The Pharisees loved to play church. Christ was brutally honest in his assessment of them, like only he could be. He knew what was inside them when he said:
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28“Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
In the NIV it says here to wake up. Don't slumber or be found sleeping. If we want the power of the Holy Spirit in us we need to wake up, strengthen, remember, hold fast and repent or else.
Maybe you're a true believer but are sitting down where once you were on fire. One on fire does not sit. A Christian can easily be weighed down by the world, an unbeliever or sometimes even a believer who has quenched the Holy Spirit. A Christian needs to throw off the sin that keeps him weighted down. The power of the Holy Spirit indwells us when we turn around and repent. Once that happens we need to be careful we don't quench it but keep it alive by staying awake.
This church existed 200 years later. There is some thought they may have quickly turned around after receiving this letter. God wants us to hold fast, not to the building, not the structure but he wants us to hold fast to him. Isaiah wrote this in 66:1-2:
Thus says the Lord:
“Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? 2For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist,” Says the Lord. “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.
If they do not hold fast and be watchful something will happen to this church. Remember this city, high on a hill was a fortress with huge walls. It was never a thought they could be conquered but they were. Twice even, the same way.
The rock on which Sardis was built was made of close packed dried mud rather than rock. It developed cracks. A certain enemy soldier had seen a Sardian soldier accidentally drop his hlemet over the wall and then make his way down the precipice to retrieve it by going thru a crack in the wall. That night a party of Persian troops finding the battlements completely unguarded as the town slept went in thru the same crack in the wall seen earlier by the watchful soldier. The Sardians thought they were too safe to guard and therefore fell. So this church would know what the Risen Christ meant when he said "Watch."
The letter here also mentions some have not defiled their garments. This remnant has not taken on the sinful lifestyle of the world. He's talking to the true believers here. White is the symbol of purity. We want to be pure before God, not defiled by the world. Elsewhere it's compared to a few stalks of wheat among the many tares. As always the case with a remnant only a few find the way as it's a narrow road to go. All believers will be clothed in white garments a picture of festivity. White was worn in ancient times in festivals, parties and victories.
The book of life, found in many passages of scripture will have all believers' names in it. These names were written before the foundation of the world, never to be erased. So we see the promise of our name written and acknowledgment before God.
Our relationship with God is not about activities. It's about who we know. If we're busy doing all kinds of things, but don't know Christ, it's all for nothing. If we don't know Him, we've lost everything. This society was thought to be protected by all four sides but one little crack was their downfall. They were not prepared. They were not watchful.
We notice here that he does not tell the Christians to leave. He tells them to strengthen what remains. Even if just a few true believers in a dead church we need to stand fast, admonish, encourage, exhort, strengthen the others onward. It's work, but it's worthwhile.
Think of a once roaring fire that has grown cold overnight. One ember is all it takes to get it going again. By working with that one ember carefully an amazing thing can happen. Before you know it you have two or three more embers, and once again, with a little work, have that roaring fire going as before. In order to do this we must be led by love. The Holy Spirit has to drive our very being. We must not quench it. Imagine, if the world was lit on fire for Christ.
For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Romans 8:13-14