Revelation 3:1-6 “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. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. 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. 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. 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. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Churches are dying daily in America, closing at the rate of 14+ per day. In the past 4½ years it is estimated that over 10,000 American churches have closed due to the lack of attendance, lack of young parishioners and families, a lack of finances, and a general lack of confidence in the relativity of its necessity. Many believe the church must yeild to modern culture and society or it's no longer social acceptable to attend or support.
Well, let me tell you about a church that had the appearance of being a great church. They had at one time been a dynamic church on fire for God, but something changed and when it did spiritually the church begin to die. The Bible says it was in a town known as Sardis.
Sardis was about thirty miles south of Thyatira, at the foot of Mount Tmolus that rose about 1,500 feet above the valley of the Hermus River. The Turkish town of Sart now occupies the site.
Sardis had been a great city. Seven hundred years before this letter was written Sardis had been one of the greatest cities in the world. It was the capital of the kingdom of Lydia. Its wealth was legendary, even the river that flowed through the city was said to be lined with gold.
Croesus was the most famous Sardian king. He built the city to the point that no one thought it was vulnerable. In 546 BC Cyrus, king of Persia, laid siege to the city and captured it. His men had watched one of the Sardian guards come down and pick up the helmet he had dropped. That night Cyrus’ men went in through the breach in the wall and found no one on watch.
Three centuries later, the army of Antiochus III used the same tactic to conquer the city and again no one was on watch.
Excavations have unveiled much information about the city. They found an ancient Christian church building next to the temple to Artemis as well as the largest synagogue ever found with seating for 1,000 people.
Did you know that the light from the polar star takes thirty three years to reach the earth. That star could have died thirty years ago and its light would still be pouring down on earth. It would be shining today as if nothing had happened, living off the light of its past. That’s the story of Sardis.
Verse 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.”
Jesus declares to the church in Sardis that He holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. The seven spirits is simply another designation for the Holy Spirit. The seven stars are the seven pastors of the churches.
The lifeless church in Sardis desperately needs the life giving power of the Holy Spirit. What could be more exciting than for the Lord to bring his hands together so that the churches today are overflowing with the Holy Spirit.
Two things we must see about the church at Sardis.
-There are those in the church that have remained faithful, but the church is not complimented at all.
-There is also a lack of persecution from outside sources because it apparently was more concerned about being fashionable rather than taking a stand.
The complaint Jesus lodges against this church is that its reputation is faulty. Evidently, others regarded the church at Sardis as a lively church. This church had gained a reputation for being an outstanding church, but it had lost its spiritual punch. The Sardis church is spiritually dead. Even today churches can be full of ministries and activity and have a reputation as a spiritual giants, while at the same time be spiritually dead inwardly. Harvard and Princeton stated out as Bible Schools., but do we hear from the men and women that graduate from these schools biblically today?
How about your church? Is there spiritual power there?
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