Revelation Chapter Three Lesson 21 & 22 March 23,2003
The Church at Sardis 3:1-6
Background on Sardis!
1. Commercially prosperous city about 30 miles South of Thyatira.
2. Throughout its history it was a militarily strategic city.
3. Once was the capital of the ancient Lydian Kingdom;
- During the rule by the Greeks it began to slide down the slippery slope of decay; had been materially prosperous became soft as it headed towards obscurity. [decline]
4. No city in Asia minor by this time presented a more deplorable contrast of past splendor with present deplorable decline.
5. The history of the city seems to have been repeated in the church.
6. Another incident out of the cities history find echoes in the letter to the church at Sardis.
- Sardis was built on a mountain with an acropolis 800' high on one of the spurs of the mountain; all but impregnable.
- Yet twice in their history they were conquered, taken unaware because of their complacency! Asleep at the switch!
7. The parallel with the church is in the area of lack of vigilance;
- shown here by the exhortation to Wake up!! (vs:2)
- then again in vs:3 if you don't wake up I'll come like a thief, bringing judgment on you!
8. Sardis was a commercial center for woolen goods, also dyes.
9. Had a magnificent temple to Cybele which dated to the 4th century B.C.; the ruins still exist.
- Cybele, was known as the Great Mother, was worshipped throughout much of the Hellenistic world.
10. Sardis was conquered by the Arabs in 716 AD, and eventually by the Ottoman Turks in the 14th century.
Christ's evaluation of the church to Sardis.
1. Description of the Sender; Characteristic of Christ in view 3:1a
"He who has the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars says this"
a. "Seven Spirits" = a ref to the completeness of the Holy Spirit and His ministry to Christ.
b. "seven stars" is a ref. to the 7 pastors of the churches (1:16,20)
c. Why does Christ pick out these two things to emphasize here?
d. Christ says they need to focus on these 2 things, the Holy Spirit and the Pastor.
e. A dead church needs the life giving message ministered through the H/S by the P/T.
2. Christ's evaluation of the church; 3:1b It's Problem!
"I know your deeds, that you have a name that your are alive, but you are dead."
a. I know your works;
b. The church had a name, a reputation for life which didn't square with reality, it was dead!
c. Christ draws a strong contrast then between reputation and reality.
d. This contrast marks a condition, one of the areas of delusions in which we may fall!
- Any church or individual who has an illusion of a reputation; and deep down inside knows that it is not true any longer; its a veneer constructed on that reputation and it will not last long!
- Self deception leads to inability to evaluate anything objectively!
e. What about the statement "you are dead"? nekroj
- obviously it is not speaking of physical death here; speaks of separation; non-literal, a spiritual condition
f. What is missing? We have a dead church but since they enjoyed a reputation it receives no persecution.
They were "holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power...." 2 Tim 3:5
3. The Solution to their Problem 3:2-3
Read Verse 3:2
1. "Wake up" two verbs; gi,nomai (p.m.imp); grhgore,w (p.a.ptc.)
keep on becoming awake, alert; not just wake up from sleep; idea is to be watchful, vigilant, alert; something that they clearly weren't at this time alertness is a choice! spiritual alertness doesn't just happen
** What are some of the areas to which we should be alert?
#1 The Lord's return! Mt 24:42 [addressed to the Tribulational saints]
#2 Should be alert to 3 kinds of dangers!
- temptation Mt 26:41
- false teaching/error Acts 20:28-31
- Satan 1 Pet 5:8
2. "strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die"
- this says even though the situation in Sardis is dire there is still hope if they make the right choices!
The longer that they are spiritually asleep the more of the truth that they have is slipping away from them and being replaced with the consensus human vpt of the day.
3. What are they to do?
The exhortation is to "strengthen" the BD that they have!
#1 of the believer fortified with truth to withstand the pressures of life! 1 Ths 3:2; 2 Pet 1:12
#2 The word being firmly established is the basis of being blameless, irreprehensible at his coming 1 Ths 3:3
#3 In regard to a promise to support and protect from the "evil one" 2 Ths 3:3.
#4 Part of a great promise to the believer 1 Pet 5:10.
4. Evidence that there is no application of truth.
"for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God."
- The emphasis is on quality of their works, they do not measure up to the standard that Christ has established.
Now 3:3 The Emphasis of the exhortation is Think and Change!
1. Remember therefore what you have received and heard;
* Get active mentally, think hard therefore about what you have received and heard,
** When do we typically think about the value of the things that we have? (in our typical human laziness & sloppy thinking, usually not until their gone)
2. and keep it, (to be on guard) and repent. (change of thinking with resulting change in action; change of course of action)
3. Consequences for failure; the coming discipline!
"If therefore you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you."
- the coming thief; speaks of the suddenness and unexpectedness of the discipline; at the very time we become complacent in our sin, in our spiritual blindness, thinking that we are getting away with it, suddenly the discipline hits!
4. 3:4 We find Exhortation and Encouragement to the faithful remnant of Sardis (the faithful few)
Christ describes the remnant 3 ways:
#1 It's size! But you have a few people in Sardis..."
#2 Remnants nature! "who have not soiled their garments..."
- One of the most important aspects of the worship at the pagan temples, it was forbidden to approach the gods in garments that were soiled or stained; for them physical contamination!
- For the faithful remnant it says they are not characterized by the contamination, defilement of sin.
#3 Remnant's reward: "and they will walk with Me in white;
- have a statement related to their future fellowship with Christ in eternity.
- gives the reason, the cause; o[ti "because they keep on being worthy."
** Never are we worthy based on who and what we are and what we can do in our own strengths and abilities.
Walking and being worthy! Very important concepts for us to understand!
Walking focuses on our duty as believers while worthy describes the manner especially when the adverb avxi,wj is used.
5. The Promise 3:5-6
Strong statement of the believers security: confidence, assurance.
The 2 "I will's" (fut.act ind) state the reality of what God has obligated himself to do for the believer.
1. Who is the object of the promise? "He who overcomes"
2. Wearing of white garments; symbolizes the positional righteousness; the results of salvation
3. The first promise/obligation of God to the believer!
"I will not erase his name from the book of life,"
- Every name of every individual is written in the book of life at birth.
- For the individual who goes through life, rejects Jesus Christ as Savior, therefore an unbeliever, when he dies, his name is blotted out of the book of life. 20:15
4. The second promise:
"I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels."
5. In verse 6 once again an appeal to positive volition to seek the message of the Holy Spirit to the churches.