Christ's Letter to Sardis
Notes
Transcript
We continue to study what the Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit says to the churches. To do so, we deepen our understanding of what God wants in His church today! In so many ways, churches today are like these 7 churches recorded here.
God is aware of what the church is like, and where He wants it to be.
Background
Background
City name means - “Remnants” notice it is plural
Very old city; Capitol city of the area and an earlier kingdom
About 43.5 ks south of Thyatira; 80 Ks east of Ephesus
At the junction of 5 highways of the day
A wealthy trade centre; place for the wool industry - especially it’s brilliant white wool and material
Military stronghold up 150+ meters high on a plateau
Worship was mostly of Artemis, sometimes called Cybele, - focus on death and rebirth or near death and restoration to life.
Modern city of Sart
Aesop and his fables were from Sardis.
Christ revealed
Christ revealed
“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.
Seven Spirits
7 burning lamps Rev 4.5
7 all seeing eyes Rev 5.6 and is about perfection and completeness
7 before the throne Rev 1.4 again about completeness of his diversity of gifts and operation Isa 11.2
Seven Stars
1.16
Creator, massively bigger than His creation -kind of God! He holds the church in His hand. The church belongs to Him!
I know...
Last week was an encouraging letter about what the Lord knows about His church. This week is far different!
I will come… 3D
“… I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you...” Revelation 3.3
This is not a reference to His second coming for His bride, but in judgement when He has had enough of their defaming His name and character.
Positives
Positives
Works - though these had become no more than going through the motions as there is no life in it.
They have the church doors open each Sunday, but people are not drawing closer to God there!
Some are not soiled/stained/polluted/defiled to the point of being unusable.
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.
Some are still pure, but they are not The majority.
They have little impact. God has us here for impact!
Remember Abrahams plea with God for Sodom. “If there is just a handful......” Gen 18.
God never abandons His search for those who are faithful! James 1.27
The word ALLA is missing at the beginning in the KJ versions.
Negatives
Negatives
They are fooling others. verse1c
It was about reputation not actual changed lives.
And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away.
See also 1 Tim 5.6
Their works are not complete.
Greek means to be satisfied or full and definitely not perfect.
Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.
And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’
This lead to the longest “To Do” list
Church “To Do” list
Church “To Do” list
Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God.
Be Watchful: Literally, Wake up! Become Alert! History records how the city fell to Cyrus King of Persia. They felt so secure that each night the whole army went to bed. One night a few Persian soldiers found their way in through some cracks in the ground rock. To their surprise, everyone was in bed. No one had stayed up to watch. This happened again under a Greek conquest.
See Rom 13.11; 1Cor 16.13;
“Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”
“It is like a man on a journey, who left his house, gave authority to his servants, gave each one his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to be alert. Therefore be alert, since you don’t know when the master of the house is coming—whether in the evening or at midnight or at the crowing of the rooster or early in the morning. Otherwise, when he comes suddenly he might find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to everyone: Be alert!”
Strengthen what remains
Nurture it back to healthy and vital life. Eat the right spiritual food, get spiritual exercise, and do those things that make you think deep.
Remember: (present imperative) Always important for Christians!
Keep your faith alive and active!
You can only do this in true worship. Not singing songs, but singing words that scream out from your heart, mind and soul.
Repent! - (another imperative) turning 180 degrees and head the opposite direction! Stop living for my comfort and my desires and choose to live life focused on what God desires for me.
Listen to what the Spirit is saying
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’
This was in last weeks as well, but let me say it loud and clear. The church must listen to what God is telling her! We must pay attention to God and His word!
Promises
Promises
He will deal with the sleepy heads in His church!
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.
Thieves come to destroy. They take away things. Jesus said that this church needed to wake up or He would come and take away their church!
We can walk with Him!
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.
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
To be able to walk with the King in His garden is a real pleasure!
They will be clothed in white
symbolises the righteousness received from Him.
Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.
And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
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.
Name not blotted out
Not from the Lamb’s book of life, just from the record of those who are alive. If your name is written in the Lamb’s book it can never be blotted out!
But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
It was common in Sardis to blot out the names of people cast out of the city for crimes or treason from their citizenship books.
Our name professed publicly before God’s throne!
To acknowledge publicly, to publicly stay true!
A matter of pride for Christ
“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
Conclusion: God is aware of what is (and what is not) happening in His church! He will act accordingly.
Conclusion: God is aware of what is (and what is not) happening in His church! He will act accordingly.
Christ’s warnings to the church in Sardis worked! History records information about a man named Melito. He pastored this church in the second century and was known as a world leader in purity, piety and doctrine. He even wrote books that ranged from why Christians need the Old Testament to the first commentary on the book of Revelation itself! The city and its church lasted until 1403 when it was destroyed by the Tartar Tamerlane.
Q1. How complete is our work? Are we doing a complete job?
Q2 Are we watching? For opportunities, for dangers...
Q3 Do we put effort into strengthening what remains, or are we hoping others will do that?