Remarkable, Message 3 of 3

What is in a name?

When I was back in high school, I had a reputation. I found this out one night in the parking lot at the now closed Kmart on south side.

You know what though, I wasn’t as tough as some people thought.

Revelation 3:1–6 ESV

“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “ ‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 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. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. 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.’

Revelation 3:

Reputations can be good or bad but they are often something we take pride in. Man was I proud that people thought I should not be messed with. That reputation though also led others to want to mess with me. Reputations can prove to be well deserved or wrongfully achieved.

Sardis was a town with a reputation of being impregnable. This simply means that many thought Sardis to be a particular stronghold. One that would never be overthrown.

That is an awesome reputation to have. Especially if it was true. However, it was not true.

The church there was a miniature reflection of the city. The city, living off past glory, was essentially dead, and so was the church. Jesus said to them, ‘… you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead’ (v. 1).

Roger Ellsworth, Opening Up Revelation, Opening up Commentary (Leominster: Day One, 2013), 39.

Sardis had been sacked, or fallen, at least twice and possibly three times.

Revelation 3:1 ESV

“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “ ‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.

Rev. 3:

What does it mean to be dead?

James 2:26 ESV

For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

Maybe they lacked the Spirit

Maybe they lacked works

Could it really be that a church that was portrayed as being completely alive and vibrant could be truly dead?

Opening Up Revelation The Letter to the Church of Sardis (3:1–6)

Since each church is the sum of its individual members, we must take Jesus’s statement to mean that most of the members were in this state, but not all.

The New American Commentary: Revelation 5. To Sardis (3:1–6)

Is the intent to suggest that the church was in decline due to a failure in evangelism, which would eventually issue in the total demise of the congregation? Does it mean that the church was successful numerically but spiritually had become quiescent to the point that nothing significant was happening in the spiritual life of the congregation? Or does it mean that the church had died theologically and embraced some heretical belief?

I believe they shared the same problem as the church at Laodicea. They had become complacent and lethargic.

The difference is that in Laodicea when have a problem of being utterly unremarkable. They are neither hot or cold.

Sardis still has some life in it although it is small. Vs.2

Rev.

Revelation 3:2 ESV

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.

This command to “Wake up” is a call to action.

They are told to Remember, Repent and Do

Where have we heard that before?

So, what does it mean to be alive?

Opening Up Revelation The Letter to the Church of Sardis (3:1–6)

Churches that have entertaining programmes, upbeat music and good attendance can appear to be alive.

However, I believe this has something more spiritual in mind.

Galatians 2:20 ESV

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

To be alive here is to be continually growing more into and knowing more about Christ.

I believe there are three things we need to live inside our church to be alive in the eyes of God.

Walk

Ephesians 4:1 ESV

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,

Colossians 1:10 ESV

so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Prioritize

What place does God really hold in your life?

Deuteronomy 7:9 ESV

Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,

hours in the day

Pray

1 Thessalonians 5:17 ESV

pray without ceasing,

Philippians 4:6 ESV

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Quiet time

Did you know God can bring dead things back to life?

Ezekiel 37:1–14 ESV

The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.” So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’ Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.”

If God can raise dry bones to life, He can bring life to a church that appears dead.

If God can raise dry bones to life, He can rescue you and I from our certain death.

Let us move from being thought alive to truly being alive.

Let us having a reputation to having a revitalization.

Let us desire to be truly remarkable for God.