Sardis- The Sleeping/Dead Church
Revelation • Sermon • Submitted
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· 120 viewsSardis had fallen sleep on the work of Christ. Faithful service and proclamation of Jesus proves the authenticity of our faith.
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Sleeping on the Job
Sleeping on the Job
Sardis doesnt need any help with illustrations
During the 6th century Sardis was one of the most powerful cities in the ancient world
But by time the Roman period arrived, they were “but a relic of the period of barbaric warfare, which lived rather on its ancient prestige than on its suitability to present conditions”
50 miles east of Ephesus- city was built 1500 feet above the valley on the side of Mt Tmolus
It as virtually impenetrable as the sheer rock faces made it almost impossible to climb except for the side of the city
Excavations revealed a massive Temple of Artemis- 160x300 feet- 78 pillars of which two pillars remian were 58 feet tall
Sardis was a very wealthy place- situated along a major roadway from Susa to Asia Minor
Gold was taken from the Pactolus river
This was the place where gold and silver coins were first made
It also claimed to be the first place dying wool was discovered
However Sardis rebuke is the strongest of the 7 churches
they have not fallen into heresy or gross immorality- they have fallen asleep on the job so to speak
Jesus rebuke is they are spiritually dead
Like the fig tree parable- they had leaves but no outward working fruit
As I have read these churches- the further we get into them, the more I see areas in my own life exposed
I also see areas where the church has been exposed
We can find ourselves in these 7 churches and its probably a modge podge of them put together
“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.’
Vs 1- Jesus again reiterates to Sardis his sovereign power in holding the churches and its His HS that moves and works among them
Again as we have said numerous times- thats a dreadfully amazing thing
God knows and thats wonderful, God knows and that should terrify us- but it also should keep us from sin
Jesus does not begin with any commendation of the church quite possibly for the majority of the church has fallen away from the mission and purpose of Gods church
But he does begin with “I know your works”- God knows why we do what we do
-He isnt fooled- Do we do x,y,z, for Gods glory or for peoples recognition
-If no one ever saw a picture or read about it or heard about it, would you have still done it
-Easy way to find out if its for us or for the Lord
Jesus continues- “You have the reputation of being alive but your are dead”
Reputation is often used to as “name”- to be named or called by this
Sardis has been called this, their reputation is one being alive in Christ but God knows heart
Our primary concern should not be what people think of the church as much as what God thinks of the church
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.
Gods command for the church is to wake up
Its like they were in spiritual coma
I made mention that Sardis doesnt need any help with illustrations of the city and church
Twice in Sardis history they were attacked and conquered because their was no soldier guarding the a specific spot on the wall.
Remember Sardis is built on a high hill, virtually impenetrable
But in 549BC- Cyrus sent a climber up the wall in the most difficult but unguarded spot and other followed him and they took over Sardis by unlocking the gate and walking through the front door
Again in 216, Antiochus the Great- walked through gates after Lagoras discovered a unmanned portion of the wall- He and 15 others climbed up captured the wall and opened the Gate
“As in history, so in life, to consider oneself secure and fail to remain alert is to court disaster”
A city cant live off its past legacy- we say it this way “They are still living in the glory days”
Sustaining a city or a church requires diligent work- we cant live off the glory days
“We used to do, We have done, Back then when....” has caused alot of people to fall asleep in the church because they have that in mind but nothing in their hands
Sardis needed to wake up, from the slumber of past success and awaken to the current mission of God
In the cities it would be very easy to be quiet about the confession of faith Christ
It would be easier to give passive acknowledgement to pagan idol worship than it would be to reject them
It would be better financially to go along with all the others but it would absolutely ungodly to due so
So Jesus calls, the church to strengthen what remains of the faithful church
Why? because their outworking of faith has been in line with Great Commission of God
For Sardis and for the majority today its the Great Suggestion- when its beneficial
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
Its not the works that saved them, God did, by grace through faith
But works could be defined as the practical outworking of our faith in Jesus
Sardis didnt bear fruit of that- Many today dont either
We have fallen in spiritual coma in our homes where parents have always been called teach their children, primarily fathers
The problem most do not, is because we havent first trained ourselves
2019- Lifeway survey of churchgoers- those who do not go, bible reading and prayer are first to go
32% said they read it daily
27%- a few times a week
12%- few times a month
5%- once a month
12%- Never read it
2016- Lifeway study
20% of Americans have read the whole bible, but over half have read little to none
Ages 50-64 are most likely read their bibles everyday- 35% and 50 and below 30%
Hispanics are the most likely group to read the bible - 40%
Those who attend church 4 times a month or more are more likely to read the bible than those who do not
In a 2016 study of churchgoing Protestant parents, LifeWay Research found regular Bible reading as a child was the biggest factor in predicting the spiritual health of young adults.
Among those Protestant churchgoers who say they read the Bible every day, 51% say they find themselves thinking about biblical truths during the day.
For those who read the Bible a few times a week, 32% say the same. That falls to 20% of those who read Scripture once a week to a few times a month and 9% of those who read it once a month or less.
I mention all of this because I believe this is the primary place the church is falling asleep
Especially in this time when the church hasnt been open for childrens teaching
It is and always has been the parents job to teach their children
Its is the churches job to teach the parents and come along them as they teach their children
The second- personal evangelism- is directly affected by what we just mentioned
When we absent from the Book, absent from teaching our kids spiritually, absent from witnessing, we may find we are more like Sardis than what we think
We find we are absent from these- we maybe absent from the works of God
We can have reputation of being alive but we maybe dead
Solution?
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.
Just like Ephesus- they lost their zeal for sharing the Word of God
Sardis needs to remember the truth they were preached initially- and go back and do that
Repent of sin- turn and live a life worthy of Gospel
And if not, judgement awaits
Jesus uses strong words here as he does in parables or Matthew 24- when he is speaking of the day of the Lord
His wording seems to suggest that because for those live a unaffected life, they prove their probably isnt life
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.
But Jesus does know some have not fell into complacency and their is hope for them
Robes of white is used numerous times in bible to describe holiness and most especially the holiness of God
Some in Sardis, who have been clothed in white, they genuine ones, who walk in faith, they prove themselves worthy because they persevere
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.
As in the other letters, Jesus promise of eternal life is given to all who persevere
they are clothed in white, given the holiness of God- washed by his blood
Those who have been washed are eternally secure
We need to be careful to not fall prey to some theological thoughts here concerning the “blotting out of the book of life”
Jesus is speaking in a negative way to express a positive- There names are secure
and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.
The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come.
The Book of Life was written before the world was formed
Those who God foreknew, he so called
Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”
A genuine believer need not worry about his eternal life
His life and actions prove himself to be called by God and his name is written in the book
Many in Sardis may not be, many in churches today may not be- I dont know that for sure, but Jesus does
For those who do, Jesus stands as are advocate, confessing our name before God as part of the family of God
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
May we listen, for we may very well be walking closer here than we think