Living in the Last Days (6)

Rekindling your Spiritual Life

Revelation 3:1-6

I. Intro

As we continue to study the seven churches, remember they represent the various spiritual conditions of churches until Jesus returns. They also represent the seven types of Christians- one of which is much like you. Therefore, you need to find yourself in the seven churches so you can see what Jesus says to that particular church. Then, you can know the changes you need to make to continue growing as a Christian. We are now going to visit the church at Sardis. Sardis was about 30 miles southeast of Thyatira. Centuries before Christ, it was politically and economically one of the most important cities in Asia. Sardis is also the place where the first coins in the world were minted. However, by the time of the Roman Empire, it had declined dramatically. It retained its wealth but was no longer a famous or important city. Apparently, like the city, the church in Sardis was also in decline and living on its past glory. Today, the small village of Sart, Turkey sits near the ruins of the once magnificent Sardis. Ancient Sardis, the capital of Lydia, was a most important city. It was at the junction of five main roads, so it was a perfect center for trade. It was also a military center, for it was located on an almost inaccessible plateau. The acropolis of Sardis was about 1,500 feet above the main roads, and it formed an impregnable fortress. The main religion in the city was the worship of Artemis, one of the “nature cults” that built on the idea of death and rebirth. Sardis was also known for its manufacture of woolen garments, a fact that has bearing on Christ’s message to the church. Sad to say, the city at that time was but a shadow of its former splendor; and the church, unfortunately, had become like the city- it was alive in name only. We are still listening to what the Holy Spirit has to say to the churches; for these messages from Christ belong to our day as well as to the first century. Churches are people, and human nature has not changed. So, as we continue our study we must not look on these letters as ancient relics. On the contrary, they are mirrors in which we see ourselves! The message to Sardis is a warning to all “great churches” that are living on past glory. Dr. Vance Havner has frequently reminded us that spiritual ministries often go through four stages: a man, a movement, a machine, and then a monument. Sardis was at the “monument” stage, but there was still hope! There was hope because Christ was the Head of the church and He was able to bring new life. He described Himself as the one possessing the seven Spirits and the seven stars. There is only one Holy Spirit. Ephesians 4:4 “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling.” but the number seven demonstrates fullness and completeness. The seven Spirits of God are mentioned four times in Revelation. The Holy Spirit gives life to the church, and life is exactly what the people at Sardis needed. The seven Spirits of God is pictured as seven burning lamps Revelation 4:5 “ And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.” and as seven all-seeing eyes. Revelation 5:6 “And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.” Rekindling your spiritual life has four components:

II. Recognize

To rekindle your spiritual life, first recognize your need. Addressing the previous four churches, our Lord began with a word of commendation. However, our Lord’s first word to the church at Sardis is, “I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest.” How does Jesus describe the church next? “Thou art dead.” These are very strong words. In its glory days, the church at Sardis had the reputation of being a vibrant, spiritual church. However when Jesus sends this letter, He pronounces them spiritually dead. Christ always knows the difference between our spiritual reputation and its reality. Without Christ, we are spiritually dead in trespasses and sin. Ephesians 2:1 “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;” However, this kind of spiritual death is not the problem with the church at Sardis. They are spiritually dead because they have lost their spiritual vitality and are just going through the motions of serving the Lord. They are spiritually asleep. That’s why our Lord tells them, “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain.” The word ‘things’ doesn’t refer to people but to what spiritual power remains in the church. The spiritual fire in the church at Sardis is dying. Therefore, the Lord wants them to strengthen the few signs of spiritual life that remain. The word translated ‘perfect’ (pleroo, play-ro-oh) means their works lacked spiritual motivation. Their works may have been impressive to people, but not to God. Their service was formality, not reality. The Lord Jesus wants them to recognize this. All of the church’s man-made programs can never bring life, any more than a circus can resurrect a corpse. The church was born when the Spirit of God descended on the Day of Pentecost in Act 2, and it’s life comes from the Spirit. When the Spirit is grieved, the church begins to lose life and power. When sin is confessed and church members get right with God and each other, then the Spirit infuses new life-revival. To rekindle your spiritual life, first recognize the condition of the spiritual slumber, then remember......

III. Remember

Jesus says to the church at Sardis, “Remember therefore how thou hast received.” There are two things to remember if you want to rekindle your spiritual flame. First, you must remember the salvation you received in Christ. You need to remember how you were saved. 2 Corinthians 5:21 “ For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” Our salvation is free, but it is not cheap; it cost God His only Son. Therefore, remember also what you heard about the cross. The Bible is the basis for rekindling your spiritual life because it constantly reminds you of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for your sins. Once you see what the Bible says about your condition, hold fast, which means to obey. It is not enough to know what the Bible says. As James says, “Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only.” This means you weave God’s Word into every area of your life. Christians who need to rekindle their spiritual lives must remember and obey what they have been taught from God’s Word.

IV. Repent

To obey God’s Word in the area of rekindling your spiritual life, you must first repent. This requires more than just being sorry for the sin of letting your spiritual flame die down. The word ‘repent’ (metanoeo, meta-no-oh) refers to a change of mind followed by a change in behaviour. You can do a spiritual about-face and start living whole-heartily for Christ. Lamentations 3:40 “ Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.” What will happen if the believers at Sardis don’t wake up and repent? Christ says, “I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.” Coming as a ‘thief’ means to come by surprise. This coming doesn’t refer to the Second Coming, but to coming judgment on the church. The judgment could be just leaving the church to self-destruct, as is happening today in many churches and in many Christian lives. To rekindle your spiritual life, recognize, remember, repent, and......

V. Refocus

Refocus on the reward of rekindling your spiritual life. There are at least some godly beleivers in the church at Sardis. Therefore, Jesus says the church has a few.....which have not defiled their garments. Not having defiled garments depicts moral purity and service, uncontaminated by self-glory or hypocrisy. To these undefiled, Christ promises two things. 1.) Attire- He says, “They shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.” These are not earthly white clothes, but heavenly white clothes that will be given to the righteous in Heaven. They are like the clothes of the glorified Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration. Mark 9:3 “And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.” Christ promises “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment.” The reward of the undefiled overcomer is not only heavenly attire, but also..... 2.) Assurance- “I will not blot out his name out of the book of life.” Some take this as a threat, rather than a wonderful promise of assurance. This promise assures us our names will never be erased from the book of life. When we are truly born again, we will overcome the world through our faith. Besides having the assurance our names will never be blotted out, or erased, from the book of life, Christ also says He will confess our names before His Father, and before His angels. The word translated ‘confess’ could be translated “acknowledge” or “announce.” I remember when I played basketball. My parents used to call me “Jesse Jordan.” At the beginning of games the announcer calls the names of the players in the starting lineup. I think it will be the same way in Heaven. Christ will announce the name of each of His true followers before God the Father and before His angels. The letter to the church at Sardis ends like all other letters. Anyone that hath an ear to hear should listen to what the Spirit saith unto the churches. So, if your spiritual life needs rekindling, listen to what Jesus says through the Holy Spirit to the church at Sardis.

VI. Conclusion

There are no words of commendation to the believers at Sardis. Nor did the Lord point out any doctrinal errors that required attention. Neither is there any mention of opposition or persecution. The church would have been better off had there had been some suffering, for it had grown comfortable and content and was living on its past reputation. There was reputation without reality, form without force. Like the city itself, the church at Sardis gloried in past splendor, but ignored present decay. The Lord warned the Ephesian church that He would remove their lampstand if they did not repent. He warned the church at Pergamos that He would come and make war with the Sword of the Spirit. If the believers in Sardis did not follow His orders, He would come as a thief, when they least expected Him; and this would mean judgment. As unbelievers die, their names are removed from the book; thus, at the final judgment, the book contains only the names of believers. It then becomes “the Lamb’s Book of Life,” because only those saved by the Lord Jesus have their names in it. All the others have been blotted out, something God would never do for any true child of God. The warning here is that we not grow comfortable in our churches, lest we find ourselves slowly dying. The encouragement is that no church is beyond hope as long as there is a remnant in it, willing to strengthen them that remain.