2021-9-12, Revive and Rebuke: Jesus Speaks to His Church, The Church at Sardis, Revelation 3:1-6
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Introduction
Introduction
So, back in the Victorian Era in the 1800s, photography had progressed to where it was affordable and accessible to more people.
People started to use it to capture memories for their families.
Also during this time, death from disease was common. For a season during this time, an unsettling trend in photography developed in which family members photographed their deceased loved ones. They discovered a way to remember their loved one, and so they used it.
However, it gets a bit more unsettling than just photographing a deceased loved one, they wanted the rest of the family in the picture too. Then they thought, “Well, let’s not have our deceased love one look dead, let’s dress him up, prop him up, and present him as living.”
If you ever see these photos, sometimes they are done well and you can barely tell, other times they are not done well and the death is obvious. However they do it, the photos are a bit unnerving.
The reason why I bring this up is that churches and their members can look like they are alive, but they are really dead.
There are churches with members who practice religion, but have never met the living Lord Jesus Christ, so they are spiritually unregenerate.
There are dying churches with only a few spiritually alive believers in the group.
Sometimes spiritually dead churches close their doors. Other times, they stay open for years and years, portraying themselves as alive, but the Holy Spirit is not there, indwelling the hearts of the people.
Churches always need to do a spiritual evaluation, “Is our church spiritually alive or dead? How do we know? Are we dying, or are we thriving?
What about our members, do they know Jesus? or are they only posing that they do?
What about you? Are you alive in Jesus Christ? or are you a spiritual corpse going through the motions of a believer? This is important to know because Jesus’ people and church are known by their spiritual life and love.
This opening illustration and these question are inspired by the the church of Sardis (Rev. 3:1-6).
This church is known in Revelation as the dead church. We shall see that it acted as if it was alive, but it was just an unnerving facade.
In Revelation 3, Jesus speaks to the church at Sardis.
1 “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.
To the pastor of the church, Jesus introduces Himself as “the one who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.”
The seven spirits is a reference to the Holy Spirit.
You will recall that seven is the number of wholeness and completion. This description refers to the fullness of The Holy Spirit. This is supported by
And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
with seven descriptors of the Holy Spirit. Also in
And the angel who talked with me came again and woke me, like a man who is awakened out of his sleep. And he said to me, “What do you see?” I said, “I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on the top of it. And there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.” And I said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.” Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain. And he shall bring forward the top stone amid shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’ ”
Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.
“These seven are the eyes of the Lord, which range through the whole earth.”
the Holy Spirit is described as a lampstand with seven lamps.
An important point for all believers and churches of the Lord Jesus Christ is that The Holy Spirit represents Christ in His Church. (JM, BTTIN, 80). When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we are filled with Christ (Eph. 1:23).
In Jesus’ right hand Seven stars- Pastors of the seven churches.
“He depicted Himself as the One who sovereignly works in His church through the Holy Spirit and godly leaders.” JM 80
Jesus skipped over the normal praise and went straight to the concern.
He says that Sardis had a reputation (a name, onoma) for being spiritually alive because of how they acted, but they were truly dead.
They were dressed up, propped up, and made to look alive, but they were not (they were dead). The bulk of the members of Sardis did not know Christ and were spiritually dead. Church was marked by inward decay (83).
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
James said that faith without works is dead (James 2:17), Jesus taught also that works without faith are dead. It’s legalism. This church is reminiscent of Mt. 23:27 (white-washed tombs, pretty outside but dead inside).
This means that they were Living a lie. They were not as they seemed.
This lampstand did not pass inspection
How did they get to this spot?
The church started out as alive, but over the generations it became devoid of the Holy Spirit of Life.
This most likely means that the church did not evangelize and disciple its next generations.
Persecution, false teaching, idol worship, and sexual immorality likely chipped away at its core.
People just came to church and did the motions, but the number of actually saved people in the church dwindled.
The church story mirrored the city of Sardis, Which was once very wealthy, but after a couple defeats (because of carelessness), it became a decaying city.
However, There was a remnant in the church who were alive.
4 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.
Few names- There is onoma again. But this time it represents those who were alive and acted alive
They walk with Jesus in love & obedience; truth and righteousness. Unsoiled garments
will walk in white garments
They are worthy because Christ lives in them.
but they are a dwindling group
To this remnant and to the dead in the church, Jesus commands...
2 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.
Wake up- ginomai, to become, to exist, quicken
gregoron- be alert, awake
Watch out for what’s about to happen- the church is about to disappear.
Their works are not complete are those of evangelism and discipleship.
Churches must be proactive in spiritual life, or they may eventually die.
Don’t keep on the track you are on or the church will perish.
Strengthen- firm up the gospel and the teachings of Christ among you.
defined in 3:3; Remember, Keep, Repent
to the living- become more alive in Christ
works complete- pepleromena, full, satisfying
to the dead
become alive through the gospel.
3 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.
Warning
Like a thief- a criminal who typically relies on stealth to take property belonging to someone else.
Hour unknown
Against you
5 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. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
Promise for the conqueror, overcomer, victor, nikao
Clothed in white garments
Name never blotted out of book of life. Register of citizens
Jesus will confess His name before Father and angels
Listen up what the Spirit says
Wake up
Strengthen
Remember
Keep
Repent
Win and disciple the dead.