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. 2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. 3 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. 4 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. 5 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.
6 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’
Revelation 3:1-6
Message Structure To All Churches:
Each message to the church has these seven components:
1.) Greeting – God’s knowledge of the church and their works
2.) Description of Jesus – Identification of Jesus in terms relevant to the condition of this Church
3.) Condition – Condition of the Church.
4.) Problem – What is good and what is not.
5.) Counsel – The solution and consequences of rejection
6.) Conditional Promise – If the counsel is followed
7.) Closing – Universal Council to all readers. Listen to what the Spirit says to the seven churches!
Greeting and Problems
The greetings are always short. God goes straight to the heart of their problem. This would indicate that God is eager to help His church. Only He and His instructions will ensure the shortfalls of the people will be corrected. So if we are listening to what the Spirit says to the churches, we will find the solutions to the problems of our local congregations.
The description of the Sardis church revolves around their reputation as being alive. But they are actually dead spiritually. They have many “works” or what we would call community outreach programs, but it lacks Jesus and the gifts of the Spirit. This fact will always cause a church to die spiritually. Just as faith without works is dead, works without Jesus and the Spirit are ineffective and dead despite a great reputation. Their reputation might be real in the community, or it might be self-deception by this body of believers.
Sadly, many of today’s churches might fit into this category where their concern is more about a good reputation and good works, But the power of God’s spirit to bring souls to a knowledge of Christ is cutoff or dead in this church. Never forget that Jesus is the resurrection and the life. He can resurrect a dead church.
Jesus’ Description and His Resources
Jesus’ description of Himself is relevant to this dead church.
Jesus is described as having “seven Spirits of God and the seven stars.”. A casual reading of this snippet might lead one to think this is a new doctrine of seven Holy Spirits. But, when read in the context of others things written in Scripture about the Holy Spirit, it is most likely a description of the complete works of the Spirit even though there are multiple gifts of the Spirit. Jesus “has” access to these gifts, which are given to those who ask for it (Luke 11:13 b). Paul helps clarify this point when he wrote to the once renegade Corinthian church.
There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 1 Corinthians 12: 4-7
Council to the Church
Be watchful– Watchful of what? That would be my first question if I am a member of the Sardis church. God often tells his people to watch and pray. These two usually go together. Jesus told his disciples,
“Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Matthew 26:41
In the case of Sardis, they are weak, as indicated in the next council. Therefore we, like the people of Sardis, must be on our guard and observant of the things around us so that we aren’t tempted away from the side of the Lord.
Strengthen the things that remain. What remains can be found by remembering when they were once strong. There was a spark of life in them because they had, at one time, been living a life of watchfulness and victory over sin.
Remember how you received How did they receive the Lord? It was by faith or trust in God. As time goes by in our spiritual life, we can start up habits, create forgetfulness, and lose sight of the Lord. They had drifted from God and were weak. What remained was only a spark of life. They were on life-support! Their eyes needed to be on Jesus, who started their journey.
“looking unto Jesus, the author, and finisher of our faith,
Hebrews 12:2
keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
Jude 1:21
When we realize we are weak, God asks us to remember how strong God made us when we first began our lives in Him. Remember how God we merciful towards you even though your sins were like smelly sewage. He tells us to hang on and “keep in the love of God.”
Hold Fast– To hold fast takes determination and strength that only God can give you. Many followers of Christ do not realize an enemy is seeking to take away their crown. Even to the Philadelphia church, which received no negative assessments like the other churches, God told them to hang on so that no one would take their crown.
Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.
Revelation 3:11
The enemy has many arrows in his quiver, many tricks, and programs to tempt the believer away. When a person asks Jesus into their life, they enter a spiritual war. It requires “suiting up” for the battle each day. An honest Christian will know what “weights” and “sins” prevent them from putting on the whole armor of God to ensure victory in the fight with self and the enemy.
“let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ” Hebrews 12:1
“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.“
Ephesians 6:11
Repent – It is interesting that repentance is one of the last councils. But it is in the correct order of things. When a person becomes aware of God counseling them, conviction comes upon them, and they are faced with admitting their need for Christ. They repent and turn from their deadly path. Likewise, If this church doesn’t repent, they will not follow the council Jesus gives this church.
Repentance includes sorrow for sin and a turning away from it. We shall not renounce sin unless we see its sinfulness; until we turn away from it in heart, there will be no real change in the life.”
Steps to Christ-White
When Peter preached his powerful sermon in the second chapter of Acts, the people were under great conviction and asked,
“What shall we do?”
The very first words of Peter were, “
Repent.” Acts 2: 37-38
Consequences for Rejecting the Council
If the people of Sardis refuse to watch, the remainder of the council cannot be met. They can’t take their condition casually. They are in trouble even though they can point to their great reputation.
Consequently, Jesus sadly says,
I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.
This doesn’t sound good. This verbiage is similar to another passage of scripture with the same warning:
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
2 Peter 3:10
For those not “watching” for the enemy’s temptations or not “watching” for the return of Christ, the event will come as a surprise. Connected with His coming as a thief is destruction. But those who know the Lord, have repented, and are watching for His return are not overtaken as a thief:
“But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.”
1 Thess 5:4
Good works alone are of no value unless they result from God working through the born-again believer who knows Jesus personally. This is explained by another group of people, like Sardis, who point to their reputation in the community for doing works of religion, even in the name of Christ, but their results are useless:
Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Mathew 7:22
Conditional Promise
Many of God’s promises have a condition. Here is just one example:
Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4
What is the condition? “Delight yourself in the Lord.” Will a person get their heart’s desires if they take no delight in the Lord? No! Will being good, moral, and religious give the desires of your heart? No! It is when you know God enough to take delight in Him!
Sadly, when converted, many people become religious instead of a disciple of Christ. Life in Him by faith is foreign. Consequently, the benefits of being in Christ are not realized. No peace. No Joy, No victory over sins.
This church has a condition to meet if they want the promise, as do we, if met, the promise is sweet!
“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.
Overcoming is a vital part of the Christian experience. But never think that you can do it in your own strength. If we overcome alcohol, drug abuse, infidelity, sexual sins, depression, unbelief, or any other sin that so does so easily beset us, it will be through our connection with Jesus. Otherwise, we can do nothing!
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
John 15:5
The righteous sap of Christ, the vine, feeds the branches and will produce fruit. This means you must be grafted “in Christ.” Being “in Him” was Christ’s prayer for you and me. Will you allow his prayer to be answered in your life?
“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us,
Jesus (John 17: 20-21)
Despite all this warning and council, there were
“a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.“ (Verse 4)
Even in the dead church of Sardis, a few who, like Philadelphia, have no warning given them, only praise from a Holy God. They have the white robes of Christ’s righteousness, and they walk with Him! God always has His people, even in the worst of churches. So this message is not for them except as it relates to giving CPR to a lifeless body. Hopefully, this church will be revived and listen to what the Lord says. That brings us to the last council. It is for you and me in 2022:
Closing Council
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Verse 23
Did you hear what Jesus said to this church? Does it apply to you and me? The council and life support are for us today. We can be resurrected from the dead.
And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,
Ephesians 2:1
If you hear and react to Christ…welcome to life in Jesus! Don’t leave Sardis; help them!