Letter to Sardis: A church died because its lost its way

Bible End Times Prophecy Series – Week 42

The Seven Churches of Revelation

Revelation 3:1-6 (NASB)

Ruins of Temple of Artemis at Sardis/Simon Jenkins

Letter to the church at Sardis

1 “To the angel of the church in Sardis write:

He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 

² Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. 

³ So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.

⁴ But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. 

⁵ He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and 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.’

Background and commentary

John the apostle is considered the writer of the Apocalypse or Revelation. He wrote down what the risen Lord Jesus Christ both told and showed him in a series of visions of the future. The letters to the seven churches in Asia Minor are messages that apply to the Christian church overall as well as to individual believers.

In John’s time, Sardis was a strategically located city controlled by the Roman Empire. It was formerly part of the Persian Empire, and reflected a mix of Greek, Roman and Persian cultures – all three characterized by the worship of pagan deities. The place is now known as Sart, Turkey, and the ancient city is undergoing archaeological excavation, according to Wikipedia.

Jesus did not provide many details about what led to the spiritual death of the church at Sardis. He indicates that the believers there did not finish what they started. Apparently, this message would have been understood by the Christians there.

Jesus provides the remedies: Repent; remember, strengthen and keep what they had received from the preaching of the Gospel. The fact that a “few” had not “soiled” their garments suggests that the faltering Christians had compromised their faith through incomplete repentance. They were unwilling, or felt like they could not, separate themselves from the sinful paganistic culture of their day (Rev. 3:4-5).

Jesus provided strong incentives to those who obeyed Him: He would not “erase” their names from the book of Life, they would be clothed in white (heavenly) garments and He would acknowledge them before the Father.

Live victorious lives

John 15:4 “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.”

1 John 2:16 (NIV) – “For everything in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--comes not from the Father but from the world.

1 John 2:16 (NLT) – “For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.”

Jesus Christ, the Savior – You must be born again

The sinless Jesus Christ took on the sins of the world AND the punishment for those sins so that we could be saved.

Today, if you do not know Jesus, receive His free offer of salvation and put all your trust in Him.

John 1:29 (NLT) – “The next day he [John the Baptist] saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

2 Corinthians 6:2 – “ For God says,

“At just the right time, I heard you.
    On the day of salvation, I helped you.”

Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.”

Acts 2:38 (NLT) – “Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’”

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Shalom

Faith Today Christian Ministries

(This ministry exists to exalt the name of Jesus)