The Church of Sardis and to the Angel of the church and Sardis
right these things, says he who has the seven spirits of God and
the seven stars. We know what they are because
chapter 1 tells us what are they, the churches remember,
where is Jesus in the midst of the churches?
Here's what Jesus says to this church.
Remember this letter was to be written read out in the church
at Sardis, modern Turkey today. I know your works, that you have
a name, that you are alive now here this, but you're dead.
Can you imagine that being read out from the pulpit?
You're dead. Be watchful, interesting, he
says. Be watchful.
Sardis fell a number of times. It was had high place, great
fortification. And on one occasion those who
are attacking the land, we're trying to work out how to get
in. And they saw this guy lost his
helmet, fell over the side and he climbed down.
They watched him climb down, down, down.
They noted how he went back up. And that's how they entered the
city of Silas and the city of Salas had no Watchmen because
they felt that their, their, their place was impregnable.
That's why Jesus says here be watchful and strengthen the
things which remain that are ready to die.
For I have not found your works perfect.
That is complete mature before God.
Remember, therefore, how you have received and heard.
Hold fast and repent. Therefore, if you will not
watch, I'll come upon you as a thief, and you will not know
what hour I will come upon you. You have a few names even in
Sardis, who have not defiled their garments, and they shall
walk with me in white, for thou are worthy.
He whoever comes shall be clothed in white garments.
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.
He was an ear. Let him hear what the Spirit
says to the churches. Jesus here makes a call on his
own church and sawdust, much like a divine coroner.
I spent, I have spent over the past 20 something years, a lot
of time at the morgue with the police and the work of the
coroner. And here Jesus comes across as
the coroner making a call and he pronounces that this church, he
says it's dead. The message of Jesus to Sardis
is one of the most severe of the seven for the poor and
persecuted people of the church at Smyrna.
Remember, Jesus had nothing but price, but for Cyrus, Jesus had
nothing commendable to say, which is quite amazing as this
church had a great reputation in the area.
This church, Jesus does not mention any false doctrine.
Notice there's no Lincoln, Nicolaitans, none of that going
on, no Jezebel there. It does not mention any
persecution. They don't have people, you
know, you're not killing them like Smyrna did.
The church was just comfortable. It was wealthy.
Sardis, the area of Sardis is very wealthy.
It was content. It was coasting, you might say,
and living up it's good reputation.
But Sardis was a cold church. Not cold in temperature, but it
was cold like a dead body. No life, no warmth.
But even in this church, not, not everyone was guilty of that.
Not all the congregation had died in the sense of the walk
with God. Sara still had a chance.
God was giving this church a chance, chance for revival.
A miracle could still happen. But for the most part, this
church amounted to a morgue with a steeple.
And across the top of it, Jesus has spoken fairly harshly.
You'll remember to the church fire Tyre we covered, but at
least they had a few good things to say to the people there.
Not so with Sardis. Jesus jumps right in with a
warning and an exhortation. Sardis was among the most
important and wealthy cities in ancient Asia.
It was the first place that coinage was actually printed
because of its wealth in Asia Minor.
It's location set at the junction what was called the
Imperial Highway that connected Ephesus and Smyrna and Pergamos
with the inland cities of Asia Minor, modern Turkey.
There were two main features to Sardis that distinguished it
from others. It had a an Acropolis, you know,
this big citadel building and that function, however, as a
necropolis. What is that?
That is a graveyard, the cemetery it was called it was
called the cemetery of 1000 hills from over 7 miles away.
As you viewed Sardis, you could not only see the temple of
Diana, this great temple that there was built there same Diana
is also Artemis atop the the Acropolis.
Some of you have been to Greece, you've seen the work there.
But secondly, this cemetery was filled with hundreds of burial
mounds and tombstones. So it was truly, as they say,
the dead, dead centre of the of, of the city, the city Saras, it
was occupied with death, significant.
So it's significant that Jesus tells this church you're dead,
there's no life in you. In other words, Sardis was a
church full of hypocrites. Hypocrites.
The term hypocrite comes from the term hoopocrites.
During the Greek plays and everything that were written,
the hoopocrites, the actors would have a face mask of the,
the part that they're playing on a, on a stick, and they would
speak and act with the mask in front of them of the part
they're playing. They were called hoopocrites.
So Jesus is saying to this church, you guys, you know,
people said well the church is full of hypocrites.
Well, Sardis was. Paul calls such people that
Jesus is Speaking of in Two Timothy 3/5.
He says it would be like this in the last days there will be
people who have a form of godliness.
They know all the words but have denied its power.
They know all the words you know, carry Bibles maybe, maybe
serve and only but they deny the power of God.
We cannot see the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
It's not evidenced saddest as a church lacked the one thing it
needed the most, life, which is the Holy Spirit.
So Jesus introduced himself. Revelation 31 did the church and
the Angel of the church and 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're alive, but
you're dead. Apparently many people in this
church, Sardis, profess to be Christians, but we're unsaved.
How many people do you talk to often when you're talking about
the Bible or Christianity or something like, well, I'm a
Christian too, and you, you go, oh, are you?
Because you know, it's probably a long call to say such.
Jesus, the great Physician, takes the pulse of this church
and spiritually speaking, he finds there's nothing there.
But the church itself had a great reputation in the city of
Sardis for being alive, man. You want to know where?
What church should I go to? Sardis.
It's happened in it. Go there, man.
There's always people there. They're coming and go on.
They always got this on and that on.
That was Sardis. Jesus is using an idiom here.
What's an idiom? An idiom is a group of words
which when used together have a different meaning from the one
suggested by the individual words.
And Jesus quotes, he has the seven spirits of God.
He quotes from Isaiah Chapter 11 verses one to two.
Isaiah said out of the stump of David's family will grow a
chute, yes, a new branch bearing the fruit from the old root, and
the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and
understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of
knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
The seven functions of 7 powers. The number 7 denotes here, and
the terms used. We see 7 descriptions there
denote the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
And so here Sardis as a church needed the infusion of the
sevenfold Spirit of God. What is that?
Just as an individual needs, you know, how do you become born
again? You can't be born again without
you must be born again without the Spirit of God.
Remember, Nicodemus said, how does that happen?
Like that's a bit weird what you're saying.
Jesus, I'm an old man. I'm not going to go back and
have that happen again. No, Nicodemus, you don't
understand. You must be born again.
The Spirit of God must become in must come in you and change your
heart. In the book of Genesis when God
created man, when he created Adam, remember there was just a
pile of dirt, pile of clay looked good, looked great, just
looked like a a person Adam first one, but it was dead
wasn't alive. Then it says God breathed in
humour the breath of life, Genesis 27.
And it says that then man became a living being.
Only then was he alive. The church at Sardis had become
so much like the world. This is what Jesus is saying
about this church so much alike the world around it in the way
that it behaved. It thought that it spoke that it
could no longer confronted society.
You know, we often have people come say, well, it's I'm finding
it difficult being a Christian. I go out and people have a go at
me at work and people say this and you know, and I and I I feel
pressure because now that I'm a Christian, this is happening and
in my class and the teacher has a crack at me at the university,
the lecturer has a crack at me. Guess what, it's because you're
different. You're alive and you're hanging
out with dead people and they see you as something that's not
like them because you're you confront society.
I remember Helen doing a further studies in studies in
anthropology, doing a master's and going on and the lecturer
said, she said to her, I'm not going to write about evolution
because I don't believe evolution.
I will write my answers according to creation.
Oh, well, that's the way you go. So she did you see you, you
confront society. That's why when you are around a
group of people, all of a sudden you get picked on or, or or
you're the square peg, the round hole.
It's because you you you're full of the Spirit of God, but Sardis
no longer confronted in society. This is what being spiritually
dead means. If if when you're out in your
sporting group, in your woman's group, in your men's group or
and then and you're getting along with everybody and you
just blend in with everybody else.
Be careful. It could be that you're
spiritually dead, but you don't have the Holy Spirit alive
within you. There are three factors that had
contributed contributed to Christ's sobering assessment of
Silas. Just what did Jesus spiritual
post mortem reveal? 1 The Church died because its
members relied upon their past successes.
Well, I've been baptised. I've, I've done this, I, I've
been through Holy Communion, I, I've been confirmed, I've, I've
done the catechism. I, I, I go to church.
None of those make you a Christian.
And the past successes. It's a sure sign of death when a
church worships its past, it's history and it's tradition.
This is how we've done it always.
We've always done it this way. Secondly, this church lived on
the surface of things. It's members cared more about
their reputation than the reality that was taking place
around them. We had a little note left on our
servery here during the week one of the guys picked up.
It was about to from the river to the sea about Palestine
people. You know, we had a the Israeli
flag at in one morning when we're setting it up, guys, you
can have that flag up there, but you can't have that flag out the
front. You see, if you, if you stand
for Israel, you're standing for God and you're going to be
different. The reason that you stand for
Israel is not because I think they're a great people because
the Bible says they just, they weren't anything great about
them. We stand for Israel because the
Bible says stand for Israel, pray for them, love them.
They're my people. But the Church of Sardis was
more concerned about their reputation than the reality that
was taking place around them. And whilst they he said, Jesus
says you have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled
their garments. They shall walk with me and
white for thou worthy those who were saved.
So while the church at Sardis had a great exterior and
supposedly sound reputation, underneath he was dead.
Filth and spiritual death lay underneath.
You'd say the church was wearing a beautiful burial garment.
Historian Herodotus said of Sardis that it had become LAX in
its moral standards and open in licentiousness.
What is that saying? In other words, the world had
invited that church. That's why the church was
thought. That's a great church, man.
That's a Oh yeah, we all go there, they hang out with us.
We because it was the same. It wasn't any different.
It didn't confront you could live how you please and you
could fellowship there. The world invited it with its
morals and behaviour. The members of the church became
so concerned with their reputation, what others thought
about them. That's what reputation is, that
they lost all their character. They blended.
You and I, we, we're never going to blend.
I always run into people when when you're a pastor and you run
into different pastors and ministers, they go, oh, what you
do? You don't believe you're not
teaching Genesis, are you? You know, that's just there
because it's, we don't really know if it's Scripture.
I go what? Yes, and they're behind pulpits
and churches today. You're not one of those born
again, Isaiah. Well, actually, yeah, because
John chapter 3 says I have to be Jesus said so.
Reputation is an interesting word.
What another's opinion is of a personal thing is what
reputation is. It's how you're being perceived.
And you know what, there's too many people who come to church
and go to church who are more concerned about their reputation
with people than they are concerned about their their walk
with God. Paul just nailed that.
He said, I don't care what you say about me.
God's my witness. God's my witness.
Character is how you are really living.
It's who you really are. So saddest was a church filled
with nominal Christians who were living superficially for God.
Thirdly, the congregation that Sardis became satisfied with
aimless activity. That's one thing we've really
focused on here. You go, well, you don't have too
many programmes here, correct? Correct.
Because a lot of programmes that occur are aimless activity.
If you want a programme you can go to the Golf Club, the surf
club, the Mccramy club, the Bowling Club, local community
centre, the sewing centre, whatever.
You can do all those things, you go, we'll keep the same, just
listen to me. The cooking club, the muffin
club, whatever, You can do all those things at those places.
It's funny how Jesus said, but my house shall be a House of
prayer. When it was a marketplace.
You see aimless activity. What's the sense of doing what
we're doing? Is it going to win souls?
Is it going to tell people about Christ?
Is it going to impact the community?
What we got? A lot of people come along.
Great, let's have free beer, free hamburgers.
You know, we'll pack the joint every Wednesday.
Hey, it's free beer and free hamburgers across the road.
We pack it out. That church is an awesome place.
Jesus told the people their works were imperfect or
incomplete. They served and worked with no
heart, no life in what they did. And what I'm saying here is that
Jesus saying is the Holy Spirit was not driving these
activities. You know what?
When we should do something is when God says do this.
Because I know what it's like in my early years as a young
minister, I go, here's a good idea, let's do this.
God says over the years I learnt that's good, I don't want you
doing that. I'm not interested in that.
You see, the Bible is very clear what the early church did.
Holy Spirit driven activities is what we need.
Whilst the surrounding community saw Sardis as a great church,
they had the reputation. Jesus saw them as empty,
lifeless shell. It had a lot of irons in the
fire, but none were hot, none had life.
Well, what's the antidotes of such a spiritual, spiritual,
serious spiritual malaise? 1 realised Firstly something is
wrong that's the first thing. Isn't that what Alcoholics and
non obstique realise first I got a problem realise first thing
Realise firstly something is wrong.
So Jesus tells those who still had a little lie for them wake
up. Verse 2 strengthen what remains
and is about to die for I found what your deeds unfinished in
the sight of my God. Wake up, the NIV says I think
wake up, realise there's something wrong.
Secondly, Jesus then says strengthen what remains and it
is about to die. The Greek word used here means
stabilise that which is frail. Paul used the same term when he
was on his third missionary journey through Galatia, when he
said in Acts 1823, after he had spent some time there, he
departed, went over the region of Galatia and for India in
order strengthening all the disciples.
This is the same word. I will go and strengthen the
brothers. Paul wanted to return to these
Christians and strengthen them lest they fall away.
Thirdly, this church, they would have called to memory the basics
once again. What are we supposed to be
doing? That's what you and I should
always be asking yourself. You know, that's a good thing in
a role of a husband, the role of a wife, the role of a mother and
a father, the role of a Christian.
What is it that I'm supposed to be doing?
We should always go back. What actually is it that I
should be doing? We can only assume that they had
received the core things of the faith, such as the gospel and
the Holy Spirit. Jesus instructed the church
members at Sardis to look to their past and get in touch with
their heritage. Look how far you've drifted from
where you began. Similar to the church at
Ephesus, that which had once made them great, the foundation
on which they built was a wise one originally member, wise
builder, foundation. Who's the foundation?
The rock. Who's the rock?
Christ, the unwise builder, just continues building and building
and building on sand. Yet Jesus urged them to use
those things of their past as a guidepost.
Remember what we used to do? That's what we should be doing.
Not a hitching post. Oh yeah, this church.
I remember when in 45 when the revival swept through.
Only we had a revival. We had a revival once.
You know Revelation 3/5 heathen overcomes the same shall be
clothed in white raiment. And I will not blot out his name
out of the Book of life, but I will confess his name before my
Father and before his angels. This verse at times confuses
many because it appears, it seems to imply that a genuine
believer can lose his or her salvation.
But this is not what the text teaches at all, nor does any
scripture as such. What is meant by the Book of
Life? Well, some believe the Book of
Life is a register in which the names of people are added the
moment they receive Christ. Others believe it's a record of
every person who has ever been born since the time Christ died,
and that their names are removed at the end of their lives if
they die in their sins. Well, the Bible tells us there
are in fact two books. As a matter of fact, the Bible
tells us a lot of books, doesn't it?
It's going to be books opened. Books opened in heaven.
The Bible tells us there are in fact two books that we need to
look at tonight. The book of the living one.
Secondly, the book of life 2, The book of the living is the
record of every person who was born.
When a person dies, his or her name is removed from the book of
the living. In Exodus chapter 32, you
remember the children of Israel have sinned.
They've done just just golden calves.
They've just carried on. Moses goes back up onto the
mountain to speak to God, and there Moses intercedes on behalf
of the people of Israel because of their sin with the golden
calf. Moses essentially said to God,
God, please forgive your people. Don't wipe me out.
And if you'll not forgive them, then blot me out of your book
which you've written. In other words, take my life
instead. Now Moses was willing to have
his life cut short in order to save the people who had sinned.
But God responded, Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot
him out of my book. He's a holy God.
God was going to punish the guilty with physical death, and
it happened. In Psalm 6928, David makes a
similar statement about God punishing his enemies by
blotting their names out of the book of the living.
In other words, take them out, Lord.
Psalm 6928 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living
and not be written with the righteous.
But here in our text tonight, verse 5, Jesus is talking about
the book of life. This is a record of every
genuine believer. In Philippians chapter 4 verse
3, Paul mentions this while describing genuine believers who
were fellow workers. Paul says that their names are
in the book of life. Philippians 4 three.
And I urge you also, True Companion, help these women who
laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest
of my fellow workers whose names are in the book of life.
Later on in the Book of Revelation chapter 13, verse 8,
this record is described as being the book of life of the
Lamb. Same Then in Revelation chapter
20 verse 15, at the judgement of the unsaved, the great white
Throne judgement all the dead second resurrection erased.
At the judgement of the unsaved we read that their names were
what not found in the book of life.
Finally in Revelation 2127 we read that heaven will be
inhabited only by those whose names are written in the Lamb's
book of life. So whilst some have attempted to
interpret Revelation 3/5 as the possibility of losing 1's
salvation, it actually teaches the opposite.
Genuine believers, like the Remnant in Sardis, can never
have their names blotted out of the Book of Life, which is the
book that records the name of every true believer.
Your salvation is sure. Otherwise, you know, you go to
bed. How would you wake up?
You can't go to bed. Well, that's pretty, pretty good
tomorrow. Well, Gee, I hope I'm good
tomorrow. It's eternal life.
Not not possible eternal life, not considerable with with a
few, you know, bits and pieces here Jesus told his disciples,
remember they came back rejoicing.
Wow, Jesus, you know this happened and that happened.
We did miracles and then Jesus that that's not what you should
be rejoicing about. He says rejoice because your
name is written in heaven. You know how it's written in
permanent marker. In permanent marker.
John chapter 10, my favourite chapter in the Gospel of John,
probably my one of my favourite chapters over all in the Bible.
John chapter 10 verse 27. My sheep hear my voice, and I
know them, and they follow me, and I give them eternal life,
and they shall never perish, neither shall anyone snatch them
out of my hand, Paul says in Romans chapter 8.
What shall separate us from the love of God?
Nothing. Death, Height, length, breadth,
anything created in the universe under the universe you know man
nothing. And here when it says, and they
shall never perish, in the Greek it actually says this.
You shall never know, never know, never know, never perish.
He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the
churches. The key is to having your name
written in the Lamb's book of life.
How does that happen? Jesus, I come to you as a
Sinner. I confess my sins before you.
I know that I'm worthy of judgement.
But Lord, I call upon you now. I asked.
And in the name of Jesus, your Son, I believe that he died on
the cross for me. I believe that He died for the
penalty of my sins. I accept that and by faith now I
ask you to come into my life and be now my Lord and Saviour.
I ask this in Jesus name, Amen. That's all you do.