Σάρδεις, εων, αἱ
The Letter to Sardis
The Dead Church
Revelation 3:1-6
“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.” ’
Sardis was about thirty-five miles southeast of
Thyatira and sixty-five miles off the coast. It was once a wealthy city on a
hill—well more like at the top of a cliff. Today, it’s called, Sart, an obscure
village with about 5,000 people; and extensive ruins.
The history of Sardis, could be featured in Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. Once considered the greatest city in the world. They were wealthy in wool and garments and everything they touched seemed to turn to gold. Literally, kind of.
The gold laden, Pactolus River ran through it. It’s said, wealthy King Croesus, pulled the gold from the river and invented and minted coins, for the first time in history. You may have heard the phrase, “rich as Croesus.” Mythological legend has it that Midas bathed in the river to rid himself of the gift-turned-curse, golden touch, thus the gold within the river.
They built a fortress on a spur of Mount Tmolus. Steep cliffs on three sides and the golden river on the other. They called their fortress, The Impregnable (that was a bit like calling the, Titanic, The Unsinkable).
They were indeed a city on a hill. They were rich and
secure; their lives were soft and easy. They lived the American Dream, before
America was ever, a dream.
They were confident, so confident in fact that they couldn’t be
sacked, they were asleep at the wheel…or at the guard post. A single
soldier, nodded off to sleep, his helmet fell off his head, bounced off the
wall, and clanged down the cliff. He sleepily, scaled down the secret passage
to retrieve his helmet, and unknowingly revealed the entrance to the enemy. Then, like a thief in the night, about 547 B.C., Cyrus, sacked, the
unsackable.
Then, because history repeats itself for those who fail to remember; in 334 B.C. The Impregnable Sardis was
sacked again, in the same way, for the same reason, by Alexander the Great.
The city on a hill, the greatest city on earth, was invaded, and overrun, not because of their lack of strength, or ability,
or means, but because they failed to heed history, and protect their border.
One other historical marker for Sardis, was around 17A.D.
it was devastated by an earthquake. Do you think Jesus, felt the earth shake? He
was a teenager at the time, about six or seven hundred miles southeast. The quake
came, while they slept, like a thief in the night.
Emperor Tiberius offered the Roman version of FEMA
funds, and also refunded five years’ worth of taxes. The city was rebuilt
without the residents having to endure any financial hardship.
Once again, money just seemed to flow like the Pactolus
River. Like so often does, with those who live on easy street,
they became the arrogant, soft and lazy.
Why go to all the effort of climbing the hill? We are
the hill. We’re the top of the ladder. By the time Jesus sent this letter, The
Impregnable citadel, was just a crumbling, ancient, monument. The town had rebuilt
in the valley. A valley, that from God’s perspective, may have looked a lot
like a coffin.
To these Jesus begins His letter.
“And to the angel (aggelos,
messenger, pastor) of the church in Sardis
write,
‘These things says He who has
the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars:
To all the other Churches, the descriptor of Jesus,
was as if He showed up, with His sleeves rolled up, ready to work. Warrior or
Judge, He was perfectly present, with them, ready to get things done.
Walking in their midst in Ephesus,
Alive and well in Smyrna, with a sharp two-edged sword in Pergamos,
with eyes of fire in Thyatira…but not so, in Sardis, here, it’s
different.
He announces Himself as God, reveals His completeness
and perfection by back-to-back use of the number seven. He doesn’t relate to them
and their circumstance, like He did with the other Churches. How could He? Light
has no fellowship with darkness, nor Life with death.
Without hesitation or easing into the conversation
with commendations, the Great Physician, announces the terminal diagnosis.
“I know your works, that you have a name that
you are alive, but you are dead.
He pulls up a chair beside the hospice bed, of Sardis,
and simply tells the Truth, you are dead.
The archaeologists’ autopsy, has determined cause of death.
The Jewish synagogue, perhaps
the largest outside of Jerusalem, was right next to the Roman gymnasium. Which
was like a nudist colony and whore house, on steroids. From the synagogue, they
had front row seats to see the athletes play, in the open, in the nude. They
didn’t have the internet, so this was how they watched porn, back then. And then,
inside were the baths, where every kind of sexual immorality was as common as
golfers with martinis, at the 19th hole.
Christian emblems,
can be found in the midst of the Sardis agora, (marketplace). Remember, this was
where, in honor of some false god, you’d sprinkle a little incense for entrance.
You’d admit, out loud, “Cesar is lord” for your permit to market your wares.
Most Churches were being persecuted,
imprisoned, tortured, martyred.
But not Sardis, they were alive and well. Somehow, the
Church of Sardis, found a way to “do church” without rocking the boat, ruffling
feathers. They figured out how to fit in.
There are no signs of struggle, or persecution. No
evidence of their Light hurting the eyes of those who dwelt in the dark.
No indication of, the salt of the earth, stinging the open sores of sin.
How’d they do it?
Jesus said, they’re dead.
Folks don’t bother with the dead, the dim, the bland,
the saltless.
Does the “church” of Sardis, still exist?
Could Jesus say, “You are dead” to some, in America?
No, never, not here. After all, we’re, one nation
under God. The greatest nation on earth. We’re the last bastion of hope. A city
on a hill. We’re unsinkable, impregnable. Besides,
we have Jesus splashed in neon lights. On billboards. We’re on TV, all over
the world. We raised millions to save whales and trees, and, the climate. We pursue
peace. We marched with BLM. We love everybody. We allow LGBTQRSTUVWXYZ to sing
in our choir. We’re tolerant. Big Bubba with the beard, in a dress, and heels,
and lipstick and make-up, we let him, or I mean her, or um, yeah, anyway, Bubba
reads stories about love to our kids. We’re just like God; pro-choice. Not like
those hateful, only one way to heaven, take the Bible and Constitution literal,
narrow minded bigots.
Jesus says, you are dead.
The Warning Signs were there.
Ephesus,
lost their first love, Pergamos, compromised, after the persecution of Smyrna.
Thyatira complied with corruption, which led to the demise, in Sardis…and
the US…and the world.
Be watchful, (awake) and
strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found
your works perfect (complete) before
My God. Revelation 3:2.
Although Jesus offers no commendation at the
start of the conversation, He also, offers no condemnation as He sits,
next to the death bed of Sardis.
Have you ever sat next to the dying?
You don’t give them a list of things they need to do
better, or changes they need to make. It’s too late for that.
He didn’t give the thief on the cross a laundry list.
He simply read his repentant heart, and said, “this day, you’ll be with Me,
in paradise.”
Jesus tells them to be watchful, to wake up, to
get your house in order. To strengthen what you can, make amends, tie up loose
ends, where possible, before you die. Your works, your deeds, your life, hasn’t
been perfect. That word, perfect, means, complete. You have some things
undone, not complete.
Take care
of what’s undone, so you can hear, “Well done.”
My God.
Some translations omit the word, “My” however,
most say, My God. Notice Jesus didn’t say, “our God” or “your
God” He could’ve just said, “Me” since He is God. Yet, He said, “My
God.”
My,
in the original text uses the word, ἐγώ, egṓ; only expressed when emphatic.
He was making an emphatic point, to make it abundantly clear, your
god, is not God.
You’re dead. Your life is incomplete. You
have unfinished business. With the little time that remains, you need to make, My
God, your God.
Remember therefore how you
have received and heard; hold fast and repent... Revelation 3:3.
Remember your First Love. Remember
from where you’ve fallen (Revelation 2:5).
When beside the bedside of one about to breath their
last. It never fails, we relive the past. Remember when, we did this, you did
that. We pull memories from the good old days. We endeavor to finish well.
Jesus does the same. He reminds of the glory days, before the fall, before the thief, before the quake. He does it for a purpose, not just comfort.
I know it’s hard, after all that’s happened, but you
must remember, and hold fast to that faith and hope in Me, you
once had…and repent.
Hospice is concerned with comfort more
than cure. Jesus is concerned with cure more than comfort.
Therefore,
if you will not watch, (grégoreó: to be
awake) I will come upon you as a thief, and
you will not know what hour I will come upon you.
As we’ve seen in all the letters, Jesus doesn’t shy
away from hard conversations. The ones that slap our sinful, slothful, souls awake—like
a shot of Tabasco.
The Special Forces Ranger needed sleep, wanted sleep, hadn’t slept in three
days. But falling asleep wasn’t an option. Falling asleep, meant certain death. So, the cure was a shot of Tabasco sauce, in each
eye. Slaps, sleep right out of your head. Makes you feel like your brain’s on fire.
Dear Church, the warning is clear. There is no time
for slumber.
Sardis, understood those words, as a thief.
Thrice they were taken by surprise, like a thief in the night. Perhaps, that’s
why they gave up, threw in the towel, laid down and died.
They started strong. Time and again, life happened, like
it happens to all of us. But they bounced back, they rebuilt the shining city
on a hill.
But then, that last time, the time the
earth shook; that was too much. That time it wasn’t
their fault. They didn’t let down their guard. They weren’t over confident, or asleep
at the wheel. But even still, the quake happened.
We were living right, eating well, exercising, taking
care of ourselves, and yet, the cancer struck without warning. We were cautious,
we followed the rules, yet, the virus, snuck in like a thief. Then, there’s the
doctor’s report. The funeral. The drunk driver. The rape. The divorce. The call
from the police station. The war. The election. The corruption.
All was peace and safety. Then, the earthquake shook
us to the core. We were done. No more. That day, we died.
Or maybe, it didn’t take an earthquake. Perhaps all it
took was; the lust of the
flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. 1 John 2:16.
The day you eat thereof, you
shall surely die. Genesis 2:17.
Either way, Jesus says: Stay Awake! Remember! Hold
Fast! Repent! I AM coming. Soon.
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. Revelation 3:4
There’s always a remnant.
Notice He says, a few (not many), names in
Sardis. Not a few names with you. Or a few names in the church of Sardis. He
says a few names in Sardis. They may not even be in your church, but
they’re in His.
Jesus sees and hears, the faithful, few.
The faithful few, may not be the ones behind the microphone, up on stage, the rich, the famous, the gifted and talented, but the lowly, the quiet, the weak, the praying grandmas, the humble gatherings of prayerful, faithful, saints. Those Huddled in bomb shelters, in Ukraine; hiding in underground Churches in china and iran…the faithful few, sitting in a little clubhouse Bible Study, at Whispering Pines Village (1 Corinthians 1:26-28).
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. Revelation 3:5.
Sardis, knew garments, and they knew those in white
were the winners, the overcomers, of the games, the elite at the festivals, those
who walked cleansed and bathed beside the gold laden river.
White represents the overcomers, cleansed
from sin, those who will walk with Jesus, on streets laden with gold.
I will not blot out
his name from the Book of Life…
Census records
were kept for the citizens. Those who moved, died or were criminals, were blotted
from the book. (Unless it was an election year. Just kidding. Maybe).
Jesus tells us, overcomers, shall have their sins
forgiven, and their names will not be blotted out of the Book of Life. That
means, those who do not overcome, will have their names blotted
out of the book of life.
Notice it doesn’t say, the name of the
overcomer will be written in the Book of Life. It simply says it won’t
be blotted out.
I always thought that when a person was born again,
the angels rejoiced and their name was written in the Book of Life.
But what about this verse: And if anyone was found
whose name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of
fire. Revelation 20:15.
If the names are written after salvation, then
what about kids who are too young to make a decision?
Well, they haven’t reached the age of accountability,
so they get a pass. They’re automatically in.
Okay, good. So, when does their name get put in
the Book? Because it says, anyone not written in the Book of Life, is
thrown into the lake of fire.
And what about those who never heard? The guy in the
jungle? Or the person without the mental capacity to make a decision like that?
Jesus is righteous. It’s not His will that any
should perish. So, we know, He will do, exactly what is right and just.
As far as the names. It appears the preponderance of
scripture shows that everyone’s name is written in the Book of Life. All
who would be conceived, written in the ageless past.
“Before I formed you in the
womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you… Jeremiah 1:5.
Then, if the person rejects the
invitation, refuses to answer the non-stop knocking of Jesus, reluctantly, God
will blot their name from the Book of Life.
“He who has an ear, let him
hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’ Revelation 3:6.
Lord Jesus, help us, stay awake, remember, hold
fast and repent. Find us watching and ready.
CQLJ.
Further scripture regarding, blotting.
May they be blotted out of the
Book of Life and not listed with the righteous Psalm 69:28
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