B. The Condition of the Congregations:
1. Defiled Garments. Most, but not all, had gotten their robes of righteousness all dirty. We read about these garments of linen several times in the book of Revelation (3:5,18; 4:4; 7:9; etc.). In 19:8 the church (the bride of Christ) is clothed in fine linen, pure and bright, which are the righteous deeds of the saints. These garments are given to us because we are unable to clothe ourselves with righteousness. Paul wrote in Phil. 3:9; "...not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith."
In speaking of this righteousness Paul said in Rom. 4:24, "...It shall be imputed to us who believe...." Our white garments are a gift from God. When we strive to walk in His light, the sins we commit are automatically erased and the garment remains pure and white (1 John 1:7-10). When we use the grace of God as a license for sin, we defile our garments. When we start substituting our own righteousness for the righteousness of Christ, this, too, defiles our garments.
2. Spiritually Dead. The seven Spirits of God are the source both of our power of service in Christ and of purity and sanctification of life. When the Holy Spirit is in control we are really alive. When the Spirit is resisted and quenched we are surely dead. Since the seven Spirits are likened to lamps of fire, then to quench the Spirit is to put out the light.
3. The Meaning of Spiritual Death. What does Jesus mean when He says that the church in Sardis is dead? He did not necessarily mean that the congregation had only a few members. I think there are many churches today that seem to be vital and growing, but they are dead spiritually because they are operating under their own power instead of under the power of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps the Christians in Sardis were depending upon themselves, their own plans, their own efforts, their own righteousness.
Churches can be "gung-ho" and grow in numbers by leaps and bounds through the efforts of "charismatic" leaders. They are able to sway multitudes by their speaking abilities and by the theatrics they use so that people flock to them. They plan great programs, and because they have abundant funds they are able to hire "ministers" to run these programs. But unless the Spirit of God is in it, that church only has a reputation for being alive. Their works are imperfect before the Lord.
I have known of congregations that were powerful in the Lord for awhile, but after they had accomplished great things for the Lord by the help of God's Spirit, they were enticed into taking pride in what had been accomplished, forgetting that it was not accomplished by their own power. They stopped working and just settled into a pattern of house-keeping while taking satisfaction in past glories. Such a congregation also may have a reputation for being alive while being dead. They are coasting on their past reputation. The works of such a congregation are not perfect before the Lord. Perhaps Sardis was a church like this.
4. Compromise with Culture. Archaeological finds in Sardis show both Jewish and Christian shops with their respective symbols existing side by side with the shops of the idol worshipers. The Christian shops displayed the sign of the fish and/or a cross. This indicates that Christians, even in the shadow of pagan idolatry, were taking a stand and bearing testimony to the true God and Savior. Also found in the Christian shops were defaced symbols of pagan gods. There was the lion that carried Cybele with the figure of Cybele broken off. They were trying to show that the true Lion is Christ. Some pagan artifacts had the inscriptions scratched off and replaced with Christian symbols.
There was a Christian meeting place built right in a corner of the temple of Artemis. Was this intended to be a testimony to the pagans of the one true God? Probably they hoped to influence the pagan society by worshiping Yahweh and Jesus in the midst of their pagan idolatry. Yet there is indication that they began to compromise with the pagan society, and their testimony was compromised as a result. They had started out with great fervor and zeal, but they quit before their work was completed. So Jesus told them, "I have not found your works complete." They did not finish what they started.
C. The Remedy:
What is the Lord's prescribed remedy for this situation? It is found in verses 2 and 3:
Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent.
1. Be Watchful. In verse three He says that if they don't watch, He will come upon them like a thief in the night. The most popular king of Sardis was the legendary King Croesus, noted for his great wealth. He reigned in Sardis until approximately 550 B.C. At that time King Cyrus of Persia found a way to enter the city by stealth at night. Destruction came upon Sardis like a thief in the night. The citizens of Sardis were no doubt aware of this history and could appreciate Jesus' reference to His coming upon them like a thief.
We must be prepared for the Lord's coming by being watchful. We are admonished to watch and pray (Matt. 12:13). If we are watching for His coming we will not be taken by surprise, as if by a thief in the night. Jesus has not published His time-table. We don't know when He will come again. We should live each day as if it were the last-the day of the return of our Lord. If we do this, we will not be caught unprepared.
2. Strengthen What Remains. They were just about to die. If that happens this church would cease to exist. Jesus told the church in Ephesus that He would remove their lampstand if they didn't repent. In the case of the church at Sardis the lamp would simply have gone out. But there was still hope. The lamp was still smoldering. Their hope rested in deliberately focusing on the things that remained-that is, upon the little faith that still remained, upon the few that had not defiled their garments, upon the righteousness which comes from God rather than from men, and upon the light of the Holy Spirit which had just about gone out on their lampstands. In Rev. 4:5 the seven lamps of fire before the throne of God are the seven Spirits of God. The seven lampstands (churches) are for holding up the seven lamps of fire. Here is the importance, then, of Jesus telling them that He has the seven Spirits. He can help them fan into flame the fire on their lampstand.
To strengthen what remains they would have to fan the flame diligently so that the Spirit would burn brightly again in their lives and hearts. If they were practicing immorality, they would need to submit their lives to the Holy Spirit's sanctifying power, so that He could develop in them purity of life. If they were following their own plans and agendas and depending upon their own strength, they would have to submit to the Spirit's guidance and power to accomplish through Him what God wanted to accomplish. If they were resting on their laurels, they would have to forget what is behind and press forward to what is ahead, rekindling the flame of the Spirit of God, of wisdom and understanding, of counsel and might, of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
They would need to fan this flame into burning zeal for the Lord. They would have to get down on their knees in prayer and tears of in repentance, and seek revival and the guidance from the Lord, and the power to accomplish whatever it is that God wanted to accomplish through them.
3. Remember. Remember how you have received and heard. This is where the seven stars come into play. Jesus holds the angels (messengers) in His hand. That means He is in control both of the messenger and the message. That may be why these letters are addressed to the messengers. Faithful ministers will deliver the message the Lord gives them. So Jesus tells the church at Sardis to remember how they first received and heard the word. Remember the gospel message faithfully delivered by Christ's ministers.
Just as Ephesus was told to return to their first love, so Sardis is being admonished to return to what they had heard and received. Churches that have drifted into doctrines and commandments of men need to remember. Churches that have adopted a social gospel or a "Reader's Digest" gospel mentality need to remember. Churches that have been lured into liberalizing the Word of God need to remember.
4. Hold Fast to What Remains. "Hold fast the word which was preached to you, the pattern of sound words which you heard and received" (1 Cor. 15:2; 2 Tim. 1:13). "Test all things; hold fast what is good" (1 Thess. 5:21). ". . .hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end" (Heb. 3:6). "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering" (Heb. 10:23; see also 4:14). "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord
5. Repent. Repentance is a change of heart that results in a change of life. There was much for which the church of Sardis needed to repent. The few who had not defiled their garments should be looked to as the example. Where they were largely ignored before, these are the ones who should be heeded and followed. They are the kind of leaders the Lord wants in a congregation. Too often a church that is worldly-wise will ignore such people, considering them to be an embarrassment and a hindrance to their plans. But these are the ones who know the score, who sense the need, and who weep for the condition of their church.
I have known of congregations who have put "those who have not defiled their garments" out of the church. They were a grievous sore upon those congregations, reminding them of things they didn't want to remember. Repentance, then, means that where the leaders ignored and put down those who were truly spiritual they will seek out and pay heed to their counsel.
Repentance means that those congregations which are operating under their own power will begin to operate under the power of the Holy Spirit. Repentance means that those who have quit ministering and are resting on past glories will once again fan the flame into the fire of zealous ministry. Repentance means that those who have adopted immoral lifestyles will quit, and begin to live under the power and direction and sanctification of the Holy Spirit. Repentance means that those who have depended upon their own righteousness will acknowledge their own filthiness and let Christ clothe them with His righteousness. Repentance can bring this church to life again, because it will allow the life-giving Spirit of God to resume His work in them.
D. The Rewards:
What are the rewards for the faithful and for those who repent? Those who have not dirtied their white garments will hear Jesus say, "Come and walk with Me in your clothes of righteousness. You are worthy, because I have made you worthy. Come share My glory." Those who overcome by repenting and holding fast will hear Him say, "Here are some clean clothes for you to wear, made clean and white in My blood. Come walk with me in these clothes of righteousness." Then Jesus will look at His book of life and think, Their names are here. They have overcome, so I will not erase their names from my book. Then He will take them, the ones who have not soiled their garments and those who have overcome their past sorry state, and will lead them to the throne and say, "Father, here are Your children. I'm not ashamed to acknowledge them as Mine because they are sinless since they are clothed in My righteousness. My blood has erased their former sinfulness."
E. The Message is for Us Also:
Finally, this letter says the same thing they have all said. "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." Do you have an ear? Then this letter is for you as well as for Sardis. What kind of church are you in? How many of its members have not defiled their garments? Does your church have a reputation for being alive and growing? Is the reputation true or is the congregation following its own agenda? Is it operating under its own steam, where its growth is due to the magnetism of some "charismatic" leader? Is the church's reputation based upon past successes in ministry? Has it begun to look back and glory in those successes, thinking that it has already made its mark and can coast along? Is your church one which has snuffed out the light of the Spirit through false teaching or immorality?
In other words, is your church a dead church? If it is, it needs to heed the admonitions given to Sardis. If you are one who has gone along with such a church, you are one who has defiled your garment of righteousness. You need to watch, to strengthen what remains, to remember, to hold fast, and to repent.
If you will heed these warnings and repent, Christ will give you a white garment so you can walk with Him up to the Father, before His angels, and hear Him say that you are His. He will conduct you to your mansion of glory in the new heaven and earth where you will live forever in His presence. Praise be to the Lamb Whose blood cleanses us and makes us perfect in His sight.
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