Lesson THRIVING COMMUNITY: PURPOSE 5

Revelation 3:1-6 (NIV)

“To the angel of the church in write: “These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. “Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. Whoever overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out their name from the book of life, but will acknowledge their name before my Father and his angels. Whoever has an ear, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Part 1: Sermon Notes

Introduction:

Background: City of Sardis

 Sardis had a reputation about 700 B.C. as being the greatest city in the ancient world. It is probably what Ezekiel referred to as “Gog”(an ancient Hittite Kingdom). Cf. Rev. 20.8  Sardis was the former capital of the ancient kingdom of , known for its great wealth, its advanced skills in dyeing of delicate woolen textiles and for rug making.  Sardis became skilled at purifying (and making an alloy of) gold and silver in coins thus creating a standard, so it is regarded as the place where coinage was invented. That along with the gold dust found in the Pactolus River made it extremely wealthy. “Rich as ” was an expression that was synonymous with wealth itself, because King Croesus (595-546 B.C.) reigned over this discovery. The story had it that, in order to wash off the curse of turning everything to gold, the legendary King washed himself in the Pactolus river, hence it’s golden sands.  Croesus’ capital Sardis stood 1500 feet up on a spur of Mt. Tmolus and was virtually impregnable. But after fighting the Persians to a draw, Croesus dismissed his allies for home (Sparta and Egypt) till the following spring and retreated with confidence to his “impregnable” fortress. Two weeks later, Sardis was taken by surprise by the Persians in 549 BC who climbed the precipice at night because no watch had been set. They came “like a thief in the night”. As a result Croesus’ empire was annexed by the Persians. This story was well known, even at the time Revelation was written, 650 years later.  In 218 BC the armies of King Antiochus Epiphanes repeated the Persians’ feat after a year of siege, again, climbing the rock at night. No watch had been set. 1

Lesson THRIVING COMMUNITY: PURPOSE 5

 Sardis had a huge Greek temple dedicated to Artemis--goddess of the hunt, the moon, and fertility. The temple was twice the size of the Parthenon.  When an earthquake destroyed the city in A.D. 17, the city rebuilt itself with its own funds. It was like a city coming from death to life. It was the seat of a proconsul under the Romans at the time of this letter.  Sardis had a large Jewish settlement in the heart of the city and had for many centuries. The Jews were citizens, unusual at the time, showing their assimilation by Greek culture. A large synagogue lay in the very heart of the city. To have one’s name taken off of the synagogue register would mean having one’s citizenship taken away from the city.  No persecution is mentioned of the church of Sardis.

Prophetic Identity and Character of Christ

“These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits (or sevenfold Spirit) of God and the seven stars…”

 Old Testament Background o Cf. Isaiah 11.2, where sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit are mentioned with reference to the coming messiah (Jesus): “Spirit of the LORD… Spirit of wisdom, Spirit of understanding; Spirit of counsel; Spirit of power; Spirit of knowledge; Spirit of fear of the LORD.” Of these seven gifts of the Spirit the church always has need. We gain them by attaching ourselves to our Lord Jesus Christ. o Cf. Zechariah 4.2-10, where seven lamps and seven eyes are mentioned relative to the activity of the Spirit of the Lord. Seven Spirits would indicate a plenitude of the Spirit’s activity. Note also, Zechariah 4.6: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord.”

 New Testament Background o Seven churches in the book of Revelation are mentioned. This is a number representing completion. The stars represent the seven churches and their angels, and all belong to Christ. No church belongs to itself. o Cf. also Revelation 2.1. Whereas Jesus addresses Ephesus referring to both seven spirits and seven candle stands. With reference to Sardis, however, he omits the candle stand. The candle stand is a symbol of light and witness. It is ominous that Sardis is essentially without witness in the surrounding culture. o Cf Luke 12.8-9: “Whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God

2

Lesson THRIVING COMMUNITY: PURPOSE 5

Weakness:  “You have the appearance of being alive, but are dead.” o 2 Timothy 3.5 warns of people in the last days “having the form of religion but denying its power.” o James 2.17 speaks about faith being dead if it is not accompanied by works. o The word translated “spirit” in the O. T. can also be translated “breath”. This seems to be a church devoid of breath or spirit and thus, dead. The Spirit of God is what makes a church live, not its programs, nor its liturgy, nor its activities.

Strengths  “You have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes.”  There is still a chance to wake up…so something remains alive in them.

Solution:  “Wake up” or “Watch”— (from the Greek: gregoreo, meaning, depending on the context: keeping awake; waking up; spiritual alertness; being watchful; being vigilant) cf Acts 20.31; 1 /Thess. 5.6; 1 Peter 5.8; Romans 13.11-14; Matthew 24.42,43; 26.41 (“watch and pray”).  Strengthen  Remember what you received  Obey  Repent

Background:  Soiled garments dishonored the deity in the Greek world. It would appear that the majority of believers in Sardis dishonor Christ, because only a few have white garments. White robes signify that a few members of the Church have not forfeited their justification but will walk one day with Christ in purity, festivity and victory in his Kingdom having honored him by their lives and witness.

3

Lesson THRIVING COMMUNITY: PURPOSE 5

Part 2: Discussion Questions

 What do you see in this letter that particularly strikes you?

 What do you think the deadness of the church of Sardis signifies? o Have you ever been in a congregation which reminds you of this? o What do you think has caused this deadness?

 What are the most important works of the Holy Spirit, and how can we revive his presence among us?

 If you were to find yourself in the shoes of the members of the church of Sardis, in what practical ways do you think you might respond to the Lord’s command to “Wake up!” or “Watch!”?

 What gives you hope for our church?

 How has God spoken to you through this passage?

4