Study Questions for Revelation 3:1-6-The Church at Sardis A)-Just a short note on background and review: In this section of Revelation we are reading/studying about 7 churches. Have you ever wondered why 7? Or why these 7? As you might guess there are differing explanations to both these questions. I should have 7 reasons just to make this section complete. As you know the number 7 is very prominent in Scripture. Seven days of creation, etc. So, why 7 churches here. A few theories, and we will not dwell a lot on that here. The theories as to what this means are as follows: (a)-These churches represent the cycle of growth and decline of any church through the ages. (b)-These represent the cycle of growth and decline of individual Christians. (c)-These represent the Christian church as a whole through various church eras. (d)-These are churches that John had personal involvement/ministry and attachment to and they are listed in geographical order (i.e. the route of the mail caravan). And most obvious; these are the churches that Jesus spoke about to John. It strikes me that sometimes we try to read too much into some things in Scripture and I personally fall in step with “d” above and feel that the order and selected churches are that related more personally to John and he is getting back in touch with them. I also am firmly convinced that the messages to these churches have great relevance to individuals and church congregations today regardless of their longevity and/or geographical location. So, keep in mind that this book, the book of Revelation is the only book that offers a special blessing to read and study it. So, utilize this sermon series to whet your appetite for more Revelation and study of Scripture. B)-Now a bit about Sardis. OK, I wrote this before the sermon, so just in case Pastor Brent doesn’t tell a joke, here goes: What did they call the people in Sardis that were attending in a very small church----“sardisines” OK, bad pun, but they really packed ‘em in! Pastor Brent gave some information that helps us somewhat understand the setting and attitudes of the folks of Sardis, but in addition we should note that in 17 AD there was a massive earthquake there that almost destroyed the city. The Roman government spent a huge fortune to rebuild the city, it was that important, but due to the losses and time lapse, it never fully regained its former glory. Still it maintained itself as a place holder in the Roman Empire as a minter of coinage. This whole scenario about this city was that it was a place of wealth and it also “manufactured” wealth as in coins. So, Gold and Silver were a regular part of the life there. The other thing we see here is that they had a good reputation, but were “dead”. One of the key things that seems to be happening here is that they became satisfied with where they were as a church and became complacent. This, as is suggested by verse 3:1 is deadly! C)-So as you listened to the sermon and absorbed the verses on Sardis think about and respond to the following: 1)-How may the American church have become complacent? Is it? Yes or No. What events led to this? What perpetuated this? 2) - Has the strife in our current culture added to complacency or muted it to some degree? 3) - How do we reverse the trend? If indeed there is a trend? 4)-What are marks of an alive church? What are marks of a “dead” or a church living on its reputation? 5)-Do you think that FMBC as a congregation has become complacent? What signs have you seen for this? What things have mitigated against that? 6)-Have I personally become complacent? How can I recognize that in myself? How can I correct that without “beating myself up”? What practical: 1-2-3 steps can we take to change the situation, nationally, locally, and personally? What is my resolve to do next in light of this discussion? .