To Sardis || You’ve Got Divine Mail || Part 5

Have you ever sat in church and heard a sermon that doesn’t sit right with you? Have you ever been in a Bible Study and listened to a teaching that triggered a visceral reaction? You see your church struggling and asked the ultimate question, “Does God care about the church?” The idea is about the group of believers gathered under one building, but we are called the church as well.

We’re in a series called “You’ve Got Divine Mail!” Jesus had John send out letters to seven churches to celebrate their successes and offer resolutions for their problems. The goal of this series is to help you feel encouraged. To be encouraged to serve the church and help the body reach its best potential, and for you to serve God’s people to change the world.

In Part 4, we talked about the letter sent to the church in Thyatira. We learned about Jezebel and her invasion into their church, converting followers to idol worshippers and committing sexual immorality. Jesus gave her time to fix things, but she didn’t. Following something in God’s place has its consequences. We, like them, have to remain faithful, patient, strong, and courageous; keeping our eyes on Jesus.

In Part 5, we’re talking about the letter sent to the church in Sardis.

Revelation 3:1-6

1            “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Sardis. This is the message from the one who has the sevenfold Spirit of God and the seven stars: “I Know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive – but you are dead.

2            Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet requirements of my God.

3            Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief.

4            “Yet there are some in the church in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes with evil. They will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 

5            All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine.

6            “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.”

Jesus calls out Sardis for being a dormant church. They need to strengthen the little spiritual work that’s happening there. To do so, they must get back to their roots and re-learn and re-implement the basics. Some people there are trying to do this, and they will be purified through Christ. Those to join the battle to retake the Christ-centered church, will find their name in the Book of Life and guarantee their place in heaven.

Let’s talk about the city of Sardis. It was in two locations. The old section of the city was on a mountain. When its population outgrew that spot, a new section was built in the valley below. The city has shown growth.

Just a reminder about John’s symbolism: “sevenfold Spirit of God” is another name for the Holy Spirit and the “seven stars” are the messengers, or leaders of the churches.

The problem with the Sardis church was spiritual deadness. Despite their reputation for being active (show through population growth), the church was full of sin. Sin that corrupted the leaders of the church and the direction the church should be growing. Its works were evil, and its reputation was tarnished. The Spirit has no words of commendation for this church. This church got so far out of God’s will for his body that the Spirit couldn’t celebrate any of the work that was going on there.

Even though Sardis was dead, Jesus affirmed and lifted the handful of people who were faithful believers. If you didn’t know, Jesus has a thing for defeating death. If you find yourself dead spiritually or are in spiritually dead church, start by preserving your own faithfulness. DO not allow yourself to be peer pressured into believing or doing ministry with a foundation that’s uncomfortable to you or that the Spirit. Ask God to intervene on your behalf to see what your next steps should be. Ask God to help you find your community of faithful followers and that your church home will have an awakening in the Spirit.

The church in Sardis was told to return to what they first learned and believed. To go back to the basics of their faith. What this meant for them, and means for us today, is to grow in our knowledge of God. We must deepen our understand through carefully studying God’s word. This can be challenging at times. We’ll come across certain verses, passages, or stories that don’t sit right with us. In those times, look deeper than the words. Look at the background, the context, the historical situation, and the time that book was written. When we take all of that into consideration, we are able to take the core message and lesson from it, so we can apply it in our lives today.

The church was told to wake up. They have to go grab a brush and put on a little make-up. They have to hide the scares to fade away the shake-up. (IYKYK) In all seriousness, how did they fall asleep spiritually? Their wealth and comfort have made them complacent. Their self-satisfaction had made them egotistically. They wandered away from the apostles’ teaching. They were no longer focusing on growing their faith or evangelism. They lacked compassion to others and were not cooperating or loving. This is what Jesus needed them to fix. This is why they are called to go back to the basics of their faith. They needed to reset and rebuild.

To be “clothed in white” means to be set apart for God and made pure. It’s specifically setting yourself apart from the world to do the will of God. This is what it means to be made holy. Christ promises future honor and eternal life to those who stand firm in their faith. The names of those who do will be found in the book of Life. The book represents God’s knowledge of who belongs to him and who will have a place in the eternal Kingdom. They are introduction to the hosts of heaven as a part of God’s family.

Today, we talked about how Sardis fell asleep spiritually and became a dead church. They became complacent, self-satisfied, lacked compassion, lacked unity, and lacked love. Jesus called them to reset. To go back to the basics of their faith and the foundation of what they learned from the apostles.

In Part 6, we talk about the letter sent to the church in Philadelphia (not the Pennsylvanian city). Until then, stay blessed.

Associated Scripture

Rev 3:5

Revelation 20:12