Sardis, 'Spiritual Near Death', And 'Watching'

On the heels of last week's post on the truths surrounding God's wrath, Hell, and "Emergent Christians" (a.k.a. apostates) like Rob Bell, I should've expected something like this to happen soon after. God never ceases to amaze me!

The theme of this one will beautifully resonate with where we left things last time I think (if not, don't worry because I've been inspired to devote a lot of time to this subject for most of the upcoming week). In addition, I thank the Lord that He led me to a closer study of something from the Book of Revelation that I completely missed. I'm more convinced than ever that this is the kind of "watching" that we should all concern ourselves with right now. More on that in a moment, but first, Sardis.

In Revelation 3, John records Jesus’ specific words -- and warnings -- to the end times churches, or the types of Christians that will exist in the last days.

I’m not sure if any of you have noticed this, but Jesus’ letter to the Church in Sardis in Revelation 3 has been showing up virtually everywhere it seems the past 1-2 weeks. From blogs I visit regularly, to those I just happen to stumble upon, to daily devotionals I receive via email, they all keep echoing what we read in Revelation 3...

Revelation 3:1-6 (KJV) And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Needless to say, I began to wonder if perhaps we might want to take a closer look at this particular letter to see what we might learn, or to see if there’s a reason why it has been appearing everywhere lately.

I mean, let's face it, whenever it seems like the Holy Spirit is moving throughout the Body of Christ drawing our attention to one message over, and over, and over again that's precisely the moment when I think we need to stop what we're doing and pay close attention.

Yes, we should always be sensitive to the promptings of the Spirit, but more so when this sort of thing happens in this day and age I think. What I'm trying to say is that I think the timing of it featuring prominently lately in all of our personal studies is no coincidence.

As always, if you want a deep, rich, true meaning of a passage you should be sure to read it in context. I don’t just mean within the context of the surrounding verses, but you have to try and understand the other elements involved too.

For instance, what was the ancient city of Sardis really like and how might that help us gain a better understanding of Jesus’ words here? To answer that question, I want to share a quick video for you that will serve as an excellent introduction to the ancient city of Sardis and Jesus’ letter to the Christians there...



The statement along the lines of, "They weren't alert and failed to watch so they were unprepared for the challenges of the present and the challenges of the future..." is quite fitting to our studies today I'd say.

At the time Jesus spoke these words to John, the ancient city of Sardis had seen its best days and had started to decline. Yet, it was a wealthy city, being situated at the intersection of several important roads and trade routes. The connection between Sardis and money – not just money in general, but "easy money" -- was well known in the ancient world. In fact, according to many historians, Sardis was the place where modern money was born.

I’m sure that by now some of you are already thinking about the similarities between Sardis and the US, or Sardis and the Western World, or perhaps even Sardis and the world at large. You're gonna notice the apparent connections even more so now when I tell you that Sardis was also a city well known for its softness and luxury. It had a well-deserved reputation for apathy and immorality.

In Sardis there was also a large, stately temple to the mother goddess, Cybele. This mother goddess was honored -- "worshipped" really -- will all kinds of sexual immorality and impurity. Gosh! How can someone not think of the Statue of Liberty and New York City? The combination of easy money and a loose moral environment made the people of Sardis notoriously soft and pleasure loving.

The great characteristic of Sardis was that, even on pagan lips, Sardis was a name of contempt. Like we said, its people were notoriously loose-living, notoriously pleasure-and luxury loving. Sardis was a city drowning in decadence.

Isn’t that something? The parallels to our nation and just about every city in it should be obvious I think. On second thought, the parallels to the entire world should be obvious! But even when we examine the history of its rise and fall do we discover some eerie connections too!

The situation of the city was ideal for defense much like being surrounded by water on 3 sides has been for America. However, Sardis was defeated -- twice, which should make "Symbolism Junkies" and those who ascribe Revelation 18:2 to the US, or New York City even (there's that place coming up again in this study), do a double take...

Revelation 18:2 (KJV) And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

Here’s something else too...On BOTH occasions, Sardis had fallen because of overconfidence and failure to watch! Overconfidence and failure to watch. Now, who does that sound like to you?

Really there’s so much more here folks and I think we would be wise to pay close attention. Let’s continue by looking at what Jesus knows about the Christians of Sardis.

He says "that thou hast a name that thou livest" or "that you have a name that you are alive" rendered another way. Jesus knew the church at Sardis had a name -- that is, a reputation -- of life and vitality. If you looked at the church of Sardis, you would see signs of life and vitality.

In the church of Sardis, like the city of Sardis, everything seemed alive and good. Furthermore, as some historians have pointed out, we are not to get the impression that the Sardis body of believers were falling apart, with the church buildings a wreck, the members scattered, and the Pastors ready to resign. It was a busy church with meetings every night, committees galore, promotion and publicity, and something going on all the time. It had a reputation of being alive and wide-awake always doing, doing, doing.

Again, I ask you, who does that remind you of? Do it resemble any part of Christianity today? Does it call to mind any particular kinds of Christians you know at this moment?

Ok, but what does Jesus have AGAINST these Christians then? "But you are dead" we are told. Despite their reputation of life, Jesus saw them for what they really were. "But you are dead" shows that a good reputation is no guarantee of true spiritual character.

Despite their good appearance, Jesus saw them for what they really were. "Dead" indicates no struggle, no fight, no persecution. It wasn’t that the church at Sardis was losing the battle. A dead body has already lost the battle, and the fight seems over.

In this letter, Jesus doesn’t encourage the Christians in Sardis to stand strong against persecution or false doctrine either, probably because there simply wasn’t a significant danger of these things in Sardis. Being dead, the believers in Sardis presented no significant threat to Satan’s domain, so they weren’t worth attacking. We might say that Satan had better things to do because he already knew Sardis was his.

So many prophetic verses come to mind at this point, don’t they? There’s 2 Timothy 3:5 (KJV), "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away" and Matthew 7:15 (KJV), "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves" and Matthew 7:19-23 (KJV) "Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

The church in Sardis was "A perfect model of inoffensive Christianity" (Caird). Another commentator says, "It was not scandalous wickedness, but decent death; the form retained, the heart gone. The church of Sardis was at peace -- but it was the peace of the dead."

After calling them essentially the "church of the mostly dead", He instructs them to "be watchful" too. I’d say that’s a direct hit to any Christians out there who still think that we shouldn’t be studying end times prophecy. However, there's something much more significant going on here with this command that I think many of us (including myself) have overlooked. When I finally took the time to look at this more closely I ended up praising Him for reminding me of this vital truth.

Jesus complements this command to "be watchful" with "strengthen the things which remain", which qualifies the meaning of "watch" for sure. There is still a glimmer of life within this church, but the letter gives the impression that they have relaxed in their spiritual responsibilities so much so that they are nearly comatose, and close to a state of "spiritual near death" even.

Why? Because they have not been vigilant in their core responsibilities, or on guard against apathy, or on guard against deception, or on guard against neglect. They have not had any sleepless nights at all over their standing with God. Folks, does that remind you of us in a sense?

Interestingly enough, one Bible study I came across (and the one used primarily as the source for this entire post) pointed out how the Bible's first mention of the Day of the Lord in Isaiah 2:12 says that it "shall come upon everything proud and lofty, upon everything lifted up -- and it shall be brought low." It points out that the primary target here is the proud, or the self-assured.

Now, we're not so much talking about Christians who believe in "eternal security" (as we should), but those Christians who believe they're in good standing with the Lord and "definitely going to Heaven when I die!" merely because they're "religious busybodies" always giving the appearances of being a Christian to the outside world, and always doing, doing, doing, but failing to invest the same time and energy into their personal relationship with Christ, and/or those who are always doing such works in His name, but with the wrong heart and mind motives.

The ironic thing here (and why I feel this is a VERY IMPORTANT message for all of us) is that this state of "spiritual near death" could easily come about even while they are avidly watching world events for signs of the times. Let me repeat that because this is something that I think needs to be prayerfully considered by me and the rest of this community because it applies to us more than any other Christians...

The ironic thing here (and why I feel this is a VERY IMPORTANT message for all of us) is that this state of "spiritual near death" could easily come about even while they are avidly watching world events for signs of the times.

We could be quite adept at following the news reports and may know better than anyone what is really going on in the world and how it fits with prophecy, but that DOES NOT fulfill Christ's, and the apostle's, commands to watch -- not entirely! I’ll explain.

It’s not that it is wrong to keep tabs on world news like we do each and every day, each and every week, but watching world news is chiefly about OBSERVING and OBSERVING THE WORLD. True WATCHING emphasizes diligence; it is being alert to spiritual dangers more than physical ones. It is about faithfully carrying out our God-given responsibilities like a servant in the Master's house. None of that results from simply being a newshound or prophecy addict.

What really impressed this point upon my heart and weighed heavily with me is when I asked myself: "Do I invest the same amount of time and energy reading and studying the holy Scriptures, on strengthening my relationship with Jesus Christ through intimate fellowship and prayer, as I do when it comes to writing speculative/subjective pieces for Look Up Fellowship and putting together show notes for Right Now Radio?" My dear friends, this is why LUF and RNR have begun to "sermonize" more and why we've attempted to tackle doctrinal issues as opposed to simply reporting the news all the time. Besides, in this Age of Apostasy, I believe that this type of approach is needed now more than ever.

Back to Revelation 3. In verse 3, Jesus tells them to call to mind the previous lessons and instructions they have heard. He tells them to repent and to guard and maintain their position so they backslide no further. As before, His description gives little indication of spiritual vibrancy or zeal even though that's the impression they give to the non-believers all around them.

Yes, there probably IS a great deal of activity, since He says that they have a name, or reputation, for being alive. Yet, in the areas that truly matter -- like faith, growth, overcoming, persevering, and seeking God -- not much is happening.

He also warns them that, if they will not watch themselves and their covenant responsibilities to their Master like they watch the world, then He will come upon them like a thief. He implies that they will not be counted worthy to escape. They may not be appointed to wrath as the world is, but they certainly are not immune to it. Actually, they stand a good chance of experiencing some of it, having not been vigilant and alert in watching over the things that God has given them.

Simply put, we know that Christ will return when we do not expect Him. We may be able to observe some general indicators when key prophecies are fulfilled, but the overall timing will be always be a mystery. His coming will be like a thief in the night, purposefully hidden from all. Why? Because if there was only "one unmistakable sign" that the beginning of the end was upon us, then a majority of people wouldn't take Him or His Word seriously until they saw that happen. The Lord wants us to get serious about Him, His Word, and our responsibilities today! Are we though?

So, much more important than always trying to discern the timing, we are instructed to "watch" -- not only world events, but to watch ourselves, and to watch over all that God has given to us -- so that when that Day arrives, we are ready. He knows that if we are faithful in little (faithful in the mundane, the monotonous, the unexciting) we will also be faithful in the truly great things that lie ahead.

Ladies and Gentlemen, my dear friends, this is why I try to include as many Bible study posts as I can on this website lately (as well as during RNR each week) because I’m mindful that while it’s ok to watch the world and point out how the prophetic puzzle pieces are being put into place all around us, it’s only a "good thing" if it prompts us to take our relationship with Jesus Christ and our spiritual health more seriously, and if it results in motivating us to get our "spiritual house in order" right away. That’s the key here. That’s the point I wanted to make with this entry and with this study on Jesus’ letter to the Church in Sardis.

Ok, so, what should we take away from this study of Revelation 3 that we can apply to our lives immediately? Let’s answer that question and wrap up this Bible study by going back to what Jesus Himself said.

"Be watchful" His Word says. This first instruction from Jesus tells them they need to examine and protect, strengthening what they already have. "The things which remain" tells us that though the spiritual condition of the Church in Sardis was bad, it wasn’t hopeless. That's the good news! See, even in this case the Lord is longsuffering offering hope (2 Peter 3:9)! Spiritually, there were things which remain that could be strengthened. The good news is that Jesus had not given up on them, and it was late (as evidenced by the words "that are ready to die"), but it wasn’t too late.

Another phrase from Jesus that we find in this passage is "I have not found your works perfect before God", and this shows that their works, though present, haven’t measured up to God’s standard. Remember, the presence of works isn’t enough because God requires a particular intent and purpose in all of our works. He examines the heart and the motives. Works in His name should be done with a heart and in a manner that show them to be worthy of such works at His feet for His glory, honor, and praise, and not our own.

The Apostle Paul essentially says that the foundation of good works -- particularly within the Body of Christ -- is humility or lowliness...

Ephesians 4:1-3 (KJV) I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

However, if works are done with pride or arrogance, or for the sake of appearance rather than truth and righteousness (like those in Sardis), then they will cause harm.

They may also produce some good, but the account of the Two Trees in the Garden of Eden teaches that, in the context of eternity, a mixture of good and evil is really only evil. [The Berean]

Next we read, "Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent:" What they must do is remember how they first received and heard the Word of God. Then, they must hold fast to those things, and to repent by turning and restoring the Gospel and apostolic doctrine to authority over their lives.

Paul describes in 1 Thessalonians 2:13 the kind of way they needed to embrace the Word they needed to remember...

1 Thessalonians 2:13 (KJV) For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.

Lastly, we read, "Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief:" Jesus warns them of the great danger in failing to watch. If they ignore His command to be watchful -- in every manner that such a command denotes, or, at least in the manner that matters the most -- then Jesus will come upon them as a thief at a time completely unexpected by them.

How will Jesus come upon them, you ask? He could come upon them in the sense of bringing immediate judgment. Or, He could come upon them in the sense of His coming for the church at the Rapture, or some form of "escape" consistent with Luke 21:36.

Used in either sense, it shows that His coming can be sudden and unannounced, so they -- no, WE -- need to be watchful in every sense of that word.

Sardis, "spiritual near death", and "watching" is what it all boils down to for us today. The message has been presented to us. The message is clear. Are we willing to respond to it accordingly?

Share|

Posted in: America In Prophecy,Apostasy,Bible Study,Great Commission,How Close Are We?,Prophecy Basics,Revelatory Revival,Spiritual Deception,Spiritual Growth,Why Study Prophecy?,Witnessing