Sardis - The Dead Church / Revelation 3:1-6
Amen. I’ll tell you what, you have to be honest and just say this is a lot of fun. Do you guys feel that? What God is doing in our church is a lot of fun, and I hope you’re enjoying the ride as much as I am. To be honest, I’m scared to death just like you are, but it’s amazing. As I look up, I just see people, and it is incredible what God is doing.
Let’s get into it. We have been in the book of Revelation for about nine weeks now, and we’ve reached chapter three. I know you’re probably nervous that we’re moving too quickly, so if we’re moving too fast, just stay with us. We’re going to cover verses one through six: the church at Sardis.
Revelation 3:1-6 (NASB)
’To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: ’I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. ’Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. ’So remember what you have received and heard; and keep [it], and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. ’But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. ’He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
The Spirit of the Reformation
The church at Sardis was a very interesting place. As you’ve seen with all of these churches, it paralleled a specific time in church history. In fact, it is almost too coincidental how the events in these churches mirror the ages of the church. The church at Sardis mirrors the Reformation age. This was a time following the movement that Martin Luther and the boys really started.
In the summer of 1520, Martin Luther received an official document called a papal bull. It was called that because of the specific insignia attached to it. He received it with a warning: if he did not recant his heresies—specifically the 95 points he had nailed to the church door in Wittenberg—he would face the consequences. The authorities took about 40 of those points and labeled them not just unfavorable, but heresy, which was a very powerful and dangerous charge.
At the time, they called Luther a “wild boar” among them because he was nuts—full-blown crazy for the Gospel. Since they were burning his books, he decided to return the favor. He and his followers gathered outside the city, started a massive bonfire with all the canon doctrines of the day, and Luther took his papal bull and threw it onto the fire as a sign of rebellion against the edicts of Rome. Those sparks literally became the Reformation period. Men like Luther in Germany, Calvin in Geneva, and Zwingli in Switzerland stood up against the tyranny of their churches because they smelled the scent of death.
They recognized that the church had become an external shell without a heart to support it. They rallied around the pillars of Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Sola Christe, and Sola Scriptura: by faith alone, through grace alone, in Christ alone, and according to Scripture alone. They began to look back at the original intent of the church. They started reading the Book of Acts and asked, “What was this movement of God in their day?”
What they found was something profoundly different from the institutionalized church experience in Europe. They found a movement of the heart. They found individuals who sought God in the Scripture, engaged with it, internalized it, and lived it. They took their faith to the streets in such a profound, incarnational way that the Book of Acts says the Lord added to their number by the thousands.
It wasn’t a “talking face” or a guy’s brilliant theology that made it profound. It was people living their faith in the streets. It caused confusion among the people because they weren’t just playing church; they were living their faith. They took what the Pharisees missed and put a heart behind it. The Pharisees had external obedience—whitewashed tombs that looked pretty on the outside but were full of dead man’s bones on the inside. These reformers called the church back to its original intent because they realized the flame of passion for Christ had cooled and become institutionalized. People weren’t passionate about their Lord anymore; they just went to church because that’s what you did.
The Danger of Resting on Laurels
When religious expression is canonized and stripped of the heart, churches become monuments to the past—ecclesiastical mortuaries. People lose focus on what is happening today and what could happen in the future, and they only talk about the “good old days.” Have you ever been around someone like that? They drift off into a Neverland of, “Oh, I remember back when God was good and I walked with Him,” speaking of their faith entirely in the past tense.
Geographically, the city of Sardis was built on a hilltop. Because of this, the people became overconfident and arrogant. They felt the city was impenetrable. They would focus all their security on the one land entrance and ignore the sheer cliff walls because they figured nobody could climb them. But it happened over and over again—while they were watching the front gate, an enemy would creep up the cliffs in the darkness and take the city.
Sardis, as a church, experienced something very similar. They rested on their laurels and forgot the passion for what could be. Interestingly, there is no commendation for this church. It is a dark letter. Even the introduction gives us a glimpse of what the church was lacking. It doesn’t speak of suffering, persecution, or difficulty. It is eerily peaceful. In the Christian life, walking with God causes friction; if nobody is walking with God, everyone is happy. You just tickle ears, pass the bucket, and live.
Revelation 3:1 (NASB)
’To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: ’I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.
A Reputation for Life, a Reality of Death
Jesus introduces Himself as the one who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. We’ve seen these symbols before in chapter one. The seven spirits represent the full and complete Spirit of God, and the stars represent the messengers or pastors of the churches.
Revelation 1:16 (NASB)
In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.
Revelation 1:20 (NASB)
’As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
He who holds the completeness of God and the mouthpieces of the church says this: “I know your deeds.” That sounds familiar, but in previous letters, that phrase was followed by mentions of toil or perseverance. Here, He says, “You have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.”
Their reputation was great. Their calendar was full of wonderful activities. Their programs were the best. They were very busy people. But Jesus says they were just busy and dead. Busy-ness never brings about the righteousness of God. They were like Samson in the Old Testament. Samson was a guy whom God would empower with superhuman strength. The Spirit of the Lord would come upon him, and he’d do incredible things, like defeating a thousand men with the jawbone of a donkey. But there is a cryptic verse in the book of Judges that describes his downfall.
Judges 16:20 (NASB)
She said, ‘The Philistines are upon you, Samson!’ And he awoke from his sleep and said, ‘I will go out as at other times and shake myself free.’ But he did not know that the LORD had departed from him.
Samson was so calloused on the inside and resting so much on his past that he didn’t even recognize that God wasn’t with him anymore. He ended up taken captive, blinded, and mocked. He ended in shame because he rested on his past.
The Rearview Mirror Faith
I see this happen in two primary places. The first is with college students. I remember being in college and being completely nutso for the Lord. I’d stand in the free speech area and talk to anyone about Christ. Anytime someone handed me a mic, I shared my story. I was probably that guy you were afraid of in college! But what happens so often is that people graduate, they get married, and the burden of responsibility grows.
It starts with trying to put ramen on the shelf, then it’s rent, utilities, car payments, and groceries. Then comes the pitter-patter of little feet—diapers, and more diapers. That little monkey of responsibility turns into a gorilla. Suddenly, when you talk about your faith, you’re only looking in the rearview mirror.
The second place this happens is with the “over-churched” crowd. People say our generation is unchurched, but I think we’re over-churched. Many grew up in Christian schools and youth groups, surrounded by the talk of God. Then they turn eighteen, move away, and take a “time out” from their faith. When they eventually come back and talk about God, they say, “Yeah, I remember that winter retreat my freshman year,” or “That mission trip to Mexico was awesome.” They wish they could go back because their fondest memories of God are in the past.
Can I ask you a convicting question? When you talk about your faith journey right now, are the good old days behind you, or is the best yet to come? Is God doing something in your life today?
Wake Up and Strengthen
If this is your story, notice what Jesus says in verse two. He says, first and foremost, in a very gentle yet firm way: “Wake up.” It’s like He’s gently rattling you. He’s saying, “Let’s have a reality check. Quit being delusional and pretending the deadness doesn’t exist.” If this is where you are, it is what it is—but it isn’t what it could be.
Revelation 3:2 (NASB)
’Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God.
He says to “strengthen the things that remain.” If there is even a faint pulse in your spiritual life, strengthen it. When you go to Europe today, it’s a sad exercise to look at the cathedrals that were once ablaze with people who loved God. They are massive buildings with beautiful artwork and stained glass, but today, you’ll often find an empty room and a man standing in the pulpit giving gentle musings and opinions to no one. There is no heart.
When churches see this happening, they often turn in the wrong direction. Instead of bending the knee and seeking a revival of the heart—a revival where people actually crack the Book and do what it says—they look for a demographic study. They get on the internet to see what is working in other places and try to roll out a program that worked elsewhere. They download someone else’s sermon and parrot another man’s message.
I mentioned in the first service that this is like serving leftovers to the congregation. A guy came up to me afterward and said, “No, it’s worse. It’s like serving someone else’s throw-up to the body.” That’ll communicate the point! We keep looking for models and “pop and sizzle” instead of seeking God.
It’s fascinating talking to other pastors about our church. You guys are freaks—I love you to death, but you aren’t like most churches in America. Other pastors ask, “What are you doing to reach people?” They assume it’s a cool PowerPoint or the latest worship tunes. I tell them, “No, you’re missing it. We open the Book. We talk about it straight up.” You guys are getting harder teaching than almost anywhere I know. We’re engaging God and saying, “Move in our midst. We don’t need a show; we want to know You.” And guess what? God is providing.
As individuals, when we feel our spiritual pulse going faint, we often turn to environments instead of the heart. We say, “It’s my roommate. If I just had a new roommate, I could walk with God.” Or, “If I just had a different boyfriend, or read the latest book, or wore the right bracelet…” We try to medicate with external things instead of stopping and realizing the issue is in our own hearts.
The Path to Revival
Jesus says, “I’m not done with you yet.” There are tremendous things you can do if you will strengthen what remains. How do you rekindle that passion? He gives three steps in verse three: Remember, Obey, and Repent.
Revelation 3:3 (NASB)
’So remember what you have received and heard; and keep [it], and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.
First, remember what you received and heard. Go back. What was it like when you first walked with God? I remember when I first started walking with God, I was a complete dirtbag. I started reading the Bible, and I was a thorn in the flesh to my roommates who had grown up in the church. I’d stay up until three in the morning reading the Gospel of John and then wake them up saying, “Oh man, have you read this? This is awesome!” They’d say, “Dude, I’ve been hearing that for a decade.” But for me, Grace was so powerful and real.
Second, obey. He says to “keep it.” Do something about it. I see couples in counseling who say they don’t love each other anymore. I’ll ask them what it was like when they first fell in love. They’ll start talking about sitting in the park for hours, writing notes, and being kind. I tell them, “Go back to that. Do the things you did at first.” It’s the same with God.
Third, repent. Often, our spiritual pulse goes cold because we are hiding sin. We don’t recognize that sin causes a wedge in our relationship with God. He still loves you; you are still His. Like the Prodigal Son, He will run to embrace you, but you must turn back to Him.
If you don’t wake up, Jesus warns that He will come like a thief. He will take what is precious, and you will be left with only a shell, a husk of what could have been for the glory of God.
The Ultimate Ovation
It isn’t all bad, though. There is a remnant. There are some in Sardis who have not soiled their garments.
Revelation 3:4 (NASB)
’But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.
To the overcomers, He promises three things: white garments of purity, the assurance that their names will never be blotted out of the Book of Life, and finally, that He will confess their names before the Father and the angels.
Revelation 3:5 (NASB)
’He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
Matthew recorded Jesus saying that everyone who confesses Him before men, He will confess before His Father in heaven.
Matthew 10:32 (NASB)
’Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven.
When I was a kid, I went to Dry Creek Elementary. I used to go to the football games at Fresno State back when they had the grass berms. I’d sit there in my elementary school jersey and think, “Man, if someday I could wear red… if someday I could play for Fresno State.”
Years later, I signed that scholarship. On the final game of my senior year—Senior Night—they announced the seniors one by one. I was standing there with Coach Sweeney, getting fired up. I ran down that ramp for the last time into a stadium of 40,000 people. When they announced, “Number 54, Brad Bell,” the fans rose to their feet and applauded. It was an ovation that said, “Well done. You played hard. You fought hard.” I was crying, my parents were crying—everyone was crying. It was one of the highlights of my life to hear people cheering for my name in recognition of my performance.
But listen, how much more glorious will it be when your name is called in the heavenlies? When the angels cheer in ovation for what you have done for the glory of God? That isn’t a football game that is forgotten in a moment; that is eternal.
Does your spiritual life have a pulse tonight? Don’t take that as a condemnation; take an inventory. Are you going through the motions? Are your greatest stories past tense, or are you making new ones today? And if you’ve never placed your faith in Christ, what is keeping you? It would be the best decision you’ve ever made.
Father, as we turn to worship, our language cannot articulate the depths of our gratitude. As we evaluate what You’ve done for us, all we can say is thank You. We ascribe worth to You. May the day never come that the pulse of this church begins to faint. And should we head that way, stop us now so that we would remember, obey, and repent. We love You. In Christ’s name, Amen.