Look at what we read there.“'Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments'” But before we move on, let me point out that even though the unhealthiness of the diagnosis seems absolute, there is tiny glimmer of healthiness evident in the opening words of verse 4. And if Jesus says you are dead, you are dead.īut what exactly does it mean when a church is labeled “dead”? Well, I think the rest of the letter will clarify that diagnosis. But according to Jesus, this was simply not true. Jesus seems to be saying that this church was known for “being alive” that it had a reputation, probably among the other churches, of being vibrant, active, energized for God. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. And so, given that Christ's knowledge is exhaustive and perfect, they must take seriously His difficult diagnosis. To five of the seven churches, Jesus makes the same opening declaration: “I know your works.” There is nothing hidden from Jesus, is there? There is nothing hidden about this church, is there? As we read last week in 2:23.And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.'” This is Christ's diagnosis of the believers in Sardis. So what is the Spirit saying to this church? Well, look at the diagnosis given in the second half of verse 1. Remember that refrain that we find in every letter: “'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” If that's true, why does Jesus introduce Himself to the Sardian church in this way? Because He wants them to know that both the messenger and the Spirit who gives the message are in His hand. So when taken together, and given the highly symbolic nature of the number seven, I think it's safe to interpret this image as a reference to the Holy Spirit of God. But that image of the “seven spirits” will be part of the vision that John experiences in chapters 4 and 5. It actually comes from 1:4, where John was greeting the readers and pointing them back to God as the source of blessing. You may remember that the first of the seven mini-letters, the letter to Ephesus, also contained a description of Jesus that utilized this image of Jesus holding the seven stars.īut what about the “seven spirits of God”? Well, that image does not come from the vision of Jesus that John beheld. If we were to go back to chapter 1, we find there in verse 20 that the “seven stars” symbolically represent the seven “angels” or “messengers” of the seven churches. “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.'” So for example, we've seen that every one of these seven letters begins with Jesus providing to the church a description of Himself, a description that is pulled from the opening vision of chapter 1. Remember, this is the same pattern we see in all of the micro-letters of chapters 2 and 3. You may have heard of a four-part harmony, but have you ever heard of a five-part breakdown? Well, once again we are going to use our 'five-part' breakdown in order to understand this letter. The Passage: “The Church in Sardis” (3:1-6) Let's listen to His voice as we hear Him address the church that existed almost 2000 years ago in the city of Sardis. So in light of this, I hope we are coming this morning with great expectations, ready to hear what Jesus, the head of the body, of the Lord of Church is wanting to say to us. Why? Because as we've seen, the principles Christ communicates here are timeless in terms of meeting His people's needs. Not only were these letters within the letter meant to minister to each church's individual needs, but taken together, these letters should challenge, convict, and comfort any and every church. These churches were all located in the western part of the Roman province of Asia Minor, what we know today as western Turkey.īut what's interesting about the structure of this Revelation is that before Jesus speaks to all the churches, He first speaks to each church individually by way of the brief messages that make up chapters 2 and 3. We learned from chapter 1 that this book or letter was commissioned by Jesus himself, communicated to his servant John, and conveyed to seven churches that existed in seven cities of the First Century. As we open God's word this morning, let me briefly remind of where we are in our study of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
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