The Revelation of Jesus Christ
“The Dying Church”
INTRODUCTION
Jesus came that we might have life.
Last week we focused on the new life He promised to anyone who puts their faith in Him.
If anyone is in Christ he is a NEW creature. Old things have passed away behold, HE has become new. But what about churches? Jesus instructed John to write to seven representative churches of his day. Their struggles and accomplishments are representative of churches throughout history. Any given church may have similar characteristics or a combination found in those churches. What is a church? The term translated “church” means assembly. It was common term used to refer to an assembly of likeminded people. I could have been political, social or religious. American culture seems to think more in terms of a building or structure.
We see a building with a cross and we say, “Oh, that must be a church!” The church is people.
Jesus addressed a group of people in a particular location.
I. Prologue 1:1-20
The Prologue in chapter one records what John the aged Apostle saw (and heard) including a manifestation of Jesus far different that what John had known previously. The theme of the book describes the coming of Jesus and the events leading up to that return.
II. Jesus’ Messages to the Seven churches 2-3 (Things with are)
A. To the church in Ephesus – the passionless church 2:1-7
Repent – do the first-love kind of things.
B. To the church in Smyrna – the suffering church 2:8-11
Hold on to the end
C. To the church in Pergamum & Thyatira – the compromising church 2:12-17
Repent – Hold fast till I come
D. To the church in Sardis - the dying church 3:1-6
Church background
Sardis stands about 30 miles south of Thyatira. It was a cross roads for Trade and along a military road. A good part of the city was behind a high nearly impregnable wall about the valley. In spite of numerous attempts through their history, they had been capture only twice.
They lived in relative security and affluence. They were the place of several temples. They are famous for a “necropolis” city of the dead or the place of a thousand hills referring to the mounds of the cemetery seven miles outside the city. Their security and affluence had lead to moral decadence. They were also famous for their wool industry. By this time the city was in decline. It lost its grand reputation for glory. The people had been lulled to sleep by security and affluence. The sin of Sodom and Gomorrah? Arrogance, abundant food, and carelss ease refusing to help the poor and needy. Ez 16:46
1. Characteristic 3:1a
“To the angel (leader) of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this:
Jesus refers to the image in chapter one. John saw Jesus standing among the seven churches holding the seven pastors of seven churches. Here Jesus reminds them that He still has charge of the churches and its leaders. He is the source of life and discipline for His church. Those who serve Him find life. Those who serve self find death. He was also the one who sent the Holy Spirit among them. This was a similar greeting as to Ephesus. They had lost the passion of their first love. It seems Sardis was demonstrating no passion at all.
But Jesus stood ready to release His Holy Spirit to breathe new life into this church. Jesus stands ready to breathe new life into any group of people who will repent and follow the instructions of the head of the church.
2. Commendation 3:4
There is no commendation for the church as a whole but there is a promise to a minority who remained faithful to Christ.
But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with me in which; for they are worthy.
This is perhaps a reference to the woolen clothes industry. The literal translation is “you have a few names”. There were some people who Jesus new by name maintaining a faithful witness in a dead place. Clothes is generally a symbolic reference to lifestyle; things visible on the outside that indicate the condition of the heart. What we wear is a reflection of what we feel and who we identify with. There was a core of believers in Sardis who still refused to identify with the failing culture around them. Their walk will identify them as followers of Jesus. Compared to the cultural decay around them, their lifestyles would appear white.
They would be walking a worthy walk called for in a number of New Testament passages.
3. Correction 3:1b
“I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are DEAD.”
Jesus again “knows” with a complete understanding the reality of what is happening. They had a reputation of offering a new way of living but in reality were not different than the dead way of life found in the culture around them. They once believed in new life but failed to demonstrate it anymore. They didn’t look or live much differently than those around them.
They carried the label but lacked the substance. Coke use to use the phrase, “Coke; it’s the real thing.” The reality is that it is not the real thing. It does not quench thirst; the caffeine dehydrates you and makes you thirstier. The main line churches have been dead a long time.
They have little positive influence on our culture. Today, the evangelical church is in danger of losing its influence as well.
A recent survey by the Barna research group of those who describe themselves as Christian.
Forty percent agreed that Satan was not real but a symbol of evil with an additional two percent somewhat agreed. Twenty–two percent strongly agreed that Jesus sinned and another 17% somewhat agreed. Overall, 38% strongly agreed and 20% agreed somewhat that the Holy Spirit is only “a symbol of God’s power or presence but is not a living entity. The divorce rate among Christians is no lower than non-Christians and actually a bit higher.
Basic lifestyle choices are not so dissimilar. We are becoming diluted and are no longer the salt of the earth Jesus intended we be. Same activities, attitudes, actions, hang-ups, aspirations for pleasure, possessions and prominence. Any church that loses its saltiness through dilution of walk and the word dies.
The name is still on the door but the life of the living Christ is gone. We hold to the external form of godliness but deny the supernatural life changing power that must go with it.
It’s not the real thing. Many churches chose names that indicate hope and life but offer a cheap substitute. Later Jesus added that He found their deeds still uncompleted, accomplished, fulfilled. Perfect tense verb indicated they had at one point been uncompleted and still were. He most likely referenced a substandard unremarkable life or walk rather than numerically incomplete works. They had become too complacent living in a complacent culture. Their message and example didn’t stand out enough to challenge their culture and there did not seem to be any persecution either from the community of Jews or the pagans.
4. Action 3:2-3
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.
We gain further insight into their condition by the action Jesus requires of them to stay alive and avoid His disciplinary visit.
There are five requirements.
• Wake up
It appears that they had been lulled to sleep. They were unaware of their own miserable condition. They were dying and needed to wake up before it was too late. This would have struck a chord for many residents of the city. Like I said before, they had only been conquered twice in their long history. Their city was so fortified in the mountain that there was no way to get to the city except on the south side. Cyrus the Persian conqueror had pursued them to the walls but could get no further. One of the soldiers of the army of Sardis dropped his helmet over the cliff and went down to get it. A spy from the Persian happened so see him and followed him up the back way on the less fortified south side. That night the Persians took the back way and conquered the city while they slept. Because they were too complacent and unaware of the danger which cost them their freedom. Jesus calls the church at Sardis to wake up. The present tense indicates a continual state of awareness. The American church needs to wake up today. We are unaware of our dying condition. We are in need of life support.
• Strengthen what remains but is about to die
Set fast, turn resolutely in a certain direction, establish. Jesus urged them to give attention to the few things that still had life but were on life support. We are not sure what those things were, He doesn’t say. Perhaps it is spelled out by the next two directives.
• Remember what you have heard
They had been taught truth. They had at one time responded to the gospel. They had teaching but had let it fade into the memory. Jesus calls them to remember, recall, bring to mind.
He wants them to remember what they had received and heard. This is a present tense command; keep on remembering and calling to mind. Since the application of God’s word brings life, the forgetting of God’s truth leads to death.
How many sermons have we heard and forgotten?
How many principles have we been taught that we have ignored?
How many spiritual lessons of life have we received but forgotten?
• Obey what you have heard
Not only remember but do what it says. Keep, watch, observe, hold fast. They word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against God. Be a doer of the word and not a hearer only.
• Repent
Change your thinking. “Meta” “Noia” = change thinking that results in a change of behavior.
Wake up. Think differently about life. We must stop thinking that we can be complacent as a church and not get a visit from Jesus. Even though there is application here to individuals, Jesus addressed a group of people. They were to be God’s church in a dark world.
They had become a county club.
5. Consequence 2:21-23
Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief (unexpectedly) and you will not know what hour I will come to you.
Just like Cyrus overcame unexpectedly when they were not aware, Jesus will come and being discipline. This is not a reference to His second coming but His coming in discipline.
We want Jesus to manifest His presence, but not in discipline for failure to be faithful.
What about Chico? Is there life? Are we about to die? Are we even aware of our true condition? Have we adopted a label that we are alive but are in reality dying? What remains that is about to die that we need to wake up and give our full attention?
Because this is such an important issue, I want to come back next week to address the things that bring life and growth to a church and evaluate where we are and what we can do.
Where do we need to repent and change our thinking?
What have we received that we forgot and need to remember?
6. Promise to overcomers 3:5
He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name form the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
We have noted John’s concept of an overcomer before drawn from his first letter. The one who believes or puts their faith in Jesus is an overcome. It is our faith that overcomes.
We overcome the hold of darkness and become a child of the Kingdom of God with all the promises that belong to citizens of His kingdom.
When we are done with the seven churches I want to do a review of all the promises believers in Jesus have to look forward to from these letter.
Three things here
• Clothed in white. (We will be like Him for we wills see Him as He is.)
We have been predestined to become conformed to the image of His beloved Son.
• Secure citizenship
It is said that many cites had a book of citizenship. Their names could not be erased until death. In our case our names are not erased even at death.
Believer’s names are permanently inscribed in the log of eternal citizens.
This is not a threat, this is promise!
Like buying that life insurance that promise you cannot be turned down.
You citizenship in the kingdom of God is permanent.
Romans 8 lists every conceivable obstacle that might cut off God’s love.
Paul shared his conviction that nothing could separate us form the love of God in Christ Jesus.
• Recognition
7. Call to pay attention 2:29
29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
CONCLUSION
I ask you to do what Jesus asks.
• Wake up
• Strengthen what remains but is about to die.
• Remember what you have received and heard in the word.
• Obey what you have heard.
• Repent; change you way of thinking.
We must not let complacency and affluence destroy our witness in this community.
It is time to get serious about what it means to be a citizen of an eternal kingdom.
You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.
See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven. And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.” This expression, “Yet once more,” denotes removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe;
for our God is a consuming fire. Heb 12:25-29
