The Dying Church at Sardis

Revelation 3:1-6

This letter is the fifth in a series of seven letters written to churches in Asia Minor at the end of the first century AD. In these letters, John gave a personal message from Christ to each church. Each message expressed Christ’s up-close perspective on the spiritual condition of each one. Just as we benefit from other New Testament (NT) letters (e.g., Romans, 1 Peter, 1 John, etc.), we should benefit from these. As we read them, we should evaluate our own spiritual condition today, both as individual believers and as a church.

Some Background on the City of Sardis

Sardis was located about 30 mi. southeast of Thyatira on a plateau elevated about 1,500 ft. above a valley below. High, smooth rock walls surrounded the city and a small, steep, winding sliver of land was the only way to access the city from below. These features rendered this city nearly impregnable from a military standpoint.

Two surprising invasions spoil its history.

The city’s secure position and its status as the capital city of that region made it a magnet for military attack, since whoever possessed Sardis would be able to govern the entire region. This unique position, coupled with an accumulation of wealth, caused the city’s residents to develop an attitude of independence, a mindset of self-sufficiency, and – most problematic – a false sense of security.

Overconfidence in Sardis fostered a careless approach to their self-defense which resulted in two surprising invasions by enemy forces.

In approx. 550 BC, Persian forces (led by Cyrus) broke through by forming a vertical line of soldiers standing on one another’s shoulders. Croesus, the king of this region at the time, had been aware of the Persian army gathered below but slept through the night without a care. The city was so confident, in fact, that they assigned no one to even watch the city walls, though some say even a child could have done so successfully.

In approx. 200 BC, Greek forces (led by Antiochus the Great) also broke through. To do so, they employed the services of a highly skilled mountain climber from Crete who scaled the wall and provided an alternate point of entry for the invading army. While the city devoted their exclusive focus to guarding the only known point of entry (the small, steep pathway to the city gate), the Greeks entered from another point because the residents had failed to take a comprehensive approach.

It enjoyed a period of wealth.

The city had been wealthy in its early years, thanks in large part to its export of jewelry and the production of a variety of woolen goods. Some even claim that Sardis was the first city to hone to perfection the art of dyeing wool.

It worshipped local gods.

Religious influences in this city were varied. Some Greek gods appear to have been worshiped there and the imperial cult also seems to have gained some popularity among the residents. The greater influence, however, seems to have been the local Anatolian gods that emphasized the forces of nature and attributed healing powers to their gods. At Sardis, residents focused especially revered the power of restoring life from the dead. They believed this power was concentrated at the site of some hot springs only 2 mi. away, which they believed brought up healing powers from the god of the underworld.

Its prestige eventually disappeared.

A massive earthquake caused severe damage to the city in AD 17, after which Tiberius Caesar showed great benevolence by supporting the city’s rebuilding efforts. Nevertheless, by the time John wrote Revelation, the city had already lost its prestigious position of influence and respect and was a relatively mundane locale.

A Personal Introduction from Christ

In each of Christ’s letters to these seven churches, he refers back to some detail or two from his glorious appearance to John (Rev 1:9-20). In this case, he alludes not only to a detail in his glorious appearance but also to a detail in the prologue as well (Rev 1:4-8)

He has the seven Spirits of God (Rev 3:1; cf. 1:4).

This description certainly catches our attention since it sounds so unusual. Though people have suggested a variety of interpretations, the best answer seems to be that this is a reference to the Spirit of God himself, the third person of the Godhead.

One reason this makes sense is that no other spirit or angelic being can be the source of grace and peace (Rev 1:4). God alone provides these blessings.

It also seems likely that John is drawing from a similar depiction of the Spirit of God given by the OT prophet Zechariah in which seven oil lampstands represent the Spirit of God at work in the world (Zech 4:1-6).

John seems to borrow from the same passage again by alluding to the Spirit of God as the “seven eyes of the Lord,” emphasizing his omniscience (Zech 4:10; Rev 5:6).

If this is correct, we should understand that God bestows his grace and brings his peace to pass in the world through the active and complete ministry of his Spirit, the third person of the Godhead.

We should also remember that the Spirit does operate in the church independently, but in concert with the Son’s authorization and ministry, just as the Son operates in submission to the will of the Father. It was the Father who sent the Son into the world, and it is the Son who has sent the Spirit into the world (John 15:26; Rom 8:9).

He has the seven stars (Rev 3:1; cf. 1:16).

This description refers to the seven original messengers who carried the Revelation scroll and read it publicly to each of these churches. This was an arduous journey and a risky journey. However, Christ assured them of his guidance and protection along the way and intended for the churches to receive them and their message rather than turn them away.

He speaks generally rather than specifically.

This personal introduction stands out from the introductions to the other six churches due to its general nature. Nothing about this introduction speaks to the specific scenario at Sardis. It speaks only about that which is generally true for all the churches. This general introduction strikes an ominous tone because sounds as if it is already looking past the church that’s there.

In some ways, this message also resembles Christ’s previous message to the church at Ephesus. To both churches he identifies himself as the one who holds the seven stars (Rev 2:1; 3:1), both churches are described as having regressed from a former spiritual condition (though Ephesus had regressed to a smaller degree, Rev 2:5; 3:3), both are urged to remember and repent (Rev 2:5; 3:3), and overcomers in both receive promises of “life” (Rev 2:7; 3:5).

A Positive Assessment of the Church’s Spiritual Condition

It’s difficult to find any positive comments about this church, but a few small glimmers appear in the spiritual rubble.

Some genuine faith remained.

First, Christ mentions “the things which remain” (Rev 3:2). This is a vague allusion to whatever beliefs, principles, or people had survived from the church's better past. They we’re holding on to the last strand at the end of the rope, but they were still holding on.

They had a blessed past.

Next, he alludes back to the way they had “received and heard” the gospel at the beginning (Rev 3:3). This is a kind of reference to the “good ole days” when they received biblical teaching and had soaked it in like a sponge. If they were to have any future as a church, they would need to return to this spiritual mindset, beginning with receiving the gospel of salvation by faith alone.

A small number of true believers remained.

Third, he mentions a small number of people who had “not defiled their garments” (Rev 3:4). He doesn’t name anyone, but he describes their spiritual character and behavior figuratively. The phrase “defile their garments” may allude to the production of wool and woolen goods at Sardis, but in a spiritual sense. As such, it would describe any way that a professing believer might disqualify himself from the genuine worship of God. This interpretation would also borrow from a local belief that anyone worshiping a pagan god would be disqualified from doing so if his clothes had been dirtied or stained.

A Negative Assessment of the Church’s Spiritual Condition

Unlike the other six messages, this one to Sardis gives no specific description of the failures and sins of its members, so it’s best not to make any specific accusations. Instead, we should assume that many of them had succumbed to a variety of sins, whether idolatry, Caesar worship, immorality, materialism, or spiritual lethargy in general. Whatever the case, their failures were devastating and pervasive.

They seemed alive on the outside but were dead on the inside.

“You have a name that you are alive, but you are dead” (Rev 3:1). This description refers to spiritual life and death not physical. It portrays a church that was active and “going through the motions” of worship, ministry, and fellowship as a church, but these activities were only a façade and were not the result of spiritual life. The church had a good reputation, but its reputation was only on the surface and didn’t portray the true condition of their hearts.

The church was about to die out.

Even the few who still exhibited genuine spiritual life were about to die out (Rev 3:2). This may mean that the remaining genuine believers were older in age and about to die, leaving behind an immature congregation that had not succeeded in passing on genuine faith to the next generation.

They were about to be invaded by the Lord.

This prospect would have fit well against the historical background of this city, and so would the repeated, emphasized call to “be watchful” (Rev 3:2-3). Just as Croesus slept as Persia invaded the city at night, so the believers of Sardis had fallen asleep spiritually and should expect to be raided when they least expected it.

It seems as though they had failed to teach and nurture genuine faith in the gospel, confusing outward, external behavior as all there was to the Christian life, leading to an active but unconverted church.

Some suggest that this warning of the Lord’s surprising return refers to the coming rapture of the church. While this may be possible, it seems unlikely since the rapture has not occurred, yet the church no longer remains today. It seems better to understand this as a reference to Christ “shutting the doors” so to speak, rendering the church entirely obsolete and ingenuine once the remaining believers had died away.

They needed to remember, retain, and repent (Rev 3:3).

To protect their church from dying (as they were on spiritual life support and their spiritual vital signs were slipping away), they needed to do three things.

They needed to remember how they had become Christians in the beginning, by believing in the gospel.

They needed to keep this foundational teaching in view.

They needed to take quick and decisive action to turn back to that foundational truth.
Despite their good-looking behavior, they had allowed the stains of sin to soil their hearts, and if they did not repent, they would be invaded by the Lord as previously mentioned (Rev 3:4).

A Promise of Personal Blessing

Though the numbers of true believers had dwindled dramatically, Christ assured them of his final blessings as he also extended these blessings to anyone else who would join their ranks by faith – who would remember, retain, and repent.

Genuine believers will be clothed in white garments.

At face value, this means that in the future and eternal kingdom of God, we will wear white clothing (Rev 3:4-5). The word garments is a general term that refers to the outer layer of clothing rather than some specific or special kind of covering or robe, etc.

There is also a sense in which this clothing will reflect the perfect purity and righteousness that covers us (Rev 19:8). This covering and our being “worthy” is only possible because of the one who alone is worthy, Jesus Christ (Rev 4:11; 5:9).

It should also be noted that “walk with me” implies a close relationship and friendship between two parties. “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” (Amos 3:3). Not only will true believers be clothed with the perfect righteousness of Christ, but we will enjoy close fellowship and friendship with him as well.

Their names will remain in the Book of Life.

This promise continues the NT teaching that the names of true believers are recorded in a permanent, heavenly register, whether a scroll (likely) or bound book of some kind. Paul also refers to this heavenly record as the “Book of Life” (Phil 4:3).

This promise applies to all believers today who exhibit genuine faith by overcoming obstacles and persevering throughout their earthly lives. Christ assures them that he will never remove their names from the registry of his heavenly, eternal kingdom.

Some speculate that this promise requires the opposite possibility too, that a believer’s name may be removed from the Book of Life, amounting to a loss of salvation. This is merely a logical assumption and conjecture, not a biblical truth. Two later references in Revelation point out that though the names of true believers will never be removed from the Book of Life, the names of nonbelievers are never there at all (Rev 13:8; 17:8). The Bible gives no in-between scenario in which a name is recorded then removed later on.

Christ will confess their names before the Father and the angels.

This promise refers to our future appearance in God’s heavenly courtroom or throne room (Rev 3:5). This promise echoes what Christ had formerly told his disciples during his earthly ministry before the cross (Matt 10:32; Luke 12:8). It assures us that Christ will vouch for us at the judgment and not leave us hanging. He’ll be our divine defense attorney who guarantees a successful trial with an “innocent” verdict. Those who deny Christ in this life, giving way to the pressures of this world instead, will have no such assurance if their allegiance to Christ is only an outward show whenever its convenient or advantageous.

Key Takeaways

Each of these seven messages to the churches in Asia Minor says, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (cf., Rev 3:6). To obey this instruction, how should we respond to Christ’s message to Sardis today?

Are you just “going through the motions” as a Christian?

Do you act like a Christian on the outside by doing the things that Christians do? Are you going to church, giving offerings, studying the Bible, passing out gospel tracts, etc. but with no personal belief in the gospel and no real relationship with Christ? Have you believed on Christ as your God and Savior and declared your faith through baptism, or have you merely prayed a prayer and done things that Christians do?

Are you being watchful for the next generation?

If you are a genuine follower of Christ, are you content to overcome for yourself but neglect the spiritual condition of those who will come after you? If we’re not watchful, the enemy will creep into our church by getting us to believe that just because we’re all busy doing “church things” we’re okay. Instead, it’s possible that new members and the younger people of our church are merely “going through the motions” to fit in.

As a member of your church, be watchful over your own heart and the spiritual condition of your congregation as well. Pray for true conversions and genuine faith in Christ and don’t be content with the activities and busyness of ministry. Church activity alone does not guarantee genuine faith in Christ. We also need to depend on Christ for the Spirit of God to enable a spiritual response to God’s message from Christ (Rev 3:1).