The Dead Church: The Letter to Sardis

The Letter to Sardis is a stark rebuke to the Body of Christ today. This Church was wealthy, self-sufficient, and self-confident, but it was also dead, fruitless, and on the cusp of having its lampstand removed by the Lord Jesus Christ.

It stands as a grave warning to Christians today against compromise, the idolatry of self, immorality, and loving the things of this world.

Want this teaching in a different format? You can watch it here or find the audio version here

The Letter to the Church of Sardis

The town of Sardis had a place called the Acropolis. The Acropolis was a on a high hill and fortress, on which the city was built.

They believed the city to be impenetrable as it was on a high encampment.

It is important as the Church to recognize that the letters written to the seven churches of

Revelation were also written to us today. We should take and apply them personally as we are the Church.

Every letter has a message.

You need to make sure for your own admonition that you take heed. They are warnings to everyone of what can happen.

Sardis was referred to as the dead Church.

Revelation 3:1 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.

Doesn't that sound like a lot of Churches today that many believe to be on fire?

God does not look at the outward appearance. He looks at the inward parts and at the heart.

God judges all things.

To the carnal mind, this Church looked like a great Church.

But, if you had the eyes of the Spirit and the mind of Christ, you'd look at this Church and you'd see this Church for what it really was.

That is what Christ does.

You are learning to look through His eyes.

This is how you look at, recognize, and see what is wrong with the Church.

Revelation 3:2-6 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.

Doesn't that give you a clear picture there?

The Church of Sardis had obviously drifted away from the true foundation of the faith.

Sardis was a very wealthy city. It had a lot of gold, dyes, purple, and the Acropolis.

It was an extremely wealthy town and had become virtually self-sufficient.

They really didn't need any help from anyone. It was very affluent.

Sardis was originally built on the Acropolis. So, whenever the people of the city were faced with danger, they could run and hide behind the encampment and fortress, and literally laugh at their enemies.

It was apparently impenetrable.

However, history will tell you that it was conquered twice.

The reason it was conquered was because one of the watchmen on the wall dropped his helmet. The enemy who was wanting to beseige the city offered a reward to anyone who was able to find a way to breech the wall and get into the city.

There was a way of entering the city that was not visible from below. So, when the soldier dropped his helmet, the enemy watched him come down this particular way and retrieve his helmet.

That is how the enemy discovered a way in to lay siege to the fortified city.

This actually happened on two different occasions, and the breech occurred for the exact same reason.

What that demonstrates is that the people in Sardis were not watchful. They were not watching.

Jesus said that He was going to come as a thief in the night and that His people should be watchful.

But, they were not being watchful.

Revelation 3:3 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.

This is exactly what happened to Sardis. Because they were so confident in their self-sufficiency and man-made protections, they became complacent.

They trusted in their own works.

This is the core of the message to the Church of Sardis.

It is a warning of becoming self sufficient and trusting in their own works.

They did not need any help from others so they became self-confident.

We all must be careful of becoming self-sufficient and self-confident.

Because the city was also so wealthy, it was a huge trading center, they also became self-indulgent.

They were very wealthy. This place had the finest of everything.

This is what caused the Church to fall into a state of complacency, compromise, and self-sufficiency.

Take a moment to think about this for yourself.

In the western world, we are all wealthy.  

Don't just think that these detrimental attributes only apply to the ancient city of Sardis, but not to you personally or others in the Church today.

We are all very privileged.

Throughout history you can see what people went through to get the Word of God to us.

How many people died trying to get us the Word that we have access to today?

Many believers blatantly treat our Bibles casually. The Word of God is freely available to us in the West.

But how dangerous and difficult is it to obtain the Word in China?

The Word of God is very valuable. Do not take this Bible that you have for granted.

It is a privilege that you have access to it.

Do not be complacent about having the Word of God. It is precious and cost many people their lives in order to have it be freely available to us today.

Revelation 3:1b-2 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.

Reflect on something for a moment.

What do you think those things are which remained? What do you think those things were?

The Bible talks about dead works.

Would carnal-mindedness produce dead works?

What is really happening here is that this Church was being religious. It was going through all the motions but it was not being led by the Spirit to the degree that the Lord wanted.

They were not moving in the gifts of the Spirit. They were not moving in the power of the Holy Spirit.

They were not operating in the Spirit at all, but are being carnal.

It was more like an institution, a community type place that brought people together for entertainment.

They were just being religious.

The lampstand was still there, but God was ready to come and remove it.

He was warning them.

The culture was affecting them because they were very wealthy. They were trusting in the provisions that they had accumulated for themselves.       

Sardis: The Temple of Artemis          

Sardis was where the temple of Artemis was located. In Greek mythology, Artemis was also known as the Roman goddess Diana. She was also the daughter of Zeus, the mighty ruler of the Olympian gods.

Artemis's mother, Leto, gave birth to Artemis after a short and painless labor.

As a goddess of childbirth, nursing, and healing - also called Lucina.  Diana held an honored place among women.

This Artemis was a female deity. As goddess of light, she represents the moon.

With Wicca and witchcraft they particularly are into moon worship.

The Babylonia deities also have connections to celestial entities. Nimrod represented the Sun, Semiramis represented the Moon, and Tammuz represented the stars.

Diana, however, was also identified with Hecate, the Greek goddess of darkness and witchcraft, and served as goddess of the kingdom of the dead.

Hecate is the queen of witchcraft. The Statue of Liberty in New York is actually a statue of Hecate.

These are all a type and shadow of Semiramis. All of these other female deities have their origins in Semiramis of Babylon.

Of all the Greek goddesses, the goddess Artemis was literally born to serve as a nurturer and protector.

You can see here also how the pagan roots of Sardis had an effect on the Church.

There was a lot of paganism, witchcraft, and idolatry, and they had become self-sufficient, self-confident, and self-indulgent.

Self. Self. Self.

One of the warnings of the Church of Sardis is self-  focus.

Church of Sardis: Dead Religion

Sardis had a wealthy culture which thrived on trade in textiles, dyes, and jewelry. We today, in comparison, have the same wealthy culture.

Today we are in a very similar position. we have to take heed to the warning to the Church of Sardis.

Matthew 19:24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

The eye of the needle meant basically stripping yourself of your possessions.

Matthew 23:27-28 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

So, this is a type of Church that on the outside looked good and beautiful, but was full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

This is again an example of religious carnality.

The carnal mind is an enemy of God and can't know God.

2 Timothy 3:4b-5 lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Sexual sins were also rampant in Sardis.

So, carnality and sexual sins were two of the key attributes of this Church.

The Spirit of Artemis (which is also Hecate and Diana) hates authority, the Church, Christ, and the order of Christ.

It hates the head and the whole structure that God has ordained for the man and the woman.

It is a very feminist spirit and it hates the man being the head of the home.

It hates the Church because it hates the structure. It is a spirit of divorce and will cause mayhem in your marriage if it exists in your marriage.

This spirit hates male authority, the Church and Christ.

It hates the Cross and keeps people in carnality.

Like many demonic spirits, this demon is designed to keep you carnal. They are waging a war in keeping people in the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life.

All of these spirits are Antichrist. They are completely against the structure that the Word tells us about.

These things hate everything about the Word of God.

This spirit had obviously gotten inside the Church and was causing them to fall away.

Mark 7:6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

Sardis: A Church of Compromise

Compromise means something intermediate between or blending qualities of two different things.

James 4:4-5 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

What is the Church?

It is the called out ones.

What is the Church called out of?

The world.

The Church of Sardis was actively participating in the world.

God commands, "Come out of her, my People, lest you share in her sins."

Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

You cannot serve Mammon, money, the world, the love of the world, or the love of money, which is the root of all evil.

Matthew 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

A true follower of Christ will walk in the Spirit, trust God, have no fear, and will be happy and content with everything that they have.

This attitude sums up Christ's commands that we must die to self and take up our Cross.

It is stripping yourself of carnality.

Sardis: Watch and Prey

Revelation 3:3b 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.

Sardis had an awesome fortress that was virtually impenetrable, but twice it is recorded in history that it was defeated by the guards falling asleep.

All of us are like watchmen. We have to watch!

Jesus said, "Watch and pray, lest you fall into temptation."

You must be watchful and alert. If you are watchful and alert then you will not have to worry about the thief.

Jesus will not come as a thief to you if you stay awake. He won't come as a thief to believers.

Believers will see Him come and will know when He is coming.

But to those who are not watching and who are asleep, He will come as a thief.

Matthew 25:1-13 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

If you're ready, then be ready.

Be a watchmen and then you won't have to worry about the thief.

You'll be rejoicing. You will see the signs when Jesus is coming and you'll be ready because you'll have light for your lamp.

Sardis: No Fruit

Mark 11:12-14 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

You must bear fruit.

Faith without works is dead.

The fig tree in this story represents Israel.

Israel was going to get cut off because of unbelief.

It was apostate and they had rejected Christ.

It was a stumbling block.

So, God cut off that fig tree.

This is what is happening to Sardis. The Church of Sardis was about to be cut off.

God warned them to hang on to what they had, lest what they had die.

Faith without deeds is dead. That is not a good place to be.

Do not sleep. Otherwise, when Jesus comes you are going to miss Him.

Conclusion

Revelation 3:2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.

You must examine yourself and come out of worldly, churchy activities that are all yoked into the world, trusting in yourself, being self-sufficient, being self confident and being self indulgent.

These things will still your inheritance and will cost you everything.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MMHxWnPn7Y