Revelation 3:1-6
The Character of the City
A. Sardis was the crossroads of trade routes between East and West.
- People were rich merchants
- People loved luxury and pleasure
B. Sardis worshipped Cybele with a Temple that encouraged sexual immorality.
C. Sardis was situated on a hill with a fortress that offered good defense.
- They were overconfident in the city’s walls, which led to lack of diligent watches.
- In 549 BC, Cyrus found a secret path up to an unguarded city wall.
- In 214 BC, Antiochus the Great did the same thing. The wall was unguarded.
D. Sardis was lax in discipline and morality.
The Christ of the Church
A. The 7 Spirits of God refers to Jesus as God Who has the fulness of the Holy Spirit in Him.
B. The 7 Stars (1:20) refers to Jesus as the Master / Owner of the Churches Who speaks to all His churches.
The Comprehension of Christ
A. He knows their reputation. They are a lively church with lots of activities.
B. He knows they are spiritually dead.
C. He does not mention false doctrine or scandals in the church because a dead church is no threat to Satan.
“The church of Sardis was a church at peace–but it was the peace of the dead.” –Barclay
The Challenge to the Church
A. Be watchful.
B. Remember and Hold Fast to the Word of God.
C. Repent.
The Caution of Christ
A. “If you do not watch, I will come as a thief in the night.”
B. “Only a few have not defiled their garments. These are not dead because of sinful compromise with the world.”
The Commendation of Christ
A. “The faithful will walk with Me in white” = spiritual purity and triumph.
B. Christ “will not blot our their name from the Book of LIfe.”
- Moses, Exodus 32:33
- Psalm 69:28
- Revelation 22:19
- Revelation 20:15
C. Christ “will confess them before the Father and the angels.”