Sardis | The Dead Church
The 7 Churches of Revelation | Episode 6 Sardis was founded in the 12th century and built upon a crumbling rock
at an elevation of 1500 feet, and it became the capital
of the Lydian kingdom, one of the richest kingdoms
of the ancient world. Coined money is reported
to have been invented here. The almost perpendicular
walls of the elevation on which the stronghold
of the city was built made the inhabitants of the
city overconfident and proud. [music] During the reign of Croesus, one of the strongholds of the city
was captured by Cyrus in 549 B.C. when one of his soldiers
scaled the rock face at night and opened the gates to the Persians. He learned the secret route up
after watching one of the guards who had fallen asleep at his post of duty go and retrieve his helmet
that had fallen off his head. The inhabitants of the city
did not learn their lesson, and 300 years later
suffered the same fate when Antiochus the Great
captured the city. Carelessness, sleepiness,
and overconfidence led the city to destruction. This area, that was once the
bustling centre of the Lydian kingdom, now lies barren and deserted. Sardis, the city that was once alive,
is now dead. [music] The church in Sardis begins with the message, 'You have a name that you
are alive, but you are dead'. Like the city, the church in Sardis
started with great promise but quickly faded. No church or individual Christian
can survive on past reputation, no matter how good this might have been. It was once stated that next to
cowardice and treachery is overconfidence, leading to neglect and slothfulness. Let us be wary of overconfidence,
for 1 Corinthians 10:12 says, 'Let him who thinks he stands
take heed lest he fall.' [music] The church that had been hard working
but loveless during the time of Ephesus, that became persecuted
during the time of Smyrna, was compromised in Pergamos, apostate in Thyatira,
is now dead in Sardis. Historically we take this time period
to be the end of the Reformation, and just after the end of the Reformation. The leaders of the Reformation
were those of vigour and consecration, but over time, their followers, happy with
the gains that their leaders had made, settled down into organised religion. Whilst improvements had been made from
the mother church that they broke away from, the movements of Knox
and Luther settled down into being a state religion
supported by the public treasury. [music] Even in Sardis, there was still hope:
'You have a few names.' In fact, the name Sardis means,
'That which remains'. Despite the majority of Protestantism
falling into dead formalism, there would be some who would overcome. Historically during this time period
we see the rise of the American colonies which form the foundation to a new nation, providing new opportunities for the church. Those who overcome in Sardis
receive perhaps the best promise of all: 'They shall walk with Me in white... and I will not blot out his name from
the Book of Life.' (Revelation 3:4-5) [music] If your spiritual life has become
consumed with dead formalism, then the counsel to
Sardis applies to you. Hold fast and repent. Repent of a lifeless religion of
forms, routine, and monotony, and pray for renewal. Those who overcame in Sardis
would be clothed in white robes. The white toga in Rome was
a symbol of victory and joy. This city, this church, which suffered capture due to
carelessness, is told to watch. May we watch our spiritual condition,
that we don't become overconfident, and keep a careful eye on our
relationship and our walk with God.
