Christ's Message to Sardis, The Dead Church

Post Scripts ^ | 9/6/09 | One Viike

[OneVike]

In my ongoing series on the book of Revelation, I now move on down the postal route to the next church in Christ's message to the seven churches of Asia, Sardis.

The fifth church mentioned in John’s message was probably the oldest settlement in Asia Minor. Archeological evidence shows that Sardis was probably first inhabited shortly after the confusion of languages and the subsequent dispersion of the people (Gen 11:5-7). As the capital of the ancient kingdom of Lydia, Sardis was one of the greatest cities of the ancient world. In the 6th century BC it was ruled by a king named Croesus, some believe he was the infamous King Midas of legends of old, and probably the wealthiest man since King Solomon. Like Bill Gates the name Croesus’s, or Midas, became a proverb of sorts for wealth and luxury thanks to the gold and silver panned from the Pactalus River. The abundance of electrum, a gold and silver alloy, allowed the Lydians to be the first society in history to mint coins. By fixing a guarantied value to their coins, the Lydian currency became acceptable for tender in trade throughout the known world.

Sardis, the Lydian Capital, was protected by a fortress built about 1500 feet above the plain on a ridge of the 5800-foot high Mount Tmolus. The precipice was so difficult to reach that it was considered virtually impregnable, so the cliff side of the city was never defended against a military assault. The people of Sardis believed that no army on earth could capture their city. Thus they lived with a smug sense of pride, having confidence in their riches and impregnable fortress. However, like the Titanic that was thought to be unsinkable, Sardis was actually vulnerable and was captured, shocking the ancient world by its defeat. Not once but twice in its history, a band of brave soldiers climbed up the sides of the cliff and entered an unwatched gate. After each disaster the city recovered, but like most people who fail to learn from their history they slipped back into a false sense of security.

Christ used this fact of their history to point out the complacent spirit in the church. When a church begins to love its systems more than it loves Jesus, when it’s more concerned with material things than spiritual things, and when their past history and glory is what they worship, they start to die from within. One of the differences between the message to Sardis and the messages to the other churches, is they were not recognized for any struggles. The church in Sardis was so devoid of life that it actually had no struggles going on within it. There are no Jewish accusers of this church even though it had a large Jewish community with one of the largest synagogues in the Asian Province. They ignored the church, or perhaps did not even know of its existence. There were no false apostles or any of the domineering Nicolaitans who needed to be guarded against and there were no female seducers, as at Thyatira. There was nothing, nada, zip, and that was the ministry of the church at Sardis. It was dead!

Some may have been professing Christians, engaged in religious activities but never truly trusting in Jesus Christ. More than likely, however, they were carnal believers who had made a good start, but had failed to move on, to grow and experience true spirituality. They were active, engaged in works, but temporally dead, out of fellowship with Christ.(Eph 5:14-18) Many Christians today in America fit the description of the Sardis church members, they believe they are saved because they associate themselves with a Christian church. However as James would say, “You have faith, and I have works. Show me your faith without works, and I by my works will show you my faith.” (James 2:18) The point is that while we are saved by faith and not works, our lack of works shows how little faith we really have. Thus we could be in jeopardy of losing our faith if we do not diligently do the works as Christ said,

"But why do you call Me "Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great." (Luke 6:46-49)

Jesus wanted them to be watchful lest they suffer the same fate as the city had to outside attacks, an obvious warning from the city’s historic problem of not being on guard. (Rev 3:3)

They are also told of a few good followers who have not soiled their garments and will one day be clothed in white. (Rev 3:5) Sardis was devoted to the worship of the mother-goddess Cybele and no temple worshipper was allowed to approach the temple of the gods with soiled or unclean garments. A white and clean robe was required to approach its so-called gods. So the reference to the white robe would make the reader think of purity and acceptance by God. To the allegorist Sardis represents the age of the reformation from Luther to Wesley, approximately 1517-1793. The reformation revealed the wrongs of the church for many followers, but that awakening also showed how little the sheep cared.

[OneVike]

Around America we have many dead churches that just seem to go through the motions, and since the churches are the people, that make for a lot of dead Christians.

Sardis is the example we do not want to emulate.

[OneVike]

Revelation Ping on the 7 church letters from Christ.

Let me know if you want added or removed from my ping list.

It really has become a generic ping list of articles I write whether they be religious political or misc. Heck I even wrote one about dogs and losing a loved one once. It was actually one of the most popular articles I ever wrote, go figure.

Well I pray you are as blessed in reading this commentary on Sardis, “The Dead Church”, as I was in writing it.

[ThePanFromJapan]

This is one reason why I’m heading to South Korea.

The church over there is active, and it’s a country that is exporting it’s missionaries to the USA.

Maybe by going over there and becoming active in working with the faith that is possessed, God can make me into a better worker for Him. I’ve been getting a little fat and lazy over here, I need to strive to earn.

[Poe White Trash]

I ran into some South Korean missionaries when I lived in Tawian. Nice folks; I still have some of their literature.

[Poe White Trash]

I’ve heard the Episcopalians called an “Ichabod” church, but not a “dead” church. Is there a meaningful difference?

[Poe White Trash]

OOPS! Tawian = Taiwan.

[OneVike]

Your tagline alludes to you being or have been to Japan.

Question?

If you know, as you put it, that you have been getting a little fat and lazy over here, why go to Korea? I mean I agree that South Korea has a very strong Philadelphia type of a church, but knowing your weakness, why not find a healthy well balanced church here and do what God calls you to do?

It is not as if there are no churches in America that are Smyrna or Philadelphian types. You just need to find them. America needs all the evangelizing it can get. In the next 20 years, there will by on the average, about 40 million Muslims either moving to America, or Americans converting to that religion. Don’t you think it is time to start working on your neighbors and friends now?

[OneVike]

Well, an Ichabod church is one that is going in so many directions the sheep are confused as to what they should be or what doctrine they should follow.

The dead church that Christ speaks of is one that is so into their own church doctrine that they do not really do anything to bring people to Christ. It is like they are more into making sure the followers they have follow their church doctrine instead of converting the lost.

You know sports heroes who are long retired and everyone has long past forgotten their past accomplishments, so they go into the booth and spend the next twenty years calling games and reminding everyone about their glory years instead of helping new viewers understand the game they are watching.

Does that help?

[OneVike]

Also, the Sardis type churches really have grown comfortable in their positions and even if they grow, they do not do wish to help those new converts really understand or advance beyond their teachers.

Some church leaders are so worried that new converts will advance past them so they actually hold them back and thus they have a dead ministry. Most new coverts to these churches are usually through nepotism, or friends.. Usually they do not have many converts from outside their own comfort zones.

[OneVike]

One last point. I have heard some describe the Ichabod church as one that relates more to the Laodician church. Christ is so upset with it that he said He wants to Vomit them out.

Personally I like my description better, unsure which way to go, not dead but not really convinced on what is right either, thus Ichabod whom needed to be visited by the past present and future Christmases to be convinced on what is real and what he should do.

Which way should I go, I will take a little from everyone until I decide what is right and wrong, in the meantime I am really not doing Christ any good here on earth. Thus He will remove their lamp stand eventually.

[ThePanFromJapan]

A very simple explanation: It’s not where God has called me.

[OneVike]

Understood. You would know. May God bless your calling and I pray you will be a powerful soldier in His army.

[Poe White Trash]

Yah, that helps. Thanks for this and your other replies.

[Poe White Trash]

>>> thus Ichabod whom needed to be visited by the past present and future Christmases to be convinced on what is real and what he should do. <<<

What the Dickens! I think you’re confusing Ichabod with Ebenezer (Scrooge).

What amazes me is those who decry the secularization of once wholly Christian Europe, and yet never speak of Europe as what it now is: an opportunity for mission work.

[OneVike]

I was joking on the last one to see if you would catch it. :>)
Remember the mailman on Cheers, Oh what was his name. Well he did stuff like that always and so I decided to use it. After all it does not seem as I was going get many comments so I had fun with it.

Sorry if I confused you.

[Poe White Trash]

S’alright!

_A Christmas Carol_ with an Ichabod Scrooge would have had a very sad ending, I would think!

I wonder how much of Western literature is “losing its meaning” because the Biblical context that our ancestors took for granted and played off of is no longer common currency. We have become a Civilization of “mailmen on Cheers.”

[boatbums]

Cliff...or Cliffy as Norm used to call him.

[boatbums]

1 Samuel 4:21
And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[OneVike]

We have become a Civilization of “mailmen on Cheers.”

Good point