Revelation 3:1-6

To the Dead Church

On a plateau at the foot of Mount Timolous, in a fertile valley, at the intersection of several roads, stood the city of Sardis. It was 35 miles southeast of Thyatira. Three sides of the plateau were perpendicular cliffs, so the inhabitants thought they only had to defend one side. The church in Sardis had a name with men, but not with God (1 Samuel 16:7). She had a reputation of life, vigor and great spiritual strength. It likely was a large church and it may be that people of the community wanted to join in the growth. No false doctrine was taught in Sardis and no untruth had taken root, but there was a heartless holding of truth. Her outward appearance was deceptive because it hid a spiritual graveyard. Christ knew of her works. Men thought of her works as beautiful clothes, but the Lord saw them as grave clothes disguising a corpse (Matthew 15:7-8; 1 Timothy 5:6). Matthew 8:22 tells us Jesus said for the spiritually dead to bury the physically dead (Revelation 3:1; compare Ephesians 2:1).

Sardis' overconfidence over an easy defense had led to defeat in 549 and 218 B. C., when she left the cliffs unguarded. How appropriate that an overconfident church should be told by its Lord to be watchful (Mark 13:35-37). Their lamp was growing dim and, if they did not act quickly, it would soon go out. They needed to fire up the spark to reignite the whole. Someone has said there is not enough fire in a Sunday morning Christian to light a candle. Those is Sardis needed to pump the bellows to rekindle the fire for the embers were ready to die (Ephesians 5:14-16). God had not found their works filled full, or perfect. They were an empty shell that God wanted filled with his purpose (Revelation 3:2; Matthew 23:27-28).

Verse 3 To put life back in a dead church, the Lord would urge them to remember, or we might say, to look back on a long glorious history as a challenge to do the Lord's will again. Most people obey the Lord's commands with great excitement and at that reception truly rejoice. (Acts 2:41; Acts 8:39; Acts 16:33-34) Recalling that joy and the relief one feels when released from sin should prick the conscience and rekindle the desire. They needed to hold fast to the word or else we will drift. (Hebrews 2:1-3) Also, they were instructed to repent, or lay down their inactivity and dead spirituality. (2 Corinthians 7:10) Again, they are told to watch because the Lord was going to come unannounced and unexpected by some. (Matthew 24:43)

Verse 4 Hendriksen points us to the Lord's knowing the faithful by name. Even in a church of corpses, God sees the live souls. Those who do God's will are not lost in a dead crowd. (Genesis 6:5-8; Genesis 19:15-16; 1 Kings 19:10; 1 Kings 19:18) Our sins are washed in Jesus' blood. (Isaiah 1:18; Hebrews 9:22; Ephesians 1:7; Revelation 7:14) Because they had kept their spiritual garments clean (1 John 1:7), they would be clothed in the garments of purity in heaven (Isaiah 61:10; Revelation 19:8)

Verse 5 When people die on earth, their names are removed from the voting rolls. It appears that Israel had a book of the living and the dead had their names removed. (Isaiah 4:3; Ezekiel 13:9; Nehemiah 12:22 f; Psalms 69:28; Revelation 20:11-15) Sardis had a lot of names on the "church roll" who would not be written on the pages of God's book of life. Those who keep on overcoming will also hear their names confessed by the Lord before the Father. (Matthew 10:32; Luke 13:24-27)

Verse 6 As always, a blessing is pronounced upon those who hear and heed the words of the letter.