Jan 5, 2025 Sunday Message: Sardis, 5th Church of Revelations - Pastor Chuck Kennedy

Jan 5, 2025 Sunday Message: Sardis, 5th Church of Revelations - Pastor Chuck Kennedy
Rev 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.

Rev 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.

Rev 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.

Rev 3:4 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.

Rev 3:5 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.

Rev 3:6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

The Sardis church was asleep in their prosperity

They looked religious to the world

They looked Christian to many in the church

Sardis is no longer, it is only ruins located near the modern Turkish village of Sart, with only archaeological remains of the once-thriving city and its church left behind;

In its prime, Sardis was the capital of the Lydian Empire and exerted regional influence in Asia Minor (modern Turkey)

Sardis was a significant city in ancient Lydia, now part of modern-day Turkey.

Once a thriving trade centre

Today, the site is located by the present day village of Sart, near Salihli in the Manisa province of Turkey, close to the Ankara - İzmir highway (approximately 72 kilometres (45 mi) from İzmir).

Jesus addressed them as the fifth church he spoke to in Revelations

Rev 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.

To the overseer of the church in Sardis

Jesus Himself speaks

The Seven Spirits of God

7 is used often in the Bible, both old and new testaments

I have not verified it but most researchers say it was used over 700 times in the scriptures

It means completeness or perfection, which is what Jesus wrote to them about, being perfect

Rev 1:4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;

Rev 4:5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

Holy Ghost and fire!

Rev 5:6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

Zech 4:1 And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep,

Zech 4:2 And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:

Zech 4:3 And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.

Zech 4:4 So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?

Zech 4:5 Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.

Zech 4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.

Isa 11:2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;

The Seven Spirits of God is the Completeness and perfection of the Holy Spirit for ministry work on earth

The Seven Stars are the angels of the seven Churches

Rev 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

So you have Jesus saying He holds the seven overseers of the churches and the Churches themselves full of the Holy Spirit represented by the seven Spirits of God or completeness, perfection of the church on earth

Jesus stated He knew their works

Works are what they believe turned into actions

This church had fallen asleep thinking they were believers when they were dead

John 6:28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

John 6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

They had fallen into a form of godliness with no power

2Tim 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2Tim 3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

2Tim 3:3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

2Tim 3:4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

2Tim 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Jesus said they had a reputation of piety

But they were actually dead

They evidently used that name or reputation for favor in the community

They lived the name but were dead it says

Rev 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.

He is telling them wake up!

Watch for His soon return and be ready

The little life they had He told them to strengthen it within themselves

Exercise themselves in faith instead of laziness and ease,

Suffer to stretch themselves by faith for the doing of the will of God

Jesus tells them that even what small amount of life they have remaining is quickly dying

He instructs them to pursue perfection

John 17:23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

No wonder, Jesus had prayed for the church to be perfect

Do not be mislead into modern theology of sleeping faith believing we cannot nor should we strive for perfection

The Bible paints a very different picture as we study the word perfect in scripture

2Cor 13:11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

Eph 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

Eph 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

Phil 3:12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

Phil 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

Phil 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Col 1:28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

It was based on their works or their actions

Matt 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Matt 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Matt 5:46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

Matt 5:47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

Matt 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Suffer to do the will of God instead of excusing our lifestyles like they did in Sardis

Rev 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.

Here Jesus is instructing them to go back to the basics from the beginning.

Remember the first things of God

How you were when you were first saved

How you heard and it produced faith with corresponding actions

Hold on to that revelation and do not let it get away

Watch, be alert, be on the lookout, prepare thyself to meet the Lord

Matt 24:42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

Matt 24:43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.

Matt 24:44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

2Pet 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

2Pet 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

2Pet 3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

2Pet 3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

Rev 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

1Thess 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

1Thess 5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

1Thess 5:4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

Luke 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

Luke 21:35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.

Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

There were some Godly saints in Sardis

Rev 3:4 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.

The white represents the righteousness of God

Rev 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

Rev 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

Rev 3:5 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.

If the name could be blotted out, then it must have been in there to be able to be erased

An uneasy thought, very sobering

It was said to the church that was prosperous and appeared so right to everyone

Rev 3:6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Wake up Church, there is no time to sleep

Jesus is coming soon