Sardis was the fifth church addressed by the Lord at the beginning of the book of Revelation. There is no other mention of this church or the city elsewhere in the New Testament. Like the previous church (Thyatira), nothing is said about them experiencing persecution. However, this may have been because they were not living up to their reputation as a faithful church.
“To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches’” (Revelation 3:1-6).
About the City
Sardis was located at the intersection of five roads that led to Thyatira, Smyrna, Phyrgia, Philadelphia, and Ephesus. This made it an important and prosperous trading center. In the 6th century B. C., it was one of the world’s richest and most powerful cities. It was still a notable city during the time of the Roman Empire, though not quite to the degree that it was previously. The city was devastated by an earthquake in 17 A. D. and had to be rebuilt. Despite this, the geographer Strabo still called it a “great” city in 26 A. D.*
This city had also become known as a place of loose living and pleasure-seeking. The fact that Sardis was a trading center with many people coming and going likely contributed to this. This is much like the city of Corinth, where the converts engaged in various immoral behaviors and lifestyles before obeying the gospel (cf. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11).
Letter to the Church
The letter to the church in Sardis contained the same elements and followed the same outline as the rest of the letters.
- Description of Jesus – Jesus began by declaring that He had “the seven Spirits of God” Revelation 3:1), a description also used earlier (Revelation 1:4). The book of Revelation uses symbolic numbers throughout. The number seven symbolizes completeness or perfection. This suggests that the “seven Spirits” is a reference to the Holy Spirit. Jesus “having” the “seven Spirits” indicates His closeness and fellowship with the third person of the Godhead. Jesus also possesses the “seven stars,” which was a reference to the “angels of the seven churches” (Revelation 1:20). This indicates Christ’s headship over the churches.
- Current circumstances – Again, like Thyatira, the brethren in Sardis were not currently facing persecution. However, this was likely because the church generally fit in with the culture around them. Yet they had “a name that [they were] alive” (Revelation 3:1), indicating that they had been a faithful and active church in the past and were still known for this.
- Commendations – The church as a whole was not commended by the Lord. However, there were “a few people in Sardis who [had] not soiled their garments” and were worthy to walk with the Lord (Revelation 3:4). Unfortunately, there were just a few that fit this description.
- Condemnations – Despite their reputation for being “alive,” the Lord said they were “dead” spiritually (Revelation 3:1). They were told to “wake up” (Revelation 3:2) because they were “asleep” and unaware of the seriousness of their condition.
- Punishment for sin – The Lord said He would come “like a thief” (Revelation 3:3), which is the language used to describe the unexpectedness of judgment (cf. Matthew 24:42-44; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Peter 3:10). They were to “wake up” (Revelation 3:2) and “not sleep as others do” (1 Thessalonians 5:6), so they could be ready for the Lord’s judgment.
- Reward for faithfulness – Those who were faithful would be “clothed in white garments,” would have their name in “the book of life,” and the Lord would “confess [their] name before [the] Father” (Revelation 3:5). The white garments represented forgiveness of sins. Their name in the book of life indicated the fact that they would receive salvation. Jesus confessing them before the Father suggests the idea of fellowship with Him.
Main Lesson: Maintain Your Reputation
The church at Sardis initially developed the reputation of being faithful. Yet a church like this must maintain that reputation – not through marketing campaigns or clever branding, but through their continued faithfulness. The situation in Sardis was similar to the church in Ephesus, who had been faithful but had “left [their] first love” (Revelation 2:4). Yet the difference between these two churches is that Ephesus seemed to remain active despite their misplaced focus. Sardis had become stagnant.
This is the lesson for us today. We need to maintain our reputation of faithfulness.
How can we do this? The only way to maintain a reputation is first to develop that reputation. This can be done individually (3 John 12) and collectively (1 Thessalonians 1:8-9). Once we develop a good reputation, we need to maintain it. Notice the following passages:
“Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:11-12).
“Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil” (Matthew 5:33-37).
The above passages talk about how we maintain our reputation as individuals, but the same principle would apply to the collective reputation of our local churches. We must consistently do what is right and speak what is true. If we are not doing this, we are essentially dead, just as the church in Sardis (Revelation 3:1). James explained that “faith without works is dead” (James 2:26). In our churches, we need the “proper working of each individual part” (Ephesians 4:16), rather than working in a way that is improper, unauthorized, or that reflects the sinful world around us. If we have built a good reputation based upon what we have done in the past – individually or collectively – we cannot become complacent and rest upon our prior accomplishments. Instead, we must “[forget] what lies behind and [reach] forward to what lies ahead, [and] press on toward the goal” (Philippians 3:14).
Conclusion
We will be known for something, and this reputation will be based upon what we do. In order to have a good reputation – individually and collectively – we must work for it. Once we are known for something, we cannot coast from that point forward as if there is nothing left for us to do.
Let us refrain from using the good things we have accomplished in the past as an excuse to become stagnant in our faith. Instead, let us continue working, serving, and growing.
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*William Barclay, Letters to the Seven Churches, p. 70.
