As the gospel truth has been filtered down through the ages, it has lost its popularity and acceptance. The truth has basically been dead, or so small of a following that it can be viewed as dead. So any revival of it, must be considered as just that, a revival from the dead. And those who accept the truth, could be considered a believing remnant. And this basically describes the Church in Sardis. Rev. 3:2; " I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead." This group of believers in the truth, indentified themselves as having everything that signifys life in Christ, but Christ was defining them as dead. No doubt they magnified every doctrine that stood for life in Christ. Imagine that, a very people of God, celebrating the Life of Christ, while they were dead themselves. Dead people walking and talking the truth.
Notice Jesus next statement in vs. 2;" Wake up!, and strengthen the things that remain, WHICH WERE ABOUT TO DIE! They were dead in the sight of God, and what truth that remained with them was about to die.
Under the Old covenant, God always sent Prophets to warn the people and stir them up, wake them from their sleep walking. Here Jesus himself warns his Church. What makes the people of God so suspect to sleep? Look at their aittitude in Micah 3:11; " Is not the Lord in our Midst? Calamity willnot come upon us." Time and time again the churchs or people of God has been warned, and time and time again they had slipped into Darkness. All the while believing that God is in their Midst, they have nothing to fear.
Being a leader of Gods people in the bible, as I look at the job they had, was a horrible job, full of misery and Pain. Mostly because of the people, their stubborness, their lack, their magnifying of things not perfected within them. They were weak, and much truth delivered to them, was watered down by their weakness. And much of that watered down truth has reached this present age.
Look at this historic fingerprint of the church of God, as penned by John as Jesus commanded him to write.
The message to Ephesus, perhaps the end of the Apostolic age; They had problems dealing with Evil and they lost their first Love, which was a willingness and Love for repentance. When first in Love, we would do anything for the one we Love, even change ourselves. One of the reasons they lost their taste for Overcomming, was because they felt they had it made.
The Message to Smyrna, the Church under Persecution. The Devil was given the power to really try this church, but the devil was given this to do, because the people were not Overcomming themselves, so the heat was turned up. Part of their problem was they had so many in their church, who were really not believers in the true gospel, only partial backers of it.
The Message to Pergamum, the Church settled in the World. They were holding on to false teachings, and had incorporated these false teachings into the Truth, an add mix that last even unto this very day.
The Message to Thyatira, the Church in Idolatry. A people of Love and Faith, but they too had a taste for blending Gods truths with the truths of carnal doctrines, a type of " Marrying Jezebel". Just trying to make a marriage of truth and deception a Holy Union.
The Message to Philadelphia, still another church in Revival, still weak and with little power. At least this church aittitude seems to break the curve, but the message gets worse to Laodicea, perhaps the church in its final state of Apostacy. They were neither cold or hot, just " Neutral", or at rest. I view them as the " Spiritual Hippies" of the church aittitudes, they had became naked, but didn't know it, because of their " Spiritual High." Probally drunk on Gods word and promises and felt no need to be Overcommers or repenters.
The main theme here, is one of mixing oil with water, mixing Gods truth with dead doctrines which mean nothing to God. But this deadly mixture can kill a church. How do you kill someone, and they still be alive? Still be believers, still hold to truth, but bring them to a point of " Sleep"?
Well first you get them to rest. To relax, and then you slowly lull them to sleep.
And I want to go into how Sardis was killed Spiritually, while still holding the Identity of God.
Peace.
just something I'd like to add if I may...
The words of Jesus really comes to life when one studies the history of the seven churches (or cities) of Revelation.
Your post first mentions Sardis, and this is what Jesus also said about this city amongst other things:
QuoteRev3:3: 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.
the history of Sardis tells us that it was a very important city...both in Roman times and before that...
Sardis was well protected from enemies, impossible to conquer by storming the walls.
It is very interesting to note how Cyrus the Great (Persian emperor) and Alexander the Great conquered this city.
Both armies suffered heavy losses when trying to storm the walls, so they camped outside...waited and watched.
The story is told that in both cases, they saw how a helmet of one of the guards on the wall fell to the ground outside the wall...they saw the guard coming out of the city to pick up his helmet and he dissapeared again through a hidden cleft in the rock upon which part of Sardis was built.
There was a secret passage to the city!
In both cases, the armies crawled through this cleft when everyone was sleeping at night and the guards weren't alert and watching, and subsequently conquered the city.
Hence Jesus' warning to Sardis "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."
Brilliant isn't he?