THE CHURCH AT SARDIS

The Church of Sardis is the fifth of seven Churches addressed in Revelation Chapters 2 & 3. It corresponds to the fifth of seven Kingdom of Heaven parables told by our Lord Jesus in Matthew Chapter 13 which is the Parable of the Treasure Hidden in the Field. They are one and the same.

Many Christians ask, "Does the Church at Sardis exist today?". The answer is definitely - Yes - . Not only does this Church exist, but it is the easiest and most readily identifiable Church among the seven Churches listed in Revelation. This has been true not only throughout Church history, but also at this present time as we shall see. No other Church in the world today displays the character, description, and doctrine to which both the parable and the Revelation letter point.

Matthew 13:44
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field."

Notice that the Treasure is hidden in the field. It is not buried in the field. The idea here is that you CAN SEE this Treasure if you know where to look. However, with all the growth in the field, it is difficult to see this Treasure because it is as if the Treasure is camouflaged if you will. The Field in this parable is the world and the Treasure is the Church. This Church is combined so well with the World that are almost indistinguishable from one another. In order to get this Treasure and All of this Treasure, it will be necessary to purchase the Field in order to obtain all of it. This Church comes with strings attached. We should consider this Church Worldly because it blends in so well with the world. The Bible says ---

James 4:4
Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Revelation 3
1 "And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, "These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: "I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.

The seven spirits of God represent the FULLNESS of Jesus Christ through His Holiness. This Church is in contrast to Jesus because they are not holy, but have become defiled because of their contact and interaction with the world.

The seven stars represent the salvation of God through the messages to the seven churches. Hence, the salvation of God is through the Word of God and according to His Righteousness. Our Lord is seen in Revelation Chapter 1 holding the seven stars in His right hand. His right arm speaks of strength and his right hand speaks of salvation. The seven here indicates his saving power to overcome all of man's obstacles and rejections to the Gospel

Psalms 20:6
6 Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven With the saving strength of His right hand.

Psalms 48:10
According to Your name, O God, So is Your praise to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is full of righteousness.

Romans 1
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."

Romans 6
11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.
13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

Ephesians 2:1
And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,

2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God.

The things that are ready to die is their LIFE (alive to God). Their works are works of UNRIGHTEOUSNESS and worldly.

1 Thessalonians 5
4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.
5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.
6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us WATCH and be sober

Revelation 16:15
"Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who WATCHES, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame."

Acts 10
34 Then Peter opened his mouth and said: "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality.
35 "But in every nation whoever fears Him and WORKS RIGHTEOUSNESS is accepted by Him.

3 Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.

The term "watch" here means "Take Heed, Be Saved". Jesus comes as a thief ONLY to those who are professing Christians but are NOT Born Again. The parables reflect this idea in each case where "watching" and eternal destruction are associated.

Matthew 24
42 "WATCH therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.
43 "But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have WATCHED and not allowed his house to be broken into

Mark 13
35 "Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming--in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning--
36 "lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping.
37 "And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!"

When watch is applied to a Believer, it simply means to "Take Heed", "Listen Up", "Hear and Obey what is Told You", etc.

4 You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.

5 "He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

6 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

As the Treasure is hidden in the Field and cannot easily be seen, so this Church is hidden in the World and cannot be readily identified because it has taken on some much of the appearance of the World.

Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

1. The Church at Ephesus
2. The Church at Smyrna
3. The Church at Pergamos
4. The Church at Thyatira
5. The Church at Sardis
6. The Church at Philadelphia
7. The Church at Laodicea