THE CHURCH AT SARDIS
Revelation 3:1-6

“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, 
and yet you are dead. ‘Be constantly alert, 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. 
Then if you are not alert, I will come like a thief, 
and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.  
~~Revelation:1-1-3~~

Sardis is a city in Asia Minor.  It was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Lydia and a wealthy and important commercial trading center. As a pagan city, Sardis was home to the well-known temple of Artemis, which still exists today in ruins. The church at Sardis was surrounded by paganism and idolatry but failed to stand out amidst the darkness.  They could be described as an apathetic and immoral church.  The combination of easy money and a loose moral environment had made the people of Sardis soft and pleasure-loving.  

Jesus is described Himself to this church as “He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars”.  This description emphasized His character as the Master of every spiritual power and authority.  The fact that the word seven (the number of completeness) was used twice here indicates that Jesus has the fullness of the Holy Spirit in Himself, and He has the Holy Spirit in fullness to give to the church.  

With that foundation laid, let’s look at the warning Jesus gave to this church.  In Revelation 3:1-2, He said “I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, and yet you are dead. Be constantly alert, and strengthen the things that remain…for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of God.”  He was giving them a wake-up call.  Believers are called the “light of the world” and the believers in Sardis were failing to stand out in the surrounding darkness of their culture.  

What struck me as I studied through this passage was the phrase in verse 2,  “for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God.” The word “completed“, (pleroo) in the Greek, is used in the passive tense here, which means that the subject is the receiver of the action.  (Pleroo) means: to make replete; literally, to cram a net or level up a hollow; figuratively, to furnish, imbue, diffuse, influence. 

PAUSE TO PONDER the dictionary definitions of furnish, imbue, diffuse, and influence.   

Furnish: to provide with what is needed; supply, give 
“His divine power has given us everything we need
for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us
by His own glory and goodness.” 2 Peter 1:3

Imbue: to permeate or influence as if by dyeing : to tinge or dye deeply 
When I dye something, it changes, and the change is evident.

Diffuse: to pour out and permit or cause to spread freely :
to spread out or become transmitted especially by contact
If I use a diffuser, I am allowing the scent to spread
freely and it spreads to every nook and cranny of the room.  

Influence: the power or capacity of causing an effect in indirect or intangible ways
an emanation of spiritual or moral force
To what or to whom do you give the power to influence your life?  

These definitions describe being affected from the inside out.  Change is evident.  Now,  think back and remember how Jesus described Himself to this church.  He has the fullness of the Holy Spirit in Himself AND the fullness of the Holy Spirit to give to the churches.  The power of the Holy Spirit was available to these people, but they hadn’t allowed the Spirit of God access and control of every area of their heart, mind, and life. God is calling out the fake, and calling the real to strengthen themselves in their sin-filled culture by allowing the Spirit to have His way in them.  

The power of the Holy Spirit was available to these people, 
but they hadn’t allowed the Spirit of God access and control 
of EVERY AREA of their heart, mind, and life. 

The culture in which we live is much the same as that of Sardis.  Stop and do some self-examination.  Be honest, with yourself, and with God.

• Could Jesus say to me, “for I have not found your deeds completed in (My) sight”?
• Am I a Christian “in name only”?  
• Is there evidence that the Spirit of God dwells in me?
• Do I allow the Spirit of God control of my thoughts, actions, reactions? 
• Is there a hidden place in my heart that I haven’t given the Holy Spirit access to yet?

We must choose to fully surrender every part of your heart, mind, and life to Him.   

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, 
with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”
~~Ephesians 4:30~~

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me and let me know how I can pray for you specifically.  We are in this together!!