The Seven Churches (6): Sardis, the Reformed but Dead Church
Understanding the Lord’s word to the seven churches in Revelation 2-3 will greatly help us to see where we need to be in terms of our own church fellowship. So, in this edition of the podcast we come to His word to the church in Sardis, which is found in Revelation 3:1-6. Just as during His earthly ministry, the word the Lord speaks to the seven churches is not at all political; rather, He gives a very strong, direct, and frank word of judgment to deal with so many of the negative and harmful things that had come in among the churches. And yet, at the same time, it is a word of love, for as the Lord says in Revelation 3:19, “As many as I love, I rebuke and discipline.” As we saw in the previous episode, the Lord would not even speak directly to Thyatira, which signifies, prophetically, the pagan, apostate, Roman Catholic church; He would only speak to the remnant of His people there. When we come to Sardis, however, which signifies the Protestant church of the Reformation, we see that, on the one hand, He does speak directly to this church. But, on the other hand, the Lord has nothing good to say about it; He only appreciates a “few” there who have not defiled their garments. To the church itself the Lord says, very simply, “You are dead!” (Rev. 3:1). Considering such a sober word will help us to realize that, while Sardis was indeed a real improvement over Thyatira, it still falls far short of the Lord’s desire. Thus, we still need to go on until we arrive at the church in Philadelphia.
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RESOURCES
Books
Watchman Nee The Orthodoxy of the Church
E.H. Broadbent The Pilgrim Church
Bible Verses See Episode #90: “The Seven Churches (6): Sardis, the Reformed but Dead Church”
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Recording Recorded in Chicago, Illinois on Thursday, 9 May 2024
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