Revelation 3:2; Be Watchful!
Three thoughts for our learning:
(1)Alive yet Dead! (v1)
(2)Living and Slumbering (v2-4)
(3) Living and Thriving (v5-6)
The true condition of this church at Sardis is that she is dead and the tense of the verb there tells us that it is continually dead, remaining in that state of spiritual death. This church outwardly seemed alive. It was a lifeless profession – as Paul puts it, “having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof” (2 Timothy 3:5). This may be called the church of empty profession. The church that has an outward profession of life but is spiritually dead, a dead church that appeared to be alive, having a semblance of life and, ironically, it was no doubt a reputable church that has a well-known name. In spite of its profession, it is inactive spiritually speaking. Notice there is no commendation to the believers in this church. No doctrinal problems that need rebuke and correction. No persecution, the church is happy to rest in her past glory and reputation. It was “a reputation without reality, form without force”[1]as one pastor puts it.
And what is more accurate an assessment than that given by the Holy Spirit, the Giver of spiritual life, here described as the seven Spirits of God first mentioned in Rev. 1:4, in its fullness, thoroughness and completeness giving this diagnosis for this church at Sardis.
Isaiah 11:2 And the spirit of the LORD…is the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. (“is” added by me)
And the seven stars are the seven messengers who carried the message to the respective church.
The assessment is accurate yet alarming. You may ask how can it be? If you were to survey church history, the church prior to the Protestant Reformation in 1517 was in such a state.
May the Spiritual Fruit of the 16th Century Protectant Reformation undergirds the church today. Amen.
[1]Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, Cook, 2001, 576.