Revelation 3:1-6 – The Church in Sardis

by Dr. Gary Linton | Updated March 3rd, 2023

Sardis was located 50 miles East of Smyrna and 30 miles Southeast of Thyatira. It was a commercial trade route running East and West through Lydia and was the capital city of the Lydian kingdom.

Unlike the other churches, Sardis and Laodicea there is no commendation given by our Lord but only rebuke and warning. The church continued until the fourth century but was never prominent. Today only the small village of Sart exists amid the ancient ruins.

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The Description of Jesus

Revelation 3:1 – “These things saith He that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars.”

This is nearly the same description as the church in Ephesus only here “in His right hand” is omitted. This is significant in that there is nothing to commend them for and the pastor is not said to be in His right hand. It appears because of the Pastor’s and church’s negligence they were no longer in the place of Jesus’ care and protection. He still has them but something is out of character. Their protection is gone.

“The seven Spirits of God” does not mean there were literally seven Spirits but it refers to the complete working of the Spirit of God in the life of Jesus. We also see this referenced later on in Revelation. Isaiah prophesied of this saying, “The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord” (Isaiah 11:2).

The Warning

Revelation 3:1-3 – “I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. 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.”

Works and a Name
Their works were not perfect before God. They had a name of being alive but were really dead. How many churches does this apply to today? They have a name of being alive and vibrant but in actuality they are really dead and lifeless. They are doing things but not for God. They are going through the motions of a church that is alive but God is not in it. They’re singing all the latest songs, following the latest fads for churches but are really dead.
In the best manuscripts the article is omitted before works so it’s literally, “not any of thy works have been found perfect before God.” There’s a vast difference between what is done before God and man. This is reminiscent of the Sermon on the Mount. Motive and why we’re doing our works is significant. Are we doing what we’re doing to please man or God? Are we desiring to give glory to God or are we wanting the praise of man?
Matthew 5:16 – “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
Matthew 6:1 – “Take heed that ye do not your alms (righteousness) before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.” He goes on to talk about giving, prayer, and fasting.
An Exhortation to Watchfulness
Sardis was famous in antiquity for its impenetrable and impregnable acropolis. Its natural cliffs were so steep that any enemy approaching the city would be easily seen and their attack thwarted. They could only enter and approach the city one way. The city seemed militarily impregnable yet twice they were totally surprised and defeated, as a thief in the night. Once by Cyrus in 549 BC and again by Antiochus in 214 BC. Both times they were taken by surprise in a night attack by soldiers who quietly scaled its steep fortress walls. Applying their history, Jesus says, like a thief who scales the walls of the citadel, He’ll judge the church when they least except it.
Hence, the exhortation to watchfulness and being ready at all times. Jesus urges the church in Sardis to “be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found any of thy works perfect before God. 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 church today would do well to be watchful and ready at all times.
A call to watchfulness, vigilance, and readiness:
Being watchful involves being aware of the devil’s schemes and potential traps (2 Corinthians 2:11 ). Being watchful means staying alert and constantly vigilant. There is no time to take off as holidays from this Christian life, particularly in the days in which we live in. Watchfulness implies readiness, being ready at all times. It’s incumbent of all believers and followers of Christ to be ready, vigilant, and watchful at all times.
1. The Lord’s soon return. We must be watchful and ready for the Lord’s return. We don’t know the time or the hour therefore we must be ready at all times lest it catch us unaware. The Parable of the Ten Virgins is a prime example of the need to be always ready, filled with the Holy Spirit, and our lamps trimmed (Matthew 25:1-130.
  Matthew 24:42 and 44 – “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”
  Matthew 25:13 – “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.”
  Romans 13:11-12 – “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.”
  2 Peter 3:10 – “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”
  1 Peter 4:7 – “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.”
  Revelation 16:15 – “Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.”
2. Be watchful unto prayer and against temptation. Jesus was facing His greatest struggle and He asked His disciples to watch and pray with Him. Each time He returned and found them sleeping. Will we take His challenge to watch and pray? If you want to see how weak your flesh is try praying for an hour. We must also be on watch against temptation and every attach of the enemy. It comes when we least expect it.
  Matthew 26:41 – “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
  1 Corinthians 10:12-13 – “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
  1 Peter 4:7-8 – “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”
3. Pastors watching over their flock. This has to do with feeding them a balanced diet of God’s Word and watching out for wolves in sheep’s clothing seeking to lead them astray and steal them from the fold. This is more necessary today than ever before. There’s a deception over our world and the church in our day like at no other time in church history.
  Acts 20:28-31 – “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.”
  2 Timothy 4:1-4 – “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom; Preach the Word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”
  1 John 4:1-3 – “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.”
4. We must be watchful unto evangelism and soul winning. Soul winning should be the passion of every born-again believer. Jesus, not only called the original twelve to be fishers of men but all true disciples. Jesus made it clear that when we follow Him He makes us fishers of the souls of men. “And He saith unto them, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). If we’re not fishing, we’re not truly following. We should be eager and ready at every turn to lead men and women to Jesus.
  Romans 1:14-16 – “I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
  1 Peter 3:15 – “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.”

The Remnant

Revelation 3:4 – “Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white: for they are worthy.”

The Lord always has a remnant who have not defiled themselves. This church was no different. Historically, this church foreshadowed and was a picture of the Protestant Reformation period. It was born out of the seeds of corruption. Great masses of Christendom was dead though it had a name that it lived. The Reformation is usually considered to have started with the publication of the Ninety-five Theses by Martin Luther in 1517.

Protestant Reformation, the religious revolution that took place in the Western church in the 16th century. During these years only a small remnant took its stand for true Biblical revelation and trusted Christ alone for salvation. Characteristics of this church remarkably parallel. Its greatest leaders undoubtedly were Martin Luther and John Calvin. Having far-reaching political, economic, and social effects, the Reformation became the basis for the founding of Protestantism.

The Promise

Revelation 3:5-6 – “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”

Overcoming victory. This is repeated to each of the seven churches. All truly born-again believers are over comers. That’s our destiny. We’re promised overcoming victory in this life and the life to come. We must simply hold fast until He comes. One of Martin Luther’s major themes and focuses was “The Just Shall Live by Faith” (Romans 1:17). Faith in Jesus produces victory.
No matter what you may be going through or what you’re facing God’s plan for you is overcoming victory. Keep trusting and obeying and don’t ever quit or give up. The devil knows that the only way he can win is by getting you to give up. If you refuse to quit you will overcome. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER QUIT!
2 Corinthians 2:14 – “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place.”
1 John 4:4 – “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.”
1 John 5:4-5 – “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”
Romans 8:37 – “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.”
Clothed in white raiment. White raiment is always symbolic of the righteousness of the saints. Our robes have been washed by the blood of the lamb. All the filth of this sinful world and the flesh has been cleansed, washed away, and made clean by Jesus’ shed blood on Golgotha’s hill for us. As the old hymn says, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.”
Isaiah 61:10– “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of His righteousness.”
Romans 3:22-26– “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”
Romans 5:9-11– “Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom we have now received the reconciliation.”
1 John 1:7– “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses (and keeps on cleansing) us from all sin.”
I will not blot out his name out of the book of life. All who have placed their faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross have had their names written in the book of life. All who haven’t placed their trust in Jesus and Him alone are not written in the book of life. Some believe that everyone’s name is written in the book of life but if they reject what Jesus did for them then their name is blotted out of the book. Whatever you believe, if your faith is in Jesus alone and what He did for you, your name is in the book of life and it will not be blotted out. You are secure in Him!
Revelation 20:11-15 – “And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
Jesus will confess our name before the Father. How glorious is that? Jesus will stand before the Father and confess our name before Him. Our confession of Jesus secures Jesus’ confession of us before the Father. Our belief in Him is imputed unto us His righteousness and with our mouth confession is made unto salvation. Confession is imperative! It seals our salvation! Because we were not ashamed of Him, He will not be ashamed of us.
Romans 10:8-10 – “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Matthew 10:32-33 – “Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father which is in heaven.”
Mark 8:38 – “Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of Me and of My Words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when He cometh in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

A Call to Attentiveness

Revelation 3:6 – “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”

This is repeated to each of the seven churches. Therefore, we must re-emphasize it where the Holy Spirit does. It’s incumbent on us to listen up and give heed to what the Holy Spirit is saying to the churches. This was true of this church, all the seven churches, the church throughout the ages, and churches today. We must have an attentive ear and obey all the Holy Spirit says.

Hebrews 3:7-8 – “Wherefore, as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear His voice, Harden not your hearts.”

Matthew 25:29 – “For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.”

John 7:17 – “If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of Myself.”

John 10:27 – “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”