REVELATION LESSON 9

    We will study the church at Sardis in this lesson.  Sardis was
thirty miles southeast of Thyatira.  Croesus, a very wealthy man
reigned there. Sardis like many other ancient cities, was devastated
by an earthquake. Wealth or power will not stop God from doing what He
will.

    Revelation 3:1 "And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write;
These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the
seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest,
and art dead."

    This church at Sardis is seen by many as the reformation church.
In this study we will look at this church in the light of our modern
churches.

    This church is very obvious to me.  When I was a child, I went to
a certain denomination church.  This particular church was seemingly
very strong in the Lord. People shouted and amened. People were prayed
for who were sick. Then all of a sudden, something called the National
Council of Churches was formed and my church, I had loved so dearly,
changed. The National Council of Churches seeks to physically make the
church one. God's plan from the beginning has been for the churches to
be one in Spirit. You cannot legislate Christianity.

    In my church we no longer taught Sunday School from the Bible, but
we got lessons from headquarters that we were to use.  As best I could
see, they had dropped many of the Biblical teachings and went more to
teaching social reform.

    What had been a way of life for me for nearly all my life had
changed. The shouting stopped; the church became too formal for the
amen corner. The first thing I knew, I found myself in a cold formal
church, not the warm caring church I had loved so well.  Church never
dared run over fifteen minutes; we had to stay on schedule. Bible
studies became fewer and fewer. The congregation was not even made
aware of how important Bible reading and study at home was . It seemed
my church, which loved all Christian people, had made a detour.

    I really believe that churches like this is what the church at
Sardis is all about. They started out just great; but as time went on,
they waned away.

    Notice in the verse above that Jesus speaks of the seven Spirits
of God. When the gifts of the Holy Spirit are denied and even spoken
evil of, the true church will dry up. The power of God is in His
Spirit. This is why Jesus spoke to this church thusly. The Spirit has
gone. This church is still flying the flag of Christianity, but
denying the power thereof.

    I use this scripture in Second Timothy a lot but it perfectly
describes the time we are living in and describes this church at
Sardis best of all.
    II Timothy 3:1 "This know also, that in the last days perilous
times shall come."
    II Timothy 3:5 "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power
thereof: from such turn away."

    Many denominations would have us believe the gifts of the Spirit
are not in operation today. If they are not, it is because of our lack
of faith. God never changes; we change.

    You see, a man without a spirit is like a horse who has lost his
wind. A church without the Spirit is slowly dying.

    God does not want us to systematically go to church because it is
 expected of us once a week.  He wants us to look forward to
 fellowshipping with Him. The love in our heart for Jesus should make
 us desire to go to church and receive everything He has for us.

    Revelation 3:2 "Be watchful, and strengthen the things which
remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect
before God."

    Jesus tells them here; there is still some good in this church,
build upon those things. Even the good in this church is being watered
down to the point, that even it is about to die. I believe the works
here spoken of are not saying they are not doing works, but that their
works are slanted more toward the world than toward God. This church,
if I understand it, is very social minded and helps local government
with their projects.

    If you took a count of how many true conversions were made within
the last year, you would be amazed at the shortage.  You see, what we
call good works and what God calls good works are two entirely
different things. God looks at the Spirit, and we have a tendency to
look at the physical.

    Revelation 3:3 "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."

    Here again Jesus is saying, your message at the beginning was
alright, go back to that, the pure Word of God. Some new Bible
translations are watering Jesus down to the point that He is not God
in them. Some Bible colleges would have their people believe that:
Jesus was not born of a virgin, that the Red Sea did not part, that
Jonah was not truly swallowed by a large fish,and many more things.

    You see, they are reducing the miraculous workings of God and
trying to analyze them with what they call scientific knowledge.  This
is just another attack of Satan to destroy the beauty of Christianity.
These are basic to belief in salvation through Jesus Christ. If a mere
man died for your sins, you are lost. Jesus was God manifest in the
flesh. He was the perfect Lamb of God. He was and is LIFE. To deny
that He was born of a virgin, denies that He is God the Son. You see,
His Father must be God.

    These false teachers say the Red Sea did not part, but was just a
marshy area. If this is true, explain to me how the Egyptian soldiers
were drowned.

    You see, the whole thing is a conspiracy to deny the diety of
Christ. This is very dangerous. If we deny Him, He will deny us before
the Father, Matthew 10:33.

    Of course, these false teachings include a teaching that there is
 no heaven and no hell.  That they are just a state of mind.  The
 Bible speaks explicitly about both and even tells us what they will
 be like. All of this is slightly preposterous.

    We must believe the Bible in its entirety or not believe it at
all. As for me, I believe it in its entirety.  Jesus was Emmanuel, God
with us. I believe to deny Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living
God, is to deny salvation through Him."

      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."

    Jesus is saying here there are a few people even in this church of
Sardis, or our fallen away church now, that are still strong in the
Lord. They believe the truth rather than a lie.

    A defiled garment is one not washed in the blood of the Lamb.  You
see, the white that we must wear is a white robe made whiter than snow
by being washed in the blood of the Lamb.  This is our robe of
righteousness that we will wear in heaven.  "Righteousness" means in
right standing with God.

    Most of the churches now that are like this church in Sardis, do
not like to preach or teach on the blood of Jesus. It was the shed
blood that defeated Satan and purchased our salvation. We read in
Hebrews, just how important this shed blood is. Hebrews 9:22 "And
almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without
shedding of blood is no remission."

    You see, if we are not washed in the blood of the Lamb, them we
are walking in sin. We will study in a later lesson, in chapter seven
of Revelation, about the great number from all nations standing around
the throne in their white robes. Revelation 7:14 "And I said unto him,
Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of
great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in
the blood of the Lamb."

    To deny the power of the blood, would deny us our right to stand
before the throne of God. Do not be deceived.  Believe the Word of
God, the Bible. Let no one convince you that it is not true.

    Revelation 3:5 "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."

    This is one of the greatest promises in all of the Bible.  We must
overcome the world and its teachings to inherit eternal life.  If we
do overcome, our name will be written in the Lamb's Book of Life,
which will insure us eternal life in heaven with Jesus.

    If we confess Jesus before men, He will confess us before His
Father. Jesus is the Judge. We stand or fall by His command.

    You see from the statement above that overcoming is not a bed of
roses, but a battle. Jesus won the war. We must enlist in this army of
Jesus. We must fight to the death, if necessary, for the principles He
has taught us in the Bible.

    Be strong, do not be led away by all these new teachings of heaven
 on earth before Jesus comes. The only time the earth will be like
 heaven is the 1000 year reign of Jesus here.  Withstand the devil and
 he will flee from you. Be part of the elect who cannot be deceived.

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

    More scriptures you may look up on this lesson are: Matthew 1:23,
Luke 1:27, Hebrews 11:29, and Jonah 1.

    Memorize Matthew 10:33 and Hebrews 9:22.

























                      REVELATION QUESTIONS 9


1.  What happened to the city of Sardis?
2.  What seven things does God have mentioned to Sardis?
3.  What does Jesus say he knows about this church?
4.  What do many see the church at Sardis as?
5.  When did the modern church that Sardis represents stop using the
    Bible Sunday School lessons?
6.  What does this organization seek to do?
7.  What do the new Sunday school books teach?
8.  Why does Jesus speak to this specific church about the seven
    Spirits of God?
9.  This church is flying the flag of ----- but denies the power.
10. The power of God is in His --------?
11. This church has a form of godliness but denies the ----------.
12. If the gifts of the Spirits are not in operation in our lives, it
    is because of what?
13. A man without a Spirit is like a horse without what?
14. What are these people warned to do?
15. Why is Jesus disappointed with their work?
16. God looks at the spiritual and we have a tendency to look at the
    --------.
17. Jesus tells them if they do not watch, He will come on them as
    what?
18. What are many new Bible translations doing to Jesus?
19. Why is this dangerous?
20. Who was Jesus?  What was Jesus?
21. When we deny the virgin birth, what are we saying?
22. To deny Jesus as the Christ the Son of the Living God, is to do
    what?
23. Was everyone lost in the Sardis church?  Why not?
24. What is a defiled garment in God's sight?
25. What will Christians wear in heaven?
26. What does "righteousness" mean?
27. What has our modern churches stopped preaching on that is very
    important?
28. By the law, what must almost all things be purged by?
29. Who shall be clothed in white?
30. If we confess Jesus here, who will He confess us to in heaven?
31. What book do we want our name in?
32. When is the only time there will be heaven on earth?
33. Write Matthew 10:33.
34. Write Hebrews 9:22.
35. What do you think this lesson is saying to individuals in any
    church (in your own words)?