END OF TIME PROPECIES 055

SARDIS    The Cause of their lifeless condition       Revelation 3v1-6 

The demise of Sardis had taken place over a period of time.    We don't know the full details, but there are three indicators in the verses, which would serve as a pointer to us today. 

1.   "Works not perfect before God."    
2.   "Things remaining which are ready to die."
3.   "Garments which have been defiled."

Works not perfect before God.

The word "perfect" is pleroo and means complete.   It is used of levelling up a hollow, or cramming full a net, or to execute an office, or to finish a task.   William Barclay pointed out that all Greek words ending in "oo" bring us into the world of accountancy where books need to be balanced and this is the idea.   We are not here speaking of works that save (for no works can ever save us), we are speaking of works of service after we have been saved, and God wants us to do His work in His way.   Like an auditor He assesses our works and inspects our service.   He expects His servants to "measure up."  "All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits."  Proverbs 16v2.   The Lord has weighed the works of the church at Sardis and has found them wanting.   He says to them "I have not found thy works to be perfect before God."   There has been a search and there is now a verdict which is "not perfect, not complete."   In 2nd Timothy 2v15 Paul says to Timothy  "Show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed."    In Colossians 3v23 he says  "Whatsoever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord, and not to men."   In 1st Corinthians 3 Paul encourages us to be careful as to the quality of our work because "the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is."  

God is not only concerned with what we do but how we do it and that means sustaining it right through to the end in the way in which He wants it done.     When Jesus said in John chapter 17  "I have finished the work Thou gavest Me to do," He also said in the same context " I have glorified Thy name."    Service to God if it does not glorify the Father is counted as nothing.   When Paul said  "I have finished the course" he also said in the same context  "I have fought the good fight, I have kept the faith."   There are a number of outstanding examples in scripture where men were said to be perfect so far as God was concerned: Noah was perfect (Genesis 6v9); Job was perfect (Job 1v1 etc.); King David was said to be perfect (1st Kings 15v3).   This does not mean the absence of failure, but it means that the service that they rendered, was to God.   God could say to Satan concerning Job (one that feareth God and escheweth evil).   This is the definition of perfect.  

Things that remain that are ready to die.

We move from the idea of sloppy work for God to the practice of diminishing the work for God to such an extent that there is almost nothing left, and what is left is about to die.   The things of God are being watered down.   No longer public reading of holy scriptures; reduction in time given to teaching ministry; more emphasis on giving to "good causes"; lack of interest in missionary work; preaching lacking proper content and clarity; replacement of the gospel of God with the modern day social gospel.   Everything that we do geared towards names and noses and numbers.  Real spiritual work almost dying out.   What is lacking?   The power of the Holy Spirit.   Why is it lacking in the church?   Because it is lacking in us individually.    He is grieved with us in our lives, He has been quenched publicly in our churches.   He loves us, He wants the best for us but He can no longer work with us or through us.   The church at Sardis had to learn the lesson of the prophet Zechariah 4v6  "Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit saith the Lord of hosts."  

Garments which have been defiled.

If the Holy Spirit is not filling our hearts, it must be the flesh; and the power to overcome the flesh is impossible without the power of the Spirit.   Garments in scripture speak of  outward manifestation of inward character.   The bride in Revelation chapter 19 is said to be "dressed in white which are the righteous acts of the saints."   In Ephesians chapter 5 and Colossians chapter 3 we are encouraged by the power of the Spirit to "put off the old man" and "put on the new man."   Just as we discard dirty clothes and exchange them for new clean clothes, so it is in our spiritual lives.   Paul said in Romans 13v14  "put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the lust of the flesh."   In a way,, the details of which we are not informed, the saints at Sardis were living lives of public disgrace to God.   There was a temple in Sardis, and no member of the public was allowed to enter it with soiled clothes; so Jesus is saying here to them, why do you enter My temple with the stain of sin on your character?

In essence the cause of their drastic condition before the Lord was that their priorities were wrong, the things of the world were more important to them than the things of God, reputation was more important than character, and the end of this pathway is spiritual death.