The Wealth and History of Sardis
Sardis was located some fifty miles east of Smyrna, on the south side of the fertile valley of the Hermus, just where the river Pactolus issued from the Timolus Mountains. Its extensive fruit orchards, its textile industries, its jewelry factories and its great wealth derived from the gold mined from the sands of the Pactolus River, made it one of the richest and most powerful inland cities of the ancient world. In Sardis, it is said to have been minted the world’s first coins and Croesus (kresus), its famous ruler during the 6th century B.C., was so fabulously rich that even since his time men have said, “as rich as Croesus”.
Sardis was captured by Cyrus in 546 B. C.; and Alexander the great in 334 B.C.; then destroyed by an earthquake in 17 B. C. It was rebuilt by the Romans and converted to Christianity during the first century A. D. and it survived until Jamerlane swept over the country in 1402 and almost completely destroyed the place. Only a small village named sart lies near the site of the ancient city Sardis.
The Unrighteous Church
The lifestyle of the unbelievers in Sardis affected the life of the church members in the city of Sardis. When Paul arrived as a missionary in the city of Athens, he saw sophisticated structures and massive buildings. It was the home of many of the scholars and orators of the ancient age. The education, architecture, pleasures, social development in that developed city did not move or impress him. Rather, his spirit was stirred in him when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. His spirit saw beyond the superficial because the city was spiritually dead. He went into the market and evangelized among the common people. He entered the synagogues and preached to religious people. He went to mars hill, the highest court in the land and evangelized the specially chosen high-class decision makers. But in Sardis, reverse was the case.
The Responsibility of the Church
The ministers in Sardis church allowed the worldly lifestyle in the city to control the life of the members. Christ our perfect example gave up everything; position, right, glory, life to reconcile man to God. When He accomplished the mission, He left the world and went to the father in heaven. When He left, He left His body, the church behind to carry out and continue the same mission, to reveal God to man.
The church has a ministry to the redeemed and the lost. We are to witness, worship, testify and teach Christ’s life. Believers in the church are people saved and separated from the world. The leaders, bishops or overseers in the church are to protect the members from heretics, false prophets and worldly lifestyles. They are to rebuke sinners and stand for the truth. The members of the church is to live their lives to glorify God, worship Him, learn, evangelize, be faithful at work, office, profitable at home and prayerful at all times.
Through series of divine motivated programs, the church is expected to effectively penetrate into sinners in the community and change their lives. It is the responsibility of the church in the city to reach everyone in the city with the gospel message to show forth the glory of God. The far reaching scope of the mission of the church demand that every believer by all means propagate the gospel message (1 Corinthians 9:19-22). From house to house, in the villages, towns, cities and in countries beyond our borders, make them decide for Christ and live righteous (Romans 15:20-21). Instead of accomplishing this mission, the elders, bishops, ministers and members of the church like today in Sardis brought the world into the church and made it a sinful church. This action affected the church in several ways: