The Spirit of Death in Sardis
The church in the city of Sardis was under attack from the spirit of death. Their attacks started in the spirit and many good things in them died without notice, Christ saw it and became sorrowful.
‘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. Be watchful, and strengthen the things, which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God’ (Revelation 3:1-2).
Because of Christ’s concern for them, He sent the letter we now read to them. As the bride groom of the church, the Savior and shepherd, His heart was broken when He saw the extent of the spiritual damage. He was concern and sorrowful because His purpose of suffering and death for the church was defeated. He died to raise a strong, militant, lively, vibrant and spiritual church. But here, reverse was the case, they were dead spiritually. His title as the Alpha, Omega, the first and the last was removed and transferred to death. The candlesticks, the light of the church in Sardis was removed and replaced with thick darkness. Their spiritual condition broke the Heart of Christ, brought concern to Him and moved Him to write this letter to the remaining contending members.
The Spiritual State of the Ministers and Members
The star of that church’s branch was arrested by death and their love for Christ was dead. The ministers were only concerned about their personal welfare while the members’ life was slaughtered by death. The flock, the lambs, the sheep was feeding the ministers with their physical blessings, tithes, offerings and all manner of seed sowing but they starved them off spiritual food. The condition of the members were dead spiritually, formal, cold, sinful and that caused Christ great sorrow to His heart.
‘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… 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’ (Revelation 3:1, 4).
‘Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea’ (Revelation 1:11).
The Futility of Religious Activity
Christ entered the church with the Seven Spirits of God and Seven Stars and saw their works. They had a big signpost, a name well known in the city. They have members in every building in the city, every office, and ministry and in market places. The people that matters in the government know them. Their presence is well represented in every major event, programs, songs of praise and deliverance exploit raised alarm in every street in the city but they were dead spiritually before God. Heaven does not recognize all their deliverance services. They were out of coverage area and their cries could not reach God. Their name as a ministry was dead before God and prayers diverted and could not cross the second heaven. Their activities, meeting places, conventions and great deliverance programs were not approved by God.
‘And to speak unto the priests who were in the house of the LORD of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years? Then came the word of the LORD of hosts unto me, saying, Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me? And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves? Should ye not hear the words which the LORD hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when men inhabited the south and the plain?’ (Zechariah 7:3-7).
‘Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by. And the angel of the LORD protested unto Joshua, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by’ (Zechariah 3:3-7).
All their years of weeping, fasting, mourning and struggles in ministry was dead before God. All their great singings were dead before God. The money, talents, evangelistic moves, car dedication, houses and great cathedrals was just a show of pride, they were dead before God. Their prosperities, multiplication of branches from city to city, they only built visible church but could not build them spiritually. All their activities were dead before Christ. They labored for death and made him the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last of their activities on earth. Most of their leaders were witches, wizards and in cults. They have big names, titles, and they struggle, fight over positions, big branches, kill and destroy destinies among themselves. Some of them were called but was carried away by the things of this world. They entered into competition with devil-empowered godfathers, church council and lost their ministry. They commit adultery, fornication, practice witchcraft, hate one another, manifest anger, envy each other, murder opponents and use church money to enrich themselves. They fight, kill, and tell lies; steal church money to bribe fallen godfathers to get a big branch in the commercial city of Sardis.