Sardis was one of the

great cities of the ancient

world. Its seemingly
impregnable setting, upon a
1,500 foot plateau
overlooking the Valley of
Hermas, and its proximity
to major thoroughfares,
made It readily defenSible
and a rich center of
commerce and industry.
Sardis, called Hyde by
Homer; was twice captured
by foreign armies. Cluarding
the only true access to
the city, the southern
plain, its defenders
neglected to watch the
rear cliffs. Erosion had
worn a narrow crevice
in the steep natural
walls, and enemy
invaders successfully
scaled them and took the
city from behind. Sardis was
famous for hot springs
which bubbled from the
base of the front hills of Mt.
T molus. These healing
waters were an integral part
of their religious practices as
well. The resurrection cult of
Sybil was celebrated
through the life-renewing
powers of these springs. In
A.D. 17, the city was
devastated by an
earthquake. The Roman
Emperor Tiberius
contributed vast sums of
money and suspended local
taxes for five years in order
to rebuild the city. As a
result, emperor worship was
incorporated into Sardis'
religious practices.
The Christian Church in
Sardis had, by the time of
John's letter (ca A.D. 65-6), ,
unfortunately taken on
many of the attributes of the
city. His description
bespeaks a complacent,
wealthy, and self-satisfied
congregation which had
comprOJ:nised with the
pagan world. Vnlike many
of the other congregations
addressed by John, there is
no persecution mentioned.
This is most likely because
the congregation gave no
message or challenge to, the
local inhabitants that was
worth reSisting. Such a
condition had developed
over time for the
congregation had the
reputation of spiritual life.
Perhaps at one time they
were known for their
faithful defense of the gospel
12 THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon September, 1997
of Jesus Christ, challenge of
unbelief, and maintenance
of the antithesis between
the church and the world.
John makes it clear that
aU hope is not lost. Jesus is
the One who has the seven
Spirits of Clod and the seven
stars. He possesses the
fullness of the influence and
power of the Holy Spirit,
and he upholds the churches
and the pastors in his own
hand. He has all
power to revive the
church in Sardis. He
can so work in the
pastors and in the
congregation as to
produce a true revival
and reformation in the
church. However, they
must be watchful against all
future sin. Whatever
goodness remains in the
church must be nurtured
and cultivated. They must
remember the glory of the
gospel message, hold fast to
the truths of Clod's Word,
and repent of their
compromise and
indifference. John gives
them ample encouragement
to respond in faith to
Christ's gracious warning. If
they fail to heed him,
however, he will come like
a thief in the night. This
language was a striking
reminder of Sardis' downfall
by unexpected rear assault.
As Sardis was taken by
surprise, so Jesus promises to
judge his faithless people
swiftly and without
warning.
There is, we must not fail
to remember, a core group, a
remnant of believers in
Sardis who have not
compromised with the
, world. They have not
defiled their garments with
the sins of pagan life in
Sardis. These are
encouraged to maintain
their faithfulness. Jesus
highly honors them by
calling them "worthy." They
have walked in a manner
consistent with the calling
of Qod in Jesus Christ
(Ephesians 4:1). John closes
his address by promising a
reward for all those who
overcome the sins of
complacency and
compromise., True faith
overcomes the world, and
therefore demonstrates its
supernatural origin. Only
, those who possess this faith
are truly Christ's disciples, '
have a place in the Book of
Life, and will have their
names confessed by Christ
Jesus before his Father.
The sins and needs of the
church in Sardis are
remarkably similar to the
condition of the churches in
the United States today.
Our society takes pride in its
national security, wealth,
and multiculturalism. The
church here, if she faithfully
adhered to the gospel of
Jesus Christ and actively,
collectively called this
nation to repentance, would
certainly experience
persecution. The fact that
little outward persecution
occurs is a testimony to the
compromised nature of the
American church as we
enter the .21 st century. We,
like the church in Sardis, are
heavily influenced by our
culture, and therefore feel
little need to point out its
wickedness and call upon it
to surrender to Christ's
Lordship. The antithesis
between the church and the
world has been gradually
obscured until the Christian
gospel that is proclaimed in
some segments is almost
indistinguishable from the
self-help and, empowerment
books offered in the
unbelieving bookstores. The
modem gospel is a revival
of the old Qnostic,
Pelagian, and Arminian
heresies.
There is a corresponding
spiritual lifelessness in many
of our churches. One reason
for this is the unbiblical '
views of Jesus entertained
by professing Christians.
Some segments of the
heretical "Word of Faith"
movement deny the full
deity of Jesus Christ,
believing instead that he
was the first born again
man and became a god only
after the resurrection. The
search for the historical Jesus
crowd continues to ignore
Christ's life and teaching as ,
recorded in the canonical
gospels in favor of their
own reconstructions and
psychological analysis. To
others, Jesus is little more
than a great moral example,
a Jewish theologian, or a
personal psychologist. The
modern church may still
meet in the name of Jesus
Christ, but the Jesus she
worships is not found in the
pages of Scripture and
cannot do sinners any
saving good at all. In many
churches, ritualism and wild
emotionalism have replaced
living faith and Spirit-
commanded worship. In
others, spiritual life has been
vitiated by a lack of regard
for Qod's law in the daily
lives of Qod's people, and q
corresponding increase in
mystical piety which has
greater affinity with the
Eastern religions and sects
September, 1997 ~ THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon 13
than it does biblical
Christianity. The once great
seminaries no longer display
the theological and
academic rigor that made
the American churches the
bastions of truth. Few
c:hristians are intereSted in
biblical doctrine today, and
it is not uncommon for
promoters of a "living word"
from Qod to caStigate the
propositional doctrine of the
holy Scriptures. r
such announcements. What
ChriStians need, it is
maintained by these se/f-
appointed gurus of a new
spirituality, is a second
blessing from Jesus, a higher
life anointing. "Holy
CjhoSt" conferences are
regularly held around the
country. It is claimed that
attendants have their
spiritual lives renewed and
gain supernatural abilities
uncontrollable laughing or
vomiting. The Spirit,
moreover, does not revive
the church with new words
from (jodjbut he causes the
church to remember and
obey Jesus'canonical words
in holy Scripture. Any
supposed revival that
downp/ays the necessity
and relevance of Scripture
and exegetical preaching is
from the deVit not from
(jod and his Spirit.
personally heard one
such preacher caU
upon his audience to
return there on
Sunday for a "living
Word" from God
"The Spirit, moreovel; does not revive
the church with new words fmlll
Cjoct but he causes the church to
remember and obey Jesus' canonical
words in holy Scripture."
It is indisputable
that the modem
American church
needs revival. Such
a revival can occur, .'
however, only
when preachers Call inStead of the dead
doctrine taught in many of
the chUrches. In short,
everything that once .
characterized the living faith
of a God-fearing people,
love for the Jesus of
Scripture, biblical worship,
God's law, and biblical
doctrine is little more than a
relic of the paSt. In many
respects, we are dead.
Sensing the perilous
condition of the American
churches, we regularly hear
calls for revival from various
groups and even Statements
to the effect that revivals are
ongoing. Neo-
PentacoStalism is famous for
, and insights never before
imaginable. Neo-
PentacoStalism and all other
such man created
movements are
fundamentally opposed to
John's letter to Sardis. Only
the Holy Spirit can revive
the church, it is true. But
howl As he is the Spirit of
truth (John 15:.26,
16:13,14), any true
movement of the Spirit will
always be Bible-centered
and preaching-driven
(Romans 10:17, I
Corinthians 1 :.21). It will be
marked by conviction,
repentance, and obedience
to Cjod's law, not by
14 f THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon September, 1997
Ciod's people back to (iod's
Word, and the Holy Spirit
gives them the grace to
believe and obey whatever
is written therein on the .
authority of (jod speaking
in his inspired Word. , Now,
who can give that Spirit?
Jesus of Nazareth, the
crucified, risen, and exalted
Son of (jod possesses the
fullness of the Holy Spirit.
We muSt implore him to
send his life-giVing Spirit
into the hearts of God's
people. We must tum away
from man-made events,
conferences,. marches, and
movements, and spend
more time on our knees
asking the Head of the Obsession with larger
Church to send the gracious congregations, emphasis
Spirit of revival. upon building programs,
Furthermore, we must be and increasing
watchful and strengthen the denominational bureaucracy
good things that remain in are destroying once faithful
the church. We must return expressiOns of biblical
to and build upon the Christianity. The faithful
foundations of Christianity remnant of Ciod's people
which were erected upon that remains on these shores
these shores in previous must vehemently resist the
centuries. The voice of spirit of compromise and
Whitfield can still be heard accommodation that is
ringing here. We are only rampant in the churches.
three or four generations She must cling to the truth
separated from the at all cost. Only then will
Thornwells, Warfields, and. she walk with Christ as his
Dabneys that once taught in . worthy, overcoming church.
our seminaries and Moreover, there is still
churches. It is not too late to time to undertake new and
return to these foundations, greater works of kingdom
while their works are still bUilding in Christ's name.
available and their One thinks of the
memories yet live. We must tremendous need for a new
remember what we have generation of pastors who
heard from these men, hold will not preach what the
fast to the words of sound itching ears of a rebellious
doctrine, and repent of our people desire, but who will
departure from historic, preach the whole counsel of
biblical Christianity. Ciod. Local church session
In some segments of the and governing bodies must
church, these things remain commit themselves to this
more than others. One work as never before. We
thinks immediately of the must remember that the
various Reformed chief purpose of Bible
denominations and colleges and seminaries, as
presbyteries. Yet even these Spurgeon taught us in the
are becoming known for last centuTy, is not to train
abandoning or modifying men how to write
the foundations rather than theological papers and gain
for building upon them. advanced degrees abroad,
but to give them the tools to
be knowledgeable, . .
passionate, and orthodox
proclaimers of the whole
counsel of qod and faithful
pastors of Christ's flock.
Ciod's people must be
reacquainted with their
Christian histoTy, reminded
of the faithful words which
our religious forefathers
have given us, and exhorted
to repent of their .
complacency and unbelief.
Elders, moreover, must
never tire of watching over.
the flock, warning it agairist
worldliness, compromise, - :
and indifference.
If the modem church
doesnot repent of her _.
compromise with the world
and abandonment of the
ancient foundations, Jesus
will come to us like a thief
in the night as well. This
coming will not be a rapture
out of distress but anhour of
tribulation and judgment.
Jesus does not take the
disobedience of his
professing people lightly . .
Cirace obligates the church
to obedience and
faithfulness. Judgment
begins first at Ciod's house . .
Only those who repent will
escape his certain
chastisement and be marked
out as his faithful,
overcoming people. n
Septemb, 1997 THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon 15 .