Sermon Tone Analysis

Revelation 3:1-6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stephen Caswell © 2004

William Booth Saw It

 

General William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, said: I consider that the chief dangers which will confront the twentieth century will be: /Religion without the Holy Spirit, Christianity without Christ, Forgiveness without Regeneration, Morality without God and Heaven without hell.

*This describes Church reputation without reality.*/

Remember the seven Churches represent 7 literal churches that were in Asia or modern day Turkey.

They also represent 7 types of Churches and believers in any age.

Churches are people, and human nature has not changed.

Importantly the 7 Churches picture 7 Church Ages beginning with Ephesus and closing with Laodicea.

Last week we saw the Church in the Dark Ages when it embraced false teaching, idolatry and immorality.

This morning we will look at Sardis, a Complacent Church.

The Church had became ritualistic and dead.

It operated without the power and life of the Holy Spirit.

This pictures the Church at the end of the Dark Ages.

*/Christ commands the Church to wake up to new life./*

He called people inside the Roman Church to return to the Bible.

This was the beginning of the reformation.

We’ll see 3 things, /The Correspondent, The Condemnation, The Counsel./

 

*/Firstly,/* The Correspondent

 

*Revelation 3:1:* /And to the angel of the church in Sardis write,/

 

/a.

The City/

 

·    Ancient Sardis, the capital of Lydia, lay about fifty miles east of Ephesus.

·    It was a most important city at the junction of 5 main roads; it was a center for trade.

·    Sardis was 1,500 feet above the main roads, and really was an impregnable fortress.

·    It became the center of the carpet industry and was noted for its wealth.

·    Sardis was also known for its manufacture of woolen garments.

·    The plain was well watered by the Pactolus River.

Gold coins were first minted there.

·    Croesus, King of Sardis was considered the wealthiest man in the world at this time.

·    Sardis was very wealthy in 700 bc but declined because of its great love of pleasure.

·    They worshipped Diana or Artemis goddess of the moon, and Apollo the sun god.

·    This was one of the few double temples that you will find in the world.

/b.