Before getting into the feature, there's time for a segment of "Dumb News,", the part where Chris joins Keith to read real news headlines, but the commentary is all made up.

Main Topic

The church in ancient Sardis had problems. They had once received good gospel training. But somehow they coasted to a place of general corruption. They weren't being persecuted by the pagan culture/ they hadn't fallen to false teachers. They just weren't doing anything exactly.

Sardis was a city of commerce, and had an important strategic military location. There were tall,. Nearly vertical stone walls on all sides except the south. Though it was frequently attacked,. The city was only captured twice. Both times it was due to a sleeping sentry. A demonstration of how luxurious living led to decadence, coasting through life on past glory days, and sleeping on the job.

Verse 1 "

And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. "'

Similar to the Ephesus church, Jesus reveals his identity, and authority over the spirits, and messengers to the church. But there's a difference. The Ephesians were calling out false prophets and bad teaching.

I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.

Jesus sees and knows. He sees the people in this church, and their reputation of being vibrant, and doing all the churchy activities. Their name was of being filled with life. The horrible reality is that they are dead. Their faith was coasting on past glory days. They had been duped, lured into complacency to the po8int of losing their identity in Christ.

Verse 2

Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die,

The call to action is to wake up. Strengthen, or stabilize in faith. The phrase, "What remains," means that not all were in dire straights.

But, if nothing is stabilized, they

would Were expected to die off.

for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.

Based on the only thing that matters,, God's standard, these people fell short. The phrase, "Not complete" has a meaning of filling a hollow space and found lacking. To be not satisfactory. Being not up to the mark.

Verse 3

Remember, then, what you received and heard.

Again, similar to the Ephesian church, they were told to remember. The Ephesians had been sticklers on theology, but had forgot their first love. The church in Sardis had received good word, but they had just about entirely fallen away into their old lifestyle of sin. They needed to wake up, and remember the gospel.

Keep it, and repent.

Keep, or safeguard the good message. If memories need refreshing, its time to repent.

If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.

If no repentance, not waking to the gospel, Jesus will come, and it won't go well for these people with dead faith. .

Come. Or to be present, to arrive . the sense of the word is that Jesus is only a footstep away from appearing in their presence.

Like a thief. Surprised by the unexpected hour. A phrase that is a common one through the gospel writings.

Verse 4

Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments,

There were only a few, not many left awake who still had a good name. A small amount who still had garments of faith that were unndefiled, unsoiled.

Think of it.