Well tonight we find our self-looking at the fifth church of the seven church of revelation. Right away the discretion of the author of this letter to the church at Sardis describes him as he that hath the seven spirits. This letter like the others offers up some specific information for us in the church today just as it did for the true church which existed at Sardis many years ago. A study of church history reviles that the church at Sardis was among the oldest and most well defended cities of the region in which it was located and also was a very wealthy center. It is thought that much of the wealth of Sardis came from the panning for gold in its nearby river. Sardis was said to have been the first to mint coins form silver and gold. Sardis was also a center for the production of wool and they laid claim to being the place from which the method for dye of wool was first discovered. The location of the city of Sardis may tell us more about it state as being from a state of mind than just where it was at. Sardis was said to be located 30 miles from the city of Thyatira on a hill which stood 1500 feet above the valley floor. From this location Sardis was practically impenetrable by enemy attackers. This would result in the expansion of Sardis being severely limited. Thus the city would eventually built a new Sardis at the foot of the Hill but maintaining the old site as a retreat anytime danger was lurking about. For Sardis this would prove to be very cause of their demise of the city as the inhabitants notably became overconfident but also severely complacent and careless. Not that sounds like something you could see today.