Sardis, The Dead Church - Revelation 3:1-6

We now come to the 5th of the 7 Churches to whom Jesus writes a letter to, the Church of Sardis. A wealthy and powerful city in Asia Minor that was located 30 miles south of Thyatira, built on top of a 1500 foot hill for military defense purposes. A City that thought itself to be impenetrable was attacked and captured twice by enemies before being destroyed by a severe earthquake. Sardis was later rebuilt by Rome and eventually become the location of a Christian Church. Though the Church once thrived, it became a dead Church spiritually even though it had the reputation of being alive based on its past. Like many Churches today, who grieve the Holy Spirit by losing our first love, tolerating sin and doctrinal error, the Church loses life and it becomes a dead Church. May we take heed.