To love God, we must be obedient and have our ears open to His instruction and guidance. We are also challenged to love our neighbor as ourselves. We are challenged to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. As Christians living in these bodies of weakness, we cannot be sinless, but we can be blameless in love (Eph. Jesus warned the Church of Sardis, “I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God (Rev. Along the way, our faith and priorities will be tested. We must long for the pure milk of the Word so that we may grow (1 Pet. We must grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Pet. A believer is strengthened by Bible study. Jesus warned: “be constantly alert, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die” (Rev. They did not have “ears to hear.” Like the vast number of Christians throughout history, they were not advancing in the Spiritual Life. The Church of Sardis had a reputation for progressing in the Spiritual Life, but in fact, they were dead (insensitive) to God. To the Church of Sardis, Jesus said, “I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead” (Rev. Figuratively, He can fight with one hand tied behind His back and still win. God’s plan, power, and grace is sufficient to accomplish His intended end, and the powers of darkness cannot stop Him. Over and over, the Bible teaches that there is an invisible and layered reality behind the material world. For example, there is an overlap between the seven spirits and the seven lamp stands, the seven eyes of Jesus Christ, and the seven angels before the throne (Rev. We need to understand that in God’s game plan, the Trinity, elect angels, and elect humans all function in a coordinated overlap and unity in bringing about God’s will on Earth as it is Heaven. Here (in my opinion), it primarily refers to the pastor of each church, but angelic beings may also be assigned to watch over each church. The Greek word angelos can refer to a supernatural being or simply one of God’s human messengers. The “seven stars” referred to the seven pastors of the seven churches of Asia Minor (Rev. The Spirit was described as imparting the following: 1) the spirit of Yahweh, 2) the spirit of wisdom, 3) the spirit of understanding, 4) the spirit of counsel, 5) the spirit of strength, 6) the spirit of knowledge, and 7) the spirit of the fear of Yahweh (Isaiah 11:2). Describing the Messiah, Isaiah taught that the Holy Spirit would rest on Him. The “seven spirits” alluded to the sevenfold ministry of the Holy Spirit mentioned by Isaiah and uniquely personified by seven super angelic beings (spirits) before God’s throne, who manifested the Spirit’s message to and through the Church. The number 7 is symbolic for completion and sufficiency. Jesus Christ was described as the One “who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars” (Rev. John was instructed to write to the local pastor (God’s messenger) in Sardis (Rev. The Church of Sardis received the second harshest criticism as compared to the other seven churches of Asia Minor that were mentioned in the Book of Revelation. The Jewish community was wealthy and influential. Additionally, Emperor Augustus confirmed that the Jews had the right to assemble and meet according to their religious traditions and practices. During the reign of Augustus (27 BC – AD 14), Sardisian Jews successfully appealed to the Emperor in Rome when city administrators of Sardis sought to interfere with the Jews sending their annual Temple tax to Jerusalem. Sardis had a large and significant Jewish population. Finally, during the Roman Empire, it was one of the leading cities in the Roman province of Asia. Later, it was an administrative seat for the Seleucids. After being conquered by the Persians, it was the headquarters of the Persian Satrap and located at the western point of the imperial highway from Susa. It was located in the middle of the Hermus Valley, at the base of Mount Tmouls. Ancient Sardis was famously known as the capital city of the ancient Lydian Empire (680-547 BC) and the residence of King Croesus (known for his great wealth) (560-547 BC).
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |