DIE GEMEENTE VAN SARDIS

Sardis was bekend as die “oninneembare” stad.  Dit was geleë so te sê op die top van ‘n berg wat net deur een pad bereik kon word.  Die stad was dus moeilik bereikbaar want die enkele pad was ook so bewaak  dat niemand daardeur kon kom nie.  Die res van die berg was so ontoeganklik, dat niemand die stad dus sommer kon inneem nie.  Tog was daar in die geskiedenis vyandige magte wat die stad ingeneem het, juis omdat die inwoners nie gewaak het nie. 

Omdat ons nie lees dat Sardis se gemeente ‘n stryd gehad het met valse profete en heidense godsdienste nie, beteken dit nie dat hulle nie ‘n stryd gehad het nie.  Hulle het ‘n ander probleem gehad … hulle het omdat hulle te veel op hulle gemak was en nie moes stry vir hulle geloof nie, sommer net geestelik verflou en soort van geestelik afgesterf.  Hulle het gedink dat hulle lewe, maar hulle was eintlik dood.  En net soos wat die onineembare stad van Sardis in die geskiedenis onverhoeds betrap is omdat hulle nie gewaak het nie, so is die gemeente wat hulle geloofslewe betref ook agterlosig.  Hulle het nie daaroor gewaak nie en wanneer JaHUsha weer sou kom soos ‘n dief, onverwags, sou hulle nie gereed gewees het nie. 

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THE ASSEMBLY OF SARDIS

Sardis was a city of Asia Minor and capital of Lydia, situated about two miles to the south of the river Hermus, just below the range of Tmolus, on a spur of which its acropolis was built.  It was 60 miles northeast of Smyrna.  It was the ancient residence of the kings of Lydia, among them Croesus, proverbial for his immense wealth.   Cyrus is said to have taken $600 000 000 worth of treasure from the city when he captured it in 548 B.C.

Sardis was so high up on the mountain that it was very difficult to be reached by the enemy, but it was not so invincible as the Sardians thought it to be.  In the war between Croesus and the Persian Cyrus, Cyrus won the first round of the battle by a ruse that only an Eastern general would think of.

Just because we do not read that the assembly of Sardis had a struggle with false prophets and pagan religions, does not mean that they did not have a struggle.  They had another problem … because they were too much at ease and did not have to fight for their faith, they (except for a few) just fainted spiritually and kind of died off spiritually.  They thought they were alive, but they were actually dead.  

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SARDIS – HISTORY

The city of Sardis has a storied history that was well known to all the churches of Asia Minor. John uses their history to communicate a lesson about becoming to arrogant.

Just as the invincible city of Sardis has been caught unaware in history because they have not kept watch, so the assembly is also careless as far as their faith is concerned.   They did not watch over it and when YaHUsha would have come like a thief, unexpectedly, they would not have been ready.

Follow the history and cultural background of Sardis with the following videos of both Fig Tree Ministries and Our Daily Bread.

Sardis Thief in the Night
Sardis Part 2

Sardis | The 7 Churches of Revelation