Sardis was a big busy city and the church at Sardis was a big busy church.

And the church at Sardis was a big busy church.

The synagogue that the Christian church met in until AD 60, 70, or 80 is the largest

Jewish synagogue found anywhere outside of Israel. So by every external indicator, this was a thriving,

growing church, everything up and to the right. And yet Jesus issues his most stern warning of any of the seven churches

to the church that started saying to them, you look alive, but you are actually dead. There are

multiple indicators that the church here was prone to compromise in order to attract people

into the church and to grow.

So for instance, in this Jewish synagogue where the Christians met, there was a giant Roman eagle etched into the side of the altar.

On the wall of this synagogue were found depictions and reliefs from other pagan cultures.

What is immediately behind me into my left

is a Roman gymnasium and a Roman bath.

They would bathe in the nude

and a lot of sexual perversion would happen

right inside of this building.

The synagogue was built after the construction of the gymnasium.

That synagogue is right there underneath those white awnings

and the church that chose to meet here,

they were so comfortable with the sin perversion

and degradation that was taking place here

that they were willing to plant their church

right outside of it where they could see right into it

...