Located on Mount Tmolus in southern Turkey, the city of Sardis stood at the crossroads of Asia Minor, the most prosperous, powerful, fertile, and pagan province of the entire Roman Empire. First-century Sardis had a unique blend of residents: faithful Jews and Christians who worshiped God blended with influential pagans who worshiped the Roman emperor and gods such as Artemis and Cybele.
Sardis is of particular interest because it apparently had a very visible
Christian church and because the apostle John issued a strong warning to them.
"I know your deeds," he wrote, "you have a reputation of being alive but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found
your deeds complete in the sight of my God" (Rev.
3:1-2).
Audio: Sardis Earthquake
What led John to such say strong words to this community of faith in Sardis? Was it because they were slowly compromising what they believed with the pagans among them? Or where there other reasons that John?s words became such a powerful teaching for those believers who chose to live at the crossroads of their world?
