The Church in Sardis prefigures the Protestant Reformation?

[Kevin]

Revelation 3:1-2 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.

Since I am leaning towards to the reformed faith, it is expected I will be receiving feedbacks from LCers to point that the reformation is nothing less but a Christless sector of Christianity. How do you respond to such a mindset belief? Are they saying that Calvinists and Protestants only have the appearance of being alive but are actually dead on the inside? I don't think John Piper and Paul Washer are dead men. I am actually not sure exactly which of these characteristics it might apply to the Protestant Reformation or to Calvinism.

Are we to attribute a "spirit" to the seven churches of Revelation or necessarily compare a church today to one of the seven churches of Revelation? The seven churches described in Revelation 2-3 are seven literal churches at the time that John the apostle was writing the book of Revelation. Though they were literal churches in that time, there is also spiritual significance for churches and believers today. The LCM use the seven churches to foreshadow seven different periods in the history of the Church. The problem with this view is that each of the seven churches describes issues that could fit the Church in any time in its history. So, although there may be some truth to the seven churches representing seven eras, there is far too much speculation in this regard. I can't articulate to defend my position as a Reformed Baptist.