A Dead Church Series

What exactly made Sardis a dying church? We do not read of any immorality or false teaching. In fact the rebuke is quite vague. What was it that they had done to be classified as “dead”? Perhaps they hadn’t done anything and that was the problem.

A living organism has two specific traits. First, it has activity. Second, it is growing. If we are going to be a live church we have to have activity from within and growth as a body. Otherwise we are a dying church.

Dr. W.A. Criswell wrote in his book, “Standing on the Promises” about distinguishing between a live and dead church, “live churches are filled with folks with Bibles in their hands, dead churches are not! Live churches have noisy children and youth, dead churches do not! Live churches attempt great things for God, dead churches do not! Live churches emphasize opportunities, but dead churches focus on the problems. Live churches are characterized by a loving fellowship, but dead churches manifest a bickering spirit. Live churches major on strong preaching, dead churches do not. Live churches evangelize, dead churches fossilize.

I have been at and been around dead churches. If you ever have you know that there is just a negative attitude about everything. You leave the assemblies discouraged rather than encouraged, drained rather than energized, empty rather than well-fed, and burdened rather than burden free.

I once heard about a church that was so dead, that when a member happened to die during the worship service – the paramedics actually carried out 5 people before they finally got the right one

Well what are the trademarks of a dead church?

1. No Desire to Grow

The book of Acts on many occasions is very specific about numbers. We read of 3,000 and 5,000 and a multitude. Why does the Scriptures reveal these conversion numbers? Is it to boast? No, but it was to show that growth was a good thing. Many in the church today have no desire to see the church grow. To them it is threatening. They may loose their seat, they may loose their parking space. You would not believe how many stories I have heard of preachers being fires because the church where they worked started to grow and the people did not like that. We as Christians should want the church to grow. Not because we are arrogant, but because we love God, we love people, because we understand that each sould is precious to God, that he wants all to be saved, and that each individual not in a relationship with Christ will indeed perish. I want people to be saved, and if I want people to be saved then it has to happen in the context of the church. A church that does not want to grow is probably a dead church.

2. A Pessimistic Attitude

Attitude is contagious. Perhaps you have been in a church with a pessimistic attitude towards everything. I have seen some people in churches who can find the bad in any good situation. They see that bad in people, they see the bad in positive things going on at the church. I believe we should strive to see the good and the positive. That does not mean we ignore the bad things, but I believe is does mean that we have a positive attitude because we trust that good things are going to come because we serve a mighty and powerful God.