Wednesday, March 29, 2006
The Church of Sardis
The Church with a Name that is Alive, but was Dead
Rev 3: 1- 6
Dates for those interested in Church Age, 1520 – 1790
Many believe that as this Church pictures the Church of Reformation that began in 1520 believe that it continues until this day, the Laodicean period and will continue until the Great Tribulation.
During the Reformation with its dead, lukewarm churches the reason of this deadness is that entire countries became Protestant without being born again.
Sardis became the mother of the dead orthodoxy churches. Jack Van Impe says they were not singing “Standing on the Promises” but singing “Sleeping on the Premises”.
The Church at Sardis was an active church. They had a reputation of being alive a spiritual church.
But the One doing the speaking with the Seven Spirits of God (Isa. 11:2-5) sees all things knows all things is righteous in His judgment.
They still had their traditional forms, their way of doing things.
Jesus declared you are dead. There zeal for Godliness was gone.
What they were missing was the anointing, that touch of God, the moving of the Spirit of God which breaks every yoke and delivers from every bondage.
They the church at , Sardis needed to wake up and come alive.
They had forgotten they were not in control, neither the pastor, the deacons or the congregation was the owner, but Christ.
The Church at Sardis was depending on the experiences of the past and what little of that remained was ready to die.
V3 Repent
Not all hope was lost,
They needed to wake up, come alive.
Jesus called for a fivefold Revival.
[[[Re 3:2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.]]]
1. Be watchful or alert, knowing now is the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep. Ro 13:11
2. Strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die. Do everything possible to salvage what you can.
3. remember therefore how thou hast received and heard. Recall your earlier days when you heard the gospel. When you were filled with joy and zeal.
4. hold fast. Discard the baggage of formalism.
5. Repent: Change your mind, church return to Christ centered services where the HS lead and touched peoples life.
Many churches during the Reformation and still today do not teach or preach out of the book of Revelation or speak about Jesus return. They say it is too hard to understand, too confusing.
Baloney is the Greek for that.
Repent is one of the hardest things to get believers to do after they cool down.
Sardis was a true example of what Paul described as having a form of Godliness but denied the power thereof. 2Tim 3:5
Re 3:4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
Some type of defile had happened. It could be because of this defilement that they lost the anointing of God upon there life. HG will not stay were there is not cleansing from time to time.
They shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
If you walk with the Lord in this world you most likely will walk closely with Him in the next.
There are still people today that believe and desire the touch of God even in the mist of people that say that is old fashioned.
Many people are leaving dead formal churches today and going where the Old Fashioned Gospel is being preach is Spirit and in Truth with signs following.
Re 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
:6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
This is NT teaching, to those that keep winning victories overcoming the same shall be clothed in white and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life.
Re 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
V5 Jesus will confess your name before His father,
I know these over comers. Hallelujah
Hear what the spirit is saying to the Church tonight
