THERE IS NOTHING WORSE THAN DEAD ORTHODOXY AND DEAD TRADITIONALISM IN A DEAD CHURCH. A DEAD CHURCH WHERE NOBODY JOINS, GETS SAVED OR FEELS COMPELLED TO PUT FORTH ANY EFFORT INTO THE CHURCH’S MINISTRIES.
NO WONDER THE LORD CAME UPON SARDIS AND TOLD THEM TO "WAKE UP!" SARDIS WAS A CHURCH THAT WAS READY TO DIE. THE LIGHT OF THE GOSPEL WAS ABOUT TO BE EXTINGUISHED. THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT WAS ABOUT TO FADE. WHAT IS WORSE IS THAT FEW PEOPLE SEEMED TO CARE.
NOTHING IS MORE TRAGIC THAN WATCHING A CHURCH DIE A SLOW PAINFUL DEATH. SOME CHURCHES DIE BECAUSE THE PEOPLE REFUSE TO LET GO OF THEIR TRADITIONS. THE STALE ATTITUDES OF "THAT’S THE WAY WE’VE ALWAYS DONE IT" MURDERS THE SPIRIT OF INNOVATION AND PROGRESS.
SOME CHURCHES DIE BECAUSE OF COMPLACENCY. WHY DO WE FIND PEOPLE REFUSING TO EXERT THEMSELVES SPIRITUALLY? WHY ARE THEIR STILL PEOPLE WHO SHY AWAY FROM PUTTING FORTH AN ENTHUSIASTIC SPIRIT TOWARDS MINISTRY? WHY DO WE FORSAKE ANY CHALLENGE THAT INVOLVES MORE THAN THE GIVING OF OUR MONEY?
REGARDLESS OF WHATEVER IT MAY BE THAT CAUSES THE DEATH OF A CHURCH, THERE IS ONE THING THAT WILL KILL A CHURCH QUICKER THAN ANYTHING: NO EVANGELISM!
WHENEVER A CHURCH STOPS PREACHING THE GOSPEL AND STOPS REACHING OUT WITH THE GOSPEL, IT TURNS INWARD AND SELF-DESTRUCTS BY IMPLOSION. WHEN WE GET OUR EYES OFF THE LOST AND FOCUS ONLY ON OURSELVES, WE HAVE LOST OUR TRUE SPIRITUAL VISION.
CHURCHES THAT ARE NOT WINNING PEOPLE TO JESUS CHRIST ARE FAILING TO OBEY THE GREAT COMMISSION. WITHOUT NEW CONVERTS TO CHRIST THE CHURCH WILL STAGNATE, STOP GROWING AND EVENTUALLY DIE.
SARDIS HAD ALMOST REACHED THE POINT OF DEATH. THIS IS WHY THEY CAME UNDER THE MOST SEVERE ACCUSATION OF ALL THE SEVEN CHURCHES.
SARDIS HAD SO COMPLETELY COME TO TERMS WITH ITS PAGAN ENVIRONMENT THAT YOU COULDN’T REALLY TELL IF IT WAS A CHURCH OR A RELIGIOUS COUNTRY CLUB FOR ELITE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.
ALTHOUGH SARDIS WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN THE OUTWARD APPEARANCES OF HAVING AN ACTIVE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY, IT COULDN’T HIDE THE FACT THAT IT WAS SPIRITUALLY DEAD ON THE INSIDE.
JUST LIKE THE FIG TREE OF MARK 11:20, IT HAD LEAVES BUT NO FRUIT! THEY HAD BECOME THE PERFECT MODEL OF THE TERM "HARMLESS CHRISTIANITY." THEREFORE, JESUS CHRIST COMES TO THEM AS THE ONE WHO HOLDS THE SEVEN SPIRITS OF GOD AND THE SEVEN STARS.
HE WHO HOLDS THE STARS IN HIS HANDS DOES SO TO PROVIDE SAFETY IN DANGER AND PUNISHMENT IN UNFAITHFULNESS. THE LORD OF LIFE IS ALSO THE LORD OF DEATH AND JUDGMENT.
JESUS COMES TO SARDIS WITH WHAT SEEMS TO BE A WORD OF APPROVAL. THIS WORD OF APPROVAL IS ACTUALLY A WORD OF REBUKE.
HE SAID THEY HAD A REPUTATION FOR BEING ALIVE AND FOR BEING AN EFFECTIVE CHURCH. CHRIST DID NOT WASTE ANY TIME IN STRIPPING AWAY THIS REPUTATION BY DECLARING THAT THEY ARE DEAD.
JUST LIKE THE PHARISEES, THEIR OUTER APPEARANCE WAS A FAÇADE HIDING THEIR LACK OF LIFE. EVEN WITH THE THINGS THEY WERE DOING CHRIST WASN’T IMPRESSED. HE SAYS, "I HAVE NOT FOUND YOUR DEEDS COMPLETE IN THE SIGHT OF MY GOD." SARDIS HAD FALLEN FAR SHORT OF FULFILLING THEIR OBLIGATIONS AS BELIEVERS.
THE COMMAND WAS GIVEN TO WAKE UP FROM THEIR SPIRITUAL SLEEP AND TO STRENGTHEN THE FEW EVIDENCES OF LIFE THEY STILL HAD.
THE COMMAND "WAKE UP" LITERALLY MEANS TO BE WATCHFUL OR TO BE CONSTANTLY ON ALERT. CHRIST WAS SAYING THAT THE CHURCH HAD BETTER REVERSE THEIR ATTITUDES VERY RADICALLY.
THE SITUATION WAS CRITICAL, BUT NOT TOTALLY HOPELESS. CHRIST WANTED SARDIS TO TAKE IMMEDIATE STEPS TO GET IT ALL BACK TOGETHER AGAIN. QUICK AND DECISIVE ACTION WAS THE GAME PLAN TO KEEP DEATH FROM KNOCKING ON THEIR DOOR.
CHRIST STRONGLY ADVISED THEM TO GET BUSY. DON’T SIT AROUND AND THINK ABOUT IT, JUST DO IT AND DO IT NOW! HE SAID REMEMBER, OBEY, AND REPENT. HE WARNED THEM THAT IF THEY DID NOT TAKE HIM SERIOUSLY HE WOULD COME UPON THEM LIKE A THIEF.
IN OTHER WORDS, NO MORE ADVANCED WARNINGS BECAUSE THE NEXT TIME, JESUS WAS GOING TO COME SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY. THAT IS WHY THE SOLUTION FOR US TODAY IN KEEPING OUR CHURCH FROM BECOMING A SPIRITUAL GRAVEYARD IS FOUND IN THE LORD’S CHALLENGE TO THE CHURCH OF SARDIS.
THE CHURCH’S "AVERAGE" FAITH WAS AMOUNTING TO NOTHING MORE THAN SPIRITUAL DEATH. THEY WERE JUST GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS OF MINISTRY.
THIS IS WHY THE SAVIOR MADE HIS APPEAL TO THE FEW GODLY PEOPLE THAT REMAINED INSTEAD OF WASTING HIS TIME ON THE MAJORITY WHO WERE SPIRITUALLY DEAD AND UNMOVABLE.
CHRIST CALLED THESE GODLY FEW THAT REMAINED "SLEEPY" AND APPEALED TO THEM TO ROUSE THEMSELVES FROM THEIR HEAVY SLUMBERS AND BE WATCHFUL.
THIS IS WHY TODAY’S MESSAGE IS ENTITLED, "SALVAGING SLEEPY SARDIS" BECAUSE THE LORD WANTS US TO STOP WALKING AROUND LIKE A BUNCH OF DAZED AND DROWSY CHRISTIANS. HE WANTS US TO GET BUSY NOW NOT LATER. JESUS WANTS US TO REMEMBER, OBEY, AND REPENT!
FIRST, REMEMBER. REMEMBER BACK TO THE JOY OF NOT ONLY HOW, BUT WHEN YOU WERE FIRST CONVERTED TO JESUS CHRIST. RECALL TO YOUR HEART ALL THE BASICS OF LIVING OUT NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANITY.
IT IS THE LIFE-FULFILLING WONDER OF LIVING OUT THE TWO GREATEST COMMANDMENTS FROM MATTHEW 22:37-40, WHERE JESUS REPLIED, ’YOU MUST LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WILL ALL YOUR HEART, ALL YOUR SOUL, AND ALL YOUR MIND.’THIS IS THE FIRST AND GREATEST COMMANDMENT. A SECOND IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT: ’LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ ALL THE OTHER COMMANDMENTS AND ALL THE DEMANDS OF THE PROPHETS ARE BASED ON THESE TWO COMMANDMENTS."
IT IS GOING BACK TO THE BASICS OF REMEMBERING THAT WE HAVE ALL BEEN CALLED TO WITNESS! MATTHEW 28:19, "…GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES" MEANS BE AN EVANGELIST!
WE NO LONGER ALLOW THE WORD "EVANGELISM" SCARE US INTO SILENCE. USE THE WORD WITNESS! THE FIRST STEP IS TO REMEMBER WHAT BEING A CHRISTIAN IS ALL ABOUT!
SECONDLY, OBEY! WE MUST HOLD FAST TO THE TRUTH. TRUTH IS THE ONLY ANCHOR FOR YOUR SOUL IN THESE CHANGING TIMES OF "POLITICAL CORRECTNESS."
BECAUSE THE WORLD WILL ONLY DRIFT US FARTHER FROM CHRIST WE NEED TO DROP OUR ANCHORS INTO THE TRUTH AND STAND FIRM.
JUST AS MOSES TOLD ISRAEL IN DEUTERONOMY 5:32-33, "YOU MUST OBEY ALL THE COMMANDS OF THE LORD YOUR GOD, FOLLOWING HIS INSTRUCTIONS IN EVERY DETAIL. STAY ON THE PATH THAT THE LORD YOUR GOD HAS COMMANDED YOU TO FOLLOW. THEN YOU WILL LIVE LONG AND PROSPEROUS LIVES IN THE LAND YOU ARE ABOUT TO ENTER AND OCCUPY."
WE MUST OBEY THE WORD OF GOD FROM GENESIS 1:1 ALL THE WAY TO REVELATION 22:21. WE MUST STOP THINKING THAT WE HAVE THE OPTION TO PICK AND CHOOSE WHAT WE WILL AND WILL NOT BELIEVE OR OBEY. WE CANNOT BEND THE SCRIPTURES TO FIT OUR LIFESTYLE. INSTEAD, WE BEND OUR LIVES TO CONFORM TO THE SCRIPTURES. WE OBEY!
FINALLY, REPENT! REPENT OF OUR APATHY. APATHY MEANS UNCONCERNED, INDIFFERENT, DULL, INSENSITIVE, AND PASSIVE. WE FIGHT APATHY BY GUARDING OUR HEARTS AND BEING PERSISTENT IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS.
CHRISTIANS NEED TO KEEP INFORMED BY EDUCATING THEMSELVES ON CURRENT EVENTS SURROUNDING THEIR CHURCH, THE GOVERNMENT, EDUCATION, COMMUNITY, AND MORAL ISSUES.
NOTHING IS MORE DISGUSTING THAN AN UNIFORMED CHRISTIAN WHO IS TOTALLY IGNORANT OF WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE WORLD TODAY!
WE NEED TO GET INVOLVED, BE INVOLVED AND STAY INVOLVED. EPHESIANS 5:16, TELLS US TO "MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY OPPORTUNITY FOR DOING GOOD IN THESE EVIL DAYS."
IF A PERSON IS TOO BUSY TO GET INVOLVED OR TO EDUCATE AND INFORM THEMSELVES, THEN HE OR SHE IS TOO BUSY! PROVERBS 26:13, SAYS "THE LAZY PERSON IF FULL OF EXCUSES." WE NEED TO REPENT OF OUR APATHY BY GUARDING OUR HEARTS AND BEING PERSISTENT IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS. WE NEED TO TAKE CHURCH A LOT MORE SERIOUS. LET US BE IN A STATE OF PENITENCE.
THE COMMAND TO "WAKE UP" HAS BEEN GIVEN. DO YOU HEAR IT? REMEMBER, THE CALL TO WAKE UP LITERALLY MEANS TO BE WATCHFUL OR BE CONSTANTLY ON ALERT. IT MEANS TO REVERSE YOUR ATTITUDES VERY RADICALLY.
THE SITUATION MAY BE CRITICAL, BUT IT’S NOT TOTALLY HOPELESS. CHRIST WANTS US TO TAKE IMMEDIATE STEPS TO GET IT ALL TOGETHER. QUICK AND DECISIVE ACTION TO KEEP DEATH FROM KNOCKING ON OUR DOOR.
CHRIST STRONGLY ADVISED SARDIS TO GET BUSY. HE MADE IT PERFECTLY CLEAR THAT YOU DON’T SIT AROUND AND THINK ABOUT IT. JUST DO IT AND DO IT NOW! HE SAID REMEMBER, OBEY, AND REPENT.
IF THE CHURCH WOULD DO THAT MUCH, THE LORD PROMISES A "WHITE RAIMENT" WHICH SYMBOLIZES RIGHTEOUSNESS AND JUSTICE. ALSO, A PROMISE OF SECURING A PERMANENT PLACE FOR US IN THE BOOK OF LIFE.
THE LETTER CONCLUDES WITH THE SAME EXHORTATION USED IN ALL THE OTHER LETTERS TO THE CHURCHES TO HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT SAYS TO THE CHURCHES.
THE LETTER TO SARDIS IS A SEARCHING MESSAGE TO CHURCHES TODAY THAT ARE FULL OF ACTIVITY AND HOUSED IN BEAUTIFUL BUILDINGS SITUATED ON PRIME PROPERTY BUT ARE SO OFTEN LACKING ANY EVIDENCE OF HAVING ETERNAL LIFE. CHRIST’S WORD TODAY IS TO "REMEMBER," "REPENT" AND "OBEY," JUST AS IT WAS TO THE CHURCH IN SARDIS.
