Salvaging Sleepy Sardis Series

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!