“THE CHURCH OF THE LIVING DEAD!!” 3:1-6

A. I WAS READING IN ASTRONOMY MAGAZINE, THAT THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM, WHICH SOME SCHOLARS BELIEVE WAS THE NORTH STAR, IS 30 LIGHT YEARS AWAY, AND THE LIGHT FROM IT TAKES 30 YEARS TO REACH OUR EYES.
1. THE ARTICLE ALSO SAID THAT IF THE NORTH STAR DIED, IT WOULD BE DEAD 30 YEARS BEFORE WE WOULD KNOW IT!!
B. i BELIEVE THE SAME CAN BE SAID OF MANY CHURCHES OVER WHICH GOD HAS WRITTEN THE WORD, “ICHABOD”–WHICH COMES FROM 1 SAMUEL 4:21 WHICH SAYS, “AND SHE NAMED THE CHILD ICHABOD, SAYING, MEANING: THE GLORY IS DEPARTED FROM ISRAEL.....”
C. IN THE REVELATION CHAPTER 3, JESUS ADDRESSES A CHURCH NAMED SARDIS, THAT HAD BECOME NOTHING MORE THAN A FUNERAL PARLOR.
D. BIBLE SCHOLARS SAY THESE SEVEN LETTERS WERE SENT SUCCESSIVELY TO THESE SEVEN CHURCHES BEFORE JOHN FINISHED THE REVELATION, SO THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS GOT THEIR LETTER, AND THEN SMYRNA, PERGAMUM, THYATIRA SARDIS ETC.
1. I HAVE OFTEN WONDERED WHAT THOSE CHURCHES THOUGHT AND DID AFTER RECEIVING THOSE LETTERS.
E. I HAVE ALSO WONDERED WHAT JESUS WOULD SAY TO ME, IF HE WERE TO WRITE A LETTER TO ME, ABOUT MY PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM?
F. NOW PLEASE DON’T MISS THIS: JESUS DID NOT WRITE OFF ANY OF THESE CHURCHES, BUT HE DID SAY, “THE DAY MAY COME, WHEN I MAKE WAR ON THEM WITH THE SWORD OF MY MOUTH, AND COME AGAINST THEM LIKE A THIEF, AND, IF NECESSARY, TAKE AWAY THEIR CANDLESTICK!!”
G. THESE LETTERS WERE A WARNING, AND JESUS GAVE THEM AMPLE TIME TO REPENT, BECAUSE HE SAID IN EXODUS 34:6-7, "THE LORD IS SLOW TO ANGER AND ABOUNDING IN STEADFAST LOVE AND FAITHFULNESS, KEEPING STEADFAST LOVE FOR THOUSANDS AND FORGIVING INIQUITY AND TRANSGRESSION AND SIN."
1. NOW IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THIS VERSE IS JUST AS IMPORTANT TODAY, AS IT WAS THE DAY IT WAS WRITTEN!!
H. THE SEVEN SPIRITS SYMBOLIZE THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND THE SEVEN STARS REPRESENT THE SEVEN PASTORS, TO WHOM JESUS SAID, “I KNOW YOUR DEEDS. YOU HAVE A REPUTATION OF BEING ALIVE, BUT YOU ARE DEAD.”
I. YOU SEE DEAR CHURCH, WE CHRISTIANS WILL, BECAUSE OF THE INFLUENCE OF SIN, EXPERIENCE SPIRITUAL DEADNESS, DULLNESS AND DRYNESS, AND THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO ABOUT IT!!

I. FIRST–CONTINUE TO ATTEMPT GREAT THINGS FOR GOD, BECAUSE IT’S HIS REPUTATION AT STAKE, NOT OURS!!

A. HERE ARE SOME OF THE SIGNS THAT A CHURCH IS DYING:
B. A DYING CHURCH RESTS ON ITS PAST ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND IS SATISFIED WITH ITS PRESENCE STATE.
C. A DYING CHURCH IS MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR RITUALS AND FORMALITIES THAN SPIRITUAL MATURITY.
D. A DYING CHURCH IS MORE CONCERNED ABOUT SOCIAL CHANGE THAN SEEING PEOPLE CHANGED BY THE POWER OF GOD.
E. A DYING CHURCH IS MORE CONCERNED WITH MATERIAL GROWTH THAN SPIRITUAL GROWTH.
F. A DYING CHURCH IS MORE CONCERNED WITH PLEASING MEN THAN PLEASING GOD.
G. A DYING CHURCH CLINGS MORE TIGHTLY TO ITS DENOMINATIONAL AFFILIATION THAN THE WORD OF GOD.
H. A DYING CHURCH HAS LOST IT’S CONVICTION THAT THE BIBLE IS THE INERRANT, INFALLIBLE WORD OF GOD.
I. IF WE WERE TO ASK ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF SARDIS, “TELL ME ABOUT YOUR CHURCH.” THEY WOULD SAY, BECAUSE OF THEIR PERCEPTION, “OH OUR CHURCH IS ALIVE!” AND THEY WOULD BE RIGHT, BECAUSE JESUS SAID IN VERSE 1, “YOU HAVE A REPUTATION OF BEING ALIVE, BUT....”
J. THEIR PERCEPTION WAS THAT BECAUSE OF THEIR PREACHING, SINGING, TEACHING AND EATING

0 members like this