To the Dead Church

If you have your Bibles this morning, I invite you to take them and turn to Revelation 3:1.  I want to share a message with you this morning entitled, “To the Sleeping Church.”

 

So far in our study of Revelation, we have seen some real, first-century churches located in what is modern-day Turkey.  The Ephesus Church has been called the Waning Church.  The Smyrna Church has been called the Suffering Church.  The Pergamos Church has been called the Worldly Church.  The Thyatira Church has been called the Tolerant Church.  This morning, we turn our attention to the Sardis Church, which has been called the Dead or Sleeping Church.

 

When talking about first-century Sardis, I want to remind you of two observations.  First, Sardis was known for its wealth because it was a trading center for dyes, jewelry, and textiles.  Second, it was known to be impregnable.  That is another way to say unconquerable because of its geography and its military citadel. Ironically, it was captured twice before the writing of this letter first by Cyrus and second by Antiochus. 

 

Now, let’s consider the Sardis Church.  In verse one, you will see that this letter or message, as they all are, was given to the pastor of the church at Sardis and is noted as the angel or messenger. 

 

It was from and written by He who had the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars.  Looking back at Revelation 1:4, 1:16, and 1:20, we know this was the Lord Jesus.

 

He has the Holy Spirit with Him. To say the seven spirits is to say the complete or fullest or perfect or may have been a reference to Isaiah 11:2 and His seven-fold ministry.

 

2 The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

 

The seven stars were the pastors of these churches.  Therefore, Jesus knew and could see all from a spiritual perspective and an earthly perspective. 

 

Verse 1 even says, “I know your works.”  He knew all about them. 

 

As we move on in the text, join me in seeing 5 observations of the Dead or Sleeping Church.

 

 

1. The Reputation of Life, Revelation 3:1c

1 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.

 

Jesus began this message differently than the previous four.  While the others began with a compliment, this one begins with an admonition or a rebuke and sets the tone for the entire message.

 

By the way, Jesus had no praise for the Sardis Church.  While this message is full of admonition, it is absent of appreciation.  Therefore, if my sermon this morning is going to follow the lead of the text, there won’t be praise for our church in today’s message.

 

The Sardis Church had a name or a reputation for being alive.  What does that mean?  It means they had a good reputation for being the going church in the area.  Maybe they were known for being the first church or the biggest church or the contemporary church or the young church or the community-minded church.  Regardless, they had a positive reputation in the area for being a good, solid, ministering church.  But…

 

Does EBC have a good or positive reputation?  Are we known as big church or the down-town church or community-minded church? 

 

 

2. The Reality of Death, Revelation 3:1d.

1 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.

 

However, don’t miss this.  “But you are dead!”

 

It was a mirage.  It was a myth.  It was a show.  The Sardis Church was a legend in her own mind.  She was dead. 

 

What does that mean?  It may very well have meant that the overwhelming majority of the church was unsaved church members. 

 

They had spiritual religion, but they didn’t have a saving relationship.  They had been baptized, but they weren’t born-again.  They had walked an aisle, but they weren’t walking with Jesus.  See Matthew 23:27-28.

 

27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

 

And what about EBC?  I am one hundred percent confident that we have church members today who if their heart stopped beating and they physically died, they would also die spiritually and spend an eternity separated from Christ.  Is that you?

 

Let’s do a little spiritual check-up.  Do you remember a specific time and place when you were born-again?  Do you remember when you surrendered your life to Jesus as Lord and Savior?  Can you point to a specific time when you stepped off the thrown of your heart and Jesus took over your life? 

 

If you can’t, look at your life. 

1. Do you love God?
2. Do you hate sin?

• Do you desire to live a life characterized by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control?

1. Do you pray?
2. Do you read your Bible?
3. Do you attend church?

• Do you want to see lost people saved?
• Are you growing spiritually?

1. Are you living obediently?
2. Do you give sacrificially?

 

Now, if you’re trying to convince yourself that you’re saved, I would say there is a good chance you’re not.  Would you call on the name of the Lord to save you this morning?

 

 

3. The Remnant of Believers, Revelation 3:4.

4 You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.

 

However, the Sardis Church was not completely dead as it included a remnant or a small number of born-again members as indicated in verse four.  Defiled their garments was Jesus’ way of saying they were not stained with sin. 

 

They had been washed in the blood of the Lamb, and in heaven, they would walk with Jesus dressed in white symbolic of holiness and purity.

 

Certainly, EBC has the same.  Even though we have plenty of unconverted church members, we also have a remnant of believers who called on the name of the Lord and have been saved!  One day, you will walk with Jesus in heaven wearing white. 

 

 

4. The Requirements of Jesus, Revelation 3:2-3.

2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. 3 Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.

 

What did Jesus require or request for the Sardis Church to turn things around?  If you’re dead or sleeping, be watchful or wake up or be constantly alert or recognize there is a problem.  Be honest and address the situation. 

 

Second, strengthen or reinforce what remains, what is close to dying.  You’re not fulfilling God’s calling on your life.  The lost in the church needed to get saved. 

 

I would say that as well this morning.  Swallow your pride and quit being concerned about what others might think or say.  If you’re playing the church game and even if you’ve fooled everybody else, you haven’t fooled Jesus.  You may have been a member of EBC for forty plus years, but you’re not a member of heaven.  Wake up this morning and be saved.

 

Third, remember.  Remember what you have heard from God’s word, and obey it.  Obey the Lord in your personal life and in your marriage and with your children and with your money and with your business and with your health.  Remember what you’ve been taught and obey it.

 

Fourth, hold fast or resolve.  Persevere through the end.  If you don’t you’ve never been saved from the beginning. 

 

Finally, repent.  Repent of your lostness and belief.  Make the change in your head and then in your heart.  Those are the Requirements of Jesus.

 

If the lost members of the Saris Church didn’t wake up, they would experience the judgment of Christ.  He would come like a thief, unexpected and uninvited. 

 

Certainly, this is in line with the reputation of Sardis.  They thought they were unconquerable, and yet, on more than one occasion, they were captured. 

 

 

5. The Rewards of Heaven, Revelation 3:5-6.

5 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.  6 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’

 

Our final observation this morning is regarding those that are saved and for those who get saved.  In heaven, the overcomers will wear garments of white symbolic of their purity and holiness because they take on the sinlessness of Christ, and their eternity is secure. 

 

In John’s day, rulers kept actual records of the city’s citizens on a membership list.  If a person died, their name was removed from the list. 

 

That will never happen to the follower of Christ.  There is no chance that their name will ever be erased from the book of life.  You see the second half of verse five is a promise not a threat. 

 

Finally, the very last part of verse five says that Jesus will confess your name before His Father and His angels.  Keep in mind that this will not happen if you don’t confess Him here on earth.  See Matthew 10:32-33. 

 

32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

 

 

 

Conclusion

I want to close this morning with this.  It doesn’t matter a hill of beans what our reputation is.  What matters is reality.  We might have a reputation for being dignified, but are we really dead?  We might have a reputation for being spiritual, but are we really stagnant?  We might have a reputation for being large, but are we really lifeless?

 

Here is the bottom line.  To the Dead Church made up of dead church members, wake up!