Diagnosing a Dying Church
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
How would a local church know if it was dying? And what could it do to stop the process? I’ve heard churches described as “dead” all my Christian experience.
Some characteristics described would include:
A consistently empty altar.
No on getting saved.
No joy and enthusiasm in worship.
Boring and dry sermons. etc.
Decreasing numbers
Ephesus. Home to Temple of Artemis. This church was busy for the Lord but they had lost their first love. That red hot devotion to Christ.
Smyrna. Made the perfume, myrhh. Persecuted but faithful.
Pergamum. Made paper. This church is interesting to me because they were willing to stand up for the Lord when it came to persecution from the outside. They had even lost one of their members to martyrdom. But they were unwilling to stand up for truth and godly living among themselves.
Thyatira. Smaller town, known for making purple dye. This church was tolerating sin, and in particular, tolerating an evil woman who was a false teacher.
(It should be noted that a permissive view of sexual immorality was being taught)
Not church ages but at any given time you can find a church OR an individual Christian who has lost their first love. You can have a church or a Christian that is being persecuted. You can have a church or a person that is standing against oppression from outside forces while compromising in their own lives. And You can have a church or a Christians that is tolerating sinful things. Usually in the name of grace.
Today we will talk about the church of Sardis. As we do, lets’ look for how Jesus diagnoses a dying church, and the prescription he gives.
1 “Write to the angel of the church in Sardis: “The One who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars says: I know your works; you have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead.
2 Be alert and strengthen what remains, which is about to die, for I have not found your works complete before My God.
3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; keep it, and repent. But if you are not alert, I will come like a thief, and you have no idea at what hour I will come against you.
4 But you have a few people in Sardis who have not defiled their clothes, and they will walk with Me in white, because they are worthy.
5 In the same way, the victor will be dressed in white clothes, and I will never erase his name from the book of life but will acknowledge his name before My Father and before His angels.
6 “Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.
The Church: Sardis
The Church: Sardis
1 “Write to the angel of the church in Sardis: “The One who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars says: I know your works; you have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead.
Rich in gold taken from the Pactolus River
A connector city between The Persian Empire of old and the Roman empire.
It has been around for centuries when the Gospel of Jesus arrived, probably through the preaching of Paul while at Ephesus.
After it was destroyed in an earthquake, Tiberius sent money to rebuild and in return Sardis built a temple to worship the Emperor. It’s primary idol was Artemis, just as the Ephesian church.
When John wrote this letter, the prominence and glory of Sardis was fading, just as that of the church.
Description of Jesus
Description of Jesus
1 “Write to the angel of the church in Sardis: “The One who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars says: I know your works; you have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead.
Seven Spirits- Fullness of the Holy Spirit. Remember that the Spirit of God indwells every individual Christian who makes up the church. He also brings comfort to the hurting, conviction to wayward one, illumination to the Word of God as it is preached, taught, studied, and applied. Further, he brings power to Christians to live victorious live surrendered to God’s will.
The Holy Spirit is God just as Jesus is God.
Seven Stars- Remember those seven stars are the pastors of the seven churches. Those pastors were to carry out the will of Jesus for their congregation, realizing again that Jesus “Has” the pastors.
Boy does that take the pressure off this pastor. I just have to follow Jesus, and let the chips fall.
Good Qualities: Their Reputation
Good Qualities: Their Reputation
1 “Write to the angel of the church in Sardis: “The One who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars says: I know your works; you have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead.
“I know your works” Jesus says this same thing to 5 of the 7 churches. We believe as Evangelical Christians that we are saved by believing in the Gospel message of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus to pay for sins.
But we must also see the importance of good works.
8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—
9 not from works, so that no one can boast.
10 For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.
Negative Qualities
Negative Qualities
But check out what Jesus knows about their works:
They have a reputation, but He knows a different story: They are dead. Therefore I’m not sure the positive quality is positive at all! Someone has said reputation is who people see you as, and character is who you are when no one is looking.
And Jesus calls them dead.
DEAD! Still holding meetings! DEAD! Still singing! Dead! Still giving! Dead! How can this be? One author described it like a star that is millions of miles away. It might have burned out, but the light is still shining right now.
So convicting. Question: How does a church get in this shape?
Gradual
Inward
Drift
Top down- A mist in the pulpit will be a fog in the pew.
The Remedy
The Remedy
2 Be alert and strengthen what remains, which is about to die, for I have not found your works complete before My God.
3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; keep it, and repent. But if you are not alert, I will come like a thief, and you have no idea at what hour I will come against you.
Be alert 22 times in the New Testament we are told to be alert or stay awake. In every case it is because something is pending that requires our undivided attention. I think we too often are asleep at the wheel when it comes to the things of the Lord.
Strengthen. 14 times this word is used. Jesus told Peter that after the resurrection Peter was to strengthen his brothers. Paul went from village to village strengthening believers. He said that the Gospel has the power to strengthen Christians. Christians need a recharge. The Gospel wasn’t just good news to save us way back when, but we need a steady dose of it to stay spiritually strong. He is a church on its deathbed and Jesus says strengthen what is left.
Remember what you know. Keep it (Like keeping a ritual or a birthday commemoration) and REPENT. When we consider the Book of Revelation, our minds usually go to all the severe judgments and wrath that God pours out on an unbelieving world. But I’ve been contemplating the fact that before John writes about that judgment, Jesus has some things to say to the church. Repent… to the church. The Bible says Judgment starts in the house of God. When is the last time you were brought under great conviction about your sin, and repented?
The Promise of Judgment
The Promise of Judgment
3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; keep it, and repent. But if you are not alert, I will come like a thief, and you have no idea at what hour I will come against you.
In other passages Jesus pledges to remove the church’s witness, (perhaps allowing it to close down) and I think that would surely be the idea here as well to this DEATHBED church.
The Promise of Blessing
The Promise of Blessing
4 But you have a few people in Sardis who have not defiled their clothes, and they will walk with Me in white, because they are worthy.
5 In the same way, the victor will be dressed in white clothes, and I will never erase his name from the book of life but will acknowledge his name before My Father and before His angels.
Sweet fellowship with those who are walking close and clean.
Forever in the lamb’s book of life for those who are overcomers.
I don’t believe verse 5 implies you can be saved (have your name in) and then lost (have your name erased), rather it demonstrates only that genuine followers of Jesus will never lose the salvation that was given to them as a free gift.
By the way, it should be noted that apparently this church listened and repented. It survived and thrived for many more generations. In the next century after John, the church had a prominent pastor named Melito, and some of his writing has been preserved to this day, including the first known commentary on the Book of Revelation.
6 “Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.
As long as a church is still able to hear, there is the chance to get back on track. As long as backslidden Christian can hear, there is still the chance to get back on track. As long as an unbeliever can hear, there is still the chance to make Jesus your Lord.