Sunday, August 18, 2013 (NABC AM)!
REVELATION 3:1-6!
Smithson
Dead or Alive: Wake Up
INTRO & TEXT
Dead Star
The nearest stars to us are trillions of miles away. Those large distances have forced
astronomers to come up with an appropriate measurement unit, the light year.
One light-year equals the distance that light, traveling at more than 186,000 miles per
second, travels in one year- more than 6 trillion miles.
The enormous distance to even the nearest stars present an interesting possibility. If a star
30 light years away from the earth exploded and died 5 years ago. we would not be able
to tell by looking at it for another 25 years. Though no longer in existence, the light from
that star would go on shining as if nothing had changed.
This illustration perfectly sums up the situation in many churches today.
They still shine with the reflected light of a brilliant past. Looking at them from a distance
though, one might think that nothing had changed. Yet the spiritual darkness of false teaching
and sinful living has extinguished the light on the inside, though some of their reputation may still
remain. Such a church was the church at Sardis.
Recap
Ephesus- loveless church (1-7)/ Smyrna- persecuted church (8-11)
Pergamum- Church of Compromise (12-17)/ Thyatira- Church of wicked tolerance (18-29)
Sardis- Church of Fakes (3:1-6)/
To the Church in Sardis
1 “And
to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him
who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.
“‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but
you are dead. 2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about
to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my
God. 3 Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and
repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will
not know at what hour I will come against you. 4 Yet you have still a
few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and
they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 5 The one who
conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot
his name out of the book of life. 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.’
(Revelation 3:1-6 ESV)
Sunday, August 18, 2013 (NABC AM)!
REVELATION 3:1-6!
Smithson
Dead or Alive: Wake Up
PATTERN OF THE LETTERS TO THE CHURCH’S
CITY: Sardis: protected city, old city/ new city, highly traveled as a trade route, very
affluent, affluence led to apathy.
CHRIST: -‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.
Jesus holds in his hands the power of life through the Holy Spirit. He has his children in his hands.
COMMENDATION: - reputation of life
CONDEMNATION: - they are dead
COUNSEL: - WAKE up, Strengthen what remains, Complete your works, Remember
what you heard and received, keep with works of repentance.
CHALLENGE: - Remain faithful to the Lord and receive new clothes, renewed security,
and favor from the Father.
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SIGNS OF LIFE/ Health:
Movement/ Momentum- Are you responsive, can you follow instructions
I was around the 3rd grade when I saw a dead person for the first time. He was
our mechanic, Mr. Garvin, we found him dead under a car. He had suffered a
massive heart attack.
Spiritually it is sometimes difficult to assess life. Some church’s have
the appearance of life but they are like a snake or chicken that has been
beheaded. The body still may be moving.
Memory: Do you remember who you are, what you have, what you hear?
A church that is alive remembers who they belong to. Believers who are
attentive and healthy remember:
• Who they are, a child of the king/ coheir with Christ.
• Illustrate: Little Girl looses birth certificate
• What the have- great priveledge and favor of God.
• What they are to do- not soil their garments.
There is nothing worse to a preacher than watching a church die.
Let me share with you a few things that kill a church.
- tradition:
- prejudice:
it kills a spirit of innovation (tradition for tradition sake) this is the way we’ve always done it.
“we don’t want those people”- this idea can keep a church from reaching it’s community with
the life giving gospel.
- complacency: “comfort threshold”- replaces fervency
- prayerlessness: “church in our own power” If God didn’t show up could anybody tell?
- no evangelizing: When we stop being a people who tell people about Jesus Christ death on the cross to take
your punishment for sin. This will always kill a church.
5 marks of a dead Church- Chuck Swindoll
Sunday, August 18, 2013 (NABC AM)!
REVELATION 3:1-6!
Smithson
Dead or Alive: Wake Up
The spiritually sleeping church is given 2 options:
Option 1: Wake up and prepare
Option 2: Slumber- experience heartbreak.
The people of Sardis had experienced what happens when your sleeping
when you should be watchful several times in its past.
Illustrate Option 1:
The man huddled on the cabin floor was slowly freezing to death. It was high in the Rockies in
southwestern Alberta, and outside a blizzard raged. John Elliott had logged miles that day
through the deep snows of the mountain passes. As he checked for avalanches and as dusk and
exhaustion overcame him he had decided to “hole-up.” He made it wearily to his cabin but
somewhat dazed with fatigue, he did not light a fire or remove his wet clothing.
As the blizzard blasted through the cracks in the old cabin walls, the sleeping forest ranger sank
into oblivion, paralyzed by the pleasure of the storm’s icy caress. Suddenly, however, his dog
sprang into action, and with unrelenting whines, finally managed to rouse his near-comatose
friend. The dog was John’s constant companion, a St. Bernard, one of a long line of dogs famous
for their heroics in times of crisis. “If that dog hadn’t been with me, I’d be dead today,” John
Elliott says. “When you’re freezing to death you actually feel warm all over, and don’t wake up
because it feels too good.
This story illustrates the spiritual condition of many people today. They are cold
spiritually, and sadly are oblivious of their true condition. Thank God that He arouses
such sleepers. He sends His messengers to nudge them awake.
However, if they choose to sleep the Lord comes against them.
Today you can stay asleep to the reality of eternity, you can choose to live your life
how you want and for self pleasure and satisfaction. You can choose to be apathetic
to spiritual things. But understand this, your disobedience has lasting consequences.
God promises to come against you as a thief in the night.
When your least prepared, not expecting or anticipating he will come against you.
To the faithful at Sardis they are told to continue to walk faithfully, not staining
their lives/ garments with sin.
Sunday, August 18, 2013 (NABC AM)!
REVELATION 3:1-6!
Smithson
Dead or Alive: Wake Up
According to verse 5 they will be given:
New Clothes: will be clothed thus in white garments 1,
Security and I will never blot his name out of the book of life.
Acceptance I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels
Path to Spiritual Life:
1. Wake Up
2. Strenghten the things that remain which are about to die
3. Remember what you have recieved and heard
4. Keep- Spiritual knowledge, orthodox theology will not bring renewal/ obedience living
will bring spiritual renewal.
5. Repent of sin- follow Christ.
For those walking around is spiritually dirty clothes hear this. Your evil deeds stain
your garments but Jesus, right now, can wash them as white as snow.
though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
(Isaiah 1:18)
1
White garments are shown at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and are also used to denote victory in
battle.