Jun 26 - In Case of Death (Rev 3_1-6)
Long Branch Baptist Church
Halfway, Virginia; est. 1786
Sunday, June 26, 2005
Enter to Worship
| ! Prelude
| ! …………………………………………………………..………
| ! David Witt
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| ! Invocation
| ! …………………………………………………………..………
| ! Michael Hollinger
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| ! Opening Hymn*
| ! “He Keeps Me Singing” #435
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| ! Welcome and Announcements
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| ! Morning Prayer
| ! ………………..………
| ! Mr. Hollinger
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| ! Responsive Reading
| ! [See Right]
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| ! Offertory Hymn*
| ! “Stand up, Stand for Jesus” #391
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| !
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| ! Offertory
| ! …………………………………………………………..………
| ! Mr. Witt
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| ! Doxology
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| ! Scripture
| ! Revelation 3:1-6
| !
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| ! Sermon
| !
| ! Mr. Hollinger
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| ! “In Case of Death: An Action Plan”
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| Concluding Hymn “Trust & Obey” #409!
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| ! Benediction*
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| ! Congregational Response
| !
| !
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| ! Postlude*
| ! …………………………………………………………..………
| ! Mr. Witt
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Depart To Serve
Please remember the benefit concert for Marian Triplett, tonight at 6:30pm. We will be graced by the presence of Melissa Grant, Peggy Lee, “Because He Lives,” and the choirs of Mt. Olivet & Marshall Baptist Churches. There is no admission charge, but a love offering will be taken.
Responsive Reading
Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep.
For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers;
The night is far gone, the day is near.
Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light;
Let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy.
Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you.
For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
When they say, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape! But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness.
So then let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober;
For those who sleep, sleep at night; and those who are drunk get drunk at night.
But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.
For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us,
so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.
-Romans 13:11-14, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, (NRSV)
Title: “In Case of Death: An Action Plan”
Text: Rev. 3:1-6
FCF: If we are responding to Christ, we are alive in Him.
SO: I want remind my congregation that growth and repentance are the only true hallmarks of being saved.
Something’s gotta die – either myself to sin or my relationship to Christ. The trouble of course, is that neither ever seems to be down for the count.
Invocation: Psalm 51…
Intro:
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You probably remember this movie from a couple years back. Haley Joel Osment & Bruce Willis starred in The Sixth Sense, and for the whole summer, you could hear people saying, “I see dead people!”[1] In that movie, Bruce Willis plays a character who doesn’t even realize his dead. As shocking as that turn in the movie, however, he wasn’t the first to experience that. You see, nearly two thousand years earlier, John was sitting in exile, thinking about his beloved churches, but when it came to Sardis, well – he had to call a spade a spade. Every other church? He had something great to say it. But Sardis? Well, you hear it clearly: You have a reputation for being alive, but guess what? You’re dead!
Now, this morning, I see before me a congregation that one way or another is dead. You see, ultimately, each one of has a choice – we can either be dead to sin, or dead to Christ. Jesus tells us straight up in Matt 10:39, “If you want to keep your life, you must lose it; but those who lose their lives for my sake shall keep it.” Romans 6:11 reminds us that if we are truly saved, that we must “also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus[2]” The alternative, of course, is to be dead to Christ. And if we are dead to Christ, well… You just don’t want to go there.
I’ve seen this church in action, and so I tend to think it’s tendency is towards being dead to sin – but I also know this: The heart is deceitful and wicked above all things. Who can know it? That’s why, this morning, I want to talk a bit about what it means to be alive, and what it means to be dead. I want to start by giving a simple little test – It’s always helpful to know where we stand – whether we’re alive or dead. But I don’t just want to leave with you an answer to an academic question – I want to give you an action plan, that whether you be alive or dead, you can use in your own life.
A Simple Test: Are you Alive?
We all know that medical science has progressed to the point where the question of whether one is alive or dead is a somewhat problematic thing. The whole question about Terry Schaivo, of course, was whether she was alive or dead. Well, I don’t plan to speak to those hardest of cases this morning, but I do know this. When John Paul died, I found out that the Catholic Church has long had a very scientific test to determine whether or not the pope is alive. You see, when the chief cardinal thinks the Pope is dead, he needs to make sure. So, this is what he does – He takes a big, heavy silver cross, and baps it over the Pope’s head. He does this three times, and if there’s no response, well, he’s dead.
I’d argue this test works on a spiritual level too. What response do you have to the Cross? Is it just a symbol that you wear around your neck, or does your heart skip a bit when you think about what it truly means?
Or, what about the Word? Do you have a desire to know what it means? Does it provoke a response that leads to action? Or, sadly is it just a book like any other – on your reading list and you’ll get to it … someday? One of the simplest characteristics of life as scientists define it is this: If it grows, it’s alive. If it doesn’t? It’s a rock.
Or, what about Sin? Scripture tells us that men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil. If your life was put on a stage, with a bright spotlight on every one of your actions, would it provoke a response? Sin has a habit of deadening our senses – after all each one of us has a conscience. And a conscience is a pretty loud thing. If I want to sin, I have to turn it off. The only question is, do we listen to it? I can tell, this week, I didn’t “struggle” with sin – I sinned! And I felt horrible afterwards. But I knew this: If I was able to confess my sin, he was faithful and just to forgive it.[3]
For all the supposed questions that you could ask about the exact moment of death, the difference between life and death is obvious. If we live and move and have our being in Christ, we can say we are alive in Him. If we harbor sin and cling to it, we’re dead. I’d suggest we’re all a mixture of the two. The question is, which do you want to be?
An Action Plan
Well, if you want to live, let me suggest to you this morning some simple imperatives in this section of scripture that can lead us back to life. If you just look at the very simple commands Sardis was given, I think you’ll see an action plan.
1. Wake Up!
It’s so easy to stay in bed. It’s comfortable and cozy, but you can’t really do anything from there. Any self-help program can tell you – you can’t change until you’re willing to face the uncomfortable truth. And we all know that growth, by definition, is a change. [expand]
2. Strengthen what remains
When we are defeated by life, the simple truth is that we sometimes need a little success in our lives. We also know that we have all been given gifts by our God and Savior. These gifts can give us those little successes we need – tastes of what it is like to live in the kingdom. But, even our gifts can be lost through lack of use. Muscles deteriorate when not used – they atrophy. This is why we must exercise in the spirit regularly.
3. Remember what you heard
I asked earlier, are you in the Word? If not, try just reading for 5 minutes a day. Or, spend an hour, once every few weeks and just read a book of the bible. [Telescope vs. Microscope approach to Scripture!] There is no way you can remember what you never heard. Then, of course, you have to put it into action
4. Obey it!
There are two words for Obey – and I had originally guessed this would be the first one: upokouw - literally, put yourself under the hearing (hypo – under akouw – acoustics.) I was wrong. This word is terei. Do you remember in Matthew, when, after Christ was buried, Pilate ordered that guards be put around the tomb and to keep watch over it? Well, the word used there was terei. terei means, “keep watch” or “protect it.” Be vigilant!
Jesus often talked about this need for vigilance in regards to the spiritual. [Parable of the Foolish Virgins]
Sardis, in particular, knew the need for vigilance. Sardis sat atop a huge, 1500ft. cliff. It was only conquered twice – and both times it was when guards fell asleep and allowed invaders to come in, unchecked.
It has often been said, your spiritual life isn’t a sprint; it’s a marathon. I know it’s hard, every time you fall down, to get back up. But eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. Some days, it isn’t easy to just draw another breath – after all, how many times have you done it before?
5. Repent!
Repent literally means, to change your mind.
Satan should be viewed like traffic – he will slow you down, but ultimately you will only be defeated by traffic if you choose to turn around and go home. Trust me, some days, after sitting on Rt. 50, I’m tempted. And some days, I wish I had turned around. But I’ve noticed when gong home, I’ve never done that. I know that when I get home, I’ll be living the way I really want to.
Christ told me that he came that I might have that kind of life, and to have it more abundantly – I want the life that I have at home, and I know that Christ has prepared a dwelling place for me. That’s why I choose him – that I might live.
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[1] Now, I have to warn you – if you haven’t seen it, I’m about ready to give away the ending, but seeing as you’ve had six years (it was 1999) to see it, I don’t feel that bad about the spoiler. Anyways, in that movie, Bruce Willis plays a child psychiatrist who develops a relationship with a little boy he’s “counseling” even while his marriage and his general joy for life appears to be falling apart. Bruce’s character is reinvigorated when Haley Joel Osment gives him a chance to solve the murder of a young girl, whose death Haley has seen….
[2]The Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version, Ro 6:11. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1996, c1989.
[3] There is a danger sometimes of self-congratulations. We think, Oh, well, at least I felt bad. Often the question needs to be, do I feel so bad that I’m willing to do something about it?