Wake Up

Woke & Sleeping

Scripture: Revelation 3:1-6

Revelation 3:1–6 NRSV

“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works; you have a name of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is on the point of death, for I have not found your works perfect in the sight of my God. Remember then what you received and heard; obey it, and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. Yet you have still a few persons in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes; they will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. If you conquer, you will be clothed like them in white robes, and I will not blot your name out of the book of life; I will confess your name before my Father and before his angels. Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.

Opening song: 92

Closing Hymn: Hover’ orr me, Holy Spirit

Introduction

Story about the Bannas

Because when he should be up watching, he fell in the natural decency of sleep

He fell in the comfort of sleep!

In a time with the signs of destruction was around he fell asleep !

Isn’t it true with us, we have been sleeping instead of watching

The pleasures of this world has gently rocked us to sleep in the bossom of worldliness, selfishness and carelessness

Our youth have slipped into pajamas in time of work! Its’ against this background Jesus has instructed your AY team to set your alarm clock this afternoon to AWAKE YOU UP!

Touch your neighbour and say wake up!

You see family, when I look within our church, when I look at our youth’s life-syle of on the river on the bank, hot and cold, in and out , courting the devil while being married to Jesus, I am reminded of the church of Sardis!

Sardis had a similar condition, a similar concern, a similar, conflict: of tick-tocking with Jesus while drifting to the devil!

You see .SARDIS (Σάρδεις, Sardeis; modern Sart, Turkey). City in Asia Minor, in the Hermus River valley; a major trade center in ancient times, and home to one of the seven churches addressed in Revelation. Sardis was located along the Pactolus River, a tributary of the Hermus River, inland from Smyrna and roughly halfway from the coast to Laodicea. It was founded as early as 1400 bc and abandoned in the 15th century ad.

Location and Dates

The city was about 60 miles east of Smyrna on the Aegean coast, and about the same distance west of Laodicea.

Here is a church located in the city and being influence by the culture of the city, so Jesus through his servant John, writes them!

Now in his letter, Jesus was very meticulous in his approach to each of the church that He writes, He Identifies himself as the missing ingredient to what is lacking in the churches.

Ephesus- THis church is threatened by false teachers and has lost its first love, Jesus comes that church as the one holding “the seven stars in his right hand who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands.” He is the one who has full control over the church which is in danger of losing her place as a lampstand

Smyrna- to the suffering Christians in Smyrna going through dire persecution, Jesus presents himself suitably as the one who himself was once dead and came back to life. He assures them that he himself has experienced what they are presently going through. He gives them the promised of the resurrection

Pergamum- The church in pergamumm faces external as well as internal problems-persecution outside and false teachers inside the church. Jesus comes to this church with a “sharp two-edge sword”. He will wage war, first, against their persecutors, then with the sword of his mouth he will judge the false teachers in their midst.

Thyatura- is a divided church. Some of the believers there are still faithful while others are led into apostasy by seductive and corruptive influences in the church. Jesus comes to this church with penetrating eyes-searching minds and hearts and feet burnished bronze of uncompromising stability

Philadelphia- this church has little strength , Jesus comes to her as the one who is able to open doors no one is able to Shut!

Laodicea- is in in such an extremely bad condition that Jesus has nothing good to say to her. To this lukewarm sufficient church, Jesus comes as faithful and true witness and the beginning of God’s creation. His discerning testimony tells the true condition of the church, yet Christ still loves the church

Now we reach Sardis! Jesus says this church is alive but Dead!

These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits[b] of God and the seven stars.

Jesus is the Fullness of the Holy Spirit

Jesus Holds the church in his hands

Jesus say, I Know thy Works!

You have a reputation of being alive but you are dead

Woke but Dead

Having a form of Godliness but have no life! No Power!

The church was dead!

Tension between Works and Dead

Christ says he knows their works but they are dead!

How can you work and be dead

Thought the dead knows nothing

Thought that when you die there is no work, no movement

Jesus says I know thy works and though art dead

This says whatever they were doing was dead

•Singing on the praise team but thou art dead

•Collecting the offering but thou art dead

•Working in treasury but thou art dead

•Preaching every Sabbath but thou art dead

•At church every Sabbath but thou art dead

•Selected as an officer but thou art dead

BUT WHY? WHAT CAUSE THE CHURCH TO DIE?

•You see the church was not dead because the singers were off tune and the praise and worship was dull and listless , oh no

•Not because they sang traditional hymns and didn’t sing the latest Praise and worship

•No, not because the pastor was old and cold or young and inexperience

•Not because the church didn’t have the vibrant young people

•No not because the church didn’t have a strategic plan

•No church, because Jesus says, you have a name that thou lives

•A reputation: a good one, the best singers, the best streamer, the best preachers, the best prayer warriors, the best tithers, the best !

•The church had a name but was not playing the game, so why? Why was the church dead?

The church was lacking the Holy Spirit!

The Spirit of God was missing in the church and that made the church dead

Its the same for our church today! we have the truth but we lack the spirit to follow the truth

we are Woke commandment keepers but we are dead as sleep in malice

we are woke, with knowledge of the prophesy but we are dead asleep with the passion to take the message to even or next door neighbour .

Let’s examine the work of the Holy Spirit

God’s Spirit transforms His people to share His moral character and empowers them to fulfill His purposes.

He Moves: the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.

Convicts the world of sin:He will come to convict the world of sin, to show the world what has God’s approval, and to convince the world that God judges it. GNT And when he comes, he will prove to the people of the world that they are wrong about sin and about what is right and about God's judgment-John 16:8 -

Leads to repentance :Eze 36:26–28

A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you, and make you follow my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances. Then you shall live in the…

4. Empowers the believes to witness : Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.””

5.Bears Fruits:22 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.

2 Wake up, - The History of Sadis Capture by surprise!

The people got complacent , they had a false sense of security- They felt safe!

SDA are in trouble of this danger! Oh we are the remnant ! we are called out but if we are not filled with the Holy Spirit we will die in our sins!

I had to stay awake in order not to miss my flight!

and strengthen what remains and is on the point of death, for I have not found your works perfect in the sight of my God

DAVID/SAUL

The New Revised Standard Version (Prayer for Cleansing and Pardon)

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,and put a new and right spirit within me.11 Do not cast me away from your presence,and do not take your holy spirit from me.12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,and sustain in me a willing spirit.

3 Remember then what you received and heard; obey it, and repent.

If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. 4 Yet you have still a few persons in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes; they will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy.

5 If you conquer, you will be clothed like them in white robes, and I will not blot your name out of the book of life; I will confess your name before my Father and before his angels. 6 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.

The Resurrection & Life