Autopsy of a Dead Church
A study on Revelation • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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A study on Revelation
Autopsy of a Dead Church
Rev. 3:1-6
Theme: God reveals a description of a dead church.
Introduction: How many of you have ever been to a megachurch and sense something was not right? It is entirely possible for a church to be big but not be right. I am not saying big churches are not right. I believe that every church should desire to grow because God tells us to preach the gospel to everyone. However, just because a church is big does not mean it is right.
Here is a church from the standpoint of man, it is a growing church. Perhaps beautiful buildings, large presence in the Sardis, and popular in the community. God has a different viewpoint. Our concern needs to be what does God think of our church. A church that is more concerned about what the community says than what God says is dying or is dead.
God tells us this church is dead. This church has a name, more like a human name. It refers to a reputation and what people think about the church. God says the church is dead.
For us to extract the truth God has in this passage, it is best we do an autopsy on this dead church. This is the examination of a dead body for the purpose of determining how a person died. Tonight, it would be best for us to examine a dead church to learn why it died and what we can do to prevent the death of our church. How can we protect Mountain View Baptist Church from death.
I. The conditions vv. 1-2
A. Its environment
Sardis is about 30 miles south of Thyatira. The city is located in west-central Asia Minor on the banks of the Pactolus River which today is western Turkey. It was a wealthy trade center and home to the famous temple of Artemis. It was a city surrounded by the grossest form of immorality and idolatry. They worshipped the mother goddess Cybele who was considered by many as the mother of all gods. Sins of the foulest and darkest impurity were committed there. The city would be a modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah. Apparently this church fell into the same trap many churches do, they try to please everybody.
B. Its authority
1. Has the seven spirits-speaks of Christ complete wisdom and discernment.
“And 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; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.” (Isaiah 11:2–5)
2. Has the seven stars-speaks of His complete control of the leadership.
3. Notice the leaders of the church represented these messengers who belong to Christ makes their leadership and transmission of the message all the more authoritative and responsible.
C. Its works
1. Good reputation with the world-livest-favored in the world.
2. Our message is counter cultural and when the world speaks well of us, we should worry.
“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.” (Ephesians 5:11–12)
The Lord’s Supper is counter cultural because it is yielding to what God says about us than what others are saying about us.
3. The deception is what the world values, God despises-a Christianity that world approves of is the kind God spues out of His mouth.
4. Dead means not spiritual life only an appearance of religion-goes back to whited sepulchers of the Pharisees-
“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” (2 Timothy 3:1–5)
5. Their works are not right and acceptable with God.
The gospel is where life is.
6. Strengthen the things that remain-to cause someone to become stronger in the sense of a more firm and unchanging belief-there are fundamental or major doctrines we must firm up-The Word of God, The doctrine of Christ-virgin birth, deity of Christ, blood atonement, bodily resurrection, coming soon, salvation by grace only.
My hope is built on nothingless than Jesus Christ, my righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’s name. On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand.
II. The characteristics vv. 3-4
The problem comes when you change the message.
A. Changed the message v. 3
“Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.” (Deuteronomy 4:2) There is a link between the Word of God and our behavior-notice the word keep.
1. The truth given to us by the apostles is to be sustained
“And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” (Acts 2:42)
2. Repent of their compromise and apostasy-in the culture they were living in, they were.
3. When you mess with God’s Word, your faith will be weakened. Over 900 English translations are not right.
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17)
4. Christ will come unexpectedly to judge them-Second Coming
“Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.” (1 Thessalonians 5:6–8)
B. Defiled their garments v. 4
1. Many have gone into apostasy-changing the message which affected their walk with the Lord-Behavior is determined by your belief.
2. There are some who have not defiled themselves-God always has a remnant and in this ancient world, some have allowed the world to influence them and affect them.
3. There are a few who will stay true to God’s Word and the faith once delivered Jude speaks of.
III. The correction vv. 5-6
A. Promised white raiment
“But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:57)
1. Overcomer is clothed in the spiritual righteousness of Christ.
2. Overcomer is one who remains true to the faith and walks with God.
3. This speaks of right fellowship with God. Recognition of His death, burial, and resurrection.
4. White speaks of the purity of Christ.
B. Promised eternal life
1. His name is not blotted out-overcomer is not based on performance but on his belief in Christ.
2. Speaks of eternal security and perpetual relationship with Christ.
C. Promised Godly confession
1. Christ will others know who we are in heaven.
2. This speaks of a personal fellowship with the Father.
3. We should be yielded to the Holy Spirit.
Conclusion: Christ is saying to this church: check your spiritual temperature. Where are you spiritually? As a church, we need to hold the Biblical line God has called us to. In your home, are you holding to the truth of God’s Word?