Lesson 2: The Slow Fade
Autopsy of a Deceased Church • Sermon • Submitted
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The Slow Fade
Read 11 and 12 about the Town
Why do you think there was a difference in the perspective of the acquaintance who had never left town and the one who returned?
You get immune as changes happen slowly
Frog in boiling water
Throw him in and he jumps out
Put him in room temperature water and slowly increase the heat and he will never notice!
Read Pg 13, the Decline
Bro. Tom next focuses our attention on the story of Haggai
In the post exile, Judah was able to come back to Jerusalem and began rebuilding the temple and town.
In fact, notice the decree to go home:
In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:
“Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem.
And let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.”
What was one of the main reasons they were sent back to Jerusalem?
In spite of that, they began to focus on their own homes and interests and God’s temple remained unfinished.
What was one of the main reasons they were sent back to Jerusalem?
Read top paragraph pg 14
Then God points out the issue:
“Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.”
Then the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet,
“Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?
Hag
You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the Lord of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house.
They didn’t realize the decline and decay which was occuring.
How is the neglect of building the temple describe din Haggai like gradual erosion today?
What do you think God meant in by the phrase “while each of you is busy with his own house”?
You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the Lord of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house.
Do we get busy in our lives and allow the church to fade?
Jesus spoke of this misperception
“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.
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.
They thought they were alive
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.
They thought they were alive
Their focus wasn’t on the condition of the church as it was currently, but as it used to be.
They thought they were still alive
They thought they had it going on!
In reality they were dead.
In spite of their reputation, Sardis was a dead church.
Oh, they still met
They still went through the motions, but there was no power of God because they were dead!
How does that relate to a slowly fading church?
ANS: It is easy to misread present realitites.
HONEST: I found last week in a bulletin where I joined Craft on Sept 14, 1986 as a Freshman at JBC. The bulletins in September of that year showed around 100 in attendance.
In 32 years were are we now?
Our average attendance is around 50.
Questions from pg 15
What was Craft like 20 years ago verses today? Be honest as we assess this. Do you see signs of gradual erosion?
The fix:
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.
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.
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.
I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary.
Wake Up
Jesus wanted them awake and in touch with the true condition of their church.
Not their reputation
Not their hopes
Not their fond memories
He wanted them to see things as grim as they were
Strengthen was remains
Jesus wanted to see what life they had fanned back into life.
IL: Fire. We sing “It only takes a spark, to get a fire going.” NOT so yesterday. We fought hard to get any of the burn pile to burn. It was too green and too wet.
It took constant attention and work
Church is the same way!
We cannot take it for-granted and expect to be healthy and thriving.
Intentionally strengthen what remains.
Remember
Remember what they had Received and heard
The gospel
The teachings
Keep it and Repent
as God’s word speaks, we submit and obey
Prayerful Commitment 2:
God, please let me be part of the solution and not the problem. Show me what I need to see. Open my eyes to Your reality. And give me the courage to move forward in the directions You desire.
