Are we Dead? (Revelation 3:1-6)

Introduction

Are we dead or alive?

Do we appear to be alive, but are truly dead?

We are honored this morning to have the West Limestone football team here with us this morning. This team is led by coach Shelby Davis who is here with us today. I want to begin by saying Coach Davis, Thank you for setting a Christlike example for your players.

Look with me at:

Revelation 3:1–6 ESV

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.’

Let’s pray together.

Now, I turn my attention to the rest of the football team. Is being on the football team about individual effort? NO. you have to be alive on the field. The wide receiver has to run his routes and make his cuts quickly. The quarterback has to ensure he reads the defense, throws accurately, and hands the ball off to the running back smoothly. The O-line better be alive if the play is going to survive. They have to be ready to block for the run or pass. Likewise, the defense has to set up a scheme that is misleading to the opposing offense. Disguise zone by setting up in blitz formation. Each player must be alive and ready for the ball to be slapped. If you are dead to the play, you will get beat on the play. Then, what happens? Coach Davis grabs the facemask of that helmet and gives you a wake up call.

We just read from Revelation 3 which describes for us a church, Sardis, that had the reputation of being alive but was truly dead. This church was not living and doing what God had called them to do. They were a dying church. So, Jesus gives them a wake up call in these verses because of their movement towards death.

The church was following in the footsteps of its city. The city of Sardis had fallen to other militaries due to a lack of military alertness. Though the city was once known for its fame and wealth. It was known for its cemetery of 1,000 hills. However, the city was dead and was living on its past reputation as a famous and prosperous city. Now, the church at Sardis was mirroring the city it was located in. It was living upon its past reputation while inwardly it was dead. This leads us to our first point.

Christ knows the conditions of His Church.

Let’s read verse 1 again, “

“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.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Re 3:1). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

Jesus commands the angel of the church in Sardis to write to them. Jesus is the one with the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. Now, I want you to understand two things. First, the seven spirits of God is the Holy Spirit. He is One Spirit and One of the persons of the Trinity. He reports to Jesus the conditions on the earth. He is active in the Church and is working within the lives of believers helping them live for Christ. Likewise, the Holy Spirit is active in drawing the lost to Jesus Christ. Secondly, the seven stars are the seven angels of the seven churches. Jesus has both of these as Revelation 3:1 says.

Jesus is speaking to the angel and through the pen of John to the church at Sardis. He gives their indictment. He says, “I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.” Just let that sink in for a moment. Jesus is the Son of God, King of kings and Lord of lords, the Beginning and the End, the Savior of the universe, the One with all power and authority, and He is writing to this Church. His definition of this church is that they are dead. They have the appearance of being alive but they are truly dead.

It is believed that the church in Sardis had experienced some form of persecution which caused them to shrink back and deny Christ. They were turning from Christ. They had done great works in the past. They were at one time faithful, but now, they are spiritually dead. They were abandoning obedience to the Savior. They were giving up on Christ and giving in to the pagan culture. They had lost the will to stand for Christ and fight for the Church to be the light in their dying community. The church was trying to blend in with the city in which they lived. They were seeking to blend in to avoid persecution. This was compromising their witness for Christ?

CHURCH, IS THIS US?

We are living in a society that pushes down the Christ and calls for the Christian to stay quite. A society and culture that commits all sorts of evil. We currently live in a culture that cannot stop rioting against each other. A culture that thinks abortion is okay. A culture that despises biblical marriage. A culture that will ultimately one day burn up! But, We are the Church! We are called to be different! We are called to be light in the dark world! But, where are we? Are we standing up? Or, are we sitting down? Have we lost our focus?

This is not a message about social justice. This is a message from the Bible in which Christ calls for a church to wake up! We may appear alive. We may have the nice facility. We may have bodies in the pews. We may have the perception of an alive church. BUT, ARE WE ALIVE? ARE WE LIVING AND WORKING FOR CHRIST? IS CHRIST EVIDENT IN OUR PERSONAL LIFE? IS CHRIST EVIDENT IN OUR CHURCH LIFE?

ARE WE DEAD? ARE WE LIVING ON A REPUTATION?

Let’s put things into perspective. Thom Rainer put out a blog post that put into perspective what a church declining looks like. Are you ready? Here are the causes:

treating the past as the hero

refusing to adapt to the needs of the present community

moving the focus of the budget inward

allowing the Great Commission to become the Great Omission

letting the church become preference-driven out of selfishness and personal agendas

seeing the tenure of the pastors decreasing

failing to have regular, corporate prayer

having no clear purpose or vision

obsessing over facilities

CHURCH MAY THIS NOT BE US!

If we are focusing on ourselves and our own agenda, we are destined to crumble and be a dead church just as Sardis. We, here at Salem Springs, must have a focus on Christ, others, and the Great Commission. We can have all of the outward appearances of a healthy, thriving, and alive church, but without a focus and constant pursuit of Christ and the saving of lost souls, we are a dead church on the inside.

IF JESUS WALKED IN OUR CHURCH TODAY? WOULD HE SAY WE ARE DEAD?

If there is even a thought that He might, church are ready to live in such a way that Christ would enter our church and describe us as alive?

If we are bickering and fighting and looking out for our own interests and seeking to blend in with our culture, He will not call us alive. If that is us, we are dead. Let me assure you, Christ knows the condition of our church. Christ knows your very heart. Christ knows ever bad thought you have and ever anger that you harbor toward someone else. We cannot hide anything from Him. He knows the condition of His Church.

Christ calls us to wake up and remember.

Let’s look back at verses 2-3:

English Standard Version Chapter 3

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.

Jesus calls the church at Sardis to wake up. Just like the coach might call his player who misses a block and lets the play die to wake up. Christ is calling His church to wake up! There were some still in the church who remained alive. The church was barely alive. They were hanging on by a thread and Christ calls them to continue one and strengthen what remained of the church because He was not done with them yet. Notice, He says, “I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.” Jesus was not done with the church at Sardis. He still have works for them to complete. Jesus is never done with His Church. He loves His children and never gives up on them. That is why for the church in Sardis He calls them to wake up. Jesus sees this church that is dead, but there is a faint heart beat and He steps in to save the Church.

Remember that Jesus is the Savior. Remember in your live that you were dead in your sin. You and I were incapable of doing anything to honor God on our own. We could not do enough good deeds, we could not work hard enough, we could not get enough education, score enough touchdowns to save us. We were dead and bound for hell. But God, being rich in mercy stepped in giving us Jesus on the cross to save us from our sins.

Ephesians 2:1–7 ESV

1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Apart from Christ, we are dead in our sins. Apart from Christ, we walk in accordance with the ways of satan. We are beyond human repair. We lived according to our fleshly desires dishonoring God. We were carrying on in things such as sexual immorality, cussing, lying, stealing, dishonoring our father and mother, placing idols in front of God, and coveting what others had. Apart from faith in Christ, we stand before a holy and righteous God fully condemned and deserving of eternity in hell.

But God, being rich in mercy, gave us Jesus Christ to save us from sin. He made a way when there was no way. When we were dead, He made a way for our sins to be forgiven. When all hope seemed lost and we could do nothing, Jesus stepped down from heaven and lived perfecting in accordance with God’s law. Then, He died on a rugged cross after being beaten, mocked, and scourged all to save us from our sins. He died in order that we can be saved. After His death, He rose from the grave proving He has power over sin, satan, and death. And before He ascended back to heaven, He said He has all authority on heaven and on earth. Therefore, He has power over all and He is king.

Therefore,

Christ can save the sinner, and He can transform His Church.

How so?

He calls for the church to remember what they received and heard. Then, He says for them to keep it and repent. We, as Christ’s church, must remember the Gospel, live according to the Gospel, and repent from our sin and disobedient to God.

Therefore, Church let us each remember what we have received and heard. If you are in the church today, remember that Jesus Christ has done everything necessary to save you from your sin. Keep that in your heart and mind. Remember it. When tough times come, remember the Gospel. When you lose your job, remember the Gospel. When you lose a loved one, remember the Gospel. Football team, when you lose that championship, remember the Gospel. Let’s get real for a minute. Whenever you are mad at a brother or sister in the church, remember the Gospel. When you are led to fight for your preferences, remember the Gospel. When you are ready to fight back, remember the Gospel. Whenever all hope seems lost and we as a church seem dead, the call is to remember the Gospel.

After we remember the Gospel, what do we do? We get on our knees and we repent for the sin we have committed. Repentance means that we confess our sin to God and we turn away from it. Repentance does not mean that we confess it to God and continue in it. Oftentimes, we in the church seem to think if we tell God we are doing wrong. Then, He knows and we can keep on doing it. That not repentance, that direct disobedience to God. Repentance looks like falling on your knees broken before God because of your sin, giving up that sin, and turning to honor God.

That is what Jesus calls for the church in Sardis to do. That is what He calls the church here at Salem Spring to do. I am not saying we are a dead church. I am saying that we are a church that needs to follow Jesus at all times. God’s Word says it in Revelation 3; therefore, the church must follow the Word. Our authority is God’s Word and we must constantly follow His Word. If we don’t, we might be surprised when we stand before God.

Revelation 3:3 ESV

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.

This verse is not speaking of the Second coming of Jesus. This verse is talking about Christ’s judgement. One commentator writes, “Here it is referring not to His second coming for all but rather a coming in judgement against His church. This is a striking image and a powerful yet grace-filled warning. Jesus is instructing them, ‘Repent now!’ There is no promise that you will have time later. My surprise coming in judgment may catch you unprepared.”

We will all stand before God one day. May we stand before Him as believers in Jesus Christ and as a church that stayed faithful to Him and worked diligently to reach the lost. May, we, Salem Springs, wake up and remember!

Jesus is faithful to the faithful

Let’s read verses 4-5

Revelation 3:4–5 ESV

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.

There were still a few believers in Sardis who had remained faithful to Christ and not turned away to blend into the culture. Some believers were enduring and fighting to live for Christ still. Some had soiled their garments. That means they had hurt their witness. They had fallen into living a sinful life.

Others remained who were faithful to Christ. They went against the current of society and culture. They were Christians who stood tall in the face of persecution and trials. They were the Christians who were seeking to kill sin and live for Christ. They were the few who knew that Christ is the righteous Judge and loving Savior. They were the ones that lived the submitted life to the lordship of Jesus Christ. These are the true Christians. The one who truly were faithful to following Christ. These were the believers taking up their cross daily and living for Christ. These Christians were people-centered and not preference-centered. They were seeking for the lost to come to Christ while they remained obedient to Christ.

These are the ones Christ will bless. It says,

Revelation 3:5 ESV

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.

To walk in white means to be justified. We will be made just, meaning our sins are remembered no longer. We will walk with Christ. And whenever we stand before Christ, Jesus will confess our names before God the Father and we will go to be with Him in heaven.

May this be us CHURCH! We are called to walk in obedience to Christ which means we walk not according to the way of the world. WE don’t submit to culture, we submit to Christ. We won’t be popular, we will be persecuted. But, the faithful receive the faithful inheritance of heaven.

That leads me to verse 6

English Standard Version Chapter 3

6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Everyone in this church today has ears. Now, it is time for us to use them and here what God says. It is time for the church to start taking God at His Word and quit reading His Word thinking it is a mere suggestion.

Church, are we dead? Are we bickering and fighting? Are we seeking to perfect our facilities over taking the Gospel to the ends of the earth? Are we looking out for our individual preferences?

IF so, I urge you this morning to repent! It is time that we are a church that gets on our knees before God crying our to Him apologizing and asking forgiveness for our unbiblical view of church and Gospel proclamation. It is time that we as the church seek unity that we might stand strong when the day of intense persecution comes. Church, I urge you to come and pray with me at this alter that our church will not merely look alive. I pray that our church will be alive. That our church will be standing on what God’s Word says even if it costs us our loves. Even if it costs us everything, will we stand. If we want Christ in our church, we must have pants with a whole in the knee because we have been fervent in prayer. Let’s forget about what the world thinks and let’s get real about what Christ thinks. Forget your disputes with another church member and come pray for our church to be alive.

To the individual in this room, are you dead? Ephesians 2 tells us that if you have not placed your faith in Christ Jesus you are dead already. You aren’t almost dead, you are dead. You are dead in your sin. Apart from Christ you cannot honor God and are on your way to eternity in hell. I say that not to scare you, I say that to tell you the truth of Scripture. That is why Jesus came. Jesus came to make the dead alive. He came down from heaven, lived perfectly, died for your sins, and rose from the dead victorious over sin, satan, and death. Today, if God is calling you to salvation, will you repent and place your faith in Jesus as Lord. He loves you and does not want you to perish. Will you place your faith in Him? It does not matter what anyone else says or thinks, it only matters where you stand with God in the end.

Are you dead?

Let’s pray!