Sermon Tone Analysis
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!!!
The Lifeless Church: Sardis
!!! Revelation 3:1-6
!!! Introduction:
So far in our study of the letter to the Churches we have seen:
ð Ephesus: Church that left their first love
ð Smyrna: persecuted Church
ð Pergamos: lenient Church
ð Thyatira: allowed evil into the Church
Today we are going to look at Jesus words to the Church in Sardis
ð Sardis lies due south of Thyatira
ð It was an important city: a military center, trade capital
ð Located 1500 feet above the main road: made the city secure
ð Yet they were lax in their defense allow the city to be taken over 2x
o King Croesus decided to go to war with Cyrus king of Persia
o When he was defeated he returned to the city where he felt safe
o Cyrus offered a reward to anyone who could find a way into the city
o One of his soldiers saw a soldier from Sardis drop his helmet over the wall and then appear briefly at the bottom to retrieve it
o He figured that there must be a passageway underneath
o Under the cover of darkness he found it, went into the city and opened the gates
o City felt so secure that they never posted a guard
ð Religion: like the other cities they worshipped many false gods and would have been hostile to Christianity.
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A description of Jesus Christ
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A commendation of the Church
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A condemnation of the Church
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A course of correction for the Church
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A promise for the faithful
!!! I. A description of Jesus Christ v. 1
1.
He who has the seven Spirits of God
Clearly a reference to the Holy Spirit
Reference of seven seems to refer to the seven fold ministry of the Spirit in Isaiah 11:1-2
ð Spirit rested on Christ
ð Spirit gave wisdom and understanding
ð Spirit gave counsel and might
ð Spirit gave knowledge and fear of God
Jesus is described as having the Spirit: we know in the gospels that it was Jesus who sent the Spirit after His ascension into heaven
It is also the Spirit that gives life
John 6:63
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.
The words that I speak to you are spirit, and /they/ are life.
Acts 1:8
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
What the Church needed more than anything else at this point was life.
The only way that could get that life was from the Spirit of God through Jesus Christ
~*That is the only means to spiritual life today as well!!
2.
He who has the seven stars
We have talked before about the stars referring to the Pastors of the Churches
He is saying the same thing that He said to the Church of Ephesus in 2:1
Jesus holds the Pastors in His hand: gives importance and authority to their message
!!! II.
A Commendation of the Church
There is no commendation of the Church
He does say I know your works: but as we will see this is not a commendation
This kind of flies in the face of today’s ecumenical movement that says all Churches are equal and need to be accepted as being of God
Jesus says nothing good about the Church!!
!!! III.
A Condemnation of the Church vv.
1-2
The Church was known for its works and had a name of life: yet it was dead
Their works were not found perfect before God
How does this happen?
How can a Church die?
How do we what are the signs of a dying Church?
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The signs of a living Church
1) There is growth in the Church
ð Growth in numbers: constantly seeking people for Christ
ð Growth in service: works now more than year ago
ð Growth in sanctification: Christ likeness
ð Growth in understanding of Word of God: some have gone to a Church for many years and never learned more than the basics from Gods Word
2) There is love in the Church:
ð Love for the members of the Church
ð Love for the lost
ð Love for the Lord Jesus Christ
3) There is unity in the Church:
Not that we all agree on everything and fall in line like puppets on a string
Strive for oneness, unity, and peace: Each considering other over himself
4) There is emotion in the Church
Sometimes we have become so afraid of Charismatic movement that we are afraid to show emotion
Where there is not emotion there is not life
We need to laugh, cry, be excited together, etc.
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The signs of a dying~/dead Church 1) When people look more to the past than the future
Looking back and being content with what has been accomplished
Instead of focusing on the past we need to look ahead with vision for Gods working!
We can look into the past and learn but we should not camp there
2) When the Church is more concerned about activities than that God is glorified in those activities
Activity just to have activity accomplishes nothing of spiritual value!!
We do not have an AWANA program to have a youth program: our goal needs to be that God be glorified in it
When we are satisfied just to have the program we are dying as a Church
3) When people in the Church are not sensitive to their own spiritual condition
People just going through the motions
2 Tim.
3:5 Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof
John Stott
We can have a fine choir, expensive organ, good music, great anthems, and fine congregational singing.
We can mouth hymns and psalms with unimpeachable elegance, while our mind wanders and our heart is far from God.
We can have pomp and ceremony, color and ritual, liturgical exactness and ecclesiastic splendor, and yet be offering a worship which is not perfect or fulfilled in the sight of God.
4) When they ignore sin, or treat it as if it is no big deal
!!! IV.
The Correction for the Church vv.
2-3
1.
Be vigilant v. 2 Be watchful and strengthen the things that remain
Hang on to what is alive in the Church
Growth, love, unity, emotion, etc.
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