End Time Study--Pt.6

The end-time church that is revealed to us next is the church of Sardis, the dead church (Rev.3:1-6). Sardis is the picture of the church that has maintained its profession without possession and its reputation with no works to support it. It possesses a great tradition but its present task is unfinished. A few faithful souls are in it, to them the Lord comes with a challenge.

As we read verses one through six we find something missing that was given to the churches prior to Sardis --this letter does not start out with pleasantries. This is a dying church and Jesus goes straight to the problem in an attempt to resuscitate it. Along with the church of the Laodiceans, this church receives the most blame brought against it from Jesus. He begins this letter with His accusation against the church. "You have a name that you are alive, but you are dead." He is saying here to the church, "You have the reputation of being Christians and are thought to be alive in Me and spiritual things, but you are spiritually dead. You do not have the life that I give to souls. You have not walked consistantly with Me before man. You have not been steady in your lifestyle of Christlikeness. You have grieved My Spirit and I have withdrawn from you most of My light and power. You're not dead yet, but you are dying."

As I read these scriptures I must ask myself, "Am I more dead than alive, spiritually?" We all should ask ourselves this question in order to examine our relationship with God. I believe it is very easy for us to fall into a state of complacency and not even realize it. We need to make sure that Jesus is in complete control of our lives 24/7. It is easy to claim Jesus as our Saviour and to go through the motions of serving Him while all along we have grieved the Holy Spirit and He has departed. We may have a form of godliness but we deny the power of God that changes lives inside out. Unfortunately, this is the state of the church today, the end-time church.

In most churches today the Holy Spirit is no longer in charge. Man has his programs, plans, agendas and the best of the business minds to run the church. He is so busy having church that he is failing to be the church. Man has lost the power over sin, flesh and the world. He has lost his love for one-another, for the lost and for God and His Word. Man no longer fears God but treats Him as a "Big Sugar Daddy." Man serves God as long as He serves him. Man claims to be alive in Christ while all along he is dead in his treaspasses.

Should we get quiet before the throne of God we just may hear Him crying out to the church today as He did in verse two to the church at Sardis, "Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die." Jesus is saying to His end-time church, "You have lost ground by carelessness, inattention and complacency. Wake up! And stay awake! Strengthen your convictions and desire for Holy things, your zeal and love for God. These attributes are barely noticeable and are becoming weaker to the point of dying completely." I have often wondered how a born-again person full of His Spirit can be a participant in things that are known to be sinful and yet feel no conviction for his actions. If one is participating in known sin and feels no conviction or remorse then his claim of being a christian would be somewhat questionable. Our works are not "perfect before God," they do not measure up to His standards. Man may view us as being saintly while God looks upon us with disdain.

The church today, as with Sardis, needs to repent at once for departing from our zeal and love for God. If we do not wake up from our complacant slumber then He will come upon us as a theif. Just as a theif comes unexpectantly, so Jesus will come to His church. He will come in judgement and cut us off from His abundant life. He is sounding the alarm through His 5-fold ministers that we must make ourselves ready for His soon return. We will either repent or be cast off and blotted out of His book of life.(Ex.32:32,33;Deut.29:20;Ps.69:28;Ps.109:13;Ps.139:16;Rev.3:5;Rev.22:19). No one can claim ignorance when he stands before God if he has heard the messages delivered by God through His preachers or even if he owns a Bible or has access to the truth but has denied it. Yet, as with the church at Sardis, God will have a holy remnant of people in His church who have not given in to this world. Those who have deliberately chosen holiness as a lifestyle. Those who walk in purity now will receive white raiment to wear for eternity. Only the righteous and pure will have their names remain in the Book of Life (vs.5).

Jesus concludes this letter by giving the church the promise that He will confess the overcomer's name before His Father and angels. He who overcomes this world and its sin shall be represented by Jesus on judgement day, He will be our Advocate(I John2:1). If we have confessed Him before man by living a life that reflects His holy presence while on this earth, then we can rest assured that He will confess us as His own before the Father. But if while professing His name on earth , yet not walking in His holiness and reflecting His image before man, He will deny us before the Father(Luke12:8,9). This is the warning of Jesus to the end-time Sardis church.