Title: Revelation 03:1-6 Sardis Church
Contents
Sardis Church, Revelation 3:1-6
The philosopher Nietzsche made the world go round by declaring that God is dead. However, many who study Nietzsche say that these words of Nietzsche are not an essential denial of the existence of God. In other words, Nietzsche declared this not because he himself was convinced that God did not exist, but that he had no choice but to conclude that God was dead by looking at the church and believers in his time.
Today, Sardis Church is a church that has been given the name of being alive by the Lord, but has been judged to be a dead church. Some commentators have interpreted this part of 'has the name of living, but died' as "death in the pew", the death of the church seat. In other words, they attend church and sit down, but in reality, the dead are sitting. To such a church, the Lord is saying, "You have a name that you are alive, but you are actually dead." Sardis Church is a church in a state that can be compared to a plant human in human terms. Today, while examining the appearance and causes of the church in Sardis that died in the last week of the 20th century, we should hear the message of healing from the Lord so that we do not repeat the misfortune of this church.
Do you know what the characteristics of a dead church are?
First, there is no content of faith, only the form remains.
It is not that there is no activity or action. Look at Sardis Church. Despite being judged dead, there was an act in that church. In the middle of verse 1, it says that I know your deeds. Obviously there was action. In other words, the Sardis Church was doing the same things that we do in the church today. What's more, there were acts that deserved recognition and praise from all people, that is, enough to have the name of being alive just by looking at them. However, the important thing is that verse 2 shows that such acts were not perfect before God. In other words, the characteristic of a dead church is that there are only actions toward people, and there are no perfect actions before God even after washing your eyes.
The word 'complete' here means "to be filled". If there is a cup, it is perfect that the cup is full of water. But the Sardis Church only has a cup and no water in it. that it is not perfect. In other words, there is only form, and there is no content directed at God. Because it has a form, it seems to be alive in the eyes of people. That cup is really nice.... But God, who sees the heart, sees that there is nothing there. It's not warm.
This church hosts many events. The event seems to be doing something. However, even after one year and two years have passed, there are no souls saved through that church. No matter how many years go by, no one comes to the church to change their lives.
There is no soul that is thrilled with God. It is a church that just gathers and just disperses, in other words, it is a church without emotion. If you ask me what kind of church do I consider a dead church or a dying church, I'll tell you without hesitation. A church without inspiration is a dead church. Sardis Church was a church that was not touched. I was not impressed with the worship service. There was no emotion in prayer. I was not impressed with the service. Isn't a church that offers such a worship service that worships at that church, rather than a worship that saves people, that the souls of those who were in good condition become dull and die, isn't it a dead church? If you pray, your heart will be warmed and you should be alive, and you should have confidence, faith, and joy toward God. Why? Because they repented of their sins and did not forsake them. It is because we live with our sins and we do not forsake those sins even when we come before God. And because they do not long for grace. It is because they do not long for the grace that can overcome sin.
The second characteristic of the dead church and dead faith is that it enjoys the pleasures of the world. The text says that the clothes were soiled. Verse 4 says that there are some who do not soil their clothes, which means that all others have their clothes soiled. This word is used in the opposite sense to the word dead in verse 2. In other words, to say that the church in Sardis is a dead church means that it died because the clothes were dirty.
What does dirty clothes mean? It means that the believer's heart, mind, and life have become dirty while living in the secular culture around him. That is why I became a person who enjoys the pleasures of the world.
The city of Sade was so famous that it was nicknamed 'Police Megale' or 'Great City', and it was economically prosperous due to the development of trade. The city was also known for overconsumption and moral disorder. Sardis Church is a church that has not experienced external persecution like the Church of Smyrna or the Church of Pergamum. Also, like the Church of Thyatira, there was no internal temptation. There was no political persecution, no false lesson challenge, no Nicolaitans, no Balaam, no Jezebels. However, the members of Sardis Church had their clothes dirty while living a comfortable life of faith in a very comfortable environment. He over-consumed just like the rest of the world and led a promiscuous life just like everyone else. Just like the rest of the world, he set his hopes on the world and loved ilak. I got my clothes dirty. He went out wearing the white robe that the Lord had given him, and he wallowed in the world. So they were slowly dying without realizing it. If we do not pray and are not awake, we too will inevitably become like this.
See 1 Timothy 5:5-6. "The true widow who is lonely has her hope in God and prays day and night all the time, but the one who loves pleasure lives, but is dead." Verse 6 is an important verse. It is said that those who love pleasure and pleasure are dead because they are alive. To be alive is a state of praying and supplication day and night with hope in God. Put your hope in God. So, we pray to God day and night. On the other hand, to be dead is to put your hope in the world and seek pleasure in the world day and night.
What is a living faith?
It is faith that puts hope in God. It is to set the purpose of life in God. What are the characteristics of faith that puts hope in God? is to pray. My hope is in God. Those who say that but do not pray have hope in another place. Faith that prays day and night in order to commune with God through prayer and meditate on the Word and live according to the will of God. This is the greatest characteristic of living faith.
So, how can we rise from this dead faith?
The Lord is telling us to wake up to this church in Sardis. In verse 2, it says, ?쏽ou must awaken?? and in the middle of verse 3, it says, ?쏧f you do not wake up?? Awake! told me to wake up. I was told to wake up in the state of being spiritually asleep and unable to pray, putting hope in the world and seeking the pleasures of the world. Instead of just living according to what you want, wake up and live while discerning what the Lord wants you to do. In other words, to restore the true purpose of life. It is to restore the true purpose of the church. Then, how can we restore the true purpose of life and the purpose of the church? We must return to the gospel. We must return to the Word of God. We must discover the true vision and restore the true purpose of life through the true Gospel and the Word.
It's the last moment of the year. If we have a sleeping part, we want it to wake up. If you are doing something wrong, I hope you will boldly throw it away and turn around. When you are going down the highway and you feel you are going the wrong way, you should not just pray that you did something wrong, but immediately turn around and go the right way. Why don't you just pray and turn around? Please let me go right away. And if you are insisting on that path, it is not repentance. When you do that, the Lord will come like a thief.