Revelation 3 – Sardis (Joel and mike)
- Teaching 8.31.10
- The Church of Sardis
- Revelation 3:1
- “”To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.”
- They had an awesome thing going on for their church
- But now are dead
- Zombies?!
- A person who accepts the staus quo because of fear, generally only act out of anger
- Not rotting corpses
- In a state of immobility, kind of like sloths… LAZY
- Saradis was the capital city and was amazing
- Because they had their walls that were impenetrable, they didn’t keep guard at night
- They were conquered by Persians
- Proverbs 6:9-11
- “How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest- and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.”
- Song of the Sloth
- “How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest- and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.”
- Jesus is calling them to not be dead in the FAITH
- Revelation 3:2
- “Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.”
- WAKE UP!
- They weren’t alert for opportunities coming their way
- They aren’t serving Jesus’ purpose
- Jesus is calling out the church of Sardis
- INTENSE
- Jesus is not all rainbows and unicorns, he was being serious
- Matthew 28:18-20
- “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
- GO OUT
- Relate with people!
- “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
- WAKE UP!
- Revelation 3:3
- “Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.”
- This church had potential
- Over time though… the church got lazy and went downhill
- If they do not repent, then Jesus will come like a thief in the middleof the night
- Sardis was invaded by the Persians
- Jesus will dominate them
- He is OFFENDED by what they are doing
- While other churches are doing things, Sardis is doing NOTHING
- When we are not doing anything we’re misrepresenting Jesus Christ
- We are called by Jesus to be EXCITING and ENERGETIC!!!
- This is an amazing thing we have going on… why are we just wasting it?
- WE NEED TO BE LOVING OTHERS
- Not being a religious officer cracking down on cursing and going to mass
- “It’s a sin to be boring.” Mike Hudock
- Revelation 3:4
- “Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy.”
- White garments: a symbol of redemption, innocent, clean, pure
- There are people left in the church that are good
- You know it’s a zombieland, but what do you do?
- It’s frustrating not knowing what to do
- A lot of people do not know what they believe
- They are just experimenting
- You do not mix random chemicals, you might explode
- You can not put newspaper in an envelope and says it is tax money
- Not a good idea
- They are just experimenting
- If you want to be morally correct, then accept Jesus
- There is not good enough to get into Heaven
- Revelation 3:5-6
- “He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
- Philippians 2:5
- “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
- Jesus gave up everything he had to help save us
- Jesus died for us, He has authority
- He will not force it, but He will let you know what is going on
- “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
- It is time to NOT be zombies!
- Philippians 2:5
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