Home | Letters | SARDIS: THE DEAD CHURCH

SARDIS: THE DEAD CHURCH

Font size: Decrease font Enlarge font

Sir,

Looks are deceiving! Have you ever seen flowers on a table in a church, house or office that have all the appearance of life when in actual fact they are dead. They look beautiful; filled with color and fragrance; they look alive but they are dead.


The same can be said of animals on display in a museum. They look very life-like but they are dead. Our world is filled with similar fakes. Things like silk flowers, wax fruit, etc, they all look alive but they are dead. In Revelation 3:1-6 Christ addresses a church that has similar features. This is the fifth of the seven letters to the churches: the letter to the church in Sardis. We read in verse 1; “And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; these things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know your works, that you have a name that you live, and are dead.” From all outward appearances, this church was everything a church ought to be. Everyone who saw them looked at them and said; “That church is on fire!” It had all the appearances of life but things were not as they seemed. The great physician placed His finger on the pulse of this church and pronounced them dead!


Jesus tells the church; “I know your works,” (vs 1). This verse clearly points out Jesus’ omnipotence. Jesus knows everything we do, He sees it all, along with the motives that drive us to do what we do. He sees us as a whole, and He sees the individual as well. He knows our hearts; He knows everything we do and why we do it. Prophetically, Sardis represents the church of the Reformation from the early 1500s to the late 1700s. During the initial stages of the Reformation, many errors of the Dark Ages were exposed. The reformers rejected the teachings of ‘Jezebel’. Many old truths were rediscovered, such as: salvation by faith in Jesus, the Bible as the only rule of faith and Christ as the only Mediator between God and man. However, in spite of these contributions by the individual protestant leaders like Martin Luther and John Calvin the reform did not last. As the pioneers of each reform movement passed on, many movements became cold and weak. The followers of the reformers refused to advance beyond the truths which their leaders had discovered.


After the protestant denominations were established the followers ceased to advance in restoring the truth. Creeds were formed around particular points of truth brought to light by the reformers. The churches began to defend their distinctive points of doctrine and closed their minds to further enlightenment. The churches became divided and could not tolerate one another. They rested on the reputation of their founders who were alive but they themselves were dead. Therefore the church looked alive but in actual fact the church was dead. Like a dead man, the church at Sardis was destitute of force or power. They were busy, but they were operating in the energy of the flesh and not under the influence of the Spirit of God.
When the spirit of God is in control of the members of the church, great things can be accomplished. However, when He is not, paralysis is the result and nothing can be accomplished for God.

Bopoto Gwinyai (7663 8191)

Comments (0 posted):

Post your comment comment

Please enter the code you see in the image: