Speaker 1: 0:30

Let's pray. Heavenly Father, I give you thanks today for your grace and your mercy upon us as a people, those who believe in you, and your never-ending grace towards those who do not. You continually ask that they would come. You continually knock at the door that they might just answer it. Lord God, that's why I'm here, that's why we're here today to learn and study your word, to learn from you, to hear from you. Today, for all of those within the sound of my voice, I pray that you are well, that your lives are honoring to God and that you can feel his presence in your every move and your every motion and every thought. Father God, I give you thanks. I give you thanks for all of the people within the sound of my voice who are here with us today, within the sound of my voice, who are here with us today. May your word give us a peace and an understanding of what you want from us, what the consequences are for our actions and how we can solve our problems, whatever they may be, wherever they may find you. Lord God, it's in the name of your precious son, jesus Christ, that I pray. Amen. Well, gang, we're halfway home. We're actually better than halfway home. We're halfway home. We're actually better than halfway home. We're to the fifth church of the seven churches in Asia Minor.

Speaker 1: 2:18

As we continue our study through the book of Revelation, the church in Sardis is labeled the dead church. Wow, let's read it. Pick up with me, starting in chapter number three, verse number one, jesus says and to the angel of the church in Sardis, write these things, says he who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your works. You have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. Remember, hold fast and repent. Therefore, if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief and you will not know the hour which I will come upon you. You have a few names, even in Sardis, who have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments and I will not blot their name from the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. He who has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches Okay, that was Revelation 3, verses 1 through 6.

Speaker 1: 4:05

As always, the angel mentioned here is the pastor of the church, but the verbiage here is a bit different he who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. He, of course, is Jesus, right, the seven stars again are the pastors, and this time Jesus mentions the seven spirits of God. Well, gang, jesus never says anything. That means nothing. He, of course, referring to himself who has the seven spirits of God.

Speaker 1: 4:51

I've read a couple of different things about what this might mean, and I'm willing to say that I don't know 100% what it means. It's one of those things, when I get home, that God will reveal to me, and my faith allows me to think in those terms. I believe that the seven spirits of God is a likely reference to his power, his being, jesus's power and wisdom. I've also heard it referred to as the Holy Spirit, the seven spirits of the Holy Spirit, which can be a little confusing, but knowledge is the base point here Wisdom and knowledge. Jesus knows all. Okay, he knows it, he sees it, he understands it, and those are things that we have to understand. So, in the end, here Jesus is speaking of his ownership of the churches and the pastors of those churches. This is a strong statement. He's not subtly reminding them. He's not so subtly, rather reminding them of a stone fact the church is mine, it's pastors, it's leaders, it's under rowers. Answer to me Well, we know this. However, sometimes we do need to be reminded. Keep this strong, opener in mind as we proceed. Jesus isn't happy with his church in Sardis and, by extension, the pastors of this church. This brings up an interesting side note and, as with most side trips with me, those of you who've been with me for a while know that most side trips with me always begin with a story.

Speaker 1: 6:52

I come from what some of you might consider a large church, maybe even a mega church. We never really looked at it that way, and it was out west. One Wednesday evening before service, I had occasion to speak with what I'll call a member for simplicity's sake, though we never kept a membership or took so much as a headcount. Let's call him Bob. Okay, we're going to call him Bob, and Bob was always a very animated man, and this evening, as I sat across from him in the cafe, I could tell Bob was on about something. Hello, I said as I took my seat across from him hey brother, bob shouted, even though it was not needed. It was a coffee shop that we had in the main level of the church and there was no need to shout. I was right there, but I digress. I'd been thinking I should start teaching the Word and maybe even be a pastor. I waited, bob smiled and I let his statement hang in the air for a while. Then he hit me with the anvil. I told pastor that I'd be happy to fill in for him and help out when he needs a break.

Speaker 1: 8:21

What do you think? Okay, gang, there are two kinds of people who become pastors or Bible teachers the ones that are seeking their own glory and the ones that are called to it. The ones that are seeking their own glory for themselves, do it for the recognition, the fame and to be seen and many other reasons that don't matter, because they are of the flesh, not of the spirit. In short, to them and for them, it's a job. The ones that are called to it. What do I mean when I say called to it? Called by who? Not a church body or a congregation? Some churches have a call committee and they decide who they're going to call to be their pastor.

Speaker 1: 9:24

Well, I don't agree with that philosophy, because God calls a pastor a Bible teacher, a leader in the church and the church itself. They acknowledge that calling that's how that works A pastor, a Bible teacher. They're called by God himself. This brings me to my point. Pastors and church leaders are held to a higher standard by God himself, by God himself. So when Jesus claims his ownership of the churches, that's a measure of his power over those pastors. That's a measure of his power over those pastors, his dominion over those pastors, that they are called by him and no one else. And that's a huge, huge thing. To get a better grip on what I just said, read Paul's epistles to Timothy and Titus. That's Titus, and then first and second, timothy.

Speaker 1: 10:38

Being called the pastorate is no small thing. Think of it this way you get a phone call today from the president of the United States and he asked you to serve alongside him in his cabinet. Wow, that's a big deal. Wow, that's a big deal. The saying is I serve at the pleasure of the president. You're going to want to do a great job for him. Now multiply that a hundredfold, a thousandfold, a millionfold, to infinity-fold, if that's a thing.

Speaker 1: 11:13

You receive a calling on your life from God. He says he wants you to be a pastor of his church, his representative and, under rower, the Lord of the universe has called you to serve him and shepherd his people. That's what Jesus is telling the church in Sardis, it's pastor and it's people you are here because this is where I placed you. I called you to serve me. I see you, as it says in the book of Job. It says have you seen my servant Job? This is God saying I see him. And in this case, as in the church of Sardis, god's saying I don't like what I see.

Speaker 1: 12:05

Let's continue picking up in verse 2. It says I know your works, that you have a name, that you are alive, but you are dead. Let that resonate a little while. Let that resonate inside you for a little while. What would you do if God said you were dead? God said you were dead, jesus called you dead. God said you were dead, jesus called you dead. I can't even I've got goose flesh climbing on my arms right now, because I can't even begin to imagine what that looks like, what that feels like. This is the only compliment, veiled though it may be. I know your reputation, god says. I know your name, I know what people say about you, that you're alive, ie good, working hard for the kingdom, yada, yada yada. But you're dead.

Speaker 1: 13:18

Jesus isn't talking about physical death here. Let's get that clear right now. Jesus isn't talking about physical death. The church is still breathing, walking around and moving through their days. Jesus is talking about something that's much worse spiritual death. Spiritual death. He's speaking of something much, much worse. That spiritual death is the worst kind of death a believer can experience. Viewed sophomorically, it's going through the motions, worship, prayer, service to others, to others. Outwardly, everything seems right, but inside, inside the soul, there's nothing. Nothing, there's no connection, there's no depth. The spirit is dead. The spirit is dead.

Speaker 1: 14:22

Turn over with me to the left, to Matthew 23, verse 29 in your Bible. It says there even so, you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. This is Jesus speaking to the Pharisees. Further up the page, in verse 27 of the same chapter, jesus gives the Pharisees a stark example of how he sees them. Again, chapter 23, verse 27, new King James Version. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead man's bones and all uncleanness. Let's read that again and all uncleanness.

Speaker 1: 15:35

Spiritual death begins with well, as we've learned in the last couple of weeks, it begins with compromise, that seemingly little thing that you do that appears meaningless and yet leads you down a slippery slope. The church in Pergamos compromise, unchecked, leads to corruption. Which is the church in Thyatira. Lastly and finally, spiritual death Sardis. So let's take a trip back again to Psalms 1.1. Again, that's in the middle of your Bible Psalms, chapter 1, verse 1.

Speaker 1: 16:13

Bible Psalms, chapter 1, verse 1. Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. Okay, so here's an easy way to remember this Walking with the ungodly, standing in the path of sinners and sitting in the seat of the scornful. Remember it this way Walking equals compromise, standing equals corruption and sitting. Well, you've taken your last. You've taken your last. You've taken your last, you've made your last decision. You've decided to sit down with the scornful as we wrap up here.

Speaker 1: 17:11

Turn to the right 1 Timothy 4, 1 and 2. To the right 1. Timothy 4, 1 and 2. Now the Spirit says in latter times, some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron.

Speaker 1: 17:47

So how does spiritual death happen? Simply put, it's knowing what's right at first and choosing not to do it, and then knowing what's right again and choosing not to do it again and again, and again and again. This is spiritual death, when you don't care any longer, because that's where you get to. You've accepted and embraced the lies of the enemy for so long that they no longer bother you. Are you there? Do you know it? Do you know it, do you? That's the Holy Spirit telling you that it's not too late. Here's the hope. Here's the hope.

Speaker 1: 18:44

Look at verse number five. He who overcomes shall be clothed with white garments. Again, we're in Revelation now, chapter three, verse five. He who overcomes will be clothed with white garments. Again, we're in Revelation now, chapter 3, verse 5. He who overcomes will be clothed with white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.

Speaker 1: 19:13

So I heard it said once, and I believe it church is a dangerous place Because after a period of time of attending church and going to church and being at church, if you don't accept the truth, if you don't submit to the Almighty, you suddenly don't care. It becomes going through the motions. As I said stand up, sit down, pray, go home. I have, unfortunately sat in churches that were spiritually dead. That's why I left spiritually dead, that's why I left. And for the church at large and this is what this letter, this is who this letter is directed to, this is who the church is directed to, and we'll leave it at verse six he who has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. We've got to get it right, the church has to get it right. But I'm not so concerned with the church because, as I said at the beginning of this study and I haven't repeated it I don't think enough. We are the church, each one of us is the church. On this rock I will build my church, jesus said.

Speaker 1: 20:49

Some of our brethren mistakenly believe that he was talking specifically about Peter. He wasn't. He was talking, if you look at it in context, about faith, about relationship with him, each and every one of us, and on that faith he builds the church. But it's not just believing. Remember, as I've said before, demons believe in God. They just don't accept him. So where does that put somebody who says, oh, I just believe in God. Well, that's great. James said faith without works is dead, faith without relationship is dead, faith without relationship is dead.

Speaker 1: 21:37

And, folks, this is so very important and I know that this has been hard, I know this has not been an easy teaching. It's a hard thing, but what Jesus is saying to the church in Sardis is that you're just about done. He says that there are some within the church of Sardis, a few names, he says, even in Sardis, who have not defiled their garments and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy. Well, there's nothing we can do to be worthy. There's nothing we can physically do to be worthy of God's love. I know that's a hard thing, but it's true. There's nothing we can do to be worthy of God's love, but we can accept his free gift of salvation. We can repent, repent, repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.

Speaker 1: 22:46

Now, if this message has touched you and you're beginning to think to yourself wow, you know what? I don't have the kind of relationship with God that I need. I've kind of been going through the motions here. I'm kind of well, I'm not kind of, I'm spiritually dead. And God is telling me you know, strengthen the things which remain. You can always start again. And all you have to do is talk to him. That's all you can say.

Speaker 1: 23:25

Something like this. You can say Lord, god, dear Jesus, I know I'm a sinner in need of a savior. Lord, god, I have been going through the motions. I fear that I'm spiritually dead. I fear that I'm approaching that moniker of spiritual death. And, Lord, I don't want that. I want to be with you. I believe, lord, that you came, that you walked among us, that you died for my sins and the sins of all who would believe, and I want you to be my Lord, my God, my Savior and my friend. I repent from my sin of going through the motions. I repent of my sin of making compromise which leads to corruption, which leads to death. Lord, I repent. I want to get up and not sit with the scornful anymore. I want to walk away, lord, and I pledge to you that I'll do that today. Change my heart, lord. I want you to be my Lord, my God, my Savior and my friend In Jesus' name, amen.

Speaker 1: 24:32

If you prayed that prayer, welcome, friend to the family of God. I'm going to have some resources for you in the next several weeks, but the first thing I would say to you is that you need to find a solid Bible-believing church. You know it's interesting. There are people who've been praying for you your whole life and you didn't even know it, but if you think about it, you know it. Go to them. Tell them what you've done, tell them that you've accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and go to church with them. Find a good Bible-believing church and begin to study, begin to learn, begin to walk with the Lord, not because he needs you, but because he wants you.

Speaker 1: 25:42

I prayed initially for those who are listening and their families, and to those that are sitting within the sound of my voice, who may not have a family, who could say to me Larry, I never had a father figure. I never had anyone who could teach me these things. You have a father figure the Lord, god Almighty. Let him be your father. Let him teach you up. Whether it be Apple, spotify or wherever you get your podcasts, you can follow on Apple, subscribe everywhere else and give us a five-star review so that we can begin to beat that algorithm. Also, I've got a fan mail spot on my website now where you can write me a quick message and let me know what you think. Let me know if you have any questions, any of those kinds of things, and, lastly, if you choose to support the ministry, we certainly would appreciate that there's a spot for that on the website as well. Until next week, gang, make it count and be blessed.