Church of the Dead

[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. [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. [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. [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. [5] 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. [6] He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Revelation 3:1-6

This church in the book of Revelation is one that looked alive, but was dead. The church was doing some sort of works, but something made their deeds dead. Could it have been that their motives were not right? Or maybe it was that they were doing their works in their own strength and not through the power of the Holy Spirit? If that’s the case, how much of our deeds within our own church are dead? What about our own service in the church? Are our works done in the power of the Holy Spirit? Are we doing the works that God has called us to do?

There was a time in my life when I wanted to leave my church. It was just where I was at that time in my walk with God, but God wouldn’t allow me to go. I soon came to realize that God had a purpose for me being at my church. I didn’t realize at the time that I would one day meet the two ladies that God has bound me to through A Cord of Three and LVC Ministries. Not only that, but I know God still has us at our church for a purpose, and He has you at your church for a purpose too. Maybe your church is like Sardis—it appears on the outside to be alive, but on the inside it’s dying. God has you there for a reason, and the reason is this…to strengthen what remains and is about to die. We always want an easy fix, and leaving a church is a lot easier than fixing it. But God is not allowing you to go until your work is complete. Maybe you are one of those in the church who has been dead and needs to wake up and repent! Or maybe you are one of the few who is wearing the white robe of righteousness. Either way, God is calling you to wake up and strengthen those parts of the church that are about to die. How can you do this? These verses tell us! First, look into your heart and see what God has been urging you to do in your church. Remember what you have received and heard from God and then do it! Be obedient! You don’t know when the Lord will return or how much time you have left. Second, repent from your sin! It’s time to “Wake up!” and come to life as the body of Christ! Just as the prophet Ezekiel in Ezekiel 37 prophesied to the breath that it would come into the dry bones so that they would live, God will raise up the dry bones in our dead churches and breathe life into them, making a vast army! Only, you haven’t seen it happen yet because He’s waiting for you to be obedient and do your part in the power of the Holy Spirit. It will all be worth it when one day, you hear Jesus acknowledge you before His Father and the angels. We who are His long to hear our Lord and Savior say, “Well done good and faithful servant!”

“He who has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says…”


~Lisa


Scripture reference from the New International Version.
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