Revelation 3:1-7
The church of Sardis, although wealthy, wasn’t suffering from persecution without but from complacency within. In mercy, Jesus confronted these church leaders with the bold truth: Their reputation is alive but truthfully, they’re like dead men walking. The history of Sardis reflected the church since they were captured several times due to lack of security. As the wealth of the city brought overconfidence and arrogance it caused a slow deterioration, accordingly, the church experienced a slow, spiritual death in ministry.
Jesus stepped in with a remedy! His wake-up call was loud and clear: You need reviving, a great awakening. Isn’t that true of many churches today? Their name or reputation brings a nod of agreement; yes, that church is full of life but Jesus warns us that without the Seven Spirits or Holy Spirit in our church we may be simply sleep walking.
“Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”… be filled with the Spirit, Ephesians 5:14b, 18b ESV
The solution for a church experiencing a spiritual death is to remember. Recalling our former passion for ministry, remembering it’s the Holy Spirit who breathed that life in us, and repent for our neglect. When we wake up and cloth ourselves with His power again (Luke 24:35-40), asking for the fullness of His Spirit every day, He’s ready to pour it out.
Jesus mentioned a small group of Nike believers He recognized as dressed in white: Their name will never be blotted out from the Book of Life. Apparently, in the Roman Empire, whenever a citizen was born their name was recorded in a Book of Life, therefore, Jesus used this imagery reassuring believers that He not only knew their names but would confess them before the Father and His angels. Do you recall how Jesus called out the name of Lazarus? He walked out of that grave!
Revival means that life and vitality comes back into a church body, beginning individually, not by church attendance or finances; it comes by the renewing of the Holy Spirit,
… that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being … and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:16, 19 ESV
As we pray for revival in our churches focus on the leadership as Jesus did; it begins at the top and moves down. If you feel like you’re sleep walking, find others, a small group of intercessors, and pray, pray, pray for the Holy Spirit to wake up your leaders and fill them again.
Sardis’ name means ‘escaped’, consequently, when the Spirit revives us we escape spiritual death and walk in new vitality of ministry.
… just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4b ESV
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