THE CHURCH AT SARDIS: THE AUTOPSY OF A DEAD CHURCH (10 OF 39)
Scripture: REVELATION 3:1-6
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The Church at Sardis: The Autopsy of a Dead Church (10 of 39)
Dr. James Merritt
Revelation 3:1-6
Introduction
1. Of the seven churches to which john wrote letters, there are two of which nothing positive is said. One of the churches which had no commending qualities about it was the church at sardis. It was a dead church in a dead city.
2. Have you ever gone into a church and come away with the feeling that it was just a dead church? Have you ever heard someone else refer to a church as a dead church? Well it is one thing for you to think that a church is dead. It is one thing for me to think that a church is dead. But it is an entirely different matter when the lord jesus christ conducts an examination of a church and finds it to be dead.
3. There are really three kinds of churches in any church building. There is the church that they think they are. There is the church that others think they are. But then there's the church that god knows that they are. When jesus calls a church dead, you may as well call the coroner and make funeral arrange- ments, for that church is truly dead.
4. The church at sardis was not a weak church that needed restoration. It was not a sick church that needed rejuvenation. It was a dead church that needed a resurrection, society had written ''great'' over her door. The denomination had written ''super'' over her door, but god had written ''ichabod'' over her door.
5. This church really had two problems. First of all, it was not the church that the world thought that it was. But neither was it the church that god wanted it to be. Dr. Vance havner said that every minis try begins with a man. It then becomes a movement. It then becomes a machine. But it then becomes a monument. Well this church was in the monument stage of exist- ance. It was living on a past reputation, but it was a shadow of its former self.
i. The sterling reputation of the church
1. ''i know your works, that you have a name that you are al ...
Dr. James Merritt
Revelation 3:1-6
Introduction
1. Of the seven churches to which john wrote letters, there are two of which nothing positive is said. One of the churches which had no commending qualities about it was the church at sardis. It was a dead church in a dead city.
2. Have you ever gone into a church and come away with the feeling that it was just a dead church? Have you ever heard someone else refer to a church as a dead church? Well it is one thing for you to think that a church is dead. It is one thing for me to think that a church is dead. But it is an entirely different matter when the lord jesus christ conducts an examination of a church and finds it to be dead.
3. There are really three kinds of churches in any church building. There is the church that they think they are. There is the church that others think they are. But then there's the church that god knows that they are. When jesus calls a church dead, you may as well call the coroner and make funeral arrange- ments, for that church is truly dead.
4. The church at sardis was not a weak church that needed restoration. It was not a sick church that needed rejuvenation. It was a dead church that needed a resurrection, society had written ''great'' over her door. The denomination had written ''super'' over her door, but god had written ''ichabod'' over her door.
5. This church really had two problems. First of all, it was not the church that the world thought that it was. But neither was it the church that god wanted it to be. Dr. Vance havner said that every minis try begins with a man. It then becomes a movement. It then becomes a machine. But it then becomes a monument. Well this church was in the monument stage of exist- ance. It was living on a past reputation, but it was a shadow of its former self.
i. The sterling reputation of the church
1. ''i know your works, that you have a name that you are al ...
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