There is a big difference between having a reputation for being alive and actually being alive. That was the problem with the church at Sardis. If you had been moving to Sardis in the first century, people might have told you, “You have to go to that church!” But Jesus said, “I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead” (Revelation 3:1).
There is nothing wrong with having a good reputation. The Bible tells us that a good name matters. The problem comes when our reputation no longer matches our reality. People look at the outside. Jesus looks at the heart. A church can fool a community. A church can even fool itself. But a church cannot fool Jesus.
When Reputation Doesn’t Match Reality
Think about the fall season. The leaves begin changing colors, and they are absolutely beautiful. We admire the reds, oranges, and yellows, but there is something interesting about those beautiful leaves. They are dying. Something can look beautiful on the outside while death is taking place on the inside. The same thing can happen spiritually. A church can have buildings, programs, activities, ministries, crowds, and a full calendar and still be spiritually dead.
Activity is not always evidence of life.
Sardis had the reputation. They had the activity. They had the appearance. What they desperately needed was the Spirit of God. Jesus introduced Himself to Sardis as the One who has “the seven spirits of God.” Seven represents completeness, the fullness of the Holy Spirit. That matters because the Spirit gives life. One of the greatest compliments anyone could ever give our church is not, “That church has great facilities,” or “They have great programs,” or even, “That preacher preached a great sermon.” It is, “The Spirit of God is there.” Jesus said in John 6:63, “The Spirit gives life.”
Some churches emphasize the Word. They are committed to Scripture, sound doctrine, biblical preaching, and theological truth. Other churches emphasize the Spirit. They talk about prayer, spiritual power, miracles, worship, and experiencing the presence of God. Why should we have to choose? A sailboat needs both a rudder and a sail. The rudder keeps the boat on course. Without it, the boat can drift, hit the rocks, and sink. However, a rudder alone won’t move the boat. You need wind in the sail. The Word is our rudder. It keeps us grounded in truth and prevents us from being tossed around by false teaching. The Spirit is our wind. He gives life and power and makes the presence of God real in our lives. We need both.
Jesus said, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God” (Matthew 22:29). We don’t want to choose between the Scriptures and the power of God. We want the Word and the Spirit.
Don’t Live in Yesterday
Our church has experienced a lot of change through the years. Pastors change. Staff members change. Buildings change. Locations change. Methods change. But the source of our life never changes. We need the Word of God, and we need the Spirit of God.
Every church must continually be revitalized because one of the greatest dangers facing any church is complacency. It is easy to begin living in the glory days of yesterday but God is the Great I AM, not the Great I WAS. Every church eventually has to decide:
Are we going to be a yesterday church or a tomorrow church?
I am grateful for everything God has done in the past. We should remember it. We should celebrate it. We should tell the stories of God’s faithfulness to the next generation. But we cannot live there. God has MORE He wants to do in His church and more He wants to do in you.
Wake Up and Strengthen
Jesus told Sardis, “Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die” (Revelation 3:2). Sometimes we need a wake-up call. Years ago, I received a phone call telling me, “You are in liver failure.” I got serious about my health!
I had a workout partner who pushed me harder than I ever would have pushed myself. You can lift weights by yourself, but with a good spotter, you can often do more than you thought you could do. He would tell me, “You can do this. One more.” Then after that one, “Two more!” I thought he was trying to kill me! The weight hadn’t changed, but with someone beside me encouraging me and pushing me, my endurance increased. That is one reason you need a church family. That is why you need a group. We were never meant to follow Jesus alone. Sometimes we need someone beside us saying, “Don’t quit. Keep going. God isn’t finished with you.”
Remember, Repent, and Start Again
Jesus told Sardis to wake up, strengthen what remained, remember, and repent. Remember where God brought you from. Remember how the Gospel reached you. Remember His grace. Remember His mercy. Remember His forgiveness. Remember how the Word of God changed your life and how the Spirit of God came to live within you. And then, where change is needed, repent.
Repentance is more than feeling bad about something we have done. Repentance means a change of mind that produces a change of direction. Sometimes Jesus loves us enough to tell us, “Something has to change.” The good news is that Sardis wasn’t without hope. Jesus said there were still a few who remained faithful. Thank God for the faithful few.
Jesus Can Bring Dead Things Back to Life
Maybe there is an area of your life that feels like it is dying. Maybe your relationship with God isn’t what it once was. Maybe your marriage, family, or dream needs new life. The answer isn’t simply more activity. We need the breath of God.
That is the great hope of the Gospel. Scripture says we were all spiritually dead in our sins. Ephesians 2 says, “Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ.” That’s what Jesus does.
He makes dead people alive.
So don’t settle for having a reputation of being alive. Don’t settle for remembering what God used to do. Wake up. Strengthen what remains. Remember. Repent. Ask the Holy Spirit to breathe fresh life into you and to keep breathing fresh life into our church.
If you’re ready to take your next step, whether that’s baptism, or something else, fill out a Connection Card or visit one of our campus locations. We would love to pray with you, baptize you, or help you get connected.