Is it time to pull the plug? Life, death, faith, faithless!

2. The Church at Sardis!
The Lifeless Church!
Rev. 3:1 "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,
that you have a name that you
are alive, but you are dead.”

3. Is it time to pull the plug?
▪ There are times in life that we have to make
some very hard decisions!
▪ Sometimes these bodies can become so
diseased and damaged that there is no hope for
recovery and we may be asked to make some
very difficult decisions!
▪ I for one am thankful that we as Christians have
life beyond the grave and that this life is not the
only life we will live!
▪ Some have faced this question not with loved
ones, but with congregations!

4. The city of Sardis:
▪ Sardis was a dual (two-tier) city with the higher
class high in the top of the mountain and the
lower class in the valley.
▪ It is claimed that minting of coins was invented
here!
▪ Sardis was once considered “the greatest city
in the world!”
▸King Cyrus was able to conquer this city only
after finding a hidden path up the side of the
mountain!

5. The church at Sardis:
▪ It is very interesting that Jesus has nothing good
to say about this congregation as a whole! This is
the case with only 2 out of the 7 churches!
▸With the first 4 churches Jesus begins by
praising them for what they are doing right, but
there seems to be nothing in Sardis worthy of
praise!
▪ As the saying goes “if you are not growing, then
you are dying!”
▸Others considered them to be alive, but Jesus
found them to be dead!

6. I. The Great Physician’s
Pronouncement!
▪ Rev 3:1-2 "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, that 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."

7. A closer look at verse one!
“The words of Him who has the seven Spirits of God
and the seven stars!” (Rev. 1:4, 16)
▪ Jesus is the source of what they “need!”
▸“Seven Spirits!” The power/means!
▸“Seven starts!” The preaching/message!
▪ It seem that their biggest problem was that they
were relying on themselves, rather than on God!
(Rom. 8:1)
▸When we walk in the “power” of the flesh we fail!
(Gal. 5:16-26)
When we walk in the “power” of the Spirit we
succeed! (Eph. 3:16-17)

8. The body cannot survive without the
Head!
It must be reattached immediately!
▪ Jesus neither “commends” or “condemns” their
work! He simply state that He “knows” them and that
they are dead!
▪ They were busy working, but in their own might and
in their own power!
▸From the “outside” they were everything one
would expect them to be, but dead inwardly!
▸We cannot accomplish what God has planned
without the power of God in our lives! (Phil. 4:13)
“who strengthen me!”

9. II. The Great Physician’s Prescription!
Rev. 3:2a, 3 “Wake up... 3. Remember then what
you received and heard. Keep it and repent. If you
will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will
not know at what hour I will come against you.”
▪ When we go to the doctor and he/she
writes us a prescription what is it for?
▸If we are not willing to “do” what the doctor
tells us, them we are just wasting our time!
▪ The church in Sardis is in bad shape, but
not all is lost, yet! They still have time!

10. They had fallen asleep at the post!
Esv. “Wake up!” Nkjv. “Be watchful”
▪ The Greek verb gray-gor-yoo’-o = to keep awake,
be vigilant, to watch
▸In Rev. 3:2 it is preceded by a primary verb = to
cause to be, bring into being.
▸In Rev. 3:3 it is preceded by a conjunctive
particle = if not, unless, except
▪ There is a need for them to at once “chase away
sleep!”
▪ The victories of yesterday are not sufficient for
today!

11. III. The Great Physician’s Promise!
Rev. 3:4-6
▪ Each one of these letters ends with words of
help and hope!
▸Jesus desires that we are alive, that we are
awake that we enjoy the blessings of life!
▪ Verse 4 “Yet you have still a few names in
Sardis, people who have not soiled their
garments”
▸This reminds me of the “many vs few” Jesus
speaks of in (Mt. 7:13-14)

12. Even though others are sleeping on the
job, we don't have to!
▪ If we are asleep it is time to wake up and once
again lay hold of the promise of God!
▸Rev. 3:5-6 "He who overcomes shall be
clothed in 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. "He who has an ear, let him hear
what the Spirit says to the churches."
▪ This is a matter of life & death/ heaven & hell!

13. Conclusion:
▪ Truly it is good to be a Christian, to have a
home in heaven, but am I really alive with
Christ? Or have I only gotten the appearance of
life?
▪ The truth remains that if we are not “growing”
then we are “dying!”
▪ We cannot live off our past success, we must
live off the present!
▪ When the Great Physician places His finger on
the pulse of this congregation what will He find?