Seven Churches: Sardis

“Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise in the assembly of the saints.” Psalm 149:1 NKJV

Have you ever been to a dead church? They are a stench to heaven. What is dead should be buried and that is Christ’s message to Sardis. They laid claim to being born again but they were dead. They had just about as much enthusiasm as a hound dog on a hot day. Their routine of sleeping in the shade is not to be disturbed by any outbreak of spiritual activity. The sermons are to be thoughtful so as not to disturb the minds of the hearers. The hymns are to be quiet so as not to disturb the dead in the graveyard next door. Oh, God hates a dead church.

God delights in a church where the redeemed of the Lord testify to their salvation. He delights in a church where people weep over the lost and entreat them to salvation. He delights over a church that does His work and delights in doing so. He delights in a church where the joy of the Lord is on faces and passes like wildfire from one to another. But God hates a dead church and He wants those in it to make it alive or go somewhere where the church is alive.

Dear Father, You have given us life, let that life be vibrant and exuberant for You in our churches, homes and lives. Amen. 

The Friday Benediction

Until Monday, my friends, may the good God envelop you with His grace; may you prove the common confession of faith, “I believe in the holy Christian church and in the fellowship of the saints”, and may you be enriched with joy and hope as you exercise that confession this weekend.  Amen

You can contact me and find inspiring Christian books at my website: www.davidccraig.net

You may also find some of my selected daily devotions at http://blog.febc.org/