Do your actions please God?
2 Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of My God. 3 Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to Me again. If you don't wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief.
4 "Yet there are some in the church in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes with evil. They will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. 5 All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before My Father and His angels that they are Mine. 6 "Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what He is saying to the churches.
Busy people hate to know that all of the stuff they were doing doesn't matter to anyone, that is the ultimate letdown for a follower of Jesus, the worst thing that can happen is to find out that your work and sacrifice isn't pleasing God.
What a sobering thought to know that it is possible to think that we are working for God and doing things that we think that he wants us to do and then get a message from him letting you know that you are wrong.
"I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of My God."
The church of Sardis was a busy church with a great reputation with the community but it didn't receive the same praise from God. Physically they were very alive but spiritually they didn't have much life left in them. The community didn't have any reason to oppose these people because even though they were busy they were powerless.
Dead people don't accomplish very much so there isn't any reason to oppose them, the same is true of a spiritually dead church, their busyness doesn't concern Satan. The church didn't have any spiritual attacks against them because they were not effective for the Kingdom of God.
Don't try to impress the community with your programs that are built on your own strength, these will produce little for the Kingdom without God's approval, the plans must be his and the heart of the people doing his plans must also be his and must be right with him.
If we mess up either of those conditions then we will eventually receive the news that we need to make some changes, God will deal with us when we least expect it, like a thief in the night.
“Wake up! Be watchful! Repent! Remember the Word you have received and obey it!”
The church is Sardis had a little bit of life left in them, God could have just sat by and let that spark die out but he desires better for us and gives us a warning that our actions do not please him.
God knows our weakness and our inability to totally follow his ways one hundred percent. The cure for this nearly dead church was to remember the way that they had first responded to the truth of God and to repent.
Thankfully he is a gracious and merciful father that gives his children a chance to change their ways.
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