Revelation | Pt. 7 The Church of Sardis

City Of Sardis
Legendary city
Founded by the son of Hercules
Wealthy city
King Midas
Pactolus River
Sardis was full of gold
1st city ever to mint gold coins
With wealth they built a great fortress; impenetrable
Men became soft, feminine; gender confusion (wearing women clothes), homosexual
Earth shifted and cracks came to the fortress
Enemy army slipped and conquered the city in one night
Glorious past but in 1st century = disgraceful present
Reputation Reality
All this impacted the church of Sardis
Church of Sardis
Revelation 3:1-6
Church in Sardis was like the city of Sardis = great trouble
Reputation was greater than its reality
Christ makes it clear your name can be blotted out of the book of life
What does that mean?
Revelation 20:15
Hell Is Real and No Joke
Hebrews 6:1-2
Eternal Judgment is basic
Eternal Judgement means one day each will give an account
Spend eternity with God in heaven or apart from God in Hell
While Jesus was on earth he taught for 3.5 yrs
3 main subjects: Kingdom, Hell & Money
Twice as much about Hell as to Heaven
Why so much about hell? It's real and He doesn't want anyone to go there
In American Pulpits Hell is hardly mentioned
If there was more preaching about Hell in the pulpits there would be less Hell in the streets of America
We are in a moral sewer full of sin
People do not Fear God
Matthew 10:28,
Hell is no joke
We need to understand some things about Hell
Originally was never meant for people
Matthew 25:41
Hell was never meant for people but prepared for the devil
John 14:2-3
Hell is prepared for devil | Heaven is prepared for people
Because of the Fall we are born into sin in the likeness of Adam
All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God
All on a path towards hell because of sin
"If God is good and love He would never send someone to Hell."
God has never sent anyone to Hell. You choose to go there
God is so good and full of love He sent His son that while we were still sinners...
Those that believe in Christ are taken off the path towards Hell and put on the path towards Heaven
"I just don't believe in Hell or that God would let anyone go there."
That's too bad it's there and you are going if you don't get right
You will either get right or stay wrong
"How do you know Hell is real" Fire, Torment, Gnashing of Teeth
Reverse it: How do you know heaven is real? Gold, Crystal, Pearls
The Bible tells me so
The Bible is clear: Hell is terrible & Heaven is wonderful
Why is hell so terrible and heaven so wonderful?
In heaven attributes of God
In hell no attributes of God
If you want nothing to do with God in this life there is an eternal place called Hell where you will have nothing to do with God for eternity
Hell is horrific & is no joke
Matthew 13:47-50,
2nd Thessalonians 1:8-9,
I don't know anyone other way to say it: Hell Is No Joke
Don't ever say "Go to Hell" to someone
Who Goes To Heaven & Hell?
Who goes where?
Barna survey = Good people to heaven and bad people to Hell
Bible says otherwise
Revelation 20:15
I want to make sure I am in that book
Who is in the book? Those in Christ
Good people don't go to heaven and bad people don't go to hell
Forgiven people go to heaven and unforgiven people go to hell
Not many ways into the boat either
1 way = Jesus
Wide is the path to destruction; narrow is the path to life
Most vivid account of hell
Luke 16:19-21
One rich, one poor
Jewish thought = Rich man must have pleased God
I'm sure rich man thought he did something good by letting him eat crumbs
Appeased his conscious
Lots of us are like that rich man
We bring our crumbs to God to appease our conscious
Is your offering crumbs? Prayer time crumbs?
Verses 22-26
If rich man were here he would say get right with God
And read Matthew 6:20
Store up treasure in heaven
Time, Talent & Treasure invested in eternity
If we believe in Hell then we should take God seriously and the Great Commission
Every Sunday we say, "Jesus Priority, Gospel Mission"
We all say it but very few live it
How many people did you lead to Christ in 2021?
Personal evangelism is so important
The people in hell right now believe in personal evangelism
verses 27-31
People in Hell believe in Evangelism
American Church does not
Different mentality Preacher pamper me
You will not be pampered at Sheridan
I will shoot it straight and tell you what you need to hear
Stop being a spiritually lazy wretch and Get off your blessed assurance to start sharing the Gospel
Time is running out
We need to be a church that is alive and not dead
Sardis Dead Church
Ever been to a dead church?
The kind that get to go in the rapture first?
Chosen Frozen type
Most dead churches though look alive on the outside
People gather, sing, pray, take up offerings
Well staffed or under staffed
No technology or all the latest technology
Dead church = utterly useless