Revelation 3:1

September 25, 2022

The Dead Church #

Revelation 3:1-6

Introduction

The Spirit certainly speaks of the Holy Spirit of God. The idea, is that Jesus has life! The Spirit would certainly represent life, that is why in Eph 2:1-2

Eph. 2:1 ¶ And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Rom. 8:10 ¶ And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

I. Lifelessness (1) Statement #

A. Reputation Name #

1. Created a good, respected name for themselves #

2. Name rides on #

  • Many brands do this! They build a great name for themselves, Sports brand, Food chain, they become known to be good… the longer they live on, often times, they are riding the name, and their product is not near as good as is used to be.

B. Reality #

1. “thou livest” – present tense #

  • Currently, they are alive.

2. “and art dead.” #

  • Leprosy in the Bible is a terrible disease. Often times, it was a rotting of the flesh to the bone. Talk about a horrific thing… That is the pronouncement given to this church.

    • “thou livest, and art dead.”

3. What a sad state for the church. #

II. Locate the Remaining (2) #

A. Remaining Things “things which remain” #

John 6:12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.

  • I have often found it interesting that Jesus asked his disciples to gather up the fragments that remain, but we see the same thing in this passage!
  • Search, find, observe those things that are right!

B. Ready to die “ready to die” #

  • They are ready to die!

  • If intervention is not made, they will die! It will be a loss to the church. Care must be given to the good and needful areas that are dwindling.

  • Purpose of the church is:

    • Evangelize the Sinners
    • Educate the Saved
    • Exhort the Saints
    • Exalt the Saviour

C. Reinforce “strengthen” #

1. When we find those necessary things #

2. We are prone to get side tracked on unnecessary things in this world! #

III. Look back (3) “Remember…” #

A. Reception “how thou hast received and heard” #

1. Remember who told you about the Lord? (Evangelize the Sinner) #

    • Maybe you heard in church, in Sunday school! Praise the Lord… how about those before you?
    • People are reached with the Gospel on the streets, in the vans/bus routes…
    • Our purpose MUST be Evangelize the sinners!

2. Remember how you grew spiritually? (Educate the Saved) #

    • We must invest in people!

3. Remember to how your life has been challenged? (Exhort the Saint) #

  • Someone challenged you in the Lord!

  • We need to be challenged to live right, do right!

    • I hope and pray that the preaching of this pulpit challenges you! Exhorts you!

4. Remember, it is the LORD that does it! (Exalt the Saviour!) #

B. Retain “hold fast” #

  • Don’t lose sight of that!
  • We get side tracked on this and that, and everything else

C. Repent #

  • Turn from those things that are side tracking us!
  • Worldliness, materialism, prestige, what ever it is, we need to set it aside, and get back to God!

D. Recourse “if not” #

  • Ultimatum

IV. Left overs (4) #

A. Walking with the Lord #

  • There are some that are walking with the Lord
  • Not all have left leprosy that is destroying christianity!

B. Worthy #

1. While we do not deem ourselves worthy, we are told to walk worthy of God! #

Col. 1:9 ¶ For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

  • “Being filled with the knowledge of his will” – This is revealed in his WORD! Read it, meditate on it, understand it, learn it, study it!

1Th. 2:10 Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe: 11 As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children, 12 That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.

  • The example was given! Walk holily, justly, unblameably – Don’t give people a reason to believe you are doing wrong!
Tags: Preaching Outlines Revelation Church Holy Spirit Spirit