There are many people in the world today who outwardly appear to have it all. But, inwardly, they would admit that there is something missing. I suspect that most of us know individuals like that.
But, did you also know that there are churches like that? Oh, externally, they may look great. I mean, they may have beautifully landscaped property with a “state of the art” facility. Indeed, many of them are known for their buildings, bodies and bucks. But, internally, they are dead. O, they have plenty of style, but no substance; lots of programs, but no power. Outwardly they are full of activity. Inwardly, they are void of spiritual vitality. There is something missing…
In our sermon text yesterday [Revelation 3:1-6] @ New Hope Bible Church we discovered a message from the Lord that was sent to a church just like that. It was located in the first century city of Sardis. Externally it looked great, but internally it was dead. There was definitely something missing …
Jesus, the Great Physician and spiritual diagnostician had some strong words for this church. For example, He said to them, “I have not found your works perfect before God.” In this context the word translated “perfect” might be better rendered “complete.” In other words, He told them, “You haven’t finished what you have begun. You haven’t completed what you have started”. In essence, He said, “Church, you have had many beginnings; but few, if any endings. There are so many unfinished projects and aborted efforts. You have only gone ‘half-way’” – which, by the way, is what the word “mediocre” literally means. (You see, theirs was ministry of mediocrity. Everything they did was only “half done.” Their walk was half-baked, their witness half-cooked, their work half-finished and their worship half-hearted).
He further rebuked them, “Your deeds have not been completed. In fact, in many cases, you have allowed your ministry to be aborted. You began as a living organism; now you’re nothing more than a dying organization. Once you were a movement that brought me glory. Now you’re just a monument that causes Me shame. What began through My divine inspiration has become nothing more than a human institution. There is something missing!”
That, in essence, was the problem with the church at Sardis. It suffered from institutional dry rot. How did it happen? And how can we keep it from happening to the church-gathered here in Wahoo?
I think that there are several steps that lead downward to spiritual sterility in a church. Let me quickly identify some of them for you, as I have often observed them over thirty years of pastoral ministry. My list is not exhaustive, but suggestive. For example, I think a church takes a step downward toward spiritual sterility when it becomes more concerned with . . .
- The past than it is with the future
- With its preservation than with its propagation
- With its programs than with its people
- With its affluence than its influence
- With its reputation than its responsibility
- With external conformity than with internal change
Which begs the question: Can a church ever recover from its spiritual sterility and regain spiritual vitality? I believe so. Ponder the following insightful words write by the Methodist minister and devotional author E.M. Bounds in his classic little book titled Power through Prayer: “What the church needs today is not more machinery or better, nor new organizations or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use.”
You see, there really is something missing: Holy Spirit filled, controlled, enlightened and empowered people. And that is why J. Hudson Taylor, the founder of the China Inland Mission also wrote,
Today the Holy Spirit is as truly available and as mighty in power, as He was on the day of Pentecost. But since the days before Pentecost, has the whole church ever put aside every other work and waited upon God for ten days that His power might be manifested? We have given too much attention to method, and to machinery, and to resources, and too little to the source of power.
Here is how it is stated in an old Gospel song that I haven’t heard in years . . .
To be used of God, to sing, to speak, to pray.
To be used of God, to show someone the way.
Oh, how I long to feel the touch of His consuming fire.
To be used of God, is my desire!
Pastor Joe [PJ] Lombardi
[By the way, you may listen to yesterday’s message at http://sermon.net/PastorJoeLombardi ]
