October 2nd, 2016

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DEAD

Sunday, October 2nd, 2016

One of my wife’s favorite movie quotes is

They’re dead. They’re all dead.

Can you name that movie? A virtual high five and shout out will go your way if you can. I’ll give the answer in my next post.

So…this is a follow-up to the previous post about today’s sermon.

Sardis was a town that once had a high level of importance. Then an earthquake brought it to its knees and it never regained that same level again. Not that they didn’t want to. But living on past laurels is certainly not a way to get it done.

Sort of like many churches who live on past laurels and shine the reflected light of a brilliant past. But it is just an illusion. Jesus put it bluntly: “I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.” With that thought in mind, I asked the folks a question: “When is a church dead?” Here are the four thoughts I shared. See if you can relate. And even better: can you add any?

  1. A church is dead when it is content to rest on its past laurels. A level of distinction in the past can often lead to a state of death in the future.
  2. A church is dead when it is more concerned with form than spiritual reality. We can’t go too long in the worship singing or the preaching because we want to beat the other churches to lunch.
  3. A church is dead when it focuses more on social ills and politics than changing peoples’ hearts and lives through the preaching and life-giving message of Jesus. I’m not saying to neglect social ills (I am getting involved in investigating and hopefully stopping the sex trafficking in Owen County; the church reaches out to the less fortunate). No politics will ever be preached from the pulpit. NONE.
  4. A church is dead when it is more concerned with material things than spiritual things. No commentary is needed.

So…what do you think? Any I need to add? Where would you put your church? Just curious.