It was on a Sunday, that I went to a large famous church. I entered the church, but the lights were not turned on. Everywhere I looked it was dark. I walked to the front of the church and sat down. The pastor walked to the pulpit and told us to open our Bibles, but I couldn’t read, because it was still dark. I didn’t understand and waited until someone turned on the lights. But nobody did anything. I looked around and saw that others had opened their Bibles. I asked if someone could turn on the lights. But no one responded. When the pastor began to read, the whole church read the Bible in darkness. But I couldn’t read. Therefore I stood up and walked out of the church. This is a dream from some time ago. This dream disturbed me and I began to wonder what this dream meant. Is the church seated in darkness?
Do Christians think they walk in the light, while they walk in darkness?
Do Christians think that they walk in the light, while in reality (in the spiritual realm) Christians walk in darkness? Are growth and the number of people signs that the church is on the right track and spiritually prosperous?
Is prosperity a sign of God? Do Christians think that they do good works towards God, while in reality, they aren’t good works? Are miracles a sign?
Do we think that we know Jesus, while in reality, Jesus doesn’t know us? What does the Bible say about the church seated in darkness? Are there scriptures in the Bible that confirm this dream?
Was the church of Sardis alive or dead?
Yes, there is! Our Lord Jesus speaks about the church seated in darkness in the Book of Revelation. Sometime after this dream, I read chapter 3 of the book of Revelation and it immediately reminded me of the dream. Jesus said the following to the church in Sardis:
And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy (Revelation 3:1-4)
When we look at the church of Sardis, we can conclude that this was a famous church. Because the church had a name among the people.
The believers of the church of Sardis did the works and thought they pleased God. They thought they lived a good life. But the truth was that they were not alive, but they were dead.
Because they were spiritually dead, they were seated in darkness.
They were dead to Jesus Christ and to God. None of their works were perfect before God.
Jesus urged the believers of the church of Sardis to remember what they had received and heard in the beginning and to hold fast and repent. So that, they would stay awake.
From a natural viewpoint the church of Sardis was alive, but from a spiritual viewpoint the church was dead
Jesus urged them to be watchful and to strengthen the things which remain, that were ready to die, so that they wouldn’t die, but live.
From a natural human point of view, the church of Sardis was a living church. The church was successful and famous and probably had many church members. They did many works and everything seemed to be prosperous. But from a spiritual view, the church of Sardis was dead and lived in darkness.
The church didn’t do the works out of Jesus; out of the Light. But the church did the works out of themselves; out of the flesh.
So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:8)
The Holy Spirit knows the hearts of man
Only the Holy Spirit knows what’s in the hearts of man. These elders of the church of Sardis didn’t walk after the Spirit, although maybe they thought they were. If they had walked after the Spirit, they would have discerned good and evil and what is right and what is wrong. They would have seen that they were dead and would have repented of their dead works. They would have discerned the dead works of their church members as well.
But the elders, the leaders of this church, were darkened in their minds and lived in darkness. Their garments were defiled by sin and the world. Because you can only defile the garments of righteousness, by disobedience to God, when you keep walking after the flesh; in sin and iniquity.
Was the church of Sardis prosperous and successful?
They thought they possessed the Holy Spirit and did the works out of the Spirit, because they were prosperous and successful. But the truth was, that they were spiritually asleep and dead.
The devil comes with his minions (demons) as an angel of light. They represent themselves in the best way possible.
They do everything they can and even imitate God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit to tempt and mislead Christians so that they will open their lives to the powers of darkness and believe, obey, and follow them.
If a believer doesn’t know the Bible; the Word of God or doesn’t hold on to the Word of God, and open him or herself to the spiritual realm, there is a big chance that the believer will be misled.
The believer will be misled by these powers of darkness and they will take possession of him or her.
These powers of darkness can also imitate God and perform miracles.
They have the ability to predict the future (and prophecy), reveal what is hidden in their neighbor’s life, give visions, and dreams, speak in other tongues, provide supernatural powers, yes… even healings (look at Reiki, reconnective healing, witch doctors, massage therapy, etc).
Why was the church of Sardis dead?
The church of Sardis was dead. There was no life in the church of Sardis. Although the church of Sardis thought to be alive. They’d received the truth. But because of the fact that they probably adjusted the truth and had permitted many lies and doctrines of man into the church, the truth was no longer the truth. The gospel of Jesus Christ was turned into a gospel of man.
They were not awake, but slept. They were not concerned with the main issue, but with side issues, which were not relevant to the Kingdom of God.
There were only a few members, who walked in the ways of the Lord; in holiness and righteousness. Believers, who hadn’t defiled their garments and walked worthy before the Lord.
Jesus urged the church to awaken and repent.
If they didn’t wake up and repent, then Jesus would come like a thief and they wouldn’t know the hour of His coming. If they did not repent of their dead works, they would enter eternal death instead of eternal life.
The doctrines and philosophies of man are killing the church
There are many churches today, that are seated in darkness and are (spiritually) dead. People are focused on themselves, on success, prosperity, blessings, finances, etc. instead of being focused on the lost souls of man and the preaching of Jesus Christ, the cross, His blood, and His death and resurrection from the dead. In many churches, there are people, who think they are saved, but in reality, they are lost souls, who are on their way to destruction: eternal death.
Most shepherds are asleep. They don’t see their sheep walking into the abyss. They don’t warn their sheep and don’t guide them anymore. But the shepherds let the sheep go their own way.
The love has disappeared. Although many think they walk in love, by tolerating every lifestyle and all kinds of things, including sin.
In many churches and congregations, the fourfold ministry is not operating correctly anymore.
Therefore Christians are not taught in the Word and don’t grow up in the image of Jesus Christ (which is the purpose of the fourfold ministry). But they remain spiritual babies.
The Word has been replaced by the doctrines and philosophies of man.
Many humanistic, philosophical, scientific, and new-age doctrines have entered churches and congregations.
People want to be entertained. They want to fellowship, socialize, get attention, talk and eat with each other, and have a good time. Instead of studying the Bible; the Word of God, come together in prayer and fight spiritually and cry about the state of the church; the body of Christ.
Man has become the center of attention; in sermons, services, seminars, praise and worship, and so on. Sermons have been shortened. The prayer services have been shortened, canceled, or replaced by praise and worship services (Read also: How doctrines of devils are killing the church).
Preachers have become entertainers
The preachers and leaders of the church have become entertainers, comedians, and actors on stage, instead of spiritual fathers. They not only try to be as intellectual as possible, but they also try to be funny and witty, so that they will be liked, praised, worshiped, and exalted by church members.
Most people love the world and all there is within. They can’t give up the world. Therefore they have adjusted the Word of God, so that Christians can live like the world and live a carnal life and persevere in sin and iniquity.
The Word (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit have been thrown out of the church, and the church has welcomed the world into the church (Read also: ‘Jesus thrown out of the church‘ and ‘The Holy Spirit banished from the heart and put back into a building‘).
The world is seated in the church and therefore the devil, who is the ruler of this world (the darkness), is seated in the church.
In many churches, Jesus isn’t the Head anymore. But the devil has become the head of the church. This shouldn’t actually surprise us. Because Jesus spoke to His disciples about the end times and Jesus discussed this phenomenon as the abomination of desolation.
The church is seated in darkness
There are many churches that are just like the church of Sardis, seated in darkness and spiritually dead. There are many churches, where the Lord has removed the candlestick.
Even though many churches have a name, many members, are famous all over the world, have written books, speak beautiful words, preach motivational and inspirational sermons, do good humanitarian works, and perform miracles, they can still be seated in darkness.
They think they live close to Jesus and confess His Name. But the truth is, that they have departed from Him; the Word.
In the next blog posts, I will continue with this subject. Because there are many things happening in the church, while the Lord continuously warns us, through His Word, to repent. Jesus wants us to repent, while we still can. It is about time that the church repents and turns to the Word; Jesus and makes Him the Head of the church again and walks after the Spirit.
‘Be the salt of the earth’
