Revelation 3:1c-3
“…I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive- but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God. Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly as a thief.”
This letter was to the ‘Dead Church’, it was spiritually dead, a church just going through the motions, a church that forgot it's purpose. Remember as believers we are the body of Christ, together we are the church. It doesn’t make a difference what denominations we are, WE are ALL the church. We (the Body of Christ, the church) are Christ’s bride that HE will be returning for.
Here’s my paraphrase of the parable of the 10 brides waiting for the bridegroom with their lamps (Matthew 25:1-13). The brides who were prepared were greeted by the bridegroom and went into the wedding feast; the door was closed and locked. The brides who were unprepared knocked at the door saying, ‘Lord, Lord, Open the door for us!’, but the bridegroom said, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’ Once Christ returns, it’s too late for salvation. There are many people who sit in church (or at home) and believe themselves to be Christians but their hearts, faith, and works show otherwise, they are spiritually dead.
We can know we are spiritually alive, if our faith produces good works. Faith by itself will go stale, if we put faith in a container on a shelf, but don’t use it, it will decay and become useless. In order to grow our faith, we have to step out in faith, each step, increases our faith. Obedient faith produces fruit. When we continue to step out in faith and follow what we believe to be God’s will for our lives, we will produce fruit for the Kingdom of GOD. An illustration was given that our spirits are like a flower (imagine producing fruit). A flower wasn’t created to remain closed, it needs the radiance of the sun to bloom (awaken from the deep sleep). Our spirits need the SON of GOD to awaken our spirit (reborn) and we need the Bread of Life (Word of GOD) to bloom and produce fruit.
1 Timothy 5:5-6 “Now a true widow, a woman who is truly alone in this world, has placed her hope in God. She prays night and day, asking God for his help. But the widow who lives only for pleasure is spiritually dead even while she lives.” The contrast, the widow whose hope is in GOD is spiritually alive; compared to the widow who lives for pleasure and indulgences is spiritually dead. When you are constantly feeding your flesh seven days a week, but only feeding your spirit one hour a week, you are starving your spirit, causing decay and eventual spiritual death. The worldly desires, pleasures, indulgences, the selfishness, the ‘ME’ first mentality cannot co-exist with GOD. We cannot produce fruit if our world is revolved around 'ME' and not around 'GOD', we won't be sharing our love, because we're too wrapped up in ourselves.
Matthew 8:22 “But Jesus told him, ‘Follow me now. Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead.” Jesus was saying, there is work to do for the Kingdom of GOD and then, there is idleness or busyness. Don’t use ‘busyness’ as an excuse for not doing GOD’s work. We can get caught up in 'stuff', people use the saying, ‘GOD never gives you more than you can handle’ to take on more responsibilities, but that’s not GOD giving you those responsibilities. That's not GOD burdening you down with so much ‘stuff’ that you can’t take the time to spend with HIM and share HIS love with others. That busyness is you, learn to say no, GOD wants to bless us, not stress us!
Good works and busyness, are two different things, busyness is a distraction from what is really important. Remember when Jesus visited Martha and Mary, Martha was busy cleaning, cooking, preparing a big meal for Jesus and her guests, but Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet. Martha was upset at all her work and busyness, while Mary was doing nothing, she asked Jesus to have Mary help her, “But the Lord said to her, ‘My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42).
Anyone can busy themselves with good works and not maintain a relationship with Jesus. You must have the faith behind the works (otherwise its just busyness), and you must have the works (good fruit) to show your faith. “So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. Now someone may argue, ‘Some people have faith; others have good deeds.’ But I say, ‘How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds. You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless? Just as the body is dead without breath (or without spirit), so also faith is dead without good works.” ( James 2:17-20,26)
"If We Are The Body" by Casting Crowns
It's crowded in worship today
As she slips in trying to fade into the faces
The girl's teasing laughter is carrying farther than they know
Farther than they know
But if we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching?
Why aren't His hands healing?
Why aren't His words teaching?
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them there is a way?
There is a way
A traveler is far away from home
He sheds his coat and quietly sinks into the back row
The weight of their judgmental glances
Tells him that his chances are better out on the road
Jesus paid much too high a price
For us to pick and choose who should come
And we are the body of Christ
But if we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching?
Why aren't His hands healing?
Why aren't His words teaching?
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them there is a way?
There is a way
Jesus is the way
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