Wake up Church!
There is a common saying in Shona "church yaMwari haife" meaning the church of God cannot die. This is true because that is where the Spirit of God dwells. When the church of God decides to disobey God and turn away from Him (death), a remnant by the grace of God remains obedient to fulfil His promise (the righteous will inherit the Kingdom of God).
The church in Sardis was near death but not beyond God's ability to wake them up. They were hypocrites, deceiving people but God knew their evil deeds. So, the word of God came to them, calling them to repent. Failure to repent would leave them out for destruction and only the faithful ones would have communion with Christ and enter the Kingdom of God
My brothers and sisters in Christ, the church of God is dying because of the evil deeds that we are doing. We need to introspect and consider the adulterous deeds, abuse, corruption, oppression, evil talk, bad mouthing our colleagues and relatives, lying, stealing, manipulating, pushing personal agendas, discrimination, tribalism, fights and wars in the church.... I can go on. The thing is, God is watching what we are doing. And He is saying these evil deeds are killing the church.
"Wake up Church!" Repent from all sinful deeds because judgement is certain and no-one knows when Christ will come. Christ wants the whole church to be with Him in His kingdom. Remember, He died for this church and He wants the whole church to be with Him where He will be (John 14:3). That is why the author mentioned the "....seven spirits of God....seven stars...." Seven represent the wholeness of God. This phrase shows Christ's need to keep the Church as a whole and present it to God in due time.
We need to grow healthy in our Christian walk and not deteriorating in our faith. Let us wake up friends and repent so that we come back to our Christian basics. Its high time we should live and show love to one another, love our enemies, be faithful to God and His work, patient with each other, preach and practise peace, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control.
It is not the time to show off to people that we are Christians. It is now time to be in good relationship with God and do what God wants us to do. Let us walk with Jesus our Teacher, strive to be righteous through Him so that our names are written in the book of life.
This is His word to His disciples, in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit...Amen!
| "To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. 4 Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5 He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Revelation3:1-6) |
Faresy Sakala, wife to Misheck, mother to Robson, Rose and Ronald. Chaplain/Manager at Lovemore House of Study. Overwhelmed with duties, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!"
