January 24, 2025 • 19 mins
Summary
In this episode of the Kathy Barnette Show, the focus is on the Church of Sardis, as described in Revelation. Kathy discusses the church's reputation for being alive while actually being spiritually dead. She emphasizes the importance of the Holy Spirit in revitalizing the church and warns against the dangers of compromise and dead works. The conversation highlights the need for genuine faith and the pursuit of a relationship with God, rather than mere activity.
Takeaways
The Church of Sardis had a reputation for being alive but was spiritually dead.
Jesus introduces himself to the church based on their needs.
The Holy Spirit is essential for spiritual vitality and fruitfulness.
Busy activities do not equate to spiritual health or life.
Compromise with worldly values leads to spiritual deadness.
True works that please God must be done through the Holy Spirit.
The church's activities were based on human effort, not divine guidance.
Jesus warns the church to wake up and strengthen what remains.
The culture of compromise can dilute the distinctiveness of faith.
Genuine faith requires seeking God and understanding His purpose for us.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the Church of Sardis
01:01 The Dead Church: A Wake-Up Call
08:41 The Role of the Holy Spirit
10:33 The Church's Compromise and Dead Works
17:31 The Warning Against False Godliness
Part 1: The Book of Revelation EXPLAINED: An In-Depth Introduction https://youtu.be/ORMKqeUjhUs
Part 2: The Book of Revelation EXPLAINED: A Deep Dive into Chapter 1 https://youtu.be/xcdrTdy7F6U
Part 3: Unlocking Ephesus: Hidden Treasures in Revelation Chapter 2 https://youtu.be/UOQi4zseayw
Part 4: Want PEACE During Hard Times? Watch This Now https://youtu.be/vxE8YBFqqp0
Part 5: Choosing the Right Fight when Life gets Hard https://youtu.be/YY7wyDig9K8?si=KdQ4pBh-i3i4WNJS
Part 6: Top 5 Hidden Dangers of Tolerance You've Been Ignoring https://youtu.be/kbXsmoH9RNI
Part 7: The Hidden Truth About the Dead Church of Sardis (Part 1) https://youtu.be/LssHSUtJke8
Part 8: The Hidden Truth About the Dead Church of Sardis (Part 2) https://youtu.be/tqbqwIujB38
Study Guide COMING SOON to KathyBarnette.com
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Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
Hello everyone, this is the Kathy Barnett show and we are going to pick up where we leftoff this time talking about the Church of Sardis.
So we have talked about the Joyless Church.
We've talked about the Persecuted Church.
We talked about the Compromised or Worldly Church.
(00:24):
We've talked about the Tolerant Church.
Now we are about to pick up on
the dead church, Sardis.
So let's start with Revelation chapter three, verse one.
To the angel of the church in Sardis write, these are the words of him who holds the sevenspirits of God and the seven stars.
(00:52):
I know your deeds.
You have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
Wake up, strengthen what remains and is about to die.
For I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.
Remember therefore what you have received and heard.
(01:17):
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 Iwill come to you.
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.
(01:40):
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 beforemy father and his angels.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says.
to the churches.
(02:00):
Woo, Jesus is not holding back.
He says, let's start.
Remember, each of these letters starts off with an introduction.
Hello, my name is, and this is who I'm writing it to, followed by, attention to how heintroduces himself, because how he introduces himself tells us what this church is.
(02:26):
is in need of.
Jesus is whatever it is you need.
So here in the Church of Sardis, he says to the angel of the Church of Sardis, this is whoI'm writing the letter to, Sardis.
This is who the letter is coming from.
The letter is coming from him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.
(02:51):
This is how he introduces himself.
I would introduce myself as, hello, my name is Cathy.
Jesus on the other hand knowing who this church is because he knows the contents of ourheart He introduces himself based on what he know they need and he says hello My name is
the one who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.
(03:14):
What is he talking about?
Well, Jesus introduces himself as I Have what you need you are dead.
I can make you alive.
How do
I make you alive, how do you make what is dead alive?
Jesus says, the Holy Spirit.
And Jesus is the one who holds the Holy Spirit and directs the Holy Spirit.
(03:39):
You I guess there's no deceit like self-deceit because they had convinced themselves, thechurch of Sardis, that they were alive.
They had convinced themselves they were alive because they have a reputation.
They have a resume that points to all the things they do and they do a lot.
(04:03):
They do so much that they have a reputation for doing so much.
And yet Jesus looks at them and said, you're dead.
You're dead because everything you are doing, you are doing by your own efforts.
by your own networks, by your own knowledge.
You're smart, you're able, you're energetic, you have ideas, and you are, you have done alot of stuff.
(04:31):
You have a lot of Ds, you have a lot of works, but your works are dead.
Why?
Because the answer is in how he introduces himself.
I'm the one who holds the spirit.
I am the one, how does he introduce himself?
He says,
I am the one who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.
(04:53):
The seven spirits is indication of the Holy Spirit.
Turn with me to Isaiah chapter 11.
Let's start with verse one, because what is the seven spirits?
Who is the seven spirits?
What do you mean the seven spirits?
It means something.
These are the seven aspects of the Holy Spirit that gives us life.
(05:17):
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse.
From his roots, a branch will bear fruit because you're dead if you're not bearing fruit.
From his roots, a branch will bear fruit.
The spirit of the Lord.
The spirit of the Lord means the spirit of the owner.
(05:38):
The spirit of the Lord will rest upon him.
The spirit of wisdom and of understanding.
the spirit of counsel and of power, the spirit of knowledge and the spirit of thereverential fear of God.
These are the seven aspects of the Holy Spirit.
(06:00):
And when you have these seven aspects of the Holy Spirit dwelling on the inside of you,you will bear fruit.
What did it say?
Isaiah chapter 11 verse 1, a shoot will come up.
from the stump of Jesse from his roots, a branch will bear fruit.
(06:21):
The word of God calls us a branch.
And within this branch, he is looking for us to produce fruit.
But this branch, Sardis, is dead.
Got a lot of stuff going on around it, but it's dead.
So if you want to bear fruit, Jesus says what you need or who you need better yet,
(06:43):
is the Spirit and I am the one who holds and directs the Spirit of God.
The Holy Spirit stands before Jesus.
Revelation chapter one verse four, we already said that.
In chapter one, I'll just read it to you real quickly.
Verse four, John, to the seven churches in the province of Asia, grace and peace to youfrom him who is and who was and who is to come.
(07:11):
And from the seven spirits, the Holy Spirit, before the throne.
So the Holy Spirit stands before the thrones.
Turn with me to John chapter 16.
In John chapter 16, I'm going to start with verse 12.
I have much more to say to you, Jesus says, more than you can now bear.
(07:37):
But when he, the spirit of truth comes,
He will guide you into all truth.
He will not speak on his own.
He will speak only what he hears and he will tell you what is yet to come.
He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.
(07:59):
All that belongs to the Father is mine, says Jesus.
That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known.
to you.
And so here Jesus is saying, I am what you need and what you need is the Spirit of God.
And I have him, he stands in front of the throne where I sit and he will take from what ismine and give it to you.
(08:26):
You need me, Jesus said.
And once you seek me and remember what I've said to you, remember my words, I will send toyou the Spirit who will make you.
alive.
So we go through that.
Jesus is saying that he has exactly what this church need to become alive, what they needto become fruitful, what they need to become productive again.
(08:54):
They need the Holy Spirit and Jesus is the one who can send the Holy Spirit.
What we need to note about the culture around all seven of these churches is that for eachof these churches we've discussed,
They were located in cities where the worship of little g gods were an integral part ofthe people's lives still today, we're either worshiping the true god or a lot of little g
(09:25):
gods I know there are many who think they are autonomous That they are just doing theirown thing.
No, you're either worshiping the true god or you're worshiping a little g god
And each of these churches just make note of the reality that they are living among a lotof little G gods.
(09:47):
Now, what did Jesus find favorable about Sardis?
Because remember, he starts off with, let me introduce myself to you.
And then before he goes in for what he finds wrong with the church, he always starts withsaying, let me tell you something you're doing good, right?
Because before we come up and start criticizing people, let's start with, let me see whatI can, let me comment on what you're doing good.
(10:15):
And so for each of the seven churches, Jesus starts before he tells them what he findswrong with them or what they need to work on, he starts off with saying something kind.
He notices something that they're doing right.
Unfortunately for the church of Sardis,
There's nothing that they're doing that's good.
He goes straight in.
(10:36):
You are dead.
And it is serious.
So what did Jesus find favorable?
Unlike the previous churches, this time Jesus does not start out with what he findsfavorable.
He goes straight to the issue.
He gives them a stern warning.
Wake up, strengthen yourself, strengthen the little bit that you have.
(10:58):
Again, there's no deceit like self-deceit.
They thought they were alive.
They thought they were alive because they were busy bodies.
But the harsh reality is that you don't really need the Holy Spirit to do a lot of thebusy body activities that are going around or that is being done in many churches.
(11:20):
All you need is just some really good event planning skills.
That's in the church.
You look like you're alive because you have all of these different
activities that are going on in the church.
And yet Jesus said, I'm not impressed and you are dead.
We are here to bring the kingdom of heaven to earth, not by just works alone.
(11:48):
Works alone, are they dead works?
He wants alive work.
The only works that count, the only works that pleases God are works that are done by theHoly Spirit.
but we only get the Holy Spirit through believing in Jesus, one, living a pure life, two,keeping our eyes on Christ, seeking him.
(12:10):
What do you want me to do?
How do you want me to do it?
And then Jesus sending the Holy Spirit to us.
Jesus is not referring to our salvation in this.
These letters are going to churches.
So these people have the foundation of Jesus, but everything they're building.
on that foundation, Jesus is saying is dead.
(12:34):
Being fruitless is not a small thing.
It matters and there are severe penalties that accompany it.
What's your purpose?
Are you fulfilling it?
Why are you here?
Begin to ask.
It's not just for ourselves and to build up our own bank account.
(12:57):
Sardis was considered
fruitful based on man's standards.
But God searches the hearts of each person.
Jesus has authority over the Holy Spirit and the church.
He holds both of them in his hands.
And the Holy Spirit stands before Jesus waiting for his orders, waiting on hisinstructions.
(13:21):
So what is their sin?
Jesus said they are dead.
They're dead because they are just getting along to go along.
They have a get along attitude.
You know, what's interesting when you look at, you know, there's been a lot of excavationthat has been done around the synagogue.
(13:44):
So what do I mean by this whole get along kind of mentality?
Well, the believers and Sardis had compromised the distinctiveness of Christ.
They lived in a get along.
go along and get along kind of culture.
For example, when the synagogue of Sardis was excavated, the Jews had written their nameson the pillars in the synagogue.
(14:10):
They had written it in Greek.
Why would Hebrew Jews write their name in Greek?
At the end of the altar, one of the altars I was looking at,
and studying.
So you have the altar where they do all of their dedication to Christ.
You have the altar there and on the ends of both of the altars or of the altar, they had aRoman eagle imprinted on it and animals showing their allegiance to Rome was there.
(14:42):
The synagogue was built in Sardis next to the Roman gymnasium where Romans
would hold contests in the nude because the Romans loved their bodies and they performedin the nude.
And they also performed sexual acts there in their gymnasium.
(15:04):
To a devout Jew, this would have been deeply offensive to them, anathema.
They would want nothing to do with it.
And yet the synagogue for the church in Sardis was built next to all of this.
They wrote their names in Greek.
You see the compromise?
They had the altar of God that they performed all of their services on, their acts ofworship to God, but engraved on the altar were eagles as a dedication to Rome.
(15:37):
Animals were, Roman animals or animals that would have been dedicated to Rome werelittered all throughout.
The synagogue, you see the compromise?
We're going to go along to get along.
We want everyone to feel comfortable.
Unity among themselves and in their community was what they valued, the Church of Sardis.
(16:03):
They thought they were alive and well.
Instead, there is deadness.
in their spirit, there is deadness in their praying, there is deadness in their preaching,there is deadness in the people's hearing, in their conversations, and in their work.
Jesus said, you have a reputation for being alive.
(16:25):
Everybody knows your name because you're all over the place doing a lot of good deeds.
But Jesus said, I am here to tell you those works are dead.
By man's standards, yes, you're doing a lot, but by my standard, they are dead and you arein deep trouble.
(16:46):
Let me just read one more passage for you before we leave this section.
Let's turn to 2 Timothy chapter three, verse one, but mark this, there will be terribletimes in the last days.
People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive,disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous,
(17:15):
without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, loversof pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness.
You look godly.
but denying its power, the power of the Holy Spirit, have nothing to do with them.
(17:38):
They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed womenwho are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning
but never able to acknowledge the truth.
This is who Jesus is saying these people are.
(17:58):
You're busy bodied.
Everyone knows your name.
You look like you're doing a lot of good stuff.
You're feeding the hungry.
You're giving to the poor, but none of it.
But the one who searches the intent of our hearts, why are you doing it?
Who are you doing this for?
And are you seeking me?
Do you know what I've called you to do?
(18:20):
And are you doing what I've called you to do?
He said, I'm that one.
And I have searched your heart.
And I've searched the intents of why you're doing what you're doing.
And he said, everything you've done is for naught.
Those deeds are dead.
I reject them.
This is part one of the study of the Church of Sardis.
(18:41):
Look in the show notes and you will see part two.
Hello everyone, this is the Kathy Barnett show and we are going to pick up where we leftoff this time talking about the Church of Sardis.
So we have talked about the Joyless Church.
We've talked about the Persecuted Church.
We talked about the Compromised or Worldly Church.
(00:24):
We've talked about the Tolerant Church.
Now we are about to pick up on
the dead church, Sardis.
So let's start with Revelation chapter three, verse one.
To the angel of the church in Sardis write, these are the words of him who holds the sevenspirits of God and the seven stars.
(00:52):
I know your deeds.
You have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
Wake up, strengthen what remains and is about to die.
For I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.
Remember therefore what you have received and heard.
(01:17):
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 Iwill come to you.
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.
(01:40):
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 beforemy father and his angels.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says.
to the churches.
(02:00):
Woo, Jesus is not holding back.
He says, let's start.
Remember, each of these letters starts off with an introduction.
Hello, my name is, and this is who I'm writing it to, followed by, attention to how heintroduces himself, because how he introduces himself tells us what this church is.
(02:26):
is in need of.
Jesus is whatever it is you need.
So here in the Church of Sardis, he says to the angel of the Church of Sardis, this is whoI'm writing the letter to, Sardis.
This is who the letter is coming from.
The letter is coming from him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.
(02:51):
This is how he introduces himself.
I would introduce myself as, hello, my name is Cathy.
Jesus on the other hand knowing who this church is because he knows the contents of ourheart He introduces himself based on what he know they need and he says hello My name is
the one who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.
(03:14):
What is he talking about?
Well, Jesus introduces himself as I Have what you need you are dead.
I can make you alive.
How do
I make you alive, how do you make what is dead alive?
Jesus says, the Holy Spirit.
And Jesus is the one who holds the Holy Spirit and directs the Holy Spirit.
(03:39):
You I guess there's no deceit like self-deceit because they had convinced themselves, thechurch of Sardis, that they were alive.
They had convinced themselves they were alive because they have a reputation.
They have a resume that points to all the things they do and they do a lot.
(04:03):
They do so much that they have a reputation for doing so much.
And yet Jesus looks at them and said, you're dead.
You're dead because everything you are doing, you are doing by your own efforts.
by your own networks, by your own knowledge.
You're smart, you're able, you're energetic, you have ideas, and you are, you have done alot of stuff.
(04:31):
You have a lot of Ds, you have a lot of works, but your works are dead.
Why?
Because the answer is in how he introduces himself.
I'm the one who holds the spirit.
I am the one, how does he introduce himself?
He says,
I am the one who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.
(04:53):
The seven spirits is indication of the Holy Spirit.
Turn with me to Isaiah chapter 11.
Let's start with verse one, because what is the seven spirits?
Who is the seven spirits?
What do you mean the seven spirits?
It means something.
These are the seven aspects of the Holy Spirit that gives us life.
(05:17):
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse.
From his roots, a branch will bear fruit because you're dead if you're not bearing fruit.
From his roots, a branch will bear fruit.
The spirit of the Lord.
The spirit of the Lord means the spirit of the owner.
(05:38):
The spirit of the Lord will rest upon him.
The spirit of wisdom and of understanding.
the spirit of counsel and of power, the spirit of knowledge and the spirit of thereverential fear of God.
These are the seven aspects of the Holy Spirit.
(06:00):
And when you have these seven aspects of the Holy Spirit dwelling on the inside of you,you will bear fruit.
What did it say?
Isaiah chapter 11 verse 1, a shoot will come up.
from the stump of Jesse from his roots, a branch will bear fruit.
(06:21):
The word of God calls us a branch.
And within this branch, he is looking for us to produce fruit.
But this branch, Sardis, is dead.
Got a lot of stuff going on around it, but it's dead.
So if you want to bear fruit, Jesus says what you need or who you need better yet,
(06:43):
is the Spirit and I am the one who holds and directs the Spirit of God.
The Holy Spirit stands before Jesus.
Revelation chapter one verse four, we already said that.
In chapter one, I'll just read it to you real quickly.
Verse four, John, to the seven churches in the province of Asia, grace and peace to youfrom him who is and who was and who is to come.
(07:11):
And from the seven spirits, the Holy Spirit, before the throne.
So the Holy Spirit stands before the thrones.
Turn with me to John chapter 16.
In John chapter 16, I'm going to start with verse 12.
I have much more to say to you, Jesus says, more than you can now bear.
(07:37):
But when he, the spirit of truth comes,
He will guide you into all truth.
He will not speak on his own.
He will speak only what he hears and he will tell you what is yet to come.
He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.
(07:59):
All that belongs to the Father is mine, says Jesus.
That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known.
to you.
And so here Jesus is saying, I am what you need and what you need is the Spirit of God.
And I have him, he stands in front of the throne where I sit and he will take from what ismine and give it to you.
(08:26):
You need me, Jesus said.
And once you seek me and remember what I've said to you, remember my words, I will send toyou the Spirit who will make you.
alive.
So we go through that.
Jesus is saying that he has exactly what this church need to become alive, what they needto become fruitful, what they need to become productive again.
(08:54):
They need the Holy Spirit and Jesus is the one who can send the Holy Spirit.
What we need to note about the culture around all seven of these churches is that for eachof these churches we've discussed,
They were located in cities where the worship of little g gods were an integral part ofthe people's lives still today, we're either worshiping the true god or a lot of little g
(09:25):
gods I know there are many who think they are autonomous That they are just doing theirown thing.
No, you're either worshiping the true god or you're worshiping a little g god
And each of these churches just make note of the reality that they are living among a lotof little G gods.
(09:47):
Now, what did Jesus find favorable about Sardis?
Because remember, he starts off with, let me introduce myself to you.
And then before he goes in for what he finds wrong with the church, he always starts withsaying, let me tell you something you're doing good, right?
Because before we come up and start criticizing people, let's start with, let me see whatI can, let me comment on what you're doing good.
(10:15):
And so for each of the seven churches, Jesus starts before he tells them what he findswrong with them or what they need to work on, he starts off with saying something kind.
He notices something that they're doing right.
Unfortunately for the church of Sardis,
There's nothing that they're doing that's good.
He goes straight in.
(10:36):
You are dead.
And it is serious.
So what did Jesus find favorable?
Unlike the previous churches, this time Jesus does not start out with what he findsfavorable.
He goes straight to the issue.
He gives them a stern warning.
Wake up, strengthen yourself, strengthen the little bit that you have.
(10:58):
Again, there's no deceit like self-deceit.
They thought they were alive.
They thought they were alive because they were busy bodies.
But the harsh reality is that you don't really need the Holy Spirit to do a lot of thebusy body activities that are going around or that is being done in many churches.
(11:20):
All you need is just some really good event planning skills.
That's in the church.
You look like you're alive because you have all of these different
activities that are going on in the church.
And yet Jesus said, I'm not impressed and you are dead.
We are here to bring the kingdom of heaven to earth, not by just works alone.
(11:48):
Works alone, are they dead works?
He wants alive work.
The only works that count, the only works that pleases God are works that are done by theHoly Spirit.
but we only get the Holy Spirit through believing in Jesus, one, living a pure life, two,keeping our eyes on Christ, seeking him.
(12:10):
What do you want me to do?
How do you want me to do it?
And then Jesus sending the Holy Spirit to us.
Jesus is not referring to our salvation in this.
These letters are going to churches.
So these people have the foundation of Jesus, but everything they're building.
on that foundation, Jesus is saying is dead.
(12:34):
Being fruitless is not a small thing.
It matters and there are severe penalties that accompany it.
What's your purpose?
Are you fulfilling it?
Why are you here?
Begin to ask.
It's not just for ourselves and to build up our own bank account.
(12:57):
Sardis was considered
fruitful based on man's standards.
But God searches the hearts of each person.
Jesus has authority over the Holy Spirit and the church.
He holds both of them in his hands.
And the Holy Spirit stands before Jesus waiting for his orders, waiting on hisinstructions.
(13:21):
So what is their sin?
Jesus said they are dead.
They're dead because they are just getting along to go along.
They have a get along attitude.
You know, what's interesting when you look at, you know, there's been a lot of excavationthat has been done around the synagogue.
(13:44):
So what do I mean by this whole get along kind of mentality?
Well, the believers and Sardis had compromised the distinctiveness of Christ.
They lived in a get along.
go along and get along kind of culture.
For example, when the synagogue of Sardis was excavated, the Jews had written their nameson the pillars in the synagogue.
(14:10):
They had written it in Greek.
Why would Hebrew Jews write their name in Greek?
At the end of the altar, one of the altars I was looking at,
and studying.
So you have the altar where they do all of their dedication to Christ.
You have the altar there and on the ends of both of the altars or of the altar, they had aRoman eagle imprinted on it and animals showing their allegiance to Rome was there.
(14:42):
The synagogue was built in Sardis next to the Roman gymnasium where Romans
would hold contests in the nude because the Romans loved their bodies and they performedin the nude.
And they also performed sexual acts there in their gymnasium.
(15:04):
To a devout Jew, this would have been deeply offensive to them, anathema.
They would want nothing to do with it.
And yet the synagogue for the church in Sardis was built next to all of this.
They wrote their names in Greek.
You see the compromise?
They had the altar of God that they performed all of their services on, their acts ofworship to God, but engraved on the altar were eagles as a dedication to Rome.
(15:37):
Animals were, Roman animals or animals that would have been dedicated to Rome werelittered all throughout.
The synagogue, you see the compromise?
We're going to go along to get along.
We want everyone to feel comfortable.
Unity among themselves and in their community was what they valued, the Church of Sardis.
(16:03):
They thought they were alive and well.
Instead, there is deadness.
in their spirit, there is deadness in their praying, there is deadness in their preaching,there is deadness in the people's hearing, in their conversations, and in their work.
Jesus said, you have a reputation for being alive.
(16:25):
Everybody knows your name because you're all over the place doing a lot of good deeds.
But Jesus said, I am here to tell you those works are dead.
By man's standards, yes, you're doing a lot, but by my standard, they are dead and you arein deep trouble.
(16:46):
Let me just read one more passage for you before we leave this section.
Let's turn to 2 Timothy chapter three, verse one, but mark this, there will be terribletimes in the last days.
People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive,disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous,
(17:15):
without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, loversof pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness.
You look godly.
but denying its power, the power of the Holy Spirit, have nothing to do with them.
(17:38):
They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed womenwho are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning
but never able to acknowledge the truth.
This is who Jesus is saying these people are.
(17:58):
You're busy bodied.
Everyone knows your name.
You look like you're doing a lot of good stuff.
You're feeding the hungry.
You're giving to the poor, but none of it.
But the one who searches the intent of our hearts, why are you doing it?
Who are you doing this for?
And are you seeking me?
Do you know what I've called you to do?
(18:20):
And are you doing what I've called you to do?
He said, I'm that one.
And I have searched your heart.
And I've searched the intents of why you're doing what you're doing.
And he said, everything you've done is for naught.
Those deeds are dead.
I reject them.
This is part one of the study of the Church of Sardis.
(18:41):
Look in the show notes and you will see part two.
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