WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.339 You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama. 00:00:06.799 --> 00:00:10.519 ! Our passion is to experience and express grace. Join us. 00:00:10.519 --> 00:00:10.519 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:39.359 It's okay. But there are similar patterns and themes in the letter to Sardis this week. 00:00:41.380 --> 00:00:53.780 Unfortunately, not much good to say this time. Not easy words. But God's Word to them and to us 00:00:53.780 --> 00:01:02.780 in Revelation 3 at verse 1. And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, 00:01:03.039 --> 00:01:11.439 the words of Him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. In other words, 00:01:11.840 --> 00:01:23.599 here's what Jesus says. He's full of the Spirit and He holds His people, His churches in His hand, 00:01:23.780 --> 00:01:31.879 and He speaks. I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, 00:01:32.780 --> 00:01:40.780 but you are dead. Wake up and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found 00:01:40.780 --> 00:01:48.680 your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember then what you received and heard. Keep it and 00:01:48.680 --> 00:01:55.640 repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief and you will not know at what hour I come 00:01:55.640 --> 00:02:02.860 against you. Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, 00:02:02.980 --> 00:02:08.719 and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. The one who conquers will be clothed thus 00:02:08.719 --> 00:02:15.900 in white garments, and I will never blot His name out of the book of life. I will confess His name 00:02:15.900 --> 00:02:22.860 before my Father and before His angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says 00:02:22.860 --> 00:02:27.460 to the churches. This is God's Word. Let's ask for His help. 00:02:30.560 --> 00:02:36.640 Father, would You indeed give us ears to hear, even hard things, 00:02:36.639 --> 00:02:47.179 because they're from our gracious Savior, because they're for our eternal good, because He loves us. 00:02:49.059 --> 00:02:54.359 Speak to us and help us to hear in Jesus' name. Amen. 00:02:54.360 --> 00:03:07.980 Amen. A beautiful, old, stone church building caught my eye as we drove through the countryside of Ireland 00:03:07.980 --> 00:03:20.700 this summer. And then so did the sign out front of the beautiful building. Fresh pizza and good wine. 00:03:20.699 --> 00:03:33.379 It read, the abandoned church had become a gourmet restaurant. And stop in to visit, you'll find 00:03:33.379 --> 00:03:43.419 something for your stomach, but nothing for your soul. I visited church buildings and cities in our own 00:03:43.419 --> 00:03:50.039 country with a rich history, with political connections, with crowds of people wanting to be 00:03:50.039 --> 00:03:58.639 there and visit every day of the week to see the historic site. They'll tell you lots of old stories there, 00:03:58.719 --> 00:04:08.280 but not any longer the old, old story of Jesus and His love. Full of activity, 00:04:08.280 --> 00:04:21.079 but now empty of Christ. People often say to me when they're here at Southwood, maybe for the first time, 00:04:21.459 --> 00:04:31.319 Pastor, what a lovely church you have here. And many of you have heard me respond to them, 00:04:31.319 --> 00:04:42.139 yes, it is such a blessing, such a great gift. And I pray that we the people in it are as lovely 00:04:42.139 --> 00:04:57.459 and as loving as the building. Does our lovely appearance ever exceed our true loveliness? 00:04:57.459 --> 00:05:08.879 Jesus. The building is not the measure of a church by any means, but Jesus reminds us here 00:05:08.879 --> 00:05:16.439 that not just the building, but for people, it's easy for a church to look good on the outside, 00:05:16.439 --> 00:05:24.699 but actually be a whitewashed tomb, to be full of dead man's bones on the inside. 00:05:24.699 --> 00:05:36.199 Not really a pleasant way to start a sermon, I understand. But Jesus cuts right to this death 00:05:36.199 --> 00:05:47.659 exposing diagnosis when He writes to this church, right? Sardis, I know your works. You have, 00:05:47.660 --> 00:05:58.280 and what have we been hearing? Faith, endurance, love, toil. No, no, no compliments, no good stuff this time. 00:05:59.300 --> 00:06:10.500 You have the reputation. The word is actually name. We're going to come back to it because it's used 00:06:10.500 --> 00:06:20.399 four times in five verses here. You have a name, a name of life church, a reputation of being alive, 00:06:20.399 --> 00:06:36.540 but you are dead. Spiritual deadness. But nobody knew. Nobody could see except Jesus. 00:06:36.540 --> 00:06:47.480 I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Is it possible, Sardis? You're a church 00:06:47.480 --> 00:07:00.060 in name only. You have a reputation without reality, Jesus says. Now, to be clear, there are obviously 00:07:00.060 --> 00:07:06.300 things happening here. There are signs of life, you might say, especially they've been there in the 00:07:06.300 --> 00:07:14.300 past to the point that this church has a reputation, doesn't it? A good one. But something is not following 00:07:14.300 --> 00:07:21.519 through in the present to complete the works. And we don't get a lot of specifics about that, but it seems 00:07:21.519 --> 00:07:30.479 that they must be resting on their past successes, not finding it urgent to stand for Christ, to share 00:07:30.479 --> 00:07:39.339 Christ now, today. Perhaps they're now soiling their garments in compromise with the surrounding 00:07:39.339 --> 00:07:43.439 culture in ways that they never would have just a generation ago. 00:07:43.439 --> 00:07:57.699 So where do we need to be alert, watchful of the possibility of reputation without reality? 00:07:59.180 --> 00:08:04.959 Is it possible, I'm just asking us to stop and think as a church, is it possible that we could 00:08:04.959 --> 00:08:13.079 celebrate getting so many people connected in grace groups, but actually not have people experience the 00:08:13.079 --> 00:08:21.240 grace of Jesus there? To have small groups and small growth because we talk about football and the 00:08:21.240 --> 00:08:30.740 weather, but never about repentance or a passion for Jesus with one another? Is it possible that we 00:08:30.740 --> 00:08:38.919 could be in the midst of another really encouraging finish to the fiscal year with income outpacing expenses? 00:08:38.919 --> 00:08:45.479 But is it possible that we celebrate having money more than we celebrate the ministry or mission we're 00:08:45.479 --> 00:08:52.299 going to get to share it with? Is it possible we look alive because we give the hungry food, 00:08:52.539 --> 00:08:58.599 but never get around to sharing with them about the bread of life? Is it possible that we preach 00:08:58.599 --> 00:09:05.480 from this pulpit the gospel of free forgiveness of sins, but not transformed life of sacrifice? 00:09:05.480 --> 00:09:16.639 Christ. Is it possible that many members of Southwood are good guys? You know, pretty decent individuals. 00:09:18.159 --> 00:09:28.360 They're nice. They're moral. They would fit in well in Mayberry. But privately, they have no 00:09:28.360 --> 00:09:40.360 vibrant relationship with Jesus. They don't talk with Him. They don't read His Word. They don't repent and depend on Him 00:09:40.360 --> 00:09:52.720 day by day. Is it possible that we Southwood sometimes claim to extend the olive branch of God's peace to the 00:09:52.720 --> 00:09:54.720 Huntsville community? They don't repent and the truth. They don't repent and depend on Him. They don't 00:09:54.720 --> 00:10:01.440 only for them as they grab it to find it's a dead branch with no substance, no life, no commitment behind it. 00:10:02.720 --> 00:10:10.720 They can get pizza or politics, but not the promises and provision of the one true God. 00:10:10.720 --> 00:10:23.320 It's interesting to note as we look at these letters as we go through. There's not a lot positive to say 00:10:23.320 --> 00:10:30.040 about this one, but this is the only one so far in Revelation that we've read with no external opposition, 00:10:30.879 --> 00:10:40.440 no false teaching mentioned, no pronounced persecution. It is not an outwardly tumultuous church. 00:10:40.720 --> 00:10:45.120 Things look pretty good. It's just an inwardly lifeless church. 00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:52.320 That's why Jesus is calling them out here because He doesn't want His people 00:10:52.320 --> 00:11:03.779 to be lulled into a false sense of security. Let me be clear. Peace and stability can be great 00:11:03.779 --> 00:11:10.379 things in a church, right? Praise God for that. Let's not fail to be thankful. 00:11:10.720 --> 00:11:18.019 For peace and stability. But sometimes when things are calm, you get comfortable. And sometimes when 00:11:18.019 --> 00:11:24.019 you're comfortable, you can become complacent. And then there's danger. 00:11:26.560 --> 00:11:32.480 Would Jesus find, for instance, that we've actually gotten comfortable with where we are 00:11:32.480 --> 00:11:37.960 when really our works are incomplete. Our passion is waning. Our mission is unfinished. 00:11:40.080 --> 00:11:46.220 Southwood, ask yourself this question. Are we satisfied to have enough people here to meet 00:11:46.220 --> 00:11:55.220 budget and have some friends for my kids and that's fine? Or do we long and pray for revival such that 00:11:55.220 --> 00:12:04.019 everyone in Huntsville knows Jesus? Because that's not true yet? Ask yourself that hard question personally. 00:12:05.220 --> 00:12:10.060 Do you ever feel like everyone else is engaged at Grace Group? 00:12:10.059 --> 00:12:16.699 Or are they're motivated by the sermon? Or are they're all inspired by the worship? 00:12:19.359 --> 00:12:23.500 But are you unmoved? Unmotivated? 00:12:25.799 --> 00:12:34.939 We should look for spiritual death to be exposed in places where we may look alive. 00:12:34.940 --> 00:12:47.060 Just last week I was writing the last, oh there it is, the last of the prayers for this October 00:12:47.060 --> 00:12:50.220 prayer resource that you can pick up this morning, shameless plug. 00:12:51.740 --> 00:12:58.400 I wanted it to be here today. And this is one of my favorite things I get to do. I love getting to 00:12:58.399 --> 00:13:06.879 connect God's Word and my heart and your lives. It's one of my favorite things. It's one of the most 00:13:06.879 --> 00:13:16.879 seemingly spiritual things that I get to do. And I was doing that and I all of a sudden realized I was 00:13:17.600 --> 00:13:24.319 completely checked out. I had a lot of other things on my mind if I'm honest. 00:13:24.320 --> 00:13:33.520 I wasn't connecting with God at all in the moment. I was checking off a list of things that I had to do 00:13:33.520 --> 00:13:45.040 because I was behind. That's all that was happening. Productive, yeah. Active, yeah. Spiritual, looked like it. 00:13:45.039 --> 00:13:54.480 But self-reliant, my heart disengaged, spiritually lifeless. 00:13:58.000 --> 00:14:04.799 I deleted the prayer that I'd been writing, stepped away, walked outside to talk with Jesus 00:14:04.799 --> 00:14:14.240 for a few minutes about how I was feeling to repent of that lifeless heart, and then started fresh with 00:14:14.240 --> 00:14:24.080 with His Word to revive my heart, to bring me back to Him. See, it's easy to feel like the dead one. 00:14:25.680 --> 00:14:29.759 Even sitting in church, you might feel that way. 00:14:29.759 --> 00:14:42.720 If you do, don't give up. Don't overcomplicate things. Listen to Jesus' seemingly simple, 00:14:42.720 --> 00:14:50.480 death-defying instructions. He wants to tell you what to do if that danger is true for you or your church. 00:14:50.480 --> 00:15:04.480 Wake up. Wake up. Wake up and strengthen what's dying. Remember then what you received and heard. Keep it 00:15:04.480 --> 00:15:12.720 and repent. What's he saying? Y'all, what you received, what you heard is the good news of Jesus, 00:15:12.720 --> 00:15:22.399 the gospel of God's grace. That's where life comes from, right? Not from yourself. Why would we expect 00:15:22.399 --> 00:15:31.200 spiritual vitality to come from anywhere else? It's from Him. Remember what Jesus said in John 15? 00:15:32.160 --> 00:15:41.200 We may be doing lots of stuff, but apart from me, you can do nothing, nothing of any spiritual value. 00:15:41.200 --> 00:15:50.000 In fact, look at verse 6. If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away. Back up for me one slide. 00:15:51.120 --> 00:15:58.720 He's thrown away like a branch and withers, and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, 00:15:59.280 --> 00:16:04.720 and burned. Dead, right? As clear as could be possible. 00:16:04.720 --> 00:16:16.480 But if we're not disconnected from him, if we will abide in him, remember the good news of Jesus. Breathe in 00:16:16.480 --> 00:16:28.560 the gospel of grace. Life will return, and he is the one that bears much fruit. We must remember and 00:16:28.559 --> 00:16:37.039 breathe in the whole gospel of Jesus. The good news that we were made for relationship with the God 00:16:37.039 --> 00:16:43.919 who made the universe, right? Wow, that's good news. That even though we broke that relationship, 00:16:43.919 --> 00:16:52.159 as we have a tendency to do over and over, we do that, that God sent his son to take the death that we 00:16:52.159 --> 00:16:57.759 deserved so that he could give us life with him again, we could be back in that relationship. 00:16:59.199 --> 00:17:07.519 To remember that this good news is not only for me, but for everyone, everywhere that God calls to 00:17:07.519 --> 00:17:16.399 repentance and life in Jesus. To remember that this good news is not for one day, someday only, 00:17:16.400 --> 00:17:25.360 but for today as well. I'm brought back near to God. So now, right here today, in relationship with 00:17:25.360 --> 00:17:32.320 him, I can be honest about my sins. I can hate them for keeping me at a distance from him. I can repent 00:17:32.320 --> 00:17:37.680 and run home near to him again today. I don't have to wait. I can run back today. 00:17:39.360 --> 00:17:45.120 To remember that this good news changes not only my actions, but also my heart, so that I live full of 00:17:45.119 --> 00:17:50.959 gratitude, so that I live in wonder at the grace of God, so that I live a new life transformed into 00:17:50.959 --> 00:18:02.479 Christ's image. That's what I mean by breathing in the whole gospel, all of Jesus for all of life. 00:18:02.959 --> 00:18:12.079 Remember what you've heard. Jesus really is the great treasure. He's the one you need. He's the source of 00:18:12.079 --> 00:18:22.240 life today and forever. And that's why he says, wake up! Will didn't just say something you haven't heard 00:18:22.240 --> 00:18:31.679 before. Wake up! You're dead asleep on things you know to be true. And if you won't wake up, 00:18:31.680 --> 00:18:42.480 he's coming against you. Y'all, the most dangerous place in the world is being distant from God 00:18:43.680 --> 00:18:51.600 while thinking that you're really close to him. The church is a great place for those who know that 00:18:51.600 --> 00:18:57.759 they need Jesus because he loves to meet us here in his word and in his sacrament to remind us of the 00:18:57.759 --> 00:19:06.160 good news of his truth and grace. But church can be a dangerous place because if you are here as a 00:19:06.160 --> 00:19:14.720 cultural Christian, as a Christian in name only, who assumes that you're alive when inside you're dead, 00:19:14.720 --> 00:19:23.200 Jesus is saying, watch out and wake up! You may think that there's life, but don't assume that you're 00:19:23.200 --> 00:19:33.920 safe without staying alert to me, Jesus says. Don't be lulled to sleep in the church. See, the church in 00:19:33.920 --> 00:19:41.759 Sardis would have known their city's history very well. The main city of Sardis was famous for being 00:19:41.759 --> 00:19:48.480 built high up on a rock cliff. It just went straight up and so it was thought to be virtually impregnable 00:19:48.480 --> 00:19:57.680 to any attack. Nobody could get in. And yet they knew that twice in the history of this ancient city, 00:19:57.680 --> 00:20:08.880 enemies had snuck into the city at night and had opened the gate of the city to its death. The city 00:20:08.880 --> 00:20:16.480 that thought she was safe the whole time got destroyed. Jesus is warning them, 00:20:16.480 --> 00:20:25.039 them. And he's warning us against that same reality spiritually. Beware when you think that you stand, 00:20:25.039 --> 00:20:37.079 lest you fall. Guard the gate of your heart by breathing in the air of Jesus, running back to him, 00:20:37.440 --> 00:20:45.120 opening his word again and asking him to make it fresh to your heart, to your mind. Pray that you won't 00:20:45.119 --> 00:20:50.579 just read it and walk away just the same, but that your life will really be different in every way that 00:20:50.579 --> 00:20:59.659 he intends. Ask him to do that. And don't forget that the good news you hear is never just for you. 00:21:00.519 --> 00:21:09.839 The blessing of God never stops with you. The river of God's grace flows to you at your lowest point. 00:21:09.839 --> 00:21:17.599 He meets you there and then it flows through you to others in need of its life-giving streams, 00:21:17.759 --> 00:21:20.319 maybe even some sitting right next to you. 00:21:22.399 --> 00:21:31.099 Don't leave your works incomplete. Run back to Jesus. Breathe deeply the full gospel of grace. 00:21:31.099 --> 00:21:42.679 Jesus. If you don't, you'll die. That's how clear he wants it to be. If you don't, you'll die. 00:21:45.019 --> 00:21:56.480 Now, if you ever wondered if Jesus really loves his people, his church, every part of his beloved bride, 00:21:56.480 --> 00:22:04.960 even maybe especially the ones that need to hear tough things, this ought to convince you. 00:22:06.720 --> 00:22:17.259 Jesus doesn't write off even the dead and dying ones, does he? Is that what happens in the rest of 00:22:17.259 --> 00:22:30.180 this letter? Jesus is warning in the strongest possible terms here. Why? Because he loves in order to offer hope. 00:22:33.240 --> 00:22:39.359 So I want to help you hear it. If you're like me, your initial reaction to a letter like this 00:22:39.359 --> 00:22:47.379 is to try to convince yourself that he's not talking about me. This is not about us. 00:22:49.000 --> 00:22:55.659 And I got to be honest with you, that is exactly what someone with no spiritual life going on 00:22:55.659 --> 00:23:00.939 inside would say. That's what that person would do. 00:23:00.940 --> 00:23:11.400 See, death sounds very much to us like the end. And we don't want to be that failure, right? 00:23:13.039 --> 00:23:19.360 But I want to remind you of how the story actually goes. How does the story go all the way through the 00:23:19.360 --> 00:23:28.380 Bible when God's people are acknowledged to be spiritually dead? See, with God, spiritual deadness 00:23:28.380 --> 00:23:38.200 is not a dead end. Ezekiel 37, all the way back, God's people are in rebellion and they're in exile 00:23:38.200 --> 00:23:46.720 far from him and his land to the point that God takes his prophet to a valley of very dry bones 00:23:46.720 --> 00:23:56.000 as a picture of how dead his people are in relationship to him. And God says to Ezekiel, 00:23:56.000 --> 00:24:04.759 is it even possible for these bones to live? That's God's question. With an obvious answer, 00:24:04.900 --> 00:24:17.720 Ezekiel's like, well, not on their own. But God, but you know, and God says, I will breathe life into you 00:24:17.720 --> 00:24:26.460 and you shall live. I will put breath into you and you shall live and know that I am the Lord. 00:24:26.620 --> 00:24:33.720 God says to Israel, I'm going to open your graves and give you life and bring you home to me no matter 00:24:33.720 --> 00:24:40.759 how far away you are. That's how he works. He does it for his spiritually dead people then. 00:24:40.759 --> 00:24:48.119 And in the New Testament, in Ephesians 2, he tells the same story, doesn't he? You were dead 00:24:48.119 --> 00:24:58.920 in trespasses and sins. Spiritually lifeless, hopeless, but God, right? You love those words. There they are. 00:24:58.920 --> 00:25:11.600 But God, who loved us even when we were dead, did what? Made us alive together with Christ. By grace, 00:25:11.720 --> 00:25:15.960 you have been saved. There's no other way to life. It's right there. The hope of the gospel 00:25:15.960 --> 00:25:22.539 that you are united to Jesus. And so as a result, you are so connected to him that you are no longer 00:25:22.539 --> 00:25:30.859 dead, but you are now alive in Christ because he too lives. That's how God works. Now back to Sardis. 00:25:31.319 --> 00:25:37.940 Okay? You got Ezekiel. You got Ephesians. Now we're going back to Sardis and Revelation. There are a few 00:25:37.940 --> 00:25:49.039 names still, second use names. People who have not soiled their garments by leaving Jesus for the idols 00:25:49.039 --> 00:25:57.399 of the culture around them. They will walk with me. Now listen to who Jesus promises to be 00:25:57.399 --> 00:26:08.279 for those who cling to him. These are what I call death conquering promises because of who Jesus is. 00:26:08.539 --> 00:26:17.299 And the first one is right there, the friendship of Jesus. They will walk with me. What's he saying? 00:26:17.299 --> 00:26:27.700 You're never going to be abandoned. I'm never leaving you. And clothed in white, 00:26:28.200 --> 00:26:35.539 for they are worthy as they're walking with him. Notice, not just them, not just those few who are 00:26:35.539 --> 00:26:43.500 already walking with him, but actually everyone who conquers clothed just like them is the point he's 00:26:43.500 --> 00:26:47.980 making. Not just the ones who are already in white. Everybody else who conquers in just the same 00:26:47.980 --> 00:26:54.680 white garments. Not because they're perfect. We know better. Not because they're good enough. That's 00:26:54.680 --> 00:27:00.079 clear they haven't been. But remember, those who conquer are who in Revelation? They are ultimately 00:27:00.079 --> 00:27:07.880 those who repent and turn to the conqueror. Who turn to Jesus himself. 00:27:07.880 --> 00:27:18.460 How do you get white robes? Revelation 7 reminds us, the ones with white robes have washed their robes 00:27:18.460 --> 00:27:26.380 and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. This is the purity of Jesus given to you, like we 00:27:26.380 --> 00:27:33.340 watched in the washing with water in baptism. Not the darkness of death, but the new life of Jesus. 00:27:33.339 --> 00:27:42.379 Jesus. Keep reading. More promises. I will never blot his name out of the book of life. He's promising 00:27:42.379 --> 00:27:51.079 the security of Jesus. Never will your deadness disqualify you ever again. Your name, third time, 00:27:51.459 --> 00:28:00.879 stays in his book. In fact, Jesus says, I will confess his name, fourth time, before my father and his 00:28:00.880 --> 00:28:08.080 angels. Jesus doesn't merely know your name. He doesn't merely write your name indelibly in his 00:28:08.080 --> 00:28:17.180 book, but actually he speaks your name as his friend. That's the promised loyalty of Jesus before 00:28:17.180 --> 00:28:24.000 the throne of heaven. He's your advocate, your defender. He speaks your name and says, Father, 00:28:24.000 --> 00:28:34.319 he's mine. She's mine. I know them. What can your enemies say about that? What can Satan say against 00:28:34.319 --> 00:28:45.000 that? Satan will try. He's a failure. She's blown it so many times. He's worthy of death. But Jesus says, 00:28:45.000 --> 00:28:56.059 no, no, no, no, no, listen, I died for Will. I died for Southwood. He's my friend. She's dressed in the pure 00:28:56.059 --> 00:29:04.720 white robes of my righteousness, safe forever because I will never leave him. I will never forsake her. 00:29:05.599 --> 00:29:12.579 Death conquering promises for us because we're connected to the one who conquers death. 00:29:12.579 --> 00:29:24.819 You see how Jesus is writing the same story as Ezekiel 37, as Ephesians 2 for the dead people that he loves? 00:29:26.960 --> 00:29:38.199 Listen, last question. What gives Southwood any hope of being a church in more than name only? 00:29:38.200 --> 00:29:43.340 Is it rebuilding her reputation? Will that make her a true church? 00:29:44.500 --> 00:29:49.519 Is it revitalizing her ministries? Will that make her a true church? 00:29:52.240 --> 00:30:02.580 Or is it her Savior? Christ and Christ alone qualifies us to be a true church, part of his 00:30:02.579 --> 00:30:09.839 living bride? Because he keeps our name and confesses our name before the throne of heaven. 00:30:10.019 --> 00:30:18.879 Look at this. You are the church in Sardis. What is Jesus saying? Can you believe that he says this 00:30:18.879 --> 00:30:28.240 given what words are coming about them? You are my bride, my beloved Sardis. You're the church, 00:30:28.240 --> 00:30:37.039 Southwood, for whom I gave my precious blood and whom I will make radiant and alive forever. 00:30:37.759 --> 00:30:46.180 With God, spiritual deadness is not a dead end. Amen? It can't be. It's who he is and how he works. 00:30:46.900 --> 00:30:54.720 And that is why we must breathe in the full gospel of Jesus for life. That is why we must preach the 00:30:54.720 --> 00:31:00.740 full gospel of Jesus for our own life and the life of our neighbors. That is why we must live the full 00:31:00.740 --> 00:31:05.600 gospel of Jesus so that we get used right now to walking with him because that is the only way 00:31:05.600 --> 00:31:15.400 in which life is found for all eternity. That's how we know we're not a dead church in name only. 00:31:15.400 --> 00:31:24.600 That's how you can know that you're not a dead Christian in name only. You hear your Savior's voice. 00:31:26.040 --> 00:31:35.600 You wake up and remember and you repent of breathing any air for life other than the air of Jesus. 00:31:35.599 --> 00:31:47.139 Jesus. Jesus. Jesus shows us what God is like. This is so important. When he comes in the flesh, 00:31:47.219 --> 00:31:56.359 he's showing us that the God who breathes life into dry bones and dead hearts, when he comes as Savior, 00:31:56.740 --> 00:32:04.759 is, as he says, full of the life-giving spirit. What does Jesus do? Jesus turns funerals into 00:32:04.759 --> 00:32:16.099 celebrations, doesn't he? Just ask Mary and Martha and Lazarus. In fact, he turns crucifixions into 00:32:16.099 --> 00:32:26.240 resurrections. Just ask Mary and John and Peter and Paul and 500 others. See, he is the conqueror, 00:32:26.500 --> 00:32:34.400 the victor over the grave who, as a result, holds the keys of death and hell in the same hand 00:32:34.400 --> 00:32:42.140 that holds you. So that even death cannot take away the life he gives his beloved church. So if you 00:32:42.140 --> 00:32:48.180 sense any deadness in you, get near to the one who conquers death and holds the keys and he gives 00:32:48.180 --> 00:32:58.780 you life. Hallelujah. What a Savior. So that's a lot of good news about Jesus. 00:32:58.779 --> 00:33:07.500 Jesus. What about us? I want you to think right now, it's going to get worse before it gets better. 00:33:08.039 --> 00:33:14.000 I want you to think right now of the thing you've done in your life that most smells like death. 00:33:15.359 --> 00:33:22.639 Get it in your mind that most deserves death, that most shows the death of your heart even when most of 00:33:22.640 --> 00:33:39.080 your life looks okay. I want you to think of that. Take a minute. Get that in your mind, what you deserve. 00:33:42.500 --> 00:33:44.360 Now Jesus says to you, 00:33:44.359 --> 00:33:56.019 repent. It's an invitation. Admit that there is no life there, that thing you're thinking of, that struggle 00:33:56.019 --> 00:34:06.139 you know, but that there's life in Jesus. Come back to him. There's life with him. Spiritual deadness 00:34:06.139 --> 00:34:13.239 is not a dead end. You can own it. You can admit it and you can turn back to him right now. 00:34:13.239 --> 00:34:18.599 Now, listen to what Jesus offers anyone who's dead in their sins. 00:34:20.859 --> 00:34:28.159 On the night that he was betrayed, he took bread and he broke it and gave it to his disciples 00:34:28.159 --> 00:34:35.659 as I, ministering in his name, give this bread to you. And he said, take and eat. This is my body 00:34:36.659 --> 00:34:40.039 given for you. I'm going to take death 00:34:40.039 --> 00:34:42.920 so you don't have to. 00:34:44.320 --> 00:34:45.860 Do this in remembrance of me. 00:34:47.400 --> 00:34:52.980 And then in the same way, he took the cup and said, this cup is the new covenant in my blood. 00:34:53.420 --> 00:34:55.119 My blood's the one that's going to be shed. 00:34:56.019 --> 00:34:58.639 It's going to be shed for many for the forgiveness of sins. 00:34:58.940 --> 00:35:00.679 So drink from it, all of you. 00:35:00.779 --> 00:35:03.940 For as often as you eat this bread and you drink this cup, 00:35:03.940 --> 00:35:11.019 you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. You say, Jesus died to give me life 00:35:11.019 --> 00:35:20.720 instead of death. Jesus offers life, forgiveness of sins, washing clean from dirty garments to 00:35:20.720 --> 00:35:28.659 white robes of righteousness. He is calling you by name. He is walking with you. He is eating with you. 00:35:28.659 --> 00:35:36.440 And he will never stop. So if you are his, if you are today actively hoping in Jesus alone 00:35:36.440 --> 00:35:45.619 for your life, you better come eat. Don't miss out on being with him as he's come to meet with you. 00:35:45.960 --> 00:35:51.859 You don't have to be a member of this specific church, just a member of some church that says, 00:35:51.860 --> 00:36:02.680 Jesus is the one who gives life and gives us hope. If that's not your story, then I want to remind you 00:36:02.680 --> 00:36:13.099 the warning of Jesus is clear, but the welcome of Jesus is compelling. I hope it is for you. 00:36:13.240 --> 00:36:19.340 Jesus says either I will come against you and you don't want that and we don't want that for you, 00:36:19.340 --> 00:36:28.800 or, or he says, I will come for you. I will come give my life for you. I will then speak your name 00:36:28.800 --> 00:36:36.660 on your behalf before the throne of heaven, the only place where you could be judged and fall short. 00:36:36.980 --> 00:36:43.340 Jesus will speak your name and stand on your behalf there. Don't come to these elements today 00:36:43.340 --> 00:36:52.120 that are meant to picture Jesus for you. Come to Jesus himself today. Let us pray with you. And then 00:36:52.120 --> 00:37:01.160 we've got forever to eat together with him. Okay. Spiritual deadness won't be a dead end for you. 00:37:01.460 --> 00:37:09.300 If you come to Jesus, the end of your story is life forever. Let's pray and we'll celebrate together. 00:37:09.300 --> 00:37:17.240 Jesus, thank you for that promise. Thank you for that offer of life that is free, that doesn't require 00:37:17.240 --> 00:37:24.920 us earning it, that is beyond anything we could deserve, but is given to us as a gift. Thank you 00:37:24.920 --> 00:37:33.380 for meeting with us now by your spirit. Strengthen our hearts. Wake us up. Give us life where there's death. 00:37:33.380 --> 00:37:39.260 We might be with you who you've made us to be. We ask in your name. Amen. 00:37:41.320 --> 00:37:44.619 For more information, visit us online at southwood.org.