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 are dead. Be watchful, and
strengthen the things which remain, that are going to die, for I have not
found thy works perfect before God (Revelation 3: 1-2).

We may think that God is being harsh in setting forth such a rebuke as
this, but could this not be the problem in many assemblies today? At
times the Lord leads me to teach and to share at home fellowships. It
becomes very interesting when you see people sitting there before you,
with their eyes and Bibles closed. You begin to wonder, “Are they getting
anything out of this, or does their head always go up and down that way?”

The church at Sardis could be congratulated on having a name, a name that
was a name in letter but not in spirit, for they were dead. Their works
(or the deeds of their hands) were not acceptable to God for they were
deeds that would pass away (die) because they had no eternal value.     

I write this, not to force you into a position of serving the Lord our
God for the wrong reasons, but to cause you to examine your heart and the
life you now lead. Do you have a relationship with Jesus Christ, wherein
you now serve, minister, and have fellowship with others, building them
up in the faith and sharing what God has so freely given? If we truly
have something from the Lord, something that we have laid hold of by
faith, then we should not be afraid of it being threatened or taken away,
but we should rather let it shine, so that others may benefit and grow in
the Lord. This is what relationships are for, as we learn to love one
another with the love of God in Christ Jesus.

Does the fire of God burn within? Do you have life? These are questions
that should be answered, for the day of the Lord will come when the
harvest shall be reaped, the tares (false wheat) and the true wheat. That
which is false will go into the fire to be burned, and that which is true
shall find residence in the Master’s house. There will be fire for those
who are pretenders, true enough, but that of unquenchable fire, that will
burn for eternity (Refer to Matthew 13: 37-43).

So as you sit there, Sunday after Sunday, don’t be a leech that only
consumes and moves onward, content in doing its own thing. Show some
life, or else you may only be fooling yourself into thinking that you
have life. Let us close with God’s remedy for the deadness of the
assembly of the saints.

Remember, therefore, how you have received and heard [the Word], and hold
fast [to it] and repent (Revelation 3: 3).
                                        Amen! M. H. G.