THE FIFTH MARK OF THE CHURCH – REALITY

CHURCH IN SARDIS, TURKEY

The following is the commentary of John Stott (1921-2011) on the church at Sardis in Revelation 3:1-6.

Reality is another sine qua non of a true church. A church should not only have the name of being alive but the life itself. So we must recognize the difference between outward appearance and inward reality (Is.29:13; Matt.6:1-16,16-18; 23:5,27,28). It is the tendency to form without power, a name without life, and outward appearance without an inward reality.

The correct word for this behavior is hypocrisy. And hypocrisy can permeate the whole life of a church. We can have a fine choir, an expensive organ, good music, great anthems and fine congregational singing. We can mouth hymns and psalms with unimpeachable elegance, while our mind wanders and our heart is far from God. We can have pomp and ceremony, color and ritual, liturgical exactness and ecclesiastical splendor, and yet be offering a worship which is not perfect or “fulfilled” in the sight of God.

Those of us whose privilege it is to be in the ordained ministry can be hypocrites in our praying and preaching too. We can lead the prayers in such a perfunctory manner that the congregation never reach the throne of grace, and we can preach rather to display our learning or eloquence than to exalt Christ and bring glory to him. A torrent of words can pour from our lips, while there is neither sincerity nor power in them. Our Christian service outside church can be contaminated by the same poison. Activity with no inner love for God or man is a hollow mockery and an empty pantomime.

What other message does a dead or moribund church need to hear? It is the Holy Spirit who can breathe into our formal worship until it comes alive and is real. It is He who can animate our dead works and make them pulsate with life. He can rescue a dying church and make it a living force in the community. Let him once fill us with his vital presence, and our work, worship and witness will become marvelously transformed. The word of God tells us that we must pray in the Spirit, preach in the Spirit, worship in the Spirit, live in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit (Jude 20; 1Thess.1:5; Jn. 4:24; Phil.3:3; Gal.5:25,16). A stale church can be freshened by him and a sleepy church awakened. He can strengthen a weak church and quicken one that is dead…..Perhaps there is no more urgent message for 21st century Christians than this: “Be filled with the Spirit” (Eph.5:18). Only so can Christ’s Church be a living Church. We can spend much time planning, but little time praying. We can work for God but seldom wait on God. We think and scheme and organize. We administer great projects and create impressive committees. But we often leave the Holy Spirit out.

O Breath of Life, come sweeping through us,

Revive Thy Church with life and power;

O Breath of Life, come cleanse, renew us

And fit Thy Church to meet this hour.

(WHAT CHRIST THINKS OF THE CHURCH, p.87f.)