When the Heart Stops Beating: Jesus’ Instructions for Sardis

    Have you ever felt like you were just "going through the motions" in your faith? On the outside, everything looks fine—you attend church, you say the right things, and you might even be involved in various programs. But on the inside, the fire has gone out. You feel spiritually cold, dry, and perhaps even "dead." 

    The church in Sardis was the ultimate "zombie" church. They had a reputation for being alive and active, but Jesus—who sees past the surface—delivered a staggering diagnosis: "You are dead."

     It is a sobering reminder that a church's health isn't measured by the size of its budget, the number of its programs, or the crowd in the pews. There are churches that are filled with thousands upon thousand of people but that does not mean that they are a church or that the pastor is a true man of God. One pastor reminded me that not everything that "grows" is good, because tumors grow too! God’s standard for a living church is whether it is on mission: Are lives being changed? Are souls being saved? Is there genuine compassion? God's standard for a successful Christian or pastor is not the impact of their ministry, but the faithful of their obedience to God. 

The Silent Epidemic of Spiritual Apathy

    Spiritual death rarely happens overnight. There are often warning signs that are often ignored and ignored far to long.  It is often a slow drift caused by silence and apathy. In today’s fast-paced world, "spiritual heart failure" is often tied to our modern lifestyle. We are far too busy to stop and take a pause to simply spend quality time with the Lord. We are far to busy to take the time to pray or read God's word and for many to even go to church. 

    Statistics suggest that the average person spends over 6 hours a day on digital media, yet a 2023 American Bible Society report found that only 9% of Americans use the Bible daily. This is even more problematic when we understand the vast access we have to the Word of God. In America bibles are in stores, they can be bought online, they can be found for free for anyone to take, and you can even down load them on your phone or tablet. So there really is no excuse for 91% of Americans to not open the bible on a daily basis. It's not a lack of availability it all comes down to a sin issue. 

     Research into "organizational health" shows that many institutions (including churches) suffer from "active inertia"—doing more of the same things even when they no longer produce results. This mirrors Sardis, where programs continued while the spiritual heart had stopped.

    We often use the "busyness of life"—jobs, hobbies, and families—as excuses. But we must ask: do these excuses hold weight with the One who died to pay for our sins? 

“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.”’” — Revelation 3:1–3 (NKJV) 

    Even when a spiritual walk is on "life support," there is hope because of Jesus Christ. He provides a clear path to revival:

1. Be Aware of Your Infection

    The first step is to be "watchful" and observant of your true condition. Sin is like a cancer; it starts small and eats away at the soul until it results in spiritual death. We must identify the specific root—the thing we’ve allowed into our lives that has caused our relationship with God to suffer.

2. Go Through Spiritual Rehab

    Jesus tells us to "strengthen the things that remain". If you are still reading your Bible or praying, don't stop—do it more. Exercise your faith muscles. This isn't about human effort alone; it’s about relying on God's strength to restore the joy of our salvation.

3. Always Be on Guard

    To "hold fast" means to guard against loss or injury. When you begin to turn back to God, the temptations often become strongest to pull you back into old habits. We must lay aside not only obvious sins but also the "weights"—those non-sinful things like over-commitment to work or hobbies that distract us from our fellowship with Christ.

Breathing Again

Revival is not about a new program; it’s about a restored relationship. As King David prayed, we must ask God to "create in a clean heart" and "renew a right spirit" within us.

The Growth Test: Is your relationship with God better today than it was a year ago? Don't ask that question and move on, spend time and really investigate your spiritual life. Ask the Lord to show you anything in your life that has eroded your fellowship with Him, no matter how big or how small. 

The "Rehab" Assignment: Identify one thing you are currently doing (like attending service) and commit to deepening it (like joining a study group) this week.

Weight Check: Identify one "weight"—an activity or excuse—that is preventing you from spending time alone with God, and set it aside. What will you do to lighten or let go of that "weight" so you can regain the fellowship with the Lord that has been missing in your life? Perhaps it is watching less TV, or waking up earlier or carving out a time each day to turn off the phone and spend time with God. 

    Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He is waiting to bring life back to your soul today.