Opening Prayer:
Heavenly Father, by the power of your Holy Spirit, open my heart and mind to what you have to say in your Word. Give me a spirit of humility that is willing and ready to experience transformation into the image of your Son, Jesus Christ.
In His name I pray,
Amen!
Read the following passages:
Revelation 3:1-6
“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.
“‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. 4 Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 5 The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
Ephesians 5:13-17
13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,
“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
Romans 13:11-14
11 And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.
Ephesians 2:8-10
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Consider & Discuss:
Jesus confronted the church at Sardis for resting on their reputation, rather than continuing in the works that they were called to. Why do you think we humans have a tendency to do this type of thing, rather than diligently continuing in the works that God has prepared for us?
The stakes were high for the church at Sardis, and they’re just as high today. We desire to live faithfully in what God has entrusted to us, but often fall short. What are some reasons or excuses that you have used to avoid doing the works that Jesus has called you to? What are some practical ways that you have overcome these human tendencies?
**Please post your responses in the comment section below.**
Exhortation:
An excerpt from Sunday’s sermon:
“Wake up! Get real with who you are and where you’re at. Remember that which God has given you and the calling to which he has charged you. Repent, and be those people that he has always desired for you to be. Don’t allow that which is around you to cause you to shrink back from the calling that God has for you on your life.”
Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, wake us up! Breathe new life into our hearts and minds every day. Guide us to walk continuously in your ways with a passion to do the works that you’ve called us to.
In the name of Jesus, who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars,
Amen!