HOW TO KILL A CHURCH

The churches of Christ Greet You (Romans 16:16)

Introduction
A. Read Revelation 3:1.
B. Regarding the text:
     1. It was written to the church at Sardis.
     2. Sardis was one of the “seven churches of Asia.”
     3. Sardis was condemned as a “dead church.”
C. In connection with this:
     1.  We would like to set forth five areas that lead to the death of the local church.
     2.  We do this in hope that all will try to help prevent it.
 D. Five ways through which we can kill the church!

I. UNLIVED TRUTH
A. God's Word is truth (John 17:17).
B. We are to “walk by faith,” which is the Word of God (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:7; Romans 10:17).
C. We are to live “soberly, righteously, and godly” (Titus 2:11-12).
D. Because of unlived truth, the world will have reason to speak evil of the church
        (cf. Lamentations 2:16; 1 Peter 2:11-17; 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12).
E. A little leaven will leaven the whole lump (1 Corinthians 5:6).

II. UNHOLY UNIONS
A. A “union” is something bound to something else.
B. Persons divorced for unscriptural reasons and remarried are living in an "unholy union."
C. According to the Bible, there are only two exceptions for remarriage:
     1. Death of marriage partner (1 Corinthians 7:39).
     2. Fornication on the part of spouse (Matthew 19:9).
D. The Biblical answer to unholy unions is separation from that union (Ezra 10:10,11).
E. Any union that would bind us to anything other than Christ is an “unholy union”
        (2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Matthew 12:30).

III. UNCONCERNED MEMBERS
A. The body (church) is made up of many members (1 Corinthians 12:12).
B. The body (church) is compared to a physical body (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:12-27).
C. Just as a physical body must have all of its members contributing to work properly,
        so also must the church (cf. Ephesians 4:16).
D. We must be concerned about all of the facets of the work of the church (cf. Acts 6:1-6).

IV. UNCOMMITTED MAJORITY
A. We are to commit ourselves to the Lord (Psalm 37:5).
B. We must determine that we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15).
C. We must also carry through with our commitments.
     1. Daniel carried through (Daniel 1:8ff).
     2. The three Hebrew children did also (Daniel 3:12-30).
     3. The parable of the sons - one did NOT carry through (Matthew 21:28-32).
D. There were a few at Sardis who had “not defiled their garments," yet the church was called
        a "dead church" (Revelation 3:4).

V. UNCONFESSED SIN
A. God is willing to forgive the sins of those who confess them (1 John 1:9).
B. God will not clear the guilty (Nahum 1:3).
C. The church has a responsibility to do something about those who will not repent
        (cf. Revelation 2:20,21; 1 Corinthians 5:9-13).
D. If this is not done, shame will be brought on the church.

CONCLUSION
A. We have seen five areas in which we can kill the church in hope that such might be prevented.
B. If you are involved in any or all of these, will you not repent so the glorious
        church of our Lord might live?

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