Self-Confidence in Material Blessings
Sardis Church was a self-confident. The members of the church in Sardis were happy to be called Christians, followers of Christ but they were not aware that Christ does not recognize them. Their work and activities does not please Christ or honor Him. They do not care about their character, what people say about them or even God’s word. What they want to see is the material blessings among them. They were so proud and confident that once they belong to the church, they are satisfied. They were happy, testifying of their material blessings without considering the absence of God in their material blessings or the absence of God in their midst (see Revelation 3:1).
‘Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich’ (Proverbs 28:6).
Spiritual Death and Deception
The death in their midst killed good marriage, godly peace, joy, happiness and their spiritual life but they were deceived to believe that once they are blessed materially, there was nothing wrong. They separate, divorce, re-marry and fight over nothing. Their problem, deceit did not start physically but spiritual. They were deceived from the heart and the devil made a fool of them. They needed deliverance but they were not aware because of the material things around them. There are people who think that progress is based only in the acquiring of material things. The members of the church in Sardis had every physical blessing but there was no God in them. Christ was not in their gatherings, prayers, deliverances operations, praises, testimonies and all their activities, yet they were satisfied.
‘Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men’ (Hosea 10:13).
They can do any kind of wickedness to prosper, come to church and give testimony. They are very strong hearted in evil acts, witchcraft and iniquity, yet they have confidence. They prosper in business through lies, bribery, murder but they did not see anything wrong in them. Once they need anything, they go after it and they do not mind committing any sin to get their way. Great people in their midst, so to say were great because they could manipulate others, have their way without minding the consequences.
They broke God’s word, despise the right way of life and do whatever pleases them without minding God. They roar in the midst of church members, in church service and their speeches promote wickedness. Their testimonies are full of revenge, evil acts and destructions. Their confidence is that whatever they do, once they belong to this powerful church, rich church, popular church, they were favored.
A man therefore can suddenly rise as a leader, pastor or members of the board because he is very rich. Their recognition and position are rated because their tithes, offering, special thanksgiving, personal seed of faith to the pastor over them are greater than others. They were judged and recognized according to how rich they are, not how spiritually. How they made money, get rich does not matter, what matters is how much seed you are able to sow. You receive blessings, prayers from the pastor based on the amount of money you bring to support the church. Some of them engage in wrong business, armed robbery, frauds, drugs and rituals but they are famous in the church. The pastor assures them of God’s mercy as long as they bring their tithes every Sunday. They were so confident that no matter what they do, once the pastor prays for them, they are free. So, they break down every rule; despise God’s word and waste human life with impunity.
Wickedness in the Name of Prosperity
By the way they lived their lives; many strange problems came into the church. Demons attached to their evil acts brought strange fire, problems into the lives of weak members. Many evil spirits defiled the characters of the majority of the church members. The church was brought down by the devil spiritually. They were deceived and removed from God’s presence without their knowledge.
‘And he spake this parable unto certain, which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted’ (Luke 18:9-14).
Their health, business, marriages and job began to have problems. They ran to the pastor, church and they were deceived repeatedly. Instead of preaching to them, teaching them the way back to God, they told them to sow seed. When their problems increased, they told them to sow more seeds, pray more or go for deliverance upon deliverances. This continued until some head pastors made their members to lose all their properties. Others emptied their account and became poor. Some died in their poverty while few survived as poor members. They were thought how to live in poverty and make heaven without repentance and restitutions. Others were taught on how to pray violent prayers, live by faith without God in their lives. Others were told that why their business collapsed is because God called them into the ministry of deliverance.