I was recently asked a question I hadn’t considered before: “What’s one thing you would like to see change at your church?”My answer was simple but weighty — I want to see the worship of our church become more consistently passionate. I want to hear the congregation sing. That might seem like a small thing, but it reveals something much deeper about the spiritual health of a church.
The Danger of Complacency
Complacency is an attitude that says, “I’m okay. I’m not perfect, but I’m good.”That self-satisfaction blinds us to real dangers and spiritual deficiencies.
Jesus’ letter to the church at Sardis is one of the most sobering passages in Scripture.
Revelation 3:1-6 — “I know your works. You have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up!”
Sardis was once one of the greatest cities in the ancient world — a center of wealth, trade, and textile production. Its hilltop location made it nearly impossible to conquer. But overconfidence led to complacency, and Sardis was conquered not once, but twice. By the time John wrote Revelation, the city was a shadow of its former glory.
The church in Sardis was much the same. They had a reputation for being alive, but Jesus pronounced them dead. It wasn’t persecution or false teaching that killed them — their death came from within.
Spiritual complacency kills churches.
When the Lights Are Still On but the Life Is Gone
Think of it like this: if a star 38 light-years away exploded and died today, it would take decades before we would see the light go out from earth. To us, it would still look like it was shining even though it had ceased to exist. Many churches are like that. From a distance, they still look like they are “alive” — busy calendars, good programs, solid reputations — but the light has gone out inside. That’s what Jesus saw in Sardis.
Jesus’ Prescription for a Dying Church
Jesus doesn’t just diagnose the problem; He gives the cure:
- Wake Up – Stay alert! Complacency is a slippery slope.
- Strengthen What Remains – Fan into flame the last embers of spiritual life.
- Remember – Preach the gospel to yourself daily. Never get over what Jesus has done for you.
- Keep – Obey what you know. Perseverance is the proof of real faith.
- Repent – Make a decisive turn back to God. True repentance changes your behavior.
Jesus always calls His church to revival before He brings judgment.
Worship Is the Heartbeat of a Church
David Jeremiah once said the first thing you should observe in a church is how the people worship. Worship is the heartbeat of the church. Sardis stopped worshiping in spirit and truth. They had songs but no singing. They went through the motions without any emotion.The issue isn’t the style of music; it’s whether we come expectant and ready to participate.rWorship is not a spectator sport. It is not a product to consume. It is the response of redeemed people to a glorious Savior.
Think of it this way: In most churches, the worship leader is the song director. The actors are the worship team on the platform. The audience is the congregation. We must change the paradigm for worship so that the Holy Spirit is the Prompter. The congregation are the actors. And Jesus is the audience. We are not the audience — Jesus is.
The Enemy Wants Silent Churches
Satan doesn’t need to launch a massive attack to kill a church. He just needs to separate God’s people from the very thing we were created to do — worship Jesus with passion and joy. Churches die a slow, imperceptible death when they stop worshiping. They ignore the warning signs, mask the symptoms, and convince themselves they are okay. A dead body can’t revive itself. Only God can breathe life back into a dying church. And one of the first signs of renewed life is singing.
When we sing, we fix our eyes back on Jesus. We remember who He is, what He’s done, and why He is worthy of our praise.
So here’s my prayer for local churches … that we would be churches that sing — loudly, joyfully, and passionately — because we are a people who have been redeemed.
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MichaelStovall 