It was on a Sunday, that I went to a large famous church. When I entered the church it was dark, because the lights were not turned on yet. I walked to the front and sat down. The pastor walked to the pulpit and told us to open our Bibles, but I couldn’t read. I waited until someone turned on the lights, but nobody did anything. I asked if someone could turn on the lights. But no one responded. When the pastor began to read, the whole church read the Bible in darkness, except for me. Ka hona, I stood up and walked out of the church. This is a dream from some time ago. This dream disturbed me and I began to wonder what this dream meant. Is the church seated in darkness?
Do Christians think they walk in the light, while they walk in darkness?
Do Christians think that they walk in the light, athe bonneteng (sebakeng sa moya) Christians walk in darkness? Are growth and the number of people signs that the church is on the right track and spiritually prosperous?
Is prosperity and are supernatural miracles a sign of God? Do Christians think that they do good works for God, while God doesn’t consider their works good?
Do Christians think that they know Jesus, athe bonneteng, Jesus doesn’t know them? Are there Bible verses about a church that is seated in darkness that confirm this dream?
Are there Bible verses about a church that is seated in darkness?
Ho joalo, ho na le! Our Lord Jesus Christ spoke about a church that was seated in darkness in the Book of Revelation chapter 3. Ho Tšenolo 3:1-4, Jesus said the following to the church in Sardis that was dead:
And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; Ke tseba mesebetsi ea hao, O ka lakatsa lebitso leo u le khahlisang, 'me bonono ba shoele (but you are dead). Lebelang, le ho tiisa tse setseng, tse seng di loketse ho shwa: hobane ha ke a ka ka fihlela mesebetsi ya hao e phethehile pela Modimo. Hopola hle kamoo o amohetseng le kamoo o utlwileng kateng, mme o itshwarelle ka thata, mme o bake. Ekare ha o sa fadimehe, Ke tla o tlela jwaloka leshodu, mme ha o ka ke wa tseba nako eo ke tlang ho tla hodima hao ka yona. O na le mabitso a seng makae le Sarda ba sa kang ba silafatsa diaparo tsa bona; mme ba tla tsamaya le nna ba apere bosweu: for they are worthy (Tšenolo 3:1-4)
What does the Bible say about the church in Sardis?
When we look at the church in Sardis, we can conclude that it was a well-known church. Because the church had a name among the people that the church lived.
The believers of the church in Sardis did the works and thought they pleased God.
They assumed that they found the life and walked therein. Leha ho le joalo, the truth was that the church in Sardis was not alive, but dead.
The church in Sardis wasn’t seated in the light but in darkness.
The church was spiritually dead to Jesus and dead to God. None of their works were found perfect before God.
Jesus urged the believers of the church in Sardis to le fadimehe and to strengthen the things which remain, that were ready to die, so that they wouldn’t die, empa phela.
From a natural viewpoint the church of Sardis was alive, but from a spiritual viewpoint the church was dead
From a human point of view, the church in Sardis was a living church. Ho bonahala, the church was successful and famous and probably had many church members.
The church in Sardis did many works and everything seemed to be prosperous. But from God’s view (a spiritual view), the church of Sardis was dead and lived in darkness. The believers didn’t do the works out of Jesus; out of the Light. But the church did the works out of themselves; out of the flesh (lefifi).
Hobane ho beha kelello nameng ho bolela lefu; empa ho beha kelello moeeng ho bolela bophelo le khotso. Hobane kelello ea nama ke bora ho Molimo: hobane ha e laolwe ke molao wa Modimo, leha e le hore ho ka ba joalo. Ka baka leo, ba nameng ba ke ke ba kgahlisa Modimo
Baroma 8:5-8
The Holy Spirit knows what’s in the heart of man
Only the Holy Spirit knows people’s hearts and what’s inside of people. These elders of the church of Sardis didn’t walk after the Spirit, although maybe they thought they were.
If they would have had the Holy Spirit and had walked after the Spirit, they would have discerned the spirits and good and evil and what is right and what is wrong. They would have discerned their dead works and the dead works of the members of the church and would have sokoloha.
But the elders (the leaders) of this church, were darkened in their minds and lived in darkness. Their garments were defiled by sin and the world. Because you can only defile the garments of righteousness through ho se mamele Molimo, when you keep walking after the flesh; sebeng le bokgopong.
Was the church of Sardis prosperous and successful?
The believers thought they possessed the Holy Spirit and did the works out of the Spirit, because they were prosperous and successful. But God’s truth was, that they were spiritually asleep and dead.
The devil and demons come as an angel of light. They present themselves in the best way possible.
They imitate God, Jesu, and the Holy Spirit to tempt and mislead Christians so that they will open their lives to the powers of darkness and believe, mamela, and follow them.
Carnal Christians that are led by their feelings, maikutlo, Mehopolo ea Carnal, etc. will be misled.
If Christians don’t know the Bible and don’t hold on to the Word of God, but open themselves to the spiritual realm from their soul, then these powers of darkness will tempt the believers and take possession of them.
These powers of darkness can also imitate God and perform miracles. Ba ka bolela bokamoso esale pele (and prophecy), reveal the hidden things of their neighbor, give visions and dreams, imitate tongues, provide supernatural powers, yes… even healings (Reiki, phodiso e kopanyang, ho hlaba ka linalete, Lingaka tsa boloi, Massage Therapy, etc).
Why was the church of Sardis not alive but dead?
The church of Sardis was not alive but dead. There was no life in the church of Sardis, although the church thought there was. The believers had received the truth, empa ba ile ba sekisetsa. They probably adjusted the truth and permitted lies and doctrines of man into the church, whereby the truth was no longer the truth.
They had turned the gospel of Jesus Christ into a gospel of man.
The believers were not awake, but slept. There were only a few church members, who walked in the ways of the Lord in holiness and righteousness. These believers hadn’t defiled their garments but walked worthy before the Lord.
Jesus urged the church of Sardis to awaken and repent.
If they didn’t wake up and repent, then Jesus would come like a thief and they wouldn’t know the hour of Ho tla ha hae. If they did not repent of their dead works, they would enter eternal death instead of eternal life.
Is today’s church alive or seated in darkness and dead?
There are many churches today that are seated in darkness and are (MOHLA) shoeleng. Most Christians are not spiritual but carnal and focused on themselves.
Instead of Christians becoming born again and seeking the things which are above and focus on Jesus and be His witnesses on earth , the majority of Christians stay carnal and seek the things on earth and focus on themselves.
They focus on success, Katleho, chelete, etc. instead of focusing on the lost souls of man and being busy with the Kingdom of God and the preaching of the cross.
Likerekeng tse ngata, Ho na le batho, who think they are saved, athe bonneteng, they are lost souls, who are on their way to destruction: lefu le sa feleng.
Most shepherds are asleep, ka hona, they don’t see their sheep walking into the abyss.
These shepherds don’t warn and chastise their sheep and don’t guide them with the truth of God anymore. Sebakeng seo, they let the sheep go their own way.
The love has disappeared. Although many think they walk in love, by tolerating everything, Ho kenyelletsa Seld.
But the love of God calls to repentance and obedience to the words of God and keeping His commandments (Oh. Johanne 14:15-23; 15:10).
Likerekeng tse ngata, the fivefold ministry or actually the fourfold ministry (Baapostola, baporofeta, baevangeli, and shepherds, ke bo-mang hape matichere) is not functioning correctly anymore.
As a result Christians are not taught in the Bible. They don’t know the will of God and don’t grow up in the image of Jesus Christ (which is the purpose of the fivefold ministry). Sebakeng seo, they remain spiritual babies.
The Word has been replaced by the doctrines and philosophies of man. Many humanistic, philosophical, saense, le new-age doctrines kena kerekeng.
Many churches have become entertaining centers
People want to be entertained. They want to get attention, and sing, motjeko, kopanelo, eat and drink and have a good time, instead of studying the Bible, praying and fighting spiritually and crying about the state of the church.
Man has become the center of attention; in sermons, church service, diseminara, praise and worship, etc. As as result, sermons have been shortened. The prayer services have been shortened, canceled, or replaced by praise and worship services.
have preachers become entertainers?
Many preachers and elders of the church have become entertainers, comedians, and actors on stage instead of being spiritual fathers. They not only try to be intellectual, but also funny and witty, so that they will be liked, rorisoa, kgumameloa, and exalted by the church audience and attract more people.
Many Christians love the world and the things that are in the world, and can’t give it up. Ka lebaka la sena, they have adjusted the words of God and mixed His words with their own philosophies, opinions and findings.
Ka tsela ena, Christians won’t have to change but can continue their carnal life and live like the world, and walk in sin and iniquity in darkness.
The church has thrown out the Word (Jesu) and the Holy Spirit and welcomed the words and wisdom of the world into the church. (Bala hape: Jesu o lelekilwe ka ntle ho kereke le The Holy Spirit banished from the heart and put back into a building).
Lefatshe le dutse ka hare ho kereke. and the devil (mmusi wa lefatshe lena (lefifi)) established terone ea hae.
Likerekeng tse ngata, Jesus is no longer the Head, but the devil has become the head.
Sena ha sea lokela ho makatsa, because Jesus foretold this, when He spoke to His disciples about the manyala a tshenyo.
Has Jesus removed the candlestick?
Jesus removed the candlestick from many churches that are seated in darkness and are spiritually dead and refused to repent.
Despite the fact that a church has a name and is famous (in the nation or all over the world), has many members, has written books, speaks charismatic words, preaches motivational sermons, does good humanitarian works, and performs miracles and people are healed, the church can still be seated in darkness.
The church may think to live closely to Jesus and confesses His Name, athe bonneteng, the church deviated from Jesus the Word and walks outside the will of the Father
That’s why it’s time to repent and return to Jesus, Lentswe le phelang, le ho mamela mantsoe a Hae le ho boloka litaelo tsa Hae.
update: This dream has come to pass and this church no longer exists.
‘E be letsoai la lefatše’
