Jesus has told us;

> "No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me….apart from Me you can do nothing. ---John 15

> “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing.” ---John 6:60

After His resurrection, Jesus told His disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit before doing anything else. We know that it is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that anything a church or a pastor does bears any fruit that will last. And yet, the wealth we have as Americans enables us to function within our own power and strength – even Christian things can be powered by the flesh instead of the Spirit.

This was the problem the church in had. Wealth, pleasure, luxury, and decadence are words that have been used to describe Sardis. Theirs was a culture of ease and comfort which prioritized earthly pleasures and afforded them easy money. If we can’t relate, we aren’t paying attention!

The church in Sardis had a reputation for being alive, but this reputation was not accurate. From the outside it appeared everything was good and fruitful. A church may appear sound and successful, they may say the right things and do good deeds – all by the power of their own flesh and intellect rather than by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus saw through all of this into what they really were – dead!

Jesus reminds this church of His authority and that it is from Him the Holy Spirit is made available to them as the Father’s gift. They need only to repent and receive Him! So it is for all of Jesus' disciples. We must remain connected to the giver of Life and we must be diligent about doing so.

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To keep the gospel in the forefront as we read these letters, we invite you to memorize Revelation 12:11:

> “*They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.”* ---Revelation 12:11

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Prepare for this week’s teaching by reading **John 15 with Revelation 3:1-6**