SERMON: “State of the Church in 2025” (Rev. 3:1–6)





State of the Church for 2025

Series:               New Year Messages #2                  Text:                 Revelation 3:1–6

By:                    Shaun Marksbury                         Date:                January 5, 2025

Venue:              Living Water Baptist Church            Occasion:          PM Service

 

I.              Introduction

As we begin this new year, it’s vital to take a step back and assess the state of the church at large.  Much like a doctor examines a patient’s vital signs to assess their health, we must examine the spiritual pulse of the church in 2025.  In fact, it’s more than a need: New Years provide opportunity for assessment.  So, are we spiritually alive and thriving, or are there areas where we have a name that we are alive but are, in truth, at risk of spiritual deadness?

I didn’t pick this passage because I believe we’re all doing horribly, but Christ’s words to Sardis in Revelation 3:1–6 provide a sobering and timely framework for this evaluation.  Sardis had a reputation for life and activity, just like the American church.  Yet, Christ sees through to the heart of the matter: their works were incomplete, their vigilance was lacking, and their life was waning.  Still, Christ offered them hope — a call to wake up, strengthen what remained, and return to Him in repentance and faith.

Now, this evening will not be so much an exposition of this passage as it is a call to examine our part in this.  We’ll anchor our thoughts in what Christ said to Sardis, allowing His words to guide our response, but we are evaluating the state of the church at large.  Just as He called Sardis was called to wake up and strengthen what remained, we too must heed Christ’s call to live with spiritual vitality, faithfulness, and urgency. 

As such, we’ll explore two critical aspects of the church’s state in 2025:

  1. The Concerns: Areas where the church faces serious challenges, exposing spiritual weaknesses that we should address.
  2. The Reasons for Optimism: Opportunities and signs of hope that remind us of Christ’s promises and His power to sustain His people.

Let’s begin by examining some of the pressing concerns the church faces today.

II.           First, Concerns for the Church in 2025

Just like with Sardis, Jesus can say to the American Evangelical church “You have a name that you are alive, but you are dead” (v. 1).  These concerns reveal areas where the church’s vitality is at risk, requiring us to examine our spiritual health honestly.

A.             Political Alignment and Influence

There’s an increasing divide between the Evangelical lay person and clergy on issues of politics.  This started several years ago, around the time of the first election of Donald Trump in 2016.  You might assume this is because of pro-Trump comments from the pulpit, and some of it is that.  Yet, lay people also perceive much of Evangelical clergy as too left-leaning.  This could lead to a disconnect which lead young people to avoid church while still identifying as Christian.  

What does that look like?  For instance, 81% of Christians voted for Donald Trump to be our next president.  However, 20-25% of Evangelical pastors chose to remain silent or advocated against Trump.  Moreover, young men in Gen Z went 56% for Trump, while only 40% of Gen Z women did. 

Now, that reveals a discussion point in itself, the growing divide among younger males and females in politics.  Still, this divide explains why some young men might perceive reluctance on the part of pastors to indicate closeted leftism, while young women might assume church is too conservative to attend!  This polarization in young people coupled with declining attendance across all demographics will affect the church’s outreach to both younger people and those outside traditional conservative circles.

So, what should we do — lean into politics more or less?  Well, Christ challenges His church to wake up.  We must not make political allegiances our focus, of course, but proclamation of the gospel.  It is ultimately the gospel which changes hearts and minds for the glory of Christ and His kingdom.

Still, we must teach all that Christ has commanded, according to the Great Commission.  Believers must see how God would have them to think through political issues, even at the risk of being condemned as too political.  All the while, we should demonstrate how Christ’s kingdom is better.

The next concern is a related one:

B.             Immigration and Social Issues

The push by well-known Evangelical leaders (sometimes referred to as Big Eva) for open borders and amnesty contradicts the general conservative Evangelical voter’s stance on immigration.  This will intensify internal debates and lead to further division or alienation within the community, as people increasingly see open borders as a problem and Evangelical leaders seem to permit it.  This could also impact the political influence of Evangelicals if their positions are seen as inconsistent or out of touch.

Yet, Christians must take care to address these issues in a Christian manner.  We should not respond like the world, sometimes unduly insulting those made in God’s image while calling out the crime and dangers that an open border poses.  There was a political ad by a candidate for state governor advocating executing illegal immigrants.  We cannot allow political rhetoric to allow us to argue in an unchristian and unbiblical manner.

We must recognize the real dangers here for our neighbors and families, though.  Cartels and gangs are establishing strongholds in our country.  We need to communicate that our government has the responsibility to protect its citizens, and yes, that even means executing tried and convicted criminals.  We must balance truth and grace, remembering that all are made in the image of God (Gen. 1:27) but that the government must punish evil (Rom. 13).

We cannot allow some to emotionally manipulate us into inaction.  That’s a call for stronger leadership in the church this year.  That leads us to another concern.

C.             Leadership and Integrity

Scandals involving church leaders, as seen in 2024, might continue to be a concern.  One pastor, John-Paul Miller of Myrtle Beach, SC, took to the pulpit to preach an ordinary sermon, adding at the end that his wife Mica had just committed suicide; afterward, his first wife said he was guilty of having sex with prostitutes and minors, including Mica, who he met when he was a youth pastor and she entered his group.  Perhaps more of a gut-punch to the Reformed world was the announcement that Steve Lawson, platformed by nearly every conservative ministry, was guilty of a five-year long relationship with a woman who was fifty years his junior, and in the fallout, it was revealed that he was a paid speaker, not a pastor nor a member of his church. 

Such stories potentially lead to the ongoing loss of trust in religious institutions and affecting church attendance and donations.  This is because of secrecy and coverups, perceived and actual.  Certainly, when a church that seems biblical has a “pastor” who only provides pulpit supply and is not even a member of the church, there is something seriously wrong in conservative churches!

This prompts a demand for greater transparency and accountability in church governance.  We don’t follow the social justice world’s advice that we need to change church leadership, such as installing female pastors.  However, we do recognize that there should be multiple church elders at any church, and that they should hold each other accountable.  Moreover, pastors should be transparent with their congregations, so the people of God can trust their shepherds. 

We should all be committed to biblical holiness.  Unfortunately, worldliness infects believers on another level.  That leads to another concern:

D.            Growing Antisemitism and Ethnocentrism in the Church

Last year, I voiced a concern for the growing sentiment against Jewish people in culture, and I noted that it was seeping into the church.  It comes from non-Christian sources, like Nick Fuentes and Andrew Tate, but there are Christians who also have taken up the mantle.  For instance, the Lutheran co-host of the Stone Choir podcast, Corey Mahler, has stated that Adolf Hitler was a Christian and that Nazi Germany is a misunderstood application of Christian principles in culture.  While he has been excommunicated from his Lutheran synod, he continues to push for a mono-ethnic society. 

Christians must make it clear that, while there are dangers which arise in a society that pushes for multiculturalism, we are no more against a multi-ethnic culture than we are a multi-ethnic church.  Christ’s promise of white garments for those who overcome reminds the church that the gospel is for all nations, tribes, and tongues (Rev. 7:9).  It is possible for there to be differing peoples united by a single culture in Christ.

Younger people seeing the errors in our current culture must hear the refreshing breeze of the gospel, lest they settle for a Christless and even heartless version of conservatism.  Reject sinful ideologies.  Instead, let’s proclaim the unifying power of the gospel as an example of creating a diverse but unified society.

E.             Cultural Influence and Paganism

Christians have warned for years about an increasingly secularized society, but that no longer seems to be the trend.  As the saying goes, nature abhors a vacuum, and Scripture notes that God has written eternity in our hearts.  A society with wanning Christian influence doesn’t become areligious, it returns to paganism and superstitions.  Social media promotes witchcraft as well as old-world, pre-modern spiritualities. 

While this can be a concern, it also provides a unique opportunity for evangelism, for those who are open to spiritual possibilities may be more willing to entertain the notion of the truth of Scripture.

On that note, let’s consider some reasons for optimism now.

III.        Second, Reasons for Optimism in 2025

Despite challenges, Christ promises victory to His faithful church.  We know that we can overcome in Christ, and that, “He who overcomes will be clothed the same way in white garments” (v. 5).  These opportunities offer hope for renewal and revival.

A.             Political Victories

This is something absent the ancient church, and we must see the blessing that we have here.  There is no doubt that the election of Donald Trump has afforded the church some breathing room.  Under the Biden-Harris administration, Christians faced increasing pressure, with the FBI and DOJ being weaponized against those with Christian values like those in the pro-life movement. 

Moreover, the overwhelming support for Trump in 2024 among Evangelicals could indicate a chance to have ongoing political relevance and influence to change our culture, that our social and political agendas might find traction in a new administration.  This includes potential policy wins in areas like religious liberty, pro-life issues, and traditional family values.

Like Sardis, however, we must remember our true citizenship.  Let’s use this season of political favor to proclaim the gospel boldly.  People will eventually let us down, so we must not grow complacent or overly reliant on political power.

B.             Youth Engagement

Despite the challenges, there’s an opportunity for revitalization through engaging younger generations more effectively.  We don’t have to change our message, but if we understand that they care about issues like mental health, community service.  While I’m not at all a fan, the success of faith-based entertainment like “The Chosen” also indicates there’s still a hunger for positive Christian content among younger demographics.  As we disciple within the church, we can equip young people with a firm foundation in all Scripture, showing them how God’s Word answers their deepest questions.

IV.        Conclusion

Jesus said, “Remember what you have received and heard, and keep it, and repent” (v. 3).  We must heed Christ’s words in 2025.  We must be awake, repent of any wrong doing, and remain faithful in the task to make disciples and to live according to our calling.

Despite challenges, remember Christ’s promises.  He has said that He will grant of white garments and eternal life remind us that He will sustain His church.  Where we have fallen short, we know that He forgives us when we confess.  He also gives us the grace we need to move forward.

So, may we, as His people, renew our commitment to the gospel, strengthen what remains, and trust in His power to preserve and grow His church.


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