SERMON: “State of the Church in 2025” (Rev. 3:1–6)
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:
- The Concerns: Areas where the
church faces serious challenges, exposing spiritual weaknesses that we
should address.
- 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.
