Revelation 3:1-6 DOCTOR, IS IT TIME TO PULL THE PLUG?

 Life is full of cold, hard realities! For instance, there are times when decisions must be made concerning the life of a loved one. Sometimes these bodies can become so diseased and so badly damaged that there is no hope for the continuation of life. During those times, many families will make a decision to forgo medical treatment for their loved ones, thereby affording them the right to die. Certainly, this is not euthanasia, but it is facing the fact that there are times when you must face the facts! There are times when there can be no recovery and no quality of life and the best gift you can give that loved one in to pull the plug, so to speak, and allow them to die with some semblance of dignity. (Of course, not everyone feels this way. There are those who want to keep their loved ones alive as long as possible using machines and medicine. This is not a condemnation of that approach either.)

While this is true concerning the human body, it is also true concerning churches! Churches die! There are churches that once walked in the glory and power of God, who are now living on their past success. There are some churches that are kept alive by nothing more than the machinery of their organization. If someone were to walk by and pull the plug, that church would silently fade away into oblivion.

Such is the church in our text this morning. They looked alive, but the Great Physician felt their pulse and declared them to be dead! Jesus is telling this church that unless there appears the certain signs of life, then He has no choice but to pull the plug and let them go forever.