2. Yet, it was the kind of Church that we would have given the blue ribbon. Of all the 7 churches, this is one we would have most impressed with and probably would have wanted to be a member.

3. The things that often impress us in Churches are the things that least impress the Lord. We are often captivated by the externals, but God is more concerned with the internals. Never is that more evident than in this letter our Lord sent to Sardis. We would have said it was alive. But Jesus said,

1. The Lord usually began His letters by commending the churches for the positives. But the Lord started this letter by condemning the negatives for to Him there was no positives to commend.

1. Jesus said to the church at Sardis, "thou hast a name that thou livest. "From a human perspective this was a most impressive Church. I'm sure that it never had a shortage of resume's when it's pulpit was vacant. I'm sure it was often visited by others to learn how and what they were doing. I'm sure it was considered a model church by the other churches around it.

2. In its POPULARITY this Church was second to none. It had a "name." This was a well known and very popular church. If you had visited Sardis, you could stop and ask for directions to the church and anyone in the city would have known where this church was located. It was the church all the preachers and people talked about. You could go just about anywhere in the country, and people had heard of this church.

3. In its PERSONALITY this Church was second to none. Every church has its own personality. Some are cold and some are warm. Some are compassionate and some are complacent. Some are exciting and some are boring. This church had a personality that was impressive. I'm sure it was the envy of all the churches. It had the kind of personality that all the churches wanted.

4. In its PROGRAMS this Church was second to none. This Church had it going. This was the Church that had something for the whole family. It had programs for its children, youth, singles, young adults, parents, senior citizens, etc. I'm sure something was going on each night. It's programs reached out to the whole man: body, mind, and soul.

5. It no doubt had the best music one could hear this side of heaven. If one wanted to hear a good sermon, this was the place to go. If a pastors school had been held in those days for preachers and churches to visit to learn how to do it, this would have been the place.

6. In its POSSESSIONS this Church was second to none. While many Churches had a little budget, this church had a large budget. Its offerings were staggering to the mind. Its buildings were appealing to the eye. This was the big Church; the First Church.

This was the Church that everybody was saying was alive. This was the Church that getting it done. This was the Church that was on fire. In it's appearance this Church was lively.

1. What the members and other people thought about the Church was one thing and what the Lord thought of this Church was another thing. If anybody would get a raving letter from Jesus, surely it would be the Church at Sardis. But Jesus said plainly and very abruptly, "Thou ... art dead."

2. They had a label but no life. They had a reputation but no reality. It had a form but no force. Many spiritual ministries often go through 4 stages: a man , a movement, a machine, a monument. This Church was at the monument stage. Instead of being the Temple of the Living God, they were the morgue of the lifeless group.

3. They were more of an organization rather than an organism. They were more of a skeleton than a sanctuary. They were more like bones than a body. Like Samson, they wist not that the spirit had departed.

4. In the case of the Church at Ephesus, They Looked Good, but in reality it was dead.

5. By appearances it was a Church of an acute fever. But by assessment it was a Church of a dull habit.

6. The impressive prayers that were prayed went no higher than the ceiling. The beautiful music was not heard in angelic realms. The large offerings were not recorded in the ledger of heaven. Its many programs were not attended by heavenly power. THE CHURCH WAS DEAD!

7. "Its works were beautiful graveclothes which were but a thin disguise for this ecclesiastical corpse."

8. Notice in verse 4, that there were a few that were still breathing. . . The word "few" means "small, slight, little." Thank God for this magnificent minority among this mummified majority.

9. The story is told of a preacher that was given to doing eccentric things. The preacher had become discouraged and finally told his congregation that the Church was dead and he was going to preach it funeral service the next Sunday.

He had a casket placed in front of the pulpit and standing beside it at the end of the service, he said, "Now some of you may not agree with me that this Church is dead. In order to convince you, I am going to ask you to view its remains." What he had done for this sensational demonstration was he had placed a mirror in the bottom of the casket. Of course, you know what the people saw when they came by and viewed the remains.

10. One preacher wrote

Tell my church when I am dead,

That they should shed no tears.

For I shall be no deader then,

Than they have been for years.

11. You heard about the Church in which a member died during the service. They called the paramedics they carried out 5 people before they got the right one.

12. Jesus is not impressed with labels. He is interested in life. He is not impressed with reputations. He is interested in reality.

Someone has said,

"Reputation is what people think you are. Reality is what Jesus knows you are."

God does not want His Church to be a form but a force. He wants His Church to be more like a tree and not a telephone pole. He wants the Church to be alive, not dead.

13. How can you tell when a church is alive? I believe there are many indicators but let me mention just three.

One: There Is a Detection of Growth. When someone is alive there is growth. Hair grows, nails grow, nose grows, we get taller, wider, heavier etc. A Church that is alive will grow spiritually.

14. It will also grow numerically. One of the results of maturity is the reproduction of oneself. In 1 John 2:13, we read of little children, young men, and fathers. This is growth. A father is someone who has children.

15. A second sign of being alive is that There Is a Desire For Food. Hunger is a sign of life. There will be a hunger for the things of God.

16. A third sign of life is that There Will Be a Display of Emotions. A dead person won't cry, laugh, smile, shout. Life is a constant display of emotions.

17. Many Churches are like the artificial flowers. They look good and are often very pretty. At times you can't tell them apart from the real thing. But there is no life in them.

Many churches are like the chocolate Easter Bunnies. They look good on the outside but are hollow in the inside.

18. Because they were dead, notice what Jesus said about their works. Vs.2b "for I have not found thy works perfect before Me." The word "perfect " means "fulfilled." The congregation may have been fulfilled with what they were doing, but Christ was not. What they were doing had no eternal quality about it.

1. Our Lord's instructions to the Church was in a nutshell, a plea for revival. He was calling for a reviving of the corpse. They were dead and need to be alive again. That is revival.

A. He Called For A Prompt Response To Their Condition.

1. Note VERSE TWO . . . The word "watchful" comes from two Greek words that means to "chase sleep." It was a call for stirring out of their slumber. To wake up. They needed to open their eyes to the seriousness of their condition.

2. They needed to realize how bad things were and "strengthen" the things which remain. The word speaks of "setting fast." It literally means to turn resolutely in a certain direction. Jesus said they were dying. They need wake up realize that they needed to be living.

3. Notice the words "that are ready to die." The words describe the last spark of life. They were like coals about to go out.

The fire was about to go out. When the fire went out, it would only be a matter of time when they would fade out. That was how serious their condition was and desperately needed reviving.

4. What did they need to keep the fire from going out? How do you start a fire from a few coals. You blow upon it. ( Fan the Flame )They needed the wind from Heaven to blow upon them and revive them before it was too late.

5. The life of a Church is not it’s popularity _ programs _ possession _ personality. The life of a Church is in a Person; the person of Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. When He is gone the fire will go out. When He comes, He will fan the dying embers into a mighty flame.