Kentucky MBC
03.22.2026 Sunday

      • Psalm 71:23KJV1900

      • Ephesians 1:13–14NKJV

  • I Will Bless The Lord

      • Matthew 23:27–28NKJV

  • Keep On The Firing Line
  • I Will Sing Of My Redeemer (My Redeemer)
  • Victory In Jesus

  • Revelation 3:1 KJV 1900
    1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
    • Sardis was the capital city of Lydia, located 50 miles east of Smyrna and 30 miles Southeast of Thyatira.
    • It was founded about 1,200 BC.
    • The original city sat on the top of a 1,500 foot high plateau. There was one narrow road leading into the city. The other sides of the plateau were just steep cliffs. This made the city very safe and nearly impenetrable by invading armies.
    • Sardis was the home of Aesop, who’s fables we all heard as children.
    • Gold was discovered at the river that ran through the city making Sardis one of the wealthiest cities in Asia Minor. Gold and silver coins were first minted here.
    • The city of Sardis was famous for the industries that operated there. Carpet, wool and dyed cloth were their primary products. It is said that the art of dyeing was invented at Sardis.
    • At one time, Sardis had been one of the greatest cities in the world. It reached its zenith under King Croesus. King Croesus and Sardis were famed around the world for their wealth. In that part of the world, it is still common to hear the phrase, “As wealthy as Croesus”.
    • While Sardis reached its zenith under Croesus, it also fell under his reign. He and the people of the city became complacent in their wealth, their power and their city’s apparent invincibility. When that region where Sardis was located came under attack by Cyrus the Persian, King Croesus and his people retreated to their city, believing they were safe. One night, one of the Persian soldiers saw a Sardinian soldier drop his helmet over the wall of the city. He watched as that soldier followed a hidden path down the side of the mountain to retrieve his helmet. When nightfall came, Cyrus and his troops followed the hidden path up the side of the mountain, entered the city while the guards slept and conquered Sardis.
    • Sardis regained some of its former wealth under the reign of Alexander the Great, but was invaded and defeated by Antiochus the Great, who also entered the city at night while the guards slept.
    • When the Romans came, Sardis was still a wealthy, powerful city, but it was just a shell of its former self. By John’s day, Sardis was just a shell of what it had been. The people had grown lazy, degenerate, immoral and complacent. Sardis was dying through apathy and indifference.
    • The city was proud of its past; it was proud of its reputation. But, its reputation was all it had left. For all intents and purposes, the city of Sardis was dead, even while it lived.

    The Christ of Sardis

    Revelation 3:1 KJV 1900
    1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.

    Message of His Deity:

    Remember, we discussed

    The Seven Spirits

    in Rev. 1:4.
    7 is the number of completeness.
    This is the complete, perfect, eternal Holy Spirit of God in all His fulness, the Spirit of Life, the omniscient God who sees every heart and knows every thought of everyone in the church.
    Isaiah 11:2 KJV 1900
    2 And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and might, The spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;
    As Deity, Jesus has everything the church needs to succeed.
    His Spirit has all the power the churches need.
    His Word has all the direction His churches need.
    We do not need new and innovative methods, we just need to present Jesus Christ.
    We need a new desire to seek the fullness of Christ through the Holy Spirit of Christ.

    The Seven Stars

    Revelation 1:20 KJV 1900
    20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.
    The messengers, angels and pastors.
    Jesus has His messengers in His right hand giving them authority and power to proclaim Jesus Christ.

    Message of His Discernment:

    Revelation 3:1 KJV 1900
    1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
    “I know thy works” = Again Christ sees all and knows all. Not only the outward works but the attitude of the heart.
    Unlike the other churches, where Jesus had words of commendation, here He starts with commendation. The other churches has evil within their churches but it was and exception rather than a habit.
    Jesus doesn’t say anything good about their works or bad about their works, He just mentions their works.
    There is no mention whatsoever of any immorality, heresy, or scandal to stain their name and testimony. They looked alive.
    Even though their reputation was activity and vitality in the community, Jesus reveals they are DEAD.
    He knows this church as His body, He knows the individual members of His body. He even knows your heart, the attitude you have toward Him and His commission.

    Message of His Diagnosis:

    Revelation 3:1 KJV 1900
    1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
    Here is a little bit of irony with the city of Sardis and the church in Sardis.
    The old city not only attacked and defeated by 2 different kings, Sardis was virtually destroyed by and earthquake in AD 17, nearly everyone died, but again rebuilt by Tiberius Caesar. The city had fame and wealth. Sardis took great pride in its temples, city, and its famous cemetery, known as the “cemetery of a 1000 hills” because of the hundreds of burial mounds visible on the skyline seven miles away.
    The Irony is that the city was known for the same thing as its church, death.
    Someone has rightly stated that a church is in danger of dying when its memories of the past are greater than its hopes for the future.
    Just like the city they lived in, Sardis trusted in her past glory rather than in the present power of God.
    James 2:17 KJV 1900
    17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
    James 2:26 KJV 1900
    26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
    When it comes to living for Christ, it really doesn’t matter what the world or our neighborhood thinks about us, but what Jesus sees.
    The church at Sardis was DEAD. They were destitute of force or power making them ineffective and inoperative.
    The activity present in the church was physical life but not spiritual life.
    They were so blended with the culture that they had a form of religion that was socially acceptable in their city/culture.
    They were socially acceptable with the world, but eternally dead without Christ.
    Many in the membership were lost and did not have Jesus Christ, who gives spiritual life, within them.
    You know who they are.
    Those who bear the name of a Christian, but do not bear Christ.
    Those who practice Sunday Rituals, week after week, but have never known Christ.
    Those that say they are Christians and followers of Christ, but are publically silent about Christ.
    Those who joined the church as the socially acceptable thing to do but never were broken in spirit before the Holy God in both repentance and in confession of Jesus as Lord and Christ.
    What does this deadness look like?
    • A dying church rests on its past accomplishments and is satisfied with its presence state. • A dying church is more concerned about their rituals and their formalities than they are about spirituality. • A dying church is more concerned about social change than they are about seeing people changed by the power of God. • A dying church is more concerned with material growth than it is with spiritual growth. • A dying church is more concerned with pleasing men that it is with pleasing God. • A dying church clings more tightly to its creeds and confessions that it does to the Word of God. • A dying church is one that loses its conviction that the Bible is the Word of God.)
    (Note: Those are some of the signs of a dying church, here are the signs of life in a church.
    • Growth—
    All living things are characterized by growth. As long as you and I live in the bodies, we are maturing; we are changing; and we are growing. When the growth stops, it means we are dead!
    The church is no exception. When people think of growth in the church, they immediately think of numerical growth. I think that is part of it. But, the primary way a church demonstrates life is through spiritual growth. A church that is alive will continue to develop spiritually. When a church ceases to grow spiritually, it is degenerating and dying.
    • Harmony—
    When a physical body develops problems, it is because there is disharmony in the body. Cancer is a good example of this. Some of the cells become infected by the cancer and they attack other cells in the body. If this is left unchecked, the result will be disintegration and death for that body.
    The same is true in the church. When a church is alive and well, there will be unity and harmony in the fellowship. When there isn’t, the body is diseased and is headed for trouble, unless the infected parts come back into harmony. When a church becomes fractured, it is headed for disaster and death.
    • Emotion—
    Another mark of life in the physical realm is emotion. Because I am alive, I can laugh; I can cry; I feel pain; I feel joy; I have emotions and they demonstrate the fact that I am alive. When a physical body dies, one of the clearest indications is the total lack of emotion. The deceased person does not show one sign of emotion. They can’t because they are dead.
    Again, the same is true in the church. A living church is an emotional church! There will be times when we will laugh together, weep together, shout together, sing together, hurt together, and pray together. In other words, when there is life, there is emotion.
    • Motion—
    Another sign of life is motion. Physical bodies are bodies in motion. One sure sign of death is the absence of motion.
    So it is within the church. When there is live in a church, there will be motion. The church will be active in the world doing the work of the Lord.)
    (Note: So, how do we measure up? Do we exhibit the signs of life, or the signs of death? I do not think we are dead! But, I do think we could show more signs of life.)

    The Correction of Sardis

    Watch:

    Revelation 3:2 KJV 1900
    2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
    Watchfulness is a common command in the New Testament. Watchfulness guards us against the attacks of Satan, protects us against temptations, and makes us aware of false teaching, while preparing us for the return of the Lord.
    The people in Sardis would have understood exactly what Jesus was talking about. As I mentioned earlier, Sardis was located on the top of a mountain. It had one entrance on the southern side which was the only way you could get into the city in the old days.
    Therefore, all that Sardis had to do was to put a detail at that one place to watch the city.
    But on two occasions in their history they had been invaded by their enemies because they had felt secure, believing that the hill was impregnable, and the guard went to sleep on the job.
    In 549 B.C. the soldiers of Cyrus scaled the parapet, and then again in 218 B.C. Antiochus the Great captured Sardis because a soldier slipped over the walls while the sentries were careless. When we allow ourselves to sleep because of what we have enjoyed in the past, we are going to find ourselves conquered by the enemy, 1 Pet. 5:8.)

    Work:

    The Lord gives this church four activities that they are to be busily engaged in. These things will help any church that has been caught napping on Jesus!
    The law of entropy says the natural direction of everything in this universe is spiraling downward. Therefore, we must work. This is also true of our relationship with God. We don’t naturally move closer to God. Therefore, we must take corrective action in order to keep our relationship with God from deteriorating.

    Revive: “Strengthen”

    Revelation 3:2 KJV 1900
    2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
    There are still some things that have a spark of life in them. These things are to be revived before they die out.
    (Ill. The phrase, “that are ready to die”, literally means, “that are knocking on death’s door.”) This is a call for them to get stirred up again for the things of God! It is a call to revival!
    Revive the things worth reviving. We are busy, but are we busy with what matters.
    Revelation 3:3 KJV 1900
    3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

    Remember: “Remember”

    In the greek, remember is a verb that indicates continual action. Keep on remembering.
    What are we Remembering? The Gospel.
    The Gospel that you received and heard.
    Remember what Christ did on the bloody cross in order to pay for your wickedness and sins.
    Remember the Resurrection that accompanied the acceptance of the sacrifice with the Father.
    Remember the life He lived, that we should have lived.
    Remember the death He died, that we should have died.
    Remember
    Romans 5:8 KJV 1900
    8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
    Remember!
    But not only Revive yourself and Remember, but

    Resolve: “Hold Fast”

    Guard your heart!
    Guard the free gift of salvation that was provided for you.
    Don’t take the gospel for granted. Don’t let it go.
    Hold Fast.
    Revive our Spiritual life.
    Remember when you received the Gospel.
    Resolve to stay focus on the Gospel.
    All these things are great and necessarily but the next step is the most important because it completes these actions.

    Repent: “Repent”

    This verb, Repent, in the Greek language indicates a one-time, definitive action.
    Repent means to have a change of mind that leads to a change of direction.
    There must be a moment when we decide between obedience and disobedience.
    The members at Sardis needed to repent of their apathy, be broken, and turn from death unto life, just like they did when they were saved.
    Jesus wants us to return to Him.

    Wait:

    Revelation 3:3 KJV 1900
    3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
    If they don’t watch and work, then wait and Jesus will come and find them dead.
    One thing we do not want to be when the groom returns for His bride is dead.
    We are not promised next Sunday, Today is the day to repent.

    The Commendation of Sardis:

    Revelation 3:4 KJV 1900
    4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
    As bad as things were in the church at Sardis, there were a few, a remnant, that have not defiled their self. They have stayed true to the gospel of Jesus Christ, both in their confession and their conduct.
    The Gospel is not something just to be received, but it is also something to live.
    Have you been faithful and kept pure?
    Are you worthy of being the bride of Jesus Christ?

    The Challenge of Sardis:

    Revelation 3:5 KJV 1900
    5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
    Who exactly are the overcomers?
    1 John 5:4–5 KJV 1900
    4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
    Three things, Jesus promises.
    White robes of salvation and righteousness. Remember, our fig leaves are not satisfactory.
    Not erased from living Security and life is found in Jesus Christ.
    Confession before the Father Confess our names, Confess our repentance. Confess that we are His.
    Revelation 3:6 KJV 1900
    6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
    We are living in the last days.
    Can you image how we could change our world if every lost church member got saved today.
    Can you image how we could change our world if every saved church member not living for Jesus Christ, repented and humbled their self?
    Will you Hear? Not just listen but Respond!

      • Revelation 3:1NKJV

      • Revelation 3:1NKJV

      • Isaiah 11:2NKJV

      • Revelation 1:20NKJV

      • Revelation 3:1NKJV

      • Revelation 3:1NKJV

      • James 2:17NKJV

      • James 2:26NKJV

      • Revelation 3:2NKJV

      • Revelation 3:2NKJV

      • Revelation 3:3NKJV

      • Romans 5:8NKJV

      • Revelation 3:3NKJV

      • Revelation 3:4NKJV

      • Revelation 3:5NKJV

      • 1 John 5:4–5NKJV

      • Revelation 3:6NKJV

  • Jesus Paid It All*

      • Psalm 71:23KJV1900

Kentucky MBC
kmbc@att.net
(501) 794-1640
http://www.kentuckymbc.org
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