The Sardis Syndrome - Sermon Recap

Originally presented on March 30th, 2025

Scripture

Revelation 3:1–2 (CSB)
“I know your works; you have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead. Be alert and strengthen what remains…”

Reflection:

Have you ever craved something so specific you could taste it before you even got it? Like a hot summer day, you’re thinking: “All I want is a good, juicy mango.” You pull up to the fruit stand, pick the plumpest one, pay your little $5, and you’re already celebrating on the way home.

You take that first big bite… and immediately regret every decision you’ve ever made.

SOUR.
Not “a little tangy.” Not “it’ll sweeten up.”
Sour-sour.

And now you’re mad because the outside was convincing. The mango looked right. It was giving “I’m about to bless your whole afternoon.” But the inside didn’t match the presentation.

That’s exactly what Jesus was addressing when He spoke to the church in Sardis.

Jesus said:
“You have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead.”

That’s a terrifying sentence, not because Sardis was doing nothing, but because they were doing a lot… and still ended up spiritually lifeless.

Sardis had the look. The energy. The programs. The reputation. The “we’re active” vibe. If Sardis had Instagram, the reels would’ve been fire. The church would’ve been “that church.” But Jesus doesn’t grade churches by popularity. He measures fruit. He checks life. He looks beyond the stage and goes straight for the spirit.

It reminds me of the fig tree in Mark 11:12–14 - leafy from a distance, but fruitless up close. It looked like it had something to offer, but it couldn’t feed the hunger standing right in front of it.

And here’s what hit me:
You can be known as alive… and still be dying.
You can be busy… and still be barren.
You can be in the building… and still be far from God.

That’s the Sardis Syndrome: reputation over reality.

So what does Jesus tell Sardis to do? He doesn’t start with shame. He starts with instruction:

1. Be alert.
2. Strengthen what remains.
3. Remember what you received and heard.
4. Keep it.
5. Repent.

In other words: Wake up. Get honest. Return to the basics. And come back to Me—fully.

Because God is not looking for a polished church. He’s looking for a living church.

And that starts with living believers.

Heart Check

Let’s make it personal for a second:

• Am I managing an image or nurturing intimacy with God?
• Do I want to look spiritual, or actually be Spirit-led?
• Is my faith producing fruit… or just maintaining a routine?
• If Jesus inspected my life up close, would He find nourishment or just leaves?

Encouragement

Here’s the hope in the warning: Jesus spoke to Sardis because Sardis still had time.
“Strengthen what remains” means something is still there.
God doesn’t send this message to destroy; He sends it to revive.

And if God can speak breath into a valley of dry bones, He can breathe life back into a tired church, a distracted believer, a half-awake spirit.

But we’ve got to stop playing church and be the church.

Prayer:

Lord, I don’t want to live on reputation. I don’t want leaves with no fruit. Search me and show me what’s dying in me. Wake me up where I’ve become comfortable. Strengthen what remains, and revive what I’ve neglected. Give me a hunger for Your Word, a real prayer life, and a heart that repents quickly. Make my life alive again—by Your Spirit. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Journal Prompt

1. Where have I been “active,” but not spiritually alive?
2. What’s one thing I need to strengthen this week - prayer, Word, repentance, accountability?
3. What “first love” or foundation do I need to return to?