Hang In There Series

HANG IN THERE

Revelation 3.7-13

S: Perseverance

C: Mission

Th: God Speaks to the Church

Pr: Patiently endure the trials of life.

CV: We will passionately pursue full devotion to Jesus Christ.

I. THE CORRESPONDENT

II. THE CHURCH

III. THE COMMENDATION

IV. THE COMMAND

V. THE COUNSEL

PA: How is the change to be observed?

• Find God’s sufficient grace in time of difficulty.

• Use the opportunity God is giving you.

• Let’s use the opportunities God is giving us.

Version: ESV

RMBC 1 March 09 AM

INTRODUCTION:

We have been studying what Jesus has to say to the seven churches.

This has been a heavy-duty study, because…

Jesus’ words to the churches are serious.

This has not been light and fluffy material, and it is not meant to be.

It is weighty.

It is meaty.

It is meant to make us introspective about where we are in our relationship with God.

Jesus commends each church on what they are doing right.

And they are doing some things right.

But Jesus has laser eyes.

He can see right through the façade of self-righteousness and rebuke the churches for what is not right.

One of the aspects we need to realize as we study the churches in Revelation 2-3 is that Jesus looks at churches differently than we typically do from our individualistic American perspective.

Jesus sees individual behaviors as corporate actions.

In other words, individual members recede and He sees a single body.

This means that what one does affects the whole.

There is never any such thing as individual sin.

There is always a greater impact.

So much so, God expects the church to deal with it.

This is why…

God speaks to the church.

The fact that God speaks to the church is really good news.

God loves the church.

He cares about the church.

So much so that He does not want us to be satisfied with the way things are.

He wants us to be better.

So we will do well as we consider each church to consider what God might say to us.

What would He say to us?

Would He be happy?

Or would He be sad?

Let’s consider what He says to the church in Philadelphia…

(7) And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: “The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. (8) I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. (9) Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie — behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet and they will learn that I have loved you. (10) Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. (11) I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. (12) The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. (13) He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Jesus is…

I. THE CORRESPONDENT

And we discover that…

Jesus is holy, true, and in control.

Jesus is holy.

He is uniquely set apart from everything else.

No one compares.

Nothing can compare.

For Jesus is holy in His character.

He is holy in His words.

He is holy in His actions.

He is holy in His purposes.

Also, Jesus is true.

The word here has the meaning of being genuine.

He is the only reality.

He is the authentic God.

He is not a manufactured one.

He is the original.

He is not a copy.

He is the way, the truth and the life.

And Jesus holds the keys.

The keys mean that He is in control.

He is the one that rightly rules.

He is the Davidic Messiah with absolute power to control entrance to the heavenly kingdom.

In other words, we don’t fool around with Jesus.

He is good and He is in charge.

So, we listen to Him.

II. THE CHURCH

Philadelphia is the original town of brotherly love.