A Dead Church, An Open Door Church, And A Lukewarm Church

This was a Church that was dead, but still had two things. Works and a name. God told them to remember, and to strengthen the things that remain. As hopeless a dead sounds, there is hope of a resurrection if we obey the counsel of God.

The Church of Philadelphia

I hope as you read the letter to Philadelphia, that you see some characteristics of yourself as well as your church. By name, this is a Church of “brotherly love.” We know that they loved God, because they kept his words. The bible says in John 14:23, that, If a man love me, he will keep my words. I believe if they loved God, they loved each other. 1 John 4:20 says, If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar.

They were standing for God even in the face of hypocrisy. The bible says there were some who were saying they were Jews, and were not. Actually, they were Jews on the outside, but not on the inside. If you get nothing more from these first 3 chapters get this. Being an outward Jew no longer matters to God. Romans 2:28, 29 says, For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. Some of your big theologians totally look past that scripture, but its still the truth. God is not coming back to make a difference between the Jew and the Gentile, he already came to make them one in him!

I believe that because of Philadelphia’s love, and their stand for the gospel, their was a door open. If there was a door opened, it had to be at one time shut. Who had the power to open? The one with the key of David. Christ!

There is not a lot spoken of the key of David in the bible. Actually, the only two places are here and in Isaiah 22. The one who held the key in Isaiah was Shebna. Shebna was a scribe in the kingdom and house of Hezekiah. If a man wanted into to Hezekiah’s kingdom, they had to got through the key holder. A scribe in the Old Testament was a teacher of the law. Two notable scribes in the bible would be Ezra and Gamaliel. To be a scribe, was to be a representative of the law. That would mean that the law was the key holder to the kingdom in the Old Testament. To get into God’s presence, had to go through the law.

What a burden the law was to keep. Go into the book of Numbers, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy, and see the exact demands of the law, and then disagree that it was burdensome. Isaiah 22 begins to tell that Shebna was coming short, and that the key needed to be given to someone else. The man Eliakim was who the key was given to. As you read this, you’ll see a picture of Christ! Isaiah 22:20-21 says, And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah: And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. This man was given a robe and a girdle. Does that sound familiar? (Revelation 1:13-And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.) The robe and the girdle was priestly attire. He goes on to say the government would be put in his hand. Isaiah 9:6 says, For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder. What a burden that being the father to Israel and Judah would be. A weight that at one time the law had! Isaiah 22:22, 23 says, And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father’s house. Revelation 3 says Christ has the key. He was fastened as a nail in a sure place. The sure place was the law and Israel. The burden was upon it, until the nail came into play. Then the burden was hung on the nail! (Isaiah 22:25-And the burden that was upon it shall be cut off! ) Christ took the key and burden from the law, priests, the Church, and took it upon himself, and cut it off! He is showing you and I through Philadelphia, that he will do the same today. Matthew 11:28-30 says, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. The door that was once opened by the law, is now opened by grace!