Faithful In All Things At All Times

There was a young pastor who said he served alongside the senior pastor and he witnessed him writing 5 to 10 notes of encouragement every Monday. He sent these notes to different people in the church. At the time, he didn't really understand the importance of what he was doing. Why spend so much time doing something that seems so tedious and time consuming each week?

But he said looking back, that pastor knew something that he hadn't yet learned as a young pastor. Encouragement goes a long way in helping people in your realm of influence to keep walking strong in their own faith. Even when we don't know what's going on in a person's life, a simple word of encouragement is never out of place.

I think we all love words of encouragement. Even simple statements like “good job” and “keep up the good work” can really lift our spirits and motivate us to do our best. Words of encouragement can keep us moving forward in the right direction. What could possibly be greater than a word of encouragement from Jesus Himself? Well, the church at Philadelphia received just a word, a word that can encourage our own walk with Christ.

Today I'm going to be using Jesus' letter to the church in Philadelphia, a name that means “brotherly love.” I'll be using Revelation 3: 7- 13. But first let's pray.

So Jesus’ 6th message to the church in Philadelphia was an encouraging letter. Philadelphia was the youngest of the seven churches referred to in Revelation 2-3, but it was a place that had rich soil and vineyards. Philadelphia was about 30 miles Southeast of Sardis on a trade route running from Smyrna eastward through Pergamum, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. The Greeks were convinced that their culture, language, art, and gods were superior to all others and so they set out to export them wherever they could.

Read Revelation 3: 7 - 8. So, Jesus tells John to “Write to the angel of the church in Philadelphia; thus says the holy one, the true one, the one who has the key of David, who opens and no one will close, and who closes and no one opens. I know your works. Look, I have placed before you and open door that no one can close because you have but little power; you have kept my word and have not denied my name."

As Jesus dictates this letter to John to the church at Philadelphia, He identifies Himself by several titles. He is the Holy One, the True One, the One who has the key of David, who opens and no one will close, and who closes and no one opens.

He is stressing his absolute authority. Jesus, who is the root and the offspring of David, has absolute authority. It is Jesus and Jesus alone that has authority to let people into the Heavenly City and to be able to come before His throne. Not only does Jesus have the authority to open the door, He is the door. The salvation He made possible is the only way into the presence of God. Did you hear that? He is the only way to God. Jesus is the only way to God.

So what does all this mean to the believers in Philadelphia and to us as well. Let's take a note. A door was open for the believers, and no one could close it. We're talking about the door of salvation, the door that had gained them entrance into eternity and into the presence of God was wide open.

It wasn't open to the church because of any great ability or strength they had; in fact, Jesus noted that the church had little power. You see, power is not the issue when it comes to getting to heaven or coming before God's throne. Faith and trust are the issue. And that's what the church in Philadelphia had. Their faith was evident in two ways:

1. First, Jesus says that they kept God's word. They had remained true to what they learned and received. They hadn't allowed any distractions or the sinful culture around them to take them off course from their trust and obedience. And we can admit that the ways of this world can easily lead us astray. KEEP GOD’S WORD.

2. Jesus also said that they did not deny the name of Jesus. No matter what trials or persecution they faced, the believers refused to dishonor or deny the name of the One who saved them. I wonder if we would do the same. If someone threatened your life unless you deny Christ, what would you do? Tough question, I know.

We can almost have the invitation and response time right now. This is such an important message for us today as well. When we trust God's word to us and place our unwavering faith in the name of Jesus, that door of His salvation is open to us. And know that any power we may try to muster is insufficient and unnecessary. All we need to do is to trust Christ. Once you're saved, your eternity with Christ is secure. It was A. W. Tozer who said, “Jesus is not one of many ways to approach God, nor is He the best of several ways; He is the only way.”