From Brotherly Love To Lukewarm (Philadelphia And Laodicea) Part 1 Series

The Greek word Philadelphia means = “brotherly love” which occurs seven times in the Bible and the Greek word for Laodicea means = “lukewarm.” So our message goes from brotherly love to lukewarm.

The message this morning is a two part message “From Brotherly Love to Lukewarm.”

Part one of the message is this morning as we focus on “Brotherly Love” and this evening we will focus on “Lukewarm.”

Scripture

7And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;

8I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

9Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

10Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

11Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

12Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

13He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Revelation 3:7-13 (KJV)

Prayer

Brotherly Love

A Christian community was established at Philadelphia by the late first century. According to Revelation 3:8, the Christians did not have much influence, but showed loyalty to the faith despite local opposition.

Of the seven churches of Asia minor the church at Philadelphia was the only one that Christ had no complain about.

Even in the midst of an ungodly community they showed brotherly love.

However as time went on the climate changed an in about AD 155, eleven Christians from Philadelphia were martyred along with Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna.

Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; Romans 12:10

But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; 1 Thessalonians 4:9

Let brotherly love continue. Hebrews 13:1

Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 1 Peter 1:22

to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 2 Peter 1:7

7And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; Revelation 3:7

When William Penn, a member of the Religious Society of Friends or Quakers, made a treaty with the Indians tribe the Delaware of North America, and purchased from them a large woody tract of land named it by using his last name Penn and Sylvania a Latin word for woods hence the name Pennsylvania. he built a city on it, and peopled it with Christians of his own denomination, and called the city Philadelphia.

The "Peace Treaty" between William Penn and the Native Americans was reported to have ended with these words of the Native Americans as quoted by Governor Gordon at the Council at Conestoga, May 26, 1728:

We will be brethren, my people and your people, as the children of one father. All the paths shall be open to the Christian and the Indian. The doors of the Christian shall be open to the Indian and the wigwam of the Indian shall be open to the Christian.

The Christian shall believe no false stories, the Indian shall believe no false stories, they shall first come together as brethren and inquire of each other; when they hear such false stories they shall bury them in the bottomless pit.

The Christian hearing news that may hurt the Indian, or the Indian hearing news that may hurt the Christian, shall make it known the one to the other, as speedily as possible, as true friends and brethren.

The Indian shall not harm the Christian, nor his friend; the Christian shall not harm the Indian, nor his friend; but they shall live together as brethren. As there are wicked people in all Nations; if the Indian or the Christian shall harm the one or the other, complaint shall be made by the sufferer, that right may be done; and when right is done, the wrong shall be forgotten, and buried in the bottomless pit.