Philadelphia: The Enduring Church Series

A. Revelation 3:7 (READ)

1. Does a church have to be LARGE in number in order to EFFECTIVELY serve Christ?

a. Ask the church of Sardis that we studied last week.

COMMENT:

From all indication of their REPUTATION, they were a LARGE, ACTIVE church, but they

weren’t making an impact on their community for Christ.

b. In fact, Christ said of them, “I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.”

2. Many SMALL churches may not seem to be of any SIGNIFICANCE compared to MEGA-CHURCHES,

but it you EXAMINE them more closely you may find another PHILADELPHIA.

a. They may be SMALL and WEAK in comparison to all the MINISTRIES and PROGRAMS that

MEGA-CHURCHES offer, but STRONG biblically and spiritually, and have endured some major

challenges.

b. SIZE is no DETERRENT for the Holy Spirit!!

B. BACKGROUND TO THE CITY:

1. Philadelphia was located 28 miles southeast of Sardis and about 80 miles east of Smyrna.

a. It was the youngest of the seven cities that Christ addressed in Revelation 2 and 3.

b. It was established in 140 BC by Attalus II, the king of Pergamum, who named the new city Philadelphia—the Greek word for “brotherly love”, because of the deep love that he had for his

brother.

2. The city was established as a MISSIONARY CITY, not to promote the Gospel of Christ but to promote

the Greek culture and language throughout the former Persian Empire and beyond.

a. As a result, Koine Greek (common Greek) became the UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE throughout the

Roman Empire. In fact, it became the first language for many Jews.

b. That’s why the New Testament was first written in Koine Greek so that everyone could READ and UNDERSTAND it.

3. Philadelphia was also known as “LITTLE ATHENS” because of many TEMPLES and SHRINES that

were erected for various gods.

a. The city was surrounded by VOLCANOS that produced EARTHQUAKES that brought many of the

TEMPLES tumbling down killing thousands of citizens.

COMMENT:

In 17AD a massive earthquake destroyed 12 cities in this area, including Sardis and Philadelphia.

Volcanic ERUPTIONS and EARTHQUAKES are still a major issue in this part of Turkey today. In 1999 a 7.4 magnitude earthquake rocked this area devastating 5 cities killing 17,000 people.

b. Because of the reoccurring earthquakes and tremors many of the citizens of Philadelphia refused to live in the CITY LIMITS for fear that huge PILLARS would fall and destroy their HOMES.

4. The biggest THREAT that the church of Philadelphia faced was from the large JEWISH population in

the city, especially from the SYNAGOGUE LEADERS.

COMMENT:

In fact, Jesus Christ’s DESCRIPTION of Himself is a direct AFFRONT to the erroneous thinking and vicious mentality of the Jewish Leaders in Philadelphia.

C. THE DESCRIPTION OF CHRIST:

COMMENT:

Although the NIV does not indicate it, there is a definite article in the Greek that Christ uses

before each DESCRIPTION of Himself.

A better translation is: “These are the words of THE Holy One, THE True One, THE One who holds the key of David.”

1. “THE HOLY ONE.”

a. By calling Himself “THE HOLY ONE” Jesus is affirming that He is DIVINE—He is God the Son.

b. The Jews in the first century as well as Jews today, do not BELIEVE nor ACCEPT Jesus as the Son

of God. (Now, I am not referring to Messianic Jesus who have given their lives to Christ.)

COMMENT:

The Jews in Philadelphia would be OUTRAGED by this description of Jesus. Only God could call Himself “THE HOLY ONE.” It was to Yahweh that the Seraphim (mighty angels) before His throne sang, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord Almighty”- Isaiah 6:3.

It would be BLASPHEMOUS for anyone to call himself “THE HOLY ONE.” And it was for such BLASPHEMY that Jesus was TORTURED and CRUCIFIED.

c. Yet, the glorified Christ from His HEAVENLY THRONE, confirms to the Christians at Philadelphia who had been persecuted by the Jews for their FAITH in Jesus as the Christ, that He is indeed THE HOLY ONE—Jesus Christ the Son of God.

2. “THE TRUE ONE.”

a. The word “TRUE” is more than just being the opposite of FALSE. In the Greek the word means:

“real as opposed to the unreal; reality as opposed to the shadow.”

-Hebrews 10:1- “The law is only a SHADOW of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly

year by year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.”

COMMENT:

The Law of Moses and the entire Jewish Sacrificial System was only the SHADOW that led to

the REALITY revealed in Jesus as the Christ.

Unlike the animal sacrifices (the shadow) that had to repeated endlessly each year on The Day of Atonement for the SINS of the people, Jesus Christ was the REAL sacrifice to come to this earth