I am always thankful for Bill, but a couple of days ago, I was particularly thankful! Some of you might have noticed this recycling bin next to me. If you didn't notice it, you need to work on your powers of
observation. (And no, this isn't my subtle way of tipping you off to the fact that I am preaching a recycled sermon this week, as Scott incorrectly suggested on Facebook.) The reason I have the recycling bin up here is to help explain why I was particularly thankful for Bill on Friday.
We recently received two of these bad boys here at the church and thus far we have only had enough recycling to use one. But, this past week, both were filled and put to the curb for pick up. The reason for the increase in recyclable material is because last week, I felt compelled to do some cleaning in my office, after a stack of papers became seismically unstable and then proceeded to dump my laptop on to the floor. (If you have never been to my office, I suggest you visit today because I cannot guarantee it will remain in its present state of tidiness.)
Now let's get back to the most recent reason why Bill is my hero. When I put the recycling bins out for pickup, I took them up from the basement separately because they are stored in separate areas, but when I brought both recycling bins back into the church, I put one in front of me and one behind me in the elevator. As I lowered myself down to the basement, I realized that I had a slight problem. The size of each bin was greater than the extent of my reach. There I stood trapped in the middle of the elevator unable to open either
door.
I may very well have been in the elevator until Mike came to fold the bulletins Saturday morning, if it wasn't for the fact that Bill was at the church doing some gardening work and he was able to hear my deep manly scream for help.
I was trapped behind a door I could not open, but thankfully Bill was able to open the door I couldn't.
This morning we continue our series in Revelation by looking at Jesus' message to the church in Philadelphia.
Please turn with me to Revelation 3:7-12, p. 1035
As you turn there, let me give you a bit of background. Philadelphia was the youngest of the seven cities of Asia Minor, founded sometime after 189 B.C. The city was founded with the intention of it being a centre to spread the Greek language and culture throughout Lydia and Phrygia. So it was founded as a missionary city of sorts. And, Philadelphia succeeded in its mission so well that by A.D. 19 the Lydian language had been completely replaced by Greek.
Philadelphia benefited from its location at the junction of several important trade routes earning it the title "gateway to the East." It was also known for its wine production, as it was located on the edge of a volcanic region that provided fertile soil well-suited for vineyards, but being near such a seismically active region had its drawbacks.
This area, in the first century, was notorious for its earthquakes and Philadelphia had suffered one of the worst quakes in A.D. 17. Like Sardis, located only 50 kilometres to the east, much of the city had been destroyed and had to be rebuilt with a grant from the Emperor, but the fear of further earthquakes and the frequency of many minor tremors, lead most people to permanently live in the countryside surrounding the city.
Beginning with verse 7 we read: "To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no
one can open. 8I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9I will make those who are
of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars-I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. 10Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. 11I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on
him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name."
Jesus begins His message to Philadelphia with a description of Himself that breaks the pattern established in the other six letters to the churches. In each of those letters, Jesus' description of Himself is tied back to chapter one. This is the only letter that Jesus doesn't do that.
Jesus says: "These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open." (v. 7)
Jesus gives us three descriptors of his identity. First, Jesus declares that He is holy. Holy is the description of God himself.
In Isaiah's vision of God in the temple, we learn that "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." (Isaiah 6:3)
Above all else, Yahweh is holy. Now we often think of holiness in terms of purity or righteousness and, of course, God's holiness has those elements to them, but the primary meaning of 'holy' is to be "different" or "other" or "separate". It is a word that speaks of the uniqueness of God. God is unlike any other.
Later on in Isaiah, God asks this question: "To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One. (Isaiah 40:25)
Of course, the answer is that no one compares with God. No one is God's equal. God is holy because He is different from all of creation. He has a quality of being which belongs to Him alone. All through the Old Testament God is the Holy One; and now that title is claimed by Jesus. To say that Jesus Christ is holy is to say that He shares the very nature and being of God.
Next Jesus describes Himself as true. In Greek there are two words for true and while their basic meanings do overlap somewhat, one word means "true" in contrast to what is "false." And the other Greek word means "real" in contrast to what is "unreal" or fake. This is the word that is used here. So Jesus is real. He is the genuine article.
Finally, Jesus describes Himself as the One "who holds the key of David," so that "what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open" (v. 7). The key of David is connected with the messianic kingdom.
This title is also a clear reference to Isaiah 22:22, in which the very same power and authority is given to a man named Eliakim, who was manager over the house the King Hezekiah. This man had the power either to admit or deny entry into the King's house. So Jesus is claiming to have a corresponding right to admit people into or exclude people from the messianic kingdom.
Now let's quickly look at part of verse 8 and 9 because it will help us understand why Jesus chose these descriptions of Himself for the church in Philadelphia. Beginning in verse 8 we read: "I know your deeds. See, I
have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. . . .9 I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars--I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you."
Jesus connects His key of David with a door that He will open and no one can shut and the context is connected to their interaction with the Jewish community in Philadelphia.
Now, we talked about the name "synagogue of Satan" when we looked at the church in Smyrna. Remember that this isn't an anti-Semitic slam because Jesus was Jewish and so was John. Neither are we to gather that Jesus was declaring that the Jews were worshipping Satan.
Think back to Jesus' comment in John's Gospel when He told the Jews: "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here.... 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth ...." (John 8:42,44)
The point that Jesus is making is that it was the Christians in Philadelphia that were the true Jews; not the Jews in the Synagogue who had rejected the real, genuine Messiah who holds the key of David. They had rejected the Messiah. They had rejected the Promised One of God who is the culmination of all that God desired to do for and through Israel.
And not only had the rejected the Holy One, they had also caused the church considerable difficulty and challenge.
In verse 8 Jesus tells the Christians in Philadelphia, "You have kept my word and have not denied my name" and in verse 10 he says, "You have kept my command to endure patiently." All of these statements point to their persecution. They had been challenged to not keep His word. They had been pressured into denying His name. They had to endure persecution and suffering patiently and the majority of that persecution came from the Synagogue.
The Jews in the Synagogue had tried to close the door on the Christians, so to speak: claiming to be true Jews who had the authority to lock them outside the kingdom. But Jesus says: I hold the key of David. I have opened the door and no one can shut it. What an amazing testimony from Jesus. What a glorious promise! Jesus tells the Christians-"It doesn't matter what anyone else says about you. People may challenge you and curse you and persecute you and try to close all kinds of doors in your face, but they can never close
the one door that matters. No one can close the door to the kingdom because I have the key. No one can close the door to your salvation.Access to the kingdom is found in my power-not your weakness."
So, while the church in Philadelphia wasn't impressive because it didn't have the history of the church in Ephesus, or the successful reputation of the church in Sardis, or the wealth of the church in Laodicea, it didn't matter. Philadelphia was a small, weak church that had "little strength" but Jesus gives it His greatest praise! As far as Jesus was concerned, weak, little Philadelphia was the most successful church in Asia Minor.
Now, be honest, when you think of a small, weak, little church, the word "successful" doesn't automatically come to mind, does it? We would likely choose the church with a successful reputation like Sardis. Yet, Jesus had nothing good to say about Sardis and nothing bad to say about Philadelphia! Does that mean that Jesus hates big churches and that He loves little churches? Absolutely! Of course not! Mega-churches and Mini-churches both have their place in God's kingdom and both have their unique temptations as
well.
Those with little power can become bitter and resentful of the bigger, more successful church down the street. And, those with great power can become arrogant and condescending-thinking they, and they alone, know how to "do church."
Some Mega-churches have become Mega-churches through compromising their faith and some Mini-churches are mini because they're downright mean!
Mini-churches may be tempted to think they've missed the mark, or failed to live up to a vision that is pleasing to God. And, Mega-churches may point to their overflowing crowds as proof of divine approval. Jesus' evaluation of Sardis and Philadelphia tell us that both could be wrong.
But, how can Jesus be so pleased with a small, seemingly ineffective, church like the one in Philadelphia? It was because the church in Philadelphia may have been weak, but they were also faithful to the teaching and the person of Jesus Christ. They had kept His word and not denied His name! Furthermore, they had also obeyed Jesus' commands even when obedience caused them suffering and persecution. So the church may have been weak, BUT THEIR FAITH WAS STRONG. Their impact upon the community may have been unremarkable, up to this point, but they had not compromised their faith, their lives, or the person of Jesus Christ.
One of the things I want you to take home with you today is simply the fact that there is no shame in weakness, if our weakness causes us to depend on God. Another word for "faith" is "dependence." Philadelphia had no reputation, no power, and little influence, but they remained true to Christ and they
continue to abide in Him.
So Jesus says, "In spite of the lack of size and influence you faithfully keep my word and, in the face of persecution, refused to deny my name. People threatened you. The culture mocked you. The Jewish community slandered you. The temptation to give up and give in must've been intense, but you stood firm. Your lack of resources, money, and manpower, but there is one thing you never did-you didn't lose sight of the One who is holy and true and who holds the key of David."
One commentator put it well when they wrote: "A mega-church without a mega-Christ is of little benefit to anyone. And a mini-church with a Mega-Christ makes them big in the eyes of Him whose opinion is the only one that matters."
But, the fact is that Jesus didn't want the church in Philadelphia to remain small. He wanted them to grow, so He gives them an opportunity for new life. He gives them opportunity for growth. Verse 8 is the key to Jesus' message to the church in Philadelphia. Verse 8 says, "I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut."
We have already talked about the "open door" in the context of their conflict with the Jews in Philadelphia. They claimed to have the authority to shut the church out of the Messianic Kingdom, but Jesus tells the church: "Don't worry about it! You are the true Jews and they've got nothing because they don't believe the truth about Me." Then He reinforces that idea of the church being the true Israel now by saying in verse 9: "I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you."
We will talk about what Jesus means by this image in a minute, but what I want to point out to you first, is the significance of this statement in regards to Israel. There are several Old Testament texts that prophesied Gentiles bowing before Israel in the last days. The most telling for our discussion today comes from Isaiah 60 where God declares to Israel: "The sons of your oppressors will come bowing before you; all who despise you will bow down at your feet and will call you the City of the LORD, Zion of the Holy One of Israel." (Isaiah 60:14)
Now that is interesting, particularly since Jesus says in verse 12: "Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name."
The irony is so thick you could cut it with a knife. In many Old Testament last days texts, it is the Gentiles who bow before Israel, but in Revelation 3:9 it is the Jews who will bow at the feet of this predominantly Gentile Christian church. And it is this mostly Gentile church that will be named "the city of my
God, the new Jerusalem."
Don't miss the significance of what Jesus is saying about the Church in His address to the Philadelphians. Jesus is saying that the Church is the fulfilment of these Last Days Old Testament prophetic promises about Israel. In other words, the fulfilment of these Messianic prophecies "will be the reversal of
what the Philadelphian Jews expect: they will have to "bow down before the Church's feet. Why? Because the Church knew that Jesus was the true, real, genuine Messiah and He is the One with the key of David! What an
amazing truth! It is one to keep in mind as you read these prophesies in the Old Testament.
Now, back to the "open door:" I believe Jesus' reference to the open door also means that Jesus is giving the church in Philadelphia the opportunity to evangelize. He is telling them: "You live in Philadelphia. You live in a place that was established as a strategic missionary centre for the Greek language and culture. Now I am going to make it a missionary centre for the Gospel!"
The image of an "open door" is used often in the New Testament as a symbol of Gospel going forward. For example, in Acts 14:27, Luke records, "On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles." And Paul in 2 Corinthians 2:12 says, "When I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ ... [I] found that the Lord had opened a door for me."
So to the church in Philadelphia, Jesus says, "I know your deeds. I know that you are faithful; I know that you are weak and need help; therefore I will open the door for you. I will give you opportunity to grow."
Jesus is telling the church that He is in control. He is the one with the key of David. He is the one who controls who comes into the Kingdom and Jesus is about to welcome people into the Kingdom through the ministry of the church in Philadelphia.
Going back to verse 9, Jesus says, "I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you."
What does Jesus mean by saying that the Jews will come and bow down before the church in subjection? We have already talked about the theological significance, but how exactly is this going to play out? In the very least it will be recognition of the Jews that the Christians were right about their testimony of Jesus. Some think it that will happen when every tongue confesses and ever knee bows before Christ (Philippians 2:10-11), that will be true, but I think Jesus has something more immediate in mind. Jesus has come to the church with a message of encouragement and hope for their present hardships and weakness. They need encouragement now-not just the hope of vindication in the future. So, I believe Jesus is saying that the Jews will acknowledge His love for the church by becoming part of it.
Like Paul before them, who was once an enemy of the Church, but was now their champion, some of the Jews in Philadelphia would also turn from their rebellion against the true Messiah and become members of God's people acknowledging Christ's love for the church by experiencing it first-hand.
OK what do I want does the church in Philadelphia teach us? Philadelphia teaches us a lot, but I want to leave you with just one thing, because this is the very message of Revelation itself. Philadelphia teaches us that the only thing we really have to focus on is living a life fully committed to Christ.
Philadelphia teaches us that Jesus is most interested in us keeping His Word. He wants us to proclaim His name and we do that not only through sharing the gospel, but by also living it. He wants us to patiently endure living in a hostile world and not give into it. He wants us to hold on to what we have-not compromise it, not reinterpret it, or ignore it or discount it.
We are often concerned with how the church can be relevant to our culture. When we looked at Sardis, we saw that the church building was actually built in a corner of the temple to Artemis and that the baptistery was made out of scraps from the pagan culture. The church in Sardis was focussed on the culture. They had built bridges to the culture, and maybe for a time that approached worked, because they had a reputation for being alive, but they ended up dead and dead churches aren't relevant.
But the church in Philadelphia was about to be an open door to the Gospel. Why?-because, instead of focusing on the culture, they focused on Christ. We need to realize that Christ is always relevant because He is the One who is holy and true. He is the one who holds the key to the Kingdom. So, the power of the church isn't found in being more connected to the culture. It is in being more connected to Christ! Think about it, I have never met anyone who needed lessons in how to connect to the culture around them. We don't have to focus on such things because we are already part of the culture, often too much a part of the culture for us to be effective in representing Christ to it. If we need to be intentional about anything, it is about being committed to Christ. If we are committed to Christ, living out our faith in the culture, Christ will be seen and He will open the door.
I want you to look at this image for a moment (an image of a beautiful flower growing out of the pavement, on the side of the road, by a curb). What do you see? I see a miracle. I see beauty growing in the middle of a manmade environment that is both harsh and hard. This is not the place you usually see such beauty. You are much more likely to see dirt, garbage, and a monotonous sameness that leads in every direction. At the same time, it is this organic life, found in the place that you least expect it, that makes this such a wonderful, compelling miracle of living beauty. It is this contrast of beauty and life, in the middle of concrete barrenness that makes this such a bold statement.
And, I would suggest to you that this same miracle is true of the Church. We become relevant to our culture when we show a different, a separate, a holy life of beauty in the harsh concrete sameness of our world.
If we want to really be relevant, we have to get our theology right. God is the Lord of the harvest. He is the one who opens hearts and minds, that being the case, we need to seek God to open the door, rather than just seeking our own connection with the culture. Fruit comes from abiding in Christ, not through abiding in the culture.
You want to know something? That little church in Philadelphia did OK. In later days it became a great city. When Islam flooded across Asia Minor, and every other town had fallen, Philadelphia stood erect. For centuries it was a free Greek Christian city among a pagan people. It was the last bastion of Asian Christianity. Even today, there still remains a Christian bishop and a thousand Christians. Not bad for a weak little church, seemingly on the brink of dying some two thousand years ago! And they were able to stand all this time, because they remained committed to Christ rather than giving into their culture.
There I stood, helpless in the elevator, surrounded by things that hold the garbage of our culture. I needed someone to open the door. I needed to be freed so I could get on with the life I was intended to live so I cried out to Bill and Bill came to my rescue. How much more do we need to call out to the only One who holds the key to the Kingdom? We need to be rescued from the cultural trash that traps us. Our strength, our freedom, our relevance, our success is found only in remaining true to Jesus. If we remain true, I believe He will also open the door for us that no one else will shut-a door of opportunity to bring Christ to the community around us, but it all begins by holding on to the Word and by remaining true to Christ and by patiently enduring the culture that stands opposed or indifferent to the reality of Christ.
