I. Introduction
A. Quick review of the 5 previous churches
1. The church at Ephesus
a. The church at Ephesus was commended for
(1) Hard work and perseverance
(2) For its stand against heresy
(3) For enduring hardships for Christ's name
(4) And for hating the practices of the Nicolaitans
b. But, the church was condemned for leaving its first love
(1) All that hard work
(2) All that hardship they endured
(3) Their strict stand against false teachings
(4) All this without the love of Christ that first fuelled their passions
c. The Spirit's warnings are to repent and return to that first love
(1) Or the church would cease to exist
d. But, for those who hear and take what they hear seriously, there is a promise
(1) Eternal life
(2) In Christ's kingdom
(3) The right to eat of the tree of life
e. The age of the church at Ephesus was the Apostolic age - to about 170 AD
(1) This age was characterized by strong orthodoxy
(2) But a waning of Christian love
2. The church at Smyrna
a. The Commendable things about the church at Smyrna
(1) Their affliction
(2) Their poverty
(3) Their spiritual riches
b. The admonition
(1) Not to be afraid
(2) But, to remain faithful
(3) Even to the point of death
c. The Promise
(1) The promise of the crown of life
(2) To those who love Christ and endure hardship for His name's sake
(3) And the promise of not being hurt by the second death
d. There was no condemnation for the church at Smyrna
(1) But, there was condemnation for the persecutors of the church
e. The age of the church at Smyrna was to about 314 AD
(1) This age was characterized by sever persecution
3. The church at Pergamum
a. The commendation
(1) For remaining true to the name of Christ
(2) For holding fast the faith
b. The condemnation
(1) For compromising with the world
(2) For the practice of elevating the clergy
c. The warning
(1) Repent
(2) Or Christ will fight the heresy with the Word of God
d. The promise
(1) To the overcomer
(2) The hidden Manna
(3) And the white stone, the precious intimate gift from Christ Himself
e. The age of the church at Pergamum was to about 590 AD
(1) This was the beginning of the Roman catholic church
(2) The beginning of the marriage between the sacred and the secular
4. The church at Thyatira
a. A church with two characters
(1) The character of Lydia
(2) And the character of Jezebel
b. The commendation
(1) works
(2) love
(3) faith
(4) service
(5) patience
(6) in increasing measure
c. The condemnation
(1) for Jezebel and her followers
d. The warning
(1) for Jezebel and her followers to repent
(2) And an admonition for the others to hold on to what they have
e. And The Promise
(1) To rule with Christ
(2) And to be given Christ Himself
(a) He is, after all, our bridegroom
f. The age of the church at Thyatira began with the Pope being elevated to secular power and ended with the reformation
(1) This was the age of the two character church
(a) A working faith
(b) And idolatry
5. The church at Sardis
a. The church at Sardis was dead, even though it seemed to be alive
b. Christ condemns the church for its lack of life and incomplete works
c. Still, Christ issues a warning, to wake up
(a) Be watchful
(b) Strengthen what remained
(c) Wake up, or Christ would come unexpectedly
d. Even though the church is condemned, there was a commendation for a faithful remnant
e. And promises for the worthy few
(1) To walk in sweet fellowship with Christ
(2) Clothed in righteousness
(3) A promise that their name would remain in the book of life
(4) And acknowledgement by the Son of God before His Father and the angels
f. The age of the church at Sardis begins with the reformation and ends around the 18th century
(1) This is the protestant age
(2) But, it was characterized by a cold orthodoxy
B. Now we come the church at Philadelphia
1. The city got its name because of the love Attalus II had for his brother Eumenes
a. Eumenes with the king of Pergamum
b. And Attalus was the king of this city which he named the city of brotherly love
C. In our examination of this church we shall see
1. The Commendable
2. The warning
3. The Promise
4. There is no condemnation for this church
5. Now let's turn to Revelation 3:7
II. Body
A. The preamble to Christ's message to the church at Smyrna also sheds some light on the character of the church's Lord and Master
Revelation 3:7
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.
1. Holiness
a. Christ reminds the church that He is Holy
(1) In Luke 1:35, the angel that announced the birth of Christ to Mary called Christ holy
Luke 1:35
The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
(2) In Acts 2;27, the Prophet quoted by Peter called Christ Holy at His death
Acts 2:27
because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.
(3) And in Hebrews 7:26, the writer says that He is holy now
Hebrews 7:26
Such a high priest meets our need--one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.
(4) Christ was, is, and always will be holy
(5) Peter says in 1 Peter 3:15
1 Peter 3:15
But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts
(a) Now, there is more to that verse; but, this will do for our purposes
(6) Sanctify - make holy - the NIV says, But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.
(7) Christ is Holy and we are to make Him holy in our hearts
(a) Don't take Christ lightly
b. Truth
(1) Christ says that He is truth
(a) Not that He hold the truth
(b) Not that He speaks the truth
(c) But, that He is truth
(2) The embodiment of truth
(a) All truth is God's truth
(b) Christ is God's ultimate truth
(c) In John 17:17, Jesus says,
John 17:17
Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
(d) John calls Jesus the Word - why, because God's word is truth
(e) And Jesus is truth - they are synonymous
c. Then Christ says that He is the one who holds the key of David
(1) This is different from the keys that Christ gave Peter in Matthew 16:19
Matthew 16:19
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
(2) This is different from the key to death and Hell in Revelation 1:18
Revelation 1:18
I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
(3) This is speaks of the one having the right to sit on David's throne and rule the world
(a) Since Christ has the key of David
(b) He has the right to open or lock any door in the kingdom
(c) Since He has the key, He has the power to lock or unlock and door in the kingdom
d. Christ also reminds the church that what He has opened or closed will remain that way until Christ opens the closed or closes the opened
e. Christ is sovereign
2. Christ is holy
3. Christ is truth
4. Christ is the one who possess the keys of David
5. Christ is sovereign
a. No one should ever take this Christ lightly
b. Or frivolously
c. Now let's look at Revelation 3:8
Revelation 3:8
I 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.
B. In this verse we have the beginning of Christ's Commendation
1. I know your deeds.
a. To the church at Ephesus He said, I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance.
b. To the church at Smyrna He said, I know your afflictions and your poverty--yet you are rich
c. To the church at Pergamum He said, I know where you live--where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name.
d. To the church at Thyatira He said, I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.
e. To the church at Sardis He said, I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
f. And to the church at Laodicia He said, I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot
2. To this church, I know your deeds.
a. Turn to James 2:18
b. Again I say, our salvation has its basis in faith, but, then we have a religion of works
James 2:18
But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
c. John Calvin said it this way, "Faith alone saves. But, faith that saves is not alone. Saving Faith produces good works.
d. This was a church of Holy Spirit produced fruit - Jesus said it best in Matthew 7:16
Matthew 7:16
By their fruit you will recognize them.
3. Then He says, 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.
a. This is the first church of the open door
(1) What is this open door?
(2) J. Vernon Mc Gee believes that it is the door to joy or knowledge of the Scriptures
(3) In an article in the magazine, "Israel My Glory" Will Varner says that it was the door to evangelize Asia Minor
b. In the 18th and 19th century there began a revival all over Europe, Britain, and the United States
(1) During this time missions began to spread over the world
(2) This is the door that Christ opened
(3) And that door is still open, only the one who sits on David's throne has the keys to close that door
(a) Christ has told the church, you have little strength
(b) It is not the church holding the door open, it is the Messiah
(c) We have seen more doors open in just the last decade than we have ever seen in this century
i) All across the former Soviet Union
ii) And Dessert Storm opened doors that would have, otherwise, remained locked
iii) I could go on; but, you see
4. Then Jesus says, I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.
a. The church had very little power in the way of the world
b. But, they kept His word
(1) To keep the Word is to obey it
(2) We go back to, "I know your deeds"
(3) No qualification
(4) The church obeyed Christ's Word, the Word of God and continued in it
c. And the Jesus says, you have not denied my name.
(1) I find this significant
(2) Has there been a period in church history where the church has denied Christ's name?
(3) Even in the depths of apostasy, the church never denied the name or the person of Jesus Christ
(4) The church age represented by the church at Philadelphia began in the 18th century and ended about the time of World War II
(a) I believe that we are in the age of the church at Laodicia
(b) And in this final church age, the name and person of Jesus Christ has been denied by major main line churches.
d. Let's go down to verse 11
C. We have here an admonition
Revelation 3:11
I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.
1. The KJV says,
Revelation 3:11 (KJV)
Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
2. Jesus' words actually mean that when the events which lead up to His coming for the saints begin, it will happen fast.
a. Like a thief, when he does come, he moves about quickly and is gone, taking what he wanted
3. Don't let anyone take what you have
a. Not by cunning or vain deceit
b. So that you will not be cheated out of the rewards that Christ promised
(a) Now. please, let's look at verse 9 of Revelation 3
Revelation 3:9
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.
D. Promises
1. We have already covered the synagogue of Satan in our message on Smyrna
a. Jesus called these faithless Jews a synagogue of Satan
(1) These people are a gathering together of the prince of darkness
(2) They are gathered together to attack and destroy the church of Christ
(3) Today, others have infiltrated the visible church who hate the things of God and are trying to destroy the true church. These cannot be considered Christians any more than Christ considered these in the synagogue of Satan as Jews
(4) Even others stand outside the church and do their very best to close the door that Christ has opened
2. Now look at what Jesus promises
a. These faithless people will come are fall at the feet of the church and publicly acknowledge that Jesus Christ loves His church.
b. I will truly rejoice when Madline Murry O'hair bows down at the feet of the Christians she has tried to gag for these last few years
c. I will truly rejoice when Seminary Professors come and bow at the feet of Christians and acknowledge that Christ is real and that He loves His church
d. Now look down to verse 10 Revelation 3:10
Since 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.
(1) The King James says,
Revelation 3:10 (KJV)
Because 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.
(2) Here we have a very wonderful promise
(a) The church, Christians, will not be preserved through the great tribulation
(b) We will be kept from the hour that is going to come upon the whole world
(3) Many fine Christians believe that we will be preserved through the tribulation period
(a) But, this tells me the we will be kept from not preserved through
(4) Many fine Christians believe that the church will only be caught up at the beginning of the great tribulation, which is 3 1/2 years into the seventieth week of Daniel's prophecy
(5) But, many believe that the church will be raptured before the beginning of that 7 year period
(a) I am sure of one thing, the church will be caught up to be with Christ
(b) I am also sure that Christ will keep His promises
(c) And here He promise the church that it will be kept from the hour of trial
(d) This lets out a post tribulation rapture
(e) However, it does not rule out a mid trib position
(f) In this case we have to find a definition of "the hour of trial"
3. Verse 12 is a continuation of the promises
Revelation 3:12
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.
a. In Verses 9, 10, & 12 there are Five promises:
(1) Their enemies would be humiliated in their presence
Psalm 25:2 - 3
in you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse.
(2) The church would be delivered from the coming wrath - delivered not protected
1 Thessalonians 5:9 - 10
For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.
(3) The Lord would come quickly - this does not mean that He would come soon after this message, it means that the events surrounding the second coming will come close together, once it does start.
(4) The believers would be honored - will make a pillar in the temple - possibly refers to the practice of honoring dignitaries by placing a pillar in a temple with their name on it. This way the dignitary's name would ever be before the god of that temple.
(5) The saints will have God's name - His new name.
(a) The names of God in the past carried some prevailing aspect of His holy nature which was revealed at the time of the revealing of the name.
(b) The new name will reveal a brand new aspect of God to His saints
III. Summary
A. The church at Philadelphia was a church with very little secular power
1. But, the door of evangelism was wide open to them and they did God's will
2. They obeyed His will
3. There was no condemnation uttered for this church
4. There was only an admonition to hold fast what they had
B. If we compare Grace with the church at Philadelphia we will find that we are very much a Philadelphia church
1. We are a church of brotherly love
a. We care about each other
2. We are a church that does what we believe Christ has called us to do
a. We support missions to the tune of almost 1/3rd of our income
b. And we have a unique ministry in our community - our AWANA program; which has resulted in many children accepting Christ as their savior and many others to grow in their faith and knowledge of the Scriptures
C. There are many wonderful promises were made to the Philadelphian church
D. But, we must heed the only admonition given
1. Hold fast to what we have
a. We have our faith
b. We have our love
c. We have our ministries
2. When we grow tired and want to quit - let's remember Christ's words,
Revelation 3:11 (KJV)
Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Revelation 3:13 (KJV)
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
