The Key
The Seven Churches of Revelation Series
CCCAG, September 29th, 2024
Scripture: Revelation 3:7-13
Introduction
Today we are going to be studying the Church at Philadelphia.
We know the name Philadelphia as we have a major city in Pennsylvania with the same name.
What nickname is the city of Philadelphia known for?
The city of brotherly love.
That is the exact Greek meaning of that word. We’ve been blessed to belong to such a church, and that is what this church in Revelation chapter 3 was known as- the loving church.
The church in Philadelphia was unique among these 7 churches as it’s the only one of these 7 churches that doesn’t have a rebuke against it.
Jesus has only praise for this church, and uses this letter to help further their spiritual understanding of HIM and what HE has to offer them as they continue to perform the mission they have been given for that place and for that time.
There is also something for us to learn here, particularly for the time that we are living in today, and what we could be facing in the future.
Let’s read the scripture for this morning
Scripture
Rev 3:7-13 “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: (8) I know your works. Look, I have placed before you an open door that no one can close because you have but little power; yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. (9) Note this: I will make those from the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews and are not, but are lying?—?I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and they will know that I have loved you.
(10) Because you have kept my command to endure, I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is going to come on the whole world to test those who live on the earth. (11) I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one takes your crown. (12) “The one who conquers I will make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will never go out again. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God?—?the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God?—?and my new name. (13) “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.
Prayer
We see several things in this description of the church of Philadelphia that can apply to our church, and to us who are living in this chaotic time.
We are going to begin by focusing this morning on a phrase that Jesus uses to describe HIMSELF.
That Phrase is-
I. The Key of David
This reference to the Key of David goes back almost 500 years from the time this scripture was written into the time of the divided Kingdom.
Remember after King Solomon died the united Kingdom of Israel that was founded under Saul and grew into an empire under David and Solomon, had a breakup.
Most of the 12 tribes aligned with Israel to the north and kept that name, while the Southern tribes stayed loyal to the House of David and formed the nation of Judah.
This reference Jesus used referring to the Key of David comes from a time in the Old Testament during King Hezekiah of Judah’s reign when the Assyrian army was surrounding Jerusalem after taking out the northern Kingdom.
The king sent out several officials to negotiate with the leader of the army, and one of them was named Eliakim who was the palace administrator.
Eliakim was faithful in his service to the King, and God tells the prophet Isaiah to tell Hezekiah this about him-
Isa 22:20-23 “On that day I will call for my servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah. (21) I will clothe him with your robe and tie your sash around him. I will hand your authority over to him, and he will be like a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. (22) I will place the Key of the House of David on his shoulder; what he opens, no one can close; what he closes, no one can open. (23) I will drive him, like a peg, into a firm place. He will be a throne of honor for his father’s family.
We see several things in that scripture that open up the meaning behind this concept of “The Key of David”-
“The Key of David” wasn’t just a physical key.
It was a position within the kingdom- a position of great trust.
A more modern way of thinking about it would be like the prime minister of Great Britain, or in our country The White House chief of staff.
This position, and the man filling it at that moment, is so important that the prophet describes it as being like a tent peg, or an anchor holding something firmly in the ground. This idea will be important as there is a storm coming- an army coming against the Kingdom of Judah that has already conquered the northern Kingdom of Israel.
That is why Eliakim, not the king is meeting with the leaders of this army. He has the full power of King Hezekiah to attempt to negotiate a truce.
That’s the background of this title.
Jesus is calling himself The Key of David, and that HE is the anchor we can trust to hold us firm no matter what storm comes against us.
Jesus has the full authority of God to make Kingdom level decisions that will determine the future of HIS church.
Who is the Key of David, also possessed a physical key.
It was the master key to the city- the one that unlocked three very important doors, and that person had the authority to access what was behind those doors.
The first door would be the armory- the area of the city that contained the weapons, shields, and other armaments that could be used to defend the city.
The second would be the door to the treasury. As the chief of staff, much of their job was financial and protecting the interests of the King and the Kingdom.
The third and most important- the key would unlock the door to the innermost rooms of the castle- the throne room and inner chambers of the royal family.
Holding that key meant that you were trusted with the security of the king and HIS kingdom.
Key illustration (work keys)
What Jesus is telling us here- He is the one that holds that Key of David.
Why is this important to us?
Jesus is that firm tent peg or anchor for the church.
Jesus makes the decisions and holds the keys.
So let’s look at what those keys open for those who trust in HIM.
The first door it unlocks-
The armory of heaven
If you remember the bible account of when Jesus was being arrested, HIS disciples initially were going to fight for HIM. Simon Peter even drew his sword and swung it, cutting off an ear of one of the people coming to arrest Jesus.
Jesus rebuked Peter, and then informed everyone there-
Matthew 26:53- Do you think that I cannot call on my Father, and he will provide me here and now with more than twelve legions of angels?
That is roughly 72,000-100,000 angels, and Jesus said that was the bare minimum.
How much military power is that?
To put that in a little perspective- Right after Eliakim met with the general in charge of the Assyrian Army, that night one angel, filled with the power of God, obliterated over 185,000 of the enemy soldiers in a single night. Isaiah 37:36 if you want the reference.
One angel
Also, after the Tribulation, one angel grabs a cherub, which is a more powerful of spiritual being called satan, chains him up, and tosses him into a cage for 1000 years. Angels are very powerful beings.
What God wants to show you through this scripture this morning-
If you are a believer in Jesus, you are never alone. Because of your faith in HIM, he has opened the door to the armory of heaven.
Elisha’s servant saw that in 2 Kings 6- he’s panicking thinking they are surrounded by their enemy, and Elisha prays for God to open his eyes into he spiritual, and he sees the legions of angel surround them.
Nothing on this earth comes close to the power available to you and I as believers in Christ.
As tough as we humans think we are with nuclear weapons (pfft)- we have had that for less than 100 years. God’s been in the nuclear game since creation when He made the stars.
The smallest solar flare our sun produces releases more power and raw energy than 1 million nuclear bombs.
God made that before Adam and Eve walked this earth.
That’s the kind of power that Jesus has available for you through HIM being that key of David for you and I.
The key of David also opens up for us-
The treasury of heaven
This is a point that has been abused a bit in our times with the prosperity gospel- that God wants us all to be rich and comfortable.
God does actually wants prosperity for us. I truly believe that he wants us prosperous and as happy as we can be.
But you know what HE wants even more?
For us to spend eternity with HIM.
As Jesus said-
Matt 16:26
What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?
For many of us, if not most of us, too much prosperity this side of eternity could very well cause us to lose out on that eternity with HIM.
A good meditation and prayer when it comes to how much we have, or how money is enough is this prayer from the book of Proverbs-
Pro 30:8-9 Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. (b)Give me neither poverty nor wealth; feed me with the food I need.
(9) Otherwise, I might have too much and deny you, saying, “Who is the LORD?” or I might have nothing and steal, profaning the name of my God.
So while God promises to provide our needs through opening up heaven’s treasury, remember that HE Is a good father, and will not give you something that will lead you away from HIM.
The last thing that key of David will open for us is
The door to the throne room, and the innermost chambers of the king that only the closest of family and friends can access.
Last week I talked about the dangers of turning our relationship with God into an external religion meant to make ourselves feel good while keeping God at arm's length.
That’s not what HE wants.
There is a truth that I’m coming to understand more deeply the longer that I walk with Jesus.
Everyone’s life is about worship.
You will either
Worship God
or
Worship youself
External religion is at the end of the day, worship of self- it elevates your needs above God’s, so in the end, you are not focused on God but on yourself.
Relationship with God is focused on God.
That’s why this key opens up the place of intimacy- you can go directly into both the throne room and the living quarters of the kings family and reside there.
Jesus is that key- it’s through his sacrifice and resurrection that we have this kind of access to the innermost sanctum of heaven.
Not only does Jesus have that key, he actually destroyed the door.
Remember what the bible records happened the moment he died on the cross and paid the penalty for our sin?
The temple curtain was torn in two- The bible is very specific at this point- it was torn from top to bottom.
The Jewish historian Josephus said that the curtain was 60 feet high, 30 feet wide, and 4 inches thick.
Josephus said that you could tie Teams of horses tied to each side of it, trying to pull it apart would not harm it at all.
The moment the sin was dealt with, God reached down and destroyed the barrier between HIM and us, ripping it from top to bottom.
That’s the most important part of Jesus being that Key of David- giving us direct access to God, even in the most intimate places.
We spent a lot of time seeing Jesus as the Key of David this morning and what that unlocks for us.
The reason for that is found in verse 10-
(10) Because you have kept my command to endure, I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is going to come on the whole world to test those who live on the earth. (11) I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one takes your crown.
What Jesus is telling us today is be
II. Rapture Ready
Everything is in place for the tribulation to start.
Most of us believe that God will tell the angel to blow the trumpet that signals our homecoming immediately before or very early in that tribulation time.
We need to be ready, and to do that we have to keep his command to endure.
Jesus devoted an entire chapter of the bible describing the generation that will be ready-
In Matthew 25, Jesus gives us three parables. I’ll quickly describe them-
The parable of the 10 virgins- 5 were wise and kept His command to be ready and went with Jesus when he came, and 5 were foolish and were spiritually lazy and missed his coming.
The next parable was that of the talents.
Three people were given amounts of money, called talents, by their master to hold onto while he was away. 2 out of the three used the money to make more money and in doing so, increased the masters kingdom, while the 3rd hide the money and didn’t’ earn anything for his master. That servant was thrown into the outer darkness.
That parable indicates that we are to use what God has given us- money, time, or talent for his glory, and not our own.
The third parable speaks of a final judgment, where God will separate the sheep from the goats.
The sheep are rewarded for having the heart of Jesus- clothing the naked, caring for the sick, visiting the incarcerated.
While the goats, who lived only for themselves, are cast into the eternal punishment.
And that is the main point- who are you worshipping today? Your worship is who your life is focused around.
Is it Jesus, who holds that key of protection, provision, and intimacy with God,
or yourself?
Finally, Jesus is telling us
Hold on to what you have, so that no one takes your crown.
Jesus is referring to a footrace. We are all running our spiritual race, and just because the finish line is in sight, it doesn’t mean we let up, otherwise we get passed by and someone gets that winners crown.
It’s not time to start coasting…but to press in, and strain toward that finish line.
And fall right into the Arms of your savior.
Altar call, prayer
