INTRODUCTION
SLIDE #1
We are now at letter number six of the seven letters.
This letter is written to a church that has done it right; this is a church that we would want to make sure we emulate.
This letter is written to the church at Philadelphia. The city was world-famous for its wines and hot springs that were said to have healing powers.
This city became known as the “Gateway to the East” because of its geographic location. The city was founded about 150 years before Jesus. The purpose for the city was to spread the Greek culture, language and manner of life to the east. She was intended to be a missionary city – to promote Hellenism in the land.
This is where the church in this letter resided. The church was small and may not have had a strong influence in the city.
This church was suffering persecution at the hands of the Jews that lived in the area.
In this letter, Jesus has nothing negative to say about the church. In this letter we will see another picture of Jesus, the position that this faithful church held and the rewards that awaited the faithful in the church.
This small church that did not seem to have much power or influence was standing at the door of opportunity.
SLIDE #2
SERMON
I. PICTURE OF JESUS. V 7
For a picture of Jesus, let us look at verse 7 together.
SLIDE #3
Revelation 3:7 (NASB) 7“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this:
What picture is painted of Jesus? First we see…
SLIDE #4
A. Jesus is Holy.
God is called Holy throughout the Bible, Jesus is also holy. God is Holy by nature.
To be Holy means to be without sin. God is Holy be nature, we are Holy through Jesus.
SLIDE #5
B. Jesus is True.
There are two words for “true” in the original language, one means “something is true verses something being false.” The other word means that something is “real” opposed to something that which is “unreal”. This is the word that the Bible uses to describe Jesus.
Jesus is reality, whatever else claims to be true God, is not.
Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies.
Do we realize that we serve the one true God, a Holy God. DO we take God seriously?
SLIDE #6
C. Jesus is the doorkeeper.
Behind this there is an Old Testament picture. Hezekiah had a faithful steward called Eliakim, who was over his entire house and who alone could admit to the presence of the king. Isaiah heard God say of this faithful Eliakim:
SLIDE #7
"Then I will set the key of the house of David on his shoulder, When he opens no one will shut, When he shuts no one will open. (Isaiah 22:22).
It is this picture which is in John’s mind. Jesus alone has authority to admit to the New Jerusalem, the new city of David.
SLIDE #8
In John 14:6 Jesus says of Himself, “Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
SLIDE #9
II. POSITION OF THE FAITHFUL CHURCH V8-9
Let’s turn to verses 8-9 so we can see the position of the church.
SLIDE #10
Revelation 3:8 - 9 (NASB) 8‘I know your £deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. 9‘Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you.
Once again, Jesus says He knows their deeds, nothing is hidden from Jesus!
Let’s look at their position.
SLIDE #11
A. The faithful church is standing before an open door.
Have you ever stood in an open door, trying to decide whether to go through the door or not?
Have you ever had a door of opportunity open to you, but you were not sure what to do about it?
Have you ever reflected on your life and looked back at the doors that were open to you, but at the time for various reasons, you did not know the door was open?
This church stood at the open door and was willing to walk through it!
The church is standing before a door that Jesus has opened for them because they have kept His word. Verse 8,10.
The church was a church of little power; they probably seemed like a fly on a horse. People may have walked by there small place of worship and scoffed at them.
Maybe this church had people telling them that if they would conform to the world a bit more they would grow.
The church did not deny the name of Jesus in the face of trials and persecutions.
The image of open and shut doors may have something to do with the fact that when a Jew converted to Christianity, they were shut out of the Synagogue. We cannot real understand what this meant to a person of Jewish heritage, but it was difficult, they may have been tempted to deny the name of Jesus so that they could get back into the Synagogue.
Many times we are faced with a choice of denying Jesus or denying something that we liked to do, or maybe we would have to deny Jesus or lose some friends. We must not deny Jesus!
SLIDE #12
B. The meaning of the image.
Man may have shut the door to the Synagogue, but what kind of door did Jesus say He opened for them that could not be closed?
There are a few things this could mean, but the most common view is that Jesus is referring to the missionary opportunities that the church would enjoy as a result of their faithfulness.
In the New Testament there are many places where we see God opening the doors to new missions fields or opening the doors to new ministry opportunities. (1 Cor 16:9; 2 Cor 2:12; Col 4:3)
This view fits well with the known reason for the existence of the city as a gateway to spread the Greek culture.
This thought needs to sink in with us. Many times we feel that we have to go overseas to be doing missionary work, but the fields of this county are ripe for harvest. Missionary work can take place in your own back yard.
We all have a responsibility to reach out to others with the Gospel message. Each day we have opportunities that the Lord opens up to us, we need to see them and walk through the doors that are open to us. To use that door of opportunity is our privilege and our responsibility.
We need to ask Jesus to open doors with our friends and family, we must also then have the courage to walk through them.
This Church even though it was small had the privilege of spreading the Gospel of Jesus to a lost world! We at Auburn Christian Church also have the same privilege if we will just see the door and walk through it!
SLIDE #13
C. The church is in a position of power.
The scoffers will be humbled.
SLIDE #14
III. THE REWARDS FOR THE FAITHFUL V10-13
For the rewards given, we need to turn to verses 10-13
SLIDE #14
Revelation 3:10 - 13 (NASB) 10‘Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 11‘I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12‘He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and 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‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
The first reward is…
SLIDE #15
A. Safety through trials
SLIDE #16
B. We get to keep our crown.
This passage once again strikes at the root of the “Once Saved, Always Saved” theology.
Verse 11 tells us to hold on to what we have so that our crown will not be taken.
You cannot collect your crown and then do nothing with it!
Jesus is warning them that He is coming and that had better be ready for Him to come. Are you ready?
He is also telling them that He is coming to comfort the afflicted.
SLIDE #17
C. We become pillars of God’s temple
This means that the faithful will be a part of the support for Heaven. They will help support Heaven by their faithfulness.
We belong to God
Jesus says that He will write the name of God on them, this would identify them as belonging to God.
We have a special relationship with Jesus.
If you paid a great price for something that you have wanted, would that object be special to you?
Jesus paid for our salvation with His life, we will have a special relationship with Him. We now have a special relationship with Him. Let’s not take Jesus for granted.
SLIDE #18
D. We are citizens of God’s city
He also says that He will write the name of the city of God on them, showing that they are citizens of Heaven.
SLIDE #19
This thought fits in well with 2 CORINTHIANS 5:20 ¶ Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
We need to conduct ourselves as citizens of heaven.
CONCLUSION
This small seemingly insignificant church was standing before a door of opportunity.
These people needed to know that God was going to reward their faithfulness with an open door that would not be shut.
This door of opportunity was the door to the mission field that was right before them.
God opens doors for us today, the tough issue for many of our churches and for us is this: Will we walk though the door? Are we afraid to bring in the lost because we are comfortable with those who around us?
Walk through the door.
Today there is another door open to you, it is the door of salvation in which Jesus Himself is standing and waiting.
What about you will you walk though the door while it is still open?
