The Church At Philadelphia Series

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