The Seven Churches-Philadelphia Series

The Seven Churches-Philadelphia

(Full disclosure: this message is based on a sermon I preached at New Hope Baptist Church near Fulton, MO on November 23, 2025 but is not an exact transcription.)

Introduction: My paternal grandfather and one of Dad’s brothers were both pastors for many years. Grandpa always had that vibe or aura, such that you never really knew if he was being serious, humorous, or somewhere in-between. Dad’s brother was like Grandpa in a lot of ways, but had a very dry sense of humor. Dry is good, no?

Well, Phil (not my uncle’s real name) had, to me, one of the funniest Christmas-themed jokes ever. He said a man wanted to join a church and spoke to the pastor. This pastor said, we will welcome you but first you have to pass a test. The other man, flustered, asked, “What’s the test?” To which the pastor replied, “Where was Jesus born?” Thinking for a moment, he said, “Pittsburgh?” And the pastor’s reply was, “Sorry, we can’t let you join this church.”

As the story goes, the man went to a different denomination, was given the same requirements, a test to see if he knew where Jesus was born. This time he guessed, “Philadelphia?” And the same response: “Sorry, we can’t let you join this church.”

Third church now, and the pastor said, “Well, if you‘d like to join, no problem. We’re glad to have you!”The man replied, “You mean, there aren’t any tests or questions?” Pastor replied, nope, none whatsoever. Then the man asked, “Could you answer a question for me?” And the pastor replied, “I’ll do my best; what’s your question?” The man asked, “Could you tell me where Jesus was born?” The pastor’s reply: “Oh, in Bethlehem. It’s in the Gospel of Matthew.” The man was relieved! He said, “Great! I knew it was somewhere in Pennsylvania!”

Well, this morning’s message isn’t about Bethlehem or the Philadelphia in the Keystone State. But it is about a church in a relatively small city in what’s now western Turkey. We’ll read the text and then take a look at what the Lord said to them, and to us.

Text: Revelation 3:7-13, KJV: 7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; 8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. 9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. 10 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. 11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. 12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. 13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

1 The Picture of Jesus

Verse 1 gives us several different things about our Lord Jesus Christ. First, He describes Himself as He that is holy. It goes without saying that none of us are holy; we can’t be; even Isaiah said that our righteousness was like filthy rags (Isa. 64:6).In fact, the only two humans to have ever been created without a sin nature were Adam and Eve—and we see how well THAT turned out! Even so, our Lord Jesus was, as the writer of Hebrews says, “holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners (Heb. 7:26). And nobody else has, or ever can be, as holy as He was, is, and forever will be.

And not only is Jesus holy, He is true. This is important, because, first, even Jesus Himself said there would be false Christs (Matthew 24:24), even before He was crucified. John wrote (1 John 2) that some “went out from us, but were not of us”—clearly false and not true. Jesus had also told Thomas, “I am the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). Let me add a little more to this.