REVELATION 3:7-13
INTRODUCTION
A janitor would wait patiently each week for a group of seminarians to
finish their basketball game. While he waited, he would study his Bible. One
day, as the seminarians were leaving the gym, they noticed the janitor
carefully reading the text in his lap. One young man asked which biblical book
was the subject of the janitor’s study. The old man answered, “The Book of
Revelation.” The ballplayer was surprised and asked the janitor if he
understood the complicated book. “Oh, yes!” the man answered. I understand it.
It means that Jesus is gonna win!” And that is a most accurate analysis of the
book of Revelation!
BACKGROUND
Philadelphia
was the youngest of the seven churches of Asia.
The city of Philadelphia
was founded in the Second century B. C. by Attalus II, who was also called Philadelphos, and so gave the city its
name. "Philadelphos" is the
Greek word that means one who loves his
brother. The city was known for earthquakes. It can be likened to San Francisco or one of the cities of California. Earth tremors were frequent and
caused many of the residents to leave the city for a safer home in the
surrounding countryside.
The severe earthquake of
A. D. 17, which had devastated Sardis, almost
destroyed Philadelphia.
However, by the 90s with the aid of imperial subsidy, Philadelphia was rebuilt. The city of Philadelphia supported the
pagan cult of Dionysus, but the main problem the church faced was not the pagan
cult, but the Jews. This has usually been the case throughout history. The
Christian church has suffered more persecutions in the hands of religious
people than pagans. The same thing is true today in many parts of the world.
Attalus II founded Philadelphia
as a center of missionary activity for the Hellenistic way of life. In other
words, he founded the city as a center for people who would embrace the Greek
culture, philosophy, and way of life. The city was prosperous; partly from its
strategic position and partly from the grape growing that flourished in the
vicinity.
I. THE LORD’S COMMENDATION OF THE
CHURCH VV. 7-9
If there were a church
among the seven churches of Asia Minor that I would like us to emulate, it was
the church of Philadelphia. These seven churches represent the universal
church. The figure “seven” plays an important role in the Bible, especially in
the Book of Revelation. Seven is the
number of completion or perfection. These seven churches were actually in
existence when Christ gave John this revelation at the Island of Patmos.
Among the seven churches, Smyrna and Philadelphia were the only
churches that Christ did not find any fault or complaint. Therefore, I would
like us to pattern our church after the church of Philadelphia
because we have many similarities. One essential virtue we need to work on is
love. When you are strategically located like the church of Philadelphia,
you have to cultivate the virtue of love. Our church is also strategically
located in the city of Arlington, Texas, a Metroplex of
diverse cultures. The church
of Philadelphia did not
have problem loving each other. There was no internal bickering and fighting.
Christ commends the church
of Philadelphia.
In verse 7, the text
reads, And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
The word angel, also means messenger. Angels are God’s messengers
that is, why the NT teaches us not to worship them (Colossians 2:18). Here the word angel is a
metaphor either for the elder or overseer of the church or the church. The
person who is speaking here is the exalted Christ, hence the designations "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."
Here the word holy does not
necessarily refer to Christ’s sinlessness, but rather His complete dedication
to God the Father. The word true is
not referring to genuine or which correspond to reality, but one who is
faithful and trustworthy. So it is fair to say that the greeting is coming from
the one who is completely dedicated to God the Father, the one who is faithful
and trustworthy. This one has the key of David. The key of David is a metaphorical expression indicating complete
control over the royal household. A key is a symbol of power. It is a symbol of
authority and control. Keys are not given to everybody. When I give you a key
to my house that means I have given you accessibility to my house. That means I
trust you. Christ has the key to the messianic Kingdom. He is the only Person
who can let you in the Kingdom. He is the same who can shut you out of the
Kingdom. After the door to the Kingdom is opened, no one can close it,
salvation is assured. Once it is closed, no one can open it—judgment is
certain.
The problem that the
church was facing was that some of the Jews in Philadelphia
said they were the true people of God who held the key to the Kingdom of God.
But the truth is that when Israel
rejected her Messiah, it forfeited the key of David. It is Christ alone and no
longer Israel,
who can give men and women entrance into the Messianic Kingdom. Christ has the
absolute and exclusive power to give entrance and to exclude from the Kingdom of God. Christ shares this privilege with
His church. "And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom
of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will bound in heaven, and whatever
you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Matt. 16:19).
Christ commends the church of Philadelphia. First, he says, I know your deeds. Christ doesn’t
reprove or reprimand the church
of Philadelphia. In the
sight of Christ, the church was beyond reproach. They were doing everything
right. The members were living in unity. They were getting along with each
other. They were reaching people for Christ. Every member had a sense of
belonging in the fellowship. It is a sobering thought to realize that Christ
knows the deeds of every church. He knows the deeds of every Christian. He
knows your works, and there is nothing that is hidden from Him. Christ knows
everything that goes on in every church. He knows the things that you do behind
the scene. The church
of Philadelphia was known
for her good works. I would like Christ to say a similar thing about our church
if we would follow what the Bible teaches. Everybody in the church was using
his/her gift to serve the Lord in this church.
Second, Christ says, I have put before you an open door. The church of Philadelphia, like ours was small in
size, but Christ opened the door wide for her to reach people with the gospel.
Today we have the opportunity to preach the gospel more than any time in
history. We have the opportunity to share our faith in the market place today
more than anytime. The global economic meltdown has opened the door wide for
you and me to point and bring people to Christ. Many are asking spiritual
questions. Many for the first time are trying to analyze what is essential in
life. Our church needs to take advantage of this open door to minister to
people and lead them to the saving knowledge of Christ. Christ has opened the
door wide and we must utilize the opportunity to bring the lost to Him. I would
like to see both spiritual and numerical growth. Take advantage of Sunday
school so that you can really grow in your walk with Christ. Make time to
attend Sunday school and Bible study and prayer meeting and see the growth that
will take place in your life. The church of Philadelphia was not worried of its
size because it had a big Savior and the Lord who held the key to the Kingdom.
It is easy to underestimate our potential by focusing on the size of our
church.
Christ knew that the church of Philadelphia had little power. Our
church has little power physically and financially, but if we remain faithful
to Christ as the believers in Philadelphia did, He will keep the door open.
Christ opened the door for the church
of Philadelphia because
she kept the word of the Lord. This church endured great opposition and
persecution from both the pagans and the Jews, and yet did not succumb to
pressure. The church held her head high and remained faithful to Christ. The
church faces similar pressures today. We face pressure from cults, the hostile
media, the gay agenda, and those who want to redefine the family. The Christian
church faces opposition from religions that are hostile to Christ. However, it
is good to know and admit your powerlessness and embrace the unlimited power of
Christ. Christ commends the church
of Philadelphia for not
denying His name. When Christians go through difficult times, it is easy to
deny the name of Christ. Many deny the name of Christ by the way they live
their lives. Many deny the name of Christ by the things they say. Many deny the
name of Christ by the things they do. In a time when the economy is bad, it is
easy to be dishonest and deny Christ. It would have been easy for the believers
in Philadelphia
to abandon Christ and join the Jews but they didn’t. Let me ask you a question.
How many of you have not been able to pay your rent? How many of you have
missed a square meal? Yes, some of us have lost loved ones; some of us have
experienced some reversals in the past year, but when we count our blessings we
realize that the Lord has been good to us. Last year, you were worried whether you
could meet your church budget. By the grace of God, you exceeded the budget.
Who provided for you to give to the church? It is Christ, who provides for us
financially. That is why Christ admonishes us "not to be anxious about what we will eat, drink, or wear. But to seek
first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness, and all these things shall be
added to you" (Matt. 6:31-33).
When the people of God are faithful to Him, He has promised to take from the
unbelieving world and give it to us. We are to take advantage of the open door
because the Lord is not going to open it forever. Now that He has opened the
door, we must go through it. Now people are looking for answers to life’s ultimate
questions. People are more receptive to the gospel now. God is working behind
the scene in people’s lives. It is up to you and me to locate where the Spirit
of God is at work and join Him. The church
of Philadelphia did not
use her little power as an excuse for doing nothing. The church knew that she
had a great and powerful Lord who held the key of the Kingdom in His hand.
In verse 9, Christ says
that He will make the enemies of the church
of Philadelphia to come
and bow before her. The Lord is doing a similar thing today. Today many are
seeking spiritual answers from believers. This is a great opportunity to bring
seekers to Christ. Many are opened to the gospel because everything else has
failed, except Christ.
II. THE LORD’S COMMITMENT TO
THE CHURCH VV. 10-13
Because the church of Philadelphia has obeyed Christ and
emulated His example of perseverance, He promises to keep the church from the
hour of testing that is coming upon the world. In Revelation 2:10, the
tribulation of which the believers of Smyrna
are warned is to test the church. Sometimes God allows His church to be tested.
But in our present text, the hour of trial is to test or try "those who dwell upon the earth. Those who dwell upon the earth" is
a term used to describe the non-Christian world, those who don’t believe in
Jesus Christ (6:10; 8:13; 11:10). There is something I would like you to
understand whereas the devil prompts the opponents of the church to persecute
the believers of Smyrna it is God who tests
the unregenerate world during the hour of trial by His own judgment. God is
going to try the people that are outside of Christ not to destroy them, but to
drive them to repentance. Could it be that what we are experiencing in the
United States and the world is a wakeup call from God that Jesus Christ cannot
be ignored? God’s hour of trial of the world is indicative of His disapproval
of her ways. It is God’s compassion to drive the believing world to repentance
and faith in Christ. The hour of testing is also indicative that the coming of
Christ is approaching.
Christ says that He will
protect His church from this hour of trial because His church has been faithful
and loyal to Him. Verse 11, Christ says that He is coming quickly. In the Book
of Revelation, the coming of Christ is always in the present tense, not in the
future. Christ then says, "Hold fast
to what you have so that nobody takes your crown." You and I have
different gifts, abilities, experiences, and maturity. God does not expect you
and me to act the same, but He expects us to hold fast to what we have, to
persevere in using our resources for Him. The term "hold fast" means "keep
a firm grip on." You may be a new believer and feel that your faith
and spiritual strength are little. Use what you have for Christ, and God will
commend you. When Christ returns, only the things that you did in His name will
count. When Christ returns only things that have eternal significance will
matter. First and foremost, people are what have eternal value that is why
Christ came to die for us. You are going to be crowned according to your
service to Christ. You see, nobody can steal your crown but you can forfeit
because of your attitude to Christ, the gifts He has given you, and the place
He has put you. Disobedience and rebellion to Christ can cause you to forfeit
your crown. Because of disobedience, Saul forfeited his crown to David. To
serve God is high privilege that cannot be compared with anything in the world.
But this privilege would be withdrawn if you fail to fulfill the task the Lord
has given you. Christians who don’t want to get their hands dirty will lose
their crowns. Christians who are selective in what they want to do for Christ
will lose their rewards. The word “crown’ is "stephanos," which means a garland or wreath. It was
often used of victory for athletes in the Greek world.
Then Christ says that
the overcomer will be made a pillar in
the Temple of God. This is a figure of speech,
which means permanent residence in the New Jerusalem. As I explained to you
that the city of Philadelphia
was known for earthquakes, God will honor the believers of this city who defied
the earthquake and stayed to serve Him faithfully in spite of the opposition from
the Jews. One great assurance that Christians have is that we are sojourners
and pilgrims in this world. We are just passing through this word, therefore
don’t plant all your feet in this world. Christ is preparing a permanent and
better home for us. Christ will write on us the name of God the Father. This is
a symbol of possession. All the followers of Christ will bear His mark on our
forehead to show that we belong to Him. The followers of the beast will also
bear his name (13:17). The
mark that you and I will receive will protect us from God’s wrath that will
come upon the world. All who bear the name of God belong to God (22:4). Only
those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life will be citizens of
the New Jerusalem.
In the consummation, the
heavenly Jerusalem
will descend to earth (21:2) and God will take up His residence with us. When
Christ returns as the mighty Conqueror, He has a name inscribed, which nobody
else knows except Himself (19:12). This is a symbolic way of suggesting the
glory and majesty of Christ at His revelation, which will be shared by those of
us who have placed our trust in Him.
Some Christians serve
Christ reluctantly as if they are doing it for the pastor. In reality, you
serve Christ for yourself. This passage is an eye opener for you and me to give
our best to Christ as His return is approaching. Make yourself available,
unreserved, and totally committed to the service of Christ. In conclusion,
Christ says, "He who has an ear let
him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." The question is, "Are
you listening to what the Spirit is saying?" Is your local church
listening to what the Spirit is saying to you?
