The 6th Letter: A Faithful Church
Sermon Notes
Intro:
Hey, my name’s Louis I’m the lead pastor here at City Awakening. Welcome to those of you on-site and to those of you watching online, we’re glad you’re joining us online. At this time let’s dismiss our children to children’s church, and if you didn’t get to check your child in, please see our children’s ministry leaders in the back and they can assist you with that...Today we’re continuing our teaching series on a book of the bible called Revelation. It’s a series about finding peace in a world of chaos. The text we’re studying today is about finding peace when it comes to having open and closed doors in life. The reality is sometimes you have doors that open when it comes to achieving your dreams, but sometimes the doors close and you have shattered dreams... Sometimes you have doors that open when it comes to your career, but sometimes the doors close on your career...Sometimes you have doors that open when it comes to something you want in life, but sometimes the doors close and you don’t get what you want in life...Both skeptics and believers face open and closed doors in life, but today’s text teaches us about a door that can’t ever be closed. So, let’s turn to Revelation Ch 3 and get into it. You’ll find Revelation in the back of the bible, it’s the very last book of the bible, and we’ll be in Revelation 3:7-13. The title of the message is The 6th Letter: A Faithful Church. The big idea is Jesus opens and closes doors, but there’s one door that can’t ever be closed...Jesus opens and closes doors, but there’s one door that can’t ever be closed...
Context:
Here’s your context. The Book of Revelation is about the 2nd coming of Jesus, and what will happen at the end of history when he returns. We’ve broken the entire book down into four major visions, and right now we’re studying the 1stvision, which is where Jesus tells John the author to write 7 letters to 7 churches in Asia Minor. He wants these letters to encourage John and these 1st Century Christians as they’re facing afflictions from the Roman Empire for their faith in Jesus. The letter we’re about to study is the 6th letter, which is a letter to the church in Philadelphia. What makes this letter unique from the other letters, is Jesus doesn’t give any criticism or correction to the church in Philadelphia. Jesus gives some criticism and correction to all the other churches he’s writing letters to, except for the churches in Smyrna and Philadelphia. Those are the only two churches that don’t receive criticism or correction, instead, they receive celebration. Let’s check it out.
The Word:
Revelation 3:7-13, “Write to the angel of the church in Philadelphia...” This is Jesus speaking, and he’s telling John the author what to write to the church in Philadelphia. Historically we know the city of Philadelphia was located roughly 30 miles southeast of Sardis, which we studied last week. It was first established by the Greek king of Pergamum, who during that time was either King Eumenes or his brother King Attalus II. Regardless the city was named after King Attalus II’s nickname Philadelphus, which means brotherly love. It comes from the Greek words phileo which means (love), and adelphos which means (brotherly). So when we put these words together we get the Greek name Philadelphus, which means brotherly love. It’s the nickname King Attalus II was given because of his loving loyalty to his brother King Eumenes. It’s the same name the Christian Quaker William Penn decided to give to the city of Philadelphia here in the U.S., which is often referred to as The City of Brotherly Love. Some say William Penn named it that because of the strong relationship his colony had with Native Americans, others say it was because he wanted to establish religious freedom there. But the city of Philadelphia we’re studying in Asia Minor wasn’t established to spread brotherly love or religious freedom, it was established to spread Hellenism, to spread the Greek culture. Its location easily connected it to surrounding regions, and so the goal was to establish a city there to rapidly spread the Greek culture to those surrounding areas. It was often known for being a gateway to the East, which made it very strategic to start a church there that could be a gateway to the East, for spreading the gospel of Jesus. Well a church was established there, it was the Philadelphia Church, and here’s what Jesus says to this church.
Again vs. 7, “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, who closes and no one opens.” Notice Jesus says he’s the one who has the key of David, and when the Philadelphia Christians hear this they’d start thinking kingdom mentality. They’d start thinking about some of the prophetic claims about a messianic savior coming through the lineage of King David, and Jesus is saying he’s that messianic savior. He’s saying he’s the one who has the key not just to David’s Kingdom, but to all the kingdoms on heaven and earth. In the bible, a key often represents the person in charge, the person in control, because the person with the key, can open or close the kingdom doors. So the implication is that Jesus is the messianic savior who’s in charge, who’s in control, who has the key, to open or close all the kingdom doors on heaven and earth. Jesus starts this letter with that because he wants the Philadelphia Christians to remember who he is. He wants them and us to remember how great and powerful he is. It’s a great way to start the letter because the size of your savior, determines the size of your problems...The size of your savior determines the size of your problems...In other words, if you have a small savior, then the size of your problems will be magnified to the point where they crush you. But if you have a big savior, then the size of your problems will be minimized to the point where they don’t crush you. What are some of the problems you’re currently facing in life?... What are some of the problems you walked in here with today?... Are you viewing those problems as bigger than your savior, or is your savior bigger than those problems?... The smaller your savior, the bigger your problems will be, and Jesus wants us to view him as a big savior who’s bigger than our problems. He wants the Philadelphia Christians and us to know he’s a big savior who has the key, to open or close doors in our lives.
Again vs. 7, “Thus says the Holy One, the true one, the one who has the key of David, who opens and no one will close, who closes and no one opens. 8 I know your works.” Jesus says I know your works, meaning he not only has the key to heaven and earth, but he also sees everything that’s happening on heaven and earth. He sees all your works, meaning he knows all the good and bad things you’re doing in life. He knows who you are and what you’re doing with your life. He knows how you’re viewing him and how you’re viewing the problems you’re facing in life. He sees all your works, all the things you’re doing and going through in life, and he wants you to know he cares. If he didn’t care he wouldn’t be paying attention to your works, but he’s paying attention to your works because he cares. Like King David said in Psalm 8:3-4, “When I observe your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you set in place! 4 What is a human being that you remember him, a son of man that you look after him?” Jesus wants us to know that he remembers us and that he’s looking after us, even on the days when it feels like our problems are crushing us. Jesus says I know your works because he wants the Philadelphia Christians and us to know that he sees us, he’s paying attention to us, he cares about us.
Again vs. 8, “I know your works. Look, I have placed before you an open door that no one can close...” This is the second time Jesus is talking about doors, except this time he’s talking specifically about an open door, that no one can close! Some scholars say this door is either a door to eternal salvation or a door to daily blessings and ministry opportunities for sharing the gospel. In this context, I think Jesus is talking about eternal salvation because that’s a door that can’t ever be closed once we put our faith in Jesus. But the daily blessings and ministry opportunities are a door that can be closed because we won’t need those things in eternity. For example, in heaven you won’t need to pray for an open door to help with your finances, to help with your bills, to help with inflation, because in heaven there won’t be any bills or inflation. In heaven you won’t need to pray for an open door to help with ministry, to help with leading your neighbor to faith in Jesus, because everybody in heaven will already have faith in Jesus. So the door for things like that will eventually close because they won’t be needed anymore. But the door for eternal salvation will always remain open, for those who put their faith in Jesus. It isn’t that we’ll still need salvation in heaven, it’s that our salvation can’t ever be taken away in heaven. It can’t ever be taken away in this life, or eternal life. What Jesus is saying, what he’s promising to the Philadelphia Christians and us, is when we put our faith in him, he opens a door to salvation that can’t ever be taken away.
Again vs. 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 I will make those from the synagogue of Satan who claim to be Jews, but are lying—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and they will know that I have loved you.” What’s happening here is Jesus is celebrating these Philadelphia Christians for remaining faithful when it comes to keeping his word and his name. They haven’t denied his teachings or his name, despite facing heavy pressures and persecution to reject his teachings and his name. Most of the pressures and persecution they were facing were coming from a group of people who were claiming to be Jews, but Jesus says they were really a synagogue of Satan. It’s because they were doing Satan’s work instead of the Lord’s work, and like I said a few weeks ago everybody has a tolerance line. Everybody has a tolerance line where they’ll say “I’m not going to tolerate these actions anymore.” What these Jews are doing to the Philadelphia Christians crosses that line for Jesus, and he isn’t tolerating their sinful actions, pressures, and persecution against the Philadelphia Christians anymore. He celebrates the Philadelphia Christians but rebukes and draws a tolerance line against the Jews.
Now this is a much more accurate picture of who Jesus is than the He Gets Us Super Bowl commercial that’s being shown. It’s a commercial showing same-sex couples washing each other’s feet, and then it says “Jesus didn’t teach hate, he washed people’s feet.” It’s a video promoting sexual tolerance, but it isn’t giving people an accurate picture of Jesus. They’re saying Jesus didn’t teach hate, but like we studied a few weeks ago Jesus tells the Ephesian Church that he hates the practices of the Nicolatians. He says in Revelation 2:6, “You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.” If you notice he doesn’t say he hates the Nicolatians, but he does say he hates their practices. So the He Gets Us commercial isn’t giving people an accurate picture of Jesus, because Jesus absolutely teaches us to hate. He teaches us to hate not people but to hate sinful practices that aren’t in alignment with him, including our sinful practices too. So a more accurate picture of Jesus is that he’s tough, but also tender. He’s truthful, but also loving. He's firm and teaches us to hate sin, but also gracious and teaches us he’ll forgive anyone who repents of sin. What he’s teaching us in this text is to remain faithful to his word and his name, despite any cultural pressures and persecution we’ll face. He’s celebrating the Philadelphia Christians for remaining faithful to his word and his name, despite the cultural pressures and persecution they’re facing.
Vs. 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.” Scholars disagree on what this hour of testing is referring to. Some say it’s referring to tribulations they’ll face in the future, and that Jesus will make sure they remain faithful through those tribulations. Others say it’s referring to the great tribulation in chapters 6-19 that’ll take place at the end of history when Jesus returns, and they think Jesus is saying he’ll spare them from that great tribulation. But there’s actually truth to both these views because we know historically the Philadelphia Church kept their faith and was also spared from the great tribulation that’s coming at the end of history.
See here’s what we know happened historically. We know the Philadelphia church ended up facing tribulations for another 1200 years, but for 1200 years they never denied their faith in Jesus. In the 6th century, there was a large cathedral built there, lots of people were worshiping Jesus, and it eventually became a church that was sending people out to plant churches in other parts of the world. In fact, some of the first churches ever planted in India came from the Philadelphia church. So they achieved their church’s vision to be a gateway to the East, for spreading the Gospel. But for 1200 years they faced trials, tribulations, persecutions, even massive earthquakes that destroyed their church and homes, yet they remained faithful to Jesus through it all. Well in 1342 Turkish Muslim soldiers took over the city, and started trying to convert Christians to Islam. When the Philadelphia Christians refused to convert, they started torturing and killing them. But the Philadelphia Christians stood firm in their faith to the very end. When I say they stood firm to the very end, I mean literally to the very end, because the Philadelphia church no longer exists today. They were a faithful church that remained faithful to Jesus for over 1200 years, and they never denied their faith in him, even with Turkish Muslims holding swords to their throats. So Jesus kept his promise that he’d help them remain faithful to the end, but he also kept his promise that he’d save them from the great tribulation that’s coming at the end of history. Their physical church doors closed which saved them from that great tribulation, but their spiritual door of eternal salvation in heaven with Jesus never closed. The reason they wouldn’t deny their faith in Jesus is because they knew Jesus had opened an eternal door for them, that not even death could close.
Again vs. 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.” Everything Jesus is saying here is pointing to the door of eternal salvation in heaven with him. He’s promising they’ll get to enjoy eternal life in heaven with him, since they put their faith in his name, instead of denying his name. In vs 13, he says this is something the churches need to listen to, and the word churches is plural. So this is something every church needs to listen to, including our church. Jesus says anyone who has ears needs to listen to what he’s saying to the Philadelphia church. So if you’re a skeptic, Jesus wants you to listen to what he’s saying here too. He wants you to know he sees you, he sees your works, and every sin you’ve ever committed in your life. But he also wants you to know he died for your sins on the cross, so you could be forgiven of your sins and enjoy eternal life in heaven with him. He wants you to know he’s willing to open the door of eternal salvation for your life today. If you put your faith in him today, he’ll open the door of eternal salvation for your life, and it’ll never be closed.
If you’re a believer, Jesus wants you to know he sees you, he sees your works too. He sees what you’re going through in life, and he wants you to remain faithful to his word and his name like the Philadelphia Christians. You can pray for him to open doors for whatever daily blessings you want. But he also wants you to remain faithful and to trust him with the closed doors, if he doesn’t give you what you want. I mean we really love when he opens the door for things we want, but we get angry with him when he closes the door and doesn’t give us what we want. But what if that door you’ve been praying for, that door you’ve been wanting isn’t good for your life?...What if that door you’ve been praying for, that door you think would be good for your life, would actually harm or hinder your life?... So instead of opening that door, Jesus is closing that door because he knows the negative effects it’ll have on you and those around you?... City Awakening if you trust Jesus with the open doors in your life, you should also trust him with the closed doors in your life. If you trust Jesus with the door for your eternal salvation, you should also trust him with the door for your daily blessings. As believers we need to pray saying, “Jesus I want you to open the door for me to get the job, to get the salary increase, to get that thing I’ve been praying for. But if that job, salary increase, the thing I’ve been praying won’t be good for me and those around me, then close that door! You see me, you see my works, and you know me better than I know myself! So I want you to open those doors if they’re good for me, but to close them if they aren’t.” Skeptics need to trust Jesus with the door for salvation, but believers need to trust Jesus with the door for daily blessings. We need to remain faithful like the Philadelphia Christians, even with the closed doors.
The Big Idea:
The big idea of the message is Jesus opens and closes doors, but there’s one door that can’t ever be closed...Jesus opens and closes doors, but there’s one door that can’t ever be closed, and it’s the door to eternal salvation in heaven with him. When he opens that door of salvation in your life, it’s a door that can’t ever be closed. For those who put their faith in him, the one door he’ll never close is the door to his heart. If you put your faith in him, then the door is always open to his heart, so go to him today with whatever’s on your heart. Jesus says in John 10:9-10, “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved...and he will find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. But I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”...Let’s pray...