Sermon Series: Evaluate, Change and Restore

Philadelphia: The Church that was "Just Right"

Revelation 3:7-13

PSBC, March 25, 2001

In a nutshell: A church that is just right will be given open doors to minister and affect it's territory for God. A "just right" church is one that has the strength of God (no matter its size); keeps God's Word; and doesn't deny His name.

I. Introduction

A. Goldilocks and the Three Bears

You all remember the fairy tale you heard as children of Goldilocks and the 3 Bears. A young woman by the name of Goldilocks, invades the home of three forest dwellers and in a rash of self-centered acts, steals their food, vandalizes their furniture and invades the privacy of their bedrooms. (Well, that's the "bears" side of things.) Anyway, you'll remember the phrase that was used in all three circumstances of her eating, sitting and napping. Each bowl of porridge or each chair or each bed was either too "something" or too "something else", or "just right".

B. "Just Right" churches

Well, I thought of that fairy tale this week as I prepared this message. You see, as we've been studying the seven churches in Asia Minor over these past few months, we've seen churches that were either too lazy, or too tolerant, or too easily manipulated to do wrong. Don't you wonder what it's going to take to have a church be "just right"?

Rev. Adrian Dieleman, a pastor of a Christian Reformed Church in Visalia, CA, in a sermon on the passage we're going to look at this morning, said this (front of information guides)...

When we look at the seven letters to the churches of Asia Minor, we can or should see a pattern emerging which ought to make any church hesitant to boast or have pride. The Lord tells us that it is not the biggest church, nor the most impressive one, nor the one with a name and reputation, that are necessarily in the best spiritual shape. When Christ measures or gauges a church's spiritual life, He doesn't look at size, He doesn't look at buildings, He doesn't look at power and influence, He doesn't look at programs and ministries, He doesn't look at wealth and growth. When Christ measures or gauges a church's spiritual life, He doesn't look at outward appearances –– no matter how impressive those appearances may be. What Christ looks at is the heart. What Christ looks for is spiritual wealth.

Please turn in your Bibles to Revelation 3, starting at verse 7. That's where we're going to find out what it takes to be a spiritually wealthy church in the eyes of Jesus. Because, as we'll see, the Lord of the church, pronounces the church at Philadelphia, "just right!"

II. The City of Philadelphia

A. History

While you're turning to this passage, let me give you a little background on the city of Philadelphia, in Asia Minor.

Philadelphia was founded about 250 years before Revelation was written. It was a city that was built by a king to honor his brother–it's name literally means, "lover of a brother". One feature about this city, is that because of where it was physically located, over the years it had been affected by numerous earthquakes. In fact it was completely destroyed in 17 A.D., and the aftershocks caused the people of Philadelphia, for many years, to live in tents outside the city walls, so they wouldn't get hit by falling debris. It was a city known for commerce. The rich trade routes from Rome to the Orient, passed through Philadelphia. And Rome used Philadelphia as an ambassador city to spread it's culture to the east.

There was a very large Jewish population in the city. And the church in the city seemed insignificant. It wasn't a mega-church like Ephesus. It wasn't a wealthy church like Smyrna or Pergamum. It wasn't a proud church, like Sardis. It was just an average group of people, doing their best to be Christians in the middle of their non-Christian society. And this is what Jesus has to say to them...

B. Jesus' Introduction

Rev 3:7
7 "To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.

Here Jesus tells them who He is, and what He does.

1. Holy One

First Jesus calls Himself the "Holy One". His character is without flaw. He is morally perfect. And that's all true, because He is God.

2. True One

Second Jesus calls Himself the "True One". That means all that is real in the physical realm that we can see; and in the spiritual realm that we cannot see, finds it's source in Him. He is the author and the finisher of everything that exists.

C. Jesus' Activity

Then He tells them what He does. "He holds the key of David". This is a reference to an incident that's recorded in Isaiah 22. Back when Hezekiah was king of Judah, he had a chief of staff by the name of Shebna. Shebna ran the entire palace operation. Along the way, he got involved in taking a kickback in exchange for his influence, and he incurred God's anger. In Isaiah 22, God says a very unusual and very descriptive thing concerning Shebna's future... "The Lord will roll you up tightly like a ball and throw you into a large country. There you will die." (See Isaiah 22:18). This was a prediction that Shebna would be sent to Babylon, and die there without anything. And that's exactly what happened. God replaced him with a godly man named Eliakim. And this is what God said about Eliakim...

Isa 22:22
22 I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open

Now, what Jesus is doing is applying these words to Himself, as it relates to the ministry of a church. He is the one who shuts doors of opportunity for ministry. He is the one who opens doors for ministry opportunity. And what He shuts, no force on heaven or earth can open. And what He opens, no force in heaven or on earth can close. In other words, ministry opportunities for any church in any community on the face of the earth, happen because the Lord of the church wants those things to happen. No human power can over-rule what He determines.

Now, look at verse 8. Here He tells the church at Philadelphia, just how He plans to use this power to open and shut...

Rev 3:8a
8 I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut.

Stop right there, for a moment. Do you understand what Jesus has just said? When God puts a ministry "open door" before a church..., no amount of persecution, no lack of financial ability, no amount of civic opposition, no amount of neighborhood indifference, no amount of evil or persecution will be able to shut that door of ministry.

Application: As I thought of that this week, my mind went to our monthly Prayer Offensives for the cities of Palm Springs and Cathedral City. It was almost a year ago that God began opening a door by prompted three pastors to get their churches together and begin praying that God would change the faces of these two towns, so that "Christians would become the norm and non-Christians the exception."
–The implications of that open door means, that for such a time as this, you're living here, because God thinks you're just right for what these two cities need.
–That means, for such a time as this, God has positioned three middle-aged pastors and one Messianic rabbi, and a whole group of energetic and committed young staff pastors in these two towns to be leaders of this movement.
–That means, that He is the one who is causing City Council members and government leaders to ask us to pray for them in these two cities.
–And He is the one who has been teaching us to get along together, plan together, learn together, and pray together.

Now, look at the last half of verse 8 to find out why God chose Philadelphia as the place that would receive open doors of ministry opportunity...

III. The Reasons for the Open Door

Rev 3:8b
I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.

A. Little Strength

The first reason for the open door is because this church has little strength.

Little strength might not seem like a valid reason for opening a door to ministry, but it is. You see, even thought they are a small church, they are operating with some strength. The little strength refers to each of the people in this church using the strength of the Holy Spirit in what they do.

The Holy Spirit is empowering them, just like He empowers us, with supernatural gifts to build up the ministry of the church. The key point here is, they were obviously using their gifts. And that was the source of the strength they had.

Friends, this is God's design for ministry to be accomplished through a church. That's why I ask each of you, "What are you doing to intentionally advance the Kingdom of God?" In your definitive answer, is our church's strength! In your inability to answer, is our church's weakness!

B. Kept My Word

The second reason why the Lord of the church was willing to give this church open doors in their community, was because they kept His Word.

The Bible is the most amazing book the world has ever seen. It gives insights into life that you won't find in any other place. No university curriculum, anywhere, can give you an understanding of life, like the Bible can. Therefore, it is imperative that followers of God keep it, know it, walk it, and love it. We must immerse ourselves in studying it.

You see, friends,
-it is the Word of God that enables us to know the character of Jesus,
-to have fellowship with Him,
-and know how to allow that character to take up residence in us.
And God expects Christians to reflect what the name of Jesus stands for in their daily living.

When we reflect Jesus, because we have kept His Word, both individually and collectively..., the Lord of the Church, opens doors that cannot be shut. But
-if we refuse to search out Christlikeness in the Word,
-or try to take shortcuts in our faith that leave out what God teaches in His Word,
...He will shut opportunities for ministry up, tighter than a drum!

C. Not denied my name

The third reason that ministry opportunities are going to be opened up to this church, that no one will shut, is because they didn't deny Jesus' name. This church faced some real opposition to their ministry. It came from the Jews in the large synagogue that was in this town. Look at verse 9...

Rev 3:9
9 I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars-I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.

That's a God thing! That's only something God would be able to do in Philadelphia. Not denying my name means more than just standing up for the faith. Based on this context, it means totally relying on the name of Jesus–who Jesus is--... to not only do ministry, but to meet any opposition to that ministry. In other words, this church believed what we sang during our worship time...

Jesus, your name is power; Jesus, your name is might
Jesus, your name will break every stronghold. Jesus your name is life.

Jesus, your name is healing; Jesus your name gives sight.
Jesus, your name will break every stronghold. Jesus, your name is life.

Jesus, your name is holy; Jesus, Your name brings light.
Jesus, your name above every other; Jesus your name is life.

When a church operates in this manner, with this assurance, and with the power of Jesus' name behind them, the Lord of the church opens ministry opportunities that no power on earth can shut.

IV. The Promises

Now, look at the promises to a church that operates with whatever strength the Holy Spirit gives them; keeps the Word of God; and trusts the name of Jesus to breakdown any strongholds...

Rev 3:10-12
10 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon 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 will take your crown. 12 Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name.

A. Keep you from the hour of trial

First of all, the promise is to keep us from the hour of trial. This is a clear reference to what Jesus taught in Matthew 24–what we call the "Great Tribulation". This will be a time of distress that will come on the whole world, unlike anything that has ever been known in human history. This will be the worst time of distress and bloodshed the world has ever known. If you read farther in this book of Revelation, you'll see some more vivid descriptions of this time.

Ray Stedman in his commentary on Revelation says, "This is sent to test those who live upon the earth. That means it will test their mental attitude, and their state of mind. It is referring to those who live as though this life is all there is, who are materialistically-minded, who live upon the earth and for the earth. That is what the time of testing is sent to reveal."

But the promise to the church is that it will be delivered from this trial. The word that's used in verse 10 literally means "out of", not just from. This is a clear reference again to the catching away of the church before the great tribulation begins, that Paul describes in detail in 1 Thessalonians 4.

B. No one will take your crown

The second promise, if we hold on like Philadelphia has held on–with God's strength, keeping God's Word, and depending on Jesus' name is that no one will take your crown.

Your crown is not a reference to your salvation. What this is speaking about is your opportunity for service in the age that is coming. Your crown is your opportunity for even greater service for King Jesus.

Theologian, J. I. Packer says it well when he writes, "The Christian's reward is not directly earned; it is not a payment proportionate to services rendered. It is a Father's gift of generous grace to his children, far exceeding anything they deserved. Also, we must understand that the promised reward is not something of a different nature tacked on to the activity being rewarded; it is, rather, the activity itself–communion with God in worship and service–in its consummation."

In other words, the crown that will be ours will be the greater opportunity for service to Jesus and with Jesus, in heaven.

C. Pillar

The third promise Jesus makes is, "I will make you a pillar in the temple of God."

Illustration: If you look outside this building, you'll see that the walls of this building don't hold this building up. There are six concrete pillars that hold the roof of this building up. Those six pillars totally support the superstructure of this church. A pillar is a symbol of strength and permanence.

This was an effective word picture for the Philadelphian Christians. They lived in a city where roofs, and walls, and building facades were always falling down, because of earthquakes and aftershocks. Frequently they would have to run out of the city, when an aftershock hit, so they wouldn't get injured by falling debris. The only things that stood with any permanence were the columns or pillars that held the various buildings up.

And Jesus is saying that when you operate in His strength, remain true to His Word, and depend on His name, you will become a secure, and enduring fixture in the advancement of His Kingdom in your city. You will become an integral part of what He's trying to do to reach lost people. Your faith, your life, your gifts, your work, will have eternal consequences.

D. Names

Finally, the last promise has to do with three names. Those who hold on will be given the
-name of my God
-the name of the city of God, and
-a new name

1. Name of my God

When He says name of my God, Jesus is referring to personal godliness–you're taking on God's qualities. And think of this–if you're operating in God's strength, remaining true to God's Word, and depending on Jesus' name, by becoming more like God, you'll be easier to live with.

Just think of it. Every year that you're growing and maturing as a Christian, you do become a little easier to live with. You become more patient, more compassionate, more understanding of others, and more mature in your judgment. These are godlike qualities. These are qualities of Christian maturity. You are becoming more godly. That's a promise for right now, not the future.

2. Name of the City of God

Second, is the name of the City of God. Now, the last two chapters of Revelation give a beautiful description of the New Jerusalem, coming down from heaven...

Rev 21:2
2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

This is a picture of a beautiful bride meeting her husband. It is a picture of loving intimacy. No other faith known to human beings talks of God having this kind of intimacy with His creation. But here it is. It belongs to those who hold on.

3. New name

Finally, Jesus says, "I will also write on him a new name." What's that? The new name will come from Jesus. Do you want to know what that new name is? Look at the words in...

Rev 19:12
12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself.

Sorry, no one knows what the new name is going to be, yet, except Jesus.

When Jesus came to earth, He was given the name, Jesus, which means He will save His people from their sin.

But when this redemptive work is once and for all done, at the end of time, Jesus will be given a new work to do. No one knows what it is. But it will be something brand new. And those that hold on, are promised to share in that new work–that new work in heaven with Jesus, is the new name we will be given.

V. Conclusion

Finally, the Lord of the church says,
Rev 3:13
13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

In other words, "Stop! Look! Listen! Everyone wants to know what the future is going to look like, well, you've just been given a glimpse. And the quality of your future starts with what you're doing now!

Friends, listen to this, very carefully. What you do now, is the only thing that's going to count for eternity in the future! And a church that realizes that, like Philadelphia did, is "Just Right"!

The kids in the Family Circus cartoon a few weeks ago, got it right...
The after really does depend on the here! (Show 3/10/01 Family Circus cartoon) 

Amen.