Letters to the Seven Churches in Asia REVELATION

Letters to the Seven Churches in Asia REVELATION 2 – 3

Review Ephesus ◦ Diligently working church ◦ Left their first love Smyrna ◦ Had tribulation and poverty ◦ Were going to be tested Pergamos ◦ Didn’t deny Jesus’ name even when Antipas was killed ◦ Have some who hold to the doctrines of Balaam and the Nicolaitans Thyatira ◦ Had love, service, faith, patience ◦ Allowed Jezebel to teach and beguile His servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols Sardis ◦ ◦ Had a name that they were alive, but they were dead Told to repent and hold fast to what they received and heard

The Letter to Philadelphia REVELATION 3: 7 – 13 3

Consider the description of Jesus in Rev 3: 7. Do you see any connection with this description and the church at Philadelphia? He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens. ” Verse 8 I have set before you an open door and no one can shut it 4

What does it mean that Jesus has set before them an open door that no one can shut? An open door for evangelism ◦ Acts 14: 27 ◦ He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles ◦ I Cor 16: 9 ◦ For a great and effective door has opened to me ◦ II Cor 2: 12 ◦ …when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord… ◦ Col 4: 3 ◦ That God would open to us a door for the word 5

What does it mean that Jesus has set before them an open door that no one can shut? An open door to His kingdom ◦ John 10: 7, 9 ◦ I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved ◦ Rom 8: 38 -39 ◦ Neither death nor life… can separate us from the love of God

Why did Jesus set an open door before them? Verse 8 you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name You have a little strength ◦ ◦ ◦ Great strength and great ability are not necessary to be pleasing to God In spite of their small advantages, the church at Philadelphia kept Jesus’ word and did not deny Him Having little strength can lead to more reliance on God ◦ ◦ Consider II Cor 12: 7 -10 the power of Christ was made evident in Paul’s weakness We must use the strength we have to serve God and be productive in His service ◦ Matthew 25: 14 -30 parable of the talents 7

Why did Jesus set an open door before them? Verse 8 you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name Have kept My word ◦ ◦ ◦ Stayed faithful to Jesus Did not let association with idols and sexual immorality in like some other churches Stayed pure Have not denied My name ◦ Not only did they profess their service to Jesus, they also lived in such a way that their actions showed they served Jesus 8

Review of those who say they are Jews but are not (from Smyrna) Rev 2: 9 I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan Rev 3: 9 I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie… There were Jews that followed Paul causing harm to him and the churches ◦ Acts 13: 45, 50; 14: 2, 5, 19; 17: 5, and more The Jews were God’s chosen people in the past ◦ They should have been ready to accept Jesus ◦ These were filled with envy – Acts 13: 45 ◦ These did not have the attitude that should be associated with God’s chosen people (remember Jesus’ condemnations of the Pharisees in Matt 12: 34 – brood of vipers, and other condemnations) Instead, now they were carrying out the will of Satan ◦ They were persecuting God’s church 9

What does it mean that Jesus will make those of the synagogue of Satan “worship before your feet” in verse 9? Philippians 2: 9 -11 ◦ At the name of Jesus every knee should bow…and that every tongue should confess that Jesus is Lord This is vindication for God’s people ◦ ◦ Those who persecuted them will worship Jesus in their sight Those who persecuted them will know that Jesus loved the church at Philadelphia, and that the church was pleasing to God This is not saying that those of the synagogue of Satan would worship the Christians 10

Why does Jesus say He will keep them from the hour of trial? Is this different than what the other churches can expect? Verse 10 Because you have kept My command to persevere ◦ This seems to be in contrast to the church at Sardis where they didn’t persevere ◦ Sardis was told to strengthen what remained that were ready to die, and to remember what they received and heard and to hold fast and repent Its likely that the church at Philadelphia had been persecuted by the those who say they are Jews and are not ◦ Fits with how this is put in between the good works that the church had done ◦ They persevered through this persecution and proved their faith Others are told to expect persecution and to remain faithful through it the church at Philadelphia likely already proved it 11

What does Jesus tell the church at Philadelphia to do? What does this mean? Verse 11 hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown ◦ ◦ ◦ Evangelistic opportunity (I have set before you an open door) Reliance on God (you have a little strength) Faithfulness to Jesus (have kept My word and have not denied My name) Continue doing what they were doing, persevere, don’t lose hope Remember, Sardis had to be told to remember what they received and heard, and hold fast because they did not hold fast to what they first received 12

What does Jesus mean when He says “He who overcomes…”, since Jesus didn’t give them any rebukes? I John 5: 4 -5 ◦ ◦ ◦ Whatever is born of God overcomes the world This is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God John 16: 33 ◦ ◦ Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world Jesus overcame the world by living perfectly (He didn’t fall to sin) The world is full of sin and death ◦ ◦ We can’t overcome this by ourselves, but with Jesus we can We must strive to live like Jesus, knowing that God’s grace allows us to overcome sin 13

How do we practically apply the Philadelphia letter to make sure the church at Northside is pleasing to God? Great strength and ability are not necessary to be pleasing to God However, we must use what we have to serve Him ◦ What have you done (or are doing) to edify the church, help spread the gospel, comfort or encourage one another, help with tasks that need to be done, etc. ? ◦ We need to be active We must persevere ◦ Don’t forsake God when going through times ◦ Hold fast to God’s word ◦ This is our comfort, our hope