To the Church at Philadelphia
The last few weeks we have been traveling through the first few chapters of the book of Revelation, looking at the letters to the seven churches.
Today we come to the sixth letter… the letter to the church of Philadelphia. The church of Philadelphia is just one of two churches not rebuked by Jesus. Of the seven churches, only two are encouraged by Jesus with no rebukes—that’s Philadelphia and Smyrna.
We don’t know a ton about the church in Philadelphia, but we can assume a few things from this letter.
They were likely not a large church. They likely did not have a lot of resources. And they likely had been oppressed or alienated in some ways—specifically by the Jewish people in this community.
Remember, in the early decades of the church, the churches were mostly Jewish, or a mix of Jewish people and non-Jewish people (Gentiles). And the earliest Christians, were still apart of the Jewish community… and they would still attend the synagogue.
But from reading this letter, it appears that maybe the Christians in Philadelphia were rejected and not allowed to be a part of the synagogue. But what we also learn from this letter is that the church in Philadelphia remained faithful to Christ… even in the face of opposition… I want us to be like that.
This church is a model for us… in many ways, you could say that those Christians, in Philadelphia, are the types of Christians that we ought to emulate.
Jesus Has the Key of David
Here’s how the letter starts: Revelation 3:7: “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.’”
Here Jesus is describing himself as the “holy one” and the “true one” and more specifically… as the one who has the key of David.” This is a reference to Isaiah 22.
In Isaiah 22, a man named Shebna is mentioned. He works for King Hezekiah, and Shebna is an unfaithful steward. So there is a prophecy in Isaiah 22 that Shebna would be replaced with a man named Eliakim. When we examine Eliakim, we come to realize that he foreshadows Christ. Eliakim has control of the key to the palace—which is referred to as David’s house. Eliakim controls the gate… and he determines who can come into the King’s palace.
Well, in the same way, just like Eliakim controlled who came into David’s house, the Messiah will control who comes into God’s house. Jesus is making it clear that he is the one with the key of David—he is the who determines who comes into God’s house. Jesus has established himself here. He has a lot of power. His approval of you matters a lot.
Jesus Opens a Door That No One Can Shut
Now look at verse 8: Jesus says to them, “‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.”
Jesus, the one with the key, the one who’s opinion matters most, he has opened the door to them, referring to the door to God’s house. And no one can shut it. No one has the power to shut them out. Jesus tells them, I am the one with the key, I control who comes in… and I’m inviting you to come in. What a remarkable promise!
Jesus is saying… in essence… “Yes, you’ve been kicked out of the synagogue by the Jewish people, they don’t approve of you… they won’t open their doors to you… but I approve of you… I open my door to you.” Jesus is inviting them into God’s family, into God’s house. And this invitation is for you today too… if you have trusted in Christ… the door is open to you.
Then, in the second half of that verse, Jesus says: “[you] have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.” Kept my word! And have not denied my name! Here Jesus is praising them. He’s praising the church of Philadelphia because they’ve remained faithful to him… they have kept his word! And have not denied his name.
Interesting phrase here, he says, “[you have] little power.” Now, we don’t know precisely what Jesus is referring to when he says “little power”, but we get the sense that this church wasn’t big and strong.
They didn’t have a flashy reputation, like the church in Sardis did (which Pastor Ryan talked about last week). Jesus looks at this church… the Philadelphians… and says, “you look to many like you are small and insignificant… you have little power, but you have been faithful, and because of that, you are strong.”
Christians Will Be Vindicated
Look at verse 9 with me: “Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you.”
Here in this passage, and elsewhere in Revelation, there are certain groups of Jewish people are referred to as the “synagogue of Satan.” The implication is that they are doing the work of the devil. The primary thing they have done, that is very devilish, is the fact that they have rejected Jesus. Claiming that Jesus is not the Messiah is something the devil would want them to do. They are doing the devil’s work.
And because they deny Jesus… Jesus refers to them as Jews who are not really Jews. But then Jesus makes a prophecy about these Jews—these Jewish people, who are doing the work of the devil—they are going to come bow down at the feet of the Christians.
I’m going to read that verse again, but this time from a different English translation, because I don’t want you to miss it: Jesus says, “Look, I will force those who belong to Satan’s synagogue—those liars who say they are Jews but are not—to come and bow down at your feet” (NLT).
This prophecy from Jesus actually comes from the Old Testament. Just like we saw earlier with Eliakim, this is another allusion from the book of Isaiah. This time it’s from Isaiah 45:14. Listen to what Isaiah 45:14 says,
“Thus says the Lord:
The wealth of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush,
and the Sabeans, men of stature,
shall come over to you and be yours;
they shall follow you;
they shall come over in chains and bow down to you.
They will plead with you, saying:
‘Surely God is in you, and there is no other,
no god besides him.’”
That’s the prophecy that was made to Israel. So think about this. This prophecy is made to Israel more than 700 years earlier, a prophecy that the Egyptians and the Ethiopians would come and bow at the feet of the Jews, not worshipping the Jewish people themselves, but acknowledging that the God of Israel is the one true God.
These people from other nations, nations that hated the people of God and oppressed the people of God, people from those nations are going to come to worship the one true God. They are going to acknowledge that they were wrong about God and wrong about the Jews. These Gentiles are going to look at the Jews and say, “Surely, God is in you!”
So that’s the prediction for Israel in Isaiah 45. Jesus is taking this prophecy, that was for the Jews, and he’s applying it to this Christians in Philadelphia. So, consider how striking this would have been to the Christians in Philadelphia when Jesus says this to them.
For centuries, this prophecy from Isaiah would have been taught and embraced; this prediction that the Gentiles would come bow down at the feet of the Jewish people… this prediction would have been well-known. But Jesus is now applying this prophetic promise to the church at Philadelphia.
Jesus is telling them, in essence, “Listen, those Jews who hated you, that kicked you out of the synagogue, and oppressed you. They think that the nations are going to come to them, but actually, they are going to come to you.”
Woah! Mind-blown!
This would have been a mind-blowing moment for those Christians.
Jesus is saying to them, those Jews, the ones that hated you, the synagogue of Satan… they are going to come to you and say, “Surely, God is in you!”
And Cities Church… this applies to you today too.
One day, there will be people who opposed you or oppressed you or hated you or mocked you… those people are going to come to the realization that your God is the one true God. You will be vindicated.
You Are the One Jesus Loves
Now let me read that last part of the verse again: “…they will learn that I have loved you.”
Jesus says, “those that mocked you and oppressed you, they’re going to realize that you are the ones I love!”
Cities Church, you are the one that Jesus loves!
If you are here this morning and you believe in Jesus, if you are a follower of Jesus… then you are the one Jesus loves. And, if you are here this morning and you have not completely trusted in Christ, then I challenge you today to do that, to trust in Christ.
We are sinners, by nature and by choice… we deserve hell, but Jesus has made a way for us to be rescue… and if we genuinely surrender to him… he will forgive us our sins… he will open the door to us… a door that no one can shut… and he will make sure that you are vindicated… but only if you truly trust in him.
So I ask you… Have you genuinely surrendered to Jesus… have you truly acknowledged that Jesus is the king. And that he is the only way to be saved.
Have you asked him to save you? To rescue you?
In Romans 10:13… the apostle Paul says… that “everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Call upon him… he will save you… he will open the door to you… and no one will be able to shut that door!
Jesus Will Protect His People
Let’s continue looking at the words of Jesus. Look at verse 10 with me: “Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.”
The term “dwell on the earth” is an interesting phrase. That same phrase is used multiple times throughout the book of Revelation—at least nine times between chapter 6 and 17. In each of those cases it refers to unbelievers.
You could say that it’s referring to those who are “earthy-minded”; those who find comfort in this world… people feel at home in this world.
This is in contrast with believers. We as Christians, we know this world is not our home. We should not be “at home” in this world.
The apostle Peter, in 1 Peter 2:11, refers to Christians as “aliens and exiles.” The apostle Paul reminds us that our citizenship in heaven (Phil 3:20). In Ephesians 2:6, we read that we have been “raised up with [Christ]” and seated “with him in the heavenly places.”
We are seated with Christ in heavenly places, that’s our dwelling place, that’s our true home. We are not those who dwell on the Earth, we are the ones who dwell in heaven.
In this letter, Jesus is telling us about the trials and tribulations that will come upon the earth-dwellers… that is, the unbelievers… but he promises to keep the believers from that “hour of trial.”
There is some debate amongst Biblical scholars as to precisely how to interpret this verse… But, honestly… regardless of how you read this verse, the promise remains the same.
Here’s the promise: Jesus will protect us!
Now, certainly this does not mean that we won’t suffer—the New Testament has plenty of passages that guarantee us suffering in this life.
The “protection” that Jesus promises here, in this verse, is not that we won’t suffer… but that no type of suffering will have the final word.
The Greek verbiage here in v. 10 is similar to what we see used in John 17:15, when Jesus is praying for us. His prayer is not that we be taken out of the world or that we be completely spared from all suffering… no… his prayer is that, even in the midst of suffering, that the Father would protect us from the evil one.
Jesus prays for us, that no matter what we face in this life, the evil one would not be able to rip us away from the family of God. That’s the promise Jesus gives us here in Rev. 3:10.
The earth-dwellers, the unbelievers, will face tribulation and will not have Jesus protecting them… but Jesus *will* be with us; and he *will* protect us. If you have trusted in Christ, you can be confident, he will hold you fast!
Let’s look at verse 11: I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.
The exhortation from Jesus here is, because you know you win in the end, as we saw in verse 10, because you know you win, because you know that he will hold you fast… then you too should hold fast. The knowledge that we will win inspires us to hold on.
Hold on… there’s a crown waiting for you.
He Will Make You a Pillar
Okay, let’s look at the last verse: “The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and 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 from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.”
Jesus promises to make them a pillar in the temple of God.
Think about this idea of a pillar and what it would have meant to the Christians in Philadelphia.
Remember, these Christians probably did not feel strong… they didn’t feel like pillars… they probably did not have a lot of influence or a lot of resources. They’re probably exhausted. They’ve been rejected, so that might be informing how they see themselves. They’re probably feeling weak. They probably feel small or maybe they even feel insignificant.
But, here’s what Jesus promises… he will make you a pillar.
You may feel insignificant, but Jesus is going to make you a pillar… he will make you sturdy… even if you feel weak, he will strengthen you.
Jesus Gives You His Own Name
Lastly, there is one more final promise from Jesus. Here it is: Jesus promises to give you his name.
As I close this morning, I want to give you an illustration from one of my favorite movies of all time… Toy Story.
One of the key characters is Buzzlight Year. And for most of the movie he believes he is a space ranger. But eventually he realizes that he’s not a space ranger; he’s actually a toy. And Buzz is greatly discouraged and even depressed.
Toward the end of the movie Buzz and another toy, Woody, are kidnapped by Sid, the evil next-door neighbor. Woody is trying to convince Buzz to fight, to help them escape. But Buzz doesn’t seem to care. He’s totally dejected by the reality that he’s not a space ranger.
But Woody steps in and gives an impassioned speech. He basically says, “Yeah Buzz, you’re not a space ranger. But you are a toy. And your owner, Andy, he loves you.”
Buzzlight Year is contemplating Woody’s words, and he looks down at the bottom of his foot… there he sees the name “Andy” written on the bottom of his foot. Andy had written his own name on all of his toys—including Buzz.
And a transformation takes place in Buzz’s mind. He realizes that although he’s not what he thought he was… and although he feels insignificant in the world… although he feels like he has little power… he realizes that he is loved by his owner.
Friends, the same is true for you. You belong to Jesus. You are his, and you bring him joy. He loves you, and he wrote his name on you.
You may feel insignificant. But, listen, Jesus says you belong to him, you are the one that he loves.
He LOVES you!!!
When you feel like you don’t measure up, when you feel rejected, when you feel alone, remind yourself, you are the one he loves! Jesus loves you, and he demonstrated his love for you at the cross. At the cross he died a brutal death, a death he did not deserve; he died on our behalf.
If you are a believer in Jesus, if you have genuinely trusted in Christ alone, then the atonement of Christ at the cross applies to you… your sins have been forgiven, the door is open to you, a door that no one can shut.
The Table
Jesus made a way for us, and he did it at the cross. And that’s what brings us to the table each week. To remember what Jesus did at the cross. In just a moment our pastors are going to pass out these elements—the bread and the cup.
This is primarily for the members of Cities Church, but it is open to anyone here that is a believer in Christ. If you have trusted in Christ, if you have surrendered to him, then you are the one he loves, the door is open to you, and you are certainly invited to partake in this meal with us this morning.
However, if you are here this morning, and you are not a follower of Christ, if you have not surrendered to him, then today we would ask that you let the elements pass by, don’t take one, and instead of taking communion this morning, I would encourage you to consider trusting in Christ! The pastors will come by. Simply put your hands out like this, and we’ll drop it in your hands.
This is the body and blood of Jesus. His body is the true bread. His blood is the true drink. Let us serve you.