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Pastor Scott L. Harris
Grace Bible Church, NY
March 30, 2025
◘ Philadelphia: The Faithful Church
Revelation 3:7-13
Introduction
Turn again to Revelation 3 as we continue our examination of Jesus’ letters to the seven churches in the Roman province of Asia. This morning we will examine the letter to the church at Philadelphia. This is the second of the seven churches which received no rebuke or correction but only encouragement to continue steadfast and faithful in their present situation with promises for the future.
◘ A quick review of the previous letters shows that the church in each location was unique in their strengths and weaknesses and so received a specific message to it at a particular point in time. Claims that these letters were prophetic of future seasons in the church age are nonsense since nothing in the text suggests such a thing and no division of church history matches for all churches around the world for any particular era of time. Instead, as the end of each letter states, the principles in each of the seven letters apply to all Christians and all Churches everywhere throughout time that are in similar circumstances or are behaving in ways similar to the particular principles made in each letter. Promises are made to the one who overomes in each letter. The overcomer is the true Christian who overcomes sin and its consequences by God’s grace through faith in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. That faith will manifest itself in the manner of life of the overcomer. Here is a quick review.
◘Review
Ephesus is the starting point because after Paul had planted and established the church in this city the gospel went forward from it throughout almost all of Asia resulting in churches being planted (See Acts 19). It is also the church to which the apostle John is most closely associated and the first to receive what he wrote about the revelation He received from the Lord while exiled on the Isle of Patmos. The letters and copies of the entire book would then go out to the cities along the imperial postal route through Asia.
◘ The church at Ephesus was commended for their deeds, toil and perseverance as well their very strong moral and doctrinal integrity. They were condemned for leaving their first love of Christ which resulted in a cold orthodoxy that lacked the warmth of Christian charity.◘ They were commanded to remember, repent from where they had fallen and redo their first works or they were in danger of ceasing to be a church. The overcomers would eat of the tree of life in the paradise of God which is described in Revelation 22 at the beginning of eternity.
This letter is an encouragement to all Christians to be diligent to walk faithfully with the Lord in purity of doctrine and morals while warning that the motivation must be love of Christ. Such a love will then naturally extend His love through them to others. (See: Ephesus – Orthodox but Lacking Love)
◘ Smyrna was 35 miles north of Ephesus and it was a difficult place for Christians for they had much tribulation caused by both the pagan society and being blasphemed by the unbelieving Jews there. They would not participate in emperor worship and so were excluded from much of society resulting in being economically impoverished but rich in the things of God. Jesus does not include any correction in the letter. He only encourages them to continue to remain faithful promising them the crown of life and exclusion from the second death of being cast into the eternal lake of described at the end of Revelation 20. They could look forward to eternity with complete confidence.
There are many Christian brothers and sisters around the world that live in places of severe persecution. They are impoverished in the things of this world but rich in the things of God. We must pray for them that they will continue to remain faithful in the midst of the suffering – and we ought to desire their prayers that we will not let the worries of the world and deceitfulness of riches lead us astray from following Christ diligently and wholeheartedly. (See: Smyrna – The Persecuted Church)
◘Pergamum was 65 miles north of Smyrna and was the capital of the province. It was a very dangerous place for Christians since failure to participate in emperor worship could even result in execution with Antipas being an example of such martyrdom. They were commended for continuing to dwell and be a witness in a place Jesus refers to as “Satan’s throne.” ◘However, they were condemned for their toleration of those holding to teachings equated with Balaam and those of the Nicolaitans that taught that participation in pagan religious practices was not sinful. They were commanded to repent or Jesus would come and make war on them. The promises to the overcomer in this letter refer to participating in the marriage supper of the Lamb described in Revelation 19.
There are a lot of Christians and churches today in difficult places that fall for similar heresy which excuses participation in the sinful practices of the society around them. That compromise makes them more acceptable to the culture around them, but it is very displeasing to God. Jesus provides salvation from sin to righteousness and that truth will be reflected in the direction of life of the true Christian. (See: Pergamum – The Compromised Church).
◘Thyatira was located 40 miles southeast of Pergamum. Jesus commended the church there for their deeds of love, faith, service and perseverance that had increased over time. ◘The problem there was similar to that in Pergamum in tolerating a syncretic religion in their midst but worse in that it was the majority of the church instead of a small group. In particular was a female false teacher Jesus equated with Jezebel, the pagan wife of king Ahab of Israel in the Old Testament. They had a false idea of love that tolerated blatant heresy and sinful practices within the church. They were commanded to repent or face great tribulation or even death. The few not following this heresy were called to continue to be faithful and they would rule with Jesus in His future kingdom.
This has become a major problem in churches and among Christians in our own time. In the name of love they tolerate heretics and blatant sinners in their midst. That only demonstrates lack of love for God and the sinner. True love of God and others corrects and disciplines the sinner for both their own sake in avoiding God’s judgment and helping them to walk with Jesus properly, and to protect the rest of the church from their sinful practices. (See: Thyatira: The Church that Tolerated Sin)
◘Sardis was located 33 miles south of Thyatira. I referred to this as the zombie church because though they had a past reputation of being alive and were still carrying out church activities, the truth was that they were spiritually dead. Jesus does not commend them for anything. ◘There were only a few cells left in its dead corpse that still had some life and Jesus command them to be on the alert to strengthen what did remain, to remember, keep it and repent before it also died. Those that would do this were promised to walk with Jesus in white – a symbol of purity. This same promise is given to all who overcome. The promises of eternal life to all who believe in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ are assured. (See: Sardis; The Zombie Church)
◘The Letter to the Church at Philadelphia – Revelation 3:7-13
We now come to the letter to the church at Philadelphia. Please follow along as I read Revelation 3:7-13 and then we will come back to examine in detail each section of this letter.
7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: 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, says this: 8 ‘I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. 9 ‘Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. 10 ‘Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 11 ‘I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12 ‘He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; 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 out of heaven from My God, and My new name. 13 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”
◘The Address – Revelation 3:7a
The Recipient. As with the previous letter it begins with an address that it is being written to the angel of that church. Again, this is a human messenger who is receiving the message on behalf of the church and will be taking it to them. This is not a supernatural messenger – a holy angel – from God.
◘The City of Philadelphia. As with the previous letters it will be helpful to gain some basic information about the city of Philadelphia in order to better understand the situation of the church there and therefore the meaning of the letter to it.
◘Philadelphia was named after Attalus II who was nicknamed Philadelphius in recognition of his loyalty to his brother, Eumenes II who had been king before him. It was founded after 189 B.C. by one of these brothers ◘because of its good location along the road through the Cogamis River valley, a tributary of the Hermes river which ran by Sardis 25 miles to the northwest. This was on the major trade route from the port of Smyrna to the central plateau and all points east. This route rivaled the road east from Ephesus. The city was in a good defensible position being on the slope of a broad hill leading toward Mt. Tmolus, but its primary purpose was to consolidate, regulate and educate the central regions subject to the Pergamenian kings. ◘It became a hub of Graeco-Asiatic civilization spreading its language and culture to the east. Its success is seen by the fact that the Lydian language in the city had been replaced by Greek by A.D. 19
◘ It was an area subject to earthquakes and the same one that destroyed Sardis in A.D. 17 also destroyed Philadelphia and 10 other cities. The many aftershocks of the earthquake caused some of the residents to live outside the city in huts rather than rebuild their houses in the city. The earthquake in A.D.. 60 that destroyed Laodicea to its southeast kept such fear alive. Emperor Tiberius provided substantial help in rebuilding the city resulting in other cities joining with Philadelphia in erecting a monument to Tiberius and even changing its name for a time to Neocaesarea (New Caesar). Another result was the establishment of the cult of Germanicus, named after the adopted son and heir to Tiberius. During the reign of Vespasian (a.d. 70-79) the city took on the additional name of the imperial title Flavia. These indicate that the emperor cult would have been practiced there.
◘ The primary god of the city was Dionysius, god of wine, due to the extensive vineyards grown in the rich volcanic soil. When emperor Domitian issued an edict in a.d. 90 for half of the vineyards to be cut down and small grains planted in order to increase this badly need staple in the empire, disillusionment with the emperor would have risen. This would have been made worse in years of poor harvest when not enough grain was produced even for themselves and they did not have as many vineyards to fall back upon. The coinage found in archaeology studies indicate that the religious bent of the city was a Graeco-Asiatic mix much like in Sardis. Jesus’ letter to them indicates a significant Jewish presence. Like in the other cities, the Christians there would have been in danger and suffered from both the pagan culture and the oppression fomented by unbelieving Jews. Like the other churches in the province of Asia, the church in Philadelphia was most likely planted by Christians from Ephesus who proclaimed the gospel to them.
◘The Author – Revelation 3:7b
Jesus describes Himself in the second part of verse 7 as “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, says this.” This is different from the previous descriptions in that other than having a key none of these four self-designations match or come from the vision and declaration in chapter 1.
◘First, Jesus is the holy one, oJ a’gioV / ho hagios, a title used for God the Father in Revelation 4:8 & 6:10 and often in the Old Testament for the God of Israel (2 Kings 19:22; Psalm 78:41; Proverbs 9:10; Isaiah 1:4; Jeremiah 50:29; Ezekiel 39:7; etc.). It is also used in the New Testament as a Messianic title (Mark 1:24; John 6:69; 1 John 2:20) as it is here. ◘While holiness is often equated with sinless purity, and that is certainly true of Jesus who was tempted in all things as we are yet and never sinned (Hebrews 4:15), the root idea is more akin to being set apart in reverence from what is common. Jesus is especially set apart to God coming down from heaven not to do His will but rather the will of God the Father who sent Him (John 6:38). Though rejected by Gentiles and unbelieving Jews alike, Jesus remains the Holy One who should receive reverent worship, and one day in the future every knee will bow before Him and confess that He is Lord to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:10-11).
◘ Second, Jesus declares that He is the true one, oJ alhqinovVoJ / ho alātheinos. Jesus is true in all that He is, says and does. He is the true, genuine, Messiah promised from ancient times and can be trusted to fulfill all the promises He has made concerning the future. In the midst of persecution, that hope was a source of great comfort. This will end. Christ will reign. God in His righteousness will prevail.
◘ The third and fourth statements Jesus makes are separate in one sense but necessarily tied together. Jesus “has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, ” This designation arises from the ministry of Eliakim mentioned in Isaiah 22:20-22 who had authority over David’s royal treasury, and by having David’s key he controlled who could enter and who was shut out. Jesus is the greater son of David fulfilling the covenant God made with him in 2 Samuel 7. ◘This gives Jesus complete authority of who enters His kingdom and who is shut out. The unbelieving Jews rejected Jesus and His authority. They wanted to keep for themselves the determination of who entered and who was kept out of the kingdom by how well they kept the law of Moses as judged by them. Their strong opposition to the gospel of salvation by God’s grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone was that it allowed Gentiles into the kingdom of God without having to first become proselytes to Judaism and then keep the Mosaic law. Jesus has the key and no one can shut the door to His kingdom to whom He opens it, and no one can open the door to it if He has shut it against them. Jesus has opened that door to all who will believe. He has shut it tight against all who think they can enter by their own righteousness or efforts.
◘First Assessment & Promises – Revelation 3:8-9
Revelation 3:8-9 contain the first assessments of the church at Philadelphia and the promise related to it.
Jesus’ Knowledge. The assessment begins as in the other letters to Ephesus, Thyatira, Sardis and Laodicea with Jesus’ statement, 8 “I know your deeds.” Jesus is omniscient and fully knows all of what they have done in the past and will continue to know what they do in the present and future. Jesus knows the same about you.
◘ First Promise: Given An Open Door
Knowing their past and present work as well as their situation Jesus declares His own actions before giving the reasons for it. “Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut.” This is an extension of the claim He had just made about Himself having the key of David and therefore the authority to open and shut as He desires and no one can thwart what He does. The promise here is in the perfect tense. It is something He has already done and which will continue in the future.
◘ This verse is often taken as a promise of expanded missionary opportunities for the church. Perhaps by extension there is a truth in that since anywhere a Christian might go is an expansion of missions opportunity since we are charged to preach the gospel to all creation (Mark 16:15). However, that is not the context here nor does that fit well into the grammatical structure of this paragraph.
◘The open door in the context here is entrance into His kingdom. He has provided this for them and no one, not even the Jews opposing the gospel, can keep them out. What Jesus opens, no one can shut. Paul’s statement in Romans 8:38–39 elaborates on this wonderful truth. 38 “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Those are words of hope and comfort to any believer, but especially so to those who are being persecuted.
◘Their Little Power. Why did Jesus make this promise to them? The first reason He listed is “because you have a little power.” Apparently the church there was not very large and so they had minimal influence on the pagan society in which they lived as a whole. It is not uncommon for a church that has been around for long time and remains small to feel isolated and perhaps even defeated. This church could easily have been over 30 years old and yet they remained small and persecuted. It would have been a great encouragement to them to be given such an assurance that no one would be able to shut the door that He had opened for them.
◘Their Faithfulness. The second reason for Jesus’ promise is that they “have kept My word.” They had not wavered in the midst of persecution. There is no mention of any doctrinal compromise such as toleration of syncretic teaching or having heretics among them as was the case in Pergamum and Thyatira. There is also no mention of their failure to love Christ and one another as in Ephesus. There is no correction of a dead spiritual life as in Sardis. They are simply commended for being faithful to keep Christ’s word. It would have been very encouraging to them to know that the Lord was aware and had taken notice of them.
◘Not Denied His Name. The third reason for Jesus’ promise is that they “have not denied My name.” This indicates that they had been under great pressure to deny Christ. This could have been from the emperor cult, the pagan practices around them, or the Jewish unbelievers who would have certainly been like those in other places described in Acts of blaspheming and persecuting Christians. Compromise with any or all of them would have made temporal life much easier on them, yet they remained steadfast and would not deny Christ directly or by compromise by participating in pagan religious rituals. They would have been very encouraged by Jesus’ recognition that they had remained true and by His promise that the door to His kingdom remained open to them and anyone else He opened it to.
◘Second Promise: Humbling of Jews
Verse 9 contains a second promise that Jesus will humble the very ones that had been persecuting them. 9 “Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you.”
◘We have seen the designation synagogue of Satan before in the letter to Smyrna (Rev. 3:9). A synagogue consisted of a minimum of ten Jewish men. Their purpose was supposed to be to worship and promote the knowledge of God (Isaiah 43:12), but this was a synagogue that had fallen for the devil’s lies and slander against God and His people. ◘The statement that they claim to be Jews but are not for they lie, a contrast to Jesus being the truth, is in keeping with Jesus’ statements in John 8:39-47 and Paul in Romans 2:28-29; 9:6. These are physical descendants of Abraham but their claim of being Jews was false because they did not do the deeds of Abraham and instead were doing the deeds of Satan, their spiritual father. Indeed, “they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel.” The true Jew is one inwardly having a heart circumcised by the Spirit. These were unbelieving Jews who opposed Jesus Christ and His followers.
The promise made is amazing. “I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you.” This is a complete reversal of the current situation. ◘The unbelieving Jews reject that God loves Gentiles believing they alone were the center of God’s affections based on passages such as Isaiah 60 which include statements about the wealth of the nations being brought to them (vs. 5), being glorified (vs. 9) and those who were their enemies bowing before them. Their ethnic pride blinded them to Isaiah 60 being Messianic. Jesus is declaring here that Gentile Christians are part of the kingdom and it will come about that those that were enemies of the church will humble themselves to bow down to those in it. They will then know that Jesus loves all that are part of His church including Gentiles.
While as pointed out earlier from Philippians 2:10-11 that a day is coming in which every knee will bow to Christ, that does not seem to be what is being pointed out here since the homage described is to the church whom they had persecuted and the word translated as cause or make is divdwmi / didōmi which has a root meaning of give as in the LSB translation. ◘The former persecutors will be given to be humbled before the church. That will happen when all Israel is saved (Romans 11:26). These will be the third of the Jews left at the end of the tribulation who are humbled to repent and turn to the Messiah and enter His kingdom. They will then recognize Christ’s love for all who are part of His church regardless of ethnic heritage.
◘Second Assessment & Promises – Revelation 3:10
Jesus’ second assessment of them is in first part of verse 10.
Their Endurance – 10 “Because you have kept the word of My perseverance.” This refers to them being steadfast to follow Jesus’ example of persevering in the midst of persecution. Hebrews 12:1-3 points to this specifically as the reason and means by which are to lay aside sin and run with endurance the race that is set before us without growing weary or losing heart. We are to fix our eyes on Jesus’ example in enduring the cross and consider the hostility of sinners that He had to endure. Jesus cites this as a reason for His promise.
◘ Jesus’ Protection. “I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” There is a lot of debate about the specific meaning of this but it is not that difficult if the words in the sentence are interpreted according to their normal meaning in the context in which they occur.
◘There is an hour, a time period, soon to come upon the whole world with the specific purpose of testing those who dwell on the earth. The phrase “who dwell on the earth” occurs in Revelation 3:10; 6:10; 8:13; 11:10; 13:8, 14; 17:2 & 8. The phrase consistently refers to those who are the object of God’s wrath because of their rebellion against Him. ◘The test will either cause them to repent or it will bring punishment upon them for failing to do so. The whole earth is the all of the world and not just some portion of it. ◘The hour is a specific time period soon to come about which the Apocalypse is written. It concerns the “things which will take place after these things” (1:19) which are detailed in chapters 4 – 19.
◘With that in mind it should be easy to see that first, this promise concerns more than just those in Philadelphia. ◘Second, the testing specifically concerns the unrighteous and not Christians who are made righteous by faith in Christ. ◘Third, Jesus will keep them from this testing. The word keep here is threvw / tāreō which carries the sense of “preserve,” “protect,” “guard.” Jesus will protect His followers from this coming hour of testing. The Greek preposition here translated as “from” is ejk / ek which refers to moving out from the previous position. The combination means to protect by moving out from the danger. The context here is exemption from the hour of testing the unrighteous which is about to come.
◘ If Jesus wanted this to mean to protect while remaining within the position of danger He could have easily used either the preposition e[n / en meaning “within” or diav / dia meaning “through.” ◘A promise that included going through the coming hour of testing would have been little comfort to those in Philadelphia since reading the rest of Revelation shows that the saints going through the Tribulation period will suffer greatly and martyrdom will be normal (6:9-11; 7:9-14). That interpretation flips this promise on its head for the reward for faithfully enduring in current persecution would then be even greater persecution to come instead of exemption from it.
◘The Charge – Revelation 3:11
The condition which is the basis for the charge that Jesus gives in verse 11 also backs up the promise of exemption from the hour of testing of unbelieving world that is about to come. 11 “I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown.” ◘If this refers to the second advent of Jesus at the end of the Tribulation period, it would not be a coming that could be considered coming quickly for it would be at least seven years away if the Tribulation period started right then. ◘If this refers to Jesus return to catch up the saints to meet Him in the air, the rapture, as described in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, then it could happen at any moment. This is referred to as the imminent return of Christ which would provide protection from the hour of testing which is about to come. The testing does not concern the church and so the church will not be present for it.
◘The charge itself is an encouragement for them to continue to remain faithful as they have already been. Hold fast. Don’t become weary and let go. Don’t let anyone take what you have away from you. The crown is the reward of victory for holding fast.
◘Promises to the Overcomer – Revelation 3:12
Verse 12 contains the promises given to all who overcome. 12 “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; 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 out of heaven from My God, and My new name.”
◘The overcomer is once again the true Christian who here is the one that holds fast to what he has. True saints of God persevere. The rewards here are all related to assurance of belonging to God and being in heaven with Him for eternity. ◘The pillar of a temple is a symbol of strength for even in the ancient temples the pillars tended to remain standing even when the rest of the building collapses. This however is the temple of God which is eternal. Since there will never again be a departure from the temple there will also never again be a separation from God.
◘ The writing of the name of God, the new Jerusalem and Jesus’ new name on the overcomer are all signs of ownership. The overcomer belongs to God, belongs to Christ, and belongs in the future new Jerusalem coming out of heaven at the beginning of eternity as described in Revelation 21. The overcomer has an absolute assurance to whom He belongs and where He will be in eternity.
◘The Call to All – Revelation 3:13
The letter ends as do the previous ones with a call to all. 6 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” That applies the principles given in this letter to every Christian and every church in every place and throughout time.
◘Conclusions
There are still a lot of Christians and churches like that which was in Philadelphia. They remain faithful to Christ and will not deny Him regardless of their circumstances. Follow their example and strive to live for Christ without compromise no matter what you may face.
◘I am grateful that the principles taught in each of these letters do still apply in our own time for there is great encouragement in the assurances that eternal salvation is assured for those that believe and follow Christ. Even the many warnings and corrections are to get those straying back on the proper path which brings God’s blessings. And as we get into the details of terrible things that will happen in the seven years of the Tribulation period, it will be encouraging to know that this time of testing of all those who dwell on the earth will not include we who are part of the church for we will not be here.
Sermon Notes – March 30, 2025
Philadelphia: The Faithful Church – Revelation 3:7-13
Introduction
Particular letters to particular churches at a particular time but with principles that __________place & time
Review
Ephesus: Commended for deeds, toil, perseverance & strong moral & _________integrity
But having left their first love Jesus commands them to remember, repent and _________
Smyrna: Severely persecuted, impoverished, rich in the things of God – ______________to remain faithful
Pergamum: Commended for their perseverance & witness in a very _______________place
Condemned for those within it that _______________doctrinally with syncretism – called to repent
Thyatira: Commended for deeds of love, faith, service & perseverance that had ___________
Condemned for prevalent _____________of heretics & syncretism – called to repent
Sardis: The “zombie” church that was still moving but was spiritually ___________
The little life remaining commanded to be alert, strengthen what _____________, remember, keep it, repent
The Letter to the Church at Philadelphia – Revelation 3:7-13
The Address – Revelation 3:7a
The Recipient: The angel – ______________messenger – of the church in Philadelphia
The City of Philadelphia: Named after ________________ Philadelphius, founded after 189 b.c.
Located in Cogamis River valley along _________ _________from Smyrna to the central plateau
An outpost of Graeco-Asiatic ______________ including language and religion
Subject to earthquakes, destroyed in A.D. 17 & helped by _________to rebuild – a monument erected to him
Primary god was _____________, the god of wine, but emperor cult, paganism & Judaism also there
The Author – Revelation 3:7b
Jesus is the holy one, oJ a’gioV / ho hagios – title for God the Father, the God of Israel and ______________
Holiness includes sinless purity, which Jesus was, but focus is on being _____ __________ in reverence
Jesus is the true one, oJ alhqinovV / ho alātheinos. He is the _______Messiah who keeps all of His promises
Jesus has the key of David who _________ ___ _________and no one can change that. See Isaiah 22:20-22
Jesus has complete _____________ over who enters His kingdom and who is kept out
First Assessment & Promises – Revelation 3:8-9
Jesus’ Knowledge: Jesus knows all of their works of past & present & will continue to _________in future
First Promise: Given An Open Door – past action _____________to present and future
Not a specific promise of expanded missionary opportunities – missions expand ____________Christians go
This is the ___________to Christ’s kingdom – and no one can shut the door He opens. See Romans 8:38-39
Their Little Power – Apparently a __________church that was faithful but remained small
Their Faithfulness – They had _____ ___________in the midst of persecution
Not Denied His Name – indicates strong pressure to deny Jesus, and they had _______ _____________
Second Promise: Humbling of Jews
Synagogue of Satan – Jewish unbelievers following Satan’s _______ instead of God’s truth
Physical descendants of Abraham/Israel, but not _______descendants – see John 8:39-47; Rom. 2:28-29; 9:6 A reference to Isaiah 60 being fulfilled in Messiah’s ________which includes the church reigning with Him
Unbelieving Jews are given to be _________before the church – the 1/3 left saved to enter Christ’s kingdom
Second Assessment & Promises – Revelation 3:10
Their Steadfastness : They followed Jesus’ example to ____________ in persecution – See Hebrews 12:1-3
Jesus’ Protection – understandable when interpreted according to normal meaning in ___________
The testing soon to come is for those “who dwell on the earth” – the ________of God’s wrath in Revelation
The ________encompasses the whole earth causing either repentance or punishment on those not repenting
The hour is the __________ time period “after these things” (1:19) detailed in Revelation 4-19
1) The promise is for more than those in Philadelphia. 2) The testing is of the __________, not the righteous
3) Jesus keeps / preserves / protects / guards them from the testing – ejk / ek = _______________.
If the protection was within the testing it would be e[n / ___and if through the testing it would be diav / ____
If the promise included going through the Tribulation, the reward for faithfulness would be more _________
The Charge – Revelation 3:11
Jesus would not be coming quickly if this referred to the second advent at the _____of the Tribulation period
As a reference to the rapture (1 Thess. 4:15-17), Jesus’ coming is ____________
Hold ________; Don’t become weary and let go; Don’t let anyone take the crown of victory from you
Promises to the Overcomer – Revelation 3:12
The overcomer, the true saint perseveres and is assured of belonging to God in heaven for ___________
Temple pillars are strong and remain in ____ ________of the worship of God
Having a name written on you is a sign of _____________ and belonging
The Call to All – Revelation 3:13. The principles in the letter apply to ___Christians / churches throughout time
Conclusions
Follow the ___________of the believers in Philadelphia to remain faithful to Christ in all circumstances
__________in Jesus’ promises, assurance of salvation, corrected to be holy, protection from the Tribulation
KIDS KORNER – Parents, you are responsible to apply God’s Word to your children’s lives. Here is some help. Young Children – draw a picture about something you hear during the sermon. Explain your picture(s) to your parents at lunch. Older Children – Do one or more of the following:1) Count how many times a reference is made to Philadelphia. 2) Talk with your parents about how you can follow their example
THINK ABOUT IT – Questions to consider in understanding the sermon and its application. What have you learned from the letters to the previous five churches? Describe the history and situation of the city of Sardis. What is the significance of Jesus’ description of Himself (3:7b)? What is the meaning of the first promise given to them (3:8)? Explain each of the three reasons Jesus states for giving this promise. How were the unbelieving Jews to be humbled and when will that take place? Why did Jesus promise to keep them from the “hour of testing”? What is that testing? When will it occur? Is this protection from that hour or within or through that hour? Explain. What is Jesus referring to in saying “I am coming quickly”? What is the overcomer promised?
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