Revelation 3:7-13

Revelation • Sermon • Submitted 6 years ago

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I will never forget in 2009 driving from Winston Salem to Southeastern Seminary listening to our President Dr. Danny Akin deliver one of the most moving sermons I have ever heard. I will never forget how when I showed up to class teachers had suspended their lesson plans for the week to talk about this message and the implications for them as a seminary and the implications for us as we would go out and pastor churches and head to foreign countries to be missionaries.

In the sermon and I invited you to listen to it. The Title of the sermon was called the future of the Southern Baptist Convention. Dr. Danny Akin called for a Great Commission Resurgence. We had won the battle for the Bible to the inerrant, infalliable word of God and now our President was calling us to reclaim the mission that Jesus had given us.

In that sermon. Dr. Danny Akin said “We must have pastors who see themselves as a gospel missions agency, equipping people to see themselves as missionaries for Jesus, regardless of location or vocation.”

To this day those words move me. What we will see today in the church of Philadelphia is a church that saw itself as a gospel missions agency. My pray is that we would see ourselves as a mission agency as well. Please take your Bibles and turn to : 7-13

Revelation 3:7 ESV

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.

Following the postal route Jesus writes another letter to the church of Philadelphia.

Philadelphia was known for agriculture and earthquakes. They had to rebuild the city many times because of them.

They city name Phiadelphia you could probably guess means brotherly love.

This church was known for its love for the city around them and telling them about Jesus.

The church is still a Christian testimony to this city even to this day.

Jesus refers to himself as the Holy one, the true one.

Jesus is Holy he is perfect in every way.

John 1:1 ESV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

1 Peter 1:15 ESV

15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,

Not

Because Jesus is Holy he has every right to judge the works of the church and us.

There have been many who claimed to be God, but Jesus Christ is the true and living God.

All the other false Gods you can find in a tomb somewhere.

Jesus also says of himself that he has the keys of David.

Isaiah 22:22 ESV

22 And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.

2 Samuel 7:16–17 ESV

16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’ ” 17 In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.

2 Samuel 7:16 ESV

16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’ ”

Jesus Christ has the keys to death and Hades and he also has the keys to heaven. No one can open the doors of heaven or the doors of Hell except King Jesus.

He is the ultimate King and Judge which everyone of us will stand before one day.

John 10:9 ESV

9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.

There is one else I would rather have judge me than King Jesus.

Revelation 3:8–9 ESV

8 “ ‘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. 9 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.

And since he is King of King and Lord of Lords if he opens a door no one can shut it and if he shuts a door no one can open it.

Revelation 3:8–9 ESV

Just as Jesus has told the church of Ephesus, Thyatira, Sardis, and next week Laodicea, he tells the church of Philadelphia.

I know your works.

Jesus cares about the details. He cares about the details of his churches. He cares about the details of your life. Jesus knows you in an intimate personal type of way. He knows you better than you know yourself.

Jesus knows everything we do as a congregation. He knows everything you do in your personal life. Jesus knows your works.

Which should lead us all to repent. For not only does he know what we do. He knows why we do it.

And yet in spite of that we have hope that is only found in the gospel. Because in spite of our works. In spite of what we do and why we do it. Jesus Christ still loved us enough to come and die for our sins.

This will be the second church that Jesus does not reprimand.

Jesus tells the church of Philadelphia that I have opened a door which no one is able to shut.

Aren’t you glad that Jesus loves to use us. He opens doors for us to walk through as a church. He opens doors in your life where you get a chance to be on mission for HIm. I am thankful we serve a God that opens doors for us that no one can shut.

Jesus had opened a door for the church of brotherly love to go and tell their neighbors and their friends about Jesus.

Henry Martyn said “The spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions. The nearer we get to [Jesus] the more intensely missionary we become.”

The closer we get to Jesus in our lives, the closer we get to Jesus as a body of believers the more we as a church and individuals will live our lives on mission for Him

Show me a person that does not care about missions or is not on mission and I will show you a person that is not close to Jesus.

Show me a church that does not care about missions or being on mission in its neighborhood and around the world and I will show you a church that is not close to Jesus.

Notice the church of Philadelphia had little power. They couldn’t open the door. It had to be Jesus. All they had to do was walk through the door.

Jesus has and will open doors for us here at Tar Heel to be on mission for Him. Like the church of Philadelphia all we have to do is walk through the door.

Over the past couple of years here at Tar Heel, God has opened many doors for us to walk through that only he could have opened.

He has opened doors at Carolina Crossroads where we have the privilege to go to those who are hurting and in need and share the gospel. We didn’t open that door God did

He has opened the doors in our public schools to let us go in present the gospel, love on teachers and faculty and staff. We didn’t open that door God did.

He has opened the doors for us to minister to several churches that are struggling like we once where and given us a chance to share our story even at the Baptist State Convention of NC. We didn’t open that door God did.

He has opened doors for us by letting us supply hospice supplies to those who are hurting. We didn’t open that door God did

Jesus has opened many doors for us as a church. I didn’t open them, you didn’t open them. Only God could have opened these doors.

Notice the church of Philadelphia even though they had little power. God commends them because they have kept his word and have not denied his name in the face of persecution and walking in the doors that Jesus opened.

This church was not large or strong, but it was faithful to God and to the doors that God opened for them. God can use people and a church like that.

The same can be said today God does not need a big or a strong church he just needs a faithful church. That will trust Him and walk through the doors he opens.

You can bet that when you follow Jesus their will be those who attack and when they attack we must hold onto the gospel.

We must remember why we suffer and that when we suffer we are like Christ.

If we don’t keep the gospel on the front of our mind then we will be tempted when it gets tuff to run away. We will be tempted to abandon the word. We will be tempted to deny him.

We are all tempted to say this morning we would not do this. We would not deny Christ, we would not be tempted to abandon his word.

Let me offer up Peter as an example. Peter loved Jesus and yet he denied him 3 times before the rooster crowd.

This is why we must remember the gospel and keep it as the main thing.

Notice in verse 9 where the opposition came from.

The opposition came from the religious. Jesus refers to them as the synagogue of Satan.

These where Jewish people. These where the people of Abraham and Moses.

It may surprise you, but when Jesus opens a door and people start to walk through that door. There will opposition and believe it or not that opposition come from within the church walls and outside the church walls.

These are people who allow Satan to use them.

Jesus tells the church in verse 9 stay faithful to my word, don’t deny me and I will make those trouble makers bow before your feet and they will see that I have loved you.

John MacArthur says about this description given

“This imagery derives from the Old Testament, which describes the yet future day when unbelieving Gentiles will bow down to the believing remnant of Israel.”

What Jesus is saying here is that we are one with Christ and their will come a day when those who oppose Jesus will bow and His feet and worship Him and in that moment they will know how wrong they where for trying to shut doors that Jesus had opened.

That is some pretty powerful words from Jesus. We in the church must not go against the will of God. For God does not take it lightly.

Revelation 3:10–11 ESV

10 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. 11 I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.

Revelation 3:

Jesus speaking to the faithful church. You have kept my word, you have endured tribulation with patients. Jesus says I will keep you from the hour of trial.

Many scholars have debated about what the hour of trial is.

Alan Johnson says “Related to the promise “I will also keep you from the hour of trail that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earthy” are two problems: (1) the identification of the hour of trial and (2) the precise sense of His Phrase “keep you from the hour of trail.” Both involve the ongoing debate among evangelical eschatologists over the tribulation/rapture question.” (Revelation, 2006, 632).

How you interpret this scripture will be determined if you are pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation, or post tribulation.

To lay my cards on the table I once held to a post-tribulation view For the longest time I was a post tribulation guy. For several reason. If you look at the Old Testament and New Testament Jesus never pulls his church out of persecution instead it thrives in persecution. Daniel didn’t avoid the Lions den, nor Shadrick, Meshack, and abedigo didn’t avoid the fiery furnance, Instead they went through them and the church in Acts thrived through persecutaion.

The post-tribulation person interpretes this text that Jesus will protect them spiritualy but not physically.

However, in the past two years my view has changed and I now hold to pre-tribulation because of verses like the ones we are looking at today.

Let me say that there are conservative scholars that hold to many different interpretaions and just because you don’t agree with someone is no reason to split a church or no reason you can’t work with someone toward winning people to Jesus.

I would encourage you to do your own research on pre-trib, mid-trib and post trib and follow where the Spirit leads you.

In this passage I believe that Jesus is referring here to to what will start in

He is referring here to what will start in Revelation 6

As messed up as this world is right now. It is only going to get worse. For you see their is coming a day when the trumpet is going to sound and the church will be called home and the great Tribulation will occur.

This should give us as Christ followers and as a church an urgency to tell everyone we call about Jesus. This should give us an urgency to be on mission for Him.

Because of text like this one I am convinced that the church, the Christ follower will be raptured up before the great tribulation.

Let me clear here. I am not saying because your name is on the church role or because you are buried in our grave yard, or because you said a prayer you will be raptured. The Church I am referring to here is the true church. The redeem people who have given up their lives to follow Christ.

The ones you have truly called on the name of the Lord for them to be saved.

If this is not you. You will be left behind, you will go through the great tribulation so today I encourage you give up your life and follow Christ.

Jesus says he is coming soon.

Jesus could come at any moment even before the end of this service.

Before I utter my next word the trumpet could sound and the church could be raptured up.

When I was the worship pastor at FBC Dublin. Trumpet would sound.

Some of you this morning could be left behind. Some of you this morning if left behind your fate would be a devils hell. Because if you won’t accept Christ when it is as easy as it is now, why do you think you will come when heavy persecution will come with it.

I beg of you give your life to Christ, quite playing games. You say but I have a position in the church, I am a member. I don’t care. I do care that you give your life to Christ.

Jesus calls the church to hold fast what you have.

What did this church who Jesus called weak have. They had Jesus and that is more than enough.

What must we hold onto in the world we live in. We must hold onto Jesus.

If we will hold on to Jesus, Jesus promises that no one will seize our crown.

If we hold on to Jesus no one can take our reward of Heaven from us.

No one can snatch our salvation.

The key is to hold onto Jesus.

Revelation 3:12 ESV

12 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.

Revelation 3:12

For the person that holds on to Jesus.

Not only will Jesus spear you from the tribulation to come. Not only will no one be able to take away your crown

Jesus will make you a pillar in the temple of God.

This would have spoke to the church in Philadelphia. They where use to earthquakes and having to rebuild their city. Often times the only thing left after an earthquake would be pillars to buildings.

So what Jesus is saying here is that they will be in the presence of God and nothing will be able to remove them.

He will write his name on you and the name of the city of God.

He will give you a tatto with his name written on you and the name of the city of God.

The new Jerusalem.

By writing his name on you it shows ownership. That you belong to God and that you are one of his.

It also is saying that you are a citizen of the New Jerusalem. Praise God that my primary citizenship is not of this world, but of the world to come.

Right now I have duel citizenship. I am an American and a citizen of Heaven. But one day my American citizenship will pass away but my Heavnly citizenship will never.

Revelation 3:13 ESV

13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Revelation 3:13 ESV

13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

As in the other letters Jesus calls us to listen to what the Spirit is saying to us this morning.

Jesus is telling us that he opens doors and expects us to walk through them and shuts other doors and for us not to open them.

Jesus is calling us as a church and individuals to be on mission for Him.

Jesus is telling us that we need to remain faithful to him in light of opposition even opposition from within the four walls of the chruch.

Jesus is telling us if we will hold fast to him we will be speared from tribulation, we will recieve our reward, we will have written on us His name, and the city New Jerusalem showing His ownership of us and our citizenship.

If you have an ear please here the spirit

Has Jesus opened a door you refuse to walk through. Is there a door you are trying to open that Jesus has not opened.

Are you enduring the persecution that comes with being a Christ follower.

Have you given your life to Christ so that you will not face the great tribulation that is coming?

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