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Honoring Max and Cathy...
Turn to Revelation chapter 3 verse 7.
Think of some popular Christian cliches or sayings that we use…all the time...
Let me give you some example:
When God closes a door…he opens a what…a window… That’s cute isn’t it?
Is it true?
Is it sorta true, does it depend?
You are never more safe than when you’re in God’s will.
Is it true?
sorta true? depend?
Let Go and (scream for your life) and Let Go and Let God.
God will not give you more than you can handle.
God helps those who help themselves
are there others?
I am sure there are.
Are these true?
I won’t be able to address every single cliche today...
BUT
the passage we are in in the book of Revelation will help.
Please turn to the book of Revelation chapter 3 verse 7.
Jesus is writing to 7 seven churches in Asia (modern day Turkey), and he has a specific message for each church.
This particular church is the city of Philadephia.
Please stand as I read:
so let’s see how well you were listening....
couple questions:
Did Jesus say anything negative about the church?
No.
There are only 2 churches that don’t receive anything negative;
Smyrna
and now Philadelphia
Here is a guess—is the church of Philadelphia—would we as American churches in the 21st century, call it an IMPRESSIVE CHURCH?
probably not at 1st glance…we have to read betwen the lines
verse 8 says they have little strength
it’s like they are holding on.
vs.8-9 talk about the Philadelphians keeping God’s Word, not denying his name.
look at vs. 9
Now, to be clear, the Bible is not against Jewish people—but there is a particular group who is bringing intense pressure and persecution on them.
It is not hard to imagine ways in which the church of Philadelphia was weak.
The people may have come largely from lower economic and social classes.
They probably did not have influence with the government or great material resources, and their numbers may have been fairly small.
But their spiritual attainments contained a great power, as they preached and obeyed the Bible and continued their witness to Christ.
In all these respects, the Philadelphians faced a world not much different from that facing believers today.
so it is probably not an impressive church that most of us would flock to…or choose in our consumeristic society.
“let’s go to a church being persecuted...”
“Let’s go a church that has to persevere and struggle…that feels weak...”
but Jesus commends it, encourages it, and pleads to keep going.
so back to some of our Christian cliches.
Jesus’ words of encouragement actually challenge some of our Christian cliches.
think of that 1st cliche:
Cliche #1: When God closes a door…he opens a window.
now, sometimes I get why we use those phrases.
maybe an opportunity presented itself in your life, maybe a new job or ministry, circumstance, but then “bam” it shut.
and it may not make sense why it shut.
a phrase like this can remind us that God is still in control.
He can open up other opportunities.
and it’s good to remember also open doors for opportunities may not be good.
think of Jonah and the whale—when he disobeyed God—went in the opposite direction and just happened to find a ship sailing away from Nineveh—he could have said “Here’s an open door.”
and closed doors, continual ones, aren’t always bad either.
sometimes God want us to be persistent.
but this cliche technically is not in the Bible.
In fact, look at how our passage uses the phrase open doors.
what does Jesus mean by open doors here?
when we use the phrase open doors—we often think of the next steps in our lives?
a decision, a big opportunity.
here he means at least 2 things:
#1 He means the door of salvation, or God’s kingdom
when Jesus says — he holds the keys of David—and what He opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open—he is talking about how He is the one who controls entrance into God’s eternal kingdom of salvation.
and eternal life.
He holds the keys—it is only through Him—the way, the truth, and the life that we are saved.
He says he is a door or a gate John 10:9
and this would have been so encouraging for the Philadelphians—why?
because it felt like they were outsiders.
They were excluded.
They were persecuted.
they weren’t advancing in society.
they felt powerless.
Jesus.
says--- “Hey, i know what your circumstances feel like—but change your perspective.
I am still the key holder.
I am still the one who enables entrance into the kingdom of God.
I am the real one who includes people into my kingdom, and if people reject me, I exclude them.
so remember, that I am the one controlling your ultimate destiny in the kingdom of God!” and you are in my kingdom—no one can take that way.
so when open doors is used here—it is talking about entrance into God’s kingdom—and if you are in Christ—you are secure—b/c He grants it.
no one is going to mess with that.
btw--and if you are not a believer—God is placing before you an open door—are you going to enter? are you going to give your life to King Jesus?
what are you waiting for?
#2 another things he means by open doors is an opportunity for witness.
look at verse 8.
i have placed before you an open door.
In the NT—when the idea of an open door, spiritually speaking is an opportunity to witness to others for Christ.
and so Jesus encourages them--
remember—I have the keys—I control the door to eternal life—you are in and secure.
people are messing with you—they ain’t gonna mess with that.
and remember—I have an opportunity that despite your little strength and persecution—you can actually witness for me.
you may not feel like this is an opportune time, but it is—to talk about Jesus.
so back to the phase—when God closes a door, he opens a window.
it’s not the worst phrase in the world—but this passage challenges it—
because open doors refer to entrance to God’s kingdom and opportunities for ministry and witness even during hard times.
Let’s apply this to us.
how many of you sometimes feel excluded in your family…in this community…even in this church....we can feel that way.
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