Well, today we've come to the
sixth of the seven churches of Asia Minor to whom John was instructed
by the Lord through the angel to write each one a letter. Send them this letter. And today
in Revelation 3 beginning at verse 7, we come to the church
at Philadelphia. Of course, you know that means
city of brotherly love. We have a Philadelphia here in
the United States named after this. It's what it means, brotherly
love. And in these churches, we see
particular situations and conditions, some positive, some negative.
As Robert said, this church here in Philadelphia, it's all positive.
And that's unusual. Not that it was a perfect church,
there's no such thing on this earth. When we talk about the
perfect church, we're talking about the church universal, all
the elect of God as we stand in Christ. And that's the only
way we can talk about a perfect church. The totality of the ones
whose names were written in the Lamb's book of life, who are
washed in the blood of Christ and clothed in his righteousness.
But here on this earth, It's always a mixture of believers
and unbelievers. You have true churches where
the gospel is preached according to the scriptures. The church
of God, which is the pillar and ground of truth. And here on
earth, you have Satan's tares, which are religious organizations,
but no gospel. It's like the song says, there's
a lot of religion, but there's not a whole lot of truth. And
we live in that world. This was the world there back
in these days of the early church. And these churches represent
conditions and situations that you'll find in all gospel churches
or those which began in the gospel throughout the entire gospel
age. Or we call it the New Covenant
age. And this church at Philadelphia,
I've entitled the message, The Faithful Church. The faithful. This city. Look at verse 7 of
Revelation 3. The Lord said, and to the angel,
that's the messenger, the pastor, the elder of the church in Philadelphia,
write this, these things saith he that is holy, Now notice in
each case we've emphasized how the Lord identifies himself as
pertaining to this church. He is this to all true churches,
but he specifically emphasizes an aspect of his nature and his
work as it applies to this church. And this church, it was the city
of Philadelphia, it's interesting to note this, It was really like
a cultural center. And it was mainly started for
the spreading of the Greek culture to other cities. And it was a
small group. Now we know something about that,
don't we? It was a small group of people who stood by the grace
of God, by the power of God, who stood firm for the gospel
of God's grace. In that sense, they were like
the church at Ephesus. When the Lord told the church
at Ephesus, He said, I know your patience. I know you cannot bear
them which is evil. You've stood fast in the doctrine
of Christ. You didn't compromise the doctrine.
Well, this church was the same. And Christ had no rebuke or no
reproof for them. You know, in these churches,
for most of them, He'll say, I know your works. And then He'll
commend them as these works are the evidences of God's grace
and power in them. And always remember that. When
there's any recognition of the works of the church or believers
individually in the Bible, it is not works that save us. It's not works that make us righteous. It's not works by which we earn
God's favor and God's blessings and rewards. It's the evidence
of God's power, the evidence of God's goodness and grace flowing
through us because the Bible says in Philippians 1, 6, it
is God that worketh in us to do that which is His will and
good pleasure. In Ephesians 2.10 it says, we
are His workmanship. A believer, a sinner saved by
grace is a work that God did. It's not a work that you do.
And you didn't contribute one iota to it as far as building
it up, putting it together, and keeping it. So we're His workmanship
created in Christ Jesus unto good works. Not because of good
works, unto good works, and listen to this, which God has before
ordained that we should walk in them. So understand that. So he does give commendations.
But then he will say to some of these churches, I have somewhat
against you. There's a problem in your church. And you need to deal with it.
And he'll tell them, if you don't deal with it, I'm going to put
the light out. I'll remove the church. Now that's not a threat
of hell and damnation. That's simply saying that when
people deal with the truth irresponsibly, through compromise, or through
hiding it, or through ignoring it, that's a doomed church. That candlestick will be moved
out. And that's happened quite a bit.
Well, here in the church at Philadelphia, he doesn't have anything against
them. And again, I emphasize this.
Not because they were perfect. They're just like, what is a
church? A true church is a hospital for
sinners. And that's what we are. We're
going to have our problems. And you know why we have our
problems, don't you? Because we're so daggone selfish. Me
too now, I'm not just preaching at ya. And somebody said, I'm
preaching to myself too. And we've gotta fight that, don't
we? It's a battle. The flesh against the spirit,
the spirit against the flesh. Oh my goodness, if it weren't
for Christ, we'd all end up damned, wouldn't we? And that's what
we have to do. But this church was a faithful
church, kept faithful by the power of God. You know our salvation
is not based upon our faithfulness. It's based upon Christ's faithfulness
to save us, to keep us, to bring us to glory. And so he identifies
himself this way. He that is holy. That means he
that is pure. Christ is pure. It means he that
is unique. My soul, there's no one like
Christ. He wasn't just a human prophet,
or a human priest, or a human king. He wasn't just another
religious leader who taught moral lessons. He's the Son of God
incarnate. He's the God-Man. He's the Savior
of sinners. He's the Lord Our Righteousness.
And there's no one like Him. He's the Holy One. We've received
gifts from the Holy One. And He's separate. Look at it. He says, He that is holy, He
that is true. True and faithful. What is He
true and faithful to do? To save all His people from their
sins? to bring us to final glory by
His power and grace, based on His blood and righteousness alone.
Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto
the Father by Him. He never tells us a lie. He never
fails to keep a promise. He's true. Let God be true in
every man alive. And it says this, He that hath
the key of David. I love that expression. You know
who David was. He was the king of Israel. He
was the sovereign of Israel. He spoke and it was done. He
made laws. Well, here, this key of David
is a metaphor for Christ, the king of kings, holding the key
to eternal life. He has the keys. You want to
live forever? Somebody told me one time, well,
I want to live forever, but not in this body. You want to live
forever in the perfection of holiness, without sin, without
tears, without sorrow, without pain? Good night. What a thought. Seems like as
I get older, every moment's got pain. But to live without pain? Well, who has the keys to that
kind of life? The key of salvation for His
people. Christ, the King of the government
of grace, He alone opens the way, opens the door to God for
sinners by the merits of His finished work on the cross as
revealed to us by the Holy Spirit in the preaching of the gospel.
Christ has the key. And he says here in verse 7,
he holds half the key of David, he that openeth and no man shutteth,
he that shutteth and no man openeth. Christ is the one who opens the
door of salvation for His chosen people and nobody can shut that
door against them. Satan cannot do it. Evil men
and women cannot do it. Governments cannot do it. Armies
cannot do it. He opens it and it stays open
until all of His sheep are in the fold. No man shut it. But He's also, He's also the
one that shuts and no man opens. If He shuts the door, It doesn't
matter what we do, it cannot be opened. And He shuts the door
of salvation to every sinner who seeks salvation by any other
way than the Lord Jesus Christ and His righteousness alone.
And nobody can open it. No preacher can open it. Oh,
they can tell you you're saved when you're not. They'll lie
to you. They'll lie to themselves. They can tell you you're okay. You can hear me preach and walk
out saying, I don't know what I'm talking about. And you can
find a preacher who'll tell you what you want to hear. I guarantee
you'll find a lot of them who'll do that. But you understand Christ
shuts the door because there's only one door. And that's the
door of God's free and sovereign grace and mercy in and by the
Lord Jesus Christ. And that door is open to everyone
who wants it. Problem is us. We don't want
it His way until He makes us willing in the day of His power. None other way. Look at verse
8. He said, I know thy works. I've
already talked about that. Evidence of the fruit and fruit
of God's power and grace given us through the Lord Jesus Christ.
And He says, Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and
no man can shut it. What's He talking about? He's
talking about an open door of ministry to preach the gospel. He opens the door for us to witness
and to preach His gospel. We've got an open door here this
morning. Anybody who comes in, we preach the gospel. Over in the book of 2 Corinthians,
I'll just read this verse to you, chapter 2 and verse 12. It says, when Paul, going out
through his ministry, he said, furthermore, when I came to Troas
to preach Christ's gospel, a door was opened unto me of the Lord. God opened the door. Look over
at Acts chapter 16, but let me show you this. And this is just
interesting in Acts chapter 16. Sometimes God closes the door
of ministry. Paul said he opened a door. And
he told the church at Philadelphia here, I've given you an open
door to preach. You've got an avenue here that
God provided. Now preach the gospel. Don't
tell a lie, don't hide it, don't compromise it, preach the gospel. And that's what he's saying,
I know your works, I know you've done them. But look at Acts 16
and verse six. Paul talking about this, Paul
and Barnabas, or I think this was after they separated, but
he says, now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region
of Galatia and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the
word in Asia. Somebody asked me one time, says,
well, does the Holy Spirit come to everybody? Well, He didn't
come to those in Asia at this time. He forbade Paul to preach
the word in Asia. He shut the door. Verse seven,
after they were come to Mycia, they assayed to go into Bithynia,
but the Spirit suffered them not. Don't go there, that door's
shut. God shut it. And verse eight, he says, and
they passing by Mysia came to Troas, and a vision appeared
to Paul in the night. There stood a man of Macedonia
and prayed him, saying, come over into Macedonia and help
us. Come over. And after he had seen
the vision, immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuredly
gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto
them. There the door was open. So what do we do as ministers,
as a church? Well, we're looking for open
doors. And when the doors shut, we accept the will of God and
move on. Remember when Christ told those
that he sent out two by two? He said, if they won't hear you,
wipe the dust off your feet and go on. Now that's a sad situation.
I'm not saying we relish in that. I think it's sad when people
tell me, I don't want to hear what you have to say. I'm not
interested. That's sad. Sometimes that door's
shut, isn't it? But thank God, sometimes it's
open. And here in Philadelphia, he said, I've set before you
an open door, and nobody can shut it. Look back here in verse
8. He says, Revelation 3 verse 8,
for thou hast a little strength. What does he mean there? Well,
two things. Number one, they were a little
group of people. In other words, their strength was not in their
numbers. Okay? But it also means that
the strength we have in ministering and preaching the gospel is not
our strength, it's God's strength. It's God's power. And he said,
and has kept my word, you stay true to the word, And we know
that's by the power and goodness and grace of God and has not
denied my name. Oh Lord, don't let me deny His
name. What is His name? Well, that's
His glory. That's His nature. That's who He is. That which
identifies and distinguishes Him from all others. And so when
you Keep His Word and don't deny
His Name. You know what you're doing? You're
telling the truth about God from the Word of God. You're telling
the truth about yourself. I'm only a sinner saved by grace. Only a sinner saved by grace.
That's my story. I have no righteousness, no strength,
No power, no goodness, but that which I have in Christ. He gets
the glory. You're telling the truth on who
he is in the glory of his person and in the power of his finished
work. What did, who is Christ? God manifest in the flesh. What
did he accomplish on that cross when he said it's finished? The
complete salvation of all for whom he lived, died, was buried
and rose again the third day. for whom He makes intercession
even now. That's who. We'll look at verse
9. He says, Behold, I will make
them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews and are
not, but do lie. Behold, I will make them to come
and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved
thee. That's an amazing statement. Who are these self-proclaimed
Jews who are of the synagogue of Satan? Does that seem harsh to you?
It does to most people. You remember when Christ was
speaking to some of the Pharisees who claimed to be children of
God, who claimed to be righteous, who claimed to be saved, and
he said in John chapter eight and verse 44, he said, you are
of your father, the devil, the adversary, the accuser, and the
works of your father you will do. He's a liar, they said, from
the beginning. And what were they doing, these
Pharisees? They were trying to teach and guide others to be
moral, to be sincere, to be religious, all in the name of their God,
seeking salvation by their works. That's who he's talking about
here, these Jews who are not. The word Jew is first used in
the book of Esther. Did you know that? The first
time the word Jew appears in the scripture. It's in the book
of Esther. And it was a shortened name for
Judah. You know Judah, he was one of
the sons of Jacob, Israel. And then later on, the southern
kingdom, when the kingdom split, the northern kingdom was called
Israel, the southern kingdom was called Judah. The name Judah
means praise to God. And so that's what the name Jew
really intends to mean. So he's talking about Jews who
were Jews by physical nature, pedigree. who claim to be children
of God, who claim to be praising God. But he said, they're lying.
They're not seeking salvation by God's grace. They're not seeking
righteousness in Christ. Paul identified them in Romans
chapter 9 at the end. He said, they're seeking righteousness
by works of the law. That does not praise God. Did
you know that? For you or me, sinners, to seek
righteousness, to seek goodness, to seek holiness by our works
in order to be right with God, in order to be accepted with
God, that does not praise God at all. That dishonors God. That
denies God. And that is an endeavor that
is inspired by Satan. And that's who he exposes here.
And he says, I'll make them to come and worship before your
feet and to know that I have loved you. That doesn't mean
that they're going to come and worship me and you. We're not
to be worshipped at all. But it does mean that they will
be forced to acknowledge and agree that we are the true children
of God, saved by His grace, washed in the blood of His Son, clothed
in His righteousness, and that proves that we are the ones that
God loves and not them. Does that sound like I'm boasting?
Well, I boast in the cross. I know God loves me because of
His cross, because I'm in Christ. I've got no other hope but Christ.
But I know this too. The love of God that He has for
me and for you, I didn't earn an iota of it and don't deserve
an iota of it. It's unconditional love towards
a sinner who deserves nothing but damnation. That's right. And that proves that God doesn't
love everybody. He loves His children. And I
would tell you this, you might say, well, preacher, how is it
possible for me to experience the love of God? Well, I'll tell
you, unashamedly, you flee to Christ. God's love is in Christ. Isn't
that right, folks? Here in His love, not that we
love God, but that He loved us and gave His Son to be the propitiation
for our sins. There's no love of God outside
of Christ. The redeeming love of God. Look
at verse 10. He says, because thou hast kept
the word of my patience. Now the word of God's patience
is the gospel. That's the gospel of his finished
work wherein he endured. That word patience means endurance.
Christ endured even unto the death of the cross to accomplish
our salvation. The author and finisher of our
faith. By one offering he hath perfected
forever them that are sanctified. He accomplished righteousness.
He brought it in. He endured to do it. And he says, because of the word
of my patience you've kept, I also will keep thee from the hour
of temptation, which shall come upon all the world to try them
that dwell upon the earth. Now, this verse here has been
misinterpreted, most notably by those who are called dispensationalists. who believe that in the future
time there's going to be a secret rapture of the church taken out
of the world before a seven-year period of tribulation begins. And this verse is often cited
as a proof text for that error, and that is error. Since Christ
promises here to remove His church from the hour of temptation,
that's why they interpret it that way. that hour of temptation
which is yet to come upon the earth by means of a rapture.
And the church, you know, 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 talks about the church
being raptured up, caught up, those caught out of the grave
and those who are dead and gone to be with the Lord, they'll
come with him. And then, next, those who are of the earth, just
like for example he says those that dwell upon the earth, they're
tied to the earth. They don't have spiritual eternal
life. The earth is everything to them. You know, that's why
Christ said of his disciples, he said, they're in the world,
but you're not of the world. The church at Philadelphia, they've
not been kept from trouble in the sense of being removed from
the earth, they're in tribulation. In fact, the church is in the
midst of tribulation. Christ said in John 16, he told
his disciples, he said, in the world you'll have trouble, that's
tribulation. He said, be of good cheer, I've
overcome the world. This hour of trial, you know
this word trial, the word that he uses here for temptation.
is never in the Bible translated tribulation. That's another word. Find it over in Revelation 7.
We'll be talking about that later. There is tribulation. But that
lasts throughout the whole Gospel age. And it comes in different
forms to different degrees. But this word temptation is a
time of trial. A time of testing. And you know
what he's talking about here? He's talking about final judgment. Where the whole world without
Christ will be exposed and judged guilty and sentenced to perish
eternally. Them that dwell on the earth.
Now according to 1 Thessalonians 4, when this time comes, believers
will have been raptured right before it, but we've already
been judged. Did you know that? Oh, it says
we'll all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, but our sins
have already been judged. You know, people say, well, when
I get to the judgment, God's gonna look at all my sins and
he's either gonna diminish my rewards or he's gonna look at
my, no. Believers have already been judged.
Our appearance at the judgment will be just a declaration of
what has already been. We've been judged for our sins
in the person and work of Christ on the cross. Our judgment has passed. and
will be declared righteous before the universe, saved by the grace
of God, children of God. But those who are upon the earth,
they'll be judged guilty, worthy of damnation. And as he said to those that
we read about this morning in Matthew 8, they'll be cast out
into outer darkness. So he says, and I believe this
next verse proves that this is talking about the final judgment.
He says in verse 12, I mean verse 11, behold, I come quickly. He's
coming quickly. Now from our limited viewpoints,
it doesn't seem so quick, does it? But you gotta remember, this
is God. A thousand years is a day, and
a day is a thousand years. It's quickly. It'll be soon enough.
He's coming. Hold fast that which thou hast,
that no man take thy crown. Hold on for dear life. Hold on
to Christ. Hold on to the truth. Hold on
to one another in the fellowship of faith. And we know that that's not possible. except Christ hold on to us. Isn't that right? Oh Lord, don't
let me go. Our perseverance in the faith
is not due to our own strength, but to Christ who preserves us
by his power and grace. Paul said, I know whom I have
believed and I'm persuaded that he is able. to keep that which
I've committed unto Him against that day. And what have I committed
unto Him? My whole salvation. Now God uses
means to preserve His people, and one of the means is our continuation
in His Word. Study His Word, hear His Word. Our crown is the crown of everlasting
life and glory, which is given to us through Christ, who is
our life and our glory. And no man can take it away.
No being can take it away. And I'll say it this way, even
God cannot take it away, and you know why? Because He's engaged
His glory and His promise in fulfilling that to every last
one of His elect. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It's God that justifies. Who
can condemn us? It's Christ that died. risen
again, seated at the right hand of the Father. And he says in
verse 12, him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple
of my God. Those who overcome are sinners
saved by grace, who live their lives looking unto Jesus, the
author and finisher of our faith, and he'll make us pillars. That's
not a special group of believers who've done more than others.
All true believers who've been given a permanent, eternal place
in God's house and kingdom. And that's what that pillar means.
It's a permanent thing. It cannot be moved. An earthquake
can't move it. Nothing can move it. And they cannot be moved out.
It says here, He shall go no more out. There's no leaving
this. No possibility of forsaking it
if you're one of God's children, one of those pillars. And he
said, I will write upon him the name of my God. That's the glory
of God. That's a sinner in whom God is
glorified. God has revealed the glory of
his face in Jesus Christ. The name of the city of my God,
which is New Jerusalem, not Jerusalem over there in Palestine today.
The New Jerusalem is the heavenly Jerusalem that comes down from
heaven. We'll be talking about that later on in Revelation.
Spoken of in the book of Hebrews chapter 12. We're citizens of
the New Jerusalem. We're spiritual Jews, spiritual
Israelites, spiritual children of Abraham. And we live in the
heavenly city. And he says, which cometh down
out of heaven from my God, and I will write upon him my new
name. What is that new name? The Lord
our righteousness. That's our new name, given to
us, wedded, married to Christ. And then he says, like he ends
up all of these letters, he that hath an ear, let him hear what
the Spirit saith unto the churches. And so we ask ourselves, do I
have ears to hear? That means to heed, to obey,
to listen, and respond positively because of God's grace and power
in Christ. Okay.