Believers in this world have
a constant uphill struggle with the world, our own flesh, and
the devil. We have constant trials, constant
temptations, constant struggles with our own sin, constant perplexities,
constant obstacles standing in our way as we attempt to walk
in this world for the glory of God and seek everlasting glory
in Jesus Christ the Lord. We have a race to run, and it
is a difficult, difficult race. We are admonished to lay aside
every sin and the weight that doth so easily beset us. We are
admonished to encourage one another to lift up the hands that hang
down and gives strength to the feeble knees, lest we fall by
the wayside. And those admonitions are given
with a reason, because many do fall. Many do quit. As I was preparing this message
for this evening, I kept trying to ask myself, how can I, as
God's servant, as your brother, as a fellow pilgrim, as a fellow
runner in the race, helped to encourage you and myself to persevere
in the faith of Christ, to persevere in devoting ourselves to Christ,
to persevere in consecration, to persevere in giving ourselves
unreservedly in the cause of Christ. And I've got the answer. It's found in our text this evening
in Revelation chapter 3, verses 8 through 13. This is the only of the churches
to whom our Lord addresses himself in these two chapters about which
no word of reproof is given. This church at Philadelphia is
held before us as an example of what every gospel church and
every believer ought to be in this world. Our Lord begins the
letter by assuring us that he who is God, our Savior, is holy,
true, and sovereign. He is our holiness, and He gives
holiness alone to us. He is truth, and He alone is
truth, the embodiment, the revealer, and the teacher of truth. And
our Lord Jesus is that one who holds the keys of David, so that
universally, with regard to all things, He is the one who opens,
and no man can shut. He is the one who shuts, and
no man can open. And then in verse 8, He says,
I know thy works. Behold, I have set before thee
an open door, and no man can shut it. For thou hast a little
strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name."
With those words, our Lord Jesus gives a word of commendation
and praise to his church. A word of commendation and praise
to this little insignificant band of believers as far as men
were concerned in Philadelphia. He speaks to them this word of
praise, this word of commendation to encourage them to continue
as they had been. While others apostatized, while
others grew cold, while others became languishing, while others
became indifferent, while others became lukewarm, the Philadelphian
church stayed the course. They were steadfast, and our
Lord speaks this word of praise to them. Now imagine that. The
Son of God himself bends over from his lofty throne to speak
a word of praise to a band of believing sinners upon the earth.
Now, I'd sure like to be in that crowd, wouldn't you? Of men and
women who are commended by Christ Himself. Well, listen to the
commendation. Parents do not, if they're wise,
do not fail to see the error of their child and correct the
error. But loving parents are quick
to forgive and very quick to praise everything good done by
the child. A little praise, you see, is
a great means of encouragement. I know some people who seem to
think that kindness is blasphemy. But if the Son of God speaks
a word of praise to us, then certainly it is proper for us
to speak a word of praise now and then to one another. We need
some help in this regard because we too often neglect to give
a word of commendation and are too quick to give a word of criticism. I can't tell you how weary I
get of getting correspondence from folks, getting calls from
folks who find something they don't like, or hear something
they don't like. I get done preaching and somebody raises an objection
to something said in a message, rather than finding what's profitable,
rather than hearing what is beneficial, find something that they criticize
and they, you know, just, you know, we don't want to puff your
head up too much by giving you any credit. Well, my head's got enough
of a problem, but I can use a little enthusiasm anyway, couldn't you?
I can use a little bit of encouragement in that which is done. Let me
illustrate it for you. Your child gets four A's on a report card
one day. Nine times out of ten, what you
see is that day. Nine times out of ten. You send
your son out to wash your car, he cleans that thing up, works
all day long, cleans up, and misses a spot right down under
the front fender. And that's what you call attention to. We
ought to commend the A's who commend the cleaning. And maybe
the spots and the D's take care of themselves. We need encouragement. All of us do. And our Lord here
encourages this church in Philadelphia. And he encourages you and I in
this matter of persevering faithfulness by a word of commendation. Well,
what was there about these believers which caught the attention of
the Son of God, that which caused him to see fit to commend them
and praise them? The matter of commendation and
faith or praise was rather their works, their works of faith,
of love, and of patience. Look at the text with me here
in verse 8. First, the Lord says, I have set before thee an open
door. Now, commonly, That term, setting
before you an open door, has reference to an open door of
ministry, an open door of utterance for the gospel. The Apostle Paul
frequently said, a door was opened unto me of the Lord. Apparently,
the Lord Jesus had given these men and women an opportunity
to serve him and the furtherance of the gospel for the building
of his kingdom and the glory of God. He had given them an
opportunity, and they seemed to have seized the opportunity
with both hands. They faithfully performed the
work which their hands found to do. They didn't talk about
what they wanted to do or what they used to do or what they
were going to do, but they talked rather about what Christ had
done, and they simply did what the Lord put in their hands the
opportunity to do. A lot of folks talk a big game
and don't do anything. Believers ought continually to
walk before Christ with humility, but walk before Him with dogged
determination to serve Him. Let's not talk about what we
do. I understand we haven't done anything. Bob Pontius, when you
and I have done everything we can possibly do for the glory
of Christ, I don't care what sacrifice it is, I don't care
what it involves, I don't care what it costs us, We have done
only that which was our reasonable service to do. And only then
are we still just unprofitable servants. So let's not talk about
what we do or used to do or would do, but rather do what God gives
us the opportunity to do and do it with all our might. You
see, nothing done for Christ is insignificant. These men and
women simply did what they could for the glory of Christ. It may
have seemed insignificant to others, I have no record of it
anywhere in history, which is available to my knowledge anyway,
of anything that's outstanding about them except the fact that
they continued, fed fast in the faith, and were committed to
the cause of Christ for nearly 800 years. That's enough. In the 8th century, as I said
last week, they still were found persevering in the faith of the
gospel. Our Lord Jesus takes that which
we do for Him. for his glory, anything done
for him, for his glory, for the interest of his kingdom, and
receives it and praises it. He says, I know your works. You
remember what our Lord said concerning that poor widow? He said, she
hath done what she could. Oh, God, give us grace to do
what we can for our Redeemer. The one thing he requires of
us is faithfulness. The one thing he honors among
men is faithfulness. And when the Lord Jesus opens
a door for us, as we faithfully follow him, no man can shut that
door till he shuts it. Has he not proved that to us
over and over again? Have we not proved his word true?
He opens a door before a band of folks who are insignificant
and meaningless, and when he opens the door, all hell can't
shut it until he shuts it. And when he shuts it, nothing
can open it. Nothing. I am he which openeth,
and no man shutteth. I am he that shutteth, and no
man openeth. Now he says to you and me, Laird, I've set before
you an open door. Oh, what open doors he's set
before me and before you, and before us as a congregation.
Let's seize the open door he sets before us. And then our
Lord says, For thou hast a little strength. In the original language, in
the Greek language, there is no such thing as a definite article.
So really, or rather an indefinite article. So really this sentence
would better read like this and more accurately describe what
our Lord is saying. Thou hast little strength. You
have a little strength, He's saying. Now this is not taken
as a word of reproach, but rather a word of praise. These men and
women at Philadelphia had been faithful in their service to
Christ, though they had but little strength, little ability to serve
him, little with which to serve him. You see, many of the Lord's
churches, like this church at Philadelphia, have little strength,
only a little. And the same could be said concerning
this congregation here. They had little numerical strength.
Of all the churches that are mentioned here in these three
chapters, The church here at Philadelphia appears to have
been the smallest. They had very few in their congregation
of any great significance, and they had very little strength
with which to work. Their lack of numbers, however,
didn't deter them. They just simply rallied together
and did what they could for Christ. And the Lord commends them for
it. He commends them because they used what little strength
they had. The few numbers they had, they came together as one
body and served the interest of his kingdom. They not only
had little numerical strength, they had little monetary strength.
This congregation, above all the other seven, was made up
of just ordinary men and women, just common folks, laboring men
and women, for the most part a band of poor people. There
were no people of means among them, nowhere listed in history.
They were a people, however, precious to the Lord Jesus Christ.
who count sincerity, honesty, faithfulness of greater worth
than all the gold in the world. And these people were people
of little strength insofar as talents, gifts, and abilities
were concerned as well. I was thinking this afternoon
preparing the message, looking back over 1 Corinthians, the
church at Corinth, how different it was. The church at Corinth
was a huge, flourishing congregation. And they had all kinds of talents. They had at least pretended to
have every gift of the Spirit that was mentioned. They had
folks who prophesied, folks who had dreams, and folks who spoke
in tongues, and folks who practiced healing. They had all kinds of
talents, but they had no grace at all. They were people who
seemed to just be what Paul describes them as carnal. He said, You
behave as a people who have never experienced the grace of God.
You behave as carnal men. This church, however, seems to
have no one of extraordinary talent, no one with extraordinary
gifts, no one that would stand out in a crowd, but these are
a people full of grace. Grace had made them faithful.
Much was done for the glory of Christ, much done for the souls
of men, much done for the furtherance of the gospel. They had little
strength, but the little strength they had, they used it for Him. Oh, God, give us grace to use
what we have for Him, for Him. Now, this is what I'm saying,
Samuel. You're not responsible to use what I have for Him. You're
not responsible to preach. You're not responsible to study.
You're not responsible to use what strength I have for Christ.
But you are responsible to use what you have for Him, whatever
ability you have. Whatever strength He's given
you, whatever talent you have, it's our responsibility. Oh,
what a terrible word that is. It's our privilege. It's our
privilege to use it for Him, just for Him. Thou hast a little
strength. That was perhaps their misfortune,
but not their fault, and therefore they're not blamed for it. The
Lord doesn't blame them for having little strength. But he blames
men and women for having little faith, little love, little devotion,
little zeal, little consecration. That's blameworthy. Little strength
is not. If our strength is little, let's
pray for grace that our little strength may be used entirely
for Christ. And then our Lord Jesus says
to these Philadelphian believers, Thou hast kept my word and hast
not denied my name. There's something to be said
for that. Brother Scott Richardson was introduced in one of the
preachers at his conference back in April, and he introduced him
and his brother, Donnie Bell, and he talked about the church
there at Costwell. Don had been there a long time, held together
a band of believers, labored faithfully in the cause of Christ,
and just steadfast, steadfast, steadfast. And he says, if you
think that's not something to commend, you've never done it.
Abandoned believers dead fast dead fast in the faith in the
midst of opposition held together in little strength Little strength
given by God's grace holding them together keeping them together
in the cause of Christ Well, what was this word which these
folks kept this faith that they did not deny? Our Lord tells
us in verse 10 thou has kept the word of my patience So the
Word that they kept, the faith they did not deny, has something
to do with the Word of the gospel. The gospel of Christ and Him
crucified is that Word of His patient sufferings as our substitute
and our Redeemer. Hold your hands here and turn
back to 1 Peter for a moment. 1 Peter chapter 2. I want you to see that what I'm
saying is exactly according to Scripture. When he speaks here
of the Word that they had not denied, this word that they had
kept. He's talking about the word of
his patience. That is the word of the gospel. Look at 1 Peter
2 and verse 21. For even hereunto were you called,
because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example
that you should follow in his steps, who did no sin, neither
was guile found in his mouth, who, when he reviled, reviled
not again, When he suffered, he threatened not, but committed
himself to him that judgeth righteously." The Lord Jesus, by example, says,
now, you follow my patience. You follow my humility. You follow
my way of life and faith before God as a man. Verse 24, "...who
his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that
we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness, by whose
stripes we are healed." so that our Lord's suffering and death
is our substitute. His obedience to God on our behalf
was not only the expiation of our sins, though certainly it
was that, it was also setting before us an example of how we're
to live in this world in patience before God. How did these folks
keep this word of his patience, the word of the gospel? They
believed it. That's how we keep it. God gives
us his word, and we believe it. We just believe it. Nothing honors
God like believing. Nothing. Nothing honors the Word
like believing it. Just bowing to it. Not only that,
but they loved it. This is the love of God that
we keep, His commandments. And His commandments are not
grievous. These folks believed it, they loved it, and they obeyed
it. It's called the obedience of faith. Faith submits to and
obeys the Word of God. Always does. I don't mean by
that it perfectly does. Not by any means. You know better
than that. But faith submits to the Word. Faith seeks to follow
the Word. Faith bows to the Word of God.
It doesn't fuss about it. It doesn't argue with it. It
doesn't buck against it. That's revealed in the book. We just
bow to it. Well, I don't understand it. There's a lot I don't understand.
There's a whole lot I don't understand. But we bow to the revelation
of God. This is our rule. This is our
order. This is our book of law. This is our rule of life. This
word of patience that they kept, they also defended. They were
set for the defense of the gospel. As Jude admonished us, they earnestly
contended for the faith once delivered to the saints. They
didn't ever compromise truth. These men and women were weak,
few in number, a people of worldly insignificance, that we grant,
but they were always ready, always ready, at all times, against
all odds, to hold to and defend the gospel of God's grace. What
an example. Most men, most religious people,
are like spiders. You know how a spider makes his
web? Ever watch one? from his own bowels, from his
own excrement, he spends his wealth. And that's the place
where he lives. That's his abode. That's his
sphere. That's his life. And most people
get their doctrine from their feelings, their emotions, their
sentiment, their own selves. They spin their theology out
of their own excrement, out of their own bowels, and their theology
has absolutely nothing to do with the revelation of God, with
regard to the truth of God. These men and women at Philadelphia
valiantly refused to budge a solitary itch, and they had no regard
for the thoughts and ideas of infidels. They had just paid
no attention, just paid no attention. And I would urge you to do the
same thing. I want us always to be ready
to give answer to every man who asks a reason for the hope that's
in us. Be ready to give an answer according
to the book with meekness and fear. But buddies, stand around
and argue with folks about things of God. It's unworthy of the book of
God. It's unworthy of our Lord. It's
unbecoming the character of our God. No point in, all right,
don't cast your pearls before swine. Don't do it. Don't stand
around and debate with folks about things. Just leave them
alone. Just leave them alone. And contend earnestly for the
faith. If you want to believe it, go ahead. Just go ahead. As a matter of fact, I told a
fellow a while back. He asked me some questions. I
was trying to bear witness to the truth. I told him the truth.
He started to argue. I said, well, if that gives you
what you need, you go ahead and hang on to it. Just hang on to
it, and we'll find out at judgment day who's right and who's wrong.
Now, that's not cocky. That's not arrogant. That's just
fact. I'm not going to stand around
and argue with infidels about God's truth. I don't care what
they think. I'm not going to stand around and argue with men
and women who blaspheme God about the things of God. I'm not interested
in their opinions. These men and women did not deny
the faith. They didn't budge an inch. Don't
you do—or you do likewise. And let me do the same as well.
God give us grace in these days of our many and free will works
religion. While almost the whole religious
world teaches and embraces that which the Apostle Paul calls
will worship. Give us grace to hold fast the
gospel of his free and sovereign grace in Christ. Turn to 2nd
Timothy for a moment. 2nd Timothy chapter 1. The Apostle Paul is writing his
last epistle. He's about to suffer death for
the cause of Christ. He says in verse 9, God hath
saved us and called us with an holy calling, not according to
our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which
was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is
now manifest by the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ,
who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality
to light through the gospel. Whereunto I am appointed a preacher,
and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles, for the which
cause, that is, for this cause of the gospel, I also suffer
these things. Nevertheless, I am not ashamed,
for I know whom I have believed. I am persuaded that he is able
to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. Now,
look at his admonition. Here's his dying word to Timothy,
his dying word to you and me. Here it is. Hold fast the form
of sound words which thou hast heard of me in faith and love
which is in Christ Jesus. Don't give any ground to any
form of religion, any religious teaching, practice, doctrine,
whatever you call it. Don't give any ground to anything
that puffs up man and exalts man. Don't even be kind in your
thoughts or comments concerning it. Don't encourage it in any
way whatsoever. You're not doing your family,
your friends, you're not doing them any favors by encouraging
them in false religion. Don't do it. But rather hold
fast that form of sound words which you have heard right here
in the book of God. This book plainly states some
things that we constantly repeat. And I don't find it grievous
or burdensome at all to repeat them to you. The Word of God
states plainly that our God is absolutely sovereign. Absolutely,
he has his way always Always now folks can argue debate and
fuss and say what about this what I? Don't know. I Don't know. I'm not even concerned about
all the all the ramifications, but I know God's either in total
control Larry Chris, or he's not God But no, there's no in-between
ground This book declares that man by nature is absolutely dead
spiritually, dead in trespasses and in sins, dead with regard
to all things spiritual, separated from God, incapable of doing
anything pleasing to God. That means if God, if that man's
ever saved, God's going to have to do something for him rather
than him do something for God. Salvation cannot It cannot in
any way depend upon a lost, doomed, damned, helpless, condemned sinner
doing something for God. He can't do anything. If salvation
depends on man, then no man has any hope. If salvation depends
on man to any degree, then no man has any hope. The Scriptures
tell us plainly that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came into this
world to save his people from their sins. Now, either he did
it, or he's not the Son of God, he's not our Savior, and we have
no business worshiping him. Now, there's just no in-between
ground. Somebody asked me just yesterday, I got a letter from
a fellow, said, Am I understanding you correctly? You believe that
people who don't believe in limited atonement, that's the word he
used, are lost? I said, Rebecca, of course, of
course. Folks who believe that Jesus
Christ died for somebody who actually goes to hell. that Jesus
Christ paid the sin debt for somebody who's lost. He paid
the sin debt for somebody who perishes under the wrath of God.
He satisfied the justice of God, but they must as well. Yes, they're
lost because they declare that Jesus Christ is a failure. And
this book doesn't teach any kind of Savior like that. Jesus Christ,
the Son of God, actually put away the sins of his people.
The Word of God tells us that we are saved like this. It is
not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God
that showeth mercy." In other words, salvation is the work
of God's irresistible grace. God the Holy Spirit comes to
chosen redeemed sinners at the appointed time of His love and
mercy, according to the arrangement of divine providence, at exactly
the time He has ordained from eternity, and He effectually
grants them life and faith in Christ. You were dead. You were
dead, but He's quickened you. by grace, you say. That's what
salvation by grace means. Now, any mixture of man's will
and man's work and man's worth and man's doings, any mixture
of man and God in this business of salvation is a total denial
of God's grace, a total denial. The Lord says to this Philadelphian
church, you've kept my word. You've not denied my faith. These
men and women at Philadelphia, understood that salvation is
God's work and God's work alone. There is more with regard to
these things in my heart than just doctrinal opinions, just
doctrinal orthodoxy. These are the things by which
I have lived for thirty years. And if need be, God helping me,
these are the truths by which I intend to die. I'm not going
to budge, not for anybody, not for any reason. This is the very
fabric of my salvation. To deny these things would be
to deny my only hope before God and blaspheme his name, whom
most I desire to honor. To deny the doctrines of the
gospel is to deny Christ, who taught me these things. And those
who embrace these gospel truths, I embrace as brethren. Those
who are the enemies to these truths are the enemies of our
God, and with regard to all things spiritual, I count them my enemies,
even my dearest relations. Even my dearest relations. Not
my enemies in a carnal sense, no. Not my enemies in the sense
I won't take up arms against them, no. My enemies in the sense
they oppose my God and his kingdom and his family. This is how David
spoke. He said, Surely thou wilt slay
the wicked, O God. Depart from me, therefore, you
bloody men, for they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies
take thy name in vain. Do not I hate them, O Lord, that
hate thee? And am not I grieved with those
that rise up against thee? I hate them with a perfect hatred.
I count them my enemies." So, Pastor, how important is it that
we hold the Word, hold fast to faith, keep it? It's this important. But if we
depart from it, we've never known God. Our Lord said He'll present
us faultless before the presence of His glory if we're moved not
away from the hope of the gospel. Believers persevere in faith. Believers continue in faith. They continue to hold fast to
the faithful word for the glory of God. Amen.