Let's turn back to Revelation
chapter 3. Revelation chapter 3. The title
of the message is from what is said in verse 7. Christ's letter to the church
in Philadelphia. This was a local congregation
in this city who was blessed to hear the gospel of the Lord
Jesus Christ. These people here in Philadelphia,
it said that they remained faithful to the gospel for many, many
hundreds of years. I read somewhere that 800 years
there was a gospel church established there in this city of Philadelphia. I doubt that there's anyone there
today that's preaching the gospel. I hope that there would be, but
we know that God established this local congregation he called
sinners out of darkness into God's marvelous light and he
sent them a gospel faithful gospel preacher not one but many down
through those years and the Lord writes to the angel or the pastor
or minister of that church They're located in this city. And he
says, these things saith he that is holy, the Lord in each of
these epistles, each of these seven epistles, when he begins
the epistle, he describes himself. And I love this description.
I love this description. He that is holy. The Lord our
God is holy. The Lord our God is true. He
has the throne of David. He has the key of David. He is
the one who sits upon the throne, who opens, and no man can shut
it. Opens the door of mercy, and
no one can shut it. And he shuts the door of mercy.
and no one can open that door. The all-knowing Lord, this church
in Philadelphia, when he writes to them, he found nothing in
them to reprove, rebuke, or anything that needed correction as he
did to five of those other churches as we have seen. He gave only
words of encouragement, words of comfort, and words of adoration. Our Lord holds forth this church
here in Philadelphia, like the church there in Smyrna, in verse
8 of chapter 2, this local assembly as an example of what every local
church should be. There is that local congregation
made up of believers called out of darkness in His marvelous
light, and there is that universal church of all believers of all
ages called to Christ in saving faith. Abraham, Moses, Noah,
all of them belong to this universal church, but there is that local
assembly that God calls out a preacher, calls out a man, and sets him
forth to pastor the church, to declare the gospel. These people
were faithful to the word of God, They were defenders of the
gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. They earnestly contended for
the faith that once was delivered unto the saints. They said, as
the Apostle Paul said, I'm set for the defense of the gospel.
Not that the gospel needs defending, but we are set for the defense
of preaching the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. As I said
earlier, this church remained faithful for many hundreds of
years. What a blessing it must have
been to live in that city, that city of Philadelphia. We have
a Philadelphia in this country. They call that the city of brotherly
love. But that's sad to see what's
going on in our Philadelphia today. Nothing but crime and
murder and everything else. But this church here, located
in Philadelphia, they were blessed of God. God had much people there
and established this gospel ministry for many, many years. Now notice
how the Lord introduces Himself to us. Have you ever introduced
yourself to someone? I don't normally do this. When
I introduce myself, I usually put out my hand and say, hello,
I'm Tom Harding, if I meet a stranger. And I don't usually say, well,
I'm this, my name is Tom Harding, and I know this, and I know that,
and I've been here. I don't list my credentials.
I just say, hello, my name's Tom. But the Lord Jesus Christ
describes Himself as He introduces Himself to this church. Notice
what He says. There are three things. He said,
I'm holy. Now, I wouldn't ever stick out
my hand and say, hello, I'm Tom, I'm holy. You wouldn't do that
either, would you? I would say, hello, I'm Tom,
I'm a sinner, saved by the grace of God. But our Lord can rightly
and truly say that. He can say that He is holy. You know why He can say that?
Because He is holy. Because He is God. That's why He can say
that. He is God Almighty. He is the
Holy One. Turn to Revelation chapter 4,
one page over. And look at verse 8. The four
beasts had each of them six wings about him. They were full of
eyes within, and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy,
Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty, which was and is and is to come. He's the Almighty Holy God. One other reference. Turn over
to Revelation 15. Revelation 15. You may be thinking,
or someone might think, well, that's just referring to the
Fathers being holy. Okay. Let's find Revelation 15,
verse 3. And they sang the song of Moses.
This is from Exodus 15. We looked at that Wednesday night.
They sang the song of Moses, servant of God. and the song
of the lamb saying great and marvelous are thy works lord
god almighty just and true are thy ways thou king of the saints
who shall not fear thy fear thee oh lord and glorify thy name
for thou only art holy For all nations shall come and worship
before Thee, for Thy judgments are made manifest." The Lord
Jesus Christ, because He is God, God over all, blessed forever,
absolutely, totally God, we preach the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ,
that He is God, manifest in the flesh, and because of that, He
rightly declares, I'm holy. I'm holy. And you know the believer
in the Lord Jesus Christ, what's true of the head is true of the
body. The believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, as God views us
in Christ, what's true of Him is true of us. He is made unto
us holiness and sanctification and redemption. So He is the
Holy Lord God Almighty. Psalm 111 declares, holy and
reverent is His name. I don't ever introduce myself
as Reverend Tom. That's his name. Holding reverend
is his name. As the son of God, he is holy
in all of his ways, all of his works. The God of all the earth
will do right. He worketh all things after the
counsel of his own will to the praise of his glory. As the son
of God, he is holy, but as the son of man, the God-man mediator,
when he was manifest in the flesh, Ill holy. He's the holy man,
son of God. Holy man tempted and tested in
all point like as we are yet without sin. In his person, in
the Lord Jesus Christ, he had no sin, the scripture says. He
did no sin and he knew no sin. Such a high priest became us
who was holy, harmless, undefiled, and totally separated from sin. As a son of God, yes, he's holy.
As a son of man, still holy. He's still holy in his person.
In his office, he perfectly, faithfully executed all of his
meditatorial office as prophet, priest, and king. Faithful, faithful,
knowing that man is not justified by the deeds of the law, but
by the faith of Jesus Christ. We're justified by the faithfulness
of Jesus Christ. So He is the Holy One, He's God
our Savior, He's the only just God and Savior, and He's perfect
in all of His redeeming work. He finished the work of salvation
for us in a just and holy way. This is eternal life, that they
might know Thee, the only true God, Jesus Christ. That's what
eternal life is. And then He says, secondly, He
says, hello, my name is Jesus Christ. I am holy. And then he
says, I'm true. I'm true. He is truth. He is
truth. He is the true living God. In John 15, he's called the true
vine. He said, I am the true vine.
In John 14 verse 6, you know this verse well. He said, I'm
the way, the truth, the life, No man come to the Father but
by and through me. He is the only true way of salvation
because He is the true and living God. Now, let me show you something
interesting. Turn back just a few pages. You
have it right here close. 1 John chapter 5. Turn back three
or four pages. 1 John chapter 5. You see, He
is the holy and He is the true God. 1 John chapter 5, look at
verse 20. We know the Son of God has come
and has given us an understanding, 1 John 5, 20, that we may know
Him that is true, that we're in Him that is true, even in
His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and this
is eternal life. Eternal life is to know Jesus
Christ as the true God. It's to receive Him as Lord,
as the living Lord, and as the true God. Our Lord said, you
shall know the truth, and it's the truth that will set you free.
God doesn't use the lies of men to teach the truth, does He?
It's the truth that sets us free. So, back to verse 7 in our text. The Lord says of Himself, I am
holy. The Lord says of Himself, He's
a true and living God. The Lord says of Himself that
He has the key. He is the owner. You remember
chapter 1, turn back one page. Chapter 1, verse 18. I am He
that liveth and was dead. Behold, I am alive forevermore.
Amen. So be it. I have the keys of
hell and death. He's the owner. of all things,
sovereign, right, and owner of all things. He says here, he
that hath the key of David, he that openeth and no man shutteth,
he that shutteth and no man can open. The Lord Jesus Christ is
the absolute sovereign Lord and ruler of all things. He sits
on the throne of all dominion and power, Pictured in the reign
of David, the king of Israel. We're going to see that in chapter
5. Turn over to Revelation chapter 5, verse 5. Revelation 5, 5. One of the elders said unto me,
Weep not. Behold, the lion of the tribe
of Judah The root of David hath prevailed
to open the book and loose the seven seals thereof. Just as
David sat on the throne of Israel, sovereignly ruling and reigning
by the will and determinate purpose of God, even so the Lord Jesus
Christ reigns in creation. created all things by the word
of His power. He reigns in providence. All things are of Him, and through
Him, and to Him, and all things in salvation. He says, I'm the
sovereign king. That is, the Lord our God, the
Lord Jesus Christ, He determines where mercy is given. He determines
who is saved. He's not in your hand. You're
in His hand. And he can do with you what he
will. He has vessels of mercy, for appeared prepared unto glory,
and he has vessels of wrath appointed to eternal condemnation. He is the Lord. He sits on the
throne of mercy, and he sovereignly dispenses salvation to whom he
will. And believers bow to his sovereign
rule and reign. over all things. He is a sovereign Lord. The Lord Jesus Christ determines
who is saved forever and who remains lost forever. He reveals
Himself to some and shuts the door to others. Can we see that? Can we find that in another scripture?
I think I can. Let's turn to Matthew chapter
11. Matthew chapter 11, He opened the door of revelation to his
people. He's hid these things from the
wise and prudent, Matthew 11, 25. The Lord said, I thank thee,
O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid
these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them
unto babes, even so, Father, for so it seems good in your
sight. Now read on. All things are delivered
unto me and my Father, and no man knoweth the Son but the Father,
neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son, and he to whomsoever
the Son will reveal him. Can we look at one more Scripture?
Let's find, I think it's, is it Matthew 16? Where he says
to Peter, yeah, turn over there to Matthew 16. When he said to
Peter, whom do you say that I am? Matthew 16, verse 16, Peter answered
and said, Thou art the Christ, The Son of the Living God. And
the Lord answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon
Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee,
but my Father. Salvation comes by the sovereign
revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ, who sits on the throne
of absolute sovereign dominion, authority, and all power. Didn't
he pray that way in John 17? Father, You've given me power
over all flesh, that I should give eternal life to as many
as the Father has given to me. All power is His in heaven and
in earth. We say, as we often say, we often
say, we often say, salvation is of the Lord, don't we? And
it is. It is, all of it. All of it. From election, From eternity
in election to eternity in eternal glory, salvation is all of God's
grace. Now, in verses 8 and following,
he says, I know. I know your works. He says that
on every one of these seven churches. He says, I know. The Lord knows
everything. He knows through and through.
Behold, he said, I've set before thee an open door. No man can
shut it. Thou hath little strength, but
you've kept my word, and you haven't denied my name." And
I like those descriptions of the Lord's church. And here he's
describing all believers resting in the Lord Jesus Christ. He
says, I know your labors of love, your works of faith. God's people
are zealous of good works, not for salvation, but rather because
They are saved by the grace of God. Good works are never the
cause of salvation, but rather the fruit of true faith in Christ. Those who love Him enjoy laboring
for Him, motivated by what? What motivates a believer? Love,
gratitude, thanksgiving. Faith, you remember we studied
in Galatians chapter 5, faith worketh by what? Love. Love is a motivator. Man, love
is a great motivator. Here in His love, not that we
love God, He loved us and laid down His life for us. Why did
He lay down His life for us? Why did He take all the sin of
God's people onto Himself? Out of love. He did that because
He loved His own. Having loved His own, He loved
them to the end. And then He says, secondly, I've
given this church, the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, an
open door. There are several ministries
that I've heard of. They call themselves the Church
of the Open Door. And that's a pretty good title.
It comes from the Word of God. The Church of the Open Door.
The open door that no man could shut. You see, God has opened
this door. He said, I am the door by me. If any man enter
in, boy, he's saved. How do you enter in? I am the
door, by me if any man enter in." It wasn't your free will. It was his sovereign grace. Thy
people shall be willing in the day of his power. The door here
is a door of utterance. not only a door of faith, but
a door of utterance to preach the gospel, to speak the mysteries
of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's a door of opportunity
to preach the gospel, and it's through the preaching of the
word that the Lord opens the door of faith. When Paul came
back from his first missionary journey, we studied it in Acts
14, how they went around declaring the Word of God, or declaring
all that God had done for us, and how God opened the door of
faith. And He does that through the
preaching of the Gospel. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing
by the Word of the Lord. And then He says, next He says,
you have little strength, little strength. This could be applied
to their lack of ability or gifts, what they lacked in ability,
they made up for zeal. You see, our strength is not
in ourselves. We have, Paul said, when he says,
we preach not ourselves, but we preach the Lord Jesus Christ.
We have this treasure in the earth and vessel that the excellency
of God, the excellency may be of God, not of us. We have little
strength. I'm a weak person. I'm a weak
person, but I'm strong in the Lord. because He's made me to
rest in Him. You see, He's our strength. You
remember we studied from Psalm 46, the Lord is my refuge and
strength in whom I trust. The Lord is our strength. Paul
said, I can do all things, all things through Christ who strengthens
me. Things which are impossible.
We're not sufficient of ourselves to think anything of ourselves,
but as ministers of God, we are sufficient through the Lord Jesus
Christ. He's made us able ministers,
not of the law, but of grace, but of grace. We're constantly
aware of our inability and weakness, and it makes us more earnest
in our pleading unto the Lord to enable us to worship him,
to enable us to preach the gospel, to enable us to believe him. And then Paul said, when I'm
weak, that's when I'm strong. When I'm just whittled down to
nothing, that's when I'm strong. That's when I'm really calling
upon the name of the Lord. And then he says, fourthly, you've
kept my word. You've kept my word. You haven't
denied my name. You've kept my word, the word
of God, the word of truth. In the beginning was the word,
and the word was with God, and the word was God. This word,
which is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword,
you've kept my word. You've heard the word of truth.
As it is in truth, the Word of God, and you received it as such,
you've heard it and you've kept it. And you have not denied My
Name." You see, the Word of God declares His Name, who He is. We have not denied His Name because
we kept His Word, we believed His Word. It says down here in
verse 10, "...because thou hast kept the Word of My patience."
You see that? What is that? That's the good
news of the gospel. God's mercy to sinners. You've
kept my word. You've kept my gospel. We're
to preach the word of God. Publicly proclaiming it, our
Lord said, go into all the world and preach the gospel to every
creature. Boldly defending it, if need be. Contending for the
faith once delivered unto the saints. Determined to preach
the word of the Lord Jesus Christ. Determined to preach nothing
but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And he says there, you have not
denied my name. What is the name of the Lord
Jesus Christ? You know, there's a lot in his,
the word of God has a lot to say about his name. A child is
born, a son is given. The government shall be upon
His shoulders. His name shall be called Wonderful,
Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince
of Peace. And His government shall be forever
and ever and ever. There's a whole lot in His name.
The Lord Jesus Christ. That's who He is, the Lord. He's
Lord of all. He's Lord not by something we
do. He's Lord by God's determinate decree. You remember what Peter
said on Pentecost. God hath made that same Jesus
whom you crucified. God hath made Him both Lord and
Christ. He's the Lord. I like what the
Lord says to His disciples in John 13, 13. I can remember that
verse. John 13, 13. You call me Lord
and Master. For so I am. Thomas bowed at
His feet and said, My Lord and my God. He is the Lord and He
is the Savior. Jesus, call His name Jesus while
He shall save His people from their sin. Call His name Emmanuel,
God with us. The Lord Jesus Christ, He is
the Savior who really saves. He is a just God and Savior.
He's the Lord. He's our Savior. He's the just
God and Savior. He is God our Savior. And then
He's the Christ. What does that mean? What does
that mean? That means He's the anointing
of God. We studied it in the book of Isaiah. And He repeats
it in Luke chapter 4. The Spirit of the Lord is upon
me because He has anointed me to preach the gospel. He's anointed
in all of His threefold office. Prophet, priest, and king. He's
the perfect one who executed his office so, so faithfully. We have not as believers, this
church, the Lord recommends them and commends them. They have
not denied his name, his gospel, his truth, his word. God's people
will not. Why do you think so many of them
old timers were burned to the stake? I mean thousands of them. You
know all they had to do to get out of that? Deny his name. They'd rather burn than deny
his name. Boy, I want that kind of faith,
don't you? I want that kind of commitment. I want that kind
of commitment. They have not denied my name. So sad in our day, and it started
way back in the 1800s, What Charles Spurgeon said was
going to happen, watered down doctrine, the downgrade, watered
down doctrine, watered down gospel to make it fit. what men think
rather than what God says. You have not denied my name.
Now, this is interesting. And what he's saying there, they
would not compromise. They would not compromise his
name, would not compromise the gospel of God's sovereign saving
grace in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, verse 9 down through verse
11, the Lord is faithful to his church. God will honor those
who honor Him. He said, Behold, I will make them of the synagogue
of Satan, which say they are Jews. In other words, they say
we're the Lord's people. And He said, The Lord says, they're
not. They're not my people. You remember,
many will say in that day, Lord, we preached in your name. Lord,
we've done many wonderful works in your name. You remember what
he said to them? Depart from me, I never knew
you, you workers of iniquity. And then our Lord says this,
turn to John chapter 8. I mean, you have to see this
with your own eyes. I mean, I could quote it to you and read it to
you, but I want you to turn and see it. John chapter 8. Being religious, even being a
religious Jew, Osal of Tarsus was a very religious Pharisee
Jew, but he didn't know God. He didn't know the Gospel of
God. In John chapter 8, They said, verse 41, they said
to Him, we be not born of fornication, we have one Father, God is our
Father. How many people say that? And
the Lord said to them, these are the Jews which said they
are the Lord's people. And this is who He's referring
to, religious lost people. If God were your Father, you
would love Me, For I proceeded forth and came from God, neither
came I myself, but he sent me, him be delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God. Why do you not understand
my speech, even because you cannot hear my word? You have your father
the devil, and the lust of your father will you do. He was a
murderer from the beginning, and a bold not in the truth,
because there's no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh
of his own, for he is a liar. And he's a father of it. Because
I tell you the truth, you believe me not. Now, turn to John chapter
10. These same Jews, our Lord said,
they say they're the people of God. Look at John chapter 10,
just down from what we were reading earlier. Verse 23, The Lord walked
in the temple on Solomon's porch. Then came the Jews round about
him and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? The
Jews came round about him and said, How long do you make us
to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. And he said,
I told you, I told you. Now watch it. I told you. And you believe not. The works
I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me." Now watch
it carefully, verse 26, John 10. Oh, here's why. Because you're
not of my sheep. As I said unto you, my sheep
hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me. I give unto them
eternal life, and they shall never perish. Neither shall any
man pluck them out of my Father's hand. My Father which gave to
me is greater than all, and no man can pluck them out of my
Father's hand. I and my Father are one. Then the Jews took up
stones, They'll kill him. I mean, that's why the Lord said
over here, Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan,
which say they are Jews. They say they're Abraham's children,
and they're not. They're liars, because they're
following their father, Satan, who was a liar. He said, I'll
make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know
that I have loved thee. Now, what's he talking about
here? He's talking about in the end time when every knee will
bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Everyone will bow to His Lordship
in that day of judgment. They will confess that He is
the Lord, Jesus Christ. And they'll be brought to know
that I have loved His people, the Lord has loved His people
with an everlasting love, therefore with lovingkindness as He draw
us unto himself. Read on. Because thou hast kept
the word of my patience, you have not denied my name, I'll
also keep thee from the hour of temptation. He said, I'll
never leave you, I'll never forsake you, which shall come upon all
the world, to try them which dwell upon the earth. Verse 11. Behold, I come quickly, holds
fast, that which you have, and let no man take what you have."
We have the crown of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. We've
been crowned with the gospel, the crown of life. Him that overcometh,
verse 12, will I make a pillar in the temple of my God. He's
going to make us a permanent fixture He said, I'll build my
church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
I'll make him a permanent fixture in the temple of my God. And
he shall go out no more, and I'll write upon him the name
of my God, the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem,
which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and I'll write upon
him My new name, he that hath an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit saith unto the churches. I'm going to quit by having you
turn to Revelation 21. Revelation 21. I'll write upon
them a new name, a new Jerusalem. And here's what he's saying.
Revelation 21 verse 1. I saw a new heaven and a new
earth, for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away,
and there was no more sea. And I, John, saw the holy city,
New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven as a bride,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. I heard a great
voice out of heaven saying, behold, the tabernacle of God is with
men. He will dwell with them, and
they shall be his people. God himself shall be with them.
God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall
be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying. Neither shall there
be any more pain, for the former things are passed away. He that
sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. New name, new Jerusalem. If any man be in Christ, he's
a new creature in him. I make all things new, he saith
unto me. Write, for these words are true
and faithful. And he said unto me, It's done.
He's done. I'm Alpha. I'm Omega. I'm the
beginning. I'm the end. I'll give unto him
that is a thirst, a fountain, the water of life freely. He
that overcometh shall inherit all things. I will be his God,
and he shall be my people. He that overcometh will I make
a pillar in the temple of my God. Those who overcome by the
blood of the Lord Jesus Christ shall inherit all things. And
inheritance is a gift. We've been made heirs of God
and joint heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ. He that hath an
ear, you have... I've got two. He that hath an
ear, you have ears to hear. Would you hear what God says?
He that hath an ear, Let him hear what the Spirit saith unto
God's people. Let us be swift to hear Him. Our Lord speaks from heaven and
He says this. You remember on the Mount of
Transfiguration, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Remember what He says? Hear Him. Same message here, isn't it?
Hear Him. He that hath an ear, let him hear. Let him hear what
the Spirit saith to those churches established by His purpose and
grace.