151108 Brotherly Love

Revelation 3:7-13 “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. 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. 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. 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. ¹³ He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

Jesus’ message to the church in Philadelphia identifies the author very clearly as being the Risen Lord Jesus Christ. Five of the churches are told that Jesus knows their works. Philadelphia is the fourth church so identified. Laodicea is the fifth and we’ll talk about that next week. The Lord Jesus is very clear in presenting how the churches operate and how he will help them. The Philadelphian church is assured that Jesus is on their side. Or, as we might say today, “God’s got it!” They are encouraged by Jesus’ promises, as we should be as well.

“Philadelphia” can be translated as “brotherly love”. Obviously, the church is named after the city in which it exists. I do not know why the ancients so designated their city. I assume that the city was founded by a group of people who practiced love for one another. One of the stories tell us that the city was founded by man who “loved his brother” who was the king of the region at the time.

Jesus chose to include Philadelphia in the list of churches that the book of Revelation was specifically addressed to. I believe these churches combine to show the strengths and weaknesses of the church universal. By including these churches Jesus sends the Revelation out to all the churches of all ages. The church at Philadelphia was not particularly strong but was assisted by the Lord Jesus in that he set before them an open door. A door that no one could close. Jesus recognized that they had but little power. However…

Little power is better than none at all. Jesus often referred to his disciples as people with “little faith”! He did not reject them because of that. He told a parable that speaks of the strength of a little faith. Listen while I read Mark 4:30-32. And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? ³¹ It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, ³² yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

Dr. Paul Younggi Cho, the founding pastor of the largest church in the world, gave an example of how little faith will work. He said that after a trip to the Holy Land he brought back some mustard seed to show what Jesus was talking about. During one of the several services held at his church one Sunday morning he asked the crowd to come around one at a time to look at some mustard seed in order to see how small something can be that will grow up to be large. As the thousands of people moved past the seed one of the ladies sneezed! When she did the mustard seed was gone. Rather than thinking that was a bad thing the pastor immediately said that a faith that is small enough to be blown away by a sneeze can still work miracles.

The church of Philadelphia had but little power. We should rejoice in that because it teaches us that we do not have to build a strong faith before God will work. If we had to operate on our faith being strong — and we actually could work up a strong faith — the work would not be God’s, it would be ours. Remember, it is not by works of righteousness we have done but by God’s mercy that we are saved and we serve. (Titus 3:5) It was God who opened the door for them to minister. That door was one that could not be shut by anyone. The little power they had was reflected in the fact that…

They kept his word and did not deny his name. Listen while I read from 1 Peter 1:3-9.  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, ⁵ who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶ In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, ⁷ so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ⁸ Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, ⁹ obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

The churches that Peter wrote to also had a little strength. That strength is reflected in the fact that they had been born again in the strength of Jesus’ resurrection to a living hope. That hope, which we all share in, gives believers in the Lord Jesus Christ an inheritance. That inheritance is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. It cannot be taken away from us because it is kept in heaven not here on earth.

I am so grateful that our salvation does not depend on the strength of the church — any church — but instead it depends on God’s power! God who is capable of guarding us along the way, not waiting to see what we would do. Here Peter confirms the words of the apostle Paul who said, “I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me. (2 Timothy 1:12)

The church at Philadelphia had but little power, yet they had kept Jesus’ word and had not denied his name. Remember, if we will confess his name before men he will also confess our name in heaven. (Luke 12:6) It is essential that we keep his word and refuse to deny his name. Across the world today we see Christians confronted by radical Islam who give their lives rather than deny Jesus’ name.

There’s a chorus that goes something like this: In the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, we have the victory. In the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, Satan will have to flee. When we stand in the name of Jesus, tell me who can stand before us? In the mighty name of Jesus we have the victory!

The consequence of their faithful stand for the Lord Jesus Christ was that…

Their enemies will bow down to them. There is a promise I’d like to read for you found in Isaiah 60:14. The sons of those who afflicted you shall come bending low to you, and all who despised you shall bow down at your feet; they shall call you the City of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

This promise is that all those who oppose true believers will ultimately have to bow before them. The church in Philadelphia shared space with the synagogue of Satan. God’s promise is that he will make them come and bow down before the true Christians. Those who follow our enemy will ultimately understand that Jesus loves his church. For those out there in the world who claim to love Jesus but who dislike the church are in a very dangerous position. The Bible says that Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. Just as a good husband loves his wife the Risen Lord Jesus loves his church which is characterized as his bride! (Ephesians 5:25-32)

It is not a good idea to tell someone that you like them but dislike his wife. Jesus gave his life for the universal church not just for each individual believer. Because the Philadelphians kept his word he promises to keep them from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world. Jesus commended them because they had learned that…

Patience grows with endurance. Throughout the Bible this same truth is taught. Listen while I read Colossians 1:11-14. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, ¹² giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. ¹³ He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Paul writes to the believers in the church at Colossae and expresses his prayer for them. By the way, pretty much every Christian needs to have this prayer prayed for them. If you don’t know what to pray for someone who knows the Lord Jesus Christ you can always use these few verses.

Paul asks the father to strengthen the believers by his own strength so that they will be able to endure and be patient with joy. Now that’s kind of a hard thing to consider! I would say usually Christians refer to patience as something that is hard earned but here we are told that patience gives joy! Why should we consider it that way? Because such endurance is recognized by God who then qualifies us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. We can be patient with joy because he has transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son and has delivered us from the domain of darkness. We have redemption in Jesus Christ, the forgiveness of sins. Because of patient endurance…

The church does not collapse in the face of trouble. One of the earlier examples is found in Acts 8:1b-4. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. ² Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. ³ But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. ⁴ Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.

God turns every hour of trial that we endure into an opportunity for witness. In Acts chapter eight we find the church being persecuted. Stephen had become the first martyr and now Saul of Tarsus was rounding up the Christians who had stayed in Jerusalem in spite of the instruction of the Lord Jesus to go into all the world. The apostles chose to continue to stay in Jerusalem but the people were scattered out across Judea and Samaria. It was no longer just the apostles who were preaching the gospel it was now everyone! What a blessing!

The church in Philadelphia was facing persecution and Christ had already chosen to protect them from the hour of trial that was beginning. He simply asked them to hold fast what they had so that no one could seize their crown. We know from history that persecuting the church does not make it smaller or weaker. The first immediate result of persecution is that those whose faith is shallow step aside and deny their faith. Those who remain are steadfast and therefore the church is stronger than it was before the persecution occurred. Then onlookers join the faith.

Surveys, being taken across America today, show that the church is getting smaller while at the same time those who attend have a stronger faith. Of course that would be the case! Those who don’t have the heart of faith will turn aside under any kind of opposition. And there is a growing opposition to Christianity in America. The opposition does not mean the church is weaker it simply means that the enemy is stronger. The church of the Lord Jesus Christ in America today will not only survive but will thrive in the years ahead.

One large part of the decline in the church is the cultural shifts in the South and West. It is no longer “popular” to be a Christian. Those who oppose Christianity are no longer afraid to speak out. That is a positive thing! Between 8000 and 10,000 “churches” are closing each year. Before, when everyone was in church, it was hard to tell who the players were. Churches were, and in some cases still are, religious social clubs. As the popularity of churches decline the sincerity of attenders will grow because they will be those who are willing to lay down their life, if necessary, in defense of their faith.

The church does not collapse in the face of opposition. The church “stiffens” and carries on with the gospel no matter what the enemy throws at it. You see the church is not a building made of stone or wood. The church is the people who have given their hearts and lives to Jesus. The church indeed is a building but…

The church is a living building — and will forever be! Listen while I read 1 Peter 2:4-5. As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, ⁵ you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is indeed the living cornerstone and we who have put our faith in him are living stones. The apostles and prophets are the foundation and Jesus holds it all together. (Ephesians 2:20) We are all part of the structure that is growing into a holy temple in the Lord. This building built out of lively stones is joined together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

The true church is scattered over the entire world and ultimately will speak all the languages of earth because it will comprise people from every nation, every tribe, every language and every people group (Revelation 14:6).

The God we serve will identify us as his people. We will be identified by his name and the name of his city written on us. The New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven will be our residence forever and ever. When we’ve been there 10,000 years bright shining as the sun we’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when we first begun! Have you put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? We have all sinned and come short of God’s glory. (Romans 3:23) The bad news is that the wages of sin is death! (Romans 6:23) But the good news is God has demonstrated his love for us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) So that if we will confess Jesus as Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead we will be saved. (Romans 10:9-10)

All scriptures quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.