Rev. 3:7-13 Philadelphia – The Church of Opportunity & Strength

 

Intro: PHILADELPHIA – Great name for a Church =  Brotherly Love

A)   But when you hear the name Philadelphia – don’t think Philly steak Sandwiches – 76ER’s & Allen Iverson or ROCKY BALBOA

 

B)Like the other churches that Jesus wrote to they were located in a city in 

    Asia Minor – along a Postal route

 

C)The city was destroyed by an earthquake in 17 A. D., along with Sardis

     and other cities in that locality.

 

D)Most of the others recovered rather quickly from the disaster, but the

      after-shocks continued in Philadelphia for quite a number of years,

1)                 with the result that the people had to flee the city repeatedly.

 

E) But in this city was a Strong & vibrant Church – like Smyrna –

      Philadelphia didn’t receive a rebuke from Jesus

1)                           Jesus only had great things to say about this Church !

 

 

Now there is no such thing as a Perfect Church – there are good ones but no perfect ones – why? Look around – See imperfect People

A)   We all have our flaws, imperfections, we all make mistakes

 

B)   Speaking of Mistakes – came across – some BULLETIN BLOOPERS

1)                 These were some announcements in some real Church Bulletins – that had a word misspelled, comma left out –changed the message slightly

 

Don’t let worry kill you let the Church help

 

Thurs. Night – Prayer Potluck & Medication to follow (Instead of meditation

 

Remember the many who are sick of our Church & Community

 

For those who have Children & don’t know it – we have a nursery down stairs

 

The rosebud on the Pulpit this morning is to announce the Birth of David Allen Beltzer – the sin of Reverend & Mrs. Beltzer

 

Finally: At the evening service – the sermon topic will be What is Hell – Come early & listen to our  Choir Practice

 

Now those are innocent misprints – but they point out a fundamental truth – namely we all have Bloopers / We all have Faults & Problems

A)   So did the people in the Church in Philadelphia – but it was still a Solid Church –

 

B) Of the 7 Churches that Jesus wrote to I think that this is the one that we would Desire most to be like !!!

 

B)   lets look at why they were such a great Church

1) Note -  4 THINGS about this Church / give us insight into why Solid

 

1ST – THEY WERE A CHURCH UNDER AUTHORITY of GOD V.7

A)   Jesus reveals himself as the one who holds the Keys – this speaks of Authority

 

B)   Yrs ago when Bob Vernon was the deputy Chief of Police – in L.A. – used to go around speaking –

1)                 Tape of a message – talks about when they needed to get into someplace – at night – or in a RAID

 

A)   They would take what was called the KEY TO THE CITY -  which wasn’t actually a Key but a big mental Pipe – handles on the sides

1)                 So heavy that it took several men to carry it – the Reason it was called the key to the City – BUST DOWN ANY DOOR

 

A)   Being the Police they had the Power & Authority  to use this thing to get into a Home or Building that they needed to.

 

The ref. To the Key of David is from to Isa. 22:20-25 In that passage it is given to a man named Shebna – who is a Servant of King Hezekiah

A)   Kind of a Chief of Staff -  SHEBNA was able to open & shut doors that led into the Treasures of the King – ( a Power He abused)

 

B)   Ref. Here to Jesus is speaks of  His power to open & shut the door that leads into the Kingdom of God & the Blessings of God

 

Jesus also reveals HIMSELF as the one that is Holy & true

A)   Holy speaks of the name of God – God often referred to Himself as the HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL

 

B)   TRUE – speaks of that which is Authentic / Genuine

 

C)   So the first mark of a great Church is a Church that Lives under the Authority of the one who is Holy, Genuine , Authentic & true – who holds the Key to the Kingdom of God & the Blessings of God

 

 

2ndly – They were a Church w/ a Divine  Opportunity – v.8 See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it;

A)   What is an OPEN DOOR – refer to?

 

A)   In Col.4: 3 Apostle Paul asked that the People in Colossi would pray, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ,

 

B)   Pray that we’ll have an opportunity to talk about Jesus Christ.” 

 

 

 

2 Cor. 2: 12  Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord,

A) It was a door that Jesus had opened.  A great door was opened, to do what?   To preach the Gospel. 

 

B) This is the door that Jesus is speaking of here in Revelation 3:8 

     TRADE ROUTES /           The door is one that Jesus opens to us.

1) It is an opportunity to preach the Gospel. 

 

In 1Cor.16: 9  We read where Paul Said  For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.

A) A door of opportunity was opened to Paul. But there Were adversaries? 

      An open door but there was also opposition  

 

A)    Good thing to Note : Because Sometimes we think that an open door is something that we walk through and everything becomes a breeze;

1)                  the whole world falls down at our feet and says, “Wow, your here with the Gospel, thank you.”   How can I be Saved

 

A)    But an open door – even though it is an effective open door – will almost always have opposition .

1)                 Satan doesn’t want to see people come to Christ – so there will almost

     always be opposition

 

A)    So don’t get discouraged by the Opposition – but excited about the Open Door !!!

 

 

So the Lord opens doors - & He also shuts doors – Acts 16:7-9 the apostle Paul wanted to go into Asia.

A) But said that they were forbidden of the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. 

 

B)Need to watch that we are not trying to Knock open doors that God has

      shut ( Early in my Ministry – did this a lot !!!) – Key is No Striving - 

A)   That is always a good Indication to me that God is in Something is that there will be an Absence of Striving - & Strife

1)                 But that Doesn’t mean that there won’t be Hard work involved – In fact Paul spoke of laboring for to the Point of Exhaustion

 

A)   But there is a Difference between hard work & Striving to make something Happen .

 

 

The thing the Lord would have us note today is : There are a lot of open doors out there and we need to be looking for them. 

A) We need to be praying, “Jesus open to us these doors of opportunity.”

      Open our eyes to see the open doors you have put before us

 

B)Jesus said that His desire for us as a Church & as Individuals was that we  

     would Bear Fruit – By this the Father is Glorified – Bear Much Fruit

 

C)The way to do that is to boldly walk through the open doors that God places

     in our Path on a Daily Basis

1) What are some of those open doors?

 

D)Every friendship that you have is an open door for the Gospel. Or to

      Minister God’s Love

 

E) Every job you go to is an open door.  – Your Mission Field

1)                           In Fact Each of you are going to be in a lot of places tomorrow that I

      could never go to, never get to. 

 

F)  You’ll be talking to people that I might  never see, never be able to talk about Jesus to.  But you’ll be there. 

 

 

What is Sad is that  sometimes we never  see the doors that are opened to us  Or we  aren’t we looking for open doors to begin w/

A) Why is that ?  A couple of Reasons 

B) I would say that selfishness and self interest are probably the chief reasons why. 

1)                           Sometimes we are  just too preoccupied with ourselves   to be looking for  these opportunities. 

 

A)    Some people never see the needs in others because they are so focused on themselves – MIRROR – all they see are their problems / their Life

1)                 Americans used to say, "Give me liberty." Today they just say, "Give me."

 

A)   Joseph in Prison -  Difficult Place – unjustly accused – but made the most of it – Looking to the Lord

1)                 God was w/ Him – Joseph was made overseer of the Prison

 

A)   Butler & the Baker show up – Because Joseph wasn’t focused on Himself – He noticed that they were sad

1)                 And Because he wasn’t focused on himself – he inquired what was wrong

 

A)    I wonder what would happen if starting tomorrow we began to notice those Around us – just simply inquired – Are you Ok

1) How many opportunities would spring out of that !!!!

 

 

Now this is not the problem of everyone – others see the opportunity but it is Fear that Keeps them from – going through the Open door

A)   Afraid they won’t know what to say or how to respond – forgetting that God is so faithful to meet us in those situations

 

B)   Story of Danny – neat Christian boy in the 7th grade at a public middle school. Great kid – Bible to school- desk -

1)                 1st day Science teacher – who was an  ATHIEST –mocked Danny – made a statement – by the end of semester – Prove Evolution right

 

A)   All semester long – went for it – pressure – make these little stabs & Danny for being a Christian – carrying his bible

1)                 Danny hung in there didn’t budge or give into the pressure  - finally last day the semester -  ULTIMATE TEST – THE EGG

 

Class what is this  Egg / Danny EGG SIR / PRAY …… / PRAY OUT LOUD

Break into 1000 pieces & pray that my teacher drops dead!!!!!

 

 TEACHER – Looked at  Danny … EGG … AGAIN / Class dismissed

 

 

However Sometimes it is not the fear of rejection or failing that keeps us from going through that open door

A) it’s the fear of having our comfort zone invaded.  Make ourselves Vulnerable

 

B) Must Look at Jesus – Loved those who would reject Him

 

C) To the Christian God simply says, “No comfort zones allowed.” 

1)                           Church is not to be a parking Lot / but a launching Pad

 

 

 

3rd The REASONS For The Open Door- Note   3 things v.8 

(Rev 3:8 "I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.

 

A) 1ST  they had a Little strength

 

B)little is Greek word ‘micros’, from which we get our English word

     Microscope, or microbe.

1)                 It means: small in quantity, small in number, and small in dignity. 

          That’s small! 

C)INSIGHT: The reason that Jesus has opened this door of opportunity to

     them which no man could ever possibly shut

1)                 is because they were small in number, small in quantity, and small in dignity. 

 

A)   Seems like a Paradox – Our tendency is to think that Jesus is always looking for the Strongest & the most Gifted to use

1)                 But more often than not it’s just such weakness that Jesus wants to

     bless. 

 

The Lord’s people have never been in the numerical majority. But the have been more than conquerors.

A) Consider how  One man, Abraham, went out with his servants went and defeated the armies of four kings. 

 

B) Or Gideon’s army of 300 defeated an army that was so vast that they were like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude.

 

C) Elijah stood alone against 450 of the prophets of Baal. 

 

D) After 3 years of public ministry Jesus had maybe 120 faithful disciples. 

1)                           Yet those 120 turned the then known world upside down because they were a minority that had God on their side. 

 

A)   Such weakness is what made Philadelphia suitable to be instruments of

     His power.

 

 

Why does God work in this way ? Paul gives us insight in 2 Cor 4:7

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

 

A) You see, it’s in such that God alone gets glory. 

It’s in that micros, that smallness in man’s eye’s, that God gets all of the glory when He works. 

A)    So God works in spite  of all of our weaknesses & Frailty The Lord said to the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9

 

9  And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

10  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

 

B)    Listen We must remember that God uses weak things.  that God actually 

    chooses to use weak things. 

1) That means that God can use Me & you.

 

(2 Chr 16:9 NLT)  The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

 

Teresa De jesus w/ 3 Shilling wanted to build a Orphanage

A)   Mocked & Jeered what can you do w/ 3 shillings

 

Teresa w/ 3 shillings can do nothing but w/ 3 shillings & God to help her there is nothing that Teresa cannot do

 

 

V.8 also tells us 2 reasons why they had a little Strength & Were used

BECAUSE THEY HAD KEPT HIS WORD

Amplified v. 8

 

 

And they had Not denied His Name -  not ashamed – Loyal Church

A)   French Solider – Lost your arm & Leg – Not lost -  I gave them for France

1) Not Ashamed of Jesus – he not of us

Pause & Note- Period of Church History represented by  this Church A Period Known as the GREAT AWAKENING

A) – Illustration of how God Can really use this type of Church

 

B)   During this period from 1750 – 1925 it was a time of great Missionary

     outreach that has continued to this very day!!!!

          1) During this time :

 

C)   William Carey in England got a vision of the need of India and eventually

     went out there and planted the gospel in a great work in that country.

1)               Robert Moffet and his famous son-in-law, David Livingstone, went to Africa and did marvelous work there.

 

A)   The American missionary, Adon/ iram Judson, went out to Burma and pioneered a work in that country.

1)                 Hudson Taylor went to minister in inland China.

 

It is also the time of the emergence of great evangelists whose names we all remember -- George Whitefield, John Wesley, Charles Spurgeon

A)   Charles Finney here in this country, and D. L. Moody, who left a great work behind him.

 

B) Did you know that during the time of the revival taking place in the United States of America during Finney’s ministry,

1)                           that there were actually places where entire police departments and precincts, had nothing to do but form singing quartets because there were NO CRIMES being committed. 

 

C)There were actually judges who were considering resigning their judicial

    seats because they had no cases to try.  

1)                           Was that because somebody passed legislation forbidding 

     immorality? 

 

D) No!  It was because criminal’s lives were being touched.

Lives were being renewed so radically by the power of God and saved from the hold of sin, and the lust of the flesh that there was no crime being committed. 

 

A) In Wales there are documented newspaper accounts of how tavern after tavern after tavern went out of business. 

 

A)   If you’ve ever been to Great Britain you know this; the local public tavern is life to those people. / Day or night / same place & time

1)                 Yet when those revivals hit, pubs in Wales closed. 

 

A)   Breweries went out of business, because people didn’t want to drink anymore because they were drinking of living water. 

 

In fact, Dr. J. Edwin Orr, a precious saint and a great Church historian,  whose favorite area of church history was revival,

A) He discovered an old news paper article from Wales which said that work in the coal mines of Wales had come to a grinding halt during the Welch revival. 

 

A)    He said that the headline had really struck him as odd, for one would think that productivity would increase if the miners got saved. 

 

As he read the article further Dr. Orr discovered that work in the mines came to a grinding halt because the mules that were used to pull the carts of coal and mining supplies didn’t understand what the miners were saying because the miners were no longer speaking with profane language.

 

B)    APPLICATION: You see, when God, the Holy Spirit works in a people and in an area, change happens.

1)                 It is the resulting godliness that influences a country. 

 

A)    Evangelist Gypsy Smith – Want Revival – Draw a circle in a room go kneel inside of it & Pray God Revive everything inside the Circle

1) Begins w/ us – Individuals / Our Church

All of the great people, events & movements of the Great Awakening were Foreshadowed by the Church in Philadelphia in Asia Minor

A)  While so many of the other surrounding Churches were sinking into death & decay the Phila. Church was becoming marvelously alive

 

 

4th – They were a Church w/ a Future :  Notes 3 Promises to this Church

#1 – Enemies would be Humbled V. 9

 

#2 – Kept from Tribulation

 

#3 Pillars – Not be Shaken