Seven Churches of Asia – Philadelphia

1. Read: Revelation 3:7-13

2. About the Text:

1) The word “Philadelphia” means the city of brotherly love.

2) Of all the seven churches of Asia, Jesus offered no criticisms of Philadelphia.

3) Nevertheless, Jesus wrote to them anyway to instruct, encourage, and warn.

4) Why? Because they were still susceptible to the frailties of life.

5) We need constant instruction to remain faithful to the Lord.

6) Jesus saw fit to give this to the church at Philadelphia.

7) If Jesus thought it was necessary, who are we to disagree?

3. The city of Philadelphia historically.

1) It was founded in 189 B.C.

2) It’s origins were to spread the Greek culture into the ancient world of that area.

3) It was sometimes called “Little Athens” because of the number of temples and public buildings present.

4) Rome took the city in 133 B.C.

4. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. The description of Jesus in this passage is a reference to Isaiah 22:21-23 “And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father’s house.”

2. Jesus had set before this congregation an open door – they had opportunity.

1) One of the attributes of Jesus in this letter was that Jesus was the one who opened and no man shut and shut and no man could open.

2) When Jesus provides opportunity, no one can take that away.

3) What kind of opportunities does Jesus provide?

4) Consider Paul’s work at Ephesus. He said, “For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.” (1 Corinthians 16:9).

5) Consider Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 2:12-13 “Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord, I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother: but taking my leave of them, I went from thence into Macedonia.”

6) These were opportunities to preach and teach the gospel to others.

3. The opportunity they had was based on their faithfulness.

1) When we are faithful, we will have opportunities as well.

2) Nevertheless, opportunities are only what we make of them.

3) Simply because Jesus provides the opportunity doesn’t mean that we don’t have any work to do.

4) Paul had to work in both Ephesus and Troas for his opportunities to bear fruit.

5) So, we must also work.

6) It is not enough to rejoice in opportunities; we need to follow up on those opportunities or be lost.

4. Opportunity can give us direction when we are already working.

1) In Acts 16, Paul and others were working to take the gospel to the lost.

2) He received a vision of a man in Macedonia asking him to come over and preach.

3) So they went there and continued the Lord’s work.

4) Do we hear the Macedonian call?

5) There are many who need the gospel and so it is to them that we need to take it.

1. The church at Philadelphia had enemies.

1) We read of the Synagogue of Satan about the church at Ephesus in Revelation 2:9.

2) The church at Philadelphia had the same problem.

3) Evidently there were Jews of the flesh there who were persecuting them.

4) Jesus says, they were NOT Jews.

5) They may have been of fleshly origin, but they were not Jews of spiritual origin.

6) Paul says in Romans 2:28 “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”

2. The tables were going to be turned.

1) These false Jews may have held some sway over the church, but Jesus says that is going to change.

2) These were going to come and bow at the feet of the saints.

3) When they did this, it was going to be proof that Jesus loved them.

4) The ones who were conquering were going to be conquered.

5) 1 John 5:4 “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”

6) Our faith, when practiced as the Philadelphians had done, will overcome all obstacles.

3. Abraham Lincoln: “I conquer all of my enemies by making them my friends.”

4. Such ought to be the goal of the faithful child of God as well.

1. The church at Philadelphia had another blessing due to their faithfulness.

1) It should be noted that the faithful are blessed.

2) With earthly eyes we may not be able to see this.

3) But if we look with spiritual eyes, we can see the blessings all around us.

4) It was due to faithfulness that Jesus brought blessing to the church at Philadelphia.

5) Hebrews 4:6 states, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

5. This blessing was that they were to be spared the hour of trial.

1) What was this hour of trial?

2) It was coming to everyone that lived on the earth.

3) Was this some worldwide persecution?

4) Was it natural calamity or disaster?

5) Jesus may be referring here to the judgment day.

6) That is a trial that all mankind will experience according to 2 Corinthians 5:10.

7) Their faithfulness meant that they would pass through that trial.

8) Peter wrote, “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”

1. Jesus tells the church to “hold fast” to what they have that no one would take their crown.

1) For us to receive the crown, we must hold fast to the truth.

2) As in all times of church history there were some abandoning the gospel.

3) Jesus told them not to do that, but to hold fast.

4) Paul told Timothy, “Hold fast the form/pattern of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 1:13).

2. Evil men will desire to take our crown from us.

1) The world cannot tolerate the truth and the light of the gospel.

2) John 3:19 says, “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”

3) They may desire to take it from us through sinful practices.

4) John wrote, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (1 John 2:15-17).

5) They may desire to take it from us through false teaching.

6) Jesus said, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves” (Matthew 7:15).

7) And let’s not be deceived, they can take our crown if we let them.

8) Paul told the church at Corinth, “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”

3. We need to be faithful regardless what other men say or do.

1. The message to the church at Philadelphia is a message of . . .

1) Opportunity

2) Conquering

3) Help in Time of Need

4) Steadfastness

2. Invitation

1) Jesus said to that church, “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.”

a. A pillar is a support. It is solid, true, strong, and unmovable.

b. Some pillars in the ancient world had things inscribed on them: memorials, messages, warnings.

c. Those who overcome will have God’s name written upon them and the name of His city and the new name of Jesus.

d. In other words, it will be obvious to all to whom they belong.

2) Is it obvious to all to whom you belong?