The
Seven Churches
Part
7 – Philadelphia
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House
of Faith Church | www.PS127.org
| www.TruthDigest.org
INTRODUCTION
This is the revelation of Jesus Christ to
John.
John is told to record what had seen, is
seeing, and will see, which is the key to the Book of Revelation. John saw
Jesus and his description defines and sets the foundation for the rest of the
book. Jesus IS Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, and the Alpha and Omega.
John then records the letters to the
pastor's of each of the seven churches, or, what is taking place NOW, and then
record what WILL take place in the end.
Chapters 4-22 of Revelation is
for those who will be left behind after the rapture.
Last week we took a look at the first of
the seven churches, Ephesus, the apostolic church, and read what was good, and
bad about the church. The end of the letter states, “He who has an ear, let him
hear what the spirit says unto the churches.”
In other words, these things apply to US
today, as The Church and Body of Christ.
Today we look at the second church, Smyrna,
the martyr church.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE
Revelation 3:7-13
To the Church in Philadelphia
These
are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of
David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can
open. 8 I
know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no
one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word
and have not denied my name. 9 I will make those who are of the synagogue of
Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will
make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have
loved you. 10 Since
you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from
the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to
test the inhabitants of the earth.
11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you
have, so that no one will take your crown. 12 The one who is
victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again
will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name
of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of
heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. 13 Whoever
has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
I.
JESUS ESTABLISHES HIS AUTHORITY
a. Dispensation
i. The Missionary Church Age
ii. 1800AD – Present day
b. “To the
star (Pastor) of the church, write...”
i. Remember, Jesus walks among the candle sticks (the
churches)
ii. The stars (Pastors) are in His right hand
iii. The seven-fold spirits before the throne are the
operations of the Holy Spirit
c. “...These
things say;”
i. These are the words of him who is holy
ii. and true,
iii. who holds the key of David.
iv. What he opens no one can shut, and what he
shuts no one can open.
v. Jesus is establishing the fact that HE has complete
authority in the church, not the board, not the members, not the deacons,
elders or pastor...but Christ.
a.
Ephesians
1:21-23 “21 far above all rule and authority,
power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the
present age but also in the one to come. 22 And
God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be
head over everything for the church, 23 which
is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”
b.
Colossians 1:17-18 “17 He is
before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the
church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the
dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. “
c.
Christ IS the HEAD of the church, and the
church (the people, not the building), are the body of Christ.
II.
I KNOW YOUR WORKS
a. He knows our works, because He walks among the
lampstands.
i.
Matthew
18:20 “For
where two or three gather in my name, there am I with
them.”
b. Before
Christ says He knows there deeds, He states
i. These are the words of him who is holy and
true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and
what he shuts no one can open.
ii. With all of the letters, Christ establishes HIS
authority in the area He is going to speak with each church about.
a.
First giving His
overall description in Revelation 1
b.
Holds the 7 stars
in His right hand & walks among the 7 candle sticks
1. Addressed the false stars (apostles/pastors) in
Ephesus, who had forsaken its first love.
c.
The first &
last, the dead & alive
1. Addressed blasphemy of Synagogue of Satan (Pharisees
& Sadducee) for denying Christ as God (first & last) and that He raised
from death (dead & alive) in Smyrna, the church that suffered persecution.
d.
Sharp sword with
two-edges (the Word)
1. Addressed
Pergamos for believing in false doctrines instead of WORD of GOD...they were
the church that needed to repent.
e.
Son of God, eyes
like flame of fire (Christ is Judge who sees all)
1. Addresses the “spiritual adultery” of the church
following false teachings. Christ “sees it” and “judges it” in Thyatira
f.
Christ has the 7
spirits of God (Holy Spirit) and the 7 stars (Pastors)
1. Addresses the fact that HE determines who (in this
case the Pastors) will receive the Holy Spirit and its operations in Sardis,
the church that had fallen asleep.
g.
Now we see the
Lord establishing His overall authority in doors He opens, and closes, that no
man can change.
1. The Lord has OPENED the door to Philadelphia, they
can be the missionary church that takes the Gospel into al the world, and no
one can close that door.
c. I know
that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my
name.
i. NOT spiritually weak (little strength), but FEW in
numbers...they wee a SMALL church.
ii. YET (the Lord says), you have kept my Word and NOT
denied my name!
d. BEHOLD
(because of THIS!)
i. 9 I will
make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though
they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your
feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.
a.
God does NOT
recognize the spiritual claims of national Israel.
b.
The Jews (religiously
speaking), have denied the one who is HOLY, TRUE & the KEY of DAVID
c.
“falling down at your feet and acknowledge that I
have loved you...” refers to the coming KINGDOM AGE, when
Christ will rule personally over the entire earth, with Israel restored, Israel
will then bow at the feet of Christ, whom the Gentiles accepted.
ii.
10 Since you have kept my command to endure
patiently (reward), I will also keep you from the hour of
trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the
inhabitants of the earth.
a.
This is the
rapture of the church before the Great Tribulation
III. WARNINGS
AND BLESSINGS
a. Behold,
I come quickly
i. A warning to be prepared for the Rapture
b. Hold on
to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.
i. The devil will use religious men to try and move us
away from our faith in Christ
c. To the
one who overcomes
i. "...I will
make a pillar in the temple of my God..."
a.
The overcomer is
the one who trusts explicitly in Christ and what He did for us at the cross.
ii. "...Never
again will they leave it..."
a.
Refers to the
constant position in the presence of God
iii. "...I will
write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my
God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my
God; and I will also write on them my new name..."
a.
At the cross,
Christ paid the penalty for our sin.
b.
Christ is the
source of all our blessings, and we are a new creation.
1. 2 Corinthians 5:17-18 “17 Therefore,
if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has
gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from
God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the
ministry of reconciliation:”
2. Galatians
6:15
“Neither circumcision nor un-circumcision means anything; what counts is
the new creation.”
CONCLUSION
Whoever
has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
The
Holy Spirit is saying to the churches, we MUST be ready for the Rapture, which
can ONLY be done by faith in Christ...LIVING FAITH, in Christ.
Ecclesiastes 9:12
no one knows
when their hour will come: As fish are caught in a cruel net, or
birds are taken in a snare, so people are trapped by evil times that fall
unexpectedly upon them.
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