The Revelation of Christ – Part 8: Philadelphia The Favored Church - HOFC

The Revelation of Christ – Part 8:

Philadelphia The Favored Church - HOFC

Pastor Bruce A. Shields

House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org

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This Document is a Sermon Outline, you may hear the full audio of the actual sermon by following the link Online Audio Files located above for this, and other Full Sermon Audios.  For a complete list of Sermon Outlines, visit TruthDigest.org, or Truth Digest on facebook; for our Official Church website, visit PS127.org, or find us on facebook at House of Faith Church

SERMON INTRODUCTION

The Book of Revelation, or the Revelation of Christ, is the most difficult book in the bible.

Because of this fact, many avoid it, or ignore it all together. Some fear lack of understanding, others afraid to misinterpret, which I guess it is better to avoid than dive in and get it completely wrong.

Many times, when a new believer comes to me for direction, they want to jump right into Revelation and find out what’s to come.

This is equivalent to deciding one day to learn Mandarin and sitting down to author a novel in Chinese that very same day.

Or, a kindergartener learning how to count, and then trying to calculate quantum mechanics calculations.

The words in Revelation have caused much debate on rapture, judgement, even some who claim John was writing about the events in his day in code rather than Jesus Christ revealing to him about the coming events and Judgment.

A special blessing is promised to those who read Revelation.

Although it may be a difficult book, we could all use a special blessing, reading this is good for us all, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, we will take the Revelation of Christ in small portions and gain understanding, little by little.

SERMON SERIES

THE THINGS WHICH ARE – The Church Age (Age of Grace)

Part 3 – Ephesus The Backsliding Church

Part 4 – Smyrna The Steadfast Church

Part 5 – Pergamos The Immoral Church

Part 6 – Thyatira The Careless Pagan Church

Part 7 – Sardis The Spiritless Church

Part 8 – Philadelphia The Favored Church

Part 9 – Laodicea The Church God Hates

THE THINGS WHICH SHALL BE – The Coming Judgment

Part 10 – The Throne of God

Part 11 – The Living Creatures (Various Angels)

Part 12 – Heavenly Worship (As it is in Heaven)

Part 13 – The Sealed Book (Various Books)

Part 14 – The Lion and the Lamb

Part 15 – The First 6 Seals

Part 16 – The 144,000 Jews

Part 17 – The Tribulation Saints

Part 18 – The Seventh Seal

Part 19 – The First 4 Trumpets

Part 20 – The 5th Trumpet

Part 21 – The 6th Trumpet

Part 22 – The Mighty Angel

Part 23 – The Two Witnesses

Part 24 – The Seventh Trumpet

Part 25 – The Woman and the Dragon

Part 26 – Manchild

Part 27 – Michael

Part 28 – Overcomers

Part 29 – Persecution

Part 30 – Antichrist

Part 31 – The Lamb

More sermons in the series listed in Part 1

TODAY’S SERMON

Part 8 – Philadelphia The Favored Church

SCRIPTURE READING

Revelation 3:7-13

 “To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:

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.      INTRODUCTION

a.   To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write

                                     i.   Angel means messenger of God, either heavenly or human, in this case it’s human, they are to receive a “letter”, which no angelic being would need, and they are in charge over the church, meaning they are the minister of the gospel to a local congregation.

                                    ii.   So, this letter is to the church in pastor

b.   These are the words of Him

                                     i.   Who is holy and true

                                    ii.   Who holds the Key of David

1.   Key in this sense is not a physical “key”, but a “way” that unlocks

                                   iii.   We hear terms in modern times like, “The key to success”, or “the key to the problem”

                                   iv.   This “way” is the Key of David, so what is the “way”?

c.   The Key of David

                                     i.   King David was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22)

1.   Being a person who is seeking God will always unlock blessings

2.   Seek and find

3.   Knock and the door will be opened

4.   Ask and you shall receive

5.   We are commanded to seek Him, when we do, we are being “obedient”, and when we are obedient, we are blessed!

                                    ii.   Notice that this is Christ’s message to the church in Philadelphia. That is the sixth of seven Church eras described in these chapters, each church representing a “state” that the church (as a whole) is in.

1.   The seventh era (which we will be looking at next week) is the one we are in now, Laodicea (verses 14-22), an era when about 95 percent of Christ’s own Church turned away from Him—and lost their Head (Colossians 2:19).

2.   Only a remnant of Philadelphia remains. If you find and hold this key of David, you will know that Jesus Christ is the Head of His Church. He gave us that wonderful key of David message. Wherever you find that message, you will also find the “HE that hath the key of David.”

                                   iii.   The knowledge that Christ is the Head of the Church (His body) and seeking Him is the Key.

d.   With this Key, what the Lord opens, no one can shut

                                     i.   And what He shuts, no one can open

                                    ii.   Meaning, the ONLY way to pass through the door (Jesus) is to have the Key of David (Acknowledging He is the Head of the Church and diligently seeking Him!) which is the Key of David.

         II.      I KNOW YOUR DEEDS

a.   I have placed before you an open door

                                     i.   Jesus places the “open door” that no one can shut

                                    ii.   Jesus states, “I know you have little strength”

                                   iii.   “YET, you have kept my word and have not denied my name”

b.   The synagogue of Satan

                                     i.   “I will make those who are 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.”

                                    ii.   King David was a Jew, as was Jesus Christ. Romans 2:29, Deuteronomy 30:6 and other scriptures explain that when someone is converted, he becomes a spiritual Jew, or as the word says, a “True Jew, circumcised of the heart”. God’s grand strategy is to make all of us into spiritual Jews. It’s not about the physical at all. We are all spiritual Jews if we follow the Jew, Jesus Christ.

c.   Obedience that brings blessings

                                     i.   “Since you have kept my command to endure patiently”

1.   The COMMAND to be obeyed

                                    ii.   “I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of earth.”

1.   The BLESSING received for obedience

                                   iii.   Just as the Lord revealed to us in the beginning, the command “Do not eat of this tree”, when “obeyed” brought blessings (living in the garden of Eden)

                                   iv.   Also, when a command is NOT obeyed, this is “disobedience”, which ultimately comes with penalties and consequences.

1.   They ate of the tree, disobeying, causing the consequence of being kicked out of the garden.

        III.      NO CRITICISMS FOR THE PHILADELPHIA CHURCH

a.   No criticisms from the Lord!

                                     i.   The Lord had nothing to criticize the Philadelphia church for, they were faithful to God’s Word, filled with God’s love, the ideal church.

                                    ii.   However, that era has passed, and we now live in the Laodicea era!

1.   Self-indulgent, rich and flashy, full of worldly pride. 

2.   The lukewarm church

b.   I am coming soon

                                     i.   Instead of a “warning”, this is meant as encouragement

                                    ii.   I am coming soon, hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.

1.   The devil will use religious men to try and remove your crown

2.   How?  False doctrine, false teachings, getting you to believe that something or someone other than Christ is the head of the church (Key of David)

3.   To get you to seek out something other than Christ as the ONLY DOOR

4.   There is no other way.

                                   iii.   Those who remain faithful keeping Christ the Head of the Church, and seeking Him alone as the ONLY way have the Key of David, and Christ Himself will place the open door before you that no one may shut.

1.   However, disobedience will remove the key to that door!

2.   If you place anything other than Christ as the Head of the Church

3.   If you are not after God’s heart

c.   To the one who is Victorious

                                     i.   How are you victorious here? Keeping Christ the Head of the Church, chasing after God’s heart (Obedience to His commands)

1.   Jesus said if you love me, you will obey my commands.

                                    ii.   By doing this you keep the Key of David unlocking the door

CONCLUSION – Whoever has ears, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches

What are the rewards the Lord promises to the Victorious?

Ephesus - To the one who is VICTORIOUS I (Jesus) will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.

Smyrna - The one who is VICTORIOUS will not be hurt at all by the second death.

Pergamos - The one who is VICTORIOUS I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.

Thyatira – To the one who is VICTORIOUS (Repents of Jezebels false teachings, or never fell for them to begin with) I will give authority over the nations (Kingdom Age Rule) that one “will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery” (Psalm 2:9)  Just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give that one the morning star.

Sardis - The one who is VICTORIOUS will, like them (the ones who did not soil their garments with sin), be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person (the one who remains in the truth and doesn’t soil their garments with sinful living) from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels.

Philadelphia – To the one who is Victorious (enduring patiently & keeping Christ the Head of the Church), I will make a pillar in the Temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I wil write on them the name of my God, the name of the city of my God, the New Jerusalem. I will also write on them MY NEW NAME.

Whosoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Jesus has had many names in scripture from Genesis through to Revelation

John 1:1-4 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.”

Jesus has always been, and has had many names through the millennia, and in the end will have a new name, which we will have written upon us.

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