Do-Over: Philadelphia-From Tried to Proven

Are you willing to suffer for the cause of Christ?

My prayer is that you would hear from God today.

What ever it is that drove you to church today, would experience the Rising Lord today and you would leave changed.

You are here today exhausted from prayer… burdened.

That your child would surrender to Christ.

Find Healing - Financial solution - Overcome a Habit - Set free from Addiction

Be able to Forgive yourself or someone else - Delivered from Depression - Restoration for your Marriage - Find a spouse you can love for your life.

My prayer is that you would leave here today encouraged and confident that God is up to something and confident that God is up to something, you can leave here today and face the future unafraid.

And no matter how your faith is being challenged, you can stand.

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Fball is back… all is right with the world… not really.

Not coaching this year… went to practice for first time and Could see many things that just weren’t right… I WOULD DO IT DIFFERENT!

But I’m not in charge… and when you aren’t in charge, things don’t always go the way you think they “should”… How do you respond? What do you do?

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30 mi from Sardis. Founded by Attalus Philadelphus, King of Pergamum. Named for his love for his brother.

Junction of Roads to Mysia, Lydia, and Phrygia… “gateway to the East”.

Founded as a mission outpost for the spread of Greek culture and language.

Phil was a fairly new city… frequent earthquakes. City destroyed in 17 BC. Tiberius funded rebuild… renamed Neocaesarea… back to Phil under Nero… then to Flavia during Vespasian’s reign.

The earthquake of 17 was more than one earthquake. It actually began a season of earthquakes. They became a part of life in the city. SO much so that many people moved out of the city and into the country side, taking advantage of the fantastic soil that produced some of the world’s greatest wine.

Those who were left in the city were a tough bunch. A group of people who had adopted to living in difficult circumstances, especially those who were Christians.

The church in Phil was going through difficulties not unlike those of the other churches in this time period.

While Rome allowed Jews to continue practicing their faith without persecution, Christians often didn’t get the same protection. The reality is, most of the Christians in these cities would have been Jewish as well - In fact Christianity was actually just a sect of the Jewish faith. The church would often meet in the synagogue… but in some cities, the jews began to take offense to their teaching though, resulting in Christians having their names removed from the registration in the city.

That’s what was happening in Phil. Christians, who normally would have found protection from Roman persecution because of their spiritual kinship with the Jews, had found their names removed from the list and being locked out of the synagogue and undergoing real difficulty.

But that’s what living in Philadelphia was… it was a hard city that produced tough people.

Revelation 3:7 NIV

7 “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.

Jesus says I’m the one who holds the key to the true faith… and what I open, no one can shut…

This is the image that comes into my mind as I read this passage. Jesus standing in front of us, with an open door. Inviting us to come in.

It’s opposed to the image we had back when we started this series… the church in Laodicea, where Jesus was on teh outside knocking to come in.

Here Jesus is with his churfch asking his church to go.... the church in PHiladelphia and I believe in Rock Hall… is being invited to join Jesus on the mission field… the mission field of Rock Hall Ave, of Catholic Ave, of Haven Road, of Sharp St, Of Skinners Neck, of Tolchester, of Fairlee, of Rt 20

His church.... open to all people who seek a relationship with Jesus.

Revelation 3:8 NIV

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.

I know what you are doing… and because of what you are doing…

Some bristle at this idea that our deeds are what God recognizes because we tend to think if I can do good things, then God is pleased with me.

The truth is, God loves you, and Jesus died for you, and when you live faithfully to his call, He gets the glory, not you… and that is why we are here. That is our purpose, and yes that does please God.

An open door - Opportunity.

Just like how God open the door to the Gentiles in Antioch, Philadelphia, being a trade city, the gateway to the East, was an open door for faith of the Gentiles.

You have little strength, but you have kept my word and not denied His name.

Weak. isn’t something to be avoided… but something to pursue because it is in our weakness that we are dependent upon Him.

Matthew 11:28 NIV

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

That’s what happened in Phila - they were weak, but they held to HIM their strength.

1 Corinthians 1:26–29 NIV

26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him.

Kept my word… refers to what we know as the OT. That’s what they had of the scriptures. They were faithful to the Jewish faith.

But more than that, they didn’t deny the name of Jesus… what is that? The Christ. They didn’t deny Jesus was the promised Messiah as their opposition did. They were faithful to Jesus and His word.

This makes me go back to the thinking what it means for us to be a successful church.

We think that if we can reach and save our neighbors, if we can draw a big crowd, if we can fill the pews, if we have full budgets we can feel like we are a success.... but that’s not what Jesus noticed here.

They were small and weak… yet Jesus knew their deeds… they were faithful with the opportunity God had given them.

Could it be that being a success as a church is very different than what we might be thinking of when we think about being successful.

I believe God has an open door for us here in Rock Hall and as we are faithful to his word and His name, as we put our trust in HIM, we are going to see God do amazing things.

Then Jesus says:

Revelation 3:9 NIV

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.

Jesus is reminding them of God’s way of handling oppressors. He always finds a way to humble them. Here he’s talking about the Jews who fail to accept him as the Messiah and now are facilitating the persecution of the church, and Jesus says they will be humbled… they see and will one day confess the you are loved.

This has been a promise for Israel all throughout the OT; that the nations of the world would one day recognize the living God and His people.

Ironically, the promise is being answered by the church who are the true Jews because they accept Jesus as the Christ, and the ethnic/synagogue Jews are the who will do the bowing.

Can you imagine the confidence this would give the church? Your oppressors are going to be like the brothers of Joseph who fell at his feet… like the

We are going to talk about this more later on, but as a church we need this sort of confidence.

Revelation 3:10 NIV

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.

He’s not saying the church would avoid suffering… but that he would hold them

Revelation 3:11 NIV

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

Hold on; hang on. You have come so far, don’t give up now.

Revelation 3:12 NIV

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.

Church of St. John… they understood this promise… they understood what sort of pillar it would take in Phila - They knew the power of this promise and they built a church to show the world. and those pillars stand today.

Revelation 3:13 NIV

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

This message isn’t just for these churches… it’s for all those who hear.

So, let me ask you. Did you hear? Have you heard these messages? Have you felt the spirit’s conviction over these past several weeks? Do you feel the Spirit’s encouragement today?

Let me leave you with three things to remember when you are facing trials, difficulty, or opposition and you know standing in faith is the right thing to do.

Three things to remember when standing in your faith.

God cares more about you than you do.

Jesus knew the faithfulness of the church in Phil - that’s b/c he knew the faithfulness of each one.

Not only does God know, but he cares… cares so much

Romans 5:8 NIV

8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

From sinking sand He lifted me, With tender hand He lifted me; From shades of night to plains of light, Oh, praise His Name, He lifted me!

You are very precious to God. Not only does God love you - he likes you… has a purpose for you

I’m not God… Love all of you—don’t like some.

My Children are precious to me. (I called my son my little buddy… but we are Not buddies)

Hear God’s voice for you today: “You are precious to me”

God is doing more than you understand.

I can only imagine what some of the people in Phil endured. Kicked out of the Synagogue, left to be harassed and even thrown in prison for their refusal to bow to Caeasar. Some dark days.

I think back to the story of Daniel who prayed adn prayed but it seemed like God wasn’t doing anything, then finally he heard the voice of God who said I heard your voice the first day. I know that for 3 weeks you have been unable to move forward. Then God sent his angel.

Daniel 10:12–13 NIV

12 Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. 13 But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.

For 21 days God was building desperation, he was building dependence, he was building purpose, he was building faith.

Looked like God wasn’t doing anything… but you didn’t understand… God was doing more than you could understand.

He is building your faith… hang on!

God’s strength is made perfect in your weakness.

1 Corinthians 12:22 NIV

22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,

2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Until you understand your weakness you won’t appreciate God’s strength.