Philadelphia: Faithful

Intro:

Philadelphia was located on a hillside about 30 miles southeast of Sardis.

The city was founded around 190 b.c. by Attalus II, king of Pergamos.

The king’s incredible devotion to his brother earned the city its name, “brotherly love.”

The city was an important commercial stop on a major trade route called the Imperial Post Road, a first-century mail route.

The church is not mentioned anywhere else in Scripture.

v.7:

Jesus identifies Himself differently than He does in any of the other letters except for Smyrna.

To the other 5 churches, Jesus identifies Himself in ways that would denote judgment, not so here.

He refers to Himself as both holy and true.

Indeed, Christ shares the holy, sinless, pure nature of his Father.

Christ is Holy and True

Isaiah 43:15

Isaiah 43:15 NKJV

I am the Lord, your Holy One, The Creator of Israel, your King.”

Mark 1:24

Mark 1:24 NKJV

saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”

Acts 3:13-14

Acts 3:13–14 NKJV

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,

Jesus is absolutely pure and separate from sin

“True” can refer both to one who speaks truth, and who is genuine or authentic as opposed to fake.

Jesus, of course, is the truth

John 1:17

John 1:17 NKJV

For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

John 14:6

John 14:6 NKJV

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Jesus has the key of David. The kingdom belongs to Him.

The throne of David belongs to Christ forever

Romans 15:12

Romans 15:12 NKJV

And again, Isaiah says: “There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope.”

2 Samuel 7:16-17

2 Samuel 7:16–17 NKJV

And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ” According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

Here, instead of being seen as the judge, Jesus is the one who opens doors.

When Jesus opens a door, no one can shut it

Isaiah 22:22

Isaiah 22:22 NKJV

The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder; So he shall open, and no one shall shut; And he shall shut, and no one shall open.

v.8:

As in the messages to the other churches, Christ stated, I know your works, but like Smyrna and unlike most of the others, there is no condemnation for this church.

"I have set before you an open door." The faithful believer will always have an open door set before them.

God will never leave His faithful without a ministry to carry out.

The question becomes not IF God has opened a door, but have you seen it, and have you walked through it?

The simple truth is that we are not called to idleness, God warns against it. It is a dangerous thing.

The Bible warns us against idleness

Proverbs 19:15

Proverbs 19:15 NKJV

Laziness casts one into a deep sleep, And an idle person will suffer hunger.

1 Timothy 5:11-13

1 Timothy 5:11–13 NKJV

But refuse the younger widows; for when they have begun to grow wanton against Christ, they desire to marry, having condemnation because they have cast off their first faith. And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not.

This is why He will always provide us with opportunities to do His work.

As previously noted, this open door He sets before you is un-shuttable.

However, nobody is forced to walk though it, and sadly, many people don't.

Next, If we are to be useful servants in God's work, then we need to realize where our strength comes from.

Our own strength is lacking, and won't get us far.

The faithful believer will only triumph by realizing that they have no more than a little strength.

In fact, it is from our weakness that we draw Christ's strength.

We draw strength from God in our weakness

2 Corinthians 12:9

2 Corinthians 12:9 NKJV

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.

The believers in this church truly understood and practiced this.

They had kept His word and not denied His name. Not because they were strong, but because they relied on the one who is strong.

v.9:

Jesus promises judgment for their enemies, and He calls them the synagogue of Satan.

This is the second time we've seen this phrase. They are those Jews who actively opposed the Christians.

Those who mock, ridicule, oppose, torture and kill God's faithful servants will one day stand before the Lord themselves.

At that point, they will have no choice but to acknowledge and confess the one they have actively worked against.

All of God’s enemies will eventually have no choice but to acknowledge and confess Him

Isaiah 45:23

Isaiah 45:23 NKJV

I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, And shall not return, That to Me every knee shall bow, Every tongue shall take an oath.

Romans 14:11

Romans 14:11 NKJV

For it is written: “As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.”

Philippians 2:10-11

Philippians 2:10–11 NKJV

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

They will know that God loves His faithful, and they will understand the sad truth of His wrath.

God’s enemies will one day understand the truth of His wrath

Revelation 20:11-15

Revelation 20:11–15 NKJV

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

v.10:

This reference to a trial that will test those who dwell upon the earth.

This is an explicit promise that the Philadelphian church would not enter into the great tribulation, as God pours out His wrath on the earth.

This also holds true for all of the faithful who are alive until the time of the rapture.

God’s faithful will not have to endure His wrath

1 Thessalonians 5:9

1 Thessalonians 5:9 NKJV

For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

2 Peter 2:9

2 Peter 2:9 NKJV

then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,

v.11:

This wasn't meant to convey that Christ would necessarily return soon.

It means that His return will be sudden and swift.

When Christ returns, it will be sudden, swift, and without warning

Luke 17:24

Luke 17:24 NKJV

For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day.

1 Thessalonians 5:2

1 Thessalonians 5:2 NKJV

For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.

His return will be sudden and without warning, but the rewards of the faithful, no one can take away.

v.12:

A pillar, unshakable. Philadelphia was constantly threatened with earthquakes.

Often the only parts of a city left standing after a severe quake were the huge stone temple columns.

Believers will enjoy an unshakable, eternal, secure place in the presence of God.

The new Jerusalem will be the ultimate temple of God, for it will be His dwelling place.

From this holy city, believers "shall go out no more". Their position and place with God are permanent.

To emphasize the permanency even more, we will wear His name, and that of the city.

There will be no doubt as to who we (believers) belong to. Believers will bear the mark of God.

What a contrast from the mark of the beast.

The mark of the beast brings death and destruction, the mark of God signifies eternal life.

v.13:

Once again, God speaks and we need to listen.

Indeed, those who faithfully listen will have great rewards.