Sermon Tone Analysis

February 17, 2012

By John Barnett

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Today we look at what should become the model for us at Calvary.

Revelation 3 introduces us to the church that pleased Jesus Christ, and thus had a His blessings poured upon all that they did for Him.

Of all the seven churches, Philadelphia, the sixth church can be described as the Faithful Church, and stands out as the model.

Today my prayer would be that we as a church here at Calvary would be seen by our Lord as a church filled with Philadelphia-like saints, who gather and live out Christ in this faithful way.

The promises Christ gave them, the insights He shares with them, and the lessons He offers to us who listen: are unparalleled in any of the other letters.

First we can call:

*Philadelphia: The Faithful Church*

If you don’t yet have a favorite Epistle that Jesus Christ wrote, this one may be a good candidate.

Their example as faithful, obedient, serving, and worshipping saints is so powerful.

They were not perfect, just forgiven.

They were not superior in any way, just responsive to God’s desires for them individually and as a church.

Each of these seven letters is a model, example, and symbol of the types of churches and believers that will exist, side-by-side, throughout all the generations of Christ's Church: from Pentecost to the Rapture.

In a world that is so needy Christ has left His Church as a light; but some are distracted like Ephesus; and some are deeply persecuted and barely holding on like Smyrna; and others are compromised like Pergamos; and others are harboring secret sins like Thyatira, or dead like Sardis.

But one church is vibrant, alive, faithful, evangelizing, worshipping, and doing just what Jesus Christ left them to do.

May we all ask the Lord to enable us to choose to live as they lived.

Next remember that:

*Philadelphia: The Quake Prone City*

The one geographic feature that you wouldn’t know about this church without a study Bible, commentary, or a trip to the modern city of Alasehir in Turkey, built around the ruins of Biblical Philadelphia is: this was an active fault zone, with ongoing seismic activity.

The rich agricultural valleys with volcanic soil experience regular tremors.

The cities around Philadelphia had all been destroyed by massive quakes in the century around the writing of this letter.

Philadelphia was flattened in AD 17 as was Sardis, and was given tax reprieve by Emperor Tiberius, and aid for rebuilding.

So, to these people knew what it was like to be shaken out of bed, to be startled by the swaying of the ground, and to be amazed at the way everything that seems so stable and firm was so fragile and prone to destruction.

Philadelphians had grown up learning to flee their homes when the tremors came for fear of being crushed.

For those of this church, to hear Christ's offer of security, stability, freedom from fearful flight must have been so powerful.

*Only Christ Offers Quake Proof Living*

Jesus explained to them that though they would always live in an area with quakes and tremors that could destroy all their physical possessions: following Him offered them treasures that could never be lost, and lives that would never be hopeless.

In a world of uncertainties, lurking disasters, constant unknowns, and endless potential dangers—Jesus Christ said: here is the way to quake-proof your life.

Keep on trusting, following, serving, and investing in my church.

Only Christ's Church offers and investment that is never lost, depreciated, stolen, or destroyed.

Now, join me as we listen to Christ's most encouraging, and most comfort-filled epistle of all seven in Revelation 2-3.

Please listen as we hear His voice in Rev. 3:7-13:

Revelation 3:7-13 (NKJV) /“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”: 8 “I know your works.

See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.

9 Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.

11 Behold, I am coming quickly!

Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.

12 He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more.

I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God.

And I will write on him My new name.

13 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’/

As we turn our attention towards these words we just read from Christ, the first thing we need to notice is that Jesus has done something differently in His address to Philadelphia.

In the first 5 letters Christ's introduction of Himself comes from the titles He gave in chapter 1.

He just repeats, regroups, or combines the prior terms, but always follows the previously referenced descriptions.

Jesus never introduces Himself to these churches just by His Name, He always adds a definition of His Character, and a description of Himself.

But, up until this sixth church, those descriptions and definitions parallel what was already stated in Revelation 1.

But not to this faithful church at Philadelphia, to them Jesus reaches back across the pages of the Old Testament, and pulls together some of the most powerful descriptions of our Almighty, Covenant keeping, God of Heaven.

The congregation must have grown very silent as these words were read .

Here in the Epistle to the Philadelphians (3:7-13), Jesus Christ introduces Himself by using a string of four Hebrew descriptions of God that if we meditate upon what they reveal, they are powerful, comforting, challenging, and inspiring.

First note them with me in v.7:

Revelation 3:7-13 (NKJV) “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says: 1).

He who is holy; 2).

He who is true; 3).

“He who has the key of David; 4).

He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”:

For a moment we need to pause our look at all the rest of this letter, and focus upon just these four descriptive titles Christ Jesus takes, and see the implications of each.

First:

*Jesus Christ is The Holy God*

Jesus introduces Himself again to them.

They knew who He was.

They were saved, but they needed this reminder, as do each of us today.

Jesus Christ describes Himself as Holy.

That is Christ taking for Himself the description of the Absolutely Holy God of the Bible .

That means He is the only source of un-polluted, un-fallen, un-cursed, un-blighted existence.

God alone is Holy.

He alone possesses such purity, all else is subject to sin, corruption, and decay.

Look ahead to Rev. 4:8 where we see this description around the Throne scene of Heaven’s atmosphere of worship:

Revelation 4:8 (NKJV) /"The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within.

And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”/

As we look back at Rev. 3:7, Jesus is saying that He is separate from sin.

Holy means separate from sin, so to say He is holy means He is separate from sin.

Jesus is totally unlike us in this sense.

He is holy by nature of who He is, and we are not.

This was how Jesus kept being seen when He was revealed as the Messiah of God in the Gospels.

Turn back there with me to Mark 1.

Mark 1:21-24 (NKJV) /"Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.

22 And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

23 Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit.

And he cried out, 24 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!”/

Look at Luke 1:35 next.

So fallen angels, or demons when they saw Jesus the Messiah cried out their confession that He was the Holy One of God.

Now in Luke 1, note what the holy angels say to Mary:

Luke 1:35 (NKJV) /"And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God."/

Next, as we turn to John 6, look at what the disciples confess as they got to know Jesus Christ the Messiah.

The ESV brings this translation out clearly in v. 68-69:

John 6:68-69 (ESV)/ Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go?

You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God."/

Now, watch Peter’s sermon in Acts 3, as he declares to everyone gathered after the miraculous healing of the lame man, who this Messiah they had crucified truly was:

Acts 3:14 (NKJV)/" But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,"/

Peter reminds the unbelievers who heard him, that they took Barabbas the murderer, instead of Jesus the Life-Giver.

Jesus is the One with hair as white as snow, the Holy Son of the Infinite, Absolutely Pure and Holy Ancient of Days.

So when He said I am Holy, Jesus was identifying Himself to the saints at Philadelphia as the One from the Old Testament that is the Holy and Pure One.

As this Holy and Just One, He can’t tolerate sin.

*Jesus Christ Expects Holy Living*

Jesus Christ as the Messiah of God shares the very nature of God and is holy, harmless, undefiled and made separate from sinners (Heb.