The Faithful Church
Notes
Transcript
THE FAITHFUL CHURCH
THE FAITHFUL CHURCH
Revelation 3:7–13
Revelation 3:7–13
ANCHOR MOVEMENT
ANCHOR MOVEMENT
Faithful in Weakness.
Faithful When Doors Open.
Faithful to the End.
BIG IDEA
BIG IDEA
Jesus blesses and uses those who stay faithful to Him—especially when they feel weak, when He opens doors, and when it would be easier to let go.
INTRODUCTION: WHAT DOES JESUS CALL FAITHFUL?
INTRODUCTION: WHAT DOES JESUS CALL FAITHFUL?
We live in a world obsessed with strength.
Strength in numbers
Strength in influence
Strength in platform
Even in the church…
We measure success by:
attendance
growth
visibility
And if we’re not careful, we start to believe:
If it’s small… it must not matter
If it’s weak… it must not be effective
But Revelation 3 confronts that thinking.
Because Jesus writes to a church that is:
small
overlooked
unimpressive
And He doesn’t rebuke them.
He commends them.
He blesses them.
He promises them.
Which means:
Jesus does not define faithfulness the way we do.
And the question this text forces on us is not:
“Are we strong?”
But:
“Are we faithful?”
And Jesus shows us exactly what that looks like:
Faithful in Weakness.
Faithful When Doors Open.
Faithful to the End.
1. FAITHFUL IN WEAKNESS
1. FAITHFUL IN WEAKNESS
(Revelation 3:7–8)
The Authority of Christ (v.7)
The Authority of Christ (v.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.
Before Jesus says anything about them… He reveals Himself.
“He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David…”
“Holy”
“Holy”
Set apart, pure, divine
This is language reserved for God
“True” (ἀληθινός | aléthinos) (ah-lay-thee-NOS)
“True” (ἀληθινός | aléthinos) (ah-lay-thee-NOS)
Not just truthful
Ultimate reality: what is real versus what is false
“Key of David”
“Key of David”
I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.
Authority to open and shut
Authority to admit or exclude
Jesus is saying:
I determine:
access
opportunity
destiny
Christ describes Himself as the One who has the key of David.
As is clear from Revelation 5:5 and 22:16, David symbolizes the messianic office.
A key in Scripture represents authority; whoever holds a key has control (cf. 1:18; 9:1; 20:1; Matt. 16:19).
The term the key of David also appears in Isaiah 22:22, where it refers to Eliakim, the steward or prime minister to Israel’s king. Because of his office, he controlled access to the monarch.
As the holder of the key of David, Jesus alone has the sovereign authority to determine who enters His messianic kingdom (cf. John 10:7, 9; 14:6; Acts 4:12).
Revelation 1:18 reveals that Jesus has the keys to death and hell; here He is depicted as having the keys to salvation and blessing.
The Condition of the Church (v.8)
The Condition of the Church (v.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 your deeds… you have little strength…”
“little strength”
“little strength”
First, the Philadelphia church had a little power. That was not a negative comment on their feebleness, but a commendation of their strength; the Philadelphia church was small in numbers (cf. Luke 12:32), but had a powerful impact on its city.
“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.
Most of its members may have been poor, from the lower classes of society (cf. 1 Cor. 1:26).
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.
But with Paul they could say, “I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:10).
That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Despite its small size, spiritual power flowed in the Philadelphia church. People were being redeemed, lives were being transformed, and the gospel of Jesus Christ was being proclaimed.
Not spiritual weakness
Numerical and cultural insignificance
They were:
small
unnoticed
unimpressive
But then Jesus says:
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.
Jesus identifies Himself as He who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens. That description stresses Christ’s omnipotence; what He does cannot be overturned by someone more powerful.
“I act and who can reverse it?” declared the Lord in Isaiah 43:13 (cf. Is. 46:9–11; Jer. 18:6; Dan. 4:35).
No one can shut the doors to the kingdom or to blessing if He holds them open, and no one can force them open if He holds them shut. In light of the promise in verse 8, Christ could also be referring to opening and closing doors for service.
In either case, the emphasis is on His sovereign control over His church.
All Jesus asks us in the midst of it all is our faithfulness, and specifically, the church and the church of Philadelphia.
Why Did Jesus Choose This Church? Because of its faithfulness
Why Did Jesus Choose This Church? Because of its faithfulness
The Lord Jesus Christ made the Philadelphia church some astounding promises.
First, He put before them an open door which no one can shut.
Their salvation was secure; their entrance both into the blessings of salvation by grace and into Christ’s future messianic kingdom was guaranteed.
The picture of Christ’s opening the door also symbolizes His giving the faithful Philadelphia church opportunities for service. Elsewhere in Scripture an open door depicts freedom to proclaim the gospel.
Explaining his travel plans to the Corinthians, Paul informed them,
But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.
In his second letter to them he wrote,
Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me,
To the Colossians, Paul wrote,
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.
Their city’s strategic location provided the Christians at Philadelphia with an excellent opportunity to spread the gospel.
The Lord Jesus Christ made the Philadelphia church some astounding promises because of THEIR FAITHFULNESS
What Made Them Faithful?
What Made Them Faithful?
Three marks emerge directly from the text:
1. They Obeyed His Word
1. They Obeyed His Word
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.
The believers at Philadelphia were also marked by obedience; they kept Christ’s word. Like Job, they could say, “I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12).
Like Martin Luther, on trial before the Imperial Diet, they could say, “My conscience is captive to the Word of God.” They did not deviate from the pattern of obedience, thus proving the genuineness of their love for Christ (John 14:23–24; 15:13–14).
Not just belief, submission
2. They Were Loyal to His Name
2. They Were Loyal to His Name
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.
Christ further commended the Philadelphia congregation for having not denied His name, despite the pressures they faced to do so. They remained loyal no matter what it cost them.
Revelation 14:12 describes the Tribulation saints who refused to take the mark of the beast:
This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.
Like them, the Philadelphia church would not recant its faith.
Public allegiance under pressure
3. They Endured
3. They Endured
Since you have kept my command to endure patiently
Finally, Christ commended the Philadelphia church because its members had kept the word of His perseverance.
The New International Version’s translation clarifies Christ’s meaning: “You have kept my command to endure patiently.” The Christians at Philadelphia persevered faithfully through all of their trials and difficulties.
The steadfast endurance that marked Jesus’ earthly life (Heb. 12:2–4) is to be a model for all Christians. Heb. 12:2–4
fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
To the Thessalonians Paul wrote, “May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ” (2 Thess. 3:5
May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.
Both Christ’s command and example should motivate Christians to patient endurance. Indeed, endurance is an essential aspect of saving faith (Matt. 10:22
You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
Ongoing perseverance
Theological Weight
Theological Weight
Faithfulness is not:
about what you have
It is:
about what you do with what you’ve been given
God doesn’t bless what looks strong.
He blesses what is faithful.
When you feel:
When you feel:
overlooked
insignificant
like your faith doesn’t matter
The question is not:
“Do I have influence?”
The question is:
“Am I faithful with what I have?”
We Display Faithfulness by Relying on Christ’s Strength In Weakness.
We Display Faithfulness by Relying on Christ’s Strength In Weakness.
They were faithful in weakness…
And because of that, Jesus does something only He can do.
2. FAITHFUL WHEN DOORS OPEN
2. FAITHFUL WHEN DOORS OPEN
(Revelation 3:8–9)
The Open Door (v.8)
The Open Door (v.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 have set before you an open door which no one can shut…”
Notice:
They didn’t open the door
They didn’t earn the door
Jesus opened it
What is the “Open Door”?
What is the “Open Door”?
In the New Testament, this consistently refers to:
Gospel opportunity
Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me,
And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.
And this matters because:
Philadelphia was a gateway city.
Trade routes
Cultural influence
It was a city designed to spread Greek culture.
Now the church becomes a city that spreads the gospel.
The Principle
The Principle
They didn’t chase opportunity. They stayed faithful…
And Jesus entrusted them with it.
Opposition (v.9)
Opposition (v.9)
Verse 9 records a second promise made by Jesus Christ to the Philadelphia church:
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.
“Synagogue of Satan…”
Christians in Philadelphia faced hostility from unbelieving Jews.
Ignatius later debated some hostile Jews during his visit to Philadelphia. Because of their rejection of Jesus Christ as the Messiah, they were not at all a synagogue of God, but a synagogue of Satan.
Though they claimed that they were Jews, that claim was a lie. Racially, culturally, and ceremonially they were Jews, but spiritually they were not.
Paul defines a true Jew in Romans 2:28–29 (cf. Rom. 9:6–7):
A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.
It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”
It is likely the people in the church of Philadelphia faced:
hostile religious opposition
rejection from the synagogue
Some may have even been:
excommunicated
Amazingly, Christ promised that some of the very Jews who were persecuting the Christians at Philadelphia would come and bow down at their feet, and know that God had loved them.
Bowing at someone’s feet depicts abject, total defeat and submission. The Philadelphia church’s enemies would be utterly vanquished, humbled, and defeated. This imagery derives from the Old Testament, which describes the yet future day when unbelieving Gentiles will bow down to the believing remnant of Israel (cf. Isa. 45:14; 49:23; 60:14). The Philadelphia church’s faithfulness would be rewarded by the salvation of some of the very Jews who were persecuting it.
Other faithful churches throughout history have also been enabled by the Lord to reach the Jewish people with the gospel of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. And in the future the day will come when “all Israel will be saved” (Rom. 11:26)
and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written:
“The deliverer will come from Zion;
he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
When God will:
“And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.
Doors closed by people… BUT Jesus opened one no one could shut.
Vindication (v. 9)
Vindication (v. 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.
“They will bow… and know that I have loved you.”
This echoes Isaiah 60:14.
The children of your oppressors will come bowing before you;
all who despise you will bow down at your feet
and will call you the City of the Lord,
Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
God will reverse what people said about you.
And sometimes:
He doesn’t just defeat enemies
He saves them
Some of their enemies may become worshipers
God has opened doors in your life.
God has opened doors in your life.
conversations
relationships
moments to speak
steps of obedience
And the issue is not:
“Are there doors?”
The issue is:
“Will I walk through what Jesus has opened?”
Some of you are praying for doors that you’re already standing in front of.
Can You Be Faithful When Doors Open?
Can You Be Faithful When Doors Open?
They were faithful in weakness…
They were faithful when doors opened…
Now comes the hardest part:
Staying faithful over time.
3. FAITHFUL TO THE END
3. FAITHFUL TO THE END
(Revelation 3:10–13)
The Promise of Protection (v.10)
The Promise of Protection (v.10)
Verse 10 contains a final promise to the faithful Philadelphia church:
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.
Because the believers in Philadelphia had successfully passed so many tests, Jesus promised to spare them from the ultimate test. The sweeping nature of that promise extends far beyond the Philadelphia congregation to encompass all faithful churches throughout history. This verse promises that the church will be delivered from the Tribulation, thus supporting a pretribulation Rapture.
The Rapture is the subject of three passages in the New Testament (John 14:1–4; 1 Cor. 15:51–54; 1 Thess. 4:13–17), none of which speak of judgment, but rather of the church being taken up to heaven.
There are three views of the timing of the Rapture in relation to the Tribulation:
that it comes at the end of the Tribulation (posttribulationism),
in the middle of the Tribulation (mid tribulationism),
and the view that seems to be supported by this text, that the Rapture takes place before the Tribulation (pretribulationism).
I will also keep you from the hour of trial
Because the believers in Philadelphia had remained faithful, Jesus gives a promise that extends beyond them to all faithful believers.
This “hour of trial” is:
future
global
and directed at what Revelation calls
“those who dwell on the earth” = unbelievers
This is what Scripture describes as:
the Tribulation
A time of testing, judgment, and exposure, where God brings justice and reveals what is truly in the hearts of people.
Throughout Revelation, this unfolds in escalating intensity:
Seals (Rev. 6) → judgment begins
Trumpets (Rev. 8–9) → intensity increases
Bowls (Rev. 16) → wrath is fully poured out
This is also the period described as:
Daniel’s seventieth week (Dan. 9:25–27)
the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jer. 30:7)
A unique period in history where God’s judgment is poured out on a rebellious world.
The Meaning of the Promise (v.10)
The Meaning of the Promise (v.10)
tēreō ek | τηρήσω ἐκ | keep from (tay-reh'-o eck)
tēreō ek | τηρήσω ἐκ | keep from (tay-reh'-o eck)
I will also keep you from
Jesus says: “I will keep you from it.”
That phrase matters.
There has been much debate over the meaning of the phrase tēreō ek (keep from). Those who argue that the church will go through the Tribulation hold that this phrase means preservation in the midst of and emergence from. They believe the church will go through the Tribulation judgments and that God will preserve it in the midst of them, so that the church will thus emerge successfully at the end from the hour of testing.
That view is unlikely, however, both on linguistic and biblical grounds.
“keep from” = τηρήσω ἐκ (tēreō ek)
tēreō = to guard, to keep watch over
ἐκ = out of, away from
Not:
“in” (ἐν)
not “through” (διά)
but out of
The basic meaning of the preposition ek is “from,” “out from,” or “away from.” Had the Lord intended to convey that the church would be preserved in the midst of the Tribulation, the prepositions en (“in”) or dia (“through”) would have been more appropriate.
En is used three times with the verb tēreō in the New Testament (Acts 12:5; 1 Pet. 1:4; Jude 21) and eis once (Acts 25:4), always implying previous existence within with a view to continuing in. Tēreō with ek implies just the opposite: continuous existence outside.
This is not preservation within the trial, but protection from the time of the trial itself.
The only other place this exact phrase appears is John 17:15, where Jesus prays that believers would be kept from the evil one, not preserved inside his power, but kept out of it.
He certainly did not pray that believers be preserved within Satan’s power, for believers have been “rescued … from the domain of darkness” and “transferred … to the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Col. 1:13).
The meaning of tēreō ek in John 17:15, to be kept completely out of, argues strongly for a similar meaning in Revelation 3:10. The apostle John wrote both passages, and both are direct quotes of the Lord Jesus Christ. To interpret tēreō ek as a promise of preservation in the midst of the Tribulation poses another difficulty:
The Philadelphia church was never in the Tribulation, which is still in the future.
Another obvious objection to interpreting tēreō ek as a promise of preservation in the midst of the Tribulation is that believers in that terrible time will not be preserved.
In fact, many will be martyred (6:9–11; 7:9–14), leading to the conclusion that promising preservation is meaningless if the believers face the same fate as sinners during the Tribulation.
Some hold that the promise of deliverance is only from God’s wrath during the Tribulation. But a promise that God will not kill believers but will allow Satan and Antichrist to do so would provide small comfort to the suffering church at Philadelphia.
The Tribulation Positions
The Tribulation Positions
There are three main views on how this plays out:
1. Post-tribulation
1. Post-tribulation
The church goes through the Tribulation and is delivered at the end
2. Mid-tribulation
2. Mid-tribulation
The church experiences part of the Tribulation, then is removed
3. Pre-tribulation
3. Pre-tribulation
The church is kept from that entire period
And while faithful believers hold each of these views, this text, along with the language of tēreō ek, and the fact that this trial is directed at “earth dwellers,” points most naturally to: God keeping His people out of that time of judgment
The Nature of the Trial
The Nature of the Trial
This trial is:
limited (“hour”)
global (“whole world”)
revealing (it exposes true allegiance)
and directed at unbelievers
Some will respond and be saved (Rev. 7:9–14),
Others will refuse and face judgment (Rev. 6:15–17; 16:11).
This is not random suffering. This is targeted divine judgment
The point is clear: God preserves His people.
The point is clear: God preserves His people.
He does not abandon them
But: If you belong to Jesus, you are not appointed to wrath; you are kept by Him.
The Command (v.11)
The Command (v.11)
I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.
“Hold on” = κρατέω (kratei) (krat-eh'-o)
“Hold on” = κρατέω (kratei) (krat-eh'-o)
Because of the Lord’s imminent return for His church, believers must hold fast what they have.
The members of the Philadelphia church had been faithful and loyal to Christ; He commanded them to remain so.
Those who persevere to the end thereby prove the genuineness of their salvation (Matt. 10:22; 24:13).
Therefore they should “hold on”, or:
grip tightly
refuse to let go
Don’t drift
Don’t loosen your grip
Believers are eternally secure because of the power of God.
Yet the means by which He secures them is by providing believers with a persevering faith. Christians are saved by God’s power, but not apart from their constant, undying faith.
Paul writes in Colossians 1:22–23
But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
According to 1 John 2:19, those who abandon the faith reveal that they were never truly saved to begin with: “They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.”
The Warning (v.11)
The Warning (v.11)
so that no one will take your crown.
This is Christ’s promise to the one who faithfully perseveres: no one will take your crown (cf. James 1:12).
Revelation 2:10 defines this crown as the “crown of life,” or as the Greek text literally reads, “the crown which is life.”
The crown, or reward, for those who faithfully endure to the end is eternal life with all its attendant rewards (2 John 8). Second Timothy 4:8 describes it as a crown of righteousness, and 1 Peter 5:4 as one of glory.
In our glorified state, we will be perfectly righteous, and thus perfectly able to reflect God’s glory.
Those whose faithful perseverance marks them as true children of God need never fear losing their salvation.
Not salvation
Reward
Simply put… Faithfulness now affects reward
The Promise (v.12)
The Promise (v.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.
Four identity promises:
1. Pillar
1. Pillar
Stability
Permanence
In a city shaken by earthquakes…
“You will never be shaken again.”
2. Will not go out
2. Will not go out
No more fleeing
Eternal security
3. Name of My God
3. Name of My God
Belonging
Ownership
4. New Jerusalem + My new name
4. New Jerusalem + My new name
Citizenship
Intimacy
The reward is not just heaven… The reward is God Himself
When:
Following Jesus gets hard
Obedience costs you
Culture pushes against you
The question is:
Will you hold fast… or let go?
Can You Be Faithful to the end?
Can You Be Faithful to the end?
CONCLUSION: THE CHURCH JESUS BLESSES
CONCLUSION: THE CHURCH JESUS BLESSES
Let’s come back to the question:
What kind of church does Jesus bless?
Not:
the biggest
the strongest
the most impressive
But:
the faithful one
FINAL CALL TO ACTION
FINAL CALL TO ACTION
So where are you?
1. In weakness?
1. In weakness?
Stay faithful.
2. At an open door?
2. At an open door?
Step through it.
3. Ready to quit?
3. Ready to quit?
Hold fast.
GOSPEL CLOSE
GOSPEL CLOSE
Because the truth is:
We are not naturally faithful.
But Jesus was.
Faithful to the Father
Faithful under pressure
Faithful to the cross
Faithful to the end
And because He was faithful for us… We can now live faithful to Him.
Jesus isn’t looking for impressive people. He’s looking for faithful ones.
Jesus isn’t looking for impressive people. He’s looking for faithful ones.
