The Church of Opportunity: Message to the Church at Philadelphia

Read our theme verse with me.

Revelation 3:6 CSB

6 “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.

So far in this series entitled, What the Spirit Says to the Churches, we have considered five of the seven messages to the churches addressed in the Apocalypse of John, or as it is commonly known, the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

The Church at Ephesus: The Church of Apathy

The Church at Smyrna: The Church of Persecution

The Church at Pergamum: The Church of Compromise

The Church at Thyatira: The Church of Tolerance

The Church at Sardis: The Dying Church

In this message we are going to look at the sixth church addressed by Jesus Christ, the church at Philadelphia. When I think of Philadelphia, I immediately think of cheese steak subs. Anyone with me on that? Then, I think of the Philly Fanatic, the mascot for the Philadelphia Phillies. You might think of the Liberty Bell or something else. Philadelphia means, “brotherly love”, which is kind of ironic if you ask me. The ancient city of Philadelphia was located, not in Pennsylvania, but rather about 38 miles southeast of Sardis.

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Philadelphia was a dangerous place to live, not because of outside invaders or violence, but because of geography. It was built in a volcanic region and was susceptible to violent earthquakes. Philadelphia was a young city compared to the other cities in the region. It was a small city and didn’t have much influence, even though it was built for the express purpose of spreading the Greek language and culture in the region. At one point in time, the people of Philadelphia were successful in Hellenizing the surrounding region. By A.D. 19, the native people had pretty much forgotten their own language and had adopted Greek culture and lifestyles.

Let’s read the message to the Church at Philadelphia. Verse eight contains the key to understanding the message to the church.

Revelation 3:7–13 CSB

7 “Write to the angel of the church in Philadelphia: Thus says the Holy One, the true one, the one who has the key of David, who opens and no one will close, and who closes and no one opens: 8 I know your works. Look, I have placed before you an open door that no one can close because you have but little power; yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 Note this: I will make those from the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews and are not, but are lying—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and they will know that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept my command to endure, I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is going to come on the whole world to test those who live on the earth. 11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one takes your crown. 12 “The one who conquers I will make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will never go out again. 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 my new name. 13 “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.

Before we get to the key to understanding this message to the church, we need to focus on how Jesus reveals himself.

The Description of Jesus to the Church at Philadelphia

- Jesus is described at the Holy One.

This is a title used in Isaiah 40:25

Isaiah 40:25 CSB

25 “To whom will you compare me, or who is my equal?” asks the Holy One.

- Jesus is absolutely righteous and he is God.

He is totally set apart from any sin and unrighteousness.

- Jesus is described as the true one.

He is the real deal. He is genuine. He is the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

- Jesus is described as the one who has the key of David.

He is in control. He has all authority. He is the heir to the throne of David and has royal authority over all creation.

- Jesus is described as the one who opens and no one will close and who closes and no one opens.

Jesus told them, in verse eight, that he had placed an open door that no one could close in front of them. This is important because it is part of the specific message to the church and to us. Philadelphia was The Church of Opportunity.

Opportunity by definition is a set of circumstances that make it possible to do something. The United States was called “The Land of Opportunity”. The U.S. was a place where you were given the opportunity to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. You were not guaranteed anything except your God-given rights. You were given opportunity. We haven’t always lived up the ideals set for us in the Bill of Rights, but by the grace of God, we have worked to correct our failures.

As I observe the days we live in, I am not sure people want opportunity as much as they want guarantees. We want the guarantee that we won’t get sick and die. We want our income guaranteed. We want guaranteed success. We want guaranteed security. Of course, it is not possible to guarantee these things and be a free people. Freedom carries inherent risk. Perhaps we have forgotten the risk of freedom.

In this passage, Jesus did have a guarantee for the church, but first he offered them an opportunity. If you forget everything else about this message, remember this. It is important. Jesus has set opportunities in front of you.

Jesus sets opportunities in front of you.

Jesus has placed an open door that no one can close because you can’t open opportunities on your own and you can’t close opportunities either. You don’t have the strength. Like the church at Philadelphia, you have but little power. Jesus is doing for you what you cannot do for yourself. He is opening a door for you. The door is not a guarantee of an easy road. It is not a guarantee of temporal prosperity. It is not a situation without risk. It is an opportunity. It is a set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something.

You might be thinking, “Pastor, have you forgotten the situation we are in? Have you forgotten about the border problems, the virus, and the economy? Have you forgotten all the difficulty around us? Have you forgot our political divisions?” No, I haven’t forgotten and of this I am confident. Our current situations, although extremely troubling and challenging, provide us with some amazing opportunities. Have you considered the opportunity in front of us or are you being overwhelming by the retail media’s narrative? Have you considered what God is doing or are you so focused on social media’s hype that you are paralyzed? We have amazing opportunities in front of us and if we aren’t paying attention, we will miss the opportunity Jesus is putting in front of us. We have the opportunity to be salt in a rotten world.

Opportunity to be salt in a rotten world (Matthew 5:13)

Matthew 5:13 CSB

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

This world is rotting. Salt is a preservative. Salt makes you thirsty. Followers of Jesus Christ are the salt of the world. You are literally responsible for preserving the world and making people want to follow Jesus. Brothers and sisters, if we are going to see people come to Christ, if we are going to see the evil doers repelled, you are going to have to use your voice to speak the truth of God’s Word, not of a political agenda. You can’t be silent. You are going to have to expose the evil. Jesus didn’t call us to be pacifists. He called us to actively stand against the corruption of the culture.

We have let many subjects because political, but they are not political subjects. They are moral subjects. Being for law and order and standing against lawlessness and violence is not making a political statement. It is making a moral statement. Destroying public property is not making a political statement. It is making a moral statement. Being for Biblical justice and morality and standing against worldly concepts contained in so-called social justice, which is no justice at all, is not a political conversation. It is a moral conversation. Allowing injustice and intimidation to rule is not making a political statement. It is a moral statement and before you think I have no business talking about these things, I would urge you to read Romans 12-15. The Bible is full of discussions about how believers should conduct themselves in relation to governments and society. Frankly, I am tired of people working to silence the voices who are standing for the truth of God’s Word and righteousness. There is nothing righteous about what is being propagated by those who are working to destroy and silence the voice of freedom and truth. We are to be the salt of the world and if salt isn’t doing what it is supposed to do; it is good for nothing.

Opportunity to be light in the darkness of this world (Matthew 5:14-16)

Matthew 5:14–16 CSB

14 “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

Where does a light shine brightest? Light shines brightest in the darkness. Then, why are so many believers hiding their lights? Why are so many unwilling to shine brightly? Are you afraid of being exposed as a follower of Jesus Christ? Are you afraid of being seen as someone who stands for the truth of God’s Word? You are the light of the world. You are supposed to stand out in the crowd. You aren’t supposed to follow the dark ideas spreading through our culture like a cancer. Light exists to dispel darkness. Again, it is time to shine. It is time to speak up. It is time to stand for the truth of God’s Word. If we don’t do it now, we run the risk of losing the opportunity.

When has light ever feared the darkness? Light doesn’t fear darkness. It destroys darkness. Likewise, those who shine, those who are truly followers of Jesus Christ, light the way to Jesus.

Opportunity to endure (Matthew 24:13)

Matthew 24:13 CSB

13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

It is not going to be easy to be salt and light in our world. It is not going to be easy to stand against a decaying and decrepit evil culture. This is a call to endure. You have the opportunity to endure.

The church at Philadelphia was described as having little power, but they were staying faithful. They were being opposed and persecuted by ethnically Jewish people. I am sure it was hard on these early believers to stand for Jesus in a pagan culture. It is hard for us today and it is going to get harder. Why would we think it would be any different.? The world hated Jesus and the world will hate those who follow Jesus, stand for truth, and expose the works of darkness.

John 15:17–20 CSB

17 “This is what I command you: Love one another. 18 “If the world hates you, understand that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you. 20 Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.

Perhaps there are other opportunities set before you, but I know that every follower of Jesus Christ has these three opportunities before them. What will you do with the opportunities Jesus is setting before you? Jesus creates the opportunity for you to be obedient, but you will have to engage the opportunity. You will have to take action, not in your own strength because you have little power. You will need to move from where you are to where God wants you to be by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Before we get to the guarantee offered to us by Christ, I want to ask you, are you content and complacent with the direction our culture is going? The current trajectory is on a path of destruction in more ways than one. I hope you see it. The forces of evil are working overtime to silence those who speak against it. They do it through calling it being politically correct. They do it through emotional arguments and distortions of the truth. They do it through stirring up mob mentalities. They do it through fear and intimidation. They do it through loaded terms and changing defintions. Brothers and sisters, like the church at Philadelphia, Jesus is setting opportunities in front of us. Are we going to be obedient or are we going to cower in fear? Opportunities are gracious gifts from God. Don’t squander the opportunities Jesus has put before you.

Look at what Jesus guarantees his obedient followers.

Revelation 3:10–12 CSB

10 Because you have kept my command to endure, I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is going to come on the whole world to test those who live on the earth. 11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one takes your crown. 12 “The one who conquers I will make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will never go out again. 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 my new name.

In Jesus, your eternal future and hope is secure.

Jesus has promised he would return. The day of Jacob’s trouble is coming. The Tribulation is an event on God’s calendar. Perhaps it has started already or perhaps this is the beginning of the end, I don’t know. Jesus has promised to keep us from the hour of testing, from the Great Tribulation which will come upon this world. He is coming and we need to live in the light of Jesus’ return.

The one who endures, the one who conquers will be rewarded with an unchangeable permanence and presence with God. The one who stays faithful will be rewarded with a position of honor with God. The faithful will be known as God’s people forever. Their position with God will never change.

In a world where everything seems to change moment to moment, this guarantee from Jesus comes as a beautiful refreshment. If you are in Christ, your eternal future and hope is secure. No need to fear. No need to worry. This world is not your home. You are just passing through. This world is full of trouble and challenge, but it is temporary. Sometimes it feels like Groundhog Day, like we are just repeating the insanity. Remember, God is in control. Jesus hold the keys. He opens what no one can close and closes what no one can open. Our responsibility is to be obedient and faithful. Our responsibility is to engage the opportunities Jesus has put in front of us. Don’t squander the opportunities. Be faithful.

There is one more opportunity you need to be aware of, if you are not already aware of it. There are those of you who are listening to this message who have not embraced the opportunity to be forgiven of your sins and to be rescued from the penalty of your sin, which is death. Our problem is our sin nature. We sin. We rebel against God’s ways. We do wrong things. Our sin separates us from God. This is amazing. God loved the world and he didn’t want us to remain dead in our sins. Sin leads to death. God doesn’t want anyone to die because he wants to be with us. The good news is that Jesus, who is God, came to earth and took on flesh. The Bible says that Jesus’ name would be Emmanuel, meaning God with us. Jesus who is perfect in every way became the sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus died in our place and rose from the grave to prove that everything he claimed is true. The Bible says that anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. The Lord is Jesus. Anyone who calls on Jesus’ name will be saved. You will be forgiven of your sins and you will be transformed.

I believe there are people listening to this message who need Jesus. You can’t work your way to him. You can’t be religious enough for him. You receive the free gift of eternal life through the grace of Jesus Christ. You call on his name and when you do, he will hear your prayer, forgive your sin, and make you clean. Your old life will be gone and you new life will begin. Come to Jesus this morning.

Pray with me, “Heavenly Father, forgive me for my sins, make me clean. I ask Jesus to be my Savior and to be the Lord of my life, first in every way. My life is not my own, I give it to you. Thank you for new life. In Jesus’ name, I pray.”

If you prayed that prayer and you want to talk more about what it means to be a follower of Jesus, this is what I want you to do. My email address is on the screen:

[e-mail]

Write to me. Let me know of your decision to follow Jesus. You can also text the number at the bottom of the screen and we will get back in touch with you.

Pray.