April 28 Sermon: An Open Door

This week, we explore Revelation 3:7-13 and delve into the story of the Philadelphia church—a community with little power but immense faithfulness. Discover how Jesus’ sovereign authority, the church’s steadfast spirit, and the promise of an eternal reward inspire us to persevere through trials with the assurance that God’s promises stand firm, even in the most challenging times. Join us to learn how to endure with hope and conviction.

Consider these questions as you listen to this week’s message from Revelation 3:7-13:

1. How does recognizing Jesus as the holder of the "key of David" affect our understanding of his sovereignty in our daily struggles and spiritual battles?

2. What are some practical ways we can demonstrate faithfulness to God’s word in times when we feel weak or overwhelmed by life’s circumstances?

3. How does the promise of being made "a pillar in the temple of God" influence our perspective on earthly challenges and spiritual endurance?

Transcript:

We love underdog stories. They are the types of stories that really draw us in, everything from something in the Bible like David and Goliath to that forever classic the Little Engine that Could. We naturally gravitate towards these types of stories. Now, we're just recently removed from the games of March Madness gracing our television screens, and I'm guessing that most people have similar feelings to mine. As you watch those games, if you aren't a fan of a particular educational institutional basketball program, you find yourself cheering for the team that's the lower seed. We love to see the little school topple the basketball powerhouses. Now, perhaps we are prone to this because we're Americans, after all, and our country came into being by standing up to the greatest empire that the world had known to that point. Honestly though, I don't think that's the case. I don't think it's just an American thing to want to cheer for the underdog. I think cheering for the underdog is a universal thing. It's a human thing to do. Well, today, as we come to the middle of Revelation, chapter 3, we find a church that the Lord, jesus Christ, has said has little power, but we hear that they have faithfully kept Christ's word and they have not denied his name, and this is how we hope to be found. So let's break down the passage as we consider what Jesus is saying to this church in Philadelphia and what the Spirit is saying to us today as well. The first thing that we are going to see in this passage is we are going to once again be reminded of the sovereign power of the one who is addressing these churches. We're reminded that Jesus speaks and he has authority to do this speaking. Secondly, our emphasis is going to be to consider the faithfulness that this church and the city of Philadelphia has. Even though they're being described as weak, they show their strength because they're faithful to the one who has rescued them from sin and death. And then, finally, we see the promise of an eternal reward, despite everything that is going on around them. These churches are experiencing persecution, they're experiencing tribulation. They can have assurance because they have a promise from God, and God keeps his promises to his people.

So, as we start off here today, we come to verse 7, and really we see a formula in this passage that we're becoming familiar with the address is always to the angel of the church in each particular city, and then we're reminded of who it is that is addressing each of these churches we are to the sixth of the seven churches in Asia, and they are going to be experiencing persecution just like the other churches. As I said, you are probably figuring out that all of these addresses feel very similar. They call back to something about Jesus, who he is. And most but not all of these addresses to the churches bring our minds back to that image of Jesus from chapter one. Well, that's not the case here. The statement to the church in Philadelphia begins with a reminder that these words are from the Holy One, the true One, who has the key of David. Now, this doesn't again. This doesn't call back to the powerful vision from the first chapter, but it is still a very significant description of who Jesus is. It lets us know the authority of the one who is speaking.

Jesus, referring to himself as the Holy One, gives the idea of more than just one who has lived a righteous life. That's not what is necessarily being conveyed here. It's pointing to his divinity. It's the Holy One. We're supposed to be reminded of his divinity and his authority. Remember back to this idea of Jesus back in chapter 1, being connected to this idea of the ancient of days.

The idea here is that Jesus isn't just the new guy on the scene. He hasn't just shown up. The idea here is that the authority of Jesus is beyond the moment, right now. He is from before time. He's the Holy One, and anyone claiming authority, as they are persecuting these churches, they are less than Jesus, because he is the Holy One of Israel. Again, he is before all time, and we get this idea from the statement here that he is the true one and that he is also the key of David.

The idea in this is that he is the promised Messiah. That's what this key of David means. He is the one not only with authority, but he is the one who they have been waiting for. He is the promised one of scripture, the anointed one. That's what Messiah means, and so he is the final authority. And he says here that if he opens a door, no one can shut it. It stays open. And if he shuts a door, no one is going to open it. And if he shuts a door, no one is going to open it. In a world where different people and institutions will claim to have authority over these people, it is the Holy One, the true One, the Messiah, who really has authority. Others will try to set themselves above this church in Philadelphia. But Jesus is the one who is truly in the authority. He has the true power.

And as we move on to verse 8, we see this wisdom and authority specifically applies to them. And once again we see that Jesus knows their works. He knows what this church has been doing, he knows what they've done, he knows what they're doing, he knows what they're going to do. And so this moves us on to our second point, for today he has seen that they're faithful to Jesus. The works that he sees them doing are good works because they are remaining faithful to him. They're remaining faithful to the one who has saved them, and Jesus says to them that he has set before them an open door. The door of salvation has been opened to them and they are invited into the kingdom of God and they are invited to the salvation won for them by the Lord Jesus Christ. He has opened that door and nobody is going to shut it and he is going to keep it open. He alone has that authority to save his people, and we saw in the previous verse that no one shuts this door, not even them. When he opens a door, it stays open and he is blessing them with this truth because of their faithfulness that they have shown to him. And this is where the underdog story comes into play. Jesus says that they have but little power, and yet they have kept his word. They have not denied the name of Jesus. And as I think through how these churches would respond to the messages that Jesus has been saying to them, I think this is the address that really strikes a chord with me more than any of the other ones.

Imagine that you're the church in Philadelphia. You don't have much power and the powers of the world are standing over you in oppression because of your faithfulness to the truth that Jesus is Lord. The oppression of the state is looming over you on one side. They can make your life difficult in so many different ways and, chances are, you're probably in the lower estate. In the first century, you already had a bunch of strikes against you to begin with, and now, because you say Jesus is Lord, you have that over you and something as simple as bowing the knee and saying Caesar is Lord. I don't care, caesar is Lord, I just want to go about my life. It'll make all of this tribulation, all of this persecution go away, you and your family could just go about your life and be left alone. And I really think that these are powerful words. Here In their world, there's nothing more powerful than the oppression that they're facing. And yet they are standing strong. The waters of the world are crashing in on them, but they are standing firm in on them. But they are standing firm. Pressure is pushing them from every direction, but they're not moving.

Now, when I was growing up, we were still allowed to do rather rough things on the playground at school. I think some of you know what I'm talking about. We were allowed to do some pretty rough things until someone broke a bone. Then we had to stop. But one of my favorite memories of the playground was, after a snow we would play King of the Mountain and when they removed the snow from the school driveway so the buses could bring us to our prison I mean school, so the buses could bring us to our prison, I mean school they would pile up the snow pretty high and one of us would get to the top and we would try to stay up there the longest and everybody I mean there would be 20, 30 kids there coming to the top trying to throw you down.

Now, it was pretty easy if you were the bigger kid, if you were older than them, you could keep them away. But once older and bigger and stronger kids got into the fray, your reign as the king of the mountain was pretty limited. You didn't last very long, as you can imagine. That's just how things work. Now. Imagine with me that game. But you have a first-grade child, not very big at all, weighs half of what the older kids weigh, who are coming up the mountain after him, and imagine this first grade kid pushing everybody down and he's never moved off the mountain. Kind of hard to imagine because it just doesn't simply happen. That's not how things work. Usually the smaller and the weaker are overcome very easily. That's just how. That's just how the world works. That's how this game works, right well, the church in philadelphia.

We read that they have a little power, especially in comparison to the forces that are standing over them in oppression. But Jesus commends them for standing strong. It is so easily, so easy to capitulate to the pressure around us, to just give in. We give in all the time because it's easy. Again, they could just say Caesar is Lord and their problems would likely all go away. But here they are, standing on this ground, despite being the weaker, smaller one, and they are standing firm on that proclamation that Jesus is Lord. And again, I find this address to this church in Philadelphia to be particularly powerful, because they're doing what we desire to do. We want to remain faithful, we desire to hold fast to the one who holds fast to us. And here we see that the church in Philadelphia has actually done this. They are doing this even though it hasn't been easy.

And why is it that they've been able to keep his word and not deny his name? Well, clearly, it's because they believe the message that they've received. They understand who Jesus is. They know that he is the one who is holy, they know that he is the true one, they know that he holds the true one, they know that he holds the key of david, and so they understand that jesus is their only hope. They know that he has set an open door before them and he will bless them and keep it open. As they remain faithful to him, they are able to boldly continue to say Jesus alone is Lord, because they believe that he is reigning at the right hand of the Father for them. They have a conviction that Caesar is not Lord, that Jesus is over all things. And so, even though they are small and the forces are coming at them from every angle and from a human perspective this is impossible. But because they are holding on to the one who actually is Lord, the one who is reigning, they are able to stand firm. The world would tell them you aren't going to win this. Just say Caesar is Lord and move on. You're going to lose. Just save face, give in and go on with your life. But they don't, because they have a conviction of who Jesus is.

Our first century sisters and brothers there in the church in Philadelphia did not give in, and we see that Jesus promises to bless them. This is connected to this conviction that they have. The blessings in Jesus are greater than what they could have by giving into the world, because he is the true authority and he is going to bless his people, he is going to protect them, and this is a powerful promise that we see here in verses 9 and 10. He says that there are synagogues of Satan, and the idea here is that the pressure is not only coming from the Roman state, as I've alluded to, but it's coming from Jewish oppressors as well. The oppression is coming from both sides. They're kind of in the middle here. The state and the established religious group are both coming at them, and Jesus says that these are those who say they are Jews but they're not. And the idea here is not that they are claiming to be ethnically Jews and they aren't. That's not the idea. What he's saying is that they have rejected the Messiah. They've rejected the one who holds the key of David, the one that they were looking for. They've rejected what was the plan all along. This is the plan of God for the salvation of his people, and they have rejected it. And Jesus says that he will come to them and he will make them bow before their feet. Essentially, he is going to reverse the situation. They will learn that the Lord loves them and is in their corner. He's going to take their position of oppression and flip it all around. And why? Why is he going to do this? Because they have kept his word about patient endurance.

As I've said many times, there are so many things in these addresses to the churches in Asia in the first century that are words for us here in the 21st century, when we have negative situations. What do we want? We want magic solutions, quick answers, we want fast solutions. But what does Jesus call us, his people, to? Patient endurance, and let's be honest, that doesn't sound like any fun at all. That's hard. I want to be rewarded for the faithfulness I had one minute ago. I don't want to patiently be faithful, I want to cash in my faithfulness right now, and the idea that my patient endurance is rewarded just isn't altogether that appealing. I want something now Because the world offers me instant gratification, but the Lord, jesus Christ, calls us to patient endurance. The world has wired us for the quick. The world has made us want what is easy. But we see here that the reward for patient endurance is great, and it isn't just that there will be a reversal of the oppression that they're receiving from these synagogues of satan. We also see that they are going to be kept from the hour of trial that is coming, and Jesus tells them that this judgment that is coming on these synagogues of Satan are coming soon, and so they need to hold fast. They can hold fast.

If I was in the church in Philadelphia, I think I would see all of this as a bit of a mixed message. We're hearing that we've done good in holding fast and so we're going to be rewarded. That's wonderful, jesus. But then he tells them that they need to keep holding fast. Oh, we got to do it some more. That's still hard, but Jesus does tell them that when they continue to hold fast, the motivation that they can do this, the reason they can stand strong, is because he is going to bless them.

He keeps on heaping on the promises he says to the one who overcomes, the one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of God, and the idea here is that they become an immovable part of an immovable building. They have a secure place in eternity, a secure place in the presence of God. They will not be moved and on that pillar will be written the name of my God and the name of the new Jerusalem. In other words, they are established completely. They are established eternally in the new creation. This new temple will never be destroyed, and they are a part of that because of their patient and faithful endurance.

And what's interesting about this is that the city of Philadelphia experienced many earthquakes. It was not a stable place. They were used to the idea of the earth moving under their feet. But now, as the world around them is shaking in every way possible, they are now being promised a place of eternal stability. They have oppression from the roman state, from these synagogues of Satan, and even the ground beneath their feet moves. It shakes. But the one who is before all things, the sovereign one, the holy one, the true one, the one who holds the key of David, he is promising them eternal foundations that can never be shaken. And once again we get this statement here at the end, telling them to pay attention to what's been said. We've seen it every time he who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. These sisters and brothers who have held strong in the face of difficulties are being promised that God himself is going to make them eternally immovable.

And as we consider this passage today, I want to come back again to this idea that we desire to be like the church in Philadelphia. As I said a few weeks ago, no one looks at these verses about tribulation and persecution, this idea that there is an impending state of difficulty coming, and we say man, if persecution ever comes for me, I hope I'm the first one to crumble. Nobody thinks that way. We want to remain faithful. We want to be the little, weak one who prevails in the face of oppression of those who hold power of us. We want to be the underdog who wins and regardless of how weak or strong we perceive our faith to be right now, we hope that if oppression and tribulation and persecution were to come, that we would not give in. Were to come, that we would not give in. So how do we do this?

Well, there isn't a magic formula, there's no secret trick, but I do believe that these letters to the churches in Asia do tell us how we prepare for persecution, how we prepare for tribulation, and how do we do that? What do we see at the end of all these addresses? That we trust the promises of God because he keeps his promises to his people. Think on the basic formula that we've seen each week in these words to these churches Jesus is shown to have authority and power. The churches are admonished and some of them are commended for what they're doing. And then they are given assurances of the promises of God for his people and they are told that Jesus is coming in judgment, that he is going to come and right the wrongs that are being done to his people. And then, at the end, we're told to listen up, to take these words to heart and hold fast to them.

And the basic theme, and what I continue to take to heart deeply as I work through these passages, is that I need to be like the people in Philadelphia. I need to believe the promises of God to his people and that they are better than anything the world has to offer. And if persecution comes, we need to know that the promises of God are true and that the Holy One protects his people. We need to know that giving into persecution might be a quicker way to achieve relief, because the ultimate relief that comes for the people of God is the final victory that the Lord Jesus Christ has for us as people. And the simple fact is that, compared to what the world can bring against us, we have little power. We're like the church in Philadelphia. There is nothing that we bring to the situation but the one who has authority over all things. He has all power and he makes a promise to his people. He will never leave us or forsake us, and we can trust and believe those promises, because he is the holy one, he is the true one. He is the one who holds the key of david and, as we saw earlier in revelation one. He holds the keys of hell and death in his hands, and all wickedness that opposes him will forever fail.

So how do we lean into those promises? How do you and I endure? Well, we need to continually hear the promises of God. We need to see that he is faithful to his covenant people. We need to be continually reminded that we serve a God who makes promises and he has kept them. And we do this by hearing the word, by hearing the gospel. We need to keep those things in front of our face, because the world is trying to push us off the hill from every angle. They are coming from every direction. The only way that we stand firm, the only way we remain faithful and that we patiently endure is by knowing that the promises of God are greater than the pressures that we're receiving from the world. So may we be a people who looks beyond faith and sight and instead looks to God in faith. May we be sure of what is hoped for, may we be certain of what is unseen, that we might faithfully endure, knowing that we have promises from our covenant God that are unshakable. Amen.