The Church that Jesus Cherishes: Part 5 - Revelation 3: 12-13

0:50Oh, we come back to the church that Jesus cherishes, the church at Philadelphia. We're into our fifth sermon in this series. I didn't anticipate this many, but I do intend to finish it today. You know, we see the royal family in the news again. Periodically, they show up, captivates the world, periods, time, or events that take place in the royal family capture the attention of the public. What I want to do today is. I want you to see the true royal family, the royal family that is of royalties of royalty, the family of the King of the Kings and the Lord of the Lords. And I want to invite you today to be part of that family.

1:50You can see them, part of them here in Philadelphia. This was a church that Jesus cherished. There were two specific characteristics that distinguished this church. First, they cherished his word. Second, they cherished his name. That is the way you are to respond to the God of the universe. As we just sung, planets, systems, celestial systems in motion obey his word. They have their being because of his word. As the clay, you respond to the potter, your creator, by cherishing his word and by cherishing his name and letting that shape your life, take you where it wants to take you, let you become what it wants you to become. That is how you respond to your God.

2:57That is how this church at Philadelphia. Responded to the Christ that they had heard. We have been looking at the expressions of love that Jesus bestows upon the church he cherishes. Jesus cherishes those who cherish him, and he expresses love. He expresses love for those he cherishes. And we looked at those already in this series. He opens the door to eternal honor, he vindicates them before their enemies, he delivers them from that great hour of testing that is coming upon the earth, and he crowns them in victory. That's what we've been looking at so far. And in all of these expressions, it is specifically targeting the church that Jesus cherishes. And then in verse 12, he continues to speak about his expressions of love, but the focus is a little bit different. It's on the individual.

4:06Still expressions of love, but the focus is upon the individual. And so he lists another two expressions of his love, this time focused upon the individuals that love him. He cherishes the individuals who cherish him. And I want you to see, too. Expressions of this love this morning so that you will, number one, know what those who have been born into the royal family are like and what he intends to do for them. So, first, we're going to just look at these. Come to verse twelve.

4:58The first thing, first expression of his love to the individuals who cherish his name is that he makes them eternal, glorious insiders. He makes them eternal, glorious insiders. It's a mouthful. We'll unpack it. Look at verse 12. I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will not go out from it anymore. You ever heard the expression VIP? What's a VIP? A very important person. So he makes them a very important person, but since that is already used up, I thought I'd use EGI. He makes them EGIs. What are EGIs? Eternal, glorious insiders.

5:55So that's the same thing in some ways, but emphasis is a little different. But that's what he does. He makes them eternal, glorious insiders. I just want you to see this. I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. To the one who is overcoming, the one who is overcoming all these temptations, who is growing in the ability to overcome the temptations to abandon his word or deny his name, to this one, this one, I will make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will not go out from it anymore.

6:33Two aspects. Observe two aspects of this promise. First of all, I want you to see what Jesus does for them. The second aspect, what this says about their relationship with God. First of all, what Jesus does for them. Notice he makes them. The idea is he makes them, he causes, he establishes them to be a pillar. He makes them. He's at work, establishing them to be a pillar in the temple of his father, his heavenly father. Think about that. The expression is pretty strong. Saying, it's like he's saying, I'll turn them into a pillar.

7:22Zap. Boom. Turn you into a pillar. Of course, it's not literal. He's not. Saying, I'm going to turn them into a stone column. I mean, you could imagine that. Wow, all this faithfulness. I put it all in all of a sudden, bam, right at the end, I get turned into a stone pillar. No, it's but there is a literal truth behind, there's a literal truth behind this metaphor. What is he saying? Let's explore it. What is a pillar? Let's think through that. What is a pillar? What is he saying to those who are overcoming? Well, first of all, you can say this about a pillar in this context. He's talking about people. He's not saying, I'm going to make you into stone. He's saying, I'll make you're going to remain a person. But Scripture often refers to people as pillars. Paul referred to Peter, James, and John as pillars in Galatians 2:9. The pillars, what does he mean? They were pillars of the church. And they're the ones who extended Peter the right hand of fellowship and Barnabas. They were pillars of the church. Very important people in the church.

8:40Paul also refers in 1 Timothy 3:15 to the church of the living God as the pillar and support of the truth, this institution which is people. They are important. They have an important role in society as upholding the truth. And so throughout Scripture, a pillar is a person, and a pillar in these contexts speaks of people that are very important. Portent. The other day, we're all favorite family, kind of sitting around, or at least a few of us, and one of my children says, Dad, we think it's better if you died before mom.

9:37We think it's better if you died before mom. Well, I'll get your attention. So, I think we would be mine. I think it would be better if you died, because really, mom would be fine without you. But you would be lost without mom. It's like, don't get me wrong, we'll miss you. I'm over there thinking, do I need to start locking my door at night or something? I don't know if I like where this is going. Oh, we would miss you. You know, I think you're important, but we could not get along without mom.

10:25She does everything: food, school, registers us for classes, pays attention to everything. Everything. Our world would really radically change if mom was to step out of the picture, but we'd probably get along pretty fine without you. So I am going to look into better long-term care insurance for my older age. But what she was saying is that mom is an important pillar in our home. Dad, you are too, but point: a pillar is a very important person.

11:04And so the one thing we can observe about a pillar is that here we're talking, Jesus is talking about a pillar being a very important person. But what else can we notice about a pillar? Well, a pillar is permanent. It involves a place of permanence in the presence of God, in the temple of my God, a place of permanence. And it's reiterated at the end of verse 12, and he will not go out from it anymore. It's a place of permanence. They are permanently insiders. They are permanently inside, there, near God, the very immediate presence of God.

11:56So their location is on the inside. A permanent, eternal place. But a third thing we can say about pillars is that they're used to strengthen and adorn buildings and temples. The pillars are oftentimes what showcased the strength of a building and the beauty of a building. The columns magnified buildings that were very important, and their purpose was to captivate the eye and make the beholder marvel at the beauty and importance of this structure and the one to whom the structure was dedicated.

12:48So they were intended to captivate so that one could appreciate and marvel at a temple's magnificence. But notice also it says, in the temple of my God. I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. My God. The temple is the place of the immediate presence of Jesus' Father. In fact, Jesus is the one who adorns his father's house. I go to prepare a place for you. He's the one that adorns the Father's house.

13:30He's the one who architects, he's putting it together, he's adorning. And he says that he is going to make people adornment for his father's house. How many of you adorn your house with people? Think about it. How many of you like to showcase people in your house? How many of you like to put pictures upon the wall? How many of you like to put memorabilia that comes from a certain individual? Yeah, we don't put our children over there in a corner to adorn it. I'm not sure that would work anyway. But anyway, but we do put pictures. We do adorn. It's people. When you go into a person's home, they're people. There you can see people. Well, that's exactly the way God is. He likes to adorn his house with people. That's the adornment.

14:45You know what's interesting, somewhat of a deal is that Jesus here is saying that he makes him a pillar in the temple. Of his God, and yet in the new Jerusalem, in the eternal state, it fairly clearly says there is no temple, that the Lamb and God and the Lamb are its temple. For some, this has created a problem. What's being said here? Two different metaphors, two different things. Well, yes, could be. But I would see this as there are whatever expression, whether it's the eternal state or whether it's the millennial kingdom, I believe there will be a temple in the millennial kingdom. And that in the new Jerusalem, there is no need for such a temple. But that in the eternal state, these people that he's speaking of here, promised, will be eternal, glorious insiders. In the millennial kingdom, they'll be eternal, glorious insiders. They're part of that inner circle, whatever expression this kingdom may have or go through in different periods. What's being stressed here is that for the individual Jesus cherishes, he makes them eternal, glorious insiders.

16:16Like we just read the words, David, this is the thing that David wants. One thing I have asked from the Lord that I shall seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to be holy. The beauty of the Lord and to meditate in his temple. God delights in those who delight in him. And what he's communicating is that whatever aspect of the kingdom that is being displayed, his people, his overcoming people, will be part of God's inner circle. It's an incredible statement of promise. So we've looked about what this says, what this says about or what Jesus is going to do for them, but there's a second aspect of this promise that I want you to see. It speaks about the relationship that they have with God. Look back at verse 12. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will not go out from it anymore. The word for go out from it is the idea, he shall not be reduced, he will not be released, he will not be descended, he will not go away. Speaks of a status, position that is eternal and glorious. They become part of God's inner circle.

17:55Just going where the text goes. What we have here in Revelation, last chapters 2 and chapter 3, and things to come, we have some of the most vivid descriptions of what heaven is going to be like that we have anywhere else in the scripture. And certainly these images and expressions that are depicting Christ's overcomers are part of all of that expression of what heaven is going to be like. But take for a moment this concept of being part of an inner circle, and that is what a pillar in the temple of God that doesn't go out anymore. They're there in the immediate presence of God. The image is very clear in this regard.

18:43Talk about eternal security. They will search no more for a home. There is no place beyond this. And this is where they belong. And this is the result of Christ's work in them. Remember, it's Jesus saying, I will cause, I will make, I will establish them as eternal, glorious insiders, my Heavenly Father. He makes them part of that inner circle of friends. What a privilege. Have you ever felt on the outside of something? Have you ever felt like an outsider? Whether it was among friends, and you just didn't really click in. There was this inner, cool little group, and you just were kind of on the outside. Or maybe it's in your work, there's this nucleus, there's this core, or maybe it's in church, maybe it's this church. Maybe you feel I'm a little bit on the outside of something. Maybe it's at school, maybe it's with friends, whatever it may be. I remember in fifth grade, a new boy that moved to our school, and he wanted so bad to have friends, and he had this awesome set of Hot Wheel cars. And he would come to church, and he so wanted to be part of our core group that every day he'd come and give us each a car so that he could be part of that until he gave all of his cars away. And we didn't know it. And he wanted to be part. I think we can all relate to that.

20:31Well, this is what Christ gives to his people. He wants them to become eternal, glorious insiders. And that's what he wants for you. And that's what he wants for me. And so he wants you to cherish his word. This is how you respond to your creator. He wants you to cherish his name. This is how you respond. The clay responds to the potter. And as you go through life cherishing his word and cherishing his name, he is molding and shaping you. And he is preparing you to be an eternal, glorious insider.

21:18You know, there are some people in life you just have to tolerate. You're commanded to love them. But let's face it, they're not all that great of a joy to be around. You ever have anybody like that? But then there are those people who you just enjoy being in their presence. Just being around them strengthens you. Just being around them is just a delight, a pleasure, a joy. Well, the same is true with God. There's a certain kind of people He wants in His immediate presence forever, and that is those who cherish His word and cherish His Son's name.

22:06Notice how heaven is decorated. It's decorated with people, not cold stones, but living beings that become a marvel for all of heaven to look at and behold His glory. As they see the work of Christ and what he has established in these people's lives and their character and their beauty and who they reflect, they fall down and honor and worship the King of kings and his heavenly Father. Yes, he makes them EGIs or VIPs. Is God your VIP?

23:03Is He your very important person in this world? If not, make Him so today. As I'm preaching this morning, He is calling you to be in a relationship with Him. And He wants you to be one of His eternal, glorious insiders. And by the way, there's plenty of room. It's not like, okay, we've got a half dozen, we're fools. You know what? There's another tier over there. You can go hang out. We're talking about an infinite God who wants His people to be eternal, glorious insiders. I hope your heart will stir you and move you to this is what grace is set. This is the open door that is set before you. You. This is the open door that was set before Philadelphia. This is the open door that's set before us this morning.

24:10So, for the individuals Jesus cherishes, he makes them eternal, glorious insiders. Second, he marks them with the very character and reputation of heaven itself. He marks them with the very character and reputation of heaven itself. Look back. Second part of verse 12. And there's more. And 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.

24:52Notice the second thing that Jesus does. He writes all over them. Literally, the word is: I will cover with writing upon him. No, this is an excuse to go get a tattoo. I will cover him with writing. I will superimpose words all over him. That's the idea. Or just simply, I will write on him. But it's a writing all over him. I will write all over him. And the emphasis is that what's written upon him is going to be visible.

25:30It's not going to be something that can be concealed. What is he that he's going to write? We don't have to wonder. He tells us. Look back. Three names. He's going to write three names. Jesus promised to permanently mark his overcomers with three names that will forever establish them in the highest dignities of heaven itself. Three names. These are the most important names in heaven, and they describe who these overcomers really are. They describe who this royal family really is.

26:21The first name is the name of my God. Look back. And I will write all over him. I will write on him the name of my God. Now, the word name, name, what does that refer to? A name isn't just a sound of syllables that people respond to and designate a person. They speak about the character and reputation of the individual. So a name is connected to the character and the reputation of the individual. So the name of my God is the character, the reputation.

27:00And the glory that belongs to God. So Jesus promises to forever identify this overcoming one with God Himself. I will write the name of my God, my heavenly Father, all over him. My God. Jesus certainly lives in subordination to his Father. But he also, this my God, also expresses the brotherhood that he has with his people. Remember in John 20, 17, as Mary was clinging to Jesus after that resurrection morn, or on that resurrection morning, Jesus said to her, Stop clinging to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father, to the Father. But go to my brethren and say to them, I ascend to my Father and to your Father, to my God and your God.

28:07So when Jesus picks up this word, my God, he's speaking about this relationship, his subordination, but also the brotherhood that we have to him. As I said earlier, we have this fascination with the royal family of England, don't we? This passing of Queen Elizabeth has brought the whole Monarchy back to the attention, front pages, front of everything. I remember in 1981 when Diana married Charles. How many of you remember that? Yeah, quite a few. Those of you brave enough to raise your hand.

28:53Remember, it was the kindergarten teacher that became England's princess. It was the Cinderella story. And there's something within us that just loves that whole story. The really nobody or somebody of lower rank becoming elevated to the heights in the kingdom and raised to glory. We love the story of the lowly being raised and ascending to glory. It's a big deal. The story gets told at nauseum throughout history, right? We see it over and over. It's a big deal. It captivates a lot of intrigue when someone is brought in or closer to the royal family, or especially when they get closer to the throne. Let me ask you a question: What do you think the gospel is all about?

29:57The gospel is about the lowliness, the lowest. Lowest of the low being elevated to the most pristine and glorious place of them all. And we're so captivated by the earthly stories of the undeserving, the becoming noble, or putting into positions of nobility. And why do we think so little about the gospel? It is where the one that has no name at all worth mentioning takes on the royal name. This is the true royal family. That's what the gospel is about: calling the undeserving to the king to become part of his eternal, glorious insiders forever that he marks with the very reputation and character with heaven itself. He puts the name that is most precious to him all over them. That's the name of his God, his heavenly Father.

31:09And listen, when a person takes on the name of Father, God, guess what we do? We're adopted. Purpose of heaven, I mean, the purpose of salvation is to bring us into this adoption, to elevate us, to make us belong to the The family, to the royal family of God. When you take on the name of your heavenly Father, you take on the full character and authority of the family name. To have his name is to belong to him, to bear his name.

32:01And this is what Jesus does, writes the name of his father all over him. Second, look back. He writes the name of the city of my God. Verse 12, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, the new Jerusalem, the fresh Jerusalem, the previously unknown, unused, the new Jerusalem. Is it a literal city? Yes. Just as literal as the new heavens and the new earth, so will be this city. There are some who see this merely as a figure that the city has been descending throughout history. However, it cannot be that. Because in the new Jerusalem, it's very clear that there's no more crying, there's no more pain, there's no more death. This hasn't happened anywhere on planet Earth, not even in the littlest place.

33:00No, it is a future expression of God's glorious work and the habitation that he has prepared for his people. Yes, it is a literal city. And this shouldn't be too complicated to imagine. The Son Himself descended from heaven and took upon himself a physical body. Here we're told that an entire city is coming down. There has to be a place where Christ-like people dwell. And the Bible tells us about it. It's here. Where do they dwell? There is a physical expression of the spiritual reality.

33:54But let's think about that for a second. Yeah, city. But pause and think: a city. It's going to write the name of a city. When you think about a city, well, a city is a place of residence. We live in a city, kind of. Would you call this a city? It's getting there. But it's the residence place of God Himself. But a city also speaks of an order. There's a certain order. There's a certain way that we associate together in this community here. Bryan College Station. There's a government, there's protocol, there's a purpose, there's a normal function. That's all that is bound up in the idea of a city.

34:43And so he puts his people in a place where there will be a function. There's a government, there's a protocol, there's a way of interacting. And he wants his people, the ones that he's formed in his image, to live together, to be able to reflect the glory of God. That was man's original purpose. And he puts them in community to relate to one another, and then man truly can image God. But the new Jerusalem is characteristically different from the old. That's why it says it's new.

35:17And the people who have this city written all over them, they belong to this city. They are part of this glorious and permanent new order where the righteous dwell. And not only have access, but they have a permanent home, a permanent name, permanent character. Philippians tells us 3:20, for our citizenship is of heaven, from which we also eagerly await for a Savior, Jesus Christ. Speaks of a citizenship or a commonwealth. That's the idea, a city, the commonwealth, the new Jerusalem. The Commonwealth of Heaven.

36:03But you know, being a citizen of a strong city or country has its advantages. I noticed there's not a lot of people streaming into the Ukraine right now. Why? Because it's very unstable, falling apart. It's not a place where people want to be. People tend to immigrate to a place of strength, a place where there's order, a place where there's opportunity. Paul, he was a citizen of Rome. This gave him a lot of great privilege. People want to be part of a strong city and thriving country. Citizenship means something there.

36:50Such it is with heaven. He writes all over them. This is their home. This is the place. There's a third name. Look back. Into verse 12. And my new name. My new name. What? Jesus is going to get a new name? Or he already has. We just don't know it. What is it? What does he mean? There's a new name. In fact, when you read in Revelation 19:12, when you see him coming on the horse, in verse 12, it says, His eyes are a flame of fire, and on his head are Many diadems, and he has a name written on him which no one knows except himself.

37:36He has a name. He knows who he is. That hasn't been fully disclosed to us. And when Jesus says, I will write my new name on him, what is he saying? He is saying that there is a further revelation of who Jesus is and his glory and his majesty that has not yet been revealed. But he will in someday make himself fully known by his new name. See, think about this. Kings have subjects, don't they? And a good king, even in earthly kingdoms, a good king, a good ruler, identifies with his people.

38:28The more they identify, you know, a good king is one who really identifies and really goes to work and for the people, loves his people. Well, the perfect king so identifies with his people that they cannot be distinguished from him. That's the closeness. That is in the terms of his communicable attributes. He makes them like himself to display his perfections, even though they are unique individuals, individual personalities. He identifies himself with them. His people, the ones who have this name, they will be privileged. They will have the capacity to grasp the full significance of Christ's incarnation.

39:21He's going to pull it all together. They're going to know Christ more fully. But as a second implication of all this, they're also going to know themselves more fully. The more you know Christ more fully, the more you know yourself more fully, because we follow Him now. And as He is, we are becoming. So as we learn more about who Christ is, we learn more about who we are coming, who we are becoming. And so there's a future when partial will be done away with, and we will see Him as He truly is, and we will take in who He is, and we will be transformed and permanently put in that glorified state of knowing Him and reflecting Him and being in that eternal, glorious insider position, decorated with the name of His Father, with the name of the city of His Father, and His own name.

40:24What is the new name? It doesn't tell us. That's not the answer. Emphasis. The fact that we will share it with each other is, the fact that we will share it with Him and with each other is. So the reward for identifying with Him now in this world is that we will be identified with His name forevermore. So for the individuals that Jesus cherishes, He makes them eternal, glorious insiders, and He makes them, He marks them with the very character and reputation of heaven itself. There are no higher names in the name of the Father, name of the city, and the name of the Son.

41:16I look back, verse 13. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who is having an ear, if you are listening, hear what the Spirit is saying to us. He wants us to be these eternal, glorious insiders. These promises are for you today. You who are overcoming the obstacles that block the way of following and identifying. With Jesus. Have you never put your faith and trust in Jesus? You can do so today. Overcome that block by saying, I will believe. I will simply believe. I believe today what the preacher is saying, that this is an invitation to come to Christ today, and that I will cry out right now and ask God to forgive me of my sins, and I will put my faith and trust in Him. Do so. Get rid of the obstacles that are keeping you from following Him, from being one of His children. And if you are in His family, if you're already part of this royal family, may you cry out and say, God, I want to follow you more. I want to love you more. Help me so value what is being talked about. I can't even get my mind around these incredible riches, but I see they're laid out there for me in abundance. Help me to respond to them in a way that most pleases you. And I choose today to follow. I will believe.

42:56And I will cherish your words, and I will cherish your name. Help me, Father, in all this. Once upon a time, there was a church at Philadelphia. They overcame the challenges of their day. They cherished Jesus' words. They cherished his name. Oh, that God would give us more people and more churches like this church in Philadelphia. Who will find his words more and more precious as they grow older, and his name more and more sweeter as they go through the seasons of life?

43:41They get better with age. They prove that there is no contest between Christ and the things of this world. Oh, that God would give us people who would truly cherish His word and cherish His name. Will you be one of them today? The invitation is for you. Let Jesus become more and more large to you. Let Him become more and more magnanimous as you walk through the issues and the seasons of life. For so He wants to be. Sweetness of life increases with age.

44:23We have found the fountain of life, and it's not this fable thing that keeps this old decaying fleshly body alive. It renews us inwardly, and then one day it will put on a habitation fit for eternity in His immediate presence. Well, is God your VIP now? Then look forward to the future, for you will be His VIP forever. That's the invitation to heaven. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for these truths. We thank you, Father, they're too marvelous for us to even take in. Even the concept that you would bring those who are so lowly, so undeserving, and that you would bring them and elevate them to such a royal height is beyond our ability to grasp and understand, and yet we see it plainly written here in the text before us.

45:31Father, help us to respond. What a privilege. Thank you for Christ, who makes us, who establishes us, and causes us to grow so that we may reflect your glory and ordain and adorn your house forever. Thank you. In Jesus' name, amen.