The Church Jesus Cherishes: Part 1 - Revelation 3: 7-8

2:20And it's appropriate to talk about the God who opens doors, and the God who opens doors that no one can shut. In fact, I want to talk to you this morning, or certainly in this study, about an open door that God has put in front of you. Of course, the intention of an open door is for you to walk through it. Well, as we come to Philadelphia, I just want to give you a brief review of where we've been.

2:52First, we started at the church of Ephesus, and we called them the Church of Loveless Orthodoxy. They were a church. Church, theologically sound, orthodoxy. They loved orthodoxy, but they had a systemic problem in that they were loveless. They had left their first love. So we really don't want to be like them in that regard. We came to Smyrna. We called that the church of living martyrs. The church that is on the verge of being ready to be persecuted and lose much life. Smyrna.

3:36Nothing bad is said about Smyrna, only good. Jesus encouraged them to withstand the onslaught that they were about to experience. Then we came to the church there in Pergamum. We called that the church of endangered loyalty. The church as a whole had not compromised their loyalty, but it was endangered because they were tolerating certain teachings. It was a loyalty that was endangered. Then we came to Thyratira, the church of compromised loyalty. They were no longer just endangered. Their loyalty was not endangered. They had compromised it. And then we come to Sardis, and that's the spiritually dead church. We called that the church of spiritual deadness.

4:26It's really a black picture, kind of bleak. You look at all these churches and you're asking yourself, as somebody asked me, which of these churches would you like to be? Well, I don't want to be a church of loveless orthodoxy. I don't want to be a church that our loyalty is endangered, compromised, and I certainly don't want to be the spiritually dead church, and that leaves the church of living martyrs. Anyone want to sign up for that?

4:56You have to ask yourself as you're walking through these churches, which of a church here that is experiencing peace? And not the peace of the compromisers, the peace that comes from making concessions to the world, but a peace, the shalom, that peace that transcends a church that is able to stand in the midst of all that's going on around it and experience a blessing from the Lord, a state of peace. They're being faithful, they're resisting temptation, and they are experiencing shalom. Is there a church? Well, welcome to Philadelphia. That's the church we'll be looking at. Welcome to the church that I call the church Jesus Cherishes. The church Jesus cherishes.

6:00I'll tell you a little bit about the town, Philadelphia, as we get an understanding of the city, its history, and its geography. It helps us as we walk through the text itself. Well, the city of Philadelphia is in the modern town of Alishur, Turkey. It's about 25 to 30 miles south and east of Sardis, which, if you're looking at our Texas map, that would put us about Lufkin, in the Lufkin area. There are several key things about this city that are important. Number one, its name. It was founded somewhere around 200 years before Christ by a king from Pergamum, either Eumenes or his little brother Attalus.

6:58But the name of the city was named after Attalus, Attalus, who was loyal to his older brother, Eumenes. It was clear that the people preferred Attalus as king rather than his older brother, Eumenes. And on one occasion, someone allegedly Told Attalus that Eumenes, his brother, had been assassinated and coerced him to take the kingship. Well, upon learning later that his brother had not been assassinated and his brother was alive, he gladly relinquished the kingdom back to his older brother, Eumenes. On another occasion, there was intense pressure from Rome for Attalus to overthrow his older brother and rule in his place.

8:05Attalus would have nothing to do with it. These and other acts of loyalty to his brother earned Attalus the title Philadelphius. And he became known as Attalus Philadelphius. The name Philadelphius means lover of his brother. Attalus, the lover of his brother. Philadelphius. Significant name. Honorable. Lover of his brother, Attalus. Another thing about Philadelphia is that it was a gateway city. It was the gateway to the east. It was situated at the head of the road that connected west to east, really, for true. Trade for military operations from Greece would all go through Philadelphia as it made its way in connection to the Orient. It was the trade, military operations, and passage to the Orient. We understand a little bit about a gateway city here in the United States, St. Louis, Missouri. Maybe some of you have heard the gateway to the West. We have an arch that speaks of this great gateway. Now, I know there's some debate whether Kansas City really deserves the title or whether it's St. Louis. I'll let them debate that. But the federal government obviously built a great gateway arch in St. Louis over a half a century ago, and it was to commemorate the millions of explorers and pioneers who settled the American West during the 19th century. And we can think of Philadelphia as the ancient doorway to the East. It was through Philadelphia, gateway to the East, that Greek commerce was exported, Greek ways, the Greek language, was exported to the Orient. And they were very effective, by the way, because after 100 years, the Greek language was the Language spoken in the nearby eastern countries, such as Phrygia and Lydia. It was Greek. So it was a gateway city. Another thing to bring to mind about Philadelphia is that it lived in the fear and dread of disaster. A huge earthquake in 8017 was unparalleled, really, in the annals of history up to that time. That's the one that destroyed Lydia, and destroyed actually 12 cities in Lydia. 12 cities in Lydia went down in that one.

11:13But including Sardis, we talked about the earthquake last time. Sardis, well, there was in Philadelphia seemed to be hit the hardest, maybe not the hardest, but they had the most aftershocks because it was the closest to the epicenter, and many people just moved out of the city because of the many aftershocks. So they lived in the fear of dread, and many people never did go back into inside the city. They were outside. Another significant feature about city Philadelphia is that it went through many changes of names, changes of names. After the devastation of the earthquake, an effort to rebuild the city was launched. By Caesar, and so out of gratitude, Philadelphia renamed itself Neo Caesar, Neo Caesarea, the city of the new Caesar. Later, same century, they wanted to honor Vespasian, and so the city took on the name Flavia.

12:28And that signifies a little bit of this emperor cult, god, and dynasty that they were part of there. There's other references that the name may have been changed a fourth time during the same century. But if you think about by the time John is writing this letter to the church there at Philadelphia, some people in the church, no doubt, had probably lived through at least three, maybe four, different names that the city had. The new name is going to be a big emphasis in this letter. Another significant feature about this town city is that it was later referred to as Little Athens, Little Athens, due to its many gods. The patron god, Dionysus, the god of wine and drinking, may have come about due to. Its prolific grape industry.

13:35In fact, the Thompson seedless grapes are said to have originated from this area. We buy them all the time in the store. Thompson's seedless grapes. Anyway, it's significant that all of these idols that it would be called Little Athens, even though that came at a later date than John's writing, it gives you some insight that this church dealt with all of the issues and influences that the other churches were dealing with. Whether it was the pressures of the emperor cult worship, see, like vespation, or whether it was the guild gods or the idolatry, the sexual immorality, that all of these things that plagued other churches, they were clearly present at Philadelphia. And yet it is also very clear that this church rose above all these temptations.

14:38And so with this background in mind, let's start working our way through this letter to this church at Philadelphia. Jesus starts by describing himself as he does in the other letters. Look at verse 7. And to the angel of the church at Philadelphia, write, He who is holy, he who is true, he who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this. So Jesus describes himself. He says, I've got several things I want to tell you, saying these things.

15:20And he identifies himself literally with three descriptions. It's how Jesus sees himself in relation to this church. First of all, he writes, he who is holy. He refers to himself as the holy one, the holy one. And this is a clear reference to his holy character, his holy power, his holy majesty, his dedication to holiness, dedication to all that is right and good. But it's a picture of his holy sovereignty, the holy one of Israel. Listen to what Isaiah 40, verse 25 says: To him, to whom then will you liken me, that I would be his equal, says the holy one. Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars, the one who leads forth their host by number. He calls them all by name because of the greatness. Of his might and the strength of his power, not one of them is missing. The Holy One. Holy, majestic, sovereign, ruling one.

16:44This is who Christ sees himself as. And he takes the title, the Holy One, the Holy One, a title reserved only for God. The Holy One says this to you. Then there's a second title: He who is holy, who is true, literally the true one, the Holy One, and the True One. The True One. This is an expression, very simply put: the One who is in accord with the truth, the True One, truth. He is in accord with the truth. Everything He says is true.

17:30It's in accord with what is real versus what is unreal. In accord with what is fact and not fiction. Everything He says is in accord with that which is perfect, not flawed. Genuine, not illegitimate, authentic, not phony. The one who is in accord with the truth. And because he speaks the truth, He is in accord with the truth. He is reliable. He is trustworthy. Because he speaks the truth, we can build our lives upon him. He is reliable. He is trustworthy.

18:16So he is the holy one, the true one. And third, he is the authoritative one. Look back. He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens. He is the authoritative one. And it's clearly over David's house. He's authoritative over David first as king. He is authoritative over David's house as king. Notice he is the one holding the key of David, the key of David. He has, he is in the possession of, he is holding. He has the key of David. And what do keys reflect? Keys reflect authority, the ability to open something, close something.

19:23Keys denote authority. In Revelation chapter 1, verse 18. Jesus there predicts or depicts that he is the one who holds the keys of death and of Hades. Death and of Hades. So he has authority over the realm of death, over those who live and who stay in the grave and those who don't. Revelation 9:1, there is this key to the bottomless pit that is given to a fallen angel. That gives him the authority to open. Revelation 20, verse 1, then I saw an angel coming down from heaven holding the key of the abyss. He has the ability to open up the abyss and throw Satan into it, bound. So the key denotes authority. And here, Jesus describes himself as the one who has the key of David. David.

20:33You know, there was another person who had this key. In Isaiah 22, 22 speaks of Eliakim, who actually replaces Shebna, the unfaithful steward. But Isaiah 22, 22 says this: Then I will set the key of the house of David on his shoulder. That is speaking about Eliakim. When he opens, no one will shut. When he shuts, no one opens. The key. Certainly in Eliakim's day, referred to the one who had the right to allow access into the king's presence, the one who had access into the things related to David's monarchy, including access into the king's presence and everything else.

21:30By Jesus describing himself this way, he is saying, I am the one who has complete control over the royal household of David. All the covenantal promises made to David and made to his seed and the promise of an enduring kingdom belong to Christ. He has the key. Jesus is the one with authority over the right to access and the right to give access to the kingdom of David. He doesn't use the word kingdom of God here. He uses specifically that which relates to the monarchy and the kingdom of David.

22:22Why does he do this? Well, I can look at verse 9. Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not but lie, I will make them come and bow down at your feet and make them know that I have loved you. So, one element that's going on in this community is pressure from the synagogue of Satan, much like Smyrna was dealing with the same issues. Those who claimed to be Jews but were not, those who probably would attest, we have the covenantal promises of David, you're out, we're in, maybe a lot of that kind of stuff going on. And Jesus is clearly saying, no, I'm the one who has access, control, I am the holy one of Israel, I am the true one, I am the one with the key to David's kingdom, and it will be more glorious than anything Solomon ever dreamed of. It is described for us in several places. But it is not the Jews who have that authority, it is Christ.

23:41But notice also, and this promise, actually, Luke 1:32, when the angel comes to visit Mary, says this, He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, will give Future, the throne of his father David. Seems to be a geopolitical, earthly statement. But here, clearly, he is also the authoritative one over David's house as God, as God. Look back at what he says in verse 11: he who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens. There is an authoritative picture here.

24:43There's only one individual that acts and nobody can reverse it, and that's God Himself. This is a statement, clearly, again, of Christ's deity. Isaiah 43:13. Even from eternity, I am he, and there is none who can deliver out of my hand. I act, and who can reverse it? So here's Jesus, seeing himself as the holy one, the true one, the authoritative one. What he says is right, what he says is right. Is reliable, and what he says is irreversible.

25:35What he does is irreversible on a church level, on a national level, on a global level, and on an individual level. He has opened doors, he is the one who opens, he is the one who closes doors, and he has opened one for you and for me. And we'll come to that in this study. But it's important to see his activity. Jesus sees himself as the one who opens and the one who shuts, and it's irreversible.

26:13This speaks of opportunities, speaks of relationships. The problem is that many of us go through life trying to open what God has shut and try to shut what God has opened. And what a futile way to live. You go through life trying to open what God has shut and try to shut what God has opened. Your life is going to be frustrated and futile. I appreciated what Matthew Jones said in the Bible study this morning. He said, when God opens the door for you, the only thing to say is, yes, sir, and walk through it.

26:55Well, this is who Jesus sees. Himself to be. And then he goes on to describe three characteristics of this church that he cherishes. Three characteristics of this church that Jesus cherishes. And I want to look at those this morning just so that we can be such a church. The church Jesus cherishes. First of all, look back at verse 8. I know your deeds. I know your works, deeds, works, accomplishments. I know, I am intimately acquainted with all of your activities and all that is produced by your activities. He knew them. He knew them thoroughly, like he knows everyone thoroughly in every church. He is acquainted with the who, the what, the when, the where, the how, the why, and the extent of their works and our works. He is thoroughly acquainted with all of it. That's what he says. I know, I am intimately acquainted.

28:19He knew the quality of their deeds, just like he knows the quality of our deeds on an individual and on a corporate level. He knows, but he Knew their deeds, and he knew what these deeds said about the church. The deeds, your deeds, my deeds, our activities speak about who we are. And he knows them, and he knows them about this church. And because he knows their deeds, he knows what they say about the church. And so he goes on to mention three characteristics of this church.

29:08They're going to be at the second part. We'll come back to the middle. I know your deeds. And he interrupts: Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one shuts, because you have little power, have kept my word, and have not denied my name. There they are. I know your deeds. What he knows about this church, they have little power, have kept my word, and have not denied my name. Let's look at each of these. I know that you have little power.

29:46The word there is: you have a little strength, little ability, abilities, capabilities, little strength. The church was acquainted with its smallness and its inabilities. It was probably a small church, probably small in size and in influence. From all outward appearances, this church may not have been all that remarkable. Maybe not even considered a great threat. You know, sometimes a church's obscurity may be their greatest blessing. You know, sometimes an individual's obscurity may be the greatest blessing. This church seemed to go on doing the thing that a church should do in the midst of its smallness. There were many of those who were there in Philadelphia who probably would compromise, and they did, so they left.

31:04And they were no longer part of this small congregation. But the first thing that we can put together about the church that Jesus cherishes is that it's independent of its size. The church Jesus cherishes is independent of its size. Second, oh, and maybe we can, before we move on, maybe we can. Can relate to this. You ever felt that you're in a position of little influence? Probably all of us. I have a little influence. I have a little station. I can't do a whole lot. I have limited capabilities.

31:51Even on a good day, when everything goes right, I'm small. It should be an encouragement because the church Jesus cherishes is independent of its size. I love this. Second, let's keep reading. You have a little power and have kept my word. Second characteristic of this church, you can see it right here, it has kept his word. It has kept his word. A very rare statement. In John 17, 6, a similar statement is made about the disciples. Jesus praying says, in John 17, praying to the Father, says, I have manifested your name to the men you gave me out of the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. This is the disciples before they defect and before they scatter and all. This and here's Jesus saying, they have kept your word. And a similar statement is made here about this church at Philadelphia. They have kept my word. Kept.

33:13This church kept his word. They treasured his word. They treasured Christ's teaching about himself, word. The word is plural, it's singular. Kept my word, overall teaching about myself, about everything he said, teaching. They have kept his word. They have treasured his word. They have kept, they have held on. Everything he taught, no matter the degree of their smallness, they loved Jesus and treasured his word. This is what's important about a church and a person. Do you keep his word? Do you treasure his word? This is what he cherishes.

34:10They stand in great contrast to the world of their day and to the other churches. They treasured, though they were small, they treasured that which was large and great. They resisted the Temptations to disregard his word, his teaching, no matter what the pressures were, and they were there, as we've already looked at based on their setting and history. They weren't just an outcomes-based church ministry. The means and methods of their ministry were very important to them. They treasured God's word, they treasured Christ's word, and they kept it.

35:02In verse 10, the thought is they is going to be developed a little more precisely. They kept the word of his endurance, they endured patiently. Well, that's something we have a hard time with, isn't it? Though they were small, they endured the trials, the temptations, the pressures, and lack of resources in a Christ-like manner. We're not very good at waiting on the Lord, but this church was. What about you? Yeah, we're all going to endure this world one way or the other, but do you do it in a Christ-like manner? Do you patiently trust God through the amidst the midst of the trials, the situation, your place?

35:54Listen, being impatient with God is not a virtue, it never is. Is a virtue. Do not go through life impatient with God. Do not go through life as an impatient mess. Because once you get through this mess, there'll be something else the next day. Don't worry. That's what Jesus is saying in Luke 12, as we read earlier. But because this church maintained a right attitude towards Jesus' word, they also had a right attitude to his words.

36:43And this allowed them to maintain a right attitude toward his name, to his name. So the second characteristic of the church that Jesus cherishes is that it cherishes his word. The church Jesus cherishes cherishes his word. Third, the church Jesus cherishes cherishes his name. Cherishes His name. Look back. You have a little power. You have kept my word, verse 8, the end, and have not denied my name. You know, Peter denied. Denied. There are people all the time that are ashamed of Christ's name in a perverse world, and Jesus promised to be ashamed of them in God's holy presence. So people are ashamed of Christ's name all the time. That's what the other churches are facing. They were ashamed of Christ's name and the standards that he held and his exclusivity being the only way. In the midst of all these pantheons of deity, Jesus claimed to be the only way.

38:20But this is what was true about their works. Every work, their accomplishments, everything they did had this signet ring of faithfulness upon it. Faithfulness to Christ's word, faithfulness to his name. In every venue of church life, they resisted the public temptations to deny, to disown, to reduce Jesus' name. Yeah, the church Jesus cherishes. Cherishes his name. You know, size really doesn't matter about the importance of a church. Great numbers are not Christ's primary interests. Fidelity is.

39:22Fidela, I love your name. Fidela, think about it. Fidelity. That's what's important. That's his primary interest. A church can be small in number, little in its abilities and capabilities, and yet be a church that Jesus cherishes. But I want to also say this on the other side of that. Just because a church is small does not mean that it's cherished. Sometimes I think we get the pride of a little church. Well, we're little, but God loves us. Well, you might be little because you're under God's judgment. And the very opposite is true. You can compromise just like any of the others. No. What is important is keeping his word and not denying his name. That is what is important.

40:25And a church Jesus cherishes cherishes his word. Word and cherishes his name. These should pervade our works, characterize all of our activities as a church and as individuals. What do your deeds say about you? Jesus would, He knows our work. But this may be a silly question. I'll ask it anyway, because it's one that I think people ask. If Jesus was here bodily today, what church would he go to? Well, there might be very reasons. He might go to very different churches, but some in judgment. But what church would Jesus just like to go and enjoy being with? That's a good question. You know, Jesus wasn't a man of the Metroplex. He was a man of the little villages. He was a man who went and spent most of his time in small group settings. He loved people. He loved fellowship. He loved being in that small, get-to-know-one-another settings. That's where Jesus spent the majority of his ministry. He did pass through Jerusalem, but he was not really characterized as a man of the metroplex. What does he love? Well, he loves the church that cherishes his word.

42:01A church that cherishes his name. It's not that hard to figure out where he would enjoy being. He tells us right here. And that's independent of size. Independent of size. We can go on and see an expression of his love here. Look at chapter 2, 8. I'm sorry, chapter, where am I? Chapter 3, 8. I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut. We've looked at the three characteristics of a church that Jesus cherishes, and now we'll start looking at the expressions of love that Jesus has for a church that he cherishes, how he expresses his love for the church he cherishes. We'll look at that. I'm going to have to begin looking at this next time.

43:09Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut. What is he talking about? What is this open door? Very important, as the new semester begins, as summer starts fading in the rear view mirror, what has God placed before you? What doors has he opened? Well, there's something very specific here that he has opened. He has opened that he expects you to walk through. That's why he opens it. But you're going to have to come back next week as we start working our way through that.

43:48He is the Holy One, the authoritative one. What he says is right. What he says is reliable. What he says is irreversible. Open doors. Open doors. We can just think about this as we close out. It's maybe a preview to what's ahead. What does God open? Well, I can promise you right now that He has opened a number of doors for you. Number one, He has opened for us a church. He has opened the door to be a church that cherishes His Word and cherishes His name. That door is wide open. Do you want to be a church that cherishes His Word and His name? No one can take that away from you. Do you want to walk through that as a church? Will you walk through that with me as I try to lead this church along with other men?

44:57That's what we want to be as a church who cherishes his. His word and cherishes his name, and he has given us that open door to do that, and no one can shut it. You know what else? Maybe some of you don't know Christ today. Maybe you are still in your sins, and you knew if you died tonight, you would instantly be cast away from him. And you know that. Let me tell you about an open door that he has for you: it's the door of forgiveness. He has opened a door of forgiveness, and it's open. Will you walk through it?

45:37A door where you can come and lay your sins down at the foot of the cross and receive the new life that comes by having your sins forgiven. It's open. Come, repent of your sins and place your faith and trust in Jesus Christ and His finished work. He has finished and put an end to sin and its penalty and its power. He has opened that door, a door of forgiveness for you. Will you walk through it? He has also opened up a door to us, to heaven.

46:16He has opened a doorway of obedience. Listen, no one can shut that. I don't care who you are. He has opened a door of forgiveness. He has opened a door to heaven. And he has opened a door to forgiveness. To obedience. Will you walk through that door? Say yes, sir. We just sang the song. We'll join that everlasting throng and we'll join the chorus and crown him Lord of all. That door is open now. We're going to sing it then. That door is open now. Crown him, Lord of all, as you live your life on this earth. What a privilege. And it's open, it's wide open, and no one can shut it. Will you walk through it? Will you help each other walk through it? It's open, and no one dare shut it.

47:22He has opened a door of life to him, a door of fruitfulness, a door of purpose. All of this is open. And as you face this new semester, you're going to have all kinds of doors opened. And one of the big questions, what should I go through? God, should you, will you open this door? Will you. Just remember, he has opened a door of obedience for you, a door of forgiveness, a door of life, a door of fruitfulness, a door of purpose.

48:00Let these be primary. Walk through these first, and he'll make sure you have the other ones opened and closed at the right times. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you that you are the one who opens and you are the one who shuts. We don't have to live in fear. You are the Holy One. You are the true one. And because of all of this, we can rest and we can face whatever the day brings. Help us to patiently endure, as this church patiently endured their times. Help us to patiently endure our times and help us as individuals patiently endure the circumstances and situations and all that you have us going through week in, week out.

49:01Lord, we want to walk through that doors, the doors that you have opened for us. We want to be obedient. We want to crown you, Lord of all, even as we go and journey and sojourn on this earth. May you be exalted. Father, add to your number today. Awaken the dead. May those who do not know you today hear your voice calling them to walk through the door of forgiveness and relationship with you. In Jesus' name, amen.