Preston, Harold: Letters To Seven Churches-06 ~ Rev3:7-13

All right, we're continuing our studies in the letters to the seven churches in Asia, as found in Revelation, Revelation chapters two and three. And today we're in Revelation chapter three, beginning with verse seven, which takes up the letter to the church at Philadelphia. And we'll read from verse seven through thirteen. Revelation three, verse seven through thirteen. And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia, write: These things says he who is, who is holy, he who is true, he who has the key of David, he who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens. I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it, for you have a little strength, have kept my word, and have not denied my name. Indeed, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say they're Jews and are not, but lie. Indeed, I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. Because, because you have kept my command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly. Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go out no more. 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 I will write on him my new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. This is a little bit different from some of the other churches that we've been studying about here. We do not find any reprimand or any condemnation of the church at Philadelphia. And it's no wonder, it seems so fitting that each one of these churches listed here somehow measure up to the name of the city where they are found. Philadelphia means brotherly love, the city of brotherly love. And what do we find in the congregation here? The church, evidently, it was a church that manifested love, brotherly love, and love to the Lord Jesus Christ. It was probably not a large and impressive church, because it says you have little strength. It did not boast great things. In fact, as we contrast Philadelphia, the church in Philadelphia with the church at Sardis, notice at church at Sardis, it says, uh, as the Lord, uh, viewed and examined Sardis, he said, I know your works, that you have a name that you're alive, but you're dead. What a contrast with the church at Philadelphia. It didn't boast a great name, but yet it says it had a little strength, and the Lord finds nothing to condemn in the church at Philadelphia. It must have been made up of a wonderful group of committed Christians who were faithful to the Lord and to his word. Now, all around Asia, as we've already seen in these, th- these seven churches, there were those who had departed from the truth. And that seems what, uh, rather a marvel to us, I'm sure. That at that, that close to the apostolic days, that close, so far as history is concerned, to the time that our Savior walked on earth and taught to the marvel of men. And to think that with all of the evidence, with all the history so close at hand, that there would be those who would depart. But yet that tells us something of the nature of man. We don't always hold fast, do we? One of the tragedies all down through history is how that there have been those who've been so exposed to the truth and profess to follow the truth, to have departed. It happened not only in the first and second century, the third, fourth, and fifth, and so on. It happens in the twentieth century, and we have seen much of it in our day. And when we deal with some of these things, we're accused of being too critical. But here, all we have to do is to look at history, the history of the churches in God's word, and see what the Lord Jesus Christ has to say about those who have departed from the truth. Now, one of the questions that may arise, but did those churches know about each other? Did those, did those churches know that others existed? Why, of course they did. Word got around, as a matter of fact, we don't have time to go back and to read that, but you remember that, um, from Ephesus and also from Thessalonica, we read that the word spread, their faith was known all over the world. Word travels, doesn't it? It really does. The reputation of these congregations was known. Now, what do you think that these believers in Philadelphia, what do you think they said or felt about the church at Thyatira and the church at Sardis? Hmm. When news may have come to them of the departure, I'm sure it stirred them at heart. And does it not stir us today when we hear of the same thing? It should, because just imagine the Lord Jesus Christ gave his life for the church. Says Christ loved the church and gave himself up for it. So imagine what this means to the heart of the Lord Jesus, to see the churches departing from the truth. Now, one, one thing about this church at Philadelphia also, as we look at it in the light of history, you say, well, can we find any period in church history where the church at Philadelphia fits in, it represents most surely. It represents that period, you say, after the church at Sardis? Yes, when the church became dead, it was full of formalism. Oh, it had its, it had its buildings, as it were, it had, it had an outward impression that they were having some activities and going on, but there was no real life there. It was just formalism. And we know that that's what crept in shortly after the Great Reformation. But thank God that it didn't continue that way. And we see the Philadelphian Church rising out of the Reformation. When there were those Christians, God raised up some real scholars back in those days, and men of great and deep conviction to return to God's word. And I, I need not tell you that those who are usually labeled as brethren can trace their lineage back to that place in period in time where that there was once again a return to God's word and to carry out his plan in teaching the truth, obeying the truth, and this resulted in a real missionary spirit that began to grow to the point where that, as some describe it, a real revival and an interest in taking the gospel worldwide. It's referred to as the beginning of a real missionary period. I don't know if you've noticed or not, but I couldn't help but notice this morning as I glanced through some of those, uh, songs in the red book there. How many of those songs, those hymns, came out of this very period that we've been talking about in the history of the church? Look how many of those writers, don't, uh, don't bother about it now, but sometime when you're looking through this book, notice how many, uh, of these writers, of these hymns, lived in the seventeen and eighteen hundreds. Here we see, we see something of true theology manifested by these hymn writers. Now, not all hymn writers, um, really, um, know that much about the truth. As John Walden says, don't get your theology from the hymn book, but thank God for those hymns that have been selected, that are true to the word, that we can, um, sing, expressing these blessed truths concerning the Lord and his work and the challenge for us to live for him and to serve him. So, this gave rise to a great missionary. Now, now I'm aware of the fact that the Roman Catholic Church was missionary-minded too, so far as that goes. In fact, very, um, years before that, they began to take Catholicism all over the world. That's why you see, uh, South America and many parts of the world dominated today by Catholicism, particularly South America. They spread Catholicism, and so that presented that, um, that presented a real problem because they went in the name of Christianity. And you go into some of these countries, and they say, don't come in here with any other message. Try Brazil, for example. The Catholics in Brazil are still threatening the Protestants, even today. We find people in this country trying to arrange a courtship with Catholicism, and in other parts of the world, Catholicism is threatening Christianity. So that's something, something to think about. And, um, when we go into some of these areas with the gospel, run into some real problems because they say we're Christians already. Let me tell you, this was a stumbling block on the island where we lived in, in the Philippines for years. On the island of Mindoro. Brings sadness to my heart to think that when you go to some of the Mangyams, which is the tribal people living in the mountains, you don't go up there and say, I'm a Christian, I'm here to help you. You say, yeah, I know why you're here. You're here to help. We don't want your kind of help because when the people from Luzon began to go down to the Mindoro Islands years ago and to settle, the government allowed them to stake out so much land, and so they were possessing that island where these Mangyans had lived in the lowlands. But what these people would do, and they were called Christians, of course they were Catholic, they'd go and stake out the land, but they would even get into the lands where the Mangyans had been living, and they'd take it over and take over their crops. And the Mongols, the name Mongols means timid. They were timid people. They wouldn't, they weren't a warlike people. They just kept moving back in the mountains. And the name Christian got a terrible name. So you go and tell them, I'm a Christian, I'm here to help you. Yeah, I know how you're going to help. You're going to take over everything that I've got. So that's the, that's the name that they got. So that was a movement also that went around the world, and that created some real problems, but yet it's definitely increased the need because the people who have been so deceived and under a false religion need the gospel just as much as those who have never heard of the name of Christ. And the sad thing is that those Mongols didn't know about Christ. What they heard about the Christian was just unfair and unreasonable and conquering people. Remember, one time there was an old Mongian that came down to town, and he came by our house, and he stopped, and he was looking our house over, and we went out and invited him in to talk with him. So happened that one of the brothers there who could speak the Mongian dialect could communicate with him, and I told him, I said, Dr. D. Dela Serna, said, would you ask this man if he's ever heard of Jesus Christ? And Brother Dela Serna asked him, have you ever heard of a man, Jesus Christ? And the man didn't think and to look around as if he's thinking seriously, have I ever heard? Finally said, no, I've, I've, I've never heard of, heard of that name. I've never heard of that man before. You see what the message of Catholics were taking? They weren't taking. Well, that be as it may, I mentioned that because I wanted us to understand what a worldwide mission the church had not only in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, in the nineteenth, but how much of a job we have in the twentieth century. And the Great Commission still exists. Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel. And the Lord said too, pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth laborers into the harvest field. So we're thankful that this commission also was a challenge to the church at Philadelphia. And to whom did the Lord appeal? You'll notice since he had no, nothing to condemn, it was a letter of encouragement and commendation. And to whom is he going to trust this responsibility and an open door? That's what we're going to see in a moment. To whom's he going to give the open door? The church at Thyatira? No. We see what the church at Thyatira had done. The message had been corrupted, and here we see a picture of Roman Catholicism in Thyatira. So the Lord doesn't heal to the church at Thyatira as he does to the church at Philadelphia. So, here is the message the, to the angel, to the messenger of the church at Philadelphia. These things says he, notice, who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens. Here we find the description, a lovely description of our Lord. Notice he doesn't appear with the sword. He doesn't appear in judgment. He appears in the presentation of himself as the Holy One. That is, this speaks of the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is Jehovah. He is pictured there in Isaiah chapter six. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord. You say, well, that is the Old Testament Lord, that's Jehovah, that's right. And here the Lord Jesus himself says, he who is holy. He is identifying himself as the person back in, the God back in Isaiah chapter six. He's unchangeable, as it says in Malachi, I'm, I am Jehovah, I am the Lord, I change not. And he is the true one. Says he who is true. Now there's two words used for true here in the Greek New Testament. One of them is true as opposed to a lie, and the other one, true as opposed to the imitation. That is, he is the genuine. He is the true one, and that's how he is pictured here. He who is true, not an imitation, but the genuine. Now, Satan has his counterfeits. He's always had his counterfeits. He's always tried to represent, uh, to present someone to counterfeits the Lord Jesus Christ. And this is no wonder that the Lord Jesus had so much opposition in his day, and it's no wonder that there are many today who come as a false, uh, he presents himself as true, but yet he is false. There are those who deny the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, in John chapter five and verse forty three, um, I believe it is, is that the passage I'm looking for? Yes, uh, verse forty three of John chapter five. Jesus says, I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his name, him you will receive. So this sh- this is a real indictment against man, isn't it? Here Jesus Christ comes, the genuine one, the holy one, the true one, into the world. God manifested in the flesh, and the men say, no, we will not have this man to reign over. And who will they choose? They'll choose the Antichrist. There'll be another one who will come, he says, in his name, and you'll receive him. Isn't it amazing, brethren, how that when the Antichrist comes on the scene, the whole world is going to follow after him. The untruth, the liar, the deceiver, and the world will bow down to him and serve him. Oh, what an indictment against man and his wicked heart. Also, he's pictured here as the one who has the key of David. He who has the key of David. You say, well, wait a minute, what, what does that mean? The key of David? Well, this takes us again back to Isaiah, and you want to turn there to Isaiah chapter, uh, twenty two and read a couple of verses, verses twenty one and twenty two. Here's a, here's a prophetic utterance from the Lord. I will clothe him with your robe and strengthen him with your belt. I will commit your responsibility into his hand. He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder. So he shall open and no one shall shut, and he shall shut and no one shall open. Who do you think this is referring to? It's referring, of course, prophetically to none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, of course, we go back in history, we know that, um, the key of David speaks of authority. There was a man by the name of Eliakim, who was David's secretary and treasurer. He had the key of David. In other words, if anyone would come to see the king, if anyone could approach the king, they had to come through Eliakim because he had the key to David's house. He had the authority to open and let him in or to say no. And so now we see that Christ has the key of David. And what is a key for? Well, a key is to unlock, uh, a lock or a door. And so that's precisely what the Lord Jesus Christ is referring to here. He has the key to the kingdom of David and to the kingdom of God, and he has the authority to open and to close. And so he has the authority, he says, to, to open and no one shuts, and to shut and no one can open. I remember when this passage was made real in a real practical way to me, many number of years ago. We were down on the island of North Borneo investigating the possibility of expanding our work from the Philippines among the Chinese to the Chinese down in the North Borneo. And we're in the city of Sandakan, and there was a dear old brother there, G. C. Willis, who was walking around with us in the streets, and he had explained to us that even though this was a British protectorate, that you couldn't start a new mission there. In fact, the British government was, um, um, so strong in maintaining peace with the Muslims that they wouldn't allow any Protestants or any other groups to come in. You couldn't even go out on the street and hand out a tract. You couldn't go out and you could have a meeting in your house, and that's how they were meeting. The church was meeting in, in the house, but you couldn't go out and invite people to come in. Now, if people said, if can I come in, you can, you can accept them, but you could not go out and invite them. My, and to think that here was Britain, supposed to be a Christian country, supporting that kind of thing. Well, anyway, um, we were, after he had ex- after Brother Willis had explained all this to us, and we were out here on the street looking around at all this masses of people, mostly Muslim, a lot of Orientals there. Said, brother, looks like it's impossible for us to start a work down here. He says, well, he said, just remember this one thing. It's the Lord who has the key, and he can open and no one can shut, and he can shut and no one can open. Says if the Lord opens the door for you here, then you can enter. But he says, if not, then you cannot get in. But yet the Lord had opened the door for this dear brother. He was in China for many, many years. As a matter of fact, he was captured by the Japanese during World War II and spent, I don't know, maybe three years in prison up there. And so when the communists were taking over China, he just moved out of China and went down to Sandok in North Borneo to continue the work for the Lord. He could speak, uh, Mandarin well. He'd been so many years in China. Well, anyway, here's how the Lord opened the door down there for him. You see, he couldn't come in and build a church building. He couldn't come in and invite people to come. He could not go out on the street and hand out tracts, but this one thing he could do, he could open up a business. What kind of a business did he open up downtown? A store, Christian bookstore. That's right. And he, he, he had lots of good literature there in English and in Chinese, and he had plenty of Bibles in the various languages spoken there, and especially he had Bibles for the Muslims in their own dialect, and then that they were speaking in Borneo. He had it, so they had Bibles there. But there was another neat thing about it. Brother Willis's son was a medical doctor, and he had his offices in the back of the store, and the waiting area for the, for the doctor's office was out in the store. They had seats out there. That was the waiting room. And the doctors, the doctor, of course, you know, you don't still go walk in immediately and visit a doctor. Most cases you have to wait a while, and I'm sure that Doctor Willis planned it so that his patients would have time to wait and to look over the literature, and they did. And this was a means of reaching people because they invited themselves in. The government did not hinder that. So the Lord gave them an open door there in his way, and that was, that, that illustration really encouraged me. Yes, the Lord has the key, and he can open. Wonderful thing about, uh, oh, Brother Willis, his doctor, his son, as I said, was a medical doctor, and his daughter-in-law, the doctor's wife, was a nurse. And that gave them many open doors, because when sick people out there, they're going to invite people to come in. And you know, I had this privilege too on that occasion. Um, the doctor was real busy and couldn't go with the two nurses out to these, um, to these houses where the Muslims were, and one old man out there needed treatment badly. And so these nurses were going, and they didn't want to go without a man along, a man along, so they asked Victor and I if we'd go with them. So we went out to this area, and guess what? There was no law that said that they couldn't play a record. They had one of these hand-cranked phonograph records, and they had a gospel message in the dialect on it. So while they're in there teaching, they crank this thing up, and they're playing the g- gospel message, and the people were just gathering around, really listening to the gospel. So, again, the Lord can open doors, and aren't we glad for that? Now, the Lord says, I know your works, and I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it, for you have a little strength and have kept my word and have not denied my name. Here again, the Lord is aware of all that's going on, and here we see a door of opportunity, so we don't know, he doesn't explain what it was, but we can be sure of this, that was an opportunity for the Lord's name to be proclaimed. Perhaps spreading the gospel is usually associated with that. As a matter of fact, if we look back to second Corinthians chapter two, second Corinthians chapter two and verse twelve and thirteen, Paul says, furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord, I had no rest in my spirit because I did not find Titus, my brother. But taking, uh, my leave of them, I departed for Macedonia. So here was an opportunity and an open door. Um, also back in First Corinthians chapter sixteen in verse nine, Paul says, for a great and effectual door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. Now, incidentally, when these doors are opened, it doesn't mean that it's easygoing. Even though God opens doors, they're the adversary. Why? Satan hates the gospel. He doesn't want the word to be spread abroad, and sometimes he offers much difficulty, problems, and opposition in order to discourage the spread of the gospel, but the Lord is able to overcome. And this is where the church, uh, in other places come in, not only the local church, but churches in various places who are aware of this. For in Colossians chapter four we read, beginning with verse two: continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving, meanwhile praying for us that God will open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest as I ought to speak. So Paul is saying here, presenting here the need to pray for those to whom open doors are given. This is how we can have fellowship. The whole church, you see, is one body, is involved in entering into these open doors. This is why we ought to pray earnestly, yes, and daily for the missionaries. Incidentally, I hope all of you still use your nineteen ninety seven Missionary Prayer Handbook. You say, well, the year's almost over. That's right, and we have on order these missionary prayer handbooks so that each family here will have one. And so when you think about this matter of the spread of the gospel, think of the responsibility that we have, and we can pray for these who are involved in the work. Now, here again, God does not wait until there is some huge congregation. Notice here he says, you have a little strength. They weren't a big impressive congregation. He says, you have a little strength, but you know something? This is an opportunity for God to manifest his power. Turning to, back to, um, second Corinthians once again, chapter twelve and verse nine. Remember, remember the difficulty that Paul had, a thorn in the flesh? Paul said, and he said to me, my grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. God's strength. For here, when it's accomplished out of a weak vessel, it's all of God. And that's why God didn't choose the mighty things. Remember he said in his first epistle to the Corinthians, chapter one, verse twenty six, for you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things that are mighty. Isn't it wonderful how God can take some of the simplest and weakest individuals, as it were, and use them in a mighty way. And it thrills our soul to hear of those whom the Lord uses in this way. Now, the Lord goes on to say, commending these people, he said, you have kept my word. God loves obedience more than sacrifice. They had kept his word. They had not departed from his word. Though small and weak, yet they were abiding in His Word and have not denied my name. They weren't afraid to stand up for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And no matter, even if those of the household of Satan opposed them, that is, as in verse, verse nine. Here there were Jews, these who said they were Jews, but he said they're not really Jews. They claim to be the seed of Abraham, but they weren't. He said you're of the synagogue of Satan. But he says, I'm going to make them to come and bow down at your feet. That is, they will recognize that you are truly following the Lord. He said they're going to know that I have loved you. And then he continues. Because you have kept my command to persevere, you have held fast. You've persevered. Now that gives us an idea that it was a struggle and were under difficulty that they pressed on. It wasn't easy for them, but they continued. They kept his command. So he said, because you've done this, I'm going to keep you from that hour of trial. What hour of trial? He said, that which is coming upon the whole world to test those who dwell on the earth. Oh. This tells us that there was a great and terrible time approaching, and that they were going to be kept from it. And we know that to be reference to the Great Tribulation, which incidentally covers the most of the book of Revelation from chapter six um on through chapter nineteen. It's the Great Tribulation period. But these believers are going to keep be kept from it. Not kept through it, but kept out of it. The word from here is the word ek, which means out of. That is, they're not going to go through it. Not only going to be kept from the trial itself, but they're going to be kept from the hour or the period of time. The Christian is not going to go through the Great Tribulation. The Lord is going to gather ga- gather the church out unto himself, and they're not going to go through all of these judgments that appear from chapter six through nineteen, which appear in the opening of the seals and the sounding of the trumpets and the bowls of wrath of God's judgment that's poured out upon the earth dwellers. I tell you, these judgments are great and terrible things, but these people in Philadelphia need not fear that. They're going to be kept from it. Just as the true church is today, they need not fear the great tribulation period. The Lord is going to gather the church away unto himself. Now, these judgments are going to affect a bunch of things that people are so concerned about in the world today. We hear a lot today about the environmentalists, don't we? Boy, they, it's almost like a joke to hear the vi- environmentalists that want to protect our environment. You ever stop to think that this is one of the first things that God is going to do when he's poured out his judgment? It's on the environment. It's on the environment. They talk about keeping our waters pure, and what is God going to do when he pours out his wrath? The waters are going to turn bitter, they're going to turn to blood. My! And not o- and another great thing that we're t- we're concerned about worldwide, and that's the economy. And his judgment is going to hit this earth in such a terrible force that it says it's going to take one day's labor for man to buy a loaf of bread. He's going to hit the economy. Why, men are trusting in themselves rather than trusting in God. And so the Lord says that for those who love him and serve him, he's going to keep them. He said, behold, I come quickly. Hold fast what you have, that no man take your crown. That is, the crown has to do with rewards. Those who hold fast are going to receive rewards, and crown, the crown goes to the victor. Those who overcome are going to receive that crown. And notice what the Lord is going to do when he comes for the overcomer. He says, I'm going to make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Isn't that wonderful? You say, well, what is a pillar? Well, I think he may be referring to the time here back in, back in those days in the pagan priesthood, you know, that they had their temples and their priests and so on. Whenever a faithful priest would die, they would erect, um, a pillar in the temple with his name on it. And so the Lord Jesus is saying here, the overcomer, I'm going to, um, make him a pillar in the temple of my God. We're talking about a place of eternity. And he shall go out no more. That is, he's going, he's not going, it's not going to be dying and removing so on. He's going to remain there. He'll be living. 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 I will write on him my new name. Here, the Lord Jesus is concerned about names, isn't he? He says, I know my sheep, and he calls them by name and leads them out. And he knows you and me. He knows every member of the church, and he's concerned for everyone. Now, you know, these messages concerning the Lord's coming have a twofold purpose. One, it is to warn the careless and the indifferent, and it's to challenge us to be prepared. But also, it's a message of comfort. When he talks about the Lord's comfort, the Lord's coming, he says, Paul says, comfort one another with these words. So it's a word of comfort. And so he goes on, uh, to picture here, as we've discussed, the promise to the overcomer, and now we notice that this message is for all believers. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. And in closing, I'd like to read a few verses from Romans chapter thirteen To bring this down to where we live today, to make it practical, here's what Paul writes, Romans chapter thirteen, beginning with verse eleven. And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep, for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore, let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness or lu- and lust, not in strife and envy, but put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lust. Our Father in heaven, we thank you for your precious word, and we do thank you for this letter to the church at Philadelphia, for these blessed truths that are designed to encourage and to challenge us. And may we indeed look for and be ready to enter those open doors, and that we might be faithful to your word and hold fast to your name, that we may indeed accomplish that which would bring glory and honor to you as we wait for our Savior's return, and we would say with the Apostle John, even so come, Lord Jesus. Amen.