The Church at Philadelphia — Westlake Bible Fellowship

0:00 Opening prayer

Alright, let's open in prayer. Our dear father, as we come to the throne of grace, we are asking for grace. Grace that will allow the word of god to strengthen us, allow us to hear what the spirit says, let us learn from the Church of Philadelphia, let be introduced to this assembly, understand what you were saying to them but also just to learn about those who resided there and to be able to enter into this visit to the church of Philadelphia. We ask in Jesus name. Amen.

Church of Philadelphia, very encouraging church. There will be four points I'd like to discuss out of the text today. The first one is he validates. Christ validates. The second one is Christ vindicates.

Christ vindicates. The third one and this is a word I made up. He affirmates because there wasn't another word that ended in eight that I could use. He affirmates and lastly, he authenticates. Now, this message is meant to be an encouraging message.

This message is designed to point out how the lord Jesus was viewing the church, the the believers at Philadelphia. It's it's designed to show us what they were learning so that we might help the church that's at Westlake, the church at Shawnee. So, with that in mind, let's read the text. We'll be in Revelation chapter three verse seven. Revelation three and verse seven.

And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, these things says he who is holy, he who is true, he who has the key of David, who opens and no one shuts and shuts and no one opens. I know your work. Same word is in the church of Smyrna. See, I have set before you an open door and you can, no one can shut it, for you have little strength, have kept my word, and have not denied my name. That verse is the one on validates.

Verse nine, indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say they are 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. That's the one on vindicates. He affirmates verse 10, because you have kept my command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which will come upon the whole world to test those who dwell on earth. Behold, I am coming quickly, hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.

He affirmates and then, he who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of god and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of 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 authenticates. He who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches. You know, that last phrase is interesting.

What he really means is this, I want you to listen. I just don't want you to hear sounds and phonics. I want you to listen to the content of what I'm saying and I want you to respond to it. Every letter ends like that. And he's not just using that as a this is the end of the letter closing line.

He's pleading to listen to what he has just said. So, let's listen to what he has just said. What has he just said? Well, let's go back and and look at the way Christ talks about himself. He says this, he who is holy, this is what we call an an absolute attribute of god.

This this is an idea of two things. The first thing is that he is separated from all that's created. Meaning, as the originator and constructor, he clearly has there is a difference between him and what is made. So, ideologies or philosophies, religions that make god part of the creation are false. He is clearly existing outside of creation.

Creation was a byproduct of him. So, you can't say they're the same. You can only say that they are distinct. They are distinct, separated, not in a negative way, just distinct. God is god, creation is another.

Now, many of us who have been perhaps in Christianity for a long time would say, well, that's nothing new. No, of course, it's not new but it's very important to this church. That identification factor is extremely important to the Philadelphian listener. You'll see why in just a minute. Now also the second aspect of holiness is not just being separate from creation, but let's just say creation corrupts itself.

Now you're even separated from the corruption, right? So normally we think about holy as separate from sin, but there's two aspects. You're separated from the created order and you're separated, especially so, from the corruption that's affected the created order. Now our sin is a big part of that obviously and it's created so or it's it's byproduct is death destruction and then you throw in Satan who's trying to kill, steal, and destroy and you basically have a mess. And what god is saying is, although I'm separate from sinners, that's a quote out of Hebrews, I will engage the sinner.

That's the unique, that's the, what do we call? That's the rub, right? That's like, wow, I didn't see that coming. That although there's this two reasons to be distinct, you don't let those reasons dominate. You account for them and then make a right path for god to deal, interface, and interact with his creation.

Now, when he made Adam, there was no sin at the pre fall condition and you could see how god the creator interfaced with Adam. They had times where they would name the animals together. I think they talked a lot. Says he walked in the evening of the cool of the day. I think that wasn't just once.

I think it was routine and there seemed to be a real camaraderie so that Adam was in line with what god was thinking and god and Adam were on the same page of all of managing the creative order and so there was harmony, solidarity, unity, oneness. That was a beautiful thing for god. One of my sons, right now, he's he he said to me, dad, I I I can see you're busy. I want to I want to be your right hand man at the at the home. Whatever you need, I'll do it.

He's 20, going to be 21 soon. And you know we've got a great relationship. He thinks so well. He says, Dad, I saw this at the store. I knew that you would want one of those.

We talked about that one time. I went ahead and purchased it. Is it okay? Yeah. I mean just like left hand, right hand.

This is how creative order was. God was interfacing with his creative order. Now we have sin. God then sends Christ, the sin bearer, redeems the narrative story of redemption so that we can go back and interface like we did in the pre fallen condition. Holiness, very important absolute quality of God.

Alright, what else does he say? He says, he's and you can read it in verse seven. He who is true. Now, true means genuine, authentic, real reality if you will. It's a it's a kind of a redundant term.

He's unlike any of the emperors of that day. He is the trustworthy one. Now, we don't have to visit ancient history and how they ruled with their under their regimes to long for a trustworthy leader. Right? I have no criticism or stake in the political population, but no matter what leader we've had in the last twenty, thirty years, we always wish there was a sense of well can I really trust you?

Are you being honest? Now it doesn't have to be at the highest levels of the land, it can be on the state level, the state legislator level, or it can be on our congress, but underneath all the reporting and all the stuff that we hear, we long for someone authentic and genuine. That their word is gold. Now, Jesus Christ is coming to the table and he says, I'm that guy. I'm that guy.

I am trustworthy. I am genuine. Now, that you set that in contrast to the Pharisees of the day. That was the populous the reigning negative crowd, opposing crowd to Jesus and they touted themselves as the trustworthy ones, as the the authentic ones, and follow my list of of rules and the mission and the Torah and all the stuff and you will be like me, authentic and Jesus stood up to the scene and he says, we are a bunch of hypocrites. Yeah, and you're not authentic at all.

Don't do what the or don't follow the Pharisees. You know, you you they they're like whitewashed tombs. They look great on the outside but all you gotta do is look on the inside. They're full of dead bones. Why can you imagine?

He's talking like that in out in the open. Yeah. Those Pharisees over there? They're liars. You know?

I mean, just just that kind of language. That was the contrasting element to the statement, authentic. People wanted authentic. That's why people were willing to be kicked out of the synagogue. In fact, the blind man was.

The leopards weren't allowed in. Jesus portrayed himself as the authentic. What you saw is what you got. There's never some sort of hook to what he said. There was another some there was never a secondary agenda.

There was never a desire to have empty conceit like the Pharisee who was praying out loud. Oh god, I thank thee. I am not like everyone else around here like the tax collector at 03:00 just in case you didn't notice. There's none of that. The savior was pristine.

What a gentleman. What a person to be around. Well, that's your lord. That is the one who is head of the church, of this church. He is genuinely sincere.

Doesn't have a crooked bone in his body. No deceit. No no sort of sinisterism about him. Oh, don't you you should love him. You should love.

10:54 He has the key of David

Now, that seems to be an illusion to Isaiah twenty two twenty two to Elokim. Elokim was replacing Shibna. Shibna. Shibna was had done a few things and and and he as the custodians, think of him as the Secretary of Commerce, he was being replaced by Elokim, Commerce and Treasury. And Elohim was given this idea of or he was thought to be much more trustworthy, much more stable, much more reliable, and thus he was given the key to the vault of David's regime.

So, he held the key to the treasury. He was also involved in commerce which I'll mention in a minute and this is what Jesus is saying. I I am that guy that can be trusted with the riches of god. I am god but I'm also that one that you can that that can be relied upon that I won't use them for ill gotten gain. I won't use them for me.

How do you know that? Remember the temptation. Listen, Jesus. If you bow before me and worship me, I will give you all the kingdoms that I've just shown you all over the world. Jesus wouldn't do that.

For he knew that the way to that place of blessing of all the kingdoms of the world, the millennial reign, has to go through the cross and so he wouldn't go around it. He truly held the right key and he used it in the right way. And this is what he's saying to the church of Philadelphia. Listen, Philadelphians, your church Christ introduces himself is separate holiness as true and authentic and therefore one who has the wherewithal, the integrity to handle the riches of heaven. There's a little bit of a pagan illusion here too.

Janus every year opened the door to the gates of heaven in mythology to either bring war or peace or some, you know, crops and all that kind of stuff. Eliakim also held the key to open not just the treasury vault of David's regime, but he was also in charge of going to other foreign powers and getting trade and commerce together. And this is what is the allusion also to the Lord Jesus, that the Lord Jesus is the one that will bring in, if you will, outside business. He has other sheep that are not of this fold and he'll bring them in. He'll bring the gospel to the other frontiers of the world, to the frontiers of the world that reside in your own city and your town.

See that, it's a dual responsibility. So he holds the key of David. We don't have someone finer in all of the universe who could do this job as he does his job. See, one of the things that we learn by visiting the church of Philadelphia is there is what we call a high view of Christ. That we exalt him to his highest level.

Now, some would accuse us that we are just doing mental gymnastics and making someone bigger than what they are. Well, that would be true except that I have the documentation to the Church of Philadelphia, which Christ wrote himself with his own mouth, who says this is what he is. So I'm not making it up. I'm just telling you that's what's there. Now that means that we also should have a high view of Christ.

That we should elevate and exalt him to the level that puts him at the highest possible standard, humanly possible. That's what that means. So as an assembly, what do you want to do going forth in this year? One of the lessons by visiting the Church of Philadelphia that you can extract is let's push him constantly to the forefront of everyone's thinking, of everyone's motivation, of everyone's ideology. That's what we should do.

Christ is exalted. One year I had a medical student travel with me and when I was working a lot many years ago and said now, he's a Christian, I said you can live with me but you have to go to church and it's easier if you go to my church because I'm going if you wanna do that, that's great. If not, you gotta pick your own. He goes, I'll go with you, Doctor. Price.

I said, great. So we're at it like three weeks. You know, we're at every meeting. We're either working or at meeting. Right?

And I was just... I just was brutal with him. And so after about three weeks, said, his name was Aaron. Said, Aaron, what'd you think? Well, Doctor.

Price, to be quite honest, I love it when everybody says, when somebody leads with to be quite honest, that's the zinger. And he goes, I actually thought you were a cult. I said, a cult? We don't get that very often. I said, what do you mean?

All you guys do is you talk about Jesus Christ. I thought that was a cult. I'm driving and I go, I'm guilty. I'll take that one. Because that's exactly what we want.

Christ is preeminent. And so I think that's a huge lesson for us that we can take from this idea of the key of David. All right, let's move on. He says, and this is when we get into the idea of his validation. He says, I know your works, again same word, we won't go over it.

16:27 I have set before you an open door

And the last, the other segment is, for you have a little strength, have kept my word and not denied my name. Now, the idea of setting an open door is in the perfect tense. Perfect tense means that I previously opened it and it's staying open according to the timeline of the writer. In fact, he says, no one at this moment, present tense, can shut it. Now we're not told what that open door is.

We're not told what it looks like or what it feels like, but let's look at it from a cultural perspective. The culture is a city that has a rich history of being built for a brother of the king and they loved each other, named it after it. The city itself was fairly well-to-do. The city was kind of strong in its commitment to their own people group and they would therefore have a lot of, how do we say, community identity and what Jesus is saying here is I have managed the opportunities within the city in such a way that you will be able to exist if not compete with the culture of your town. I have made it so that there are moments when the culture of the town will not dictate Christianity, but Christianity will dictate the culture.

Now see, that's something that I think is important for us. Christ, I believe, I'm asking him to open a door for the Church of God today. And that door would be readied by those, you and I, to go through that door. Now, I'm also asking Christ to keep that door open so that we don't have to, how do we say, hurry through it or worry about it slamming us on the fingers. But that he would hold it open so that the gospel can't be held back.

I am praying that that door would be a door to those who are needing shepherding. That he would open that door in those moments when it's sensitive, when it's ripe, when it's perfect, there would be maximum fruit production by helping that sheep be shepherded in the way that they needed, that that door would stay open. You see, what I'm trying to say to you is that I think we need to be a church today, that Westlake needs to be a church today, that looks for that open door, looks for those opportunities, looks for those things that God and Christ is holding open for us to go through. He's not just holding it open for the breeze. He's holding it open for crossing the threshold.

And I think, brothers and sisters, I think we should pray to that end. Now what does that look for you? I have no idea. I don't know. I can tell you what it seems like it looks like in our little assembly back at home.

Afghanis, right? We've got... The children's work. I mean, he's opened several doors for us, doors that I would have never dreamed. And then he staffed it with the people to do it.

That's what I'm asking him to do for us. And I pray that for you. So let's not forget that this, as we visit this Philadelphian church, that Christ is sitting there and he says, this way people, come this way. It's right through this door. And I think as a community of believers, that's what you wanna have as your prayer meeting.

Lord, what door are you opening? Who are you raising up for that? To hold the door, to grease the hinges, to lead the way, and to support the traversing of that threshold. What is it, Father? What door are you opening?

And what doors might you open in the future? How can we be ready? How can you prepare us now? Do we have the right gift? Could you send us the right gift?

Could you develop the right gift? Could you give us the motivation for the right reasons to go through that door? Oh, God, whatever door that is, make us your people to go through it. So I think that's a lesson that we can learn as we visit the church of Philadelphia. Now, one of the other things he says is in the second half of this validation.

And he says, I know something. You don't have a lot of strength. Which one of us wouldn't say that? I visit with several who are my age or older and I say, How you feeling? They go, I'm tired.

I go, I hear you. I hear you. I'm tired too. I say that to the young people. I say, how you feeling?

They go, I feel great. Yeah, you make me sick. Not really. Right? Not really.

You see, the Lord knows that your strength is not gonna be much. That's why he's holding open the door. But what you wanna do is not focus on the smallness of your strength, but you wanna focus on using what you have for the work of God. That's what he says, you have a little strength but have kept my word and have not denied my name. Whatever little strength you've had, you've used it for the right reasons.

That's the important part. That he's aware that whatever capacity you have, you've devoted them to him. Saints, that's the message, isn't That's the message of Philadelphia, that's the message for the Bible Chapel of Shawnee and the message for Westlake. You might have little. You look at yourselves, we're small in numbers Steve, we're like 50, 60, 70, a 100 people.

What can we do? Well, it's not about the little strength. It's about how you take the capacities that you've given and where you direct them. That's the door. And that's exactly what he wants you and I to do.

So, I've never found a little strength to be a rate limiting step. I actually have learned that little strength means more grace. More grace means more strength. More strength means more fruit. That's what I learned.

So it turns out this little strength is actually the first step. So, you have little strength. Oh, Steve, there's only 15 of us that pray. Who cares? How many people does it take to have a prayer meeting?

Alright. If two shows up, that's a bonus. Right? How many people does it take to to have outreach? If two shows up, that's a bonus.

Right? It doesn't take much. How much does it take, how many people does it take to call somebody and say, I haven't seen you, are you okay? It takes one. A little strength is not the issue.

It's how you use what little you have and then what the Lord does, he's a genius at this. He comes along and he takes what is so little, so finite, so miniscule, and he explodes it. Alright. When did you do that in the Bible? Great question.

You ever hear this story? It's called five loaves and two fishes fed 5,000. Do the math. Thousand percent increase. And that's just if we believe there's only 5,000 men.

Right? 1000% increase. So the point that I'm making is simply this. Little strength never phases god at all. So, don't even use that in your prayer.

Lord, we're so tiny. We're so small. We're so, if you say that, then you say this, but you are so great and you are so mighty and you can take that which is little because that's what you do all the time and you can feed the masses. That's why we're here. Feed away.

Let us go through that door. So, fathers, mothers, once you get, what did they say? Once you get to three, you feel outnumbered. We were outnumbered at one, okay? Now, we had nine.

I don't know. See, we had little strength, okay? Little strength and the lord just helped us along every step of the way. I have little strength when it comes to things at the house. You know you would think I'd be able to like change a light bulb.

Somehow it doesn't work for me but the Lord still uses my little strength. Yes sir. Are we allowed to ask questions? Oh yeah. A brilliant comment.

I love it. How do you take the capacity you have been given? Yes. And how you direct it? Mhmm.

So how do we identify our capacity? How do we grow our capacity? Should we be thinking about identifying our capacity? Should we be thinking about growing our capacity? And that asks, for me that creates a lot of of questions.

Sure. Let me see if I can answer that. Alright. Alright. So number one, I would ask the Lord what capacities do I have and do you want me to know them?

Okay. So it's really up to him. So we're asking him to reveal them? Yes. Yeah and even if he wants to reveal them.

Right. If he and then I follow that up and I say Lord if you choose not to reveal the capacities because sometimes that can become a stumbling block right. Oh I'm good at this. I just say, Lord, I don't have to know it. Just lead me into it.

Kind of like we do with a child, know. Just lead them into the thing that they do well. And so I asked the Lord to do that. And what happens is a spontaneity of exercise that then becomes identifiable as what is your capacity. Because you go through that, you look back and say, wow, I really enjoyed that, that really went well.

And now all of a sudden you have a knowledge of that. Now the point of the knowledge base of your capacity is not to say well I know how to strategically distribute this, that's also you ask the Lord how do you want it strategically distributed? You're a great administrator but does he offer you to administrate this, this or this or that? So we want to make sure that it's filtered through his filter. So that's how I answer that and then I watch the Lord just do it.

That's just this idea of constant dependency upon the headship of Jesus Christ. That's what we believe, we say it in verbal form but practical form it happens through this sort of prayerful dependency. Does that answer your question? Okay good. Thank you.

26:55 You have kept my word and not denied my name

Under great pressure, they still were loyal and faithful. I think that's where the little strength was used. Now, let's go on from validation to vindication, okay? Sorry, I'll get past the slide. He says, verse nine, indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say they are 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. Let's stop right there. Now, this goes back to the church of Smyrna that god is not fooled by people's identity. He knows exactly what they're about and if they're trying to to to move in and weasel and make your life difficult and distressful and it can be in our society, it can be anything. You don't even have to know these people but I've seen so many situations where suddenly I I have to get some government work done, some official states work done, and all of a sudden, the person is supposed to be helping me of which I pay their salary are like a roadblock.

Like, what's wrong with you? This is your job. You know, And and you know the temptation for me being so fleshly is to like, come on you knucklehead, I want to talk to your boss, give me your boss, and I want the boss's boss. You know that's what I would do. But the battle is way more than just the guy across the window.

And so what he's saying is, I get it. I know what's going on. I know those of the synagogue of Satan. I know who's really controlling the lost in their nature. I get all that and and they act in this case, they act like they're sincere in the church of Philadelphia.

They're not. I know. I know the lie But listen to this, when the day comes, in this case those who are very directly antagonistic to the Philadelphian believer, I will do something. I will make it in that coming day, this coming future day, probably in the millennium, into the millennium. He says, I will bring them and I will make them worship at your feet.

Now, it doesn't say, well, worship your feet but worship at your feet. So, that goes back to Philippians chapter two when he says that every knee shall bow, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is lord, that coming day when all of creation above the earth, below the earth, and on the earth will worship Christ. That's what he's talking about He's saying, on that day, you will be there and those who have been antagonistic to the gospel of antagonistic and all these things, they will actually worship who? Christ and right in front of you. That's what's going to happen.

And they will know something. They will know directly that the person who they antagonize is the person that I love. And you don't mess with the person that I love. And you say, well, Steve, where does that come from? It comes from Saul.

Do you remember Saul's history? Saul was antagonizing the church before he was saved. He was persecuting and murdering the Christians, throwing them into jail. Paul even says this in his testimony, I was a murderer. And then he meets the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus, And the light shines and it blinds him.

No one else can see anything. And the Lord says to him, are you ready? Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? I'm sure Saul's going, and you are? Right?

Because the last time he checked, it was that guy he's got the street address to on the way called Straight. And he was going to his house. And so, who are you talking to me? Well, Paul, being a really good Pharisee, knew exactly who he was when the answer came, I'm Jesus whom you persecute. You see, what God is saying to you is I take the pummeling of my people, my bride, my body, I take that seriously.

And those who refuse to trust me as savior and end up in this position, probably in the millennial reign, at the end of the millennial reign, and they come, they will worship me at my feet or before your feet they'll worship me, they're also gonna know that I am personally offended at the ones that you've been persecuting because I love them. And that really validates you, doesn't it? That really validates all that you're going through. So Christian, if you've got trial, and if you've got pain, and if you've got suffering, if you've got moments like this, I need you to know something, that the Lord God loves you and he will make sure everyone knows that in the right time and the right way. So don't give up.

Isn't that nice? This is what you learn from visiting the church of Philadelphia. Because this is what he's telling them. They will know that I've loved you. It's interesting when that happens here in our little world.

You got a friend and he's well known and this other friend comes along And the well known friend says to everybody, oh, that guy Joe? He's my friend. And the guy Joe goes, that's me. I'm his friend. You know?

All of a sudden, you got all the validation you need, right? And that's what Christ is saying. I'm gonna take care of you. Oh, I just love that. I just think the savior is so extraordinarily kind, gracious and moving to me personally.

Now, sorry I didn't say this or didn't go forward. Christ will have those adversaries as you can see at the millennial reign and humble themselves before the believers. They'll know that I've loved you. He'll communicate his love for you to them. Right through here.

32:40 You will share in my moment of glory

They want all the limelight on them. But our true ruler, our authentic, true holy ruler wants you there and you to share in it, you to be part of it, you to know and experience that moment where he is worshiped and you're with him and he with you. That's what makes it so special. All right. So, he gives a promise.

Now this is kind of important doctrinally, I'll go through this carefully. He says, You have kept my commandments to persevere. I won't talk about that. I want to talk about this. He says, I will also keep you from the hour of which will come upon the whole world to test those who dwell on the earth.

All right. Now, there's a system of theological thought called dispensationalism. Dispensationalism, you don't need to remember. It's actually kind of a cool thing and well defined, I think, by Charles Ryrie and some of his books Dispensationalism Today. And one of the things that dispensational teaches, which I believe, is that God dealt with humanity over administrations of time.

So we talk about the Clinton administration, how they did things, and the Obama administration, the Trump administration, the Biden administration and the priorities they set. God had sort of priorities and ways that he dealt with the human race over a period of time that sometimes that would then bleed into the next thing and the next thing and they had ways in which they would overlap. Well dispensation kind of defines that and there's several parameters to it. There was sort of a test in man's failure and God's provision, but that doesn't matter. Part of this dispensational thinking is that Christ will come back for his church.

Now that teaching comes to you from specifically first Corinthians fifteen and first Thessalonians chapter four, second Thessalonians chapters one and two, and it's hinted in Revelation chapter four and in this passage. And what it means is that Christ will come back without warning for his church. Now when you read the first Thessalonians four passage, you find that it's a much more colorful detail, the voice of the archangel trumpet of God, Christ will come to the clouds, it says the clouds, and then we are those who are dead in Christ will rise first because they'll come with the Lord and they'll join their bodies, and then those who are alive on the earth, I hope that's me, will meet the Lord in the air and will so we will always be together with the Lord. That's the one of the key sort of outgrowths of dispensational thinking, that we actually preserve the idea that Christ could come back at any moment to fulfill the first Thessalonians four passage of meeting him in the air. Now, when the text uses this to a finite location called Philadelphia, clearly there would probably be most likely some sort of fulfillment in that day.

But the terminology that's used also is seen in all those other passages that talk about the imminent return of Christ, such as first Thessalonians chapter four. And the only way you can say, behold I come quickly in verse 11, is to actually have a pre tribulational view. That's the only way you get there. Everything else has a time element to it. And therefore, defeats the idea of imminent return.

Behold, I come quickly at any moment. That's what he means by that. And so, pre tribulational view preserves that idea and therefore, I think, I think the order of events as Christ comes back before the tribulation to take us away from the wrath that is due upon the earth dwellers is defined in Revelations chapter four through 19. Now, what does that do for you and I? Well, that helps us, doesn't it?

It helps us because the imminent return of Christ has a tremendous anticipation to it. We get the idea that the Lord may come back today. And therefore, today, I will set my agenda and priorities, as my brother pointed out, according to the thinking of the Lord Jesus, his decision making. Because it could be today. Say, well Steve that's a bunch of mental gymnastics.

You're just kind of playing with your brain to get you motivated to do things. No, I'm not. It says he could come back. I come quickly. So, I'm not playing mental gymnastics.

I'm believing what he said. Now, it does something else. It purifies you. Right? If we have a hope that we'll see him, we become pure as he is pure.

That's the first John Lewis quote. And so, it purifies, it helps in your holy walk. Your sanctification. And it helps in your comfort. That comes out of first Thessalonians chapter four.

You have this hope. I tell you this hope for those who have passed before you gives you hope. But I'll tell you what I'm most thrilled about. So I get to see my Savior. I don't know what I would do.

You know that song, While I Dance For You, Jesus? I don't know. But I'll be so glad to see the one that's made it worth it all. I'm looking forward to that. Now, what do we learn when we visit the Church of Philadelphia?

We're just walking by, we walk in their doors, We hear this letter being read from the lord Jesus and we go, the savior's coming back. Of course, I've been forgetting that. I've been forgetting and organizing my life in such a cookie a cutter boxed way that I've insulated myself from all walk of faith and what he's saying is don't live without faith. You go ahead and put yourself out there according to the leading of my spirit and the grace of God and I will be there. So you know, so you get cheated, so somebody treats you wrongly, so you get offended.

The lord is coming quickly and that's the game changer. That's the game changer. Therefore, why would I want to be bitter because in twenty minutes, I I might be in heaven with the savior and I don't want to look at him in the eye and says, well. Was really upset. You came so quickly because I wanted to really duke it out with the dude.

That's that's ludicrous. And so what I'm trying to say is it it's it's it's a galvanizing element of our Christianity and that's one of the greatest lessons we learned by visiting the Philippian church and saints at Westlake. The savior is coming back imminently. Today, tomorrow, tonight, maybe before the message is done. I don't care.

But it's a beautiful thing. Let me give you an illustration of this. How many of you had parents, maybe some in this room, that say, okay mom and I are gonna go out on a date, we'll be back at 09:00. And so the kids go, got it. And so you know what happens while the parents are out having dinner?

The kids are like trash in the home. I mean popcorn's everywhere and you know things are a mess and pillows and they're having Nerf gun fights and pillow fights and water gun fights and all of a sudden it's five till nine and you've never seen a crack team of custodians in those five minutes like those kids. When they realize that there is a finality and mom and dad will come home, boom! They're after it, right? Now if you take away the time element and say, well, could come back at 08:00 or 08:05 or 07:30.

What do the kids do? They gotta be ready at any minute. So the house stays clean for the whole time, not just for the last five minutes. See that? You know what we call that?

That's called God being smart. That's what that is. Okay? Alright. There was a lot there.

41:03 I will authenticate you

What does he say? Behold he who comes I will authenticate, excuse me that's what we're going say authenticate. He who comes I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God and he shall go out no more. So let's look at that for a moment see if I can jump ahead in my slides and I'm going give you a seizure just for a second. Okay.

Alright here we go, pillar of God. So he says, he who overcomes, meaning he who perseveres through this and waits for my return and is active in using the little strength as best as possible, he says I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Alright, now the pillar in the temple of my God is a very interesting discussion. There's an imagery, In the temples of Philadelphia there was massive ornate structures, big edifices with rectangular footprints of six foot to eight foot in diameter pillars. They were very very well known in the ancient world and what he's saying, the illusion is, is that these pillars were supporting the structure, you will be part of the structure that supports the dwelling place of God in heaven.

That's how I'll treat you. Now in the ancient history, as you can see behind me, earthquakes would rock the place and people would have to flee for their protection. Christ is saying, when you are in my temple there will be no reason to flee. He says there, he shall go out no more like the Philadelphians would have to flee when the earthquakes would come. Then he says, I will write on him.

Notice this is all the the authentication. I will write on him the name of my god and the name of the city of my god. You see, in the ancient world, this the priest or the citizens who did special services would not only have these pillars dedicated to them. They would have their name added to it and honor. Kind of like what we do when somebody sponsors a section of the highway or a structure or a piano and donated by whoever.

This is the same idea and he's saying you will have your name on that element, on that architectural spiritual structure in heaven and I will make sure it's there and it'll be part of the new Jerusalem which of course is defined for us and later in the book of Revelation as well as the temple that's discussed in the book of Ezekiel and this whole structure that the things of god to come, the dwelling place of god to come. You will be part and parcel of that whole setup and he's saying, this is what happens when you overcome. This is how I will authenticate the whole deal and he says this, comes down from heaven from my god so you know it's spiritual. I will write on him a new name. Now, notice this.

On I will write on him my new name. Notice the personal pronouns. My verse 12, my god, my god, my god, my god, my new name. It's as if he's saying, I've got a title for you and it will be so unique, so descriptive of just who you are, and all your faithfulness with your little strength that it'd be between you and me. Many of us have our favorite sort of pet names for each other you know.

You know what it is for my wife? Mrs. Wonderful. I had so many people in our home over the years, there were discipleship classes and I'd always address Janet as Mrs. Wonderful.

All the young people thought that was her real name. Mrs. Wonderful. And so they called her Mrs. Wonderful.

Janet said you gotta stop that. Said not a chance. Not a chance. You see those little pet names if you will, those little moments of sort of secrecy and intimacy where it communicates my affection to you and vice versa, those are precious. And God is saying, I'm gonna give you one of those precious names.

Just you and I. Mine to you, you're to me. Ain't that cool? That is one of the greatest blessings ever when it comes to visiting the Philippian church that God has this in store for us. And he wants you to have it.

So he says, please let me tell you, I will authenticate you in no uncertain terms. So as we come to the end of visiting this Church of Philadelphia there's several teaching points we should mention. The way Christ introduces himself, know holy, true, has the key of David. He's the one that opens and closes, brings in the new business, opens, has access to the storehouses of heaven, the vault of heaven. Number two, Christ validates you.

I know your works and I know that you can barely hang on but you've taken what you didn't, what you little you had, you investigated it, you understood it, and you invested it in me. I love that. Then he validates you. Those who are after you, they're they're really coming after you. They're coming after you hard.

You feel like the trials of life. You can't see who's fighting. You just know there's obstacles and things in the way. Well, whoever's behind that, I'm gonna bring them at the right time and the right way and they're gonna worship me as they should while I tell them, while I tell you how much I love you. Then he affirmates.

He says listen, you hold on. You hold on that. Didn't even go into that. What it means to hold fast? Because I'm coming.

I'm coming. And then he authenticates. You overcome. I got a place for you and I not only have a place for you, have a name for you and I not only have a place and a name for you, I'm going to write it on that special place and you know what that means don't you? To me, this is Christ talking.

You're right here. Saints, this is what it means to visit Philadelphia. This is what it means to you at Wesley Christian Fellowship. All those blessings, all those magnificent aspects of his communication and his desire and passion for you, they come right upon you. So why wouldn't we want to be that kind of church?

Why wouldn't we want to adopt those principles? Why wouldn't we want to pursue Christ with all of our height, heart, mind, soul, and strength? The answer to that rhetorical question is, there is no reason why we shouldn't, let's do. And as you go forward into this year, I ask that you would. For I've prayed that you would.

I've prayed that your hearts would be so singularly minded that you can't get enough of Christ. So may God bless his word to you. I'll pray and I want the record to show that I ended two minutes early. Our dear father, as we've come to the end of this journey at this hour, I just want to ask you to show us the storehouses of heaven. Maybe you'd do one more for us.

48:32 Make the bride ready

I never want to treat you like that again. So, please do a work in our souls across this assembly and all of North America and make the bride ready, anticipatory to see and long for her bridegroom and let it show so transform us. Glory to glory. Let us see his glory. In Jesus name, I pray.

Amen.

The Church at Philadelphia — Revelation 3-19

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The Church at Philadelphia — Revelation 3-19

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