Revelation 3:8 8“I know you well; you aren’t strong, but you have tried to obey and have not denied My Name. Therefore I have opened a door to you that no one can shut.[1]
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3. The Commendation (Re. 3:8).[2] |
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G. The Message to Philadelphia: The Church That Is Faithful &
Alive, Re. 3:7–13 |
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1. The
recipients a. The messenger of
the church b. The
Philadelphian churchDS1 2. The
speaker: Jesus |
7 And
to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that
is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and
no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; |
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3. The Commendation
a. They had made great use of the open door of
evangelism & missions b. They had kept Christ’s Word c. They had not denied the Lord’s name |
8 I know thy works:
behold,
I have set before thee an open door, and no man can
shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my
word, and hast not denied my name. |
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4. The
two great hopes a. There will be
great vindication: The persecutors of the believers will either be saved or judged
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9 Behold,
I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are
not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy
feet, and to know that I have loved thee. |
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b. There will be
great deliverance: From the hour of trial, a period of great tribulation
coming upon the earth |
10 Because
thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour
of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell
upon the earth. |
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5. The
counsel: Christ is coming soon; therefore, hold fast |
11 Behold,
I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. |
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6. The
promise: To the overcomers a. Will be made a
permanent part of God’s house b. Will receive
security c. Will receive God’s name, belonging to Him d. Will receive the
name, be made citizens of, God’s city e. Will receive the
Lord’s new name, known only to God |
12 Him
that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go
no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of
the city of my God, which is new
Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. |
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13 He
that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.[3]
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“I know thy works” (Revelation 3:8). In every letter, we are reminded of the omniscience of Jesus Christ with the words “I know thy works.” This is good news for the righteous but bad news for the wicked. For the church in Philadelphia, it was good news. They were suffering, but they were steadfast. Christ knew about both situations and would act accordingly.
4. The Circumstances (Revelation 3:8)
“Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man
can shut it” (Revelation
3:8). Christ is speaking of service here and describes it as an “open door.” There is a fivefold message in this “open door” statement.
• The power in the open door. The
wickedness in Philadelphia made it a difficult place in which to live for the
Lord and to serve the Lord, but the Lord had opened a door for service in
Philadelphia. The Lord can provide opportunities in the most unsuspecting
places because He is powerful, and if He wants you to serve in some impossible
place, He will open the door for you to serve.
• The prompting in the open
door. “I have set before thee.” The open door brings
responsibility. Christ opens the door, but we must go through the opened door,
which means we have a responsibility to act when opportunities come for
service. Every opportunity should prompt us to act with dispatch. While “no man can shut
it,” the Lord may shut the door if the opportunity is not used
promptly and properly.
• The priority of the open door. “Behold, I have
set before thee an open door.” The word “Behold” speaks of importance
and of priority. When God opens a door of service, that service should have a
very high priority in our life. Many folk do not serve the Lord because they
have not put much priority on serving Him but have put more priority on their
own pleasures and interests.
• The privilege of the open
door. “I have set before thee an open door.” It is a
privilege to serve the Lord. That He would set before any of us an open door of
service is a privilege of the highest order.
• The problems in the open door. “No man can shut it,” tells us that there will be opposition to the opened door. Satan does not like opened doors for God’s work. Paul spoke of this when he said, “A great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries” (1 Corinthians 16:9). Just because the Lord gives you an opportunity to serve does not mean opposition will disappear.
5. The Condition (Revelation 3:8)
“Thou hast a little strength” (Revelation 3:8). The Lord would keep us humble to serve. Right after telling the believers that He had opened a door for them, He then says they have “little strength.” That emphasis on the saints’ condition helps them to look to Him for strength to help in serving Him and in entering the open door. It is not our strength that is important; it is His strength that matters. He will keep the door open. He will enable us to serve. Look not at your own strength—that can be very discouraging—but look at His strength. Be sure of your calling, then let Him take care of the needed power.
6. The Consecration (Revelation 3:8)
“Thou … hast kept my
word, and hast not denied my name” (Revelation
3:8). Two things are mentioned here which emphasize the consecration of
the Philadelphian church.
• Loyalty to the Written Word. “Thou … has kept my word.” They obeyed the Word of God
regardless of circumstances. “In order to ‘keep’ the Word, obedience to it must
be prompt and unqualified … To keep Christ’s Word at all costs may involve the
forfeiture of social and civil distinction” (Scott).
• Loyalty to the Incarnate Word. “Hast not denied
my name.” The name of Jesus is not the favorite name of the world.
Many despise it. When I was in college, I remember hearing the testimony of a
man who said he left the Masonic Lodge because they would not let him pray in
the name of Jesus. He had been asked to pray at one of their meetings and
closed his prayer in the name of Jesus. That so upset the members of the Lodge
that they told the believer to stop praying in Jesus’ name. He would not deny
the name, and so left the Lodge.[4]
3 (3:8) Church—Believer: there
is the Commendation. This is the picture of what a church
should be, the picture of a church that is alive and faithful. The Lord Jesus
Christ commends this church for three things.
1. The church used the open door of
evangelism and missions to reach people for Christ. The church was
strategically located.
Ø It was
a border town that touched the borders of three other towns: Lydia, Mysia, and
Phrygia. Imagine the evangelistic and mission opportunities by being surrounded
with three other towns.
Ø It lay
on the imperial road of Rome, one of the major roads that passed from the coast
and stretched right onto the east into Asia Minor. Just think of the multitudes
of people who passed through and visited, stayed, and conducted business in the
city: the businessmen, salespersons, military people, vacationers, tourists,
and visiting relatives.
The
point is striking: the city was so strategically located that the whole world
could have been penetrated with the gospel by spreading out from the church. And
note: Christ commends the church for their evangelistic and missionary
work. They were reaching out. And Christ knew of their works. He had set an
open door before them, and they had stepped in and taken advantage of the
opportunity. Because they had faithfully reached out to the lost, Christ says
that He is not going to let anyone
close the door. He is personally going to see that the door to evangelism and
missions stays open.
Note
one other significant fact: the church had only a little
strength. This probably means that they were a small church, small in number
and small in resources. This, too, is striking: imagine being just a small
church, yet reaching out to the lost, witnessing and bearing testimony to the
salvation and hope of eternal life. Imagine making such an evangelistic and
mission thrust that Christ is impressed, impressed so much …
· that He commends the church for it.
· that He guarantees that the open door to evangelism and missions will always remain open. He will not allow anyone to close it.
Thought 1. This
is the first mission of the church. The church that is alive and faithful is a
church that does just what Jesus Christ did: He reached out to the lost.
Ø This
is exactly what He said about His own mission.
“For the Son of man is come to seek and
to save that which was lost” (Lu. 19:10).
Ø This
is exactly what He said about the mission of His followers and church.
“Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so, send I you” (Jn. 20:21).
Thought 2. How
many of our churches are strategically located? Many. In fact, most are
strategically located. Some sit right in the heart of cities where teeming
thousands of people live. Others sit on the main roads of cities, and others on
the main roads of country and farm areas. Why, then, are so many of our
churches not reaching out in the thrust of evangelism and missions? Why are so
few of the lost being won to Christ? The church that is alive and faithful is a church that uses the open door of evangelism and missions. The believers are a people who
witness and do all they can to reach the lost for Christ:
Ø They
go from house to house.
Ø They
witness to fellow laborers, neighbors, friends, and family.
Ø They are
always looking for opportunities to witness and share Christ.
“Go ye therefore, and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded
you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Mt. 28:19–20).
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all
the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mk.
16:15).
“For the Son of man is come to seek and
to save that which was lost” (Lu. 19:10).
“Ye have not chosen me, but I have
chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that
your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my
name, he may give it to you” (Jn. 15:16).
“Then said Jesus to them again, Peace
be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so, send I you” (Jn. 20:21).
“But ye shall receive power, after that
the Holy Ghost has come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in
Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of
the earth” (Ac. 1:8).
“For we cannot but speak the things
which we have seen and heard” (Ac. 4:20).
“And when they were come, and had
gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them,
and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles” (Ac. 14:27).
“For a great door and effectual is
opened unto me, and there are many adversaries” (1
Co. 16:9).
“Furthermore, when I came to Troas to
preach Christ’s gospel, a door was opened unto me of the Lord” (2 Co. 2:12).
“Withal praying also for us, that God
would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for
which I am also in bonds” (Col. 4:3).
“But sanctify the Lord God in your
hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a
reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (1 Pe. 3:15).
“I know thy works: behold, I have set
before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little
strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name” (Re. 3:8).
“I will mention the lovingkindnesses of
the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath
bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he
hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude
of his lovingkindnesses” (Is. 63:7).
“Then I said, I will not make mention
of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a
burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could
not stay” (Je. 20:9).
“Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name” (Mal. 3:16).
2. The
church kept Christ’s Word; that is, they were faithful to the Word of God.
They obeyed the Lord Jesus Christ and kept His commandments. Very practically,
this means …
·
that they studied the Word of God
·
that they lived the Word of God
·
that they proclaimed the Word of God to
believers and unbelievers alike
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a
man keeps my saying, he shall never see death” (Jn.
8:51).
“If ye love me, keep my commandments.
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he
may abide with you forever” (Jn. 14:15–16).
“Jesus answered and said unto him, If a
man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will
come unto him, and make our abode with him” (Jn.
14:23)
“If ye keep my commandments, ye shall
abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in
his love.… Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” (Jn. 15:10, 14).
“These were more noble than those in
Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and
searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Ac. 17:11).
“And now, brethren, I commend you to
God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give
you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified” (Ac. 20:32).
“Study to show thyself approved unto
God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of
truth” (2 Ti. 2:15).
“All scripture is given by inspiration
of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness” (2 Ti. 3:16).
“As newborn babes, desire the sincere
milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: if so be ye have tasted that the
Lord is gracious” (1 Pe. 2:2–3).
“And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments” (1 Jn. 2:3).
3. The
church confessed Christ; they did not deny the name of Christ. This means
more than just witnessing for Christ. It, of course, does mean witnessing for
Christ, but it means much more.
a) First,
to confess Christ means that the church confesses Christ in all that it does.
It means that Jesus Christ is made the focus and center …
· of all the lives of the believers
· of all the services, meetings,
ministries, programs, and activities of the church
To
confess Christ means that one lives, moves, and has his being in Christ. It
means that the church does not focus upon ritual, ceremony, programs, and
activities; but the church focuses upon Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is
confessed; He is made the focus, the center, the main purpose, and attraction
of every program and activity.
b) Second, to confess Christ also means that a person stands fast against opposition and persecution. Some in the world will always persecute true believers. They will …
- ridicule
- mock
- poke fun at
- reject
- ignore
- bypass
- curse
- imprison
- abuse
- backbite
- attack
- kill
- tempt
- take advantage of
The
crowds of the world will do all they can to lead the true believer to give in
and join them. But the believer is never to cave in; he is not to deny Christ. Note
what Christ says: the church or the believer that is alive and faithful
does not deny the name of Christ. The faithful church confesses Christ.
“Whosoever, therefore, shall confess me
before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But
whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which
is in heaven” (Mt. 10:32–33).
“Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall
confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels
of God” (Lu. 12:8).
“That is thou shalt confess with thy
mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him
from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart, man believeth unto
righteousness; and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation” (Ro. 10:9–10).
“Who is a liar but he that denieth that
Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: [but] he that
acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also” (1 Jn.
2:22–23).
“Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God” (1 Jn. 4:15).
Thought 1. Note how strong a church is that does these three things. The church that is alive and faithful is a church …
- that is evangelistic and mission-minded.
- that keeps the Word of Christ.
- that confesses Christ in all that it does, in all of its services, meetings, programs, and activities.[5]
“I know all
the things you do, and I have opened a door
for you that no one can shut. You have
little strength, yet you obeyed my word and
did not deny me.” (Re. 3:8) NLT
As in
the letters to the other churches, Christ here stated that he knew their deeds—all the things
you do—yet he had no words of rebuke for the believers. The church
may have been small (you have little strength) and may have had
little impact upon the city, but it had obeyed and
had not denied God. They had been faithful in a difficult area.
The phrase “I have opened a door for you that no one can shut” may mean that the church had a prime location for missionary activity—they had an open door that no one could shut. The meaning, however, may refer to the Jewish believers who had been excommunicated from the synagogue for their faith in Christ (Re. 3:9). While the door to the synagogue may have been closed to them, Christ had opened a door … that no one can shut. The door to eternal life stood open to them, and Christ held the keys. No one could keep them out if they trusted in Christ.[6]
Revelation 3:8 8“I Know You Well; You Aren’t Strong, But You Have Tried To Obey And Have Not Denied My Name.
Pics from national park 4k - Bing images
[1] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible,
Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.
[2] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 1996. Revelation.
The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership
Ministries Worldwide.
DS Deeper Study
[3] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 1996. Revelation. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.
[4] Butler, John G. 2010. Analytical Bible
Expositor: Revelation. Clinton, IA: LBC Publications.
[5] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 1996. Revelation.
The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership
Ministries Worldwide.
NLT
Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All
rights reserved.
[6] Barton, Bruce B. 2000. Revelation.
Edited by Grant R. Osborne. Life Application Bible Commentary. Wheaton, IL:
Tyndale House Publishers.
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