To Philadelphia || You’ve Got Divine Mail! || Part 6

Have you ever sat in church and heard a sermon that doesn’t sit right with you? Have you ever been in a Bible Study and listened to a teaching that triggered a visceral reaction? You see your church struggling and asked the ultimate question, “Does God care about the church?” The idea is about the group of believers gathered under one building, but we are called the church as well.

We’re in a series called “You’ve Got Divine Mail!” Jesus had John send out letters to seven churches to celebrate their successes and offer resolutions for their problems. The goal of this series is to help you feel encouraged. To be encouraged to serve the church and help the body reach its best potential, and for you to serve God’s people to change the world.

In Part 5, we talked about the letter sent to the church in Sardis, and how they fell asleep spiritually thanks to Jezebel. She was trying to convince the church members to focus on idols and sexual sin. Their complacency, self-satisfaction, lack of compassion, lack of unity, and love of love, made Jesus frustrated with them. Jesus said that they need to back to the basics, to create a firm foundation based on the teachings from the apostles

In Part 6, we’re talking about the letter sent to the church in Philadelphia.

Revelation 3:7-13

7            “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Philadelphia. This is the message from the one who is holy and true, the one who has the key of David. What he opens, no one can close; and what he closes, no one can open:

8            “I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me.

9            Look, I will force those who belong to Satan’s synagogue – those liars who say they are Jews but are not – to come and bow down at your feet. They will acknowledge that you are the ones I love.

10          “Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world.

11          I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown.

12          All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never have to leave it. And I will write on them the name of my God, and they will be citizens in the city of my God – the New Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. And I will also write on them my new name.

13          “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.

Philadelphia was founded by the citizens of Pergamum. Remember, the church in Pergamum was dealing with false teachers that were trying to convince their members to become idolatrous. Jesus called on them to repent and fight against that with the teaching of Scripture. Philadelphia was built in a frontier area as a gateway to the central plateau of Asia Minor. Philadelphia’s residents kept barbarians out of the region and brought in Greek culture and language. The city was destroyed by an earthquake in AD 17, and aftershocks kept the people so worried that most of them lived outside of the city limits.

The “key of David” mentioned in verse 7 represents Christ’s authority to unlock the door into the future Kingdom of Heaven mentioned at the end of Revelation. After the door is opened, no one can close it – for salvation (our saving rescue from sin) is assured. Once it’s closed, it says closed. The final judgment (an eternal separation from God) is confirmed.

The “time of great testing” that Jesus says the church will be protected from could refer to the future great tribulation (battle, fight, etc.) where true believers will be spared. We’ll learn all about this fight as we continue our study in Revelation. Others interpret that time to mean that the church will go through a great battle and that God will protect and strengthen them through. Note the difference: some believe it’s a personal battle and others believe it’s a community battle.

The common factor is that it’s a time of great distress. We cannot interpret when this will happen or how long it will happen. There are Christians even today, throughout the world, which are still being killed or harmed due to their sharing of the faith in an area where it’s not permitted. To them, this is their moment of testing. When we suffering as a response of sharing our faith (and not just having someone counter our testimony by discrediting Christianity), but in moments when sharing our testimony puts ourselves in physical harm. It’s more common overseas than it would be in the United States. Yet, in a very general sense, we know that our God is with us throughout all different types of testing and concerns we have.

Christians have different gifts, abilities, experiences, and maturity. God doesn’t expect us to all be and act the same. That removes our individuality and the plan that God created specific for us. What God does expect is that we hold on to what we have (being content) and to persevere in using our resources for him. We must be content in what we have, but mindful in how we use our resources so that we can apply those resources to the plan he has for us.

The Philadelphians were commended for their effort to obey and encouraged to hold tightly to whatever spiritual strength they had. If you’re a new Christian, you may feel that your faith and spiritual strength are insignificant and weak. Yet, when we use what we have to live for Christ, we will find God’s blessing over us. When we use what we have, no matter how little we have, to do what God has called us to do, then we will find God’s blessing over us.

This New Jerusalem mentioned is the future dwelling place of the people of God. The Kingdom of Heaven brought to earth. We will have a new citizenship in God’s future Kingdom. We can rest and look forward to a time when everything will be new, pure, and secure. It may seem far. Some believe it’s close. But God will have the final say.

Today, we talked about the church in Philadelphia. We learned about the struggle they faced, and the time of testing that rested before them. They didn’t know when or how it’ll happen, but they stayed tight to their efforts of obeying God and clinging to the spiritual strength they had.

In Part 7, we wrap up our series with the letter to Laodicea. Until then, stay blessed!

Associated Scripture:

Revelation 3:7               Job 12:4, Isaiah 22:22, Matthew 16:19

Revelation 3:8               Acts 14:27, Revelation 2:13

Revelation 3:9               Isaiah 43:4, Isaiah 49:23, 2 Corinthians 11:14-15, Revelation 2:9

Revelation 3:10            2 Peter 2:9, Revelation 2:10

Revelation 3:11            Revelation 2:25, Revelation 22:7, Revelation 22:12, Revelation 22:20

Revelation 3:12            Ezekiel 48:35, Galatians 4:26, Revelation 21:2, Revelation 21:10

Revelation 3:13            Revelation 2:7