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Good morning and Christian greetings to each and every one of you here. Good to see you here together in the house of the Lord this morning. This morning we are going to continue taking another a closer look at the sixth of the seven churches found in Revelation the first three chapters. And Revelation 3 is where the message to the church of Philippi is found. It's interesting in that this, the church of Philadelphia as well as the church in Smyrna are the only two churches among these seven that there's not some kind of correction or critique given of something that they should fix this. Again, the Philadelphia is the second church that there is no such correction given by Jesus. As I was studying for this and preparing, I thought of something that I think is something that we, I would say probably often forget, or at least we fail to acknowledge. And put yourself in the shoes of these first century Christians. that time there was no New Testament. And I think we often forget that yes, there were some New Testament writings at that time. There were letters that had been written. Most of the New Testament was written by this time, but it was not compiled in any sense. And it was certainly not necessarily recognize. They would have recognized it as authoritative, but not necessarily divinely inspired at this point in time. So individual letters like Corinthians or Romans or Colossians or Ephesians were likely shared in the area of the geographic area of those churches. And so it's not that this information wasn't shared. The Gospels were lightly written at this time already, but again were most likely they were the most readily available in the areas in which they were written. But most of the teaching and most of what they were they had the Christians learned was through oral teaching, the word of mouth, the apostles and designated church leadership. But what I think is important to remember is that in the New Testament when he refers to the Scriptures, it's actually referring to the Old Testament, it's not referring to the New Testament. And so one thing that is different, these early believers would have been very familiar with the Old Testament. And I think that we and they would have been a primary reference point for them, unlike how it is for us today. And so throughout these letters to the churches, and I haven't really mentioned this that much, but we've seen some of the incredible cultural relevance that's given in the context of these letters. But there's been a lot, I've given a lot less emphasis to the links to Old Testament scriptures and there's a lot of allusions and even quotes from the Old Testament used In these. In the book of Revelation in particular, but even in these seven letters that are given and these references to the Old Testament or quotes would tie the current situation or what is being written about and give it a little bit more context when you see the Old Testament context in which that was given. And so I just find that fascinating. And we're going to see that several times here in the letter to the Church of Philadelphia. And most of us, and I'm first on that list, is we don't tend to notice those connections to the Old Testament for two reasons. One, we're not as well versed in the Old Testament, but then also is that we just tend to focus what's written in the New Testament and we don't even try to make those connections. So we're going to see a little bit more of that here this morning as we look at this letter to the church in Philadelphia. I've entitled this morning's message Faithful Perseverance. And I appreciated Brian's devotional this morning in that while he didn't necessarily use these words, he emphasized this aspect from the perspective of seeing King David's closest warriors, devotion to him and the faithful perseverance in. In that context. And I just thought that was an interesting tie into the message here this morning. So let's turn to Revelation 3, and I'm going to read verses 7 through 13. And as I do that this morning, I urge you to listen for repetitive words, phrases, or ideas. And that's often a way of emphasizing something in Scripture. And so just keep that in mind as I read this this morning. And then we'll go through this, get a little bit more context for the city of Philadelphia, and then go through this more verse by verse. Revelation 3, 7. And to the angel of the church of Philadelphia, write the words of the Holy One, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut. Who shuts and no one opens. I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power. And yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not but lie, behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved. That I have loved you. Because you have kept my word about patient endurance. I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world to those who dwell on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold fast to what you have so that no one may seize your crown. The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it. And. 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 and from my God out of heaven and my own new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. So a little bit about the city of Philadelphia, and this again just gives you a map of the six churches so far that we have covered and the order in which they are given in Revelation. But the city was founded in the second century BC, so only about 200 years before Christ. It was founded by Attalus II of Pergamum, and he named the city Philadelphus because of his devotion to his older brother. And so that's. It gives a little bit of context. It wasn't a real old city like some of the other cities that we've looked at. It's located on the lower slopes of Mount Tomales in the Kogomas River Valley, and it controlled the trade route linking the Hermus and Meander valleys. And these were rich, fertile areas for agriculture. It was about 30 miles southeast of. Of Sardis. Philadelphia was a prosperous inland city. There was organized trade guilds like we've seen in other cities. But it was also extremely fertile farmland in the valley as a result of volcanic ash deposits. And so it made it. That kind of soil was really fertile for agriculture and especially productive for vineyards and. And great production. And it was helped because the city was located on this major road running to the southeast. And it was not nearly as large or famous as Ephesus or Sardis, but it was still a significant commercial and communications hub of that day. What's interesting and a bit unique in this city is that there is very little archaeological work been done in the city of Philadelphia. This is what it looks like today. And originally, it would have been more positioned on one of these mountains. I don't even know which one. But now is largely just settled in the valley. Philadelphia had earned the recognition as a missionary outpost for Hellenism, and Hellenism is another term for Greek culture. Basically, it was established with the intention through which the Greek language and civilization would penetrate the regions surrounding barbarian and uncivilized populations. And just going by the map, so basically, it was considered a way to influence people out here, further east in Turkey, that would not have known as much about the Greek civilization and so forth. Like the five other cities that we've studied, Philadelphia had a mixed religious environment. They had coinage and scriptures would indicate that they worshiped mythical Greek gods in the city as long as the imperial cult or worship of the Roman emperor and his family and so forth. There's also a Jewish population there, as indicated with the word synagogue and the Jews in the letter. If there's a synagogue, there had to be a significant Jewish population in the city. One thing that was unique and kind of unfortunate for Philadelphia is that it was extremely earthquake prone. There were several earthquakes that did extensive damage to the city. And because of the frequency of these tremors and earthquakes, many people chose to live outside the city walls and in the valley, away from the stone structures and so forth, just for protection. And this is not mentioned. Philadelphia is not mentioned anywhere else except in the context of these seven letters. An early church, Father Ignatius, we have record, visited this church about AD 108. So about 20 years after this letter was written, he was en route to his martyrdom and he wrote this congregation an encouraging letter at that time, about 20 years after this letter from Revelation. And the church in Philadelphia remained active for centuries after this writing, until the 1300s, it disappeared. And that was when Islamic influence dominated the region and more or less Christianity died out at that time. So now, going through this letter one by one or kind of verse by verse or phrase by phrase, we want to consider some of these, the aspects and what this letter is teaching us for today. So here it opens up, like most of the other letters, to the angel of the Church of Philadelphia, right? And then a description of Jesus follows because. Because Jesus is the one that's giving the message. And so this is the words of the Holy One, the True One, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut. Who shuts and no one opens. And while most translations treat the words Holy One and True One as adjectives or descriptors of Jesus, which it is in the original language, there's indication that these were actually titles or names given to Jesus. They were proper nouns, they were capitalized. And so a better way of thinking about this would be, is to read this as Jesus. I mean, he's the Holy One, he's the True One, the words of the Holy One, the True One. And what, right off, this is an Old Testament name of God and is used frequently in the Old Testament. And so in this context, by attributing Jesus with this same name, it is affirming Jesus deity because it's the same description as used in the Old Testament, different times and specifically in Isaiah. So in Isaiah 40 it says, to whom then will you compare me? That I should be like him? Says the Holy One, talking of God. And in chapter 43, verse 15, I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your king. And so John in writing Revelation and attributes to Jesus this title of the Holy One and the True One. And then he continues in saying that Jesus, the one who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. And my ignorance is disposed here. But that's almost a direct quote from Isaiah as well. In Isaiah 22:22, it says, and I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open and none shall shut. And he shall shut and none shall open. That's very much what we read there in the seventh verse of Revelation 3. Here in Isaiah, the context is that Eliakim is given authority over the house of David. And the key symbolizes that Eliakim now has royal access. He has the stewardship and the administrative authority that comes with the house of David or the kingdom of David. Here in Revelation, Jesus is taking that same imagery and applying it to himself, positioning Jesus as the ultimate steward of David's kingdom, the one that has sovereign control over the access to God's promises. And so the church in Philadelphia, here just in this opening description of Jesus, is being reminded that their future rests on Jesus Christ's ultimate royal authority and power. It does not rest on any of the hostile opponents or the civic structures of those around them. Then he continues in verse 8, I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door which no one is able to shut. And I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. So now, did you notice in these first two verses the words open and shut are used three times. First it's in describing Jesus, and now it's saying, here I have set before you an open door which no one's able to shut. As already mentioned, Philadelphia was considered a gateway or a doorway to the east for Greek culture, for Hellenism, the inland area of modern day Turkey, it was known as the Little Athens. And it had some magnificent Greek temples at the same time. This was a Greco Roman city, meaning it had the Greek influence, but also the Roman influence with the imperial or the royal loyalty to Rome by honoring the emperors and and yet and worship of their deified leaders. But alongside that they were also worshiping the more traditional mythical Greek gods. And so this is the backdrop of this church, and it's against this backdrop of competing allegiances. I mean, how do you worship a Greek God and the Roman emperor and religious pluralism? I mean, there's just all these different kinds of religions that Jesus Christ is presented as an open door that no one can shut. And so this new door, this open door is an opportunity for, not for Greek culture in this context, but for the gospel of Jesus Christ. It's an open door into their city for the gospel of Jesus Christ. And it's a door that no human, regardless of status, is ever going to be able to shut. It is because the gospel is there. Jesus holds the key, the Davidic key. And again, in Isaiah, we read some similar language. Not exactly, but it feels like it might be alluding to this in verse in chapter 60, and your gates shall be opened continually, day and night, and they shall not be shut, that people may bring you the wealth of nations with their kings led in possession. So this context is more about the material wealth that comes within the context of the Old Testament. Revelation is more using the idea of spiritual wealth or the spiritual blessing in that everyone has access to this spiritual access to the gospel. And then he continues in verse 8 that he recognizes and acknowledges that the church in Philadelphia has little power or little strength. Now, at my first reading, my first reaction is, well, that sounds negative. Or, I mean, isn't that a criticism? But that's not at all what it means. It's not exactly clear what it specifically meant. Small or little or weak or little power, little strength. But what is noteworthy is what follows is that it, in spite of whether it was their small size or lack of power, if you will, strength, they have remained faithful. You have kept my word. You have not denied my name. That's where the emphasis is. And so there was something about this church. And my suspicion is that they weren't a flashy or a popular group of people, maybe a rather small group of people, but this Philadelphia church had something far more critical. They had a commitment to keeping the teachings of Jesus and refusing to deny his name, regardless what came along. And so they were being faithful. God's kingdom ultimately is not advanced by human strength or charisma. It's advanced by the authority of the one that holds the key, as was referenced earlier, which in this case is certainly King Jesus. And then notice it also says, you have not denied my name. And you'll see the word name mentioned multiple times in a Later verse, and we'll talk about that at that point as well. So here the church, little strength, little power, but there's no condemnation, there's no critique, but there's an acknowledgement that they're not a powerhouse, they're not just out there just being this huge force, but they have remained true to the Gospel. And then verse nine. Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie. Behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. It is really unclear what John or Jesus is referring to here or is describing, but given the context, I think it's fair to conclude that there was a conflict between the church in Philadelphia and the Jewish community in the synagogue. There was some kind of a conflict or misunderstanding there. Maybe the Jews were denying the legitimacy of the church, we don't know. But the way that it's described here, Jesus describes it as a synagogue of Satan and that they claim they're Jews, but they are not. And I'm not sure exactly what that means. Jews are God's chosen people. And so maybe because of the way that they're acting, they are not acting like God's people. I don't know exactly what is meant here, but continuing beyond that, it. It says, regardless of the nature of the conflict, Jesus is making it clear that these, call them enemies or opposers of the gospel are eventually going to bow down in recognition of the truth of both truth of the Gospel as well as Jesus as the King of kings. And so I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. In the Old Testament, the Jews were often oppressed. Were being oppressed. And here we see the same imagery and language used of the enemies of God. And then God's people being vindicated and that those who were once oppressed will come and bow down. And just a couple verses later, in Isaiah 60, it says, the sons of those who afflicted you shall come bending low to you, and all who despise you shall bow down at your feet. They shall call you the city of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel. And so here in Old Testament times, the Jews were being vindicated by their enemies, and that those who despised you will bow down at your feet. And exactly the same language is used here in Revelation for the Christians as they are afflicted. And then notice again, here's another reference to God as the Holy One of Israel. It seems to me that Jesus is treating this Philadelphia church, or he's recognizing them as a community of upon whom God's favor rests. God is with them. And whatever the opposition may be, there's going to come a point where they will bow down to the Philadelphian church. And the phrase, then they will learn that I have loved you. And so this is Jesus speaking is a good reminder that, that the church's present weakness doesn't indicate divine neglect. Rather, Jesus promises a day that even when the. That there's coming, a day when even the opponents are going to recognize that God loves his people. And I think that's a good reminder for all of us today is that for believers that feel like they are misrepresented or are marginalized or treated as if their faith was foolishness, this verse reminds us that one day King Jesus is going to set that record straight and we will be vindicated for that. And we can have the assurance that Jesus recognizes who we are and what we're doing. And then this next couple of verses is where it really talks about this idea of patient endurance. Because you have kept my word about patient endurance. I will keep you for the hour of trial that is coming the whole world to those who dwell on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold fast that you have so that no one may seize your crown. And so here for the second time, we see the term, or it uses the phrase, they have kept thy word. Kept my word. And so it was earlier in verse nine, I believe, where this was mentioned as well. Jesus is recognizing their perseverance of keeping God's word. It's not simply once in a while, but it's in a continual way. They are following God's teaching, the word that they have, that what they know, they are following. And it takes constant awareness and intentionality. And Jesus promises that in return he's going to keep them, he will preserve them, he will protect them from the challenges that lie ahead. And here it even just mentions that's coming for the whole world, it's for all humanity. But he's going to look out for them. He's going to be checking up, he's going to be standing with them. And then he says, I am coming soon. And I just reference that here in a little bit in the next verse as well then. But the emperor would sometimes use this kind of language when he was visiting a city. And then hold fast to what you have. This church had not escaped hardship, but they had remained faithful in the face of opposition. So it wasn't that it was easy, but they remained faithful. And Jesus is promising that their perseverance and standing strong will be rewarded. Continue persevering. Don't let anyone seize your crown. And the crown, I don't think is a tangible crown necessarily, but it represents the honor of, or the reward for faithful perseverance. And don't let anyone take that away from you. The church is not going to. He's encouraging, don't try something new, but rather keep hold of what you've already been given, what Christ has given, and just affirm that. Hold fast to what you have. And there's no question when you feel of little strength, the temptation is to give in to weariness, discouragement, or the letting go of, rather than holding fast under pressure. It's just easy for us to give up, and it's easy for us to do that. But, John, Jesus is challenging. The believers here remain faithful to Christ. Don't chase after the new, the dramatic, the novelty, the flashy, but hold fast to Jesus Christ. And then in verse 12, part of verse 12, the one who conquers I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it. Jesus now encourages the believers at Philadelphia, those who hold fast, those who persevere, that keep his word, they are conquerors. And then he goes further. And the one who conquers Jesus will make a pillar in God's temple. And so that's pretty. A remarkable word picture, if you will, is that he's making this church, or the believers of this church, a pillar in God's temple. For the citizens of Philadelphia, this imagery was not just one of honor, but it was one of stability and purpose. In the biblical world, pillars signify strength, stability, support. And in a city where earthquakes repeatedly struck, people would want to leave any building for fear of it collapsing when an earthquake struck. And this is a contrast to that. This imagery portrays the persevering believer as having and unshakable belonging in the house of God. It's the opposite of little power or little strength. It's the picture of enormous strength and power. There was a massive earthquake in this area in AD 17, when Jesus was a teenager. And I mentioned this last time we talked about Sardis, because it's the same earthquake that destroyed Sardis. It hit Philadelphia with particular severity, and the city lay closer to the epicenter of the earthquake and endured prolonged aftershocks. So long after the initial quake, when it was still feeling the aftershocks of the earthquake, residents actually abandoned the city for temporary shelters in the surrounding valley. They're trying to reinforce buildings against recurring tremors. And the disaster's psychological impact persisted long after the actual quake, with the inhabitants perpetually anxious about it happening again. And so the city of Philadelphia required imperial rebuilding. And the Emperor Tiberius ordered the city rebuilt by giving money and also lifting all taxes during the five years that it took rebuild. And as Jesus said earlier, I am coming soon. After Tiberius visited and made these funds available, he promised to return shortly after the city was rebuilt. And that's. And so the idea of coming soon would have brought imagery of Tiberius coming back to the city after it was rebuilt. And so in Greek temples, the pillars literally hold up the temple and there were really no walls or structures. But here the Church of Philadelphia is described as a pillar in God's temple, not some mythical Greek God's temple. And it also alludes to two pillars of Solomon's Temple. And here is a trivia question that I think should be in every Bible trivia quiz. It's like I did not remember this at all. Did you know that the two pillars in Solomon's Temple were named? He set up the pillars in the vestibule of the temple. He set up the pillar on the south and called its name Jaekchon. And he set up the pillar on the north, and he called it Boaz. I had no recollection of that as I was studying this. But again, the picture of the pillars and what it brings to the stability of the temple. And here is a drawing of Solomon's Temple. And here we see the two pillars being named there as well. And so these were prominently positioned in front of Solomon's impressive temple in the 10th century BC. And so not only is the conqueror described as a pillar, Jesus goes even beyond this then, and says he shall never go out of it. Rather than running out of the temple when the next tremor hits, believers could confidently stay sheltered in the protection of God's temple and know that it would stand. And then continuing in verse 12. 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 for my God out of heaven and my own new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. With the previous use of the word, we see name repeated four times in this letter. After the A.D. 17 earthquake, the city was rebuilt. The Roman emperor Tiberius came again, again back to the I am coming soon and revisited the city and named it Neocesarea, or the New City of Caesar. The name didn't last long before being reverted back to Philadelphia. And then sometime later, under another, under the Emperor Vespasian, the city was temporarily renamed Flavia. And again the name didn't stick. And the believers here in Philadelphia are promised that they would bear the name of God, meaning that these believers had a genuine connection with the King of kings and the one true God, the Holy One, the true One. And even as the city's imperial names eventually faded, the Christians names will endure for eternity. Jesus says that he will write on the conqueror the name of God, the name of the city of God, and his own new name. Receiving God's name is a sign of ownership and a mark of citizenship in God's kingdom. And that doesn't change. And so this language and imagery indicates an identity and a belonging, a consecration and citizenship in God's eternal kingdom. And again, Isaiah uses similar language in chapter 62. The nations shall see your righteousness and all the kings your glory, and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give. And so it is God that gives that new name, that gives that new identity, that ownership, that mark of citizenship. And so Jesus is not only protecting and preserving the believers or the church, but he's granting them a permanent place in his kingdom. And I think that's something so precious to remember that he is marking them for his kingdom. And then he concludes, as do all of these letters, he who has an ear to hear what the Spirit says to the churches. And while Philadelphia was a real church in a real city, the message here is not only for the church of Philadelphia, it's a message of encouragement for all churches in every age, including our church today. So a few key takeaways for us here this morning. First of all, Philadelphia had little visible power, but there was no correction, given little strength, but great faithfulness. And the thing that struck me with this, it's not the size of the church that indicates spiritual health and just something I think we should keep in mind. And they kept the word, they did not deny the name of Jesus. They had obedience without compromise. And they were told, were promised that the opposition, their opposition, will one day bow at the feet of Jesus. And then also amid earthquakes, the believers found security, stability, protection and identity in Jesus Christ. There was just something. There was something very secure in a very unstable, in an unstable place. And then for us today, just thinking about it for us today, bringing it home to us today, the spiritual health of the church is what matters most. You know, you can go by all kinds of other metrics, but really, it's the spiritual health of the Church is what matters most. Perseverance and faithfulness are critical. Keep the word, hold fast to what you have. And then lastly, the faithful church has the promise of permanence, belonging and identity in God's kingdom. We don't have to fear what goes on around us. We can know that we are a part of God's kingdom and have our name there and are marked for his kingdom and marked for his citizenship. Let's stand together as we pray. Father, thank youk for this message to the church in Philadelphia 2,000 years ago. While we know very little about this church, we can be encouraged by their faithfulness. And Lord, I just pray that that would be an inspiration for each one of us today as we live our lives. That we could be that people would say that we keep the Word and that we do not deny His Name. That we have faithful perseverance in our Christian lives and that we have the stability and we can know and have the confidence that we have the stability and the identity, the permanence of being a pillar in your temple with your name written on our hearts. And we're just so grateful for that this morning. And I just ask, as we go from here, that you would remind us of your truths and that we would have a deeper appreciation for simply following you faithfully day by day, moment by moment. We thank you in Jesus name. Amen. Go in peace.