So we're reading from Revelation chapter 3, verses 7 to 13,
to the church in Philadelphia.
And to the angel of the church in 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 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 try those who dwell on the earth.
I am coming soon.
Hold fast 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 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 from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.
Here who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Good morning, everyone.
Now, I've just connected the microphone.
So, Ian and Beck Mathias, I can see you.
Thumbs up?
Yep, okay, you can hear me.
Fantastic.
Okay, well, we're going to be looking at Revelation 3, verses 7 to 13.
Now, it is tough being on the outside.
I remember the experience some years ago of sitting in a room with about six colleagues,
those I'd worked with for about three or four years,
and sharing my side of the story,
and realising that none of them believed me,
none of them would support me,
and that within that team,
I was now completely and utterly marginalised.
Well, maybe you've had an experience like that in the workplace or another scenario.
I think all of us, at some time or another,
have had an experience like that.
Perhaps in a social situation,
where you've felt awkward and uninvited,
and people have avoided speaking to you.
Perhaps it's in the playground.
Everyone else is involved in a game,
but you were all alone.
Sorry, here we go.
Perhaps at work,
shut out from the decision-making process.
Perhaps it's an experience to do with your family situation,
living in a broken family,
or an experience of singleness or infertility,
where you feel excluded.
You're excluded from the joy that you see others experiencing.
Perhaps it's at church.
You feel like everyone else at church has close relationships,
except for you.
You know the hurt,
and the loneliness,
and the powerlessness,
and the fear of being on the outside.
One of the most painful experiences in life
is simply to be left outside.
In the world's eyes,
the Christians in Philadelphia were on the outside.
Now, we're not told what was going on in the Philadelphian church,
but of the seven churches that John addresses in Revelation,
that Jesus addresses in Revelation chapters two to three,
Philadelphia is one of only two,
which receives no criticism,
no rebuke.
The other Smyrna.
Jesus finds no fault with them.
Instead,
he commends them repeatedly for their faithfulness.
In verse eight,
Jesus says,
you have kept my word and have not denied my name.
Verse 10,
you have kept my word about patient endurance.
That is,
they had endured patiently,
just as Jesus commanded.
However,
this faithfulness had come in the face of struggles.
Verse eight,
they were weak.
Jesus says to them,
I know that you have but little power.
Verse nine,
they were persecuted by those Jesus calls the synagogue of Satan.
That is by the Jewish community in Philadelphia.
Now,
again,
we're not told what form this persecution took,
but I think there are two possibilities and it may have involved either or
both of these.
The first of the possibilities is that the persecution involved exclusion from
the synagogue.
We know that many first century Christians were Jews or were God fearing Gentiles who had
previously associated with a synagogue and faith in Jesus frequently led to
exclusion from this community that they had formerly been part of.
But it may have been even more serious than that because within the Roman Empire,
Jews had some legal protections to practice the exclusive worship of Yahweh.
And it's possible,
perhaps even likely that some Jews in Philadelphia had brought accusations about the
Christians to the Roman authorities,
exposed them to prosecution for refusing to worship the Roman Emperor.
Whatever the precise nature of the persecution they faced,
here was a small struggling church.
It was a minority fringe,
minority on the fringe of society,
a church on the outside.
Now,
perhaps you personally are going through something like the Philadelphians.
You feel the pressure of being a small minority.
You're battered and weary in your Christian life.
Your strength is flagging and it feels like you're just barely hanging on by your
fingernails.
Well,
there's an important encouragement for you in these verses.
Of course,
that won't be everyone here.
Some may be new Christians in the full flush of enthusiasm thinking,
what's fantastic to be a Christian?
Well,
if that's you,
that's great.
But I think these words will still encourage you.
But for others,
for who are facing,
who are finding the Christian life,
a real uphill battle,
these words of Jesus today should have special significance for you.
Jesus speaks to those who are on the outside in the world to assure them that they are on the inside with God.
You see,
a far greater tragedy than being on the outside in the world,
much worse is to be shut outside of the city of God.
You know,
that the glorious city of John's vision in Revelation chapter 21,
the new Jerusalem,
where there'll be no more death and mourning and crying or pain because we'll be with God and God will be with us.
Far worse,
far more terrible,
indeed terrifying is to be shut out of that city.
But for the faithful Philadelphian church and for all who keep Jesus' word,
Jesus speaks in Revelation chapter 3,
not to terrify,
but to strengthen and to encourage and fill with hope.
Now,
we won't be able to look at everything in Revelation chapter 3 and Jesus' words to the Philadelphian church.
But in particular,
we're going to look at four striking images,
four striking images,
the key,
the door,
the crown,
and the pillar.
Now,
none of these images is particularly unusual for us.
They basically mean what we expect them to.
But I want to suggest,
perhaps if you're one of our younger members listening along this morning,
these are the four things to listen out for,
the key,
the door,
the crown,
the pillar.
And maybe if you're in,
you know,
in primary school or,
it might,
it'll help you remember,
why not draw a picture of each one
and try and write down a few words
about what each of them means.
They're the four things.
So let's look at each in turn.
First,
the key,
the key.
Jesus says in verse 7,
and to the angel of the church in Philadelphia,
write,
the words of the Holy One,
the true one.
Now,
we'll get to the key in a moment,
but first,
holy and true.
These are Old Testament descriptions of God.
God is the Holy One.
God is the true one.
Here,
Jesus addresses the Philadelphian church
as the second person of the Trinity,
as the one who,
together with the Father and the Spirit,
shares all the perfections of the divine nature.
He speaks to us as the Holy One.
He speaks to us as the true one.
And so every word from his mouth
is likewise holy and true.
No word of Jesus is unworthy.
No word of Jesus can fail.
With that in mind,
let's consider what Jesus says
in the second half of verse 7.
To the angel of the church in 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 will open.
Jesus has the key of David.
Now,
what does this mean?
Well,
a key is a symbol of authority.
So there's a 21st birthday custom.
I don't know if it's practiced as much now,
but it was when I was younger.
21st birthday custom
where parents will give their 21-year-old son or daughter
a key.
And it symbolizes that
now they've come to maturity.
Now they hold new authority.
Traditionally,
it was the key to the family home.
But now they hold a new authority
in the family home.
The key to the front door.
They may come and go as they please.
Well,
the biblical symbolism is similar.
The specific metaphor,
the key of David,
comes from Isaiah chapter 22.
And in Isaiah chapter 22,
the one who holds the key to the house of David
is the steward who's in charge of the palace.
He controls access to the royal city.
He controls access to the royal house.
He opens to let people in.
He shuts to keep people out.
Here in Revelation chapter 3,
Jesus says,
I hold the key.
Jesus is the one who can let you in,
into the city of God,
into the royal house,
into the presence of God
and God's king.
He has the authority.
When he opens,
no one can shut.
And what he shuts,
no one can open.
Now,
the pluralism of our day
tells us that there are many keys
and many doors.
As long as you sincerely believe,
you'll enter the eternal city.
But Jesus says,
there's only one key
and he has it.
If he shuts the door,
no one else can let you in.
Muhammad does not have the key.
Buddha does not have the key.
Krishna does not have the key.
The key called living a decent life
will not open this door.
Only one person holds the key
and that is Jesus.
Do you know the one
who holds the key of David?
Well,
there's our first image,
the key of authority.
The second image
is related to the first
and that is the door.
Verse eight.
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.
To the person
who has kept his word,
Jesus says,
I have set before you
an open door
which no one is able to shut.
Perhaps like the Philadelphians,
you feel that you
have little strength,
little power.
You feel overwhelmed
by the forces
that are stacked against you.
The might of this world,
the frustrations
and disappointments of life,
the merciless busyness
that just seems out of control,
the relentless pressure
of temptation.
If Jesus has set before you
the open door,
then no one
can close it.
This door is
non-shuttable.
If Jesus
has allowed you
to enter the city of God,
then no one else
can keep you from it.
It is simply
not in their power
to do so.
And indeed,
the way
has been opened
once and for all.
Jesus' death
on the cross
has burst open
the door to paradise.
Through him,
we're invited in,
invited to enter
the presence of God
as one of his
forgiven children.
And you remember,
of course,
that dramatic demonstration
of this
as Jesus died
on the cross.
That moment
when the curtain
in the temple
was torn in two
from top to bottom.
That curtain
that had symbolically
separated
the holy God
from sinful people.
It was ripped apart.
The way opened
for us
to enter
the most holy place
into the presence
of God.
Jesus,
forsaken
on the cross
outside,
we invited
inside
into the family
of God.
Jesus says,
I have set
before you
an open door
which no one
is able to shut.
And notice
how in verse 8,
actually,
Jesus interrupts
what he'd started
to say
to give this
assurance
about the open door.
Verse 8,
I know your works,
it starts,
but then
it's the latter
part of the verse
that tells us
what those works were.
I know your works
down to the second
half of the verse.
I know that you
have but little power
and you have
kept my word
and have not
denied my name.
There's the works
that Jesus says
he knows.
But before
Jesus lists
their works,
he reminds them
of his work.
Behold,
I've set
before you
an open door
which no one
is able to shut.
The door
to paradise
has not
been opened
by our works
but by
Jesus' blood.
So when
you're weak,
remember,
Jesus holds
the key.
And when
you're weak,
remember,
Jesus has
opened the door.
and this door
that Jesus
has opened,
neither man
nor demon
nor anything
else in all
creation
is able to
shut.
They may
shut you
out of the
synagogue.
They may
shut you
out of the
workplace.
They may
shut you
out of the
halls of
earthly power.
Let them
do their
worst.
The door
to the city
of God
stands open
before you.
What have
we seen
so far?
We've seen
the key
of authority
and we've
seen the
door of
salvation.
The third
image we're
going to
consider is
the crown.
The crown.
It's down
in verse
11.
Jesus
says in
verse 11,
I am
coming soon.
Hold
fast what
you have
so that
no one
may seize
your crown.
The promise
that Jesus
is coming
soon is
further
motivation
for us
to hold
fast what
we have.
Hold on.
Persevere.
Don't give
up.
Don't give
up on
Jesus.
Just a
little while
and we
will receive
our crown.
Now for
us,
in how we
think about
crowns,
crowns are
worn by
rulers.
And so
the crown
is a
symbol of
rule and
power and
authority.
crowns are
more
and
in the
ancient
world,
other
shades of
meaning
were
more
prominent.
One of
those was
victory,
because the
winner of
a contest
would be
awarded a
crown,
would be
crowned.
Now it
could be an
athletic contest
like a race,
or it could be
another kind of
contest, like a
contest between
performers, between
actors or public
speakers or so on.
And so the
crown symbolises
victory, or
that the crown
is the prize
that can only
be attained
through winning
that contest.
And we see
that motif,
that shades of
meaning there in
the New Testament.
But even
victory, I want to
suggest, wasn't
the primary
symbolism of
the crown.
Primarily in
the ancient
Mediterranean, the
crown is a
symbol of
honour, a
symbol of
glory.
Now examples
of this
abound, including
in Asia Minor
where these
letters are
addressed to
churches in
various cities
in Asia Minor.
And examples
of this, they're
all over the
place.
So I'm going
to give you
a couple, but
they're so
numerous.
A city or
an association
would honour
someone for
some significant
achievement by
crowning them,
by awarding
them a crown.
It could be a
crown of gold
or a precious
medal, or it
could be just
a laurel
wreath.
So I think
we've got a
couple of
texts that are
going to come
up on the
screen.
So here's the
first one.
This is a
late first
century inscription.
It was found
on a white
marble altar in
Kibera in
southern Asia Minor.
And here's what
it reads, this
inscription.
The people and
those engaged in
business here
honoured Menepus,
son of Eutychus,
also known as
Chrysorus, who
served as
overseer of the
market in the
57th year with
a beautiful gold
memorial crown.
Artemidorus set
this up for his
father Chrysorus as
a memorial.
So what's
happened here?
This man
named Menepus,
who's also
called Chrysorus,
has served as
an overseer of
the market and
those engaged in
business in the
market have
honoured him.
How have they
honoured him?
By presenting
him with a
beautiful gold
memorial crown.
And then
Chrysorus' son
has kind of
made a
permanent record
of that by
setting up this
inscription on a
white marble
altar as a sign
of how his
father was
honoured.
Or another
example, here's
a second
example.
This is from
second century
description from
Thyatira.
The Dyers
honoured Marcus,
Julius, Dionysius,
Acleanos,
twice crown
bearer, who
pursued glory
since childhood.
So he'd been
a crown bearer,
given a crown
twice.
But notice that
those other
themes are there
in this text.
Honour, glory,
and you can
see there,
this one we've
got actually
in the slide
a facsimile
of the inscription
and it's the
fourth line
there,
de stephanouphoron,
twice crown
bearer.
You know,
that's our key.
But you see
what a crown,
a crown is
a symbol of honour.
You present
someone a crown
to honour
them because
of something
significant they've
done,
some service
they've done
to the community
or to an
association
or to a
particular group
or because
of their
position.
It's a symbol
of honour
and glory.
The material
value,
whether gold
or whether it's
a laurel
wreath,
that mattered
less than the
symbolism of
the act
itself.
In the honour
shame culture
of the ancient
Mediterranean,
the supreme
value was honour
and to be
crowned was
to be honoured.
The crown
was a crown
of glory.
Well,
in first
century
Philadelphia,
there were
no crowns
for those
who followed
Jesus.
Their deeds
were not
inscribed on
marble.
Their names
would not be
remembered.
These first
century believers
shared in the
shame of their
crucified master.
shame,
I think,
is the most
painful dimension
of exclusion.
It's easier
to live without
money than
to live without
at least some
sense that you
are known and
valued and
esteemed by
others.
Some sense
that you
matter.
Does that
ring true of
your experience?
Perhaps
God's
particular
calling on
your life
is
exposes
you to
shame.
I don't
want to
make a
big deal
of this
in my
own
experience,
but in
God's
wisdom,
he's
called me
to a
form of
service in
an inter-church
ministry on
campus with
AFES.
Some would
use the
label
para-church
for that,
although I
don't
particularly
like that
label.
But at
times,
fellow
believers,
other
Christians,
shame me
for that.
Now,
thankfully,
I can
say,
with all
honesty,
I've never
experienced
that in
this
congregation
as part
of
Grace
Evangelical.
In fact,
I've found
that my
wife and
I've received
much
encouragement
here in
this
ministry,
and a
patient
acceptance
that on
my part,
much of
my ministry
lies outside
this particular
congregation of
Grace
Evangelical.
God's
kingdom.
In that
view,
all that
matters is
the local
church,
and inter-church
ministry is
insignificant.
Well,
that's one
form of
shame that
God's
particular
calling on
my life
exposes
to me
too at
times.
And,
you know,
it might
not seem
like much,
but there
are times
that it
stings.
Well,
perhaps God's
calling on
your life
exposes
you to
shame.
You know,
where God
has placed
you,
the gifts
God has
given you,
the opportunities
God has
given you,
what God
has called
on you
to do.
You know,
maybe it
just doesn't
seem like
much in
the eyes
of the
world.
Maybe it
doesn't even
seem like
much in
your own
eyes.
Whether or
not that's
the case,
for all
of us
who follow
Jesus,
many times
the world
will shame
us.
I was
speaking with
someone this
week who's,
they were
catching up
with a
non-Christian
friend,
and,
you know,
the non-Christian
friend was a
bit surprised
to find that
this,
my friend,
was still
someone who
follows Jesus,
and loves
Jesus,
and this
non-Christian
friend called
her Christian
friend,
called her
Christian friend's
love for
Jesus,
cute.
So,
Noah,
you still
love Jesus?
Oh,
that's cute.
What a
backhanded
compliment if
ever there
was one.
Cute.
In other
words,
infantile,
naive,
charming,
but childish.
You know,
like a
toddler waving
excitedly at
a puppy.
so that
the world,
our world
doesn't award
crowns for
faith in
Jesus Christ.
But what is
of little
value in
the world's
eyes is
of great
value in
God's
eyes.
So the
crown in
verse 11,
I don't think
it's the only
place in
this passage
where we
see shame
and honour
alluded to.
You see it
also in
verse 9.
Have a look
at verse 9.
Behold,
I will
make those
of the
synagogue
of Satan
who say
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.
That I
have loved
you.
You.
Now,
there are
further
allusions
to
Isaiah
here.
Isaiah
49,
60,
where
there's
the
promise
of the
nations
coming
and
bowing
down
before
God's
people.
This
moment of
vindication.
Vindication.
Jesus
himself
gives
this
promise.
Jesus
himself
will see
to it
that all
who are
shamed
for
following
him
will
be
honoured
and that
all who
despise
Jesus
people in
this
present
age
must
one day
acknowledge
that the
very
people,
the very
ones they
despised
are the
ones Jesus
has loved.
So bear
the shame
for the
honour
awaits.
The
I am
coming
soon.
Hold
fast
what you
have
so that
no one
may seize
your
crown.
And if
you fear
you lack
the strength
to hold
fast,
well,
remember
you know
that the
one who
holds the
key and
the one
who opens
the door
and the
one who
grants the
crown is
the same
one who
will protect
you and
shield you
from any
trial or
test that
would be
too great
for you
to bear.
That at
least is how
I understand
Jesus'
promise in
verse 10
to keep
us from
the hour
of trial
ahead,
but we
don't have
much time
to dwell
on that
now.
So what
have we
seen so
far?
We've
seen the
key of
authority,
the door
of salvation
and the
crown of
glory.
Fourthly
and finally
the pillar
of security.
Look at
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.
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 from
God out
of heaven
and my
own new
name.
This
pillar of
security is
a particularly
apt image for
the
Philadelphian
Christians.
The city
of
Philadelphia
was built
on a
fault line
and it
was at
times
devastated
by
earthquakes.
When
tremors
were felt,
people would
flee the
city for
safety.
But in
the city
of God,
his people
would be
solid,
sturdy,
unshakable.
These
pillars would
never need
leave the
temple.
A pillar
in the
temple of
my God,
never shall
he go out
of it.
The Jews
in Philadelphia
may have
driven
Jewish
Christians
from the
synagogue,
but in
God's city
they would
have a
permanent
place in
his temple.
They would
dwell with
God and
God would
dwell with
them.
In the
world they
are excluded,
welcomed neither
by the Jewish
community with
their synagogue,
nor the Roman
community with
their worship
of Caesar.
But in the
new Jerusalem
they would
be at
last where
they belonged,
in the city
of God,
with the
Father and
the Son
whose names
they bore.
Now,
friends,
Christians may
look numerically
insignificant.
we may not
have political
clout,
we may be
laughed at
by the
world,
or worse,
just ignored.
We may
seem weak,
fragile.
Perhaps you
feel that way
now.
But inside the
city of God
you will be
strong and
stable as a
pillar.
Jesus will
make you
eternally
secure.
Inside that
city is where
you,
Christian,
finally come
home.
There's a
place for you
there.
When you
arrive,
Jesus will
welcome you.
He will
mark you
with his
name and
with the
name of
God and
the name of
the city,
the new
Jerusalem.
You have
arrived where
you belong
and you
will never
again have
to leave.
And to
this weak
despised
church,
this weak
church despised
in the world,
Jesus made
these incredible
promises.
Jesus holds
the key of
authority.
Jesus has
opened the
door of
salvation.
Jesus will
adorn you
with the
crown of
glory and
Jesus will
make you a
pillar of
security.
The
outsiders in
the world
have a
place inside
the eternal
city and
the temple
of God.
There,
they have
honour and
security and
protection and
fellowship with
God.
And Jesus
promises spur
us on so
that we may
continue patiently
to endure.
Do not
look within
yourself.
Jesus says,
I know
you're weak.
Do not
look at the
opposition.
Jesus says,
I know it's
relentless.
But look to
our risen
Lord Jesus,
to the
door he has
opened for
us and
to the
welcome that
awaits.
Look to
him who has
given us his
wonderful promises.
I have
placed before
you an
open door.
I have
loved you.
I will
keep you.
I am
coming soon.
Amen.
Come,
Lord Jesus.