Tonight, I invite you to turn in your Bibles to the last book of the Bible, Revelation chapter 3. Revelation chapter 3 to the church in Philadelphia. And then we'll finish next week to the church in Laodicea, the seven churches. This is Revelation 3 beginning at verse 7 through 13. This is the word of the Lord. 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've kept my word and have not denied my name. 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've 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. Neither 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. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. May the Lord bless tonight the hearing of his word. We all know that 2 Timothy 3 challenges us to hear the word of God that all of Scripture is profitable for teaching, correction, and doctrine, and reproof, that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. The same is true for the church, isn't it? That the Scripture is given also that the church may be equipped for every good work. And that's how we're looking at this corporately as we look at these churches in Revelation. And Jesus gave us, before He ascended into heaven, He gave His church on earth, A great commission, didn't he? Go into all the earth and preach the gospel. Go make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I've commanded you. And lo, I am with you always. This is what he told us to do. This is our purpose, isn't it? We realize that this is the chief purpose of our presence here is to evangelize the nations with the gospel. a witness and to have a real desire and drive to do that as a church that that is that is the challenge that he that's the call the commission that he's given to his church it's amazing to study these these uh seven churches of asia minor and what they what what a study of them really does expose that there is the continual problem of churches forgetting why they exist as a church you think you wouldn't forget that but you know in life you can forget why you're getting up the next day don't you you can forget what your purpose in life is well that can also happen with the church you can forget what your purpose is and and as i prayed in the prayer you have the sad problem that many churches sadly turned so inward in these seven churches and became sort of closed communities forgetting that they were called to be lights they were called to be lights and have a great commission that god had given to them and placed them in the cities that they were in or they turned so outward uh you might say that trying to reach the world they fell in they became worldly so you have this this dual problem um that jesus is addressing here well tonight we come to this church in Philadelphia. And for me, this is a very helpful church and encouraging church to study. It's a very upbeat, particular address that Jesus gives to this church. It's one that I think really helps us tonight think about our purpose and mission as a church in a special way, unique from the other churches. Christ is calling us in this particular section here in his address to Philadelphia to be intentional in the ministry, to know what we're about, to know what we're doing, to stay with that, to hold on to that, to remember that. That's going to challenge us a little bit, isn't it? It's going to step on us a little bit because these are the kind of things that we need as a church. Just as the Word of God convinces and is for reproof and for correction that that's the purpose here so he's calling the church here in um in philadelphia to consider where the lord had placed them now think about that what was happening in their surrounding context to analyze and consider what kind of city they were ministering in and serving in and to recognize the unique opportunities that God had given them in this context to minister the gospel. Think about those things. And then you say, well, that's helpful for us. How does the Escondido United Reformed Church need to think about Escondido, where the Lord has placed us, right? How has that changed? How has Escondido changed? How have we changed? These are all very important questions in light of this tonight. And I find it encouraging that really Christ is not, in this particular address, is not criticizing this church, is he? He calls this church a very faithful church. It was a very faithful church. That should be immensely encouraging after hearing so much about the failures of the churches. This particular church really does stand out as a light to us. But it has challenges. It has challenges that the Lord was helping them through. that they were scared about going through. He's confronting their doubts as a church. He's confronting their fears as a church. How were they to minister in an environment like where they were? It just seemed impossible. You think we faced that a little bit? He was extinguishing fears that they had due to certain obstacles and oppositions that they were facing. This is good for us because the Lord wants us to think about these things tonight, how we are being intentional, and He confronts our certain fears and certain things that we need to be challenged with that we would take and run with the opportunities, the particular opportunities that He has given to us. That's the purpose here. That's the main point that we're after. Are we aware of the unique opportunities that the Lord has given to us that we need to think about and pray about in this city, in this place, in the time we are, and are we going after that? Or are we just content with being who we are and not being pressed to look outside of us? This is important. So let's think about this church here for a few minutes and what we learn and look at us through the lens of what philadelphia was was facing and you see that in verse one 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 no one opens philadelphia was a uh a fascinating city uh especially reading about philadelphia learning about philadelphia it had a unique location about 28 miles south of sardis this city lied right on a river if you ever looked on a map you'll see it's it's sort of the farthest away toward the east it was built on one of the greatest roman roads so you had a lot of a lot of activity in this city what's interesting it was known as the center of the Greco-Roman civilization. It was known for that. It was known as the center for propagating the Greek language. That was the intention of the founder of the city. So it was designed to be a place that was heavily influenced and would heavily influence all the other cities of Asia Minor. It'd be scary to ask, well, what sort of center affects the cultural trends of our day in the United States? That trashy place called Hollywood. You know that. All kinds of stuff comes out of there that infects everyone else, doesn't it? That infects the whole world. You could think a little bit of that this way, even though there was great cultural advancement. There was learning, and it was a center for all of that. It sat right on the border of Mysia, Lydia, and Phrygia. It was called the Keeper of the Gateway, known as the city sitting on the threshold of the eastern country. Now, Christ put a church here. Christ has a little church here. It's interesting to think about what the Lord, how he views his church. Will a little church like this have any influence in such a center like this, of such Greco-Roman culture? While Satan viewed the city as a place of infecting the world with idolatry and tried hard to do that, Christ is looking toward his church, isn't he? Christ is looking at the church. Christ is speaking to his church there. He strategically placed this group of believers there in Philadelphia to have a great influence in, think about where the city is, on the road, the Roman road, strategically placed for the spreading of the gospel. And we can get a little bit now of the intro, can't we? In verse 1, Christ is raising the issue of his authority. He's raising the issue of his greatness. He's raising the issue of His holiness. Who's in charge in all of this? The church needs to be reminded of that constantly. We lose sight of that. We look at all the stuff happening and we forget who really has all authority. And you'll notice that that authority then triggers something in our minds that the first thing He said in the Great Commission was, I've been given all authority, didn't He? Well, that's all very much tied together here as He addresses them. You'll notice that he says here, as the supreme king, he has been entrusted with, notice, the keys of death and Hades. That was Revelation 1. The key that unlocks the door of the kingdom of heaven. There's beautiful imagery here right out of the gates in his address. Remember, everything was taken, something was taken from chapter 1, and this is what jesus used in chapter one i hold those keys don't i jesus constantly in his ministry talked about gates and doors and keys and kingdom didn't he all sorts of metaphors to help us the most probably potent being in the sermon on the mount when he said enter through the narrow gate for broad is the way and wide is the path that leads to destruction there are many who enter it narrow is the gate and small is the way that leads to life only if you find it two gates open and here the lord is telling them that he is opening and closing the kingdom of heaven the overwhelming thing that i think when you look stand back from this and think about what he's saying to this particular church is, I have entrusted these keys to you. I don't know that we've appreciated that the way that we should. That's a remarkable statement, isn't it? In the Gospels when he said, I give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven so so so as christ is raising this that he holds them he's also recalling for them that they were entrusted these keys and that he had entrusted to his church the very keys that he works through his church to accomplish the opening and the closing what a responsibility that's why i read heidelberg 83 tonight what are the keys of the kingdom the preaching of the holy gospel and church discipline by these two the kingdom of heaven is open to believers and close to unbelievers so christ is saying to the church in philadelphia your mission he's reminding them implicitly here of their mission isn't he that they are to take these keys and to proclaim what we say that whoever believes in christ and repents of his sins they're saved and whoever does not is condemned the amazing thing about this is that the lord is not saying that he will decide after the church has made its declaration the lord was saying that when the church faithfully exercises the keys and uses the keys what is decided particularly in discipline what is decided on earth is what is decided in heaven to see how interested he is in how the church is using these keys how faithful they're being with these keys and now you see why this would be so bound up with the very commission of the church the great commission of the church now this is where he starts with this church i have the keys i have all authority in heaven and earth and what does he challenge this church with now he goes to their responsibility doesn't he the heart of the whole address is found in verse 8 i love to see all your heads bob down when i do that by the way it's really neat from up here i just had to say that i know your works behold i have set before you an open door which no one is able to shut. Huh. Isn't that just a great verse? Verse 8 is an exciting verse. It's an encouraging verse. I want you to think about what he just said. I just opened the door through you in your city in a way that many people are going to respond. I've just given you an open door. You've got the keys, doors open. I'm opening up the kingdom of heaven in a very unique way for you right now. Now, I think it's important to stop and say, do you realize this goes on? In 1 Corinthians, Paul described his work in Ephesus. And you know what he said? He said it this way. For me, a great and effective door has been opened for me. I'm staying here until Pentecost because I realize that a door, the Lord has opened a door wide to the message. This formed a lot of how long Paul stayed in places when he saw the doors opening and closing. He realized it. He was perceptive to that. He could perceive things. He could see things. And that's not a perception that only was given to apostles. That's a perception that we need to ask for. How is the Lord opening and closing the door? We'll come back to that in a minute. Notice here that Paul also said, continue earnestly in prayer. This was when Paul was in Rome under arrest. He pleaded with the Christians because of opposition. Here's what he said. Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant with thanksgiving. Meanwhile, praying also for us that God would open for us a door for the word. So, he was calling the churches to pray that as the Word was going out, the Lord would open the door to speak the mystery of Christ, he said, for which I also am in chains. It's not open right now, but I need you to pray that God would open the door to the Word. I think the church needs to be challenged to pray that today. A lot. I don't think we're praying that. is it possible we're not praying that prayer and doors aren't being opened the lord uses prayer doesn't he he works through the prayers of his people paul was asking the church to pray for open doors now here's what he's saying this particular church i placed you in philadelphia and i've just opened the door i've just opened the door no one can shut it they give you confidence to do what you do, to be faithful in the preaching of the gospel and exercising discipline, it should. It's not to stand around and say, well, this isn't going to work. That's not the response, is it? If the mission of the church is to make known Christ, that's the most exciting thing I've ever read. I'm opening doors. I'm opening doors. The narrow gate, if you find, guess what? I'm going to open up that door. So what is he calling this particular church to? Well, this was a faithful church. He was calling them to the very... I read Psalm 67. I'll come back to that in a second. That's a missionary psalm. To the missionary responsibility to be intentional in the setting Christ has placed them. Because right in that city, an open door he just flung open. A door he just flung open. it's a problem that too many churches today are built just to accommodate religious people it's easy to create that where we feel safe and you don't have to get messy i i believe this challenges us to think about what our purpose is and why we're here one of the very important things this is the great commission issue that is dealt with in this particular church. You realize a door can be shut any time? If we don't tend to the door of opportunities that are in front of us, doors do go shut. Not only can it be shut in the place we are, but the Lord has told us that one day the door will finally be shut. So doors go shut in places. Churches fold sometimes. Doors go shut. Doors open. Jesus was constantly telling people to strive through the gate. Why? Because one day the Master is going to come and shut the door. This language is everywhere. You know this language. We have to look at it in terms of ministry tonight and think about doors open and doors closed when He opens a door. So here the Lord is calling the church to recognize the unique opportunities that He's given them in the place where they are. It requires wisdom, doesn't it? It requires desire to go through the door. It requires understanding your setting. You get to make known the Savior. And the Lord wants us to be in prayer about how, I'm not talking about, we have the means of grace. I'm not talking about changing any of that. We'll talk about this in a second. But what I'm saying is to think a lot about the particular challenges that we face in doing that. And how we reach to the people. You think the Lord has given us a door here? Oh, I think so. I see it. Are we aware that a door is open to us? I see it. Do you see it? Maybe I can help you with that just for a minute. Think of it just through the lens of their struggle for a second. And I think you'll see. When this church was told by Jesus, I'm assuming, he says, I'm opening a door, I'm assuming by the things that Christ now observed the church was facing and the challenges and the obstacles and the opposition, that they were reluctant to act on this opportunity. I'm assuming that. I think it's safe to assume. I say that because Christ acknowledges here some real struggles and some real... deterring factors to be bold in the mission. What are they? Well, look what he says in verse 8. I see you have little strength. Huh. I see you have little power, yet you've kept my word and not denied my name. He's having them think about that. This was not a powerful church. This was not a well-resourced church. My guess is that they were small in comparison to the city. Their resources may have been little. It could have been a variety of reasons he said that. Maybe they were of lower socioeconomic class. I don't know. Maybe they were poor. Maybe it was when Christ said, you have little strength. They were a very weak group in some way. I don't know exactly, precisely what he's talking about, but he's telling them in your weakness as we've been considering remember the power of christ rests upon us they considered that weakness as something to hold them back and we read it further that this church was not very well liked in the community you'll notice there that jesus calls the jews a synagogue of satan the jews were obviously persecuting them there was great resistance by the jews we have no idea how bad that conflict must have been but we know from church history it was bad further it seems that jesus is forewarning them something's about to come to try everyone uh you'll notice that there's something big economically spiritually i notice we're not told but he says that something is coming to test those in this hour of trial that's going to come upon the whole world so so you have some major obstacles that jesus is saying here What do people do in times of trial, test, and obstacles? They retreat. Well, this is not the time to be doing this. This is not the time to be doing this. Look at what's going on. We need to wait. We need better circumstances. We need better times, better scenarios. This is foolish to do stuff like that at this point. And a lot of churches sit there for a long time, don't they? You'll always find an obstacle. Christ says in the midst of this, though, but I just opened a door. He loves to open doors in the midst of obstacles, doesn't he? We know how our Lord works by now. Go, he's saying. That was the heart of the Great Commission. Go! Well, no, but we've got to calculate and figure this out. One pastor said, The church urgently needs Christians of apostolic zeal who will count all things lost for Christ and hazard life, comfort, career, and reputation for Him. The open doors are many, but there are few who go through them. Who is telling this church, go through the door? i'm going to tell you what i think this door is here in a minute you've been given so much love by god grace all this strengthening all this help all this ministry think of how much you've received from the ministry when paul was on his um how do you look at ministry though now that you've received all that when paul was on his missionary journeys you know he had he'd come to missia tried to go to Bithynia the spirit didn't let him go listen to what he says so passing by Mysia they came to Troas and a vision appeared to Paul in the night a man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him saying come over to Macedonia and help us you know that's what you should be hearing come help us people are saying that come help us the door's open come help us you know how many people need our help who here's what i believe the door was who was the door open to i think i think you're told in verse 9 listen to this behold i will make those of the synagogue of satan who say they're jews and are not but lie behold i will make them come and bow down before your feet and they'll learn that i've loved you the Jews believed they were the true Israel. And the Lord here made clear that it was His church that's the true Israel. The tension was fierce. But Paul said something back in Romans 11 that helps us with this when he said that the mystery would be as the gospel would be preached, when the Gentiles would preach the gospel faithfully, it would provoke the Jews to what? Jealousy. And salvation then, as it went out to the Gentiles, as it provoked the Jews to jealousy, many of them would come in and be saved. Well, here's what the Lord just said. I'm going to bring a whole bunch of ethnic Jews into your house. They're coming to you. They're going to believe. They're going to be converted. I'm going to use you. What do you think the Christians in Philadelphia said about that? them no come on not them of all people not them you know how much work that's going to be go there's your door right it's ministry is not always how we think it's going to go or who it's going to be to or how the lord's going to work that's not what we envisioned in our church who we're going to reach out to it presents so many challenges and the lord's saying you freely receive freely give you've kept my word now spread it be faithful to it i've got a door for you now what does that what does that tell us sometimes the door is open the open door is not to the situations or the peoples we think sometimes those who need our help the most are those we would never choose to minister to but that's how the Lord works isn't it I asked at the AGR dinner I was thinking about some of this and I said when this church was built what was around it a lot of land wasn't there that must have been a nice time I heard one of the pastors had a cow at the parsonage I would love to have a cow at the parsonage I don't think the city would like that, but what's happened? The city's come to you. The city's right here. It's not a field anymore, is it? It may have been somewhat easier that way, but now everything's changed. The Lord has brought the city to your doorstep. You have to think about that. I was going through the demographics of the census in Escondido. You know, in 2000, the census, Hispanic, 51,693. It was 38 in 2000, 38%. White was 69,000, that's about 52%. Black was 2,702%. Asian was 6,000, about 4.5%. Listen to how it's changed in 2015. Hispanic, 74,953, 50.9%. White, down 57,244. That's 38% down from 51. Black, about the same, 2684, 1.8. Asian, up 8,822, 6%. That's interesting, isn't it, to think about? Don't you think we should think about those things? The church is meant to reflect the city it's in. How are we doing with that? It's an important question to think about, isn't it? If the demographics of the Escondido URC would put up, what would it show? And these are things we need to pray about. Do we desire to see and reach out that way? This is the challenge the Lord gives us. Think about that church in Philadelphia, the Jews. See, think about these things. I'm convinced that the church should look like the city it's in. And think about how best to minister. The ministry can't just be for certain groups to say, well, that's for Mission Vida Nueve. We have to think about these things, don't we? We have to think about how to love our neighbor. I get it. I'm comfortable around those who I'm most like. I'm the first one to be guilty about that. I remember in Linden the ongoing laugh was a man by the name of Dan Korn. And Dan Korn first visited a church in Linden. An elderly man walked up to him and greeted him and said, what's your name? He said, Dan Korn. He goes, oh, Van Korn. No, no, no, no, Dan Korn. Oh, it's kind of the end of the conversation at that point. So that's not the first way we want to greet somebody, right? I know you'd laugh at that. You're not mad at me of that, are you? Of course not. You know that goes on. The Dutch bingo thing has gone on for a long time. I just can't play it. The body of Christ is one, isn't it? It's made of all tribes, tongues, peoples, and nations. And that's one way we have to think about being intentional. I don't have all the answers for that, but I think we should pray about wisdom and help as elders and deacons and pastors and you. Pray for that. We have another kind of open door, I think, to a generation, a younger generation, that's really struggling right now. There's a reason Paul says that the older men should be instructed, the young men in the faith, and the older women, the young women in the faith. We're not doing that well. These are all doors. So notice what Jesus said. I'm opening it and I'm going to bring. It's not so much about going out and doing anything new. We don't need a new program. It's not what it's saying. It's saying, be involved in what you have. Hold what you have. Love what we do. Be there. Be excited about it. Enjoy it. Enjoy worship. Enjoy the people. Love the people. I think we're always trying to figure out what could we do that's new. In a sense, it's just holding on and recovering what we have and then praying about how best to reach them and talk to them, to people. This is the opportunity. The Lord says, I've opened the door. I'll close here, but I want you to think a little bit about John 4. When Jesus saved that woman at the well, the Samaritan. The Jews didn't like the Samaritans. They didn't get along. She is so taken by the Gospel and grace, she goes back and tells a city. And they look up, and a city's coming back to Jesus. And they say, we believe your word. They believe the word. The door was open. It was right there. And Jesus was telling them, that's my food to his disciples who were worried about physical food. No, that's my food. It is to give eternal life to as many as my Father has given me. That's what we're doing. Well, Christ gives a promise here in closing. Behold, I'm coming quickly. hold fast what you have in verse 11. See it? Hold fast. You've got something really rich. You've got to believe that though. Sometimes I think we're embarrassed about who we are. You've got to believe you offer something very rich. You have something very rich. Hold fast so that no one may seize your crown. The one who conquers, I'm going to make him a pillar in the temple of my God. You've seen the pillars, haven't you? of ancient Athens and Rome and Greece, the pillars. He knows what pillars were everything in the ancient world. I'll make you that pillar. Never shall he go out of it and I'll 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. We've looked at these things. We've considered these. He's reminding them of their status and their certainty of where they're going to be. The hope of where they're going. he who has an ear let him hear what the spirit says to the churches i'm closing with this thought from psalm 67 listen to tonight we're going to leave worship and the lord's going to bless you you're used to all this the lord bless you and keep you the lord make his face to shine upon you you're going to hear that that that erotic benediction and blessing for what reason psalm 67 may god be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us why why is he sending you out this week to and sending you out with blessing and strength from him that your way may be known on earth you're saving power among all nations he has blessed you to be a blessing. That's what God promised to Abraham. I'm blessing you to be a blessing. Let all the peoples praise you. Let all the peoples praise you. Let the nations be glad and sing for joy. See, God is a missionary God, isn't he? And the Lord Jesus Christ is reminding us that that's our purpose as a church. I hope that encouraged you, challenged you, helped you to think about it, and to know what to pray for. Maybe we should start by praying tonight that the Lord would open a door for us. And do we see that door? And then that we would go through it. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we give you praise tonight and are thankful for the instruction that you give us in your word. It is certainly profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. Well, that's true for your church. Thank you for helping us to see why we're here, the purpose that you've given, a great commission, blessing us that we might be a blessing. Help us to think about that. Help us to desire that. We know, all of us, we're comfortable around our own. We're comfortable around those who are most easy and those who, Lord, we're most familiar with and those who don't stretch us. but help us to remember our purpose here on earth. And we pray for open doors. We pray that the ministry of the means of grace, of the keys of the kingdom as they're exercised, would be faithful here. That we'd hold fast to what we have, but also realize that as you're building and doors are opened, that as you bring people to us, to our feet, as is said in this passage, that we would be open and welcoming, embracing, talking, and helping them and care. And I've seen that in this church. Give us the desire, Lord, but also the ability to embrace and integrate and love the way that You want us to do. Thank You for including us in Your family when we didn't deserve it. And we humbly bow tonight and ask, Lord, that this, the Escondido URC, would be faithful to the Great Commission. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.