Have you ever been at a point in life where you feel like God is inexplicably punishing you? I say “inexplicably” not because you think you’re without sin and therefore can’t imagine how in the world it could be just for you to suffer. Any of us who understands the depth of our rebellion against the Lord knows we deserve nothing shy of hell, apart from the rich grace of God through Jesus Christ. I mean inexplicably in the sense that you’re not in the place in which you’re suffering because you rebelled. You may even be trying to obey God in something, and you feel like he’s allowing more suffering now than you faced before you tried to obey.
Perhaps your obedience has put you in a place where you’re not as wealthy as you wished, are more lonely than you’d like, lack all prestige, and people around you are not exactly applauding your life choices and praising you. And you’re tempted to look at God and say, “Is there something I’m missing? Is there something you’re wanting me to learn that I’m not getting because it seems like the hardships are just mounting?”
It’s natural for us, when we find ourselves in places of hardship, struggle, suffering, and persecution, to turn to God and look for him to comment. After all, we know he’s in control, and we’d just like to hear his voice. We’d at least like for him to tell us, “I know it’s hard, but keep up the good work.” But often it seems that he’s silent. We’re suffering, and he’s silent. We’re discouraged and depressed, and he won’t echo a word. We’re crying out and he’s not responding. And we feel like we’d give anything if he would just break his silence and address our situation. And we sit and suffer and listen, and we hear – nothing.
But actually that’s not true, is it? It’s never true that we sit in our suffering and can say, “Lord, you have not spoken.” The reality is that he has spoken. He’s even spoken specifically to people who are trying to do what’s right, aren’t seeing a lot of blessing, and are actually facing some struggles. He’s spoken to these specific people when he spoke to the church at Philadelphia.
The church of Philadelphia was probably a small church with little influence in the city. Jesus mentions their faithfulness. In fact, he says nothing bad about them at all. This letter contains no rebuke. This was a church that was obviously honoring the Lord. But that doesn’t mean they were seeing no hardship. In fact, we know for certain they were. When Jesus mentions this group in verse 9, who are of the synagogue of Satan and who say they are Jews but are not, he’s most likely referring to a group of Jews in Philadelphia who were making sure that the Roman Empire knew these Christians should be persecuted for not honoring the state in their worship. We looked at this when we looked at the letter to the church in Smyrna, but I’ll repeat it now for a reminder. Under the Roman Empire at this time there was no religious freedom. You had to offer incense to the emperor and confess him as god. However, the Jews were excepted from this demand. They might be required to do certain things, but they didn’t have to acknowledge that the emperor was god.
And for a time, this helped the Christians. The Romans saw Christianity as simply a subset of Judaism so that they were granted exceptions as being part of the Jews. However, over time (and especially as animosity grew against the Christians by the Jews), the Jews would “out” them, telling Rome that they weren’t true Jews. And this would lead to the Christians undergoing persecution which might range from not being able to get jobs to having their lives threatened. Therefore, when Jesus makes reference to those who say they’re Jews but are not, but are workers of Satan, he’s most likely referring to these Jews who are saying to Rome, “We’re the true people of God, and these Christians are not part of us. Therefore, they should receive no exception from emperor worship and should be persecuted.”
So, you have a church that’s probably small, has little influence in the city (“little power” – v. 8), and they’re enduring some attacks. And they’re really laboring to obey the Lord. This isn’t some kind of discipline from the Lord to bring them to repentance. They’re an obedient, Jesus-loving people. So, if there’s ever a time when a people might want to look to the heavens and say, “Lord, please say something to us,” this would be it.
And he does. Jesus speaks. He speaks to this little church in Philadelphia. But because he ends the letter (as he does all the letters), saying, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (v. 13), this is also Jesus speaking to all believers who find ourselves in a similar place as those in Philadelphia. Do you want to know what Jesus says to you as you’re laboring to love, honor, and obey him in the midst of great struggle? Instead of looking to the sky and listening for his voice, we can turn to Revelation 3:7-13 and hear what he has said to us.
That’s what I want us to do this morning because if you’re in a similar position to these believers at Philadelphia, I think you’ll find that what Jesus is saying to his people in these kinds of situations is extremely encouraging. And that’s the goal of this letter. It’s a letter of encouragement. So, what does Jesus want us to know that will encourage those of us in this kind of situation this morning. First:
From all accounts, Philadelphia was, by the world’s standards, a struggling church. Jesus mentions in verse 8, “I know that you have but little power.” They are probably a church that is small in number and has very little influence in the city. Unlike the southern United States for most of my life, being a part of the church in this city would not have increased one’s social standing but decreased it. There would probably have been few if any believers in the city that held prominent roles or had wealth. This would have been a church you might have pitied. Their pastor, if he was a faithful preacher of the Word, might have been one of those pastors where you see his gifts and faithful labors and want to say to him, “You know, you don’t have to stay there. There are places you can preach where more people will hear you Sunday to Sunday. You’re throwing away your gifts on such a small and insignificant church.”
But they’re not just a people that might be pitied; they’re taking some attacks. Jesus commends them for keeping his word and not denying his name, meaning that there would have been temptation to deny him. Perhaps that is why he mentions these Jews “outing” the Christians and exposing them to the tyranny of Rome. Jesus sees that it would be much easier just to deny his name and worship the state. But they’re holding fast, enduring, obeying, and suffering for it.
So, let’s imagine this for a second. Say you have a church where you’re trying to be faithful, but your evangelistic efforts don’t seem to bear fruit. You’re faithfully trying to fulfill the gospel, but there’s no need to discuss the next building effort or what to do with the church’s savings account, since there is none. You’re getting reports about the towns around you, one of which has a great reputation for being alive and the other which is prospering beyond belief, is rich, and seemingly needs nothing. And there you are as a people, perhaps wondering what you’re doing wrong. If you’re the pastor, perhaps you’re wondering why the Lord just doesn’t seem to be for you. You may be saying, “What are we doing wrong? Please tell us, Lord.” And here’s what he says – things aren’t as they appear.
Jesus introduces himself as the one who is holy and true. He’s the one whose eyes burned like fire and feet were like burnished bronze. He is pure, and what he says can be trusted. His words are authoritative and true. And, he says that he’s the one “who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens” (v. 7).
Now, this description comes from Isaiah 22. In Isaiah 22, the Lord decrees that he’s going to give a key to a man named Eliakim that will open the door to the city of David. That is, if you’re going to be among God’s people and dwell in the city, then Eliakim is the one who has the power to admit you into the city or refuse you entrance to the city – that is, open the door or shut it. Specifically, we read in Isaiah 22:22, “And I will place on his [i.e. Eliakim’s] shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.”
Well, Jesus introduces himself here in a way that tells us that Eliakim’s role was simply a type and shadow of Christ. Now, Jesus is the one who bears the key to the heavenly city. He is the one who can admit people into God’s kingdom or shut them out, refusing them entrance. He is the one “who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.”
And what he wants this poor, little, pitiable church in Philadelphia to know is that he is certainly admitting them into the heavenly city. They are going to dwell with the Lord in his kingdom. He says in verse 8, “I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door [that is, an open door into the kingdom], 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.”
That is, Jesus is saying, “I know it doesn’t look like you’re labors are fruitful. You lack power. But you’ve been faithful, and that’s what I’m looking for – faithfulness. Therefore, I want you to know that I’ve seen your faithfulness, and you’re going to dwell with me in eternity. It doesn’t matter who persecutes you or tells you the Lord isn’t pleased with you or who pities you and thinks your labors are pointless, I am the one who opens the door to you, and no one can shut it.”
Isn’t that a word of encouragement? It looks like they’re bearing the brunt of Jesus’ disapproval if they look around at their setting and the fruit of their labors. But it couldn’t be further from the truth. The fact is the appearance of things couldn’t be more deceiving. Jesus is saying to them, “You belong to me. I’m pleased with you. Though all others may be against you, I am for you. I’m opening the door to you to enter my kingdom. You will hear, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant.’”
I think on the authority of this letter I can say to you who are laboring faithfully without seeing much if any fruit, the Lord is pleased with you. I know it’s hard. I know there doesn’t seem to be much tangible evidence. It may appear that the Lord is punishing you as you’re striving to obey and honor him, feeling like you’re running against the wind – but he’s not. And when you look around and see so many others prospering, it doesn’t necessarily mean the Lord is pleased with them – just because he appears to be blessing them. Interestingly, there are two churches in these seven letters that seem to have all the blessings of the Lord according to their appearances. The church we looked at last week, in Sardis, has a reputation of being alive. This would have been a popular church with probably lots of people. And Jesus has nothing good to say about them. Then, the church we’ll look at next week (Laodicea), they are a church who has all kinds of riches, has prospered, and seems like they need nothing, and the Lord says nothing to commend them. Meanwhile, the church in Smyrna, who seems to be going through all kinds of suffering and slander but is faithful, the Lord says nothing bad about them. And in this letter, the church in Philadelphia seems under the foot of God, but Jesus has nothing but good to say to them. Things are not always as they appear.
Now, this doesn’t mean that every church that is large or has a lot of money is dishonoring to the Lord. As the gospel prevails, people will come into the church, and a church may well grow because people are hungry for the Word and it is being faithfully preached, sung, and honored in a church. Nor does it mean that every small and poor church is blessed of God. It may be that the gospel is absent, the people are not generous givers, and the church is dying. Nor does it mean that every individual who seems to be prospering is under God’s judgment while he is always pleased with the one who is suffering. But it does mean this: Jesus is pleased with your faithfulness, even if it appears otherwise. Even if it looks like he’s punishing you while you’re trying to honor, love, and obey him, things aren’t always as they appear. The Lord wants us to know that.
But it doesn’t stop there.
Jesus wants those in Philadelphia to know that he is going to turn their present situation on its head. They were no doubt being mocked, persecuted, and told the Lord is against them. But Jesus was going to vindicate them. He says in verse 9, “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.”
You see how this works? We’ve already said that things aren’t as they appear. So, many would have looked and thought that they were blessed and these believers in Philadelphia were cursed. But that wasn’t the case. Therefore, we may be tempted to think that this will always just be a matter that is unseen. But that is not what Jesus says here.
The other day I was supposed to meet Ken Litscher for lunch at Zaxby’s at 11:30. Well, I got there just a little early at about 11:25. And I just sat down in a booth by myself, waiting for Ken. And I am insecure enough that I began to feel awkward, sitting in a booth, by myself, without food. Then, to make matters worse, after I waited for about five minutes, I got a text from Ken, telling me that he’s running late. So, then, all the insecurity I felt sitting there in that booth by myself without ordering any food just got worse.
People started coming in together, getting food, sitting down, having a good time. And I sat there alone. Some people I knew walked in, stopped by, asked if I was eating alone. I said, “No, I’m just waiting for someone.” People would look at me as the restaurant was filling up, like, “Do you really need to occupy that booth?” and I would affirm, “I’m waiting for someone who’s meeting me here.” I sat and looked at my phone, stared out the window, and tried to keep making eye contact with anyone. I just felt like everyone around me was thinking, “This guy is deceiving himself. Whoever he thinks he’s waiting for isn’t coming. He’s been stood up. He’s occupying that booth. And he’s been sitting there long enough that people have come in, ordered, sat down, eaten, and left, and he’s still sitting. So, finally, when my insecurity rose and I began to doubt what in the world I was doing, I stood up and approached the counter to order food. Then right as I did, Ken walked in. I wanted to turn around to everyone and say, “See. I know it looked like I was a lying, lonely, little man, who just wanted to look like I actually was meeting someone, but it’s true. Here he is.” Ken’s appearance was my vindication.
Well, that’s what Jesus says he’s going to do. He knows his people are enduring the Jews saying that these Christians are not God’s people. He knows they’re enduring people looking at their little power in the city and pitying them, saying, “These people are self-deceived, and they’re bearing this suffering because they’re just foolish people who have created a fantasy to believe it.”
But Jesus wasn’t going to let those thoughts and those words of slander stand forever. He was going to vindicate his people. Whether through their conversion or their condemnation, he was going to bring these Jews to bow to these believers in Philadelphia and say to them, “You were right. Jesus is the Lord, and you were faithfully serving him.” He was going to show their slanders who thought they were judged of God that Jesus actually loved them and that he’d been loving them the whole time.
You see, Jesus isn’t one who likes to affirm us in secret. He delights in vindicating his servants. Just as on that Easter Sunday morning, God the Father overturned the verdict of the Sanhedrin (who’d said that Jesus was a sinner, liar, and under the judgment of God) by raising Jesus from the dead and declaring him both Lord and Christ, so he will raise his children so that all on the face of the earth will know that we are his children, he is pleased with us, and he loves us.
So, I want to say to many of you right now who may be trying to faithfully honor and obey the Lord, while having little fruit or tangible blessings to show for it, that Jesus loves you and delights in vindicating you. You may not see it in this life, but it is coming. The promise to believers isn’t private blessing but public vindication, as we hold fast to Christ and obedience to him.
He wants you to know he loves you and actually delights in the vindication that is to come. There is simply no other way to interpret his desire to make this known to the church in Philadelphia.
There is a recognition in this text that holding fast to the faith, continuing to persevere, is a challenge. However, Jesus wants these believers to know that he’s got his preserving hand on them. I think that’s what he’s saying in verse 10 when he says, “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.”
We don’t know exactly the nature of this trial. Perhaps this refers to a time of war among those in the Roman Empire (thus, the whole Roman world) or some kind of suffering or tribulation that would impact the whole world. Again, it’s hard to say for certain. But whatever it is, when Jesus says that he’ll keep them from it, I don’t think it means that he won’t let them suffer. The rest of the book is going to speak of believers enduring in suffering, even as Jesus called the church in Smyrna to be faithful to death. Rather, most commentators agree that the idea is that they will be protected from the coming trial destroying their faith. They are being promised spiritual protection.
In this sense, this is in line with Jesus’ prayer in John 17 where he prays that his people won’t be taken out of the world but will be protected from the evil one. That is, he is saying, “I’m not going to let this trial make a shipwreck of your faith.” He’ll preserve them through the challenges to their faith.
And as they persevere, they’ll find their vindication in the eternal life with Christ that will be theirs. That’s what he’s promising in verse 12, isn’t it? He says, “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.” Jesus is saying, “You’ll be with me, and you won’t be able to be moved from your blessing of being with me. My name, my Father’s name, and the name of the heavenly city will be written on you, making sure all know that you belong to me.” This is a promise of blessing as they are preserved by the gracious hand of the Lord Jesus Christ through the time of trial and suffering that awaits them.
However, we would be wrong to conclude that if Jesus is promising to preserve them, then they have no responsibility. Rather, he calls them to persevere in verse 11, saying, “I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.” That is to say, they bear responsibility. They need to fight to hold fast to the gospel. They need to realize that people are coming against them in order to get them to abandon the gospel and deny their Lord, and they need to refuse to back down, they need to hold fast to the gospel, and they need to thwart every effort of the one who would long to shipwreck their faith and direct them away from eternal life.
So, I say to you this morning, some of you might look and say to yourself, “If my setting continues, I don’t know how I’m going to find strength to press on, to keep obeying.” I mean, it’s one thing to go through suffering or hardship; it’s another thing for it to keep going on and on and on. But you need not fear. You trust in Christ, and he will hold fast to you. He will preserve you. You trust in him today, so trust him to preserve you tomorrow. And you need to fight to hold fast to the gospel. Work to keep it in front of you. Labor to kindle your affections for Christ. Fight against sin like it’s the enemy that it is. And as you do, remind yourself that grace has brought you safe thus far, and grace will lead you home.
So, where are you this morning? Are you discouraged as you’re trying to obey the Lord faithfully while seeing little fruit? Then remember this morning that things aren’t always as they appear. Recognize that Christ loves you and will vindicate your obedience, even if you don’t see it in this life. And realize that the one who saves you will hold on to you, and he’ll give you strength to fight the fight of faith. Why would we think that he who lived for us, died to pay for our sins, and was raised from the dead so that he might justify us would do anything less than all that is necessary to preserve us to the end? Indeed, he is a wonderful Savior, worthy of all our love, devotion, and thanksgiving. Therefore, let us give him thanks now as we come to the table. Amen.