The strength of a man is not measured in what he has but by the greatness of the Savior whom he faithfully honors.
Sermon Title: PHILADELPHIA: THE FAITHFUL CHURCH
Sermon Text: REVELATIONS 3:7-13 (NIV)
Sermon Series: LETTERS TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES
By: PTR NESTOR SY
Sermon Notes:
REVELATIONS 3:7-13 NIV
7 To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.
8 I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.
9 I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars--I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.
10 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.
11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.
12 Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it.
… I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name.
13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
JESUS OPENS OPPORTUNITIES
ISAIAH 22:22 NIV
22 I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.
We miss so much when we attempt to go our own way.
JOHN 10:27 NIV
27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
Jesus is sovereign over the doors of life.
JESUS PROVIDES STRENGTH
Size isn’t really a measure of success.
The key is to realize how little our strength is and stay dependent upon the One who has the strength.
JOHN 15:5 NIV
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
2 CORINTHIANS 12:9-10 NIV
9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
The strength of a man is not measured in what he has but by the greatness of the Savior whom he faithfully honors.
JESUS ASSURES VICTORY
“We may ‘believe’ in eternity, but to what extent have we actually agreed with the world that eternity is not relevant until after this life?”
– Art Katz –
2 CORINTHIANS 4:18 NIV
18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
We need to keep an eternal perspective at all times.
REVELATIONS 3:10-11 NIV
11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.
When we keep an eternal perspective, earthly pursuits won’t satisfy us.
When we keep an eternal perspective, life’s losses won’t crush us.
When we keep an eternal perspective, we need not worry about the things of this life.
When we keep an eternal perspective, our satisfaction will be in Christ.
“Two little lines I heard one day,
C.T. Studd (1860-1931)
Traveling along life’s busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart,
And from my mind would not depart;
Only one life, ‘twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.”
We will be secured.
We will be named and claimed.
“You don’t understand us Christians. What we are about is not success, but faithfulness.”
Clarence Jordan (1912-1969)