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Jesus told a small church without much power that it didn’t belong to the guilds, the synagogue, or the city that kept shaking under its feet... and then, He gave it a promise about where it would finally belong. What is the open door no one can shut, and does "I will keep you from the hour of trial" mean kept through it or kept out of it? The truth turns on one small word, and on what is meant by “those who dwell on the earth.”
📝 Study Notes, Scripture List, Transcript, and more: https://medicallake.church/sermons/no-longer-left-out
#mlcc #church #churchonline
📝 Study Notes, Scripture List, Transcript, and more: https://medicallake.church/sermons/no-longer-left-out
#mlcc #church #churchonline
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LearningTranscript
00:00You know, there's something that we all want.
00:01Well, I mean, I think that we all want it.
00:03I suppose there's some people that are antisocial that really don't care about it.
00:08But I think all of us want to belong.
00:13We want to belong.
00:15We don't want to be excluded.
00:16We want to belong.
00:18And I remember seeing this when I was in grade school.
00:21When I was in grade school at recess, we used to play flag football at recess.
00:26Remember, we did stuff like dodgeball, too.
00:29Remember all that fun stuff we used to do as kids?
00:32So we would play flag football at recess, and the captains would begin choosing their teams.
00:38And no one wanted to be the last person chosen.
00:42You remember, you're watching the captains pick their team.
00:45You see the faces of the people.
00:46And actually, the last one chosen is at least happy that they actually get to be part of the game.
00:51Because sometimes there are some that hear the saying,
00:54sorry, we already have enough players.
00:57And you can see the look on their face when they're not included in what's going on.
01:02I think we want to belong.
01:05The Christians in Philadelphia did no longer, they no longer belong to their culture in Philadelphia.
01:12They didn't belong to the pagan culture that was around them, the guilds of practice, immorality, and idolatry.
01:19They just weren't part of that any longer.
01:21They didn't belong to that.
01:22If there were any Jews that were in the church in Philadelphia, they didn't belong to the synagogue anymore.
01:28They didn't belong there.
01:29In fact, the people, the Christians in Philadelphia knew that they didn't belong in this world anywhere.
01:35And where do they belong?
01:38They knew eventually that God had prepared for them a heavenly city whose builder and maker is God.
01:44And one day they will go to that place.
01:47But right now, they just feel so disconnected with everything.
01:50They don't belong anywhere.
01:53And so, Jesus wants to come alongside this church in Philadelphia and give them a strong word of encouragement about
02:00belonging.
02:02What we see here in chapter 3 of the Revelation, we'll begin reading in verse number 7, is
02:07believers do not belong to this world, but the one who chose us is preparing us for his heavenly city
02:13where we will finally belong.
02:16Or we'll say we're home.
02:18We're home.
02:19And when we know that song, this world is not my home, I'm just a passing through.
02:23And we kind of, yeah, it's fun, it's a great song.
02:24But it's really true.
02:26I look around my culture.
02:27I mean, American culture is probably better than other cultures and worse than some.
02:31However, I don't feel like I belong to this culture.
02:35I mean, they approve of things that I disapprove of and they encourage things that I would discourage.
02:40In this world, of course, I don't feel like I fit anymore.
02:44Maybe it's just because I'm getting older in life or maybe older in my faith.
02:49However, I just don't feel like I belong.
02:52And maybe you felt that way too.
02:54At work, everyone's talking about a certain thing and you're just not part of that because that's not interesting to
03:01you.
03:03I mean, do we often think about what great lengths God will go to bring his people home?
03:10To bring them home.
03:12Church in Philadelphia.
03:14We're moving around the sixth of the seventh churches.
03:16You can see it's a map that goes around from top.
03:19It's a male route.
03:21And so Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira.
03:23Thyatira.
03:24Sardis.
03:25You'll get that if you missed it.
03:26And Philadelphia.
03:28Philadelphia.
03:29Church of Philadelphia.
03:29So one church is left, the Church of Laodicea, which we'll pick up in a couple of weeks.
03:34Philadelphia is known for its agricultural growth.
03:36A lot of agriculture around there.
03:38The city suffered earthquakes all the time.
03:40It was prone to earthquakes.
03:42The city was constantly shaking.
03:43And the last great earthquake, at least in reference to the time of the writing of the Revelation, was about
03:4917 AD.
03:51And it was a major earthquake in the general area.
03:54City was named after one of the kings of Pergamon, whose name was Attalus Philadelphus.
03:59And it's close to the Greek word Philadelphia, which means brotherly love.
04:04And also we're told that Attalus had a brother, and they were really close.
04:10They were known for being very close.
04:11Brotherly love.
04:12The city of brotherly love.
04:14And because it had so many temples, pagan temples in the city, it was known as Little Athens.
04:19So you've got all of these pagan temples throughout the whole city, known as Little Athens.
04:25And the people, the Christians in Philadelphia, they don't belong anywhere.
04:31They go to the guilds, artesian guilds where they work, and they're doing stuff that they don't want to participate
04:35in.
04:36And then they're looking at the culture or maybe even the government saying, we don't belong.
04:40Where do we belong at?
04:43In all of the letters to the churches, he starts with a destination.
04:46Always starts with a destination.
04:47To whom is he writing the letter?
04:49The destination is found in verse number seven.
04:52So chapter three of the Revelation, verse number seven.
04:54So open your Bible, turn on your biblical device, whichever the case may be.
04:57This is God's word.
04:58We want to look at it together.
05:00So he starts off in verse number seven, to the destination.
05:03To whom is he writing this letter?
05:05To the angel of the church in Philadelphia, right?
05:08Again, angels, the messenger, the pastor of the church in Philadelphia, right?
05:12The words of the Holy One, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one
05:21will shut,
05:22who shuts and no one opens.
05:24That's who this person is that's writing this.
05:27Typically, there's a correspondence to some characteristic in chapter one of Jesus.
05:32Here, there isn't any corresponding characteristics.
05:34The only thing that's close is in chapter one, he has the keys of death and Hades.
05:39But here it says he has the key of David.
05:41So this one's different than the other churches where he pulls a corresponding characteristic of Jesus
05:46from chapter one and applies it to the church.
05:48Here, he does not do that.
05:50He is saying that he is the Holy One, which is an Old Testament idea of Yahweh, the creator God,
05:56the one who started, brought all things into existence.
05:59He's saying, I am the Holy One.
06:02He's co-equal with the Father and the Spirit.
06:05He is holy and true, is what the text says.
06:08The Holy One who is a true one.
06:11Jesus is completely reliable.
06:13Not only is he holy, set apart and holy, he's also true.
06:16And whatever he says is true, and he's completely reliable.
06:19When he speaks a word, we can trust it.
06:21I know at times there are things coming to your life and you're kind of going,
06:24well, Jesus, here's the promise, but I'm experiencing this right now.
06:28And we almost start doubting, don't we?
06:32The promises.
06:33I don't know.
06:34It's one thing to say, God, I don't know how you're going to fulfill your promise.
06:38That's the prophet Habakkuk.
06:40He didn't doubt God's promise.
06:42He just didn't know how God was going to do it.
06:43It's one thing to say, God, I don't understand how you're going to fulfill your promise.
06:46It's quite another thing to say, I'm not sure you can fulfill your promise.
06:51So, he's completely reliable.
06:53We can trust him.
06:54When he speaks, we can believe his word.
06:56He's completely trustworthy.
06:57We need not doubt anything he says to us.
07:00So, it says he has a key of David.
07:02You say, well, what is that?
07:03It's an allusion to something that happened in Isaiah recorded in Isaiah 22, 22.
07:08There was a royal official who had the key of David who would open up the palace and so
07:14he had a function here.
07:16Isaiah 22, 22.
07:17You'll notice it sounds very similar.
07:19And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David.
07:22He shall open and none shall shut and he shall shut and none shall open.
07:26Sounds very similar, doesn't it, here to the text?
07:29So, the official had the key of David.
07:31He would open up the palace to anyone that he chose to and he would shut it and not let
07:36anyone in.
07:37Okay.
07:39Jesus has the authority and power to open and shut and no one can withstand him.
07:45When he opens it, no one can come along and say, no, I don't want that open anymore.
07:48I'm going to shut it.
07:49Or if he shuts it, no one can come along and say, well, I want that open.
07:53He has a power and authority to open things and to shut things and they stay that way.
07:58He does what he wills and no one can interfere with what he wills.
08:03He's exercising his power and authority for the Christians at Philadelphia,
08:07for this church on behalf of them.
08:10So, most of the churches have some sort of rebuke.
08:14There's two that don't, Smyrna and Philadelphia, no rebuke.
08:18So, there's no rebuke to them.
08:19So, he goes straight to the exhortation phase.
08:21He encourages them.
08:23He exhorts them.
08:24And that's found in verses number 8 through 11.
08:27So, follow with me.
08:28I know your works.
08:30Again, he doesn't name what they are.
08:31He just, he's claiming you have works.
08:34Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut.
08:39Very similar to the designation here in verse number 7.
08:42I know that you have but little power, no power, no strength, yet you have kept my word
08:49and have not denied my name.
08:52Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, which we've heard that phrase before,
08:56who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie.
09:00Behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet.
09:04That's interesting.
09:06And they will learn that I have loved you.
09:07He's talking to the church, because you have kept my word about patient endurance.
09:13In other words, they've been taught about patient endurance.
09:16They've been patiently enduring.
09:17I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world to try those who
09:24dwell on the earth.
09:26I am coming soon.
09:28Hold fast what you have.
09:29In other words, you have, hold tight to it so that no one may seize your crown.
09:35So, he gives exhortation to them.
09:38He says, I've opened a door.
09:40It's a metaphor.
09:41It's a picture for something.
09:42And Paul has used this phrase, open door, when he's talking about opportunities for ministry.
09:47As an open door is available for me.
09:49If you read in 2 Corinthians 2, when I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even
09:56though a door was open for me in the Lord, and then he goes on to say.
09:59So, it's an idea of an opportunity for ministry as an open door.
10:02That's one thing.
10:03It's like that.
10:04However, if you think back to the quotation out of Isaiah where the court official had
10:09the key of David that opened up the palace, it could be more of a deeper meaning, an
10:13understanding also of the idea that entrance into the glory of the kingdom and eternity.
10:19He's opened the door of our salvation for us, and no one can shut the door.
10:22When he saves us, no one can come along and say, no, you're not saved anymore.
10:25Sorry, you're not saved.
10:27He's opened to us the glory that is coming.
10:31Church had such limited strength.
10:33They needed Jesus to open this door of salvation to them, of course, or to provide a ministry
10:38opportunity, or both.
10:40This open door is there, and no one can shut it.
10:43So, they had been persecuted in the past at some point because they kept his faith.
10:48They kept his name.
10:49They did not deny his name.
10:50So, some sort of persecution took place, not mentioned, but they persevered in that.
10:55They persevered.
10:56And we see both a positive side of perseverance and a negative side of perseverance.
11:01The positive side is you have obeyed my word.
11:03That's the positive side.
11:05The negative side of perseverance, to persevere, is you have not denied my name.
11:10So, you have kept my word.
11:12You have not denied my name.
11:14So, the positive and negative sides of perseverance.
11:16You say, well, how could someone deny the name of Jesus?
11:20I mean, keeping the word, we got that.
11:22We read the word.
11:23We follow it.
11:23We believe it.
11:24We act on it.
11:25But what would it mean to deny Jesus?
11:27They didn't.
11:28But what would it mean?
11:29Well, you could, by your works, deny Jesus, by the things that you do in life.
11:35Titus, Paul talked about that.
11:37It says, they profess to know God, but they deny him by their works.
11:41They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.
11:44So, through our actions, we could deny the name of Christ.
11:48That's one way.
11:49Or if we fail as a church to keep the true word of God that's been given to us by
11:53the
11:54apostles that's once for all delivered to the saints and we go into false teaching, that
11:58would deny his name too.
12:00So, they hadn't done that and neither would we want to do that as well.
12:04The Jews here in Philadelphia were called a synagogue of Satan.
12:09Again, we heard that before in Smyrna.
12:12The Jews in Smyrna believed they were committed to do the will of God, but in reality, they
12:15were actually working for the adversary, for Satan.
12:21Romans chapter 11, this is our relationship right now at this current moment with the
12:25Jewish people.
12:27As regards to the gospel, they, the Jewish people, are enemies for your sake.
12:30They're contrary to the gospel right now.
12:32Yes, that is true.
12:33They're opposed to the gospel message.
12:36However, but as regards election, God's choosing of them as a nation, they are beloved for the
12:41sake of their forefathers.
12:42So, yes, right now there is a hardening of Israel until the time of the Gentiles come
12:47in, but they're still God's people and he will work with them in the future.
12:54Tertullian, the second century pastor, said that the Jewish synagogues of his days were
12:59fonts of persecution.
13:01So, persecution just flowed out of the synagogues in those days.
13:05He's saying, look to God.
13:07He will take care of the enemies.
13:08He will take care of your enemies.
13:11When we get to the book of Isaiah and it's talking about the millennial kingdom that's
13:14coming when the time when, when Israel will become the head of the nations again, go back
13:18and read the book of Isaiah.
13:19You'll find all that, that Israel becomes the head of the nation.
13:21And what we see is Gentiles coming to the Jewish people and bowing down before them in the
13:28book of Isaiah.
13:28Here's a couple of references, Isaiah 16 and 49.
13:30So Gentiles to the Jews, the sons of those who afflicted you shall come bending low to
13:37you and all who despise you shall bow down at your feet.
13:40They shall call you the city of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
13:45And chapter 49, kings shall be your foster fathers and their queens, your nursing mothers
13:50with their faces to the ground.
13:52They shall bow down to you and lick the dust of your feet.
13:55Then you will know that I am the Lord.
13:57Those who wait for me shall not be put to shame.
14:01There it's the Gentiles to the Jews.
14:03Here it's the Jews to the Christians.
14:06Why?
14:07Because he says, I have loved them.
14:09I have loved them.
14:12In Romans 11, 25, he warns us this, lest you be wise in your own sight.
14:18I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers.
14:20A partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
14:25There will come a time when the fullness of the Gentiles is complete.
14:29And Israel, according to chapter 11, all Israel at the end of the tribulation period will be
14:34saved.
14:35But until then, we can see that there's this idea that God has loved the church and the
14:40Jewish people who are not believers need to understand that God loves the church.
14:45As a matter of fact, the usage of the word love, it has nothing to do with affection,
14:50but rather about election.
14:53The loving is a choosing.
14:55It's not just about affection.
14:56I care for you deeply.
14:58I want your best interests.
15:00It's the idea of election, of a choosing.
15:03And you say, well, how do you know that?
15:04Romans chapter 9 talks about this.
15:07And not only so, but also when Rebecca had conceived children by one man, our forefather
15:13Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done neither good or bad, so before they're
15:19even born, in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works,
15:25but because of him who calls, she was told, the older will serve the younger.
15:30As it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.
15:34That's the idea.
15:35I've chosen Jacob.
15:36I've chosen him.
15:38I've placed my love upon him.
15:40Has idea of election, not affection.
15:43And then he introduces us to this topic of this hour of trial that's coming.
15:53And so, what do we know from the text here?
15:56What do we know about this hour of trial?
15:58Well, we know that it's future to them because it says the hour of our trial is coming.
16:05So, it's future to them, to the Church of Philadelphia.
16:08So, we know that it's future to them.
16:11We know that it is a trial, right?
16:13The trial of the hour.
16:15Okay, we know the hour of trial.
16:16So, it's a trial of some sort.
16:18We know it's not regional.
16:19We know it's over the whole world.
16:22It says over the whole world.
16:23It's a worldwide trial.
16:25So, it's not regional.
16:26It's a worldwide trial.
16:27So, it's future to them.
16:30It is a trial.
16:31It's a worldwide trial.
16:33And it's trial for those who dwell on the earth.
16:37Interesting phrase.
16:38You'll see it over and over again in the book of the Revelation.
16:41Those who dwell on the earth.
16:43The earth dwellers.
16:44So, who's this trial for?
16:46The earth dwellers in the Revelation refer to unbelievers.
16:50Always.
16:51Never to believers.
16:53So, this hour of trial that is coming is future to them.
16:56It will try those who dwell upon the earth.
16:58It will try the unbelievers on the earth.
17:00This hour of trial that's coming.
17:02That we do know.
17:04Revelation 11.
17:05For three and a half days, some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their
17:10dead bodies.
17:10These are the two witnesses that were giving witness and then were killed.
17:15They will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb.
17:19And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents because these two
17:25prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth.
17:28The earth dwellers in the Revelation are always unbelievers.
17:31Never believers.
17:32So, we know it's future to them.
17:35We know it's a trial.
17:36It's a trial for unbelievers.
17:38And it's a worldwide trial.
17:39So, those we know.
17:40That we do know from the text.
17:42The hour of trial that was coming on those who dwell on the earth, the unbelievers, it will be a
17:47trial for the earth dwellers, not believers.
17:51So, that's important to understand what this hour of trial that is coming is.
17:55What is this thing?
17:57It's worldwide.
17:58So, it's not regional.
18:00It's try the unbelievers on the earth.
18:02In fact, the rest of the book from chapter 6 to chapter 19 describes exactly what this hour of trial
18:09that's coming on the earth is.
18:11The hour of trial is called the tribulation period.
18:14The tribulation period.
18:16Daniel's 70th week, a seven-year time where the Antichrist makes a covenant with Israel at the beginning.
18:21And in the middle, he breaks that covenant.
18:23He stands in the temple, the third temple that's there, claims himself to be God.
18:27And it goes, of course, from there on.
18:28You can read it in the Revelation.
18:31In Daniel 12, we read this.
18:34At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people.
18:39And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that
18:44time.
18:45But at that time your people shall be delivered.
18:47Everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.
18:50And Jesus said in Matthew 24,
18:53For then there will be great tribulation, such as not been from the beginning of the world until now, no,
18:59and never will be.
19:00So this is yet coming.
19:02The tribulation period is not yet here.
19:04It has not come yet.
19:05This hour of trial for the earth dwellers is pictured in chapter 6 to 19 of the Revelation.
19:13So the question is, what is Jesus saying when he says, I will keep you from the hour of tribulation?
19:19I will keep you from the hour of trial that's coming upon the earth to test the unbelief.
19:25I will keep you from, what is he saying there?
19:27It makes a big difference, what is he saying?
19:30And actually it rests on one little tiny preposition.
19:33Say, really?
19:34Just one?
19:34Yeah, one little tiny preposition.
19:36It's a preposition called ek.
19:38It's just E-K.
19:39Ek.
19:40It has a dual meaning, as you read.
19:42It's always with a date of case.
19:43It doesn't make it.
19:43I'm a grammar geek.
19:44You got that, okay?
19:46Basically it's saying this.
19:48It's going to have two meanings.
19:49It can mean from, I will keep you from the hour of trial that's coming upon the earth.
19:56I will keep you from, I will keep you out of, as a secondary, I will keep you out of
20:01the trial that is coming on the earth.
20:04So I will keep you from the trial.
20:06I will keep you out of the trial.
20:09Now the idea, some would say, well, then I'm in the trial first and then he takes me out of
20:13the trial.
20:14That's not what the word means.
20:15We actually use it in English the same way when I say, I keep myself from trouble.
20:22I keep myself out of trouble.
20:24It doesn't mean I went into trouble first and then, because trouble was over here and I kept myself from
20:29it.
20:30And here I kept myself out of it.
20:31I didn't go into it first and then came out of it.
20:34It's not what he's saying.
20:35He's keeping us from this thing that's coming.
20:37And the Holy Spirit uses the verb keep, guard, keep from.
20:42He doesn't use the word bring.
20:44And he doesn't use the preposition through.
20:46I will keep you through the great tribulation.
20:49That's not what he said.
20:49I will keep you from it.
20:51I will keep you out of it.
20:53And he doesn't use the word bring.
20:55If you use the word bring, if he brings us out of it, that means we were in it.
20:59And then he takes us out of it.
21:00He doesn't bring us out.
21:02He keeps us from it.
21:03He keeps us out of it.
21:04He's not going to allow us to go into that.
21:07It's not for believers.
21:09It's an hour of trial for those who dwell upon the face of the earth, for the unbelievers.
21:17Without a focus on the coming of Jesus, he could come suddenly.
21:23Not for judgment in this case, because there's no rebuke for them.
21:26He's saying, hold on to what you have.
21:28I'm going to keep you from this.
21:30I'm going to keep you out of this.
21:31You're not going to go into this.
21:33Just be faithful.
21:34Doesn't mean things are not going to be hard for you.
21:37They've already experienced persecution.
21:39Doesn't mean things are not going to get hard before the tribulation period comes.
21:42It's likely to get very hard before the tribulation period comes.
21:45However, that period, he's going to keep them out of it, he said.
21:48From it, he said, hold on.
21:52I'm coming back someday.
21:53In fact, isn't that the hope of all of us?
21:55And we've been saying it today.
21:57We've been rejoicing that.
21:58Yes, that is the hope of every generation of Christians.
22:00That's, I'm coming soon.
22:02Even so, come Lord Jesus.
22:04Maybe right now.
22:07Yes, yes.
22:08Some of you, yes, some of you are excited about that.
22:12Revelation 22.
22:13At the end of the book, two times he says this.
22:16And behold, I am coming soon.
22:19Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.
22:22And then later on in 22, behold, I'm coming soon again,
22:26bringing my recompense with me, my rewards with me to repay each one for what he has done.
22:31That's not like you've earned your salvation.
22:33That's faithfulness, the rewards of being faithful.
22:36I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.
22:40They will receive a rewards crown.
22:42Don't let anyone take that from you.
22:44Don't let them seize your crown.
22:46It's not a king's crown.
22:47It's a crown that you would receive if you participated in the games, the Olympic games,
22:51and you won a race.
22:52They would call you up to the stage and they would place a wreath upon your head,
22:55and they would crown you for the reward of winning the race.
22:59So this is a rewards crown, not a king's crown.
23:03Do not let anyone take away your rewards.
23:07Be faithful.
23:08Don't let anyone convince you to walk away from God or his word.
23:12Don't let anyone convince you that, oh yeah, well, this is what the word says,
23:15but you know what?
23:15This is what we're doing here and it's okay.
23:17Don't let anyone take your rewards from you.
23:20Be faithful.
23:21Be faithful.
23:23They must not lose the rewards by exchanging their unchanging standard of truth for compromise
23:28and ease.
23:29Don't let it happen.
23:32And then he makes some really great promises to them.
23:35Well, that was a great promise.
23:36He's going to keep us from this hour of trial that comes upon the face of the whole earth
23:39for the earth dwellers.
23:40That's a great promise.
23:41But here are some promises in verses 12 to 13.
23:45The one who conquers, again, we've talked about that.
23:48It's a participle.
23:49It means the conquering one.
23:50It's not a question of whether you will or will not conquer.
23:53It's making a statement.
23:54The one who conquers, the conquering one.
23:56I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God.
24:00Never shall he go out of it.
24:02You want to know where we belong at, believer?
24:06Never shall he go out of it.
24:08And I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God,
24:14the new Jerusalem,
24:16which come down, which comes down from my God out of heaven and my own new name.
24:22He who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches.
24:28They are going to now be in the temple of God as pillars, immovable, never shaken again in their life.
24:36Think about the city who was always wrecked by earthquakes, constantly being shaken.
24:40No more.
24:41They're immovable in the pillar, in the temple of God as a pillar.
24:47The pillar reminds us of stability, not an earthquake-prone city like Philadelphia.
24:53And then some of you who have read through the Revelation say, wait, wait, wait, wait a second.
24:56There is no temple in eternity.
24:58What's he talking about?
25:00You're right.
25:00You're right.
25:01The temple metaphor, actually the whole city of New Jerusalem is a temple.
25:07If you go to the Revelation chapter 21, verse 22, and this is what John saw,
25:13and I saw no temple in the city.
25:16There was no structural building as a temple in the city,
25:19for its temple is the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb.
25:21He is the temple.
25:22He is.
25:23There's no building that they have to go to.
25:25He is the temple.
25:26We are written and immovable in him, is the idea.
25:32No one can shake us away from him.
25:35No.
25:40Strabo wrote,
25:41the walls of Philadelphia never cease being cracked,
25:45and different parts of the city are constantly suffering damage from the earthquakes.
25:50That is why the actual town has few inhabitants,
25:53but the majority live as farmers in the countryside as they have fertile land.
25:58No one wants to live in the walls of the city.
25:59Makes good sense.
26:00Earthquakes.
26:01Okay.
26:01So they live outside the city walls.
26:06Jesus is contrasting the insecurity of life in Philadelphia with his promise of a permanent
26:11place in the city of God.
26:13Those who have a permanent place in the city of God do not need to find a safer place outside
26:17the walls.
26:19No.
26:19No, but in his presence.
26:23In fact, twice in the history of the city it had been renamed, so it's understanding of
26:26a new name.
26:27They get that point.
26:28And we're told that the temples, and remember it's full of temples, a lot of pagan temples.
26:32In the temples, people who were patrons of the temple, who gave money to build the temple,
26:38guess what they did?
26:38They inscribed their names on the pillars of the temple in Philadelphia.
26:44So they understood that concept too.
26:46It wasn't new to them.
26:48He's saying, listen, you belong to me.
26:53I have bought you.
26:54I have bought you with a price and the price of the blood of my son on the cross.
26:58I have bought you because I have loved you.
27:01I will protect you.
27:02I will provide for you.
27:04Rest in my ownership of you.
27:07And I know when we talk about being owned, bad connotations come to our thinking, negative
27:12connotations, but I just want to say out front, I loved being owned by God.
27:19I'm not my own.
27:21I've been bought with a price.
27:22Therefore, glorify God in my body and my spirits, which are God's.
27:27If he owns me, that means he's going to protect me.
27:29He's going to take care of me.
27:30He's going to guide me.
27:31He's going to instruct me.
27:32He's going to encourage me.
27:33He's my father.
27:36I belong to him.
27:40In the name of the city of God, New Jerusalem, people in those days, when you were a resident
27:44of the city, they inscribed your name in a list of the residents of the city.
27:48Guess what?
27:49You have now citizenship in the heavenly Jerusalem.
27:52You have the name of the city going to be on your forehead or somewhere written on us.
27:58The text actually says the believer will be sealed three times, belonging to God, belonging
28:04to God's city, and belonging to God's son.
28:08The emphasis, notice, is on belonging.
28:11They don't belong anywhere else.
28:13But where do they belong?
28:14They belong with God.
28:16They belong to God.
28:17They are his.
28:18Because they will finally belong.
28:25One day when this is all said and done and he calls us home and all of the struggles and
28:30the fights we had in this world when they're gone, the sufferings that we've had, the aches
28:35and pains in our bodies, which we have, bodies are decaying.
28:39We will stand in his presence and we will finally belong.
28:45Because we don't belong here.
28:49Doesn't it kind of remind us of Psalm 23?
28:52Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the
28:58house of the Lord forever.
29:01Forever.
29:03Why?
29:03Because that's where we belong.
29:05We belong to him.
29:08This is a message for all churches of all ages to know.
29:12This is what he does for his people.
29:16Here's a couple of things we can walk away with.
29:19One, trust Jesus completely.
29:22He is holy.
29:23He is true.
29:24Don't doubt his word.
29:25Trust him completely.
29:26He's faithful and true.
29:28He's holy and true.
29:30Two is remaining obedient to Jesus is more important than positions of power in this world.
29:37It's more important to be faithful.
29:40If I've offered a position of power that I have to deny Christ, it's not worth it.
29:44Being faithful to him is more important than any position of power.
29:49Three, believers will be kept from the hour of trial that tries those who dwell on the earth.
29:54Kept from, kept out of.
29:56You're not going to go into it.
29:58Number four, do not let your rewards be taken away through your unfaithfulness.
30:03Be faithful.
30:04Continue to be faithful.
30:05Don't let anyone come along and seize you.
30:06Convince you.
30:06Oh, no, you don't have to do that.
30:08I know the Bible says that, but no one does that.
30:11Don't let them steal your rewards from you.
30:14Five, believers belong to God, to God's city, to God's son.
30:19And when it's all said and done, we will finally belong.
30:24For this world is not my home.
30:27I'm just a passing through.
30:29Let's pray.
30:30Father, thank you.
30:31Thank you for this encouragement to the church in Philadelphia.
30:35They had suffered persecution in some form, yet they had kept your word.
30:39They were faithful.
30:39They were obedient to you.
30:41They did not deny your name by works or by false teaching that they allowed into the church.
30:46They were faithful to you.
30:48So, we thank you for the church in Philadelphia.
30:50Even though we don't know how it got started, we know that this church was faithful to you.
30:55You had no rebuke for them.
30:56And you gave them great and very precious promises to hold on to.
31:01And they'll understand.
31:02They understood that when it's all said and done, they will realize this is where they belong.
31:08They belong with you and to you.
31:11And so, thank you, Father.
31:12Father, thank you for loving us, setting your love upon us, redeeming us, and giving us the promise of your
31:22presence forever and ever and ever.
31:26And for all of eternity, we will enjoy you because we are yours and you have bought us with a
31:33price.
31:33We pray in Jesus' name.
31:35Amen.