As most people know, Philadelphia means "Love of the Brethren."
Certainly, brotherly love is an important mark of the Christian. But it is not enough to love God and our fellow believers; we must also love a lost world and seek to reach unbelievers with the good news of the cross. This church had a passion to reach the lost. Philadelphia was situated in a strategic place on the main route of the Imperial Post from Rome to the East, and thus was called "the gateway to the East." It was also called "little Athens" because of the many temples in the city. The church was certainly located in a place of tremendous opportunity. The only major problem with the location was that the area was prone to earthquakes. Philadelphia sat on a geological fault, and in 17B.C. it was destroyed by a severe earthquake that also destroyed Sardis and ten other cities. Afterward, some of the citizens refused to move
back into the city and remained in the surrounding countryside, which they called "the burnt land." There did not seem to be much secuirty in the city of brotherly love!
The Lord gave the church at Philadelphia a great opportunity for ministry. But could they take advantage of it? There were at least two obstacles to overcome, the first being their own lack of strength (Rev. 3:8). This was not a large or a strong church; however it was a faithful one. They were true to God's Word and unafraid to bear His name. Looking at verse ten we can see that they had endured some special testing and had proved faithful. It is not the size or strength of a church that determines its ministry, but faith in the call and command of the Lord. If Jesus Christ gave them an open door then He would see to it that they were able to walk through it!
The second obstacle was the opposition of the Jews in the city. The Jews in the city of Philadelphia were excluding Jewish believers from the synagogue. The believers in Philadelphia were in a similar situation to that of Paul when he wrote 1 Corinthians 16:9-there were both opportunities and obstacles! Unbelief sees the obstacles, but faith sees the opportunities! Since the Lord holds the keys, He is in control of the outcome! So what do we have to fear? Fear, unbelief, and delay have caused the church to miss many God-given opportunities. (STOP MISSING YOUR OPPORTUNITIES LETS BE OBEDIENT TO WHAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS SAYING TO US!!!!!)
Jesus gave three wonderful and encouraging promises to this church.
1. He would take care of there enemies. Rev 3:9 If we take care of God's work, He will take care of our battles.
2. He would keep them from Tribulation Rev 3:10
3. The third promise to this church is that God would honor them Rev 3:12. God honors faithful people who bear His name for His glory (Gal. 2:9).
To be honest the church of today is very much like the Philadelphian Church. For God has set before us many open doors of opportunity. If he opens the doors, we must work; if He shuts the door, we must wait. Above all, we must be faithful to Him and see the opportunities, not the obstacles. I've been saying it all week and I'm going to say it again Therefore be steadfast immovable always abounding in the work of the Lord because you know your labor is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58
