The Churches of Revelation – Philadelphia
The sixth letter in Revelation 2-3 is written to the church in Philadelphia:
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 have kept my word and have not denied my name. 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. 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. 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. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ (Revelation 3:7-13 ESV)
Once again, Jesus says nothing “against” the church in Philadelphia. What can we learn from the church in the city of brotherly love?
What does Jesus say about the church in Philadelphia? 1) He knows their works. 2) He knows they only have a little power. 3) He knows that they have kept his word. 4) He knows that they have not denied him.
Again, Jesus begins the letter with a focus on the works of the people. In this case, the works, keeping Jesus works, and refusing to deny Christ are all accomplished with only a little power. More than likely, this refers to influence within the city of Philadelphia, since Christ himself has unlimited power (“who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens”). Perhaps this refers to political or financial influence. Whatever kind of power these people lack, they are able to please Jesus without much power – remember, he has speaks nothing against them. Combined with works, Jesus also mentions their obedience and their faith. These are continuing themes throughout these letters.
What does Jesus want the church in Philadelphia to do? He wants them to hold fast. Once again, Jesus does not add to his requirements for his followers in Smyrna. He only wants them to live according to the faith that they have – in fact, he wants them to continue living as they are.
What does Jesus promise the church in Philadelphia? Like the church in Smyrna, Jesus makes a promise to the church in Philadelphia. But, this time, he promises that they will avoid persecution. But, the avoidance will not be by their own hands. Jesus himself will keep them from persecution.
Again we see Jesus focusing on works, faith, obedience, and persecution. And again, we see that for those who are living their life in the righteousness of Christ, he only asks that they continue to hold fast to him in faith. Jesus requires his followers to trust him if they are living in persecution or if they are not living in persecution. He expects his followers to live a life of faith if they have much influence in their community, or if they have little influence in their community. Whatever the situation or circumstance, Jesus asks his followers to hold fast to him in faith.
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The Churches of Revelation Series
1) Introduction
2) Ephesus
3) Smyrna
4) Pergamum
5) Thyatira
6) Sardis
7) Philadelphia
8) Laodicea
9) Summary
The Churches of Revelation – Thyatira
The fourth letter in Revelation 2-3 was written to the church in Thyatira:
And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you as your works deserve. But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. Only hold fast what you have until I come. The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ (Revelation 2:18-29 ESV)
This is another interesting letter. It is very long, and it addresses two different groups within the church in Thyatira.
What does Jesus say about the church in Thyatira? 1) He knows their works, love, faith, service, and patient endurance. 2) He knows that their latest works exceed their first works.
This seems to be a reference back to the church in Ephesus. Not only does Jesus mention works and love together, along with faith, service, and endurance, he also compares their latest works with their earlier works. When addressing the church in Ephesus, Jesus found their later works lacking. But, for the church in Thyatira, he finds their later works to surpass their first works. Again, this indicates that Jesus was talking about love in relation to works when addressing the church in Ephesus; he was not talking about loving Jesus per se.
What does Jesus have against the church in Thyatira? 1) They tolerate the teaching of “Jezebel”.
Again, we are not told the identity of “Jezebel”, but we are told the results of this teaching: sexual immorality and idolatry. As with the church in Pergamum, false teaching is that teaching which leads people toward unrighteousness instead of toward righteousness and maturity in Christ. Apparently it is too late for “Jezebel” or those who teach in this manner in Thyatira.
What is Jesus’ remedy? 1) For those who are following this false teaching: Repent. 2) For those who do not follow this teaching: hold fast.
Again, this is similar to previous letters. Those who are following teachings that lead to unrighteousness should repent, turning back toward righteousness found in Jesus Christ. Meanwhile, those who are not following false teachings are encouraged to hold fast, trusting in Jesus to take care of them and the false teachers. Interestingly, they are not told to fight against the false teachers. Apparently, by standing fast in their faith and living in works, love, faith, service, and endurance, they are demonstrating the truth of their teaching. When their lives are compared with the idolatry and immorality of those who follow “Jezebel”, they also demonstrate the lack of truth in the false teaching.
Perhaps this can help us learn how to respond to false teaching. Of course, it also shows how important living a life of righteousness in this regard. If we live in a manner that demonstrates the righteousness of Jesus Christ, we are proclaiming the truth of our message far louder than any words could proclaim it.
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The Churches of Revelation Series
1) Introduction
2) Ephesus
3) Smyrna
4) Pergamum
5) Thyatira
6) Sardis
7) Philadelphia
8) Laodicea
9) Summary
The Churches of Revelation – Ephesus
The first church addressed in Revelation is the church in Ephesus:
To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’ (Revelation 2:1-7 ESV)
The church in Ephesus is mentioned more in Scripture than any other church except the churches in Jerusalem and Antioch. What can we learn from this short passage written to the church of Ephesus, but also said to all churches by the Spirit.
What does Jesus say about the church in Ephesus? 1) He knows about their works, difficulty/labor, and patience. 2) He knows that they could not bear patiently with evil people (or deeds). 3) He knows that they tested those who falsely claimed to be apostles, and found them to be liars. 4) He knows that they had patience and had patiently endured because of Jesus’ name without growing weary.
Patience seems to be a continuing theme in verses 2-3 as Jesus describes the church in Ephesus. The noun “patience” is used twice and the verb “bear patiently” is used twice. Similarly, the idea of testing those who falsely claim to be apostles also demonstrate the patience of the church in Ephesus. We also see that this church works and labors tirelessly, and that they stand against evil people (or deeds) and liars.
What does Jesus have against the church in Ephesus? According to Jesus the church in Ephesus has left their “first love”. This is variously translated “first love” or “love you had at first”. The object of their love is not stated. It sometimes assumed to be Jesus himself, but that seems incomplete given the remedy in the next verse. Perhaps it is best to understand this as saying that the Ephesians were working and being patient, but they were not motivated by love – both the love of God and the love of others. It is not necessary to separate the two types of love, since according to Scripture they operate together.
Despite the Ephesians’ works and patience and standing against evil and testing false apostles, Jesus considered everything void without love. Even though the Ephesians persevered and labored and did not grow weary, Jesus was ready to remove their lampstand because they were not doing these things from love. Apparently, love is more than a good idea. Love is absolutely necessary for those who are following Jesus.
What is Jesus’ remedy? 1) They are to remember from where they have fallen. 2) They are to repent. 3) They are to do the first works, or the works they did at first.
It seems that works – even good works – do not please God if those works are not motivated by love. Also, I think the order here is very important. First, they need to recognize their problem and recognize what has changed. Only then can they repent. Then, only after repentance – having a changed heart and life – will they be able to do works as they did at first, that is, they will be able to work from a motivation of love.
Can we hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches? It seems that works are good, but that Jesus’ expects works that are motivated by love. If our works are not motivated by love – if they are motivated by a sense of duty, or fear, or pride, or money, or fame, or respect – then we must recognize our sin, repent, and allow the Spirit to create his love within us to motivate our works.
To put this into perspective: We can build our buildings, but without love they are meaningless. We can schedule our programs, but without love we have done nothing. We can teach our classes, but apart from love the teaching is nothing. We can hold weekly meetings, but if they are not motivated by love, then we have not done anything. We give money and time to the poor, but if we are not motivated by love, then we deserve to have our lampstand (church) removed. Paul said this in 1 Corinthians 13, and it is reinforced in this message to the church in Ephesus.
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The Churches of Revelation Series
1) Introduction
2) Ephesus
3) Smyrna
4) Pergamum
5) Thyatira
6) Sardis
7) Philadelphia
8) Laodicea
9) Summary
Love and Unity
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus turned our thinking about love upside down:
You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:43-48)
Apparently, if we only love those who love us, we should know longer consider that “love”.
I wonder if this same logic can be applied to unity. If we are only united with those who want to unite with us, are we truly united? If we are only united with those who believe like us, are we really united? Or, is our version of unity – uniting with those who are like us – simply what the “tax collectors” and the “Gentiles” would do?
Reaching Beyond the Bubble
Yesterday, I published a post (called “Bursting the Christian bubble“) about Jesus bursting my family’s comfortable Christian bubble. This post was part of a synchroblog in which several bloggers discussed moving beyond their comfortable existence in order to relate to other people.
Then, later yesterday, I read a post by Bill Lollar of “The Thin Edge of the Wedge” called “I am homeless” which God is using to further draw me out of this Christian bubble. Bill’s post featured a poem by Jamey Mills Wysocki. The poem begins like this:
I came here because my house burned down last night.
We lost everything.
We had no where else to go.
I am so scared and don’t know where to go from here.
Would you reach out to me?
I am homeless.
And ends like this:
I need to see God’s love right now.
I feel so alone and scared.
Would you please pray for me.
I am homeless.
I needed this poem right now. God reminded me that he has given me and my family much, but he has not always given to us for our own benefit. Instead, He gives to us that we may give to other who are in need – others who need to know the love of God.
The question is – as the person in the poem asks – “Will I reach out to them?”
Bursting the Christian bubble (synchroblog)
(This post is part of a synchroblog called “What Would Jesus Do… With the Church”. See this post or this post for details.)
Over the last few years, God has shown my family that we have been living in a Christian bubble. This is easy to do in seminary. In fact, until a year ago I worked at the seminary, went to school at the seminary, and lived in seminary housing. As we realized that we had very little interaction with those outside the church, we decided to make some changes.
Now, don’t misunderstand me, it is important for followers of Jesus Christ to get together in order to encourage one another toward maturity in Christ. These times are very special to my family, and we never want to stop these times of fellowship and teaching and community.
However, I do not think it is good for followers of Jesus to spend all of their time with other followers of Jesus. We are here to take part in God’s mission of reconciling the world to himself. We are God’s ambassadors. And, ambassadors are to go outside of their own country as a representative in a foreign land. We had been ambassadors that spent most of their time staying in their own country… and something had to change.
The first change – a major one – happened just over a year ago. We moved out of seminary housing and into a “real” house about six miles from the seminary. Because of this move, we started finding ourselves reaching outside of the Christian bubble. Since our neighborhood (like many neighborhoods) is a bedroom community, we rarely see our neighbors, which means that much of our time is still being spent with followers of Jesus Christ.
We started asking God how we could spend more time with people who were not part of his family. The first thing he taught us was to not be artificial. It would not help if we started spending time with people with whom we shared nothing in common. Therefore, we wanted to spend time with people with whom we shared the same interests.
The first opportunity presented itself when our son decided he wanted to play football. We registered him for a local team and decided to my wife and I would spend as much time as possible at football practices and games. Because of this, most of the boys on the team know us. The coaches know us. We have met many of the parents. We even had dinner after an away game with some of the boys and their parents. We also started taking one of the boys home after practice.
But, Jesus is directing us to continue moving in this direction. We see Jesus eating in the homes of people like Zacchaeus, the friends of Matthew, and even a Pharisee. In fact, Jesus hung out with those who were outside of the family of God so much that the religious people called him a drunk and a glutton. It is time for us to take the next step and invite some neighbors and acquaintances to our home to continue building relationships with them.
For too long, my family has learned how to build relationships with other brothers and sisters in Christ. We are now being called to build relationships with those who are not in the family of God. This has been a long process, and I do not believe we will completely learn this within the next month. However, I do believe that God will give us opportunities in the next month, because He has given us opportunities in the past.
I don’t know if this actually falls within the bounds of this synchroblog. This is not something new for myself or for my family. This is an area where God has been changing us for the past year or more. However, over the last couple of weeks, we have talked about how we need to move beyond where we are. We have been praying and continue to pray that God would provide more interaction with people outside of his family. We want to be his ambassadors, so we actually want to be among unbelievers. We want God to plead through us, as Paul said he would. We want Jesus to continue to burst our Christian bubble.
Over the next month, I will write about the opportunities that God gives us to build relationships with those who are not following the way of Christ – about the opportunities that God gives us to continue reaching and relating outside the Christian bubble.
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Other contributors to the WWJDWTC Synchroblog:
Glenn Hager
Erin
Gary Means
Alan Knox
The Refuge
Nate Peres
Sally Coleman
Barb
Rick Stillwell
Jeff Greathouse
Dan Allen
Barbara Legere
Jonathan Brink
Jason Ellis
Rainer
Cynthia
Leaders, Sermons, and Church
Here are a few links that I think my readers will find interesting:
Guy at “The M Blog” discusses how non-professionals lead “Weddings, funerals, baptisms, in house churches“. We do realize that these are not scriptural responsibilities of elders alone, right?
Eric at “Hammer and Nail” is asking Sermon Questions. So far he’s asked Question 1, Question 2, and Question 3. I think it is good to ask questions, especially when we don’t like the answers.
Drew at “A Beautiful Collision” has been “Experiencing Church“. I agree that this how the church should always react when people are in need.
Focus…
In Hebrews 12, the author of the book calls for us to “run with endurance” by looking to (“keeping our eyes focused on”) Jesus, the one who starts us in the faith and the one who matures us in the faith:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. (Hebrews 12:1-3 ESV)
What happens when those who are indwelled by the Spirit also lives their lives (“run with endurance”) by focusing on Jesus?
Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have… (Hebrews 13:1-5 ESV)
How we treat others – with our time, energy, resources, etc. – will demonstrate whether or not we are keeping our eyes focused on Jesus. Where are you focused?
Missional Christians in 360 AD
Most people are familiar with Emperor Constantine, the Roman Emperor who legitimized Christianity and called the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. However, not as many people are familiar with one of his successors: Julian the Apostate. Flavius Claudius Iulianus was born around 331 AD to the half-brother of Emperor Constantine I. He died on June 26, 363 AD during a battle.
Julian is known as “the Apostate” because he rejected Christianity and attempted to return the Roman Empire to the worship of the pagan gods – which he called “the Hellenic faith”. We only know Julian’s writing “Against the Galileans” because parts were preserved in Cyril of Alexandria’s rebuttal.
What did Julian say about the Christians in the 360’s? Well, we can learn much about those Christians (“Galileans”) by observing Julian’s rebuke of the pagan priests and practitioners:
Why do we not observe that it is their [the Christians’] benevolence to strangers, their care for the graves of the dead, and the pretended holiness of their lives that have done most to increase atheism [unbelief of the pagan gods]?… For it is disgraceful that, when no Jew ever has to beg, and the impious Galileans [Christians] support not only their own poor but ours as well, all men see that our people lack aid from us. Teach those of the Hellenic faith to contribute to public service of this sort.
Have we come full circle? It seems that the church is willing to allow the state [pagans] to care for the poor – even poor Christians.
Interestingly, this pagan emperor recognized that it was the lifestyle of the followers of Jesus that was attracting people away from paganism – and, primarily that lifestyle was a lifestyle of service and concern and care for others. I wonder if that same kind of lifestyle would have the same effect today.
God Loves You 2
Back in May, I posted “God Loves You“. It was fairly well received and seemed to help some people. I thought I would post a sequel.
So, this also goes out to all of my brothers and sisters in Christ:
To those who ask the wrong questions… God loves you!
To those who are ridiculed for being different and who stopped trying to look and act like everyone else… God loves you!
To those who have nothing to put into the offering plate… God loves you!
To those who would prefer not to sing in public… God loves you!
To those who fell asleep before the closing illustration of the third subpoint of the second section of the sermon from Leviticus… God loves you!
To those who like their tattoos, piercings, and long hair… God loves you!
To those who do not get excited about the latest publication by Rick Warren, Beverly Lewis, Max Lucado, Gary Chapman, or even D.A. Carson… God loves you!
To those whose children are not little angels… God loves you!
To those who are ignored or shunned or maligned by leadership… God loves you!
To those who have not memorized the books of the Bible, don’t know where Nineveh is located, and can’t pronounce the name Melchizedek… God loves you!
To those who have children but no spouse, a spouse but no children, or neither spouse nor children… God loves you!
To those who need a listening ear instead of a lecture, a friend with a helping hand instead of a ministry project coordinator, or someone with a gentle tongue instead of wrath and rhetoric… God loves you!
To those who are afraid to trust, afraid to care, afraid to love, or afraid to try… God loves you!
To those who want to follow God, but don’t fit any of the ministry categories… God loves you!
To those who missed “church” four weeks in a row and no one noticed… God loves you!
To those who need five hours of baby sitting instead of a 5 second hug or handshake… God loves you!
To those whose “Sunday best” includes tank tops, ripped jeans, and flip flops… God loves you!
To those who would prefer to have someone show them how to live faithfully instead of tell them to live faithfully… God loves you!
To those who feel burdened by those around them and are not allowed to rest in Christ… God loves you!
Can you imagine living in that kind of love every day, instead of the guilt and shame which we usually allow others and ourselves to subject us to?
Can you imagine offering that kind of love to everyone, instead of the conditional approval that we usually offer people?
God loves you.