P3 Jesus wants a S.T.A.Y faithful church

Revelation 3:12-13 He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; 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 out of heaven from My God, and My new name. 13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

What ingredients in Revelation 3:7-13 does Jesus give for Christians to S.T.A.Y faithful?
As we noted yesterday, there are four ingredients of faithfulness found in Revelation 3:7-13 by way of the acronym "S.T.A.Y".

Strength of Jesus Christ.      Revelation 3:7-8

True power of the Gospel.    Revelation 3:9

Application of the scripture.  Revelation 3:10

Yearn to run for Jesus.        Revelation 3:11-13

We noted yesterday that faithfulness could be defined as repeated, moment by moment loyalty to Jesus Christ exercised by faith. A s.t.a.y faithful church is what Jesus is commending in this letter to Philadelphia and the trait he desires for Christians and the church today. So far we have considered the strength of Jesus Christ and the true Gospel as foundations for staying faithful.  In today's post we want to close out our examination of the letter to Philadelphia by noting two other ingredients necessary for staying faithful: namely application of scripture and yearning to run for Jesus. 

Application of the scripture.  Revelation 3:10
Revelation 3:10 states - "Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth."  To "keep" the word of God is another way of saying that you guard its words in your mind and heart by way of application. Passages such as Joshua 1:8 and Psalm 119:11 remind you of the importance of scripture memory, while other passages such as John 14:21 and James 2:22 emphasize the need to apply what you memorize.  Application of God's word will ensure the maximum amount of staying power to remain faithful to Christ both now and for the future of God's people. 

Jesus' words about keeping the saints "from the hour of testing coming upon the whole world" cannot be missed in this passage due to His promise of preservation. First, the phrase "keeping from" has caused many commentators to debate over whether the church will be preserved through or kept out of the coming great tribulation.  This writer personally doesn't think one can build a conclusive case for either from this passage, and that other texts need to be included to construct the Bible's teaching of the timing of the Lord's snatching away of His church - i.e the rapture.1  Secondly, "hour of testing" is closely related to the time period called in scripture "the great tribulation" (see Matthew 24:21) which is coming upon this world and will be unfolded in detail by John in Revelation 6-19.  Thirdly, a quick study of the phrase "whole world" in the original language reveals four places where it speaks of the entirety of all the unbelieving inhabitants of planet earth and its kingdoms. (Luke 4:5; Romans 10:18; Revelation 3:10, 16:14) 2 These remarks serve to show the preserving power of scripture.  The words of God need to be applied in order to elicit a greater desire on God's people to persevere both now and if need be, in future times of increasing persecution.  And so to stay faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ, we need the strength of Christ, true power of the Gospel, application of the scripture and a fourth ingredient, namely.....

Yearn to run for Jesus.        Revelation 3:11-13
Two key words in Revelation 3:11-13 signal to us the reasons as to why we must yearn to run for Jesus. First Jesus tells the Philadelphians to hold fast so that no one will take their "crown". So note the word "crown".  Then secondly, Jesus speaks on three occasions of the Philadelphians having a "name".  Whenever you see that word "crown", it speaks of the prize that was given to runners in the ancient world.  Passages such as Philippians 3:13-14 and Hebrews 12:1-2 urge Christians to run so as to win while fixing their eyes on Jesus.  The idea of crowns speaks of the motivation, the yearning that every Christian should have to stay faithful for Jesus. In scripture we see five such motivational crowns promised to Christians: the imperishable crown for all Christians (1 Corinthians 9:25); rejoicing crown for soul winners (1 Thess. 2:19); crown of righteousness for those eager for His return (2 Timothy 4:8); crown of glory for pastors (Philippians 4:1; 1 Peter 5:2-4) and crown of life for Christian martyrs (James 1:12; Revelation 2:10).3  So whenever you see the word "crown" in the Bible, think of yearning.  In the instance of Revelation 2:10, we see the yearning to run for Jesus so-strong that if need be, these faithful Christians may end up dying for their faith.

Then the second term in these verses that points the way to yearning for Christ is the three-fold repetition of the word "name". In ancient times the pagans would inscribe the "name" of their false deities on pillars in their temples.  Undoubtedly with the left over pillars of such a temple standing in their earthquake ravaged city, the Philadelphians would be reminded of the fact that as a church, they were owned by their Lord, the only true God, in human flesh - Jesus Christ.  2 Timothy 2:19 reminds us: "Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness.”  The faithful church that Jesus desires is His temple.  Despite the tremors of unbelieving culture and the increasing trials of history, as well as the future tribulation whereby the Lord has promised to protect His church from God's wrath, the church militant must stand as a pillar among the ruins of humanity.  May you and I believer rely on Christ's strength, the truth of the Gospel's power, apply the scripture and yearn to run for Him so that we may be His "stay faithful" church.  


Endnotes:
1. The issue to which I am referring to involves the ongoing intramural debate between Pre-millenialists who wrestle over whether the church will be raptured before the tribulation (i.e pre-tribulationalism), in the middle (i.e mid-tribulationalism) or near the end of the tribulation (i.e post-tribulationalism). I have read many good arguments on both sides on the matter of the meaning of the word translated "out of" ("ek" in the Greek) and have my own opinion. However any attempt to build a conclusive ("conclusive" is the key word here) for pre-tribulationalism, mid-tribulationalism or post-tribulationalism from the word "ek" (out of) in this one passage is not a good exercise in Biblical interpretation.  Other passages in scripture, such as John 14:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 4-5 and 2 Thessalonians 2 must be included if attempting to discern the nature and timing of the rapture of the church.  The chief issue in this text of Revelation 3:10 has to do with Jesus' preservation of His people by His word. For the sake of today's post, the point of the text is that Jesus is going to preserve His people by means of His word and grace, regardless of whether they have to endure persecution both now and in the future or whether He chooses to take them out of the way completely.   The issues of the rapture and its timing, as well as my own personal viewpoint on the meaning of "ek" in this text will be taken up in later posts. 

2. Some have taken John's words to meaning the immediate readers undergoing severe trial under Roman persecution, however the remaining chapters of Revelation suggest that John is pointing to the final great tribulation that will occur prior to Jesus' return.  

3. It is worthy to note that nearly twenty verses in the New Testament have this word "crown".  The first mention of the word occurs in Matthew 27:29 in reference to Jesus' crown of thorns.  The final mention is found in Revelation 14:14 wherein we find Jesus wearing a "golden crown".  How fitting that His crown of thorns and crown of gold flanks the crowns of believers in the in-between passages we just considered.

P2 Jesus wants a S.T.A.Y faithful church Rev 3:7-13

Revelation 3:9 "Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you."

What ingredients in Revelation 3:7-13 does Jesus give for Christians to S.T.A.Y faithful?
As we noted yesterday, there are four ingredients of faithfulness found in Revelation 3:7-13 by way of the acronym "S.T.A.Y".

Strength of Jesus Christ.      Revelation 3:7-8

True power of the Gospel.    Revelation 3:9

Application of the scripture.  Revelation 3:10

Yearn to run for Jesus.        Revelation 3:11-13

We noted yesterday that faithfulness could be defined as repeated, moment by moment loyalty to Jesus Christ exercised by faith. A s.t.a.y faithful church is what Jesus is commending in this letter to Philadelphia and the trait he desires for Christians and the church today.  Lets look briefly at the first two ingredients of such faithfulness.

Strength of Jesus Christ.      Revelation 3:7-8
Jesus told his disciples in John 15:5 that He was the vine and they were the branches, and that apart from Him they could do nothing.  This truth holds firm for the church and the Christian today who aims to stay faithful.  Jesus Christ opens His address to this church by way of three sets of names that point back to the strength He has to enable every child of God.  First we note in Revelation 3:7 that He is the "Holy" or better rendered "The Holy One", a Divine title that reveals Jesus as the Almighty God. (compare Isaiah 57:15; Mark 1:24) The second way Jesus is our strength for staying faithful is in that He Himself is always faithful as demonstrated by the title "true" in Revelation 3:7.  The title "true" refers to the reality and fidelity of character that Jesus exercises when dealing with His people, a Divine title mentioned in Revelation 6:10,15:3,16:7,19:2 & 21:5.  So we see Jesus as the strength of faithfulness by the way He is Almighty, Always faithful and thirdly by what we could call simply "able", as seen in His claim to open a door that no one can shut in Revelation 2:7.

Jesus Christ as the believer's source of strength is the true fabric of being able to stay faithful.  The church at Philadelphia could not claim any credit for its testimony.  For one thing in Revelation 3:8 Jesus reasserts that He is the one that put before the church an "open door". The Apostle Paul helps us understand Jesus' meaning by using this imagery to describe how he was able to preach the gospel and win souls for Jesus. (1 Corinthians 16:9; 2 Corinthians 2:12; Colossians 4:3) Only the power and strength of Jesus Christ could fling open doors of opportunity otherwise held shut by unbelieving man.  

We secondly note too in Revelation 3:8 that Jesus said that Philadelphia was a church of "little strength".  That word translated "little" is the Greek word "micran" from whence comes our word "micro".  A "micron" is an actual unit of measurement that measures one-millionth of a meter.  To gain perspective on how small a "micron" is, it would take over 2,000 dots a micron in size to cover your average quarter.  That's the kind of strength this church has in comparison to the challenges around her.  Yet that was not a liability, but a blessing! How? Consider Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 12:9 "And He has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me." 

So it was Christ's strength, not her size and it was Christ's strength that opened doors, not the church's ingenuity, that enabled her to stay faithful.  You and I dear friend need to remember that as we live in times of small resources and big opportunities.  Now notice a second ingredient of a s.t.a.y faithful Christian:

True power of the Gospel.    Revelation 3:9
Jesus identifies a serious threat facing Philadelphia that threatened the existence of the courageous church at Smyrna - namely a group of Jews who in reality were hostile to Jesus' claim as Lord, Messiah and Savior.  In fact Jesus called them a "synagogue of satan" in Revelation 3:9. They were professors of God with the lips, but their hearts were far from him. A Synagogue was a local worship center for the Jews that had popped up into existence in the days before Jesus' birth.  To have a synagogue of the Jews needed the presence of 100 Jewish men to be official.  Imagine at least 100 men like the fiery Apostle Paul before his conversion, launching persecutions against the Christians.  Nevertheless the Philadelphians stood their ground like the pillars standing in the midst of their earth-quake ridden city.  What drove them? The power of the Gospel. (Romans 1:16)  Jesus, who placed before them an open door of missions and undoubtedly a foretaste of His coming Kingdom, promises in Revelation 3:9 "I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you."  Just as Jesus promised the church back then, at bare minimum we can say that the church today who remains faithful to the Gospel may in time see some of the hardest unbelievers bow the knee to faith in Christ. John Walvoord notes: Those in the church today who are experiencing such affliction and persecution may be assured that however violent the opposition and however direct the efforts to thwart and hinder the work of God, in the end there will be victory for the cause of Christ."1

More tomorrow.....

Endnotes:
1. John Walvoord. The Revelation of Jesus Christ - A Commentary. Moody Press. 1966. Page 86

P1 Jesus wants a S.T.A.Y faithful church - Revelation 3:7-11

Revelation 3:7-8 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:

He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this:

8 ‘I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name."

What does it mean to be faithful?
When you look at the seven churches that are addressed by Jesus in the book of Revelation, two of them stand out as mighty pillars: Smyrna and Philadelphia.  Of the two, we could say that Smyrna was commended for her courage and conviction in the face of suffering. The other one, Philadelphia had been commended for being faithful and not turning away from the opportunities the Lord placed before her.  What is faithfulness? Faithfulness could be defined as repeated, moment by moment loyalty to Jesus Christ exercised by faith.  Older versions of the Bible use a similar meaning word: "longsuffering". Galatians 5:22 lists it among the nine-fruit of the Spirit - "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness." Faithfulness is a Spirit produced fruit that must be picked and consumed by the Christian.  Jesus commended the Philadelphian church for her staying faithful despite being situated in the midst of unfavorable circumstances.  In today's post, we aim to consider Jesus' letter to the church at Philadelphia and discover how He wants a S.T.A.Y faithful church.

A quick word is in order about the City of Philadelphia before getting to its church
The great archaeologist Sir William Ramsey writes these words: "The situation of the city fully explains this saying. Philadelphia lay at the upper extremity of a long valley, which opens back from the sea. After passing the Philadelphia the road along this valley ascends to the Phrygian land and the great Central Plateau, the main mass of Asia Minor." Ramsey then later states: "Philadelphia, therefore was a keeper of the gateway to the Plateau; but the door had been permanently opened before the church, and the work of Philadelphia had been to go forth through the door and carry the gospel to the cities of the Phrygian land."1  Able commentator Robert Mounce comments on Philadelphia's original purpose as a city: In its development under Pergmene rule Philadelphia was intended to serve as a 'missionary city' to bring Greek culture..."2
Though the city had many physical and political opportunities because of its location and history, the year 17 A.D spelled disaster as the city suffered a major earthquake.  For the next several years aftershocks followed, prompting the citizens of Philadelphia to live outside on the countrysides in makeshift homes.  For a long time the only thing that stood in the city were the Greco-Roman Columns.  A couple of Roman Emperors lent their support to rebuilding the urban center, resulting in two name changes of the city to indicate its loyalties to those who helped her get back on her feet.  The background of this city, like the other churches, serves as material to describe spiritual qualities somehow emulated by the resident church.  As Dr. John Walvoord notes: "the Philadelphian Christians will be permanent like a pillar in the temple and, speaking figuratively, they will stand when all else has fallen."3  

What ingredients in Revelation 3:7-13 does Jesus give for Christians to S.T.A.Y faithful?
I want to simply list for you the four ingredients of staying faithful that we find in Revelation 3:7-13 by way of the acronym "S.T.A.Y".

Strength of Jesus Christ.      Revelation 3:7-8

True power of the Gospel.    Revelation 3:9

Application of the scripture.  Revelation 3:10

Yearn to run for Jesus.        Revelation 3:11-13

more tomorrow....



Endnotes: 
1. Sir William Ramsey. Letters to the Seven Churches. Baker. Pages 404-405

2. Robert Mounce. The New Internation Commentary on the New Testament - The Book of Revelation. Eerdmans. Page 115

3. John Walvoord. The Revelation of Jesus Christ - A Commentary. Moody Press. 1966. Page 88.

The Believer's Big Gulp of Fresh Air

1 Chronicles 1:1, 34  1"Adam, Seth, Enosh, 2 Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, 3 Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, 4 Noah, Shem, Ham and Japheth." (34) "Abraham became the father of Isaac. The sons of Isaac were Esau and Israel."

2 Timothy 3:16 "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness"

It can be a great temptation to skip over the genealogies of scripture or books such as 1 Chronicles.  However if we believe the words of 2 Timothy 3:16 - "All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable…", then we must believe that books like 1 Chronicles are of great significance for at least four reasons. 

1. For one thing, 1 Chronicles sits in our English Bibles like a much needed gulp of fresh air that you would breath in the midst of a marathon.  Genesis through 2 Kings represents over 3,000 years of time, and so 1 Chronicles gives the reader a much needed review.  

2. Secondly, the pattern of 1 Chronicles is that you are getting a view of humanity's history from how God sees it.  Thus in the opening chapters you see the genealogy developing around Abraham and David - a literary feature that is utilized by Matthew in his opening genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1:1-17.  

3. The third observation we can make is the fact that 1 Chronicles demonstrates history and life to have a purpose.  God's purposes revealed through Abraham and David guide the genealogical listing, which again functions much the same way in Matthew's listing to show all history and life focusing upon Jesus Christ.  

4. Fourthly, it is believed 1 and 2 Chronicles were originally one book, with Ezra and Nehemiah being one book, thus making all four books the product of Ezra the scribe, whose purpose was to provide a continuous history of God's people from creation to Exile.  You and I need scripture to remind us of who we are and whose we are and where we are at in God's plan.  The whole point of all this discussion is to help you see that God does not waste words, and that all His written words point to the Living Word - Jesus Christ. (Luke 24:44)  

John 7 gives us an example of how the scriptures point to the identity of Jesus Christ. The Pharisees claimed to had read the scriptures, and yet they missed their Messiah.  Only by grace through faith can you and I take scripture's words at face value and conclude Jesus Christ to be Savior, Lord and Treasure.  May our lives, like the Bible, point to and be about the Lord Jesus Christ. 

5 things necessary for Christian unity

Ephesians 4:4-5 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

Review
Yesterday we explored Jesus' prayer for the unity of His saints and attempted to unpack what he meant through other passages of scripture.  We discovered that the unity desired by Jesus is a compound unity that is comparable to what is seen by analogy in the Trinity, by illustration of marriage and by comparison with the human body.  All three are used by scripture to convey the notion that Christian unity is compound unity endorsing the glory of God, God's love and healthy strength.  Such theological concepts are necessary for unpacking Jesus' prayer.  In today's post we are interested in wanting to know how to practically carry out Jesus' desire for Christian unity.  Ephesians 4:1-13 gives the five step process for carrying out Jesus prayer of John 17.

1. Hard work is required for unity. Ephesians 4:1-3 
It is interesting that the Apostle Paul begins this section on Christian unity with the responsibility of the Christian, with the remaining segments dedicated to God's provided graces for such unity.  Plainly put - Christian unity takes hard work and reliance upon God's grace.  For example in Ephesians 4:1-3 we see the following commands that indicate the diligence required for Christian unity:
a. "walk in a manner worthy of the calling" 4:1
b. "showing tolerance for one another" 4:2
c. "being diligent to preserve the unity" 4:3

We as Christians err in thinking that unity will just simply happen.  Much like sanctification on the individual level, Christian unity is both a "God-thing" and an "us thing".  Most churches and Christian people desire unity, however very few are willing to put the work necessary. Thanks be to God though Christian unity's achievement is not left totally up to willpower alone.  The remainder of Paul's instructions on Christian unity derive from God-given graces that we must rely upon to achieve it.

2. God's grace is required for unity. Ephesians 4:4-6
God's grace is when God does for you what you could never for yourself.  The key word "one" is interlinked with the Triune God of grace and the seven-fold grace of unity:
a. "One body" - The church and its converted members was planned by the Father as a love gift for His Son

b. "One Spirit" - Without the Person of the Holy Spirit, no unity can take place

c. "One hope" - Without the hope of the Gospel, no one could hear the Spirit's voice calling them unto salvation.

d. "One Lord" - Without the Person and work of Jesus Christ, there would be no church nor unity to speak of in this passage

e. "One faith" - Without saving faith as the gift of God, no one would believe and be justified before God

f. "One baptism" - baptism here speaks of the ministry of the Spirit in joining the believer to Jesus Christ at saving faith, with the subsequent administration of water baptism acting as the sign and the obedient public declaration by the convert pointing back to the experience. (1 Corinthians 12:12-13)1   Much like the American flag is a sign of the previously agreed upon formation of the United States by the founding fathers, water baptism is a sign of the previously founded salvation granted by God the Father through faith to the believer who was united by the Spirit to Christ in spirit baptism. (Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13; Romans 6:4-5) In water baptism the Christian is publically professing in obedience the wonderful salvation that was prior to the water baptism and privately received by faith in the heart. 

g. "One God and Father" - The First Person of the Trinity who planned the church.  Without the Person of the Father, there would be no church to speak of needing unity.  

3. Pastor Leadership is required for unity. Ephesians 4:7-13
We see here the five-fold ministry given by the Lord Jesus Christ.  The main focus of interest concerns the pastoral office, being that it is the most discussed of the the five offices.  Passages such as 1 Timothy 3 and Titus deal with the qualities of the Pastor while 1 Peter 5:1-3 deals more so with the purpose.  A Pastor functions to preach the Word, love the people and lead.  Only by the grace of the Lord can a pastor be a catalyst for unity. A church without pastoral leadership cannot expect to be equipped to unify together for the cause of Christ.  Jesus Christ has so given the office of Pastor to His flock to function as an "undershepherd" that is delegated authority to equip the saints to unify around the mission and majesty of Jesus Christ.  Insofar as the Pastor loves His Lord, His family, his people and the scriptures will determine how well He is able to be used of God to be a catalyst for unity.  

4. Sound Doctrine is required for unity. Ephesians 4:14-15
Doctrine is the vocabulary of faith and is the handmaiden of sound preaching, Christian conversation and Christ-honoring worship.  Just as Jesus spoke His words over the sea of Galilee to bring forth calm and still waters, the church needs to hear the voice of Christ preached by the scriptures and taught through sound Biblical doctrine to calm the periodic restless waves in the church.  What happens when the church abandons the grace of sound doctrine? The church forgets who she is and becomes a turbulent sea.  She forgets who she is and Whose she is and soon starts looking more like the world.  Contrary to what many may teach, when doctrine is abandoned in the name of unity, confusion and disharmony results. 

5. Body Life is required for unity. Ephesians 4:16
The final grace necessary for Christian unity is the Spirit given gifts of believers.  Christian unity does not mean union - where everyone is the same.  Unity rather implies diversity orbiting around and connected to a common point. Christians should be working toward the common goal of God's glory in Jesus Christ.  The pastor by himself cannot do it all, nor the deacons, nor only a handful in the church.  The call of "all hands on deck" is issued by the Captain of our salvation as He steers the mighty ship of the church militant through the sea of history.  The church is a living organism, a body, with Jesus Christ as the head. (Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Colossians 1:18)  When the members of the church are functioning together as a body, "body-life" emerges, with the local church functioning as one person.  Soon the sweet aroma of Jesus Christ's love and truth is released and the community around takes notice. (2 Corinthians 2:14-17)   

These are the five things necessary for Christian unity.

Endnotes:
1. Much confusion abounds over the issue of baptism and can only be cleared up once we understand the scripture's teachings on "spirit baptism" and "water baptism", and how both constitute the "one baptism" spoken of by Paul.  Causally and subsequently connected to the Spirit's act of "spiritually baptizing" the believing sinner into Christ at salvation is the obedient re-enactment of that by means of one's public profession of faith in water baptism.  Water baptism is the symbol that is prescribed by Christ to point back to the Spirit baptism.  In scripture, a symbol or sign serves to signify a prior spiritual reality or experience of grace.  Therefore when the scripture says "One Baptism", there literally is only "one" in the sense that the water baptism is causally connected to the prior experience of saving faith, wherein the Spirit joins the believing sinner to Christ by Spirit baptism.  Water baptism does not impart saving faith nor the gift of the Spirit.  The Spirit Himself comes to the sinner in grace and in the gifting of faith the sinner responds by believing and repenting of their sins.  Water baptism is a subsequent, public declaration of prior saving faith. The Spirit joins me to Christ in His ministry of Spirit baptism, with the water baptism simply declaring that prior spiritual experience.