Revelation - The Message To The Church

Subject: The Church At Philadelphia - Cont.

by Rick Welborne

Revelation 3:7-13 (NKJV) 
7 "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, 'These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens":
8 I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.
9 Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie--indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.
10 Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
11 Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.
12 He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. 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 I will write on him My new name. 
13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." '
1. To the pastor and the church at Philadelphia Jesus says no one can shut a door that God opens!
–Jesus always identifies Himself to the churches and here He calls Himself the One with the key of David. Hear this prophecy in Isaiah about Jesus:
Isaiah 22:22 (NKJV) 
22 The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder; So he shall open, and no one shall shut; And he shall shut, and no one shall open.
–The key of David emphasizes that Jesus had complete authority to open and shut doors.
The Jews had shut the door to the synagogue but Jesus had opened the door to eternal life.
–Please know that there are also doors on this earth that God can open and no man, no demon, no evil force can close.
Dr. Glen Cole - No number of humans or demons can close a door that God wants to open. Believers should not worry about doors that humans close. We should focus on the doors that God opens.
2. To the pastor and the church at Philadelphia Jesus says I will keep you from the hour of trial...the Tribulation.
Revelation 3:10 (NKJV) 
10 Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
–The hour of trial is the Tribulation and the Bible is clear about a terrible time that is coming on this world and the people in it.
Matthew 24:21 (NKJV)
21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Daniel 12:1 (NKJV) 
1 ....And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, Every one who is found written in the book.
–Many plan to serve God tomorrow, when they get married, when they have kids, when they have sown their wild oats...no one has the promise of tomorrow.
Dr. Glen Cole - Delay is the shovel that digs opportunity’s grave. It is always better to be saved today than to wait until tomorrow.
–Another mistake of not getting your heart right during the seven years of Tribulation is that trials have a tendency of making people bitter.
Revelation 16:10-11(NLT) 
10 Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. His subjects ground their teeth in anguish,
11 and they cursed the God of heaven for their pains and sores. But they did not repent of their evil deeds and turn to God.
3. To the pastor and the church at Philadelphia Jesus says there is coming an open door for you and it is the Rapture of the church!
Revelation 3:10-11 (NKJV) 
10 Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
11 Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.
–The word Rapture comes from the Latin word Raptus. It means "to catch up" or snatch up as an eagle snatches up its prey. What an exciting thought!
–The Greek word for Rapture is harpazo. Several verses in the New Testament refer to the catching up of the saints.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (NKJV) 
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 (NKJV) 
1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you,
2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.
Matthew 24:40-42 (NKJV) 
40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 
41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.
42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.
Luke 17:34 (NLT) 
34 That night two people will be asleep in one bed; one will be taken, the other left.
Luke 21:25-26 (NKJV) 
25 "And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring;
26 men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven will be shaken.
Luke 21:34-36 (NKJV) 
34 "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.
35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.
36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."
–One of the things that I tend to look for in the Word of God is patterns...I believe since Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever...He will repeat patterns.
–Let’s look at Noah and try to see the pattern that happened with him and his family.
–God had warned the people thru Noah that He was going to destroy the earth with a flood and that they needed to repent.
–For the salvation of Noah’s family and anyone else who was willing to repent...God prepared a way of escape...a deliverance for the righteous.
–Noah and his family were instructed by God to get in the ark of safety and then God Himself closed the door. Remember:
Revelation 3:7 (NKJV) 
7 "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, 'These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens":
–Can you imagine all those people who mocked Noah for building a boat, all those who did not take the man of God seriously, and all those who put off even hearing the message...
–You see, once God closed the door...He shuts and no one opens...can you imagine those people crying and beating on the door...please let me in! How terrifying!
–You see the pattern...God sent His warning...God made a way of escape...and the righteous were saved and safe.
Matthew 24:36-39 (NKJV) 
36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.
37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,
39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
–The same was true with Lot and Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham even was interceding for this city and for his family. God help us to do the same.
–Listen to the plea (warning) of the angels to Lot and his family and some of their response:
Genesis 19:13-15 (NKJV) 
13 For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it."
14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, "Get up, get out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city!" But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking.
15 When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, "Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city."
–You see, the warning came...Lot’s family (as dysfunctional as they were) were removed and the fire of God’s judgment fell.
Genesis 19:24-28 (NKJV) 
24 Then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens.
25 So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.
26 But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
27 And Abraham went early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the LORD.
28 Then he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain; and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land which went up like the smoke of a furnace.
–The Word of God tells us that the pattern with Sodom and Gomorrah will be repeated at the Rapture of the church:
Luke 17:28-30 (NKJV) 
28 Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built;
29 but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.
30 Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.
–So it will be...preachers are preaching Jesus is coming to catch away His Bride (the Church) and they are warning people to get their hearts right with God...
–After this...the judgment of the Lord during the seven years of Tribulation.
–Explain this to me...We see in Revelation the messages to the church (1-3) and we see a promise of an open door (3). Chapter 4 we see the open door in heaven.
–It appears to me that the church went through that open door because the church is not mentioned again until after the great tribulation in chapter 19...Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
–Where was the church? In heaven with Jesus getting ready to come back at the Second Coming when the Lord will put His feet on the Mt. of Olives...we will rule and reign!
Luke 21:36 (NKJV) 

36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."