Pressing Towards The Goal 
 
Philippians 3:10-14
10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
 
What is Paul saying here? Well, if we look back at verses 10 and 11 we see that Paul is telling us that the goal of his life is to know Christ and the power of His resurrection, to share in the fellowship of His suffering, and to become like Him so that he might attain to the resurrection from the dead.
 
You see, in life...we like to set goals right! We’re in a new year, and many like to make, “New Year resolutions”. Eating healthy, smarter decisions, change of lifestyle, financial goals, and so on. We al have done it at one point or another. Because that is what everyone else is doing every New year. It never changes. But what happens? Is the goal met? Every resolution that we make, did we finish it?
 
As you can see from our text, the Apostle Paul wanted none of that. He didn’t care about worldly things. His mind was set. “I want to be like Christ”, that was his goal for his new life.
“that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead”. You see, setting goals, requires the person to persevere. He/she, pushes itself to get to the goal, whatever it is. “Pressing Towards The Goal”. Because that is what the heart desires.
“I have to do this, I have to finish”. “I have set a goal for my future, I can’t fail”.
 
Basically, Paul is saying he wants to be made Christ-like. He wants to know Christ personally and intimately so that through the power of Christ’s resurrection he might be made perfect in Jesus.
Now he tells us in verse 12 he hasn’t reached that goal yet. He’s not perfect but he presses on toward that end.
 
Philippians 3:12-13
12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.
 
The price of salvation in its fullness has not yet been won, a point Paul makes against ideas of being perfect. This is the Apostle Paul here church. As good and as faithful as he was, he never claimed to be perfect, in his life in the flesh.
 
Believers do not yet fully experience all the benefits of redemption, for we all await our glorification, at which point the Lord will remove us from the presence of sin. Yet the saving process for every believer will be revealed in the day od Christ and the resurrection from the dead has already began. Therefore, Paul has said, believers presently experience the power of Christ. This salvation will surely be consummated for all who have put their faith in Christ alone.
 
To get there he says he forgets what is behind him, the past, and he strains forward to what lies ahead, the goal of winning the prize of the upward calling of Christ. In other words, eternal life, and resurrection from the dead, where he will finally be made perfect and be able to enjoy the kind of relationship God intended for us to have with Him.
 
I don’t know about you, but there are a lot of things in my past that I wished never happened. I have a lot of regrets. Why can’t we just erase our mistakes? Why can’t we just delete them from our minds like we do with our texts, emails? Sadly, that is the reality of life. Those mistakes, the pain, the sufferings that went with it, came with a lesson. But our past, should never determine our future.
 
You see…if we continue to live our lives, by re-living our past, then we will never make it to the finish line. We will never make it to our goal. It is like living in this life carrying a bunch of heavy luggage on your shoulder. The weight of it can wear the person down. Let them go, put them down, and never pick them up again. Its just too heavy and pointless to run a race with a heavy baggage.
 
2 Corinthians 5:17-18
7 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.
 
This is what it means to have this new life. Let us live in this life, pressing towards the goal that God has set. Lets never pick up those, heavy baggage again, they have done their job as a lesson learned. And continue on what Christ has laid in advance. Again, our past should never determine our future.
 
Paul spelled out his focus and that was the prize set before him at the finish line of life. In order to gain the prize, we have to be moving toward it.
 
There are many Christians who are content to live in what used to be. They are content to dwell in safety and not take risks for the Lord. In their walk with God they feel it is much easier and safer to preserve what they have than to reach out for more that God has for them.
 
For example. Imagine with me that life is like the 110M hurdles. The runners start the race with their gaze straight ahead toward the finish line. When the gun goes off the runners takes off like a bullet, flying down the track. After a few steps, this thing pops into their consciousness, and they think, “Whoa, I’m going to have to hurdle over this obstacle to continue the race.” So, they jump over the hurdle and continue running. Then what? You got it, another hurdle, and another, and another.
 
Now the runners don’t stop after making it over the first hurdle and proclaim, “I’ve made it!” Of course not. The runners keep going, jumping over all the obstacles till they finish the race. The goal is not to clear the first hurdle, or the 2nd or the 3rd. The goal is to finish, and hopefully win, the race. That must be our goal, as well.
 
Paul indicates that there is one major threat to us achieving our goals of the future, and that is our past. Paul says, “One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind, I press on toward the goal to win the prize.” Our pasts, good or bad, can cause us to miss out in the future. But we don’t want that to happen. So, like Paul, we have to forget our pasts and keep our focus ever on the future.
 
Many people in churches today are simply preserving spiritually. They are holding on to the past and by doing so are forfeiting their future. They are forfeiting the possibilities of what could be because they can’t let go of what has been.
 
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. His Word is unchangeable. But we are changeable, and we should not be the same today as yesterday, and especially not in the future. I don’t want to just preserve my relationship with God. I want to progress in it daily, because if I’m not progressing, Then… I’m not growing.
 
We won’t make it to the prize if we are preserving. We have to be moving forward! We should be continually striving to be, and to become, all that God wants us to be. In our walk with God, if we are going to progress, it’s all about action. Notice the action words Paul used to describe his pursuit of his goal. “but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead”.
 
Paul had a passion about knowing Christ and it was not a passive thing, it was very active. In order for us to progress in our walk with God we have to be doing the same thing. We have to be active spiritually.
 
 
If you are satisfied and have no desire to go on further with Christ, to be more holy, to pray more, to study your Bible more, and to do more for Christ, my only conclusion is that you must already be like Him (Perfect) or you just have no appetite for Him.
 
You know what it means when you have no appetite? It means you’re sick. Paul is insinuating that if you don’t have this type of appetite for Christ that he has described, then you’re spiritually ill and you don’t even know it. If that’s the case, then you need to consult the Great Physician for a critical heart surgery.
 
But you know it’s not only good experiences in our past that can rob us of reaching our full potential in the future, here is where things may get painful to hear, but hear it we must. Or else, moving forward will be impossible. it can, Often, sin and past failures that hold us back. Maybe you find yourself stuck in a spiritual sense today, You… feel unable to move forward spiritually because you are still living in sin.
 
No one has ever reached Christian maturity until they were able to deal effectively with their sin. We all have things in our past that Satan would like to continually remind us of in order to hold us back from progressing spiritually. 
 
This forgetfulness can only occur through confession of your sin, correction of your life, and restitution. You’ve got to come to God and tell Him that you’ve sinned, you’ve got to correct the problem in your life and repent of it. Then you have to make things right. Restitution is making right whatever you can that you’ve done wrong in your past.
 
1 John 1:9
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
 
And again, another great reminder from the Psalms…
 
Psalms 103:12
As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.
 
That’s how God deals with the sins we confess to Him. He discards them where they can never be retrieved, and He remembers them no more. So…why should we! We have to take God at His Word and believe He does what He says He will do. Otherwise we are calling Him a liar and showing our lack of faith in Him.
 
Usually it is harder for us to forgive ourselves than it is for God to forgive us. If you confess your sins to God, they are under the blood of Christ and they have to be forgotten. God dealt with them on the cross of Christ, they are history… so we have to let them go.
If we don’t forget it, it will remain a bitter memory that will destroy what God wants to do in and through us in the future. So, let’s not be historical about our forgiven sins. Let us not… keep a record of our faults and failures, let them go and forget about the past, it’s a lesson learned, so… that we can progress toward the prize that awaits us at the finish line of life’s race.
 
As we press on, we will have goals to complete and hurdles to overcome. We can’t stop after clearing our first hurdle or become satisfied after accomplishing a goal and we can’t quit running just because we may have tripped along the way. We have to keep, “Pressing Towards The Future”, lest we get left behind.
 
In Conclusion:
 
Philippians 3:14
I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
 
We need to remember that the race is not over. God is not through with us yet. We aren’t perfect, we’re just forgiven. We will have many more goals set before us and we must keep pressing on toward the goal of the heavenly calling of God. What is the goal? To be like Jesus. And the only way that can happen, is if we continue to run the race.
 
How could we ever even hope to reach that goal? Think, of the 110M hurdles. Therein lies the secret to moving from where you are to the character of Jesus. The runners know that they can’t get over all those hurdles in one leap. No! They must take one hurdle at a time, as they get to them, moving ever closer to the finish line. God puts all of these goals (or hurdles) in front of us to lead us in the same direction – toward becoming more Christ-like.
 
Let me end with this illustration that I learned from watching, “Francis Chan”.
 
 

                                          Is Church Membership Important?
 
Acts 2:42-47
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
 
What does it mean to be a “church member”? Is it biblical? Is it important for a believer to be part of a church? How do I become one? What type of church should I go to? Since our meeting last Sunday and one of the discussions in that meeting was the renewal of church membership.
And why it had to be done.
 
Many today look for a church that will suit their needs. “I like this church, it’s big, I can just blend in”. “I don’t like that church the pastor’s message is boring”. “I like this church because it encourages me to be successful in my busyness”. I don’t like that church…they talk about sin to much”. Here’s the truth, YOU will find the church that you want. YOU have that freedom to do so! YOU have all the freedom to attend every church in the world. YOU can attend as many church services as you want on any given Sunday. YOU are FREE to do whatever your heart desires, because that is what YOU want.  But…what does God want. Where does He want YOU to be?
 
Tonight…it will not be so much as a sermon, but more like a Bible Study. Seeking the Lords will, His truth. Like I had mentioned in one of our Bible Studies…we do live in the “last days”, where many can be deceived. As we have just read from our opening verse, it is very clear that they were a group of believer…believing the same thing, had one thing in common. “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  All the believers were together and had everything in common. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
 
These are the assembly of those who have been “called out”, “called out of darkness into light”.
Called out by God to a new life in Christ. These are the family of God, The body of Christ. One that is formed by God.
 
Many today question the relevance of the church. Not just the people outside but also many from inside. The church is seen as an institution that puts tradition before truth. Amazingly enough, many professing Christians see themselves as part of the universal church of Christ, (I belong to Christ, I really don’t need to be a member) Then what body do you belong to? Many do not want to participate in a local body, where God’s gift can be used. Others openly discredit the idea of formal membership in a congregation. Many just want to come and go, do as they please. But neglecting Gods will for their life.
 
But while many have given up on the church, Jesus has not. The church is still the center of God’s work in this world, and if you are going to have a right relationship with God, you will have to have a relationship with His church…belong His formed body.
 
Paul tells us in Ephesians 5:25, that “Jesus loved the church and gave Himself for her”. The church is the bride of Christ. Now, as an example…you cannot have a good personal relationship with me and bad mouth my wife, so how can you expect to be right with Christ and disrespect His bride?
 
So…this brings us to the real question today. Is Church Membership Important? Let’s, let the Lord speak through His words and see if our eyes, our hearts will be open to receive His truths.
When an individual is saved, he becomes a member of the body of Christ….
 
1 Corinthians 12:13
For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
 
When a sinner gets saved, he/she is now part of Christ. Belongs to His body. Now committed to follow His will. And the only way that he/she can be identified as believer, is when he/she is formed in with the body of believers. “All the believers were together and had everything in common”. And Luke, indicates that there was some record of who was part of this group by what he says in Acts 2:41, “3,000 were added to their number.” The biblical basis for local church membership is seen in . . .
 
Acts 2:41
41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
 
“Added”, Where? To form a body of believers. God added to their number, those who were being saved. Let’s take a look at 1 Corinthians 1, and get a basic understanding of who is being addressed here…
 
 
1 Corinthians 1:1-2
1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, 2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
 
So…it is clear that we have here a city, Corinth and a local church within that city. “To the church of God”. These are those that had been sanctified by Christ, separated from the world, from sin, declared as “saints” by the Lord. “are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints”
“Called by Christ to be saints”. Not by a priest, but by the Lord Jesus Christ. You will also see in these two verses an assembly of believers joined/formed in a church.
 
Here is another fact through scripture, that if and when a believer moves to another city or town, a letter from the church will be sent to confirm that he or she is a faithful believer.
 
Acts 18:27
27 When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers and sisters encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed.
 
Who was the brothers and sisters writing to? To the church of course. This letter is confirming that Apollos was in good standing with the church, and they should welcome him.
 
Here’s another one…
 
Colossians 4:10
10 My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.)
 
You see, the reasons for these letters were to protect the church. They were letting the other churches know that they are sending them a saint/believer chosen by God. And they did not need to worry. The instructions were, that were to be welcomed. From these two verses alone, it’s a little scary to be doing an altar call simply because the cannot really tell where this person came from. That is why it is best to speak to the person privately and get the background of their faith. The Pastors and church leaders need to protect the church. That is what these letters were for. To protect the church.
 
So…if you are a “believer”, jumping from one church to the next, you may become a threat to that church. How can a local church accept you, if you are a total stranger to their body of believers? So, you see, church membership is very important. It’s a command. It’s a body formed by God. So, if you have someone going in and out, that’s a little scary right!
As I had mentioned earlier, the pastor and leaders are responsible for the well being of Gods church. Here are some example…
 
Acts 20:28
28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.
 
Another physical body of believers here. “flock & church”. Here’s another one…
 
Hebrews 13:17
17 Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.
 
Who are the leaders keeping watch? Gods flock of course. And look at what it says… “because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account”. The church pastor/leaders will give an account for Gods flock. If you would look at those Mega Churches, I wonder how their leaders keep track of each and every member? As I had mentioned in one of our meetings, I cannot worry about those that chose to leave. God knows that I had gone after them more than ones. But they still choose to leave. I have to care for those that are still here. simply because you are the ones that, I and our deacons will give an account for one day.
 
One more…
 
1 Peter 5:2
2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve.
 
“God’s flock, under your care, watching over them”. From these verses that we have just read, there is physical body/a church. Gods flock, under the leaders care and the command is to “watch over them”. So… “Is Church Membership Important?” I think so!!!
 
Within the church, biblical teaching, application and discipline needs to be enforced. That’s why you are all encouraged to read your Bibles, we have bible study every other Saturday where you can continue to grow and be equipped. And I am sure we all know full well, how we approach church discipline.  A command that we cannot ignore if the situation arise.
 
 
 
 
Matthew 18:15-18
15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
 
So again…not to sound like a broken record. This is a physical body. This is a church. Discipline needs to be enforced when needed. And as a church our fellowship is about building each other up. We should be growing together, loving one another. Not tearing each other down. Don’t spread rumors about your brother or sister, we are one body. We all belong to Christ. No one here is better than the other. We all kneel to Christ. We are all bought by His blood.
 
Hebrews 10:24-25
24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
 
Church…we are all that we have here in this world. We have been separated from the world, being prepared for heaven. No, ONE…believer can make it in this world alone. Where is your fellowship, who will you break bread with in remembrance of our Lord? Who will give “love and good deeds” to? Who will you encourage in the Lord? You see…belonging to a church is very important. It is what God wants and planned from the very beginning.
 
IN CONCLUSION:
 
Going back to our opening verse. Paul mentions…
 
Acts 2:42-47
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
                                                 (Don’t add to power-point)   
 
 
Notice how he describes their activity: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching (DISCIPLESHIP) and to the fellowship (FELLOWSHIP), to the breaking of bread and to prayer. They were all TOGETHER, had everything in common. They meet together all the time. This was their life and it should be our as well.
 
The purpose filled Christian life can only be lived through committing to be part of a local church and working to make it work for His purpose. “Christ loved His church and gave His life for her”. That is how important the church is to our Lord. He gave His life for her. Jesus gave His life for you and me. So, let me ask you again, IS CHURCH MEMBERSHIP IMPORTANT?
 
YES IT IS!!!
 
Let us pray:
                             
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

                                                  
Revelation 3:14-22
14 “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,
‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore, be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. 21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
 
We are now in the last of the seven churches “Revelation”. The church of Laodecia. Laodicea was the wealthiest of the seven Churches. It was known for its banking industry, manufacture of black wool, and a medical school. As we have read, Christ…again like the church of Sardis, did not find anything to commend this church. NOTHING!!!
 
Revelation 3:14
14 “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,
‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God”.
 
Christ was giving witness to the Church that He did have the authority to judge their works. Jesus spoke this world into existence and rules His creation. Being a faithful and true witness from the very beginning of His creation until now, gives Him the authority to rebuke and discipline the people that He loves.
 
He says of Himself that He is 1) the Amen, 2) the Faithful and True witness and 3) the ruler of God’s creation. In every letter so far, the introduction used is a key to the interpretation of the rest of the letter, so remember these things carefully. So…basically, God has placed judgement on this church, faithfully, by His witness of their being and works. And it is final.
 
Let us now see the downfall, the condemnation of this church…
 
Revelation 3:15-17
15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.
 
Christ saw a church that had become like so many churches today. He saw a church that was not productive. Sure, they attended services each week, but they did not grow. They were content to just sit back and watch the world turn as they enjoyed their luxuries/wealth.
 
It is clear from this passage that the wealth of the city greatly affected the church. It seems strange to most people that riches and sorrow go together. It is the love of money that is the root of all evil. Most of the time, riches produce rotten living. There are a few rich people who serve God, and there are a few rich churches that are spiritual, but the general rule is that riches brings sorrow. Jesus said, “It is hard for the rich man to enter the kingdom of God!”(Matt 9:23) That does not mean that God cannot or will not save a rich man? He can, and He will. But the sad fact is that riches and spirituality do not seem to walk together. You will either serve God or serve your money/wealth.
 
These Christians thought by being wealthy, that they needed nothing, not even God. And to think that they called themselves a church who believed in God. The Laodiceans are neither cold nor hot, but have about them a kind of nauseating quality, which will make the Risen Christ vomit them out of His mouth.
 
Notice the use of the terms “cold” and “hot”—not “dead” and “alive.” The LAODICEANS were in the most dangerous state possible. They were not referred to as being spiritually dead, nor as being spiritually alive. They were still lost, of course, for had they been born again they would not have been spewed out of the mouth of Him who is the head of the Church. Had the church been totally cold, there would have been a possibility of reviving the coldness, and the church might have become warm again. Had it been hot, the Lord would have blessed.
 
The church at Laodicea was a group of undecided… neutral members who would not take a stand one way or the other toward Christ or the truth, and this is the most hateful, disgusting spirit possible to display against God, God’s Word, and God’s Church. Such a condition must be dealt with immediately. The last condition of the church is the worst by far. They never really wanted God, their god was their wealth. It is either, your for God, belongs to God or your still of the world. God does not like a half-hearted relationship with Him. You cannot hold on to God in one hand and satan on the other.
 
 
 
Revelation 3:18-19
18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore, be zealous and repent.
 
Laodecia prided itself on its financial wealth. It was rich and had acquired wealth and had need of nothing—so it thought. The Risen Christ advices Laodicea to buy their gold from Him; then they would have real spiritual treasures. They had fool’s gold in their bank accounts, gold from this world with no spiritual or eternal value. Only with Christ’s gold would they be rich. It may be that GOLD TRIED IN THE FIRE stands for faith since Peter compares it to faith in…
 
1 Peter 1:7
7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
 
This is the kind of gold that God gives and wants. True gold that is tested and true. Wealth can do much but there are things that it can never do. It cannot buy happiness nor give a man health either of body or of mind, it cannot bring comfort in sorrow nor fellowship in loneliness. If all that a man has to meet life with is wealth, he is Poor indeed. But if a man has a faith tried and refined, there is nothing which he/she cannot face, and he/she is rich indeed. (rich in Christ)
 
“and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed”. A statement made by Lord to which only He can provide a “white garment”, that is fitting to wear, and acceptable to Him. Being made clean, washed by His blood alone is acceptable. As rich as this church was, they cannot by their salvation. They did not believe, nor received the truth that only Christ can clothed them for salvation.
 
“anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see”. It means for them to see things spiritually. Things from God, the truth of God and His words. “Let Me (Jesus) anoint your eyes, so that you can see.  But…sadly, they remained blind from the truth.  Gods truth…to them, was just made up of what they wat the truth to be. NOT GODS TRUTH!!! Simply because, they were still blind!
Unless our eyes are opened by the Lord, we cannot discern spiritual matters.
 
1 Corinthians 2:14
14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
 
They were spiritually dead still. They were a church, but dead still. No new creation in their walk.
“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore, be zealous and repent”. Here is a verse which echoes a truth found elsewhere in the New Testament. God disciplines those He loves. His rebuke and discipline came because of His love for the church. Christ will “spit out” those who disobey (v. 16), but He will discipline those He loves. God’s purpose in discipline is not to punish but to bring people back to Him. God may discipline you and I, to help us out of our uncaring attitude, and He uses only loving discipline. We can avoid God’s discipline by drawing near to Him again through confession, service, worship, and studying His Word. Just as the spirit of love can be rekindled in marriage…so that through discipline, the Holy Spirit can reignite our zeal for God.
 
The word “ZEALOUS” means “to be hot.” This is His last message to the church. He says, “BE ZEALOUS.” Be hot. Get on fire for God. He is ordering this church to forsake its lukewarm state, and he says, “REPENT.” This church needs repentance more than all the others. And the message of repentance is for the church today.
 
Moving on…
 
Revelation 3:20-21
20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. 21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
 
This verse is well-known and is often used in conjunction with a picture of Jesus standing at a door, knocking, and asking to be let in. There is no picture of intimacy more striking than that of setting at a common table and breaking bread together. This is the picture of the relationship of the Christian to God as the Christian comes to Him in Jesus Christ. There is nearness, there is sympathy, there is understanding; there is fellowship.
 
Remember the story of this church. Their a Christian church, WITHOUT CHRIST! Christ is saying to this church, that He is the One missing in this church…in their lives. Christ is knocking at their door as a way of revelation…reveling to them His truths. But sadly, to this church, their wealth is their god. Not…JESUS CHRIST. And they ignored His voice.
 
Christ enters the sinner’s heart and makes him/her new.  “I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me”. That is a perfect picture of a true relationship with Him. “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne”. These are the ones who had refined gold, “tested in the fire”. One who is clothed in “white garments”, One who has received Christ as Lord and Savior. Saved for all eternity!
 
 
This is the ultimate reward for the believer. Eternal life with our God. Sins forgiven, no more tears, no more pain, no more temptation. The beginning of the true life. Like I had mentioned last week, we are only here temporarily. This is not our home, so don’t hold on to it. Our homes… enjoy it for now, for it is Gods provision from His promise. But, a mansion awaits the ones who overcomes. The Laodecian church held on to what’s in front of them, what they had, but they did not see the picture of eternity. Let us learn from their mistake. Their mistake caused them their lives for all eternity.
 
Lastly:
 
Revelation 3:22
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
 
Seven churches, 5 condemned, two commended. And each and every church…ours included, receives this warning. How shall we respond, as a church and as an individual. Should we listen to Gods warning? YES… WE SHOULD!!!
 
 

                                                     Church Of Philadelphia
                                                          (Brotherly Love)
 
Revelation 3:7-13
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. 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.”
 
In this series on the Seven Churches of Revelation, we have examined the Churches in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira and Sardis. Today we will examine the Church of Philadelphia and not only…how our church compares to it, but also how we as individual Christians compare to the Christians in Philadelphia.
 
Philadelphia was founded by the citizens of Pergamum to create a gateway to the central plateau of Asia Minor. This city was often damaged by earthquakes, which resulted in a fear that kept a large part of the population from living within the city walls. Today there still exist a town on the ancient site of Philadelphia called Alasehir in Turkey, having a population of around 15,000. The word Philadelphia comes from two Greek words: PHILEO, which means, "love" and the word ADELPHOS, which means "brother." Thus, the name Philadelphia means "brotherly love."
 
Revelation 3:7-8
‘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.
 
First: The church is greeted by the One who is Holy and True. Christ first reminds us that He is holy, or in other words, "set apart" from all that is evil. For the child of God, that’s good news.
It means that His love for us will never be corrupted by a lack of integrity or goodness on His part. His care will never be canceled out by selfishness or laziness. Because our Heavenly Father is holy and completely separate from all moral imperfection. He is able to love us with a full and perfect love.
 
Second, He wants us to see that He is true. He is absolutely genuine. He’s not like the gods of the world, who are only gods in the minds of their worshipers. Because He is true, there is never any doubt between what He says about Himself and what He actually is. He is the perfection of righteousness and the fulfillment of all prophecy. Christ is the author of truth, the One who is completely true and must be completely truthful.
 
The Messiah is the One who has the key of David. Jesus has the key to the kingdom from where all blessings flow. He has the key to grace. All who would find salvation must find it in Him. He has the key that will unlock all the bars and barriers to man’s heart. He has the key to health and healing. He has the key to providence and provision. All that happens is under His domain. He, (Jesus) not Peter, has the key to heaven. Jesus has all authority on earth and in Heaven. What He opens, no one can shut and what He shuts, no one can open. This statement was prophesied by Isaiah…
 
Isaiah 22:22
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.
 
Christ had no condemnation for this church. This church appears to be a small church, but one that is obeying the teachings of Christ. The church of Philadelphia, as the name implies, must have loved God and loved one another, even their enemies. Do you think Christ would have any condemnations for our church? If so… what would they be? Something to think about as a church and also as an individual.
 
Jesus in the same sense holds the key to the New Jerusalem that is coming when He returns. Christ holds the key...He controls who gets in and who does not. There is no one else who can open or close this door. Christ has the authority to say who will enter the kingdom of God. No one comes unto the Father except through Christ.
 
Christ knew their deeds, just as He knows our deeds. There isn’t anything that we do, or anything that we say, or anything that we think, that Jesus doesn’t know. Christ knew their hearts and He knew that they had truly accepted Him as their Savior and Lord. Jesus had opened the door to eternal life in heaven for them and no one could take that away from them.  Is there anything in our thoughts or our life that we are ashamed of? Well, there are no secrets that Jesus doesn’t know. It is impossible to hide anything from Him.
 
The Christians at Philadelphia had kept the word and teaching of Christ and had done their best in spreading the word of Christ, even though they had little strength. They were probably few in numbers and not wealthy, but they were rich in the blessings of Christ and they always put Him first in their lives. They were probably witnessing everyday and those whom accepted the Word, Christ open the door for them, but…to those who did not, Christ shut the door to them.
 
Revelation 3:9
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.
 
The persecution the church faced was from hostile Jews. The hostility exhibited by the Jews against the true believers was supernaturally empowered. I am going out on a limb on my commentary of this verse. We have many false religions and cults today that claim that they are Christians. I believe that Christ is referring to these people in the above verse. (so called followers) There are even people sitting in churches today that claim to be Christians, but have not really accepted Christ as their Savior. The time will come when the truth will be known. The day will come when these so-called Christians…but really members of the synagogue of Satan.
Again... “wheat and tares”, in the same house.
 
The Church of Philadelphia stood firm in their belief regardless of their fate. These believers faced the same battles that we face each and everyday. And…they stood firm!!!
 
Ephesians 6:12
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
 
As long as we are in the flesh this is our daily battle. Stand firm. When everyone is against you…stand firm. When the testing/trials come…stand firm. You and I know that we are not facing them alone.  What does “Immanuel” mean? GOD WITH US!!! That is a promise. Its forever!
 
Moving on…
 
Revelation 3:10
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.
 
 
To follow Christ is to learn how to endure, to persevere, in what He has asked us to do, because of who and what He asks us to become. This is called the perseverance of the saints. To hold on and obey Christ’s word no matter what we encounter in life…brings us tremendous blessings, here and in the life to come.
 
The Christians of Philadelphia kept the commands of Christ and they endure trials patiently (without complaining to God or blaming God). They will be spared from the great trail. I believe that all believers in Christ will be spared from the great tribulation that is to come. We will be raptured, but those that are left will go through many wraths from both the antichrist and God. During the great tribulation, only those who find Christ and refuses to get the mark of the beast will be saved, though they will still suffer much.
 
It will be extremely hard for a person to accept Christ while living through the tribulation. To do so would mean probable death or intense suffering for you and your family. By accepting Christ during the tribulation, you would have to refuse the mark of the Beast and then would not be able to work or even buy food. If you are here today and don’t know Jesus as your Lord and Savior…what are you waiting for? Cry out to God. Be saved, be forgiven, be made new. Receive the gift of eternal life.
 
Let us continue…
 
Revelation 3:11-12
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. 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.
 
If we overcome, as did the church of Philadelphia, we will be honored in God’s temple and always be with Him and we will always belong to Him. When we receive Christ as our Lord and Savior our names are written in the Book of Life. We belong to God and nothing can take that away from us. When I married my wife, she took on my last name and that meant that she belonged to me and not to some other man. It is the same with God. When we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are wed into the kingdom of God and we take on God’s name and we belong to Him forever. We will live with Christ forever in the New Jerusalem to come. I can’t wait! What about you?
 
Christ makes a special pledge to the overcomer. If we will renounce in this life the way of complacent and compromising Christianity, then in the next life, in God’s heavenly city, (which is considered a temple) we will be pillars, stable, immovable and secure.
God will assign us to strategic places of support to uphold His ministry. The Christians of Philadelphia might live in fear of earthquake, and persecutions on earth, but nothing will shake them in heaven.
 
A further promise is given that he will go out no more. This seems to indicate that he will no longer be swayed by the temptations and trials of this present life but will abide in the will of the Lord. In addition to this promise Christ gives them a threefold assurance that they will enjoy the heavenly Jerusalem because…. “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”. Does this sound familiar…from one of our bible studies, about receiving a new body? And now a new name? (1) they will have the name of God, (2) they will have the name of the city of God and (3) Jesus’ new name. These are eternal realities for those who overcome.
 
In Conclusion: A warning…
 
Revelation 3:13
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
 
Again… Jesus warns us that we need to listen to what He is saying to the seven churches for it applies to us today just as much as it applied to the seven churches of the book of Revelation.
 
Today we have looked at a church that Jesus was well pleased with. He was pleased with works of the church and the people. I can’t wait to meet the congregation of the church of Philadelphia. They must be a wonderful group. Think about it. There wasn’t a power struggle on who would make the decisions on how the church was to be run. Everyone got along. They loved everyone. They didn’t complain or get angry. They loved Christ so much that all they wanted to do was to please Him and obey all of His teachings. Wouldn’t it be great if our church was like that?
 
Six churches so far, one more to go. So far only two churches were well commended by our Lord for their faithfulness. (Smyrna and Philadelphia) And to all the rest…faced Gods judgement.
 
Let us pray….