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Sermon Details:
Pastor George Bradford preached this sermon on December 2, 2018. This was the second last sermon Pastor Bradford preached as pastor of Chinese Gospel Church Scarborough.
Sermon Outline:
I. Background of Philadelphia (v7a):
- It’s founding purpose – to spread Greek philosophy and culture to the East
- It’s dangerous location – on a tectonic fault line
- It was located on a very important trade route
- It was religiously diverse
II. The Profile of Jesus Christ (v7b):
- The Holy One
- The True One
- The Sovereign One
III. The Commendation (v8-9):
- They had been active
- They had kept His word
- They had not denied His name
- Two things working against them being true to the Lord:
- Their weakness (v8)
- They were strongly opposed by the Jewish community in the city (v9)
IV. The Appeal (v11):
- STAY FAITHFUL!
V. The Encouragements (v8-12):
- His assurance (v8)
- His vindication (v9)
- His protection (v10 & 11a)
- Honor (v12a)
Jesus: “I will put on the one who is faithful:
- My mark of ownership
- the mark of citizenship
- the mark of relationship”
Scripture Passage:
Revelation 3:7-13 (ESV)
7 “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.
8 “‘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. 9 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. 10 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. 11 I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. 12 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. 13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’