Sermon Archives
When You Need Acceptance
Revelation 3:7-13When the Church Sees Her King
Rickey Primrose
August 17, 2014
Description:
We look at the second of only two churches that do not receive any rebuke
from Jesus—the church in Philadelphia (Rev. 3:7-13). What did this church do so well to receive such commendation from the Lord? Even though they were not accepted by those in the world around them and had very little influence in their community, Jesus says they had “kept” His word and had not denied His name. There appears to have been a significant Jewish population in this city that excommunicated the Christians in Philadelphia from the synagogue and
adamantly proclaimed that they were not the people of God. These Christians, however, did not live for the acceptance of man but for the acceptance of God. They did not live to be accepted in the community but in the Kingdom.
The key to understanding this letter is properly interpreting what the “open door” is that Jesus sets before them. This open door refers to entrance into the kingdom of God. Jesus alone has authority to admit and deny entrance into the kingdom as the one “who has the key of David.” The point of this letter shows why living for the acceptance of God is better than living for the acceptance of man. Prepare for Sunday by prayerfully reading through this letter (this is a tough
one to interpret in many ways). Jesus gives those who live for the acceptance of God three promises in verses 9-13. Can you identify them?
Keywords:
Kingdom