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 Sermon > Lecture Messages |
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Title |
Revelation Lectures(25) |
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Speaker |
Rev. Jaerock Lee |
Bible |
Revelation3:7-13 |
Date |
2007-05-18 |
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Revelation 3:7-13
[7] "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.
[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.
[10] '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.
[11] 'I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown.
[12] '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.'
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
Starting from today, we will look into the word that is given to the sixth church, the church in Philadelphia.
The word given to the church in Philadelphia is very important to our church. That's because the word given to the church in Philadelphia is identical to God's providence for our church.
In 1983, the year after I founded this church, while I was praying in Kwang-Ju Prayer center, God told me that God Himself established this church, has been supervising this church, and will work with this church until the Lord comes back.
And He said that the word about our church is written in the Bible, 'Revelation,' to prove that God is with our church and guarantees this church.
It is the word of tonight's scripture that is given to the church in Philadelphia.
Of course, any church can receive the blessing that the church in Philadelphia received if the church takes the Lord's word given to the church in Philadelphia and sets goals on it.
Truly, this church set a goal to walk in the way that the church of Philadelphia walked, for the last 25 years we have been actually doing it.
Every word in tonight's verses has been accomplished exactly in this church.
Through the message that I deliver from tonight, I want you to realize exactly how the Word has been accomplished through this church, and through it you will receive much grace.
In addition, may all the churches and brothers and sisters who are listening to this message understand what you should become a church that is praised by our Lord like the church of Philadelphia, and may you truly be loved and praised by the Lord, in the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, I pray!
As written in the verse 7, the Lord who is speaking to the church in Philadelphia is "is holy and true, and He has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens."
Here, 'He is holy' means that He is above all men, that He is not stained by sin; since He lives only by the word of God without any spot or blemish, He gives glory only to God.
By the way, here the term 'holy' cannot be applied to any human being.
It is only God who is holy and true.
But, if a man were to recover the image of God that was lost because of sin and if he were to come to resemble the holiness of God, then he could be called 'holy.'
John 10:34-36 writes, "Jesus answered them, "Has it not been written in your Law, 'I said, you are gods'? If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?"
Here, those 'whom the word of God came' refer to those who keep the word of truth and live by the word. And it means that God considers them as gods.
It doesn't mean that they are truly at the level of God only because God considers them as gods.
It means that God considers them as complete children of God, who are men of spirit, and men of the truth.
Therefore, originally a man can never be called 'holy.'
If there is any child of God who resembles Father God and lives completely in the truth, however, just as 1 Peter 1:16 says, "Because it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy."" since God recognizes such a child, that child can be called 'holy.'
Just as Father God is holy, His children resemble Him and they also become holy; this is what God wants.
That's why our Lord Jesus says in Matthew 5:48, "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."
He also says in John 17:17-19, "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth."
Next, is says that our Lord is "true." "True" means "without falsehood or untruth."
Not changing, not swaying to the right or left, not lying, not deceiving, not breaking promises, not cunning, forever immutable; all these are something that is 'true.'
Dear brothers and sisters.
"Being true" is very important.
Only when you're true, can you be given faith; the word of God can be living and active in you, and you will experience God's power.
That's because the word of God itself is the truth.
As much as you have the truth in you, you will be confident in the Word of God, and you will have unshakable faith since you can discern the truth.
On the other hand, when you are not true, you may have doubt, and you may be tempted by untruth.
Just as 1 Corinthians 2:13 says, "which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words," truth can also be discerned with truthful heart.
In other words, an untruthful heart can never understand the truth.
I hope that in the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ that you, too, may long for this truth and be able to recognize the truth.
Now, it says that the Lord 'who is holy and true has the key of David.'
Now, what is this key of David?
Let's think about who David was. David was the second king of Israel, the second king of God's chosen people.
From his early years he feared and loved God more than anyone, and he gave great glory to God.
He also pleased God by living by the will of God. He was recognized as a "man after God's heart.'
David was the kind of a man that enjoyed all the blessing given by God.
Israel was most prosperous under David's reign; it enlarged its territory, enjoyed great wealth, and its neighboring countries even brought tribute to Israel.
David was also greatly loved and favored by its people.
In short, David had a key to open the door of blessing such as wealth, honor, authority, God's love, and people's love.
This key to the door of blessing is the key of David.
Once someone has this key of David in his possession, just as David did, he can enjoy all the blessing that God gives to him through the open windows of heaven.
Also, our savior, the Lord Jesus was born in the line of David, and the most important door came to open; it was the door to salvation.
Likewise, David received such an unimaginable blessing of Jesus Christ being born in his line to open the door to salvation.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
If there is a warehouse which is full of treasure, you need a key to open the door to this warehouse.
Only the one who has the key to the warehouse can open the door and enjoy all the treasure in the warehouse.
God gave the key that can open any door to blessing to David so that he could enjoy all the more blessing.
It was possible because David was proper in the sight of God, and he was qualified to receive the key.
David, however, had to undergo severe trials until he came to be qualified like this.
That's because being in the midst of God's perfect blessing requires pulling out even the evil hidden inside one's nature.
His trials started with the incident of taking Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, and having the faithful Uriah killed by the gentiles to hide what he had done.
Some people may wonder how it's possible that David could acquire the recognition of God and great blessing from God even though he committed such an evil act.
Well, what he did was of course a great evil. But, it was not because David was that evil.
Rather, even though King David was a good man, because of his position, such a small act of evil could be revealed as a great evil.
What does it mean?
In his days, he was a great king who could give an order to many other neighboring countries. He had such great authority that he could do whatever he wished.
To such King David, in his nature, there was a hidden evil that he hadn't been able to get rid of. And that evil was revealed through this incident.
If you'd like to understand this situation better, please put yourself in King David's shoes.
If you were to come to have such great authority and power like that of King David, if there were something you really wanted or wanted to be done in your heart would you not put into practice?
For example, there is someone who hates you with no apparent reason. You come to dislike him, and you may even want to do something bad against him.
Now suddenly, you are given an authority to do anything to anyone without repercussion. Even if you do something wrong, no one will be able to punish you; you're given absolute human authority and power. What do you think will happen?
Even though you are confident that you don't have evil in your heart, chances are that the evil hidden deep inside your nature can be revealed.
You must understand well through the example of King David that as long as the trace of evil is left in you, no matter how small it is, it can come out in a form of sin once the conditions are properly set.
Therefore, just as written in 1 Corinthians 10:12, you must be careful that you don't fall when you think you are standing firm, and you must fight against sin and evil with the Word and prayers until you get rid of even the form of evil.
Since God knew that there was a trace of evil left in David's nature, God allowed him to undergo trials so that he could completely find his true self and come to perfect sanctification.
By the way, while King David was undergoing such a severe trial in the providence of God, he overcame it with thanks.
Because of the acts of conspiracy of his own son, Absalom, King David had to abandon his palace and hurriedly fled from his enemy. Then, Shimei, an ordinary man cursed at him, saying, "Get out, get out, you man of bloodshed, and worthless fellow."
What would David have done if he had been what he used to be?
He was miserably being chased by his own son, and this man was upsetting his heart by such cursing words. He might have been able to punish this man with his authority.
But, he took all these as granted to him by God.
His soldiers got so furious at Shimei that they asked David to allow them to kill him, but King David forbade them.
He had authority to do more than killing Shimei, but he didn't use his authority. He rather accepted everything as granted by God; he showed his humility.
It was completely different from when he killed an innocent and good man by his using his own authority.
Likewise, he could come out as more beautiful and proper in the sight of God through the trials.
After God refined him as a proper vessel to receive blessing, God gave David a key to open the door to great blessings.
By the way, the key of David is not given to just a few chosen people.
It is given without any discrimination to whoever loves God, resembles the Lord, and becomes holy and true.
God wants to give it to as many people as possible as long as they are qualified.
As you become qualified by meeting the conditions that God wants, the door to the blessings of health will open, as well as the doors to other blessings such as wealth, honor, and authority; and most especially is the blessing of God's being with you.
And finally, the key to open the door to the biggest blessing will also be given to you; the door to New Jerusalem.
This church, since its start, has been opening countless doors to the blessings God has given to us.
Since this church has to accomplish such wonderful and huge missions in the providence of God, God gave the key of David to this church and me when this church was founded.
This church has opened the door to spiritual authority to rule and control the enemy devil and Satan, and the door to spiritual realm to allow you to understand and experience the spiritual world.
It has also opened the door to power and authority to manifest great signs, wonders, and extraordinary miracles, and the door to salvation to save countless souls through world mission and national evangelism.
And now it is opening the door to Canaan Sanctuary and the Grand Sanctuary.
Here one thing that you must remember, though. All these doors have been opened only as much as you have become qualified and meet the proper conditions according to His justice.
There are doors that can be opened by my own faith. But it is not so with the church-wise duty and blessing; all of Manmin members must meet the conditions that God wants.
When you open wholly the door to church-wise blessing, every individual can also come closer to the key to open the door to New Jerusalem.
Now, the later part of the verse 7 says, "(He) who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this:" If our Lord opens a door, no one can shut the door. If He shuts, no one can open.
The door to salvation can also be opened in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Once this door is open, no one can shut it. . .
. . .Not even the enemy devil and Satan can shut it!
Since the Lord opens and shuts everything according to the will of Father God, He precisely accomplishes all things in the providence of Father God, without making the slightest error.
The Lord who has such authority gives the word of praise to the church in Philadelphia.
In the first past of the verse 8, the Lord says, "Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut."
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
It is a great blessing to hear such a word as this from the Lord.
Once the Lord opens the door to blessing there is no man, no angel, not even the enemy devil and Satan can do anything about it.
Also at the same time, the Word guarantees extraordinary authority and power.
The Lord Jesus says to his disciple Peter in Matthew 16:18-19, "I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven."
In His word, "I have put before you an open door which no one can shut," it contains such great authority whatever bound on earth can be bound in heaven and whatever loosed on earth can be loosed in heaven.
But this word is not applicable only to Peter.
It can also apply to the people and the churches that God guarantees.
Since the people and the church that God Himself chooses and guides are in the providence of God, once a door is opened by the Lord, no one can shut it in any situation.
It can be confirmed through many overseas crusades that this church has conducted so far.
Once God set His heart and commanded to accomplish something, it was surely accomplished no matter how greatly the enemy devil and Satan tried to hinder it.
They tried to hinder it using a form of force, or a law of men, but it was in vain. Even though they tried to interfere with the Crusades by every means available, everything eventually worked for good, and God was glorified all the more.
2 Corinthians 4:8-9 says, "we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;"
The Lord put this church, and you and me in His mighty hands, and worked. No one was able to shut the open door that the Lord put before us.
Until the day when Jesus Christ our Lord who is same yesterday, today, and in eternity comes back to take us, the Lord will be with us and guarantee us.
To the church in Philadelphia that the Lord gives such a promised of blessing, however, the Lord says this: "You have a little power."
Of course it is a word of praising that even with such little power, they kept the word of the Lord and didn't deny His name. But why does the Lord say that the church which is given a word of praise from the Lord has little power?
It contains two meanings.
First, 'a little power' refers to the status you gained to the extent you gain faith, and with faith as little as a mustard seed you accept the Lord in the beginning.
A mustard seed is as big as a point that you can put on a piece of paper with a tip of a pen.
Most of the novice Christians who just begin a believing life start with this little faith.
However, just as such a small mustard seed grows up to become a huge tree, and many birds come and rest on its branches, the faith grows up to become great faith as they progress in their believing lives.
But the important fact regarding the church in Philadelphia is this: from the moment they had such a little power, in other words, from when they had a small measure of faith, they kept the word of God that they heard and learned as they grew up in their faith.
Even though they had only a small amount of faith, they didn't deny the name of the Lord; and this fact caused them to overcome the world.
As with the cases of most Christians, it is not easy in the beginning of Christian life to keep the word of God with such a little power.
That's because they have strength that is as small as their power.
Even though they know what the truth is, they don't put it into practice in reality, and they don't apply it to their everyday lives.
For example, on Sunday they become full of grace when they listen to a message that they should get rid of hot-temper, and they make a decision that they will live as they are told through the message. But when they encounter an incident that upsets them, and come to have ill feelings, they just go back to what they used to be.
What I'm saying is: when they have only a little power, this is often the case with them.
However, even if they have a little power, when they truly put the word they heard in their heart, and fervently pray holding onto the word for a week, they can overcome it with the help of the Holy Spirit.
The church in Philadelphia had such a 'little power', but they fervently prayed and kept the word that they heard so that their faith grew up quickly and they could become a church that could receive a word of praise from the Lord.
The other meaning of "You have a little power" we will look into this in the next lecture.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
The word of God's blessing written in the bible is a promise given to anyone who take the word by faith and makes an effort to make it their own.
Therefore, our church must firmly believe that the word the Lord gives to the church in Philadelphia is the will and providence of God for this church, and make every effort to accomplish it.
Even if God has given the key of blessing, it is you and I and this church who have to open the door with the key and make the blessings in it ours.
You've been doing well. But, just as Haggai says in 2:9, "The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,' says the Lord of hosts," we must accomplish more than what we have accomplished so far that we must glorify God all the more.
For this, I ask in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that all of Manmin members, even though you may have a little power yet, will do the best in your position.
May God bless us to accomplish the "World Mission" and the "Grand Sanctuary," the missions that God has given to us through our faithfulness, devotion, perspiration, and tears, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray!
Amen |
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