Patience

Revelation 3:10, “ Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, nI also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon oall the world, to try pthem that dwell upon the earth.” [1]

I.   Trepidation

     A. Mistrust

     B. Mercy

II. Temptation

     A. Misery

     B. Materialism

III. Trial

     A. Testing

     B. Triumph

Introduction:  We are going to Philadelphia today.  Remember when I said that we were going to Philadelphia several weeks ago after we had heard about Ephesus?  I jumped the gun back then.  Maybe it was because I was in a hurry to find the church that Jesus intends us to be like.

Many years ago, I went on a mission trip to Philadelphia Pennsylvania.  We took many young people and chaperones who were supposed to work alongside and teach the young folks.  Southern Baptist Churches from several states performed improvement projects in the inner city there.  That particular ministry was called “World changers.”

We repaired churches and made improvements to Salvation Army facilities.  While we were there, we also attempted to clean up trash around some of the neighborhoods but the police persuaded us that some places were not safe without police escort and they didn’t have the personnel to accompany us.

We did go through some neighborhoods, and we prayed with whoever asked us to talk with them.  When we did that there would always be a plain clothes officer nearby even though they said they were too busy.  We stopped picking up trash when one of the youths had a hypodermic syringe in the grabber tool and asked me what it was.  There were parts of Philadelphia that were beautiful, but they were on the other side of the chain link and barbed wire.

The city of brotherly love!  We went up for a pre-planning trip about a month before we had the youth there.  The police escorted us around on that excursion and people cursed us for being in their “hoods.”  They presumed we were there to clean up the neighborhoods and move them out.  There was no trust for a group of adults that were unrecognized.

Philadelphia PA was not far from Washington DC where I lived in the suburbs mostly until I was thirteen years old.  For whatever reason I never went to Philadelphia until that mission trip.  We had several school trips to New York City, but never Philadelphia. 

There is much history in Philadelphia and there is much beauty but for those living in the hard places there are harsh realities.  We don’t know much about the Philadelphia that Jesus was talking about.  It seems that Jesus was careful to give that particular church encouragement.  We look at blessings as things that make us comfortable in this life.  Jesus sees blessing as things that bring us closer to Him.

If we are always comfortable then we don’t need to be encouraged because we feel that everything is OK the way it is.  Truth is we need to hear words of encouragement when the world is beating at the door.  Maybe that is why I never went to Philadelphia before that mission trip.  Maybe I thought it was a place that didn’t need me.  Now I pray for them, and I would like to think that some that I met are still praying for me.

We go though things in this life so that we understand how much we need Jesus.  We go through periods of loneliness to feel what Jesus felt in those hours that Our Heavenly Father turned His back on Our Lord.  We think we are OK without God’s presence until we don’t feel it.  Then we need to be encouraged.  Merry Oaks church needs His encouragement just now.  This community needs His encouragement just now.  Encouragement is what we need more now than anything those who don’t us can give us.  Why do you suppose they cursed us in Philadelphia before they knew us?  Because they needed God more than they needed us.  When God showed up through us, they understood.

Scripture:  The Scripture today is Revelation 3:10. Please stand for the reading of God’s word.

Prayer:  Please be seated.

Message:  Jesus began by dictating to John what was to be written to the angel of the church in Philadelphia.  Let us read Revelation 3:7, “And to athe angel of the church in zPhiladelphia write; These things saith ahe that is bholy, ahe that is ctrue, he that hath dthe key of David, ehe that openeth, and no man shutteth; and fshutteth, and no man openeth;” [2]

Jesus encouraged by explaining who He is.  Jesus is holy.  That means that He is not affected by sin.  He proved that when He came here and took our sin without falling into temptation.  When we reach the age of accountability and meet with temptation we fail and fall into the trappings of sin.  Jesus did not!  John emphasized that in his gospel message, John 14:6b, “I am hthe way, ithe truth, and kthe life.” [3]  Jesus reinforced it here again when He said that He is true.  He has the key of David.  For Jews David is the promised king yet even David had his failures that led to all sorts of traps for his temporary kingdom.  Jesus has the keys to unlock those traps.  When Jesus opens nobody can shut.  When Jesus shuts nobody can open.  That is encouraging when we feel that we have no choice except what to take which the world gives.  Jesus gives and when He does nobody can take it away.

Revelation 3:8, “ gI know thy works: behold, I have set before thee han open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not idenied my name." [4]

Here Jesus is once again revealing that He sees the things that we do in His name.  He opens opportunities that nobody can shut.  If we have a mission placed before us by God, nobody will take that mission away until Jesus is satisfied.  He knows we are weak but that will not stop the mission from being accomplished that He will accomplish through us.  Nothing and nobody will prevent His working through us.  We must choose Jesus!  They did there in Philadelphia.  They kept Jesus’ word, and they never denied Him.  What must we do?  Be like that church!

What will Jesus do if a church doesn’t do that?  Revelation 3:9, “Behold, I will make them of kthe synagogue of Satan, kwhich say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, lI will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that mI have loved thee.” [5]

If some say that they trust Him and are a part of Him yet turn away from Him, then they are not a sanctuary for God.  They are a safe place for Satan.  That is what Jesus said!  Then Jesus turned it around.  For those people who are liars, they will be forced to come to where the truly faithful are to worship in front of them.  What is the purpose for that?  So that those others will finally understand that Jesus loves us who truly love Him.

The title of today’s message is Patience.  Because you Chrisian, have kept the word of Jesus, patience.  What do we do to gain patience?  Someone told me once that to pray for patience means to pray for trepidation which is a big word for severe testing.  Paul learned that in Philippians 4:12-13, “I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed dboth to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things ethrough Christ fwhich strengtheneth me.” [6]  We can’t realize those verses without understanding the preceding, “for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be ccontent.” [7]

Jesus knows that when we have a little faith, we can only gain faith though testing.  Those in Philadelphia had learned where to place their trust.  They had to learn where to place their trust by understanding what they must mistrust.  Not so that they would look down on people, but so that they would understand what they could stand under.  Unless we stand firm others will not see.  One day all will see His mercy when they see why we loved Him as He loves us.

We have already talked about the need for temptation.  It is not because God is setting an inevitable trap for us to fall into.  Temptation is so that we will finally live with enough faith to withstand whatever temptation is thrown at us.  In the model prayer Jesus knew the disciples were not ready so He taught us to pray to be delivered from temptation.  When are we ready to overcome temptation, Jesus knows.

One of the temptations most difficult to overcome is materialism.  Even in the churches there is jealousy over which church has the best places and most talented folks.  These things are no different than any other materialism.  Not having what you think you must have will only make you miserable.  There is no joy there.  Jesus promised that since they understood His patience, which is to say His mercy, they would not be affected by the misery of materialism as others were.  Instead, the others would one day recognize the truth that true love brings.

The final point is often controversial.  Is there a day when there will be a great tribulation such as the world has never seen?  Jesus said yes!  Matthew 24:21-22, “For then shall be great gtribulation, ghsuch as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And except ithose days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for kthe elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.” [8]

Here in the last of today’s focal verse we see why this great tribulation will happen.  “To try pthem that dwell upon the earth.” [9]  We are here even now for testing.  This is a trail for us to pass through until what shall be with Him in eternity.  Those in Philadelphia were passing their testing phase.  Jesus promised us through His message to them that they would be spared.  He explained what it is to be in that number of the elect.

Yes, we are being tested and the tests seem to be getting more difficult until they will be so great that no man will be able to stand them, but we will triumph over all the trials and tests because Jesus has already overcome all for us.

Prayer: 

Invitation:  You may have taken a walk up an aisle even here in this place to show that you wanted to be saved from an eternity apart from God our Heavenly Father.  You might have accepted the free gift that cost Jesus so much.  You might have intended to give all of your concerns over to Him.

Something happened.  A bunch of stuff happened.  You felt the Holy Spirit when you accepted Jesus and for a while you trusted.  Now it seems the world is closing in.  The things that you trusted don’t seem as close as they once seemed.  Jesus knows why.  He is waiting for you to come to Him and leave that which you kept back those many years ago.  He does that because He loves you that much.  He wants all of your faith.  Are you ready to finally realize that the world cannot give you what you think you demand?  Jesus is ready to relieve your mistrust.  Are you finally ready or are you going to continue to fight?  The choice is yours and nobody else’s.  What is your choice going to be?  Jesus is and will be patiently waiting to see when you are finally ready!

n See 2 Pet. 2:9.
o See Matt. 24:14.
p ch. 6:10. & 8:13 (Gk.). & 11:10. & 13:8, 14. & 14:6. & 17:8. So Isai. 24:17. ch. 12:12. & 13:12. & 17:2 in the Gk.
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Re 3:10). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
a ch. 6:10.
z ch. 1:11.
a ch. 6:10.
b Acts 3:14.
a ch. 6:10.
c See 1 John 5:20. So ver. 14. ch. 19:11.
d Isai. 22:22. So Luke 1:32.
e Comp. Matt. 16:19.
f See Job 12:14. So ch. 1:18.
[2] Ibid., Re 3:7). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
h Heb. 9:8. & 10:20. So ch. 10:9. See Eph. 2:18.
i See ch. 1:17.
k See ch. 11:25.
[3] Ibid., Jn 14:6). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
g See ch. 2:2.
h See Acts 14:27.
i See 1 Tim. 5:8.
[4] Ibid., Re 3:8). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
k See ch. 2:9. are
k See ch. 2:9.
l Isai. 49:23. & 60:14.
m See ch. 1:5. So ver. 19.
[5] Ibid., Re 3:9). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
d So 1 Cor. 4:11. 2 Cor. 6:10. & 11:27.
e So John 15:5. 2 Cor. 12:9.
f 1 Tim. 1:12 (Gk.). 2 Tim. 4:17. Heb. 11:34. So Col. 1:11.
[6] Ibid., Php 4:12–13). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
c See 1 Tim. 6:6.
[7] Ibid., Php 4:11). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
g ver. 29. Dan. 12:1. So Dan. 9:26. Zech. 14:2, 3.
g ver. 29. Dan. 12:1. So Dan. 9:26. Zech. 14:2, 3.
h Comp. Ex. 10:14. Joel 2:2.
i Comp. Luke 21:22.
k ver. 24, 31. Isai. 65:8, 9, 15, 22.
[8] Ibid., Mt 24:21–22). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
p ch. 6:10. & 8:13 (Gk.). & 11:10. & 13:8, 14. & 14:6. & 17:8. So Isai. 24:17. ch. 12:12. & 13:12. & 17:2 in the Gk.
[9] Ibid., Re 3:10). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.