Study Guide: "People of the Dream"

Text: Revelation 3:7-13

OPEN:

We are familiar with the name Philadelphia, but this city was established in 189 BC by King Eumenes II of Pergamon (197-160 BC). Eumenes II named the city for his brother, who would be his successor, Attalus II (159-138 BC), whose loyalty earned him the nickname, "Philadelphos", literally meaning "one who loves his brother".

Philadelphia was situated where the borders of Mysia, Lydia and Phrygia met together. Strategically located, it was founded especially as a mission city to expand the Greek culture and language to Lydia and Phrygia. Barclay mentions that they were so successful that by A.D. 19 the Lydians had forgotten their own language and were all but Greeks.

It is important to note that this church received no condemnation or words of correction, only words of affirmation and challenge.  This is the most exemplary of the seven churches of Revelation.  It is the one congregation that stands as a model for us to emulate.  This is what it means to be a People of the Dream.

When we love Christ and one another, we will instinctively look for others to love.

I. Unexpected Calling of the People of the Dream (v. 8).

     

  1. This calling came as a complete surprise.

      1) This was a church of little or no significance.

"I know that you have but little power"

Scholars such as Robert Mounce (New International Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation) assert that apparently this was a rather small congregation, and because of limited size they were not able to recognize a major impact on the city.

       2) This church likely had an inferiority conflict.

They mistook size for influence.

They misunderstood wealth for strength.

They saw giants in the land and themselves as grasshoppers, just like the Hebrew spies in Canaan.

Somehow they had forgotten Zechariah 4:10, "For who hath despised the day of small things?"

  2. The risen Christ arrests them from their 'woe is me', inferiority complex: 

"Look, I have set before you an open door."

According to the Greek text and tense, the door has been open all along, they were simply to discouraged and too inward focused to recognize that it was there, already gaping wide open, waiting only for them to walk through it.

God has already opened the door. We are the ones that make it into a revolving door.

II. Unbelievable Opportunities Await the Church.

"Look, I have set before you an open door."

  1. Philadelphia was the Original Church of the Open Door.

It is the great promise of the Risen Christ that he has set before the Christians of Philadelphia an open door which no man can ever shut.

What is the meaning of this open door?

     1) It is the open door of missionary opportunity. 

Writing to the Corinthians of the work which lies ahead of him, Paul says: "For a wide door for effective work has opened to me (1 Co 16: 9). When he came to Troas, a door was opened to him by the Lord (2 Co 2: 12). He asks the Colossians to pray that a door of utterance may be opened for him (Col 4: 3). When he came back to Antioch he told how God had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles (Acts 14: 27).

This meaning is particularly appropriate for Philadelphia. We have seen how it was a border town, standing where the boundaries of Lydia, Mysia and Phrygia met, and founded to be a missionary of Greek language and culture to the peoples beyond.

Two things are well worth noting here: 

(a) There is a door of missionary opportunity before every disciple and we need not go overseas to find it. Within the home, within the circle in which we move, within the neighborhood in which we reside, there are those to be won for Christ. To use that door of opportunity is at once our privilege and our responsibility. 

 (b) In the way of Christ, the reward of work well done is more work to do. Philadelphia had proved faithful and the reward for her fidelity was still more work to do for Christ.

  2. It is an open door of outreach to the Jews.

"I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but are lying--I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you."

There was evidently a serious conflict between the church at Philadelphia and the synagogue of Jews.

The prostration "bow down before your feet" is not an adoration of the church; these Jews, who have been hating all Christians, will come right into the Christian assembly. Their elders will bow in true repentance, realizing an acknowledging Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah, and will beg to be received as members.

The wording is not at all figurative.  We must not imagine that the Christians sat on church pews or chairs in their services; they sat cross-legged on the floor in oriental style (had this experience in Kwang Ju, South Korea in 1979). So also did the bishop or the speaker on the higher platform except when he stood up to read (Luke 4:16).

The fact that Jews, these vicious haters of Christ, would come to the church at Philadelphia, the members of this church would scarcely have believed. The Lord here promises this wonderful victory. It is his special gift to this faithful church.

  3. How do we qualify to receive an open door of ministry?

"You have kept my word"

"You have not denied my name"

Although it's hard to say exactly what is meant by "my word", I believe it is safe to say he is referring to that which summarizes his message and most clearly represents him--agape love.

This causes me to think of that chorus: And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love. Yes they'll know we are Christians by our love.

Out of love for Christ, they continued to love each other and even those who opposed them.  As a result, they qualified as a People of the Dream with an open door for ministry.

CLOSE:

When we love Christ and one another, we will instinctively look for others to love.

(Dr. Dane Fowlkes)