November 4, 2001

Revelation 3:7-13

A Weak Church that is Strong

1. Introduction

1. Illustration – The FAA has a device for testing the strength of windshields on airplanes. They point this cannon-like thing at the windshield of the aircraft and shoot a dead chicken at it -- at about the same speed the aircraft normally flies. If the windshield doesn't break, it's likely to survive a real collision with a bird during flight. The British had recently built a new locomotive that could pull a train faster than any before it. They were not sure that its windshield was strong enough, so they borrowed the testing device from the FAA, reset it to approximate the maximum speed of the locomotive, loaded in the dead chicken, and fired. The bird went through the windshield, broke the engineer's chair, and made a major dent in the back wall of the engine cab. They were quite surprised with this result, so they asked the FAA to check the test to see if everything was done correctly. The FAA checked everything and then wanly suggested that they might want to repeat the test using a thawed chicken.
2. Context – You know, like the British engineers we often have a distorted view of what strength is supposed to be. But Jesus makes very clear in Revelation 3:7-13 what strength and weakness are really all about.

1. Scripture Passage

1. Revelation 3:7-13 – from The Message – Write this to Philadelphia, to the Angel of the church. The Holy, the True - David’s key in his hand, opening doors no one can lock, locking doors no one can open - speaks: I see what you’ve done. Now see what I’ve done. I’ve opened a door before you that no one can slam shut. You don’t have much strength, I know that; you used what you had to keep my Word. You didn’t deny me when times were rough. And watch as I take those who call themselves true believers but are nothing of the kind, pretenders whose true membership is in the club of Satan – watch as I strip off their pretensions and they’re forced to acknowledge it’s you that I’ve loved. Because you kept my Word in passionate patience, I’ll keep you safe in the time of testing that will be here soon, and all over the earth, every man, woman, and child put to the test. I’m on my way; I’ll be there soon. Keep a tight grip on what you have so no one distracts you and steals your crown. I’ll make each conqueror a pillar in the sanctuary of my God, a permanent position of honor. Then I’ll write names on you, the pillars: the Name of my God, the Name of God’s City – the new Jerusalem coming down out of Heaven – and my new Name. Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches.
2. Last week we looked at the camouflaged Christians of the church in Sardis, a church that received no commendation. But Philadelphia was different – this church received no reprimand from Christ at all. If we’re going to fully understand what this walk with Christ is all about, we’ve got to get a grip on why Jesus commended this church so highly.

1. Strength vs. Weakness

1. Jesus starts out by taking about doors, doors that He opens and shuts and nobody can do anything about it. He has the key of David, the authority to control the entrance to the kingdom of heaven. In other words, Jesus controls who gets in and who doesn’t. That makes what He says next even more powerful. He says, "I know your deeds. Good stuff! I’ve opened the door of heaven for you to enter through. I know you’re weak, but you’ve kept my word and haven’t denied me. And now I’m going to punish those who claim me but don’t really know me." That is powerful! The hearts of the Christians in Philadelphia were so pure that their deeds were acceptable in the sight of God! So acceptable that He was waiting for them with open arms!
2. In this part of the passage is the key to understanding the whole letter to the church in Philadelphia. It’s also our key to understanding what this thing called Christianity is all about. Jesus says, "I know you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name." The Greek says, "You have little power." This phrase really struck me. It stopped me in my tracks. God said to me, "Get this down! It’s one of the most important concepts you and the church can learn!" Then He reminded me of a couple of verses that lit up this Revelation passage like a spotlight. In 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Paul is talking about his thorn in the flesh and begging God to take it away. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. Then I knew what this letter to the church in Philadelphia is all about.
3. The reason the church in Philadelphia kept Jesus’ word and did not deny Him even when times were rough wasn’t that they were strong. They were able to keep Jesus’ word and keep from denying Him because they were weak. Larry Crabb, in his book Shattered Dreams, wrote, Satan’s masterpiece is not the prostitute or the bum. It is the self-sufficient person who has life comfortable, who is adjusting well to the world and likes living here, who longs only to be a little better – and a little better off – than he already is…In his severe mercy, God takes away the good to create an appetite for the better. The church in Philadelphia understood that. They allowed their difficult circumstances and their weakness to create a deep, passionate hunger for God and nothing else within their hearts. At whatever time they figured out that they were way too weak to do anything and that they needed Christ more than anything – that was the time He was able to begin to work in them and through them. These Christians came to a point in their corporate life where they realized that they were literally dead if they did not throw themselves totally on Jesus and His strength and His mercy. They had to go through a lot to get there, but the point in time when they realized they were nothing but weak and wanted nothing but God was the point when He was able to be strong for them. That is the only place we can find true power!
4. Illustration - Terry Anderson was held hostage in Lebanon longer than anyone else. As one might imagine, life was horrendous for Terry and the other hostages. But it was while he was in captivity that Terry began reading the Bible, and engaging in some serious soul-searching. I was not a good husband, Terry confessed. He drank too much and was unfaithful to his wife. He had plenty of time to reflect on his marriage and why it failed. Terry prayed about his problems and promised God he would do better if he were given another chance. I'll go to church, he promised God; I'll give to the poor, spend my life on good causes. I'll read the Bible, try to understand what's being asked of me. During his captivity, Terry felt enormous anger; he hated his captors. He tried to pray for them, but it was hard. Jesus taught us to love our enemies, but Terry knew how hard that was. How is it right to feel anything but revulsion toward your kidnappers, your tormentors? he rationalized. But all this changed when God became real to him, and he renewed his faith in Christ. There were times when he would almost chuckle, his spirit became so light. Terry says God used his captivity to deal with his sins and weaknesses. I drank too much -- no alcohol here. I chased women -- no women here. I'm arrogant -- what better than to put me in the hands of these arrogant, uncaring young men. I've been careless of others' feelings -- these people give not one tiny thought to mine. I've been an agnostic most of my life -- my only comforts here are the Bible and my prayers. During his captivity, there were times when Terry felt like giving up. I can't do this, God, he would pray. I'm finished. I surrender. It was at that point Terry learned to place his total trust in God's hands and let God have the last word for him. Paul said, "When I am weak, then I am strong."

1. The Reward for Weakness

1. This while weakness thing is a strange concept for us, especially since Jesus is giving rewards for weakness. One thought, though – there is a big difference between being weak and being a wimp. Jesus isn’t calling us to be spiritual wimps; as a matter of fact, Ephesians 6:10 tells us, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. There is a tension here that we have to keep. We like things to be totally resolved, but there are lots of things about being a Christian that require a tension to be kept. This business of strength and weakness is one of them. This issue is not whether or not we are weak – without Christ we are totally helpless to fight the forces of evil that are against us. When we think we are spiritually strong in our own power, we’re in trouble. Jim Cymbala, in Fresh Faith, wrote, When I was growing up, I thought the greatest Christian must be the person who walks around with shoulders thrown back because of tremendous inner strength and power, quoting Scripture and letting everyone know he has arrived. I have since learned that the most mature believer is the one who is bent over, leaning most heavily on the Lord, and admitting his total inability to do anything without Christ. The greatest Christian is not the one who has achieved the most but rather the one who has received the most. God's grace, love and mercy flow through him abundantly because he walks in total dependence. Spiritual weakness is simply acknowledging that without Christ, we aren’t able to do anything positive in the spiritual realm. Spiritual power comes from one of two sources: God or Satan. When we realize our own weakness and rely on Christ for our spiritual power, then we can have great impact for the kingdom of God in our communities. If we try to be strong on our own and come up against Satan, we will either be utterly defeated. Only with the spiritual power and strength of Jesus taking the place of our own imagined power and strength can we have hope and light and life and love. When we rely totally on Jesus, our weakness is an awesome thing, for through it His power is displayed.
2. That is why Jesus offers rewards for weakness. You see, in our weakness we most resemble Him, because that’s when we rely on Him the most. And the rewards are great! We get to see those who heckle and mock us acknowledge that Jesus loves us. We get to escape some of the trials that the whole world is going to go through. All for being weak. All for not trying to live our faith in our own strength. All for allowing Jesus to lead us and be our strength. And when we hold on to the faith that is so precious, no one can take our rewards away from us. As Peterson puts it, we get to be in a permanent position of honor in God’s sanctuary. We get God’s name, and the name of the new Jerusalem, and Jesus’ new name written on us. That’s a cool thing.
3. Illustration – In the movie, Toy Story, Woody the toy cowboy tells Buzz Lightyear the space ranger that he isn’t real, but an action figure. Later in the movie, when he tries to fly and can’t, Buzz realizes that he is really just a toy, and becomes very depressed. But Woody reminds Him of something important. He says, "Look, over in that house, there’s a kid who thinks you’re the greatest, and it’s not because you’re a space ranger; it’s because you’re his." As Buzz lifts his foot, he sees written in permanent marker the name of the boy who loves him, Andy. Greg Asimakopoulis writes, We are not our own, Scripture tells us. We are bought with a price, bought by Jesus. The value of our lives is not determined by our rank, our heroic action, or our accomplishments. Our value is determined by the one who has marked us – with his own blood – as his own. As Jesus told Paul, His power can only be shown in its fullness when we are weak.

1. Conclusion

1. Are you strong and self-sufficient, or do you admit that you are weak without Christ? The answer to this question will do a lot to determine whether or not Jesus will have the door open for you. Let’s spend a few minutes of quiet letting God through His Spirit speak to our hearts about strength and weakness.
2. If you’ve been strong in your own strength, and you want to change your thinking about that, to repent, God is waiting for you to do so. If you want to repent of relying on your own strength, and admit your weakness and ask Him to give you His strength, please come forward now and pray. And some folks who love you will pray with you.
3. Let’s pray.