open door

revelation2-3-so

January 1, 2012

 

Revelation 2:1-3:22

Key verse 3:8 “I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.”

 

Happy New Year! As we start a new year, we thank God for his marvelous grace in 2011 and for what he has done in our lives. We look forward to the new year with great hope. As I pray about the new year key verse, God has granted me this verse as the key verse for our ministry. I pray that 2012 is the year that God opens 3 doors in our ministry; First, the door of salvation for many University of Toronto students. Second, the door of opportunity to preach the gospel. I pray that God may open the door of opportunity for all of you. Third, the door of intimate fellowship with Jesus Christ.

 

This passage is letters addressed to the seven churches of Asia. There is a similarity in the structure of the letters. Each opens with a salutation to an individual church; each presents the Lord Jesus in a role that is peculiarly fitting for that particular church; each describes his knowledge of the church’s works, introduced by the words, “I know.” Words of commendation are addressed to all churches except Laodicea; rebuke to all except Smyrna and Philadelphia. To each a special exhortation is given to hear what the Spirit is saying and in each a special promise is included for the overcomer. Each church has its own distinctive character. We can assign the following titles, expressing the dominant features: Ephesus, the loveless church; Smyrna, the persecuted church; Pergamum, the over-tolerant church; Thyatira, the compromising church; Sardis, the dead church; Philadelphia, the church with opportunity, and Laodicea, the complacent church.

 

First, the Ephesus church. The Lord introduced himself to the church of Ephesus as the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. Ephesian church was pioneered by St. Paul and his coworkers. During the three years Paul spent in Ephesus, there was a great work of God. Many people repented of their evil deeds and many who practiced sorcery and magic arts burned half-million dollars worth of scrolls. They also worked hard to pioneer other churches in Asia Minor. Jesus was pleased with their hard work and spiritual discernment. But the tragedy of Ephesus was that it had forsaken its first love. Look at verse 4. “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.” The fire of its affection had died down. The glowing enthusiasm of its early days had disappeared. They were still sound in doctrine and active in service, but they became habitual in worship.

 

In the midst of hardships and trials, we persevere, but sometimes we are overwhelmed and we forget to love. The Ephesian church was praised for not tolerating wicked men, but as an unwanted by-product, they became self-righteous. We fight sin in ourselves and in our children and sometimes become legalistic and judgmental. When our Bible students do not grow after serving them with all our hearts, our hearts grow cold and lose our love. How can we restore our first love? We should remember how joyful we were when we first met Jesus. We were full of thanksgiving and love for Jesus. We trusted him absolutely. We loved and trusted each other without criticism. Jesus wants us to restore our first love. St. Paul said, “If I have a faith that can move mountains but have not love, I am nothing.” (1 Cor 13:1) Jesus rebukes his church when love grows cold.

 

Second, the Smyrna church.he assus, that is, the assembly Smyrna means myrrh or bitterness. Here Christ represents himself as the first and the last, who was dead and came to life. Jesus emphasizes his resurrection. This description would be particularly comforting to those who faced the threat of death daily. With special tenderness, the Lord tells his suffering saints that he knows their afflictions thoroughly. To outward appearances, they might be poverty-stricken, but as far as spiritual things were concerned, they were rich. In 155 A.D. Polycarp was martyred in Smyrna. He refused to worship the Roman Emperor. The executioner offered to release him if he would bow to the Emperor and deny Christ. He said, “For 86 years I served Christ as my King. Christ never disowned me once. How can I disown him now?” We need to know that Jesus has conquered death. The Risen Christ does not rebuke the church in Smyrna. He plants resurrection faith in their hearts. He gives a promise, “Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.” The believers were encouraged to be faithful until death, that is, to be willing to die rather than renounce their faith in Christ. Then they would receive the crown of life, a special reward for martyrs.

 

Third, the Pergamum church. The letter to the Pergamum church represents the Lord as the one who has the sharp two-edged sword. This is the word of God (Heb 4:12) with which he will judge evildoers in the church. Pergamum was the Asian headquarters for the cult of emperor-worship; hence it is called the place of Satan’s throne. In spite of the surrounding paganism, the church had remained loyal to Christ, even though one of its members, Antipas, had been martyred for his confession of the Lord Jesus. He was the first known Asian to die for refusing to worship the emperor. But the Lord must rebuke the church for permitting men with evil teachings to continue in the Christian fellowship, such as teachings of Balaam, namely, sexual immorality,

 

Fourth, the Thyatira church. In this letter the Son of God is seen as having eyes like blazing fire and feet like burnished bronze. The eyes speak of piercing vision, the bronze feet speak of threatened judgment. The church was outstanding in several ways such as their love and faith, service and perseverance. But impure teachings had been tolerated in the church and idolatry was being practiced. The church had permitted a self-styled prophetess named Jezebel to lead God’s servants into sin. Just as Jezebel in the Old Testament had corrupted God’s people with sexual immorality and idolatry, so this woman taught that Christians could engage in these practices.

 

Fifth, the Sardis church. The Lord reveals himself to the Sardis church as the one who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars. It is in the power of the Holy Spirit that he controls the churches and their messengers. The Sardis church was like a zombie. It had a reputation as a Christian church, but for the most part, it was spiritually dead. Many churches today are spiritually dead. Someone mentions several signs of dead churches. They are as follows:

1. Have lost their sense of mission to those who have not heard about Jesus Christ and do not obey the Great Commission; 2. Exist primarily to provide fellowship for the members of the church: 3. Expect their pastors to focus primarily on ministering to the members’ personal spiritual needs; 4. Design ministry to meet the needs of their members; 5. Have no idea about the needs of the “stranger outside the gates”; 6. Are focused more on the past than the future;
7. Often experience major forms of conflict. We need to examine ourselves whether we are a dead church, and wake up through repentance.

 

Sixth, the Philaere those who held the doctrinedelphia church. Philadelphia means love for the brothers. To this church the Lord appears as he who is holy, he who has the key of David, he who opens and no one shuts, who shuts and no one opens. Look at verse 8. “I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.” Both in the Old and the New Testament, the Bible talks about a number of doors, often with very different meanings. For instance, in Revelation 3:20, Jesus says, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” This is the door of intimacy with Christ. It illustrates for us the willingness of Jesus to pursue believers who have grown cold in their relationship with him. The imagery is of Jesus knocking at the door of a church, and waiting for the church to re-open that door so that a vital relationship can be re-established

Another type of door mentioned in scripture is the door of salvation For instance, in John 10:9, Jesus said, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.” Jesus was teaching the remarkable truth that he is the only way to salvation. Inside that door or gate, there is safety and everything we need.

There is a third type of door mentioned in scripture – the door of opportunity. For instance, Paul says in Colossians 4:3, “and pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.” It is mentioned many times in the Bible, and it refers to the way that God gives wonderful opportunities to preach the gospel, and also how he prepares willing ears to listen and eager hearts to receive it. Throughout history, people have found that God has a unique way of providing opportunities for fruitful ministry, and hearts ready to accept the gospel. I believe that God has opened the door of opportunity for a fruitful ministry at the University of Toronto in 2012. I also believe that God has opened the door of opportunity in each of our lives. I thank God that Wah Paw and Jacob Chang got engaged. Jacob Chang was born in a good Christian family. He always wanted to serve God and do his great work. But God has closed the doors everywhere he went in Korea. I believe that God has opened the door for him to do God’s great work in Canada.

 

The church at Philadelphia received only words of praise from the Lord. The saints had been faithful even though they had little strength. They had been zealous for good works. In their own human weakness, they had trusted in the Lord. As a result, they had been able to preserve the truth by living it out in their lives. They had not denied Christ’s name. Therefore, he would keep them from the hour of trial. I believe that we are like the church of Philadelphia. None of us are Ph.D.s in theology. None of us have gifts in healing or miracles or even preaching. All we have is one to one Bible studies which many ambitious young people despise because it does not look glamorous. Yet, Jesus commends those who are faithful. Look at verse 8 again. “I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.”

Seventh, the Laodicea church. The Lord Jesus speaks of himself as the Amen, the Faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. As the Amen, he is embodiment of faithfulness and truth, and one who guarantees and fulfills the promises of God. The church at Laodicea was neither cold nor hot. It was sickeningly lukewarm. Can you imagine a lukewarm coffee? The Lord would have preferred it to have been extreme in its indifference or its zeal. But no—it was lukewarm enough to deceive people into thinking that it was a church of God, and so Jesus was nauseated enough to vomit. Furthermore, the church was characterized by pride, ignorance, self-sufficiency and complacency. The people were counseled to buy from the Lord gold refined in the fire. This may mean genuine faith, which when tested in the fire, results in praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Pet 1:7). Also the people were counseled to buy white garments, that is, practical righteousness in everyday life. And they should anoint their eyes with eye salve, that is, gain true spiritual vision through the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. This counsel was especially appropriate, since Laodicea was known as a center for banking, textiles, and medicines—especially eye salve.

 

The church of Laodicea presents a vivid picture of the age in which we live. Today people are living luxurious lives. Many young people praise and worship with loud music, and even go on a short mission trip. But they don’t want to give their time and energy to teach the Bible to one person faithfully. Christians are wearing crowns instead bearing a cross. We give the best of our lives to the business world, then turn over the remnants of a wasted career to Jesus. We take care of our bodies with diligence which in a few short years will return to dust. We accumulate instead of forsake, lay up treasures on earth instead of in heaven. The general attitude is, “Let’s get ahead in the world and give our spare evenings to the Lord.” This is our condition on the eve of Christ’s return. Let’s hear Jesus’ admonition. Look at verse 19. “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.”

 

When we encounter with God, God opens many doors. First, he opens the door of salvation. Second, he opens the door of opportunity. Third, he opens the door of intimate fellowship with him. All we have to do is to enter through the open door without fear. Alexander Graham Bell once said, “When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.” We need to trust God’s power to intervene. May God give you many open doors in the new year 2012.