August 3 Secure Door

Revelation 3:7-8 “To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. 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.”
 
IN John’s gospel, the apostle records Jesus defining one aspect of his character as the “gate” or “door” (depending on the Bible version you have). What does Jesus, the Door, do? (I have interchanged “door” and “gate”.) John 10:7-10 “I tell you the truth, I am the door for the sheep. 8 All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
    The Door protects. He locks in his sheep to keep them safely in his church as they believe in him. In turn, the Door locks out the thief who comes to steal away his church’s faith and security in the Lord God.
    Jesus promises he will be the Door for his faithful church in Philadelphia. First, he confirms he holds the key of David. This illustrates he alone opens the door for believers to enter his kingdom. And Jesus closes the door to unbelievers. The power of God is at the ready to defend his own.
    One essential theme of Revelation is to confirm what Peter preached in Acts 4:12 “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” This is the apostolic mission, the purpose of the church. We must be about this purpose. Close your churches doors that open to unbelief. Open your doors to faithful believers. Protect them in the truth. If someone says to you, “I can go to Jesus my own way.” open the Scriptures and show them Jesus is the way. They must know or perish.
    This is Jesus’ praise for Philadelphia. With, “I know that you have little strength.” Jesus acknowledges their large faith even though they are a small size. The church’s strength is not in its size. They are strong in the Lord Jesus Christ.
    We’ll see in our next lesson the reward Jesus has for his small, faithful church. He has put them in a strategic place to open more doors to the gospel of God.
 
Prayer: Protect the true churches of our land, Jesus, to be open doors of your salvation. In your name I pray, amen.