Philadelphia / Revelation 3:7-13
A Church That Got It Right
Welcome! I invite you guys to find a seat. My name is Mike Slayton, and I am one of the teaching pastors here at The Well Community Church. I am delighted to get to share with you this specific message for a number of reasons.
If you’ve been here for the last few weeks, you know we’ve been in our series in the book of Revelation. We’re covering seven of the churches that Jesus Christ literally penned a letter to through the hand of the apostle John. We are studying two chapters of this book to look at these specific churches. Up to this point, we’ve covered four, and now we are going to look at our fifth church together as a body.
I don’t know what your journey through these letters has been so far, but if you’ve been awake and breathing, I would imagine you’ve found yourself in one of these stories. You’ve seen how these churches unfolded, and you’ve felt the stinging reproof at times as Jesus stepped into His church to correct and steer them in a different direction.
We started with Sardis—Brad led us off there—a church that started well and wanted to get along with everybody, but ultimately could not stay the course. Then Shay taught us about Ephesus, a church that was all head and no heart. They were doing great things externally, but they were empty on the inside. They were the typical bad-day Bible-believing church that knows it up here, but is completely dry in the heart. A couple of weeks ago, we saw Thyatira, known for its compromise and tolerance. They were all heart and no head. They held to nothing and accepted everybody. They were the “warm and fuzzy, come into our congregation—whatever you believe is fine, we have no standard, but boy, we’ll give you a big hug” kind of church. Then last week, Brad walked us through Pergamum, a gigantic city dealing with the throne of Satan. It was a wicked, evil place with at least eight different centers of false worship.
As you back up and look at this series, you might ask: “Man, is there any church that’s doing this right? Is there anybody that isn’t getting a judo kick to the face from Jesus? Is there anyone walking through history and culture and actually getting it right?”
I’m glad you asked, because we are going to look at that church today: the church of Philadelphia.
Revelation 3:7-13 (NASB)
’And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this: ’I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. ’Behold, I will cause [those] of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie– I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and [make them] know that I have loved you. ’Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that [hour] which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. ’I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown. ’He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name. ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
This is the first church we’ve seen in our journey that has done nothing wrong. Now, they were a church, so I’m sure they had their own issues, but as Jesus pens this letter to them, there is no rebuke. There is no course correction. There is nothing they are doing wrong. In fact, all He says is, “Well done.” He highlights specific things they are doing exceptionally well. Philadelphia is one of only two churches out of the seven that receives no rebuke from Jesus.
The Underdog City of Brotherly Love
To understand what was happening inside this church, we need to understand the culture around it.
Philadelphia was founded by two brothers and named after the king of Pergamum—which should ring some bells from last week. Because of the brothers’ devotion to one another, the city was named Philadelphia: the “City of Brotherly Love.” It was founded specifically to promote Greco-Roman values and the ideals of Hellenism. It was built to put Roman opulence on display—the theaters, the bathhouses, the worship of the emperors. Rome was fascinating in the way they handled society. They rarely sought to simply hold you down and oppress you; their strategy was to make you so in love with everything they offered that your allegiance naturally belonged to them.
Philadelphia was located on a major trade route, but compared to surrounding metropolitan centers, it was tiny. Ephesus had 250,000 people; Pergamum was massive, sitting high atop a mountain where you practically needed a gondola to reach it. Philadelphia, by comparison, was like the size of a back room. Even today, it remains a small, largely unexcavated site.
However, it did have one major asset: volcanic soil. That made it incredible for growing grapes. They had lush vineyards, and wine production was the absolute backbone of their economy. Naturally, their patron deity was Dionysus, the god of wine and partying—essentially the fraternity god.
Philadelphia also had a volatile relationship with earthquakes. In 17 AD, a catastrophic earthquake leveled the city. Emperor Tiberius, in an act of imperial grace, granted them a five-year tax exemption to help them rebuild. In gratitude, the city renamed itself Neocaesarea to honor Tiberius. But six years later, with no actual financial or material aid sent from Rome, another earthquake struck. Around 54 AD, under Emperor Nero, they changed the name back to Philadelphia, essentially saying, “Thanks for nothing, Tiberius.”
In 70 AD, another earthquake hit. Emperor Vespasian lifted their taxes again, and out of gratitude, they renamed the city a second time to Flavius, honoring Vespasian’s wife. Finally, in 92 AD, Emperor Domitian came along—a ruler who was wicked to the nth degree. He declared that Philadelphia’s vineyards were competing too heavily with Italian wine, so he ordered all their vineyards stripped and replaced with wheat. Overnight, their entire economy was flushed down the drain.
Philadelphia was an overlooked, underdog city with a chip on its shoulder. It felt repeatedly betrayed and discarded by the empire.
And the church felt this acutely, too. Early on, Christians worshiped in the local synagogue under the umbrella of Judaism, which had an exemption from Caesar worship. But as believers boldly proclaimed the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah, a split occurred. The Jewish leaders kicked the Christians out into the cold, cutting them off from their primary center of worship and community.
So you have two lingering themes hanging over this scrappy church: a crisis of identity (“Who are we? What is our name?”) and a profound sense of betrayal. Into that exact cultural climate, Jesus speaks.
The True Authority
Revelation 3:7 (NASB)
’And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this:
Notice how Jesus identifies Himself to this church: “He who is holy, He who is true.”
Holiness means being completely set apart, other-than, and consecrated. Jesus is saying, “I am not Emperor Domitian. I have all authority, but I am holy, pure, and good. You have been abused by human power structures, but that is not who I am. And I am true. You can trust Me. I am genuine and sincere.”
Then He uses this phrase: “He who has the key of David.” What does that mean? There is an obscure text in Isaiah 22 speaking of Eliakim, a royal steward in the Davidic kingdom.
Isaiah 22:22 (NASB)
’Then I will set the key of the house of David on his shoulder, When he opens no one will shut, When he shuts no one will open.
Eliakim held the master keys to King David’s house. What he unlocked, stayed unlocked; what he shut, stayed shut. Jesus is telling this battered congregation: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been granted to Me by the Father. The doors I open, no emperor, no synagogue, and no culture can close. And the doors I shut, no one can open. You don’t ever have to fear being locked out again.”
Revelation 1:18 (NASB)
and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.
He is the all-powerful Lord who holds the keys to death and Hades, yet He is holy and true.
Faithful in Word and Name
Now Jesus turns His attention to their conduct.
Revelation 3:8 (NASB)
’I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name.
Jesus says, “I know your deeds. I see you, church. I know the culture you’re living in, and I know it’s hard, but what you do matters.”
In Ephesus, their deeds were driven by empty, heartless religion. In Philadelphia, their deeds were fueled by genuine love for Christ. If Philadelphia were around today, they’d be the folks hooking up their bass boats to their Ford Explorers and driving straight into the floodwaters of Houston to rescue people. They were engaged in their city, making a difference.
Jesus highlights two specific things: “You have kept My word and have not denied My name.”
First, they kept His word. To “keep” means to guard, observe, cherish, and conform one’s life to. They looked at what Roman society was offering—drunkenness, sexual immorality, emperor worship, theological syncretism—and compared it against God’s revealed truth. And they said, “No. We will align our lives with the Scriptures.” Even at the cost of jobs, status, finances, and security, they stood firm.
When God saved you, He left you on earth for two primary purposes: to proclaim Jesus as the rightful King, and to grow in sanctification. Sanctification means becoming more like God—conforming to the image of Jesus Christ.
Romans 6:19 (NASB)
I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in [further] lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.
Like the Berean Christians in Acts, they examined the Scriptures daily to align their living with God’s truth.
Acts 17:11 (NASB)
Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily [to see] whether these things were so.
Our cultural landscape in America has shifted dramatically regarding God’s Word. My dad graduated from high school in Plano, Texas, in 1959, and he was taught Genesis in a public school classroom! If an educator tried that today, they’d be fired in minutes. In our modern culture, people often treat the Bible like a bag of trail mix—picking out the M&Ms they like and tossing out the rest. But Scripture has never given us permission to handle it that way. Philadelphia didn’t compromise God’s Word to suit Roman tastes; they held to it completely.
Second, they did not deny His name. They boldly talked about Jesus. This wasn’t just a mission statement on their website or something left to church staff; the everyday believers talked about Christ in their workplaces, schools, and neighborhoods.
I was at a children’s banquet recently with four or five hundred people in attendance. A businessman from our church was invited to speak. He stood up in front of a mostly secular crowd and boldly said, “God has given me the opportunity to steward this company to effect change in this city because of Jesus Christ.” He utilized his platform not for personal glory, but to proclaim Jesus. That’s exactly what Philadelphia was doing in an antagonistic Roman culture.
Promises to the Overcomer
Because of their faithfulness, Jesus makes profound promises to them.
Revelation 3:9 (NASB)
’Behold, I will cause [those] of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie– I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and [make them] know that I have loved you.
Those who opposed and ostracized them will one day see the truth. Jesus promises, “I will make them know that I have loved you.” What an incredible picture of the divine Groom defending and honoring His bride!
Revelation 3:10 (NASB)
’Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that [hour] which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
Jesus promises to keep them from the coming hour of testing. In our theological understanding at The Well, we believe the next major event on God’s prophetic calendar is the rapture of the church, where believers are caught up before the wrath of the tribulation is unleashed on the earth.
Revelation 3:11 (NASB)
’I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown.
When Jesus says, “I am coming quickly,” He isn’t giving a calendar date; He is describing the suddenness of His arrival—like a thief in the night. In light of that, He commands them: “Hold fast!”
Do not let anyone take your crown. This isn’t about losing your salvation; crowns represent heavenly rewards for faithful stewardship. One day, every believer will stand before the judgment seat of Christ—the bema—to give an account for how we stewarded our gifts and opportunities.
2 Corinthians 5:10 (NASB)
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
It’s like the story of Eric Liddell in Chariots of Fire. He had a deep conviction not to run on Sundays because it was his Sabbath. When the Olympic 100-meter heats were scheduled on a Sunday, he withdrew, choosing his convictions over a gold medal. Instead, he ran the 400 meters—an event he wasn’t favored in. Right before the race, someone handed him a note quoting Scripture.
1 Samuel 2:30 (NASB)
’Therefore the LORD God of Israel declares, ‘I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father should walk before Me forever’; but now the LORD declares, ’Far be it from Me– for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me will be lightly esteemed.
Liddell ran and won the gold, living for an eternal reward rather than temporary applause. Jesus called Philadelphia to that exact same eternal perspective.
Revelation 3:12 (NASB)
’He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.
In a city plagued by earthquakes where buildings constantly collapsed, Jesus promises, “I will make you a permanent pillar in My temple.” In a city that changed its name three times out of political desperation, Jesus promises, “I will write on you My Father’s name, the name of the New Jerusalem, and My own new name.” Your identity will never be shaken again.
Revelation 3:13 (NASB)
‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
The Rest of the Story
My first car was a 1981 Ford F-150 that my dad bought used from a construction company. The seats were vinyl—we literally hosed out the interior when it got dirty. It had no cassette player, no FM radio—just an AM dial. I listened to Neil Sperry’s gardening show and Paul Harvey. And Paul Harvey was famous for telling “the rest of the story.”
Here is the rest of the story for the church in Philadelphia: they became a powerhouse missionary church, planting churches as far away as India. For over a thousand years, this congregation stood firm in faithfulness.
When Islam swept across Asia Minor in the centuries that followed, churches across the region collapsed and faded. But Philadelphia held on. It wasn’t until 1342, when Turkish Muslim forces finally conquered the city, that the church fell—and only because the believers were literally martyred for their faith. The only way their voice could be silenced was through death.
Today, Turkey—which was once the vibrant heartland of church planting under the apostle Paul—is over 99% Muslim. Evangelical Christians make up less than 0.01% of the population. In a nation of 76 million people, there are only about 7,300 believers. That decline happened because generations stopped keeping God’s Word and stopped proclaiming His name.
Church, may that never be said of us. My prayer is that decades and centuries from now, if The Well Community Church were ever removed, it would leave a massive, unmistakable void in the Central Valley because of our impact for Christ.
Let’s be this kind of church. Let’s keep His Word. Let’s refuse to deny His name. Let’s live for eternity.
I want to invite you to stand with me as we close. Think about the scene awaiting us in heaven, when we take whatever crowns we’ve received and lay them before the King.
Revelation 4:9-11 (NASB)
And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, ‘Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.’
One day, we will cast every reward at His feet because being in His presence is our greatest treasure.
Father, thank You for this text and for this church that ran the race so well for so long. May their example buoy our spirits and challenge our hearts. Make us a people who hold fast to Your Word, who unashamedly proclaim Your name, and who joyfully endure opposition for Your glory. Help us represent You well in Fresno. We love You, and we pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.