Trusting God to Open Doors
7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; 8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. 9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. 10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. 11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. 12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. 13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. - Revelation 3:7-13
In His letter to Philadelphia, Jesus introduces Himself as the One with the key of David, who opens and shuts doors. He alone determines our ministry opportunities. The believers in Philadelphia grasped this concept, utilising the opportunities presented by Him rather than relying on their own abilities.
Despite having little power, Philadelphia faithfully kept Jesus' Word and did not deny His name, even when pressured. With commendation, Jesus assures them He has placed an open door before them that no one can shut. They recognised that fruitfulness flows from abiding in Christ, not from self-effort, and with that knowledge, they were fulfilling their purpose as a church.
Jesus' praise of Philadelphia starkly contrasts the other churches that tolerated sin or grew spiritually lax. Believers in Philadelphia followed the Acts 1:8 model, receiving power from the Holy Spirit, leading to effective evangelistic ministry. When the Lord commented that they had little strength, it was meant as a commendation, not an insult. They knew they couldn't build and maintain a church in their own power; thus, they trusted in the divine strength of the Lord.
Consequently, Jesus promises to vindicate them before their oppressors. At His coming, every knee will bow, and enemies will acknowledge God's love for the faithful. Until then, Philadelphia can expect protection from testing they cannot bear as they walk through the open door.
This encouraging letter beckons us to emulate Philadelphia's faithful reliance on the Spirit's power to spread the gospel through open doors. We do not need to be mighty, only yielded. We don't need all the answers, only to trust the One who does. Christ holds the keys! When we surrender control to Him, He enables fruitfulness beyond our capabilities.
Rather than trying to force open doors in our timing and strength, let's humbly obey where God currently has us planted. As we remain faithful with little, He will entrust us with more. Our role is to walk through the doors He unlocks, not batter them down ourselves.
Listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. May we deny our tendency toward self-reliance and rest in Christ's all-sufficiency. As we cling to Him, He will bear much fruit through these little hands.