Church of Philadelphia: Word of Encouragement

  • Jake Chambers
  • Nov 15, 2009
  • Series: SDSU

Revelation 3:7-8

True and holy: Be encouraged that Christ is holy. He is the holy one. He is altogether separate and worthy of our praise. I encourage you to not worship anything else as holy but be reminded that Jesus is the holy one. Be encouraged that Christ is true. It is his words from scripture that are true, not the lies from persecutors, haters or fools that bring you despair. When Satan accuses you and throws lies at you, you do not need to believe them. We are encouraged to believe in the true one. Jesus is the true one and he speaks truth to us through his word. This is an encouragement to read scripture, to hear the truth from Jesus Christ, and be encouraged that we have access to his holy word and to him. God speaks to us. How encouraging this is!

Opens doors: Be encouraged that God is the one who opens doors, and the persecutors, haters, and unrepentant can not shut this door on you. There are opportunities in our life that are closed and it may seem that the enemy is closing these doors, but be encouraged that Jesus is the one who opens and closes doors. There is only one door, one gate to eternal life and Jesus is the one who opens that door. If you have given your life to Jesus and he has opened the door to eternal life and repentance to you, be encouraged that no one but Jesus Christ can shut this door on you. Jesus holds the keys to heaven. He is just and loving and there is no evil unrepentant sinner or demon who can open doors that he has shut. This is why we can be assured that there will not be evil in God’s eternal kingdom.

You have little power: Jesus Christ does not come to encourage those who do not need his power. It is not the strong and unrepentant who need Jesus, but the broken, weak, repentant sinners who know they have little power to please God on their own. In looking at Luke 15:1-7, it is encouraging to realize our deep need for repentance and to rejoice when others repent. Be glad and join the angels in heaven in rejoicing over repentance. This is why we do the hard work of encouraging each other to repent. Do not be discouraged by the labor and the ninety-nine unrepentant, but be greatly encouraged by the repentant. Do not get jealous of the repentant but be glad, filled with the Spirit, and watch even more be granted repentance. Repentance is contagious. Jesus encourages the repentant and we should rejoice when he grants repentance and partner with Christ as his bride encouraging repentant sinners.

These last few weeks have been hard sermons. The Lord Jesus Christ has called us to repentance, to war with idols, to depend on him alone and has given us fair warning of the consequences of unrepentance and the joy of repentance. For those of you who have been broken over your sin, have realized your weakness to battle your idols, and have turned to Jesus alone to save you, Jesus encourages you today. I weep for those who miss out on being encouraged by our Lord and Savior because they still see themselves as someone with much power. This word of encouragement is for those that have kept Jesus’ word and have not denied his name. We have been looking at churches that denied Christ and kept the words of the world, flesh, and demons. But this church in Philadelphia relies on Christ’s righteousness. They are weak, broken and repentant sinners who will not deny the name of Jesus. Jesus knows they have little power. Jesus Christ encourages the weak. The angels rejoice when the weak keep Christ’s words and do not deny him for something or someone else.

If you are weary from persecution, sick of your sin, and long to grow in your dependence on Jesus, then please sit back and be encouraged by the words that Jesus speaks to us today. What a remarkable opportunity and gift that we could encourage our Lord and Savior who encourages us by keeping his word and not denying Christ. When we deny truth, we deny the word; it is Jesus whom we truly are denying. But when we keep his word and embrace Jesus, he is encouraged. When you let other idols comfort and encourage you, you miss out on being encouraged by Jesus.

Patient endurance: The Lord Jesus Christ encourages us to have patient endurance. Each of us has temptations and sufferings and will have these through our lives. We will be discouraged, lied to, and tempted but Jesus encourages us to have patient endurance and his church is to encourage one another to have patient endurance.

Keep from the hour: God’s people are kept from the wrath of God. When we suffer it is God’s grace, but there is a suffering that is God’s wrath. But the repentant sinner is kept from that suffering. That is encouraging.

Coming soon: Jesus Christ is coming soon. Our lives on earth as Christians are as close to hell as we will ever be. Our Lord is coming soon and all will be restored, reconciled, and redeemed, and we will be with him for eternity. With eternity in mind, this life is but a vapor, and the time that Jesus’ Kingdom will be fully restored is coming soon. This is a great encouragement for us when we are going through trial or are feeling weak.

Hold fast to promises of God: The world promises to satisfy and bring us joy but these promises are empty. There are ups and downs in our world today. This life is a roller coaster but Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. His promises endure forever. We are to hold fast to the promises of the gospel. We can hold fast to the promises of the cross, and it is the cross that gives credence to these promises. Hold fast that God will make us a pillar. Hold fast to the promise of a new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from God for us. What are the promises that you hold fast to? That are so precious to you that you cling to them with all your might and when storms come you remember these promises and they comfort your soul? God is good, just, loving and righteous. He will redeem his creation and usher in His eternal Kingdom. Sin and death have been conquered and will be locked in the pit for eternity. The cross has made these promises possible. Be encouraged by the absolute complexity and power of the cross. Be encouraged by the truth of God’s word. Be encouraged by the promises of an open door into the New Jerusalem. Be encouraged by the pillar of God and that God himself is calling you to be a part of that pillar. Be encouraged that the spirit speaks to his church, that the Spirit of God would speak to this humble little church in College Area. Be encouraged that you have been rescued and saved from the wrath of a Holy God. Be encouraged that we get to do life together and get to be freed from our individualism, performance idol, greed, immorality and discouraging self. Be encouraged that Jesus will transform his people to his likeness. Be encouraged that our God is an encourager! Amen.

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