Philip and the Ethiopian - Acts 8:26-40

  

My family and I have been reading through Acts.  We just made it to 8:26-40 and the familiar story of the Ethiopian eunuch.  In my experience growing up in church, I typically heard this passage preached in regards to the need to be able to share the Gospel at any time with anyone, even if there is a racial barrier.  Given our country’s racial history, this is an important lesson—Jesus is not just for my race, but for all races—people from every nation, tribe and tongue will be before the throne of the King.

We should not limit Gospel opportunities to people of our own race.  Nor should we limit Gospel opportunities just to people we know or are comfortable with.  God led Philip to a total stranger.  He listened and observed and when the door opened, he stepped through it, trusting God to guide his words.  The words the Eunuch was reading, Isaiah 53, is one of the most prophetic and messianic passages in the Old Testament but Philip still had to have the knowledge and courage to start with those Scriptures and lead someone to Christ.

But something else struck us in reading this passage.  When the Eunuch asks, “Why shouldn’t I be baptized?”, he and Philip were not talking about race or a racial barrier.  They were talking about the man being a eunuch.

Ethiopia had a significant Jewish population from the days of the Exile, highlighted particularly by the flight of Jews who took Jeremiah with them into Africa.  To this day there is a significant Jewish population in that area and they maintain an entrenched tradition regarding the Ark of the Covenant replete with many replicas.

It’s likely that this man was either born a Jew or was a convert to Judaism.  He had made a long pilgrimage to Jerusalem to worship.  But when he got there, the doors would have been closed to him.  He would not have had access to the Temple because of the injury done to him in making him a eunuch.

Deuteronomy 23:1 is a graphic verse which prohibits anyone with his type of condition from entering in the Assembly of the people.  He was cut off physically, and that cut him off spiritually.  He was not allowed to worship in Jerusalem, not allowed to offer sacrifices, not allowed to enter into the courts of the Temple.  He was excluded from full participation and citizenship in the Assembly of the people.

Imagine his disappointment after traveling all that way. 

This is worse than a rain out at a baseball game.  Worse than coming home to the house burned down.  Worse than your honeymoon flight to Hawaii being cancelled.  Worse than making a trip to the Statue of Liberty only to have it closed for repairs.

He was denied access to God.  It wasn’t that it was closed, or rained out or shut down for maintenance.  He was stopped at the door while everyone else was walking right in and worshiping.

It wasn’t his race that stopped him; it was the fact that he was a eunuch. 

What happened to this man was probably forced upon him and yet he was denied access to God.   

This was not a moral issue, this was an injury.  

 Sadly, to the Temple establishment, it didn’t matter how far he had come to worship.

He was on his way home: disappointed, confused, frustrated. 

He was wealthy enough to have brought or bought a copy of Isaiah, but it’s unlikely anyone would have helped him, anyone would have answered his questions

And then along came Philip. 

Philip had been in Samaria—a city maybe 30 miles north of Jerusalem.  God told Philip to get on the road that goes south from Jerusalem.  So he knew that God had something for him to do on this trip.  The amazing thing is that God would have told Philip to start his journey a couple of days before the Ethiopian was even ready to leave Jerusalem—there’s no mention of miraculous transportation like happened later. 

Philip would have made this trip looking for God’s opportunity.  Then he heard the voice of God saying to go near this wealthy man’s chariot.

Reading into it a little bit, the text mentions the man’s wealth.  But so far, Acts reminds people that the believers were willing to give away everything.  So I’m guessing that Philip did not have clothes to match the status of this man.  And he came running up to the chariot which likely had a number of servants and animals in a traveling group, for a wealthy man would not travel alone and he couldn’t be reading the scroll and driving the chariot at the same time.  Not to mention that the whole scroll of Isaiah was likely a very expensive item.

Here’s an example of what the scroll looks like and a museum housing a whole copy.  

The first picture below may give you a sense of what it could look like.  The second is an actual picture of the Isaiah scroll from the Dead Sea Scrolls.  It is about 24 feet long.

Now what do you think their first thought would be to Philip running up to them?

·         Was he a beggar, asking for food or money?

·         Was he the first wave of robbers that they have to defend against?  A distraction?

·         Was he going to treat their master with contempt if the stranger finds out he is a eunuch?

·         In other words, is this guy going to be a problem?

And yet God sent Philip, not to beg but to be a blessing.  The physically poor was going to give to the wealthy.

This tells me something about the heart of God.  The Ethiopian may have left Jerusalem disappointed, and cut of from God, but God wanted to make sure they “met together”.  God wanted to restore this man and men like him—to once again tear down the wall, the veil that kept people separate from him.

Philip obeyed and ran to the chariot—he was allowed to approach or at least get within earshot.   

Maybe the Eunuch wondered how long it would take before the stranger asked for a handout.   

Instead, Philip did the unexpected because God had prepared the opportunity.

He could hear the Ethiopian reading from Isaiah.  And not just any part of Isaiah… chapter 53.  I have my own experience with this chapter.  It is a powerful and prophetic chapter on the suffering & sacrifice of the Messiah.

Instead of asking for something, Philip offered something.  Instead of taking or receiving, Philip gave and blessed.  Philip may have been poor materially, but he was wealthy spiritually.  He was exemplifying Peter’s words to a paralyzed man—“I don’t have any silver or gold, but what I do have, I give to you…”

Philip had the Truth.  Philip had faith in the Messiah.  Philip had the Holy Spirit empowering him.   

And he faithfully gave.

“Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.

“How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?”

I hope that each one of us, if presented with an opportunity like this, we would not hesitate to speak.  I love what comes next in describing Philips actions—vs. 35—“Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.”

Philip was invited closer, to sit and speak with this man.  Philip followed the leading of the Spirit, showed an interest in him, spoke up when the door of opportunity opened, and started right where the man was and pointed him to Christ.

This with a man who was likely very disillusioned.  Somehow, in the course of their conversation, the man was asked, “Look, here is water.  Why shouldn’t I be baptized?”

This is the man asking about the fine print.  He’s asking if there’s any catch to this Jesus.  He’s asking if there’s something about him or his body that prevents him from fully participating in the Way of being a disciple of Jesus.

If you’ve ever wondered what it was about Philip’s conversation that moved this man to want to go from Judaism to Jesus, this question of the Eunuch’s is the answer.

The answer was No.  There was nothing that hinders him from full participation in the faith.  Philip showed him from Scripture that the Messiah makes a man such as him whole and includes him in the Temple.  The ministry and promise of the Messiah includes him and does not denigrate him.

·         Isaiah 56:3-8--Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say,
“The LORD will surely separate me from His people.”
Nor let the eunuch say, “Behold, I am a dry tree.”
4For thus says the LORD,
“To the eunuchs who keep My sabbaths,
And choose what pleases Me,
And hold fast My covenant,
5To them I will give in My house and within My walls a memorial,
And a name better than that of sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name which will not be cut off.
6“Also the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD,
To minister to Him, and to love the name of the LORD,
To be His servants, every one who keeps from profaning the Sabbath
And holds fast My covenant;
7Even those I will bring to My holy mountain
And make them joyful in My house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar;
For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.”
8The Lord GOD, who gathers the dispersed of Israel, declares,
“Yet others I will gather to them, to those already gathered.”

Just a couple of chapters from the verse they started with is the answer and hope to the eunuch’s 

frustration and exclusion.

• God through Messiah will escort men like him into the Temple—God’s own house
• God through Messiah will give men like him a Memorial - history with the people
• God through Messiah will give men like him, a family name and essentially adopt him as an heir that cannot be removed.
• God through Messiah will give men like him, a foreigner a role of purpose and significance
• God through Messiah will accept his offerings and sacrifices
• God through Messiah will hear his prayer

This is exactly what the Eunuch was hoping for in the first place and he jumps at the opportunity to be included in what Jesus is doing.  He is excited, he is included, he is wanted.

Jesus will take this man, formerly excluded, and draw him near and make him a citizen.  As foreigners and eunuchs were treated much the same—what Philip explains to him mirrors Ephesians 2:11-13—

“Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called ‘uncircumcised’ by those who call themselves ‘the circumcision’ (that done in the body by the hands of men)—remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.  But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.”

Vs. 18 says that “For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.”

Ephesians 3:12—“In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.”

Hebrews 4:16—“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

“Is there some reason why I can’t be baptized?”  Is there anything excluding me?  Is there any fine print I need to know about so I don’t waste my time again?

No there is no reason.  Nothing is stopping you from coming to Jesus.  You can approach the throne of Grace with confidence because you are accepted on the basis of the Blood of Christ.

The only thing stopping this man at this point was not believing the message.  I suspect he was concerned that this was too good to be true.  The same thing that stops any man or woman is our own unwillingness. 

Unwillingness to turn from your sin and turn to Jesus—this is called repentance.  It requires agreeing with God that what He calls sin is your sin—not excusing it, not trying to get off on a technicality, not saying the Bible is wrong or outdated. 

I’m not saying you instantly become perfect or no longer struggle with sin, but you are agreeing that there is something wrong, that something does need to change.  No matter what that sin is, Jesus will welcome you close and promise to cover your sin with His blood shed on the Cross.  He will say, “Go and sin no more” then empower you to overcome the temptation.

Everyone meets and comes to Jesus this way.  The first thing He will deal with is admitting our need for Him and His forgiveness.  That means agreeing with Him and His judgment on your sin—then moving forward in a new life with Him.

We are all born with a sin problem.  It may manifest as a different struggle for you than for me but both of us must start our walk with Christ with the repentant heart—I’m wrong, my sin is wrong—help me overcome my sin by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Over time, your understanding of what sin is will grow and change as you spend time worshipping God through the reading and hearing from the Word of God.  By that I mean, you’ll come to learn that some things you never thought of, some things that you excused, that other people or your culture said was OK, really are not compatible with a walk with Jesus.  Don’t ignore this voice.

This Eunuch was seeing the barrier that excluded him come crashing down in the love of Christ. 

As a result, he stopped everything. 

He stopped his chariot and everyone traveling with him.  He didn’t waste any time committing himself to this new access to God in which even he was acceptable.  His baptism was his crossing over from death to life, accepting the proposal from the bridegroom and identifying himself with the family of God.

That was the greatest miracle this day.  A new creation took place in front of everyone.  A man’s eternal destiny was changed.  It is my conviction that this is a greater miracle than the miraculous disappearance of Philip.

I believe the Eunuch would agree.  My evidence?  The man went away rejoicing, not because Philip disappeared but because he found new life in Christ.  In this moment, his life, and possibly the life of his home nation, was forever changed as he carried home this new hope of access to God.

Movie Review - The Adjustment Bureau

I believe that many movies function as modern day parables.  In most instances, writers and directors make movies for a reason that is beyond just making money—they have a story to tell and often a point or lesson to make.  Many of them touch on spiritual themes and issues.  Many have things to say about God.

Some examples (and I’m sure you could think of more):

·         Signs by M. Night Shamaylan – one of my favorite movies.  The story uses aliens and crop circles, but the main message is spiritual—how do you interpret events in life?  Is everything a chance coincidence or are things happening by some kind of design?

·         Truman Show with Jim Carrey conveys the life of a boy whose life is always on camera.  This story takes a low view of God as the show director, plotting and manipulating Truman’s life for everyone’s entertainment.  Truman is only free when he leaves the confines of the Director’s plan.

·         The Matrix – has many messianic themes and spiritual moments

·         The Superman mythology is full of messianic themes and the movies practically quote the Bible at times in reference to the Father Jor-El (El being Hebrew for God) sending his only son to earth.

·         Bruce Almighty—is an entertaining movie where Bruce (also Jim Carrey) thinks he can do a better job running things than God.  He learns quickly just how difficult that is, even on something as simple as prayer.

·         Pleasantville—is one of the most devious but effective movies.  This movie retells the story of Genesis 3, aka the Fall, using a 1950’s TV show and the transition from black/white to color.  It claims that the Fall was a good thing and that God (Don Knott’s TV Repairman) was intending that outcome all along.

I know there are more but I want to add another movie that my wife and I watched last night: 

The Adjustment Bureau.  Here is the movie’s description on the IMDB website:

Do we control our destiny, or do unseen forces manipulate us? A man glimpses the future Fate has planned for him and realizes he wants something else. To get it, he must pursue across, under and through the streets of modern-day New York the only woman he's ever loved. On the brink of winning a seat in the U.S. Senate, ambitious politician David Norris (Damon) meets beautiful contemporary ballet dancer Elise Sellas (Emily Blunt) - a woman like none he's ever known. But just as he realizes he's falling for her, mysterious men conspire to keep the two apart. David learns he is up against the agents of Fate itself - the men of The Adjustment Bureau - who will do everything in their considerable power to prevent David and Elise from being together. In the face of overwhelming odds, he must either let her go and accept a predetermined path...or risk everything to defy Fate and be with her.

I had a feeling from the movie’s description that it would have something to do with the idea of Freewill and the Sovereignty of God.  I was not disappointed by this, but I was rather surprised at the hostility inherent in the story toward a “Chairman” who tries to control and manipulate the human population.  People are allowed to make small or insignificant decisions but they are not really allowed to deviate from “The Plan” which is carried around in a book-like form by agents.  These agents live a long time and have been referred to as angels in the past.

If someone needs a push or nudge in a certain direction, these agents will arrange for it.  Seemingly random meetings can inspire someone, a spilled cup of coffee can be used to delay someone from crossing paths with somebody else. 

If someone is going in the wrong direction the agents have the authority to change how the person thinks through direct mental intervention; they have the authority to interfere and sabotage any attempt to deviate from The Plan even to the point of injuring or hurting others.  

At one point, a higher ranking agent explained that their efforts took humanity from hunter gatherers to the heights of the Roman Empire.  At which point they considered humans evolved enough to step back and let us do things on their own.  This was, in their opinion, a disaster.  After the Dark Ages (a very Eurocentric perspective is presented) they stepped back in to enlighten our path, giving us reason as a guide.  They stepped out of the picture again in 1910 and we immediately destroyed things with WWI & WWII.

This caused the Chairman & agents to intervene again.

Basically, this storyline attempts to play out biblical concepts and verses regarding God’s Sovereignty and His involvement in human events.  Consider verses like:

Jeremiah 29:1--“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

And

Romans 8:28—“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

The truth is, God does have a plan—history is moving in a certain direction and end that He determines.  It is His story more than it is our story.

But the plot of this movie, originally a short story by Phillip K. Dick of Blade Runner fame, does not believe God’s motives and efforts are trustworthy, nor do they have our best interest at heart.

This Chairman is cold and calculating.  He is manipulative and is far removed from the actual lives that are impacted by his plan—which is why you never actually meet the Chairman—the human characters have no chance of ever getting close to him to have any kind of relationship with him.  He is far removed from daily life, much more like the version of God found in Deism.

This Chairman doesn’t really care about you, but rather the world improving in general as things fit into the plan.

This is the heart of the deception that the serpent uses in Genesis 3.  He causes Adam and Eve to doubt God’s word and His motives: 

God is holding out on you by denying you the fruit.  God is holding you back from being like Him.  He knows good and evil and He’s greater than you.  He probably ate the fruit which is how He got so powerful.  He just doesn’t want any rivals.  He doesn’t really care about you, doesn’t really have your best interest at heart, which is why He is denying you something good and desirable.

Don’t listen to Him.  Take control of your life.  Don’t be a mindless slave.  Find out what you’re missing.  Step out of those restrictive rules and chart your own path.  Live your own life.  Make your own plan.

This is the heart of the movie and how the movie ends.  The main characters rewrite the Plan based on their determination to make their own choices.  The Plan is, in essence, subject to change and revision.  Even the agents can undermine the plan when they don’t agree with it.

The creative source behind The Adjustment Bureau as a movie, clearly resents a Sovereign God; resents an overarching plan that is bigger than you or me.   

The plan is something to be rejected.  The influence of the Chairman is to be resisted, thwarted and cast off.

But even the movie points out that when the Agents back off and the humans make their own choices, all hell breaks loose.  Apparently, that’s what the author of the original short story is interested in.  Phillip K. Dick – describes part of his philosophy like this: 

"However, I will reveal a secret to you: I like to build universes that *do* fall apart. I like to see them come unglued, and I like to see how the characters in the novels cope with this problem. I have a secret love of chaos. There should be more of it. Do not believe--and I am dead serious when I say this-- do not assume that order and stability are always good, in a society or in a universe. The old, the ossified, must always give way to new life and the birth of new things."

Last time I checked, chaos is rarely good for the lives, happiness and fulfillment of individual people.  Chaos usually results in pain, suffering and moves backward rather than forward.

That is the heart of what Satan hopes to do.  Satan wants to undo everything God created that was good.  He targets everything God loves and desires destroy it.  He desires everything to spiral into chaos so he can replace it with his own order.

God in the Adjustment Bureau is the bad guy trying to squash our freedom.  His plans for us takes away the idea self-determination.  In order for us to be fulfilled in this life we must free ourselves from God’s restraints.

While the movie was engaging, what it attempts to teach about God is destructive.  It reveals the thoughts and attitudes many people have toward faith in God and why they resist it.  God is stifling.  God doesn’t really care about me.  I don’t want to be His puppet. 

It also reveals what they must think about those who believe and trust God and His plan.  I readily acknowledge that God has a plan and is moving this universe to His desired goal.  I readily acknowledge that I am not the most important part of the story and it doesn’t revolve around me or even my happiness.  I regularly teach that God is less interested in my happiness than He is my faith. 

1 Peter 1:6b-7—“though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

Faith is His goal in us. And not just a blind faith, but a vibrant, growing and passionate faith that is able to overcome great obstacles through His strength.  The faith He desires is a trusting experience of Him.  We know Him because we have walked with Him, heard His voice and fought with Him through the Valley of the Shadow of Death.

The amazing thing about it is that He wants to involve me at all.  He gives me the Privilege of participating in what He is doing.  In fact my participation is important and has eternal impact.  God is telling a great story and He invites us to be a part of it.  He is not distant or far away, but in an on-going relationship with His creation.

A great introduction to this concept is a short book called Epic by John Eldredge.

Adjustment Bureau reveals the skeptic’s fear and concern of a Sovereign God and the desire to get out from under that control.  It attacks the idea that Christians can believe in Freedom working in harmony with Sovereignty.  It’s actually an ongoing discussion within the Christian community regarding issues around Calvinism; Predestination v. Freewill.

So it’s OK to be having these discussions but let’s do so from a position of faith rather than doubt.  In a position of wanting to know Him more, not push Him away.  Also keep in mind that this movie is teaching a mindset and philosophy that will harden people to the truth of what God is doing.

So it is important that we watch these movies with a discerning eye.  It is also helpful to be able to engage their ideas and philosophies, otherwise, the lessons the authors or directors intend will be the only perspective people ever hear, learn and incorporate into their worldview.

We as believers in Jesus can be a part of adjusting the eternal destiny of those who are trapped in darkness when we participate in sharing the truth of the Good News.  We in the church must engage what our culture is trying to say about God because these movies are powerful and influential.  Paul warned us to not be taken captive.

Colossians 2:8—“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.”

May we be given the wisdom and discernment to see through what the world hopes will blind us.

When God Tore His Robe?

Why do people tear their robes in the Bible?

In the Jewish world, when a man hears blasphemy, he is supposed to tear his robes. You see this in the actions of the high priest during the trial of Jesus who believed He was hearing blasphemy from Jesus when He spoke of returning in power.

But that’s not the only reason a Jewish man would tear his robes. In Job, when he heard the barrage of news of his children’s deaths, Job tore his robes in grief. Typically, at least as I imagine it and have seen it depicted, the man would grab the top of his robe, the collar area, where his head sticks through, and pull, thus tearing the fabric and breaking the pattern of woven cloth. Eventually, the whole thing would fall apart, the tear would worsen.

When a man tore his robe it was to demonstrate or protest or convey the magnitude and impact of what has just happened before them. It was symbolic—his life would never be the same because he could never wear that particular clothing again—it would be forever ruined, a testimony to that moment, and was then useless for its intended design.

Now, I’m playing with an idea that I haven’t even quite worked out with. It’s the idea that there is a moment when figuratively speaking, God tore His robes. And it’s a new take on a passage that is very familiar with us and may be very ingrained into our thinking.

That moment is the tearing of the veil from top to bottom at the moment of Jesus’ death. I understand the traditional way of looking at this passage and I love it. I even wrote a song about it. The idea that through the death of Christ a way was made into the Holy of Holies—the veil that separates us from God is removed from top to bottom, by His hand. Our sin is atoned for and so we are granted access to the Almighty, most Holy God of the Universe.

What I’m proposing here shouldn’t take away from that understanding at all. It’s just adding a different angle to it. Figuratively speaking—the veil in the temple was a covering, a barrier protecting the holiness of God’s presence, preventing eyes from seeing what was not meant to be seen.

The veil was torn from top to bottom, as if, the hands of God had grabbed the top and pulled—ripping the fabric to the bottom. It was now useless for that purpose. The veil could never be used again.

What would God have seen in that moment that would have caused Him to “tear His robe”? A great tragedy and loss—the death of His One and Only Son. Even though it was the Father’s will to crush Him, even though it was pleasing to lay the sins of the world upon Jesus because it purchased our redemption—it was still a great and painful moment. The weight of sin, the forsakenness of Jesus, the wrath of God poured out on One who is Innocent and undeserving. Upon hearing the death of His Son, God tore His robe—the veil was torn from top to bottom never to be used again.

Thoughts?

Sermon--Revelation 3:7-13-- Philiadelphia-- Access Granted

The ending gets a little ragged b/c it represents ideas that came up on Saturday night. So I hope it makes sense.

When visitors go to the White House, they cannot just wander around, they cannot go wherever they want to--they have to stay with the tour, there is limited access to the overall building—ZERO access to the President himself. But when you go into the Kingdom of God through Jesus Christ, you are given a VIP Access Pass—no one can stop you, no one can deny you entry, no one can prevent you from going straight in to the Holy Presence of God—you don’t have to make an appointment—you don’t have to sit down and wait at the receptionists’ desk. The Door is Open to You!

This Letter is about Promised Access

Here we come to a church that had much to be commended for even in the midst of disinformation and hardship. READ vs. 7-13

Philadelphia was a city strategically located on the road from Rome to the east, and was a strong fortress city. It was a city of major influence in the area and was located on the edge of a great volcanic plain which was fertile as a result and perfect for growing grapes. It was the centre of worship of the greek god Dionysius, the god of wine – no surprise really. It’s proximity to active volcanoes was a constant threat and the people in the most part lived outside of the city due to the threat from falling buildings within the city walls.

The church in this city had little strength—not great in numbers—but they had a great faith—a faith that was continuing to overcome hardship and difficulty. And in this Church

Jesus Walks Among Us In Righteousness & Authority

Jesus is holy & true—He is sinless, set apart from you and me—He is the Truth—and as He walks among us, He will not lie—about His love for us, about what He sees in our lives that are right, about what He sees in our life that is wrong—He is Holy—He is True—

Holds the Key of David—a very Jewish reference—it comes from Isaiah 22:20—The Key of David—is the Authority of the Messiah—the Promised King of the Line of David who will Restore the Kingdom of God—bring about the Promises of the Covenant.

Jesus is the one who has the authority in the Kingdom of God. Since He has the key—there is no blessing that is unavailable, no riches that are off limits to Him—only those who call upon Him will He allow to truly enjoy the benefits of the Kingdom. No one can just waltz in and go wherever they want—they must be given and granted access to the Covenant of God through the One who Holds the Master Key. Jesus is the One who holds, the one who Wields that Authority.

He has the authority to open and close all access. He is the Way, the Truth & the Life—no one comes to the Father except through Him. The Terms of the Covenant—the Terms of Relationship with the Father are set and determined by Jesus and His Death & Resurrection.

Jesus walks among us and He is not a “Yes Man”

Many companies, many colleges will hire an Outside consultant every few years to give a fresh evaluation of the company’s effectiveness. Sometimes, the findings are not welcome—as a result those that hired the consultants question their motives, question their qualifications—the more the outside consultant challenges or questions what you do or how you do it—what they’ve actually been called in to consult on—the LESS likely they are to be well received. In many cases, consultants are brought in with the expectation of “confirmation”—no you really are doing a good job—most things are fine—all the problems are minor.

We need to remember in our walk as the Church, that Jesus is not a consultant that we bring in every so often for an outside opinion. He is not a hireling, He does not wait to be invited in

He is the Owner & Founder, He is the CEO that takes a daily/weekly walkthrough to Inspect the Effectiveness of One of His Branch Offices/Departments/Productions

His assessment is Valid. His assessment in Unbiased. His assessment is Authoritative

What He opens cannot be shut—what He shuts cannot be opened. There is no one to appeal to; no one to overrule Him, not even a majority vote—His decisions are Final.

He has the Key, the authority of David as the Messiah. The One with this Authority is also the One who invites us to pray-- LK 11:9 "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Jesus Walks Among us and Knows Some Want to Close Doors—vs. 9

The Jewish Community wanted to

Close the Door to the Synagogue for any Jew who Believed Jesus Was the Messiah

Close the Door to the Covenant and Blessing of God because anyone who Believed in Jesus ceased being a Jew

Close the Door to the Love of God for anyone who received baptism in Jesus’ Name

Close the Door to Family & Friendships for their betrayal

Close the Door to a Relationship with God for any Gentile—that did not have the lineage of Abraham.

Just by accepting Jesus—a believer would suffer hardship and loss and only if they renounced their belief in Jesus would those doors be opened to them again.—they taught that God would shut them out, that God didn’t love them, that they were under the same curse that Jesus experienced. They had ceased being Jews anymore by claiming this false Messiah and for accepting Gentiles into the faith.

They claim to be Jews—with a true zeal for God--but in God’s Assessment, Faith in Jesus is the Determining Factor of someone being a Member of the Chosen People of God—Faith in Jesus makes you a part of the TRUE Covenant Community—not based on Lineage, Ethnicity or anything other than FAITH--Trusting Jesus brings you Under the Blessing of God and

Paul had to address this confusion Romans 2:28-29 --A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29 No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God.

Romans 9:6-8-- For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. 7 Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham's children. On the contrary, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." 8 In other words, it is not the natural children who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring.

Some of you may be seeing some doors closed to you b/c of your faith in Christ. Some of you may have felt the sting of having doors closed, relationships ended, friendships denied or maligned. Be assured that Jesus knows all about it and He is encouraging you to stand with your faith.

In today’s world there are attempts to

Close Doors to Biblical Truth—the Bible is so old and outdated, you can’t possibly believe it anymore

Close the Doors of the Church—not to keep them out, but to keep us in and without influence--just keep your faith inside these walls and don’t bring it out—then we’ll accept you, then we’ll like you and let you

Close Doors to The Exclusivity of Jesus—it’s so arrogant of you to believe that Jesus is the only way to heaven—what about all the other beliefs out there—they are just as valid.

Close Doors to Evangelism—don’t try to tell me my beliefs are wrong

Close Doors to Public Expression of Faith—the mistaken notion that the First Amendment to the Constitution says the Gov’t has the responsibility to provide “freedom From religion” not “freedom of religion”

Close Doors to Friendship—your desire to live differently may cost you friends who want to live it up and don’t want to be reminded that there’s another way to live.

Close Doors to Business Partnerships or Jobs—such opportunities are a very real occurrence-openly in countries where Christianity is a minority, but even subtly here in America—where you’re expected to “tow the line”, be willing to fudge a little bit.

Many will try to close doors to you as a believer in Jesus Christ. But there is Promise-

Jesus Walks Among us and Holds the Door Open—vs. 8

They are commended for

Keeping His Word—meaning they were obeying and growing in their walk with Christ—they believed and tried to live out their faith and the teachings of Jesus

Not Denying His Name—even though there was great temptation and pressure to just stop talking about Jesus, to stop making decisions with your faith in mind, to just do things that the rest of the world is doing because it’s not a big deal anyway—when we compromise our faith, we are denying His name

Even with Limited Strength—

Keeping His Word and the Pressure to Deny our Faith are tiring—it wears you down. And yet Jesus commends these believers in Philadelphia. He does not focus on the nuts and bolts, the details of every little thing they do, He speaks generally of their deeds, but it is their heart, their obedience, their endurance which truly draws His attention. It’s not so much what they are doing as the faithfulness behind the deeds. They are Keeping True to the Teachings and Faith of Christ. They are Keeping True to Christ and not mixing their Christianity with other faiths, not being a Christian and a Pagan, a Christian and a Bhuddist, not a Christian and a Capitalism, Communist Christian—they were remaining true and faithful to Him.

They had little strength—few numbers, not a great amount of influence—but they were faithful in what they had been given.

And so there is an Open Door before them—a Door of Access.

Door of Salvation--door mentioned in scripture is the door of salvation For instance, in John 10:9, Jesus said: (John 10:9) 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.

Door Into the Presence of God-- HEB 10:19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

Door to the Gentiles—Acts 14:27-- On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles”—There is a desire to Throw open the gates and let anyone who is willing to come in—not limited to a select few, not limited to a particular race or ethnic group—but open to anyone who believes.

There’s a another type of door mentioned in scripture that is still about accoess

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”. This is a Door where God allows us to be at Work in His Kingdom—He’s Hiring—There are Job Openings to be had—access and employment in the Kingdom. God gives wonderful opportunities to Serve and Glorify Him—opportunities to share the gospel, opportunities of prepared hearts and lives to receive the VIP Access Granted through Jesus Christ.

Throughout history, people have found that God has a unique way of providing opportunities for fruitful service, and hearts ready to accept the gospel.

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He has placed an open door—one that cannot be shut--For What?

For them to come in Before the King—no one can deny them entry—no one can block their way, no one can say—“No Philadelphian Christians Allowed”

No matter what anyone else tried to say—that they were Locked Out, Cut Off, Denied—Jesus is Saying ---NO-the Way is Open for You

The Great Promise is that Jesus Walks Among us With Reward—9b-13

The promise is that they will fall down by the “making” of Christ—they will then learn and know that He has truly loved them—where the Love of God for Christians was called into doubt, He will receive you and love you and shower His blessings upon you.

There will be a Great Reversal—the believers in Philadelphia may not be strong now, there may not be very many—but they will be glorified at the Coming of Jesus.

They have Kept the Command to Endure—to hold on to what they have and so Keep the Crown of Righteous Victory that is promised.

Jesus Walks Among Us With Instructions

Hold On to What You Have—Forgiveness & Salvation in Jesus Christ, A New Hope & Future, a Community of Believers—With Total and Complete VIP Access to God and His Blessing--Hold On to it-don’t Go Back, don’t Quit, no matter the opposition, no matter the closed doors.

He will make you into a Pillar in the Temple—you are not the foundation, but upon the foundation that has already been laid. In most cases, the foundation is not a highlight—we don’t typically see the foundation. But a pillar is supposed to open up the structure—it’s supposed to make it open and visible so the beauty put into the structure can be seen.—open for worship

Pillars let you build a large open space. Allows you to build higher

But there’s even more here. Most scholars believe Revelation was written in the 90’s AD—meaning that it is about 20 years after the Temple in Jerusalem had been Destroyed—so the idea of the Temple standing is a powerful promise—but they would all have heard just how the pillars of the Temple could be removed. And it wasn’t the first time.

1 Kings 7:15, 21—“ 1KI 7:15 He cast two bronze pillars, each eighteen cubits high and twelve cubits around, by line. 16 He also made two capitals of cast bronze to set on the tops of the pillars; each capital was five cubits high.-- 21 He erected the pillars at the portico of the temple. The pillar to the south he named Jakin and the one to the north Boaz.

2 Chronicles 3:17 – He erected the pillars in the front of the temple, one to the south and one to the north. The one to the south he named Jakin and the one to the north Boaz.

Jakin means—He Establishes

Boaz—means “In Him is Strength—but it was also the name of the Kinsman Redeemer from the book of Ruth

2 Kings 25:13-- The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars, the movable stands and the bronze Sea that were at the temple of the LORD and they carried the bronze to Babylon.

25:18-- The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers.” There were supposed to be 4 who controlled access to the Temple

Jeremiah 52—destruction of the Pillars

They had read about the Temple being destroyed and the Pillars carried off. They may very well had been lamenting the loss of Herod’s Temple—so the idea of a permanent place—permanent access to God was uncertain. But that is what Jesus promises they will be.

2 Corinthians 6:16— For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."

In describing the New Jerusalem—and the New Temple—Revelation later says:

Revelation 21:22-- I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.

21:25-- On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there.”

There will never be a time when Access to God will be closed off.

God’s Name will be written on our Heart—His Name name will be permanent—our citizenship, our membership is secure and irrevocable-

Jesus’ New Name will be written on us.

And we will never Leave the Temple—Never Leaving the Presence of God—is the hope and dream of this community—that there is no greater or better existence—no better way to spend the day than in the Presence of God surrounded by those who Praise Him. That is what Heaven will be like.

And how many of you are just counting the minutes until we get out of this building?

He is standing before us—walking among us—there are some doors that He has shut for us—but there are other doors that He is holding open—Doors of Opportunity that are before us that He wants us to walk through.