1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,080 Welcome to Ocean Water. 2 00:00:01,080 --> 00:00:03,600 Thanks for watching or listening today. 3 00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:05,680 If you're new to this, would you do me a favor 4 00:00:05,680 --> 00:00:09,600 and just like and subscribe to this channel 5 00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:12,320 and do me a favor and share it with a friend. 6 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:15,800 Today marks the 264th teaching that I've done 7 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:19,460 through scripture, all for free because my life verse 8 00:00:19,460 --> 00:00:22,120 is 1 Corinthians 9, 18. 9 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:24,160 Paul writes, what then is my reward, 10 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:27,080 just this, that in preaching the gospel, 11 00:00:27,080 --> 00:00:29,600 I may offer it free of charge. 12 00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:33,560 I hope my teachings are a blessing to you in your life. 13 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:38,120 Now today, we're gonna be in Revelation chapter 3, 14 00:00:39,060 --> 00:00:41,100 verses 7 through 13. 15 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:44,600 And it reads like this. 16 00:00:46,220 --> 00:00:49,860 Write to the angel of the church in Philadelphia. 17 00:00:49,860 --> 00:00:52,600 This is a letter to the church of Philadelphia. 18 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:55,980 The Holy One says, the true one, 19 00:00:55,980 --> 00:00:59,920 the one who has the key of David, who opens 20 00:00:59,920 --> 00:01:04,360 and no one will close and who closes and no one will open. 21 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:05,800 I know your works. 22 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:09,080 Look, I have placed before you an open door 23 00:01:09,080 --> 00:01:13,840 that no one can close because you have little power. 24 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:18,840 Yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 25 00:01:18,940 --> 00:01:23,820 Note this, I will make those from the synagogue of Satan 26 00:01:23,820 --> 00:01:28,820 who claim to be Jews and are not, but are lying. 27 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:32,880 I will make them come and bow down at your feet 28 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:35,640 and they will know that I have loved you. 29 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:41,440 Because you have kept my command to endure, 30 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:45,580 I will also keep you from the hour of testing 31 00:01:45,580 --> 00:01:49,320 that is gonna come on the whole world 32 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:51,980 to test those who live on the earth. 33 00:01:51,980 --> 00:01:56,080 I'm coming soon, hold on to what you have 34 00:01:56,080 --> 00:02:00,260 and see that no one takes your crown. 35 00:02:00,260 --> 00:02:04,320 The one who conquers, I will make a pillar 36 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:09,320 in the temple of my God and he will never go out again. 37 00:02:10,140 --> 00:02:13,840 I will write on him the name of my God 38 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:18,840 and the name of the city of my God, the New Jerusalem, 39 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:23,840 which comes down out of heaven from my God and my new name. 40 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:31,480 Let anyone who hears listen to what the Spirit says 41 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:32,320 to the church. 42 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:34,960 Now there's a lot that's very appropriate 43 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:37,680 for all that's happening in our world right now. 44 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:39,840 There's wars, there's rumors of wars, 45 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:40,920 we're looking at the fulfillment 46 00:02:40,920 --> 00:02:43,260 of all of that discourse in Matthew 24. 47 00:02:44,220 --> 00:02:48,180 Now again, this teaching is part of the greater message 48 00:02:48,180 --> 00:02:51,640 to the churches that are listed in Revelation 49 00:02:51,640 --> 00:02:54,560 and this one's written to this church in Philadelphia. 50 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:57,840 Now in this passage, Jesus identifies himself 51 00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:01,760 as the one who's holy and true, who holds the key of David. 52 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:04,600 He opens doors that no one can shut 53 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:07,280 and shuts doors that no one can open. 54 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:11,120 Now this reference to the key of David 55 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:14,160 can symbolize God's authority 56 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:19,160 and the promise of access to his kingdom and his rules. 57 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:25,000 Now the message commends the church in Philadelphia 58 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:26,220 for a few things. 59 00:03:26,220 --> 00:03:29,600 One was their faithfulness, their perseverance, 60 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:32,180 even though they have limited strength. 61 00:03:33,100 --> 00:03:36,720 Now despite facing opposition and difficulties, 62 00:03:36,720 --> 00:03:40,000 they've not denied Jesus's name. 63 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:42,400 They're commended for this. 64 00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:47,000 As is every church in Revelation for enduring hardship. 65 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:50,280 We think of following Jesus as being easy. 66 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:51,640 It's not. 67 00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:53,340 Don't let anyone tell you that. 68 00:03:53,340 --> 00:03:55,560 Following Jesus is difficult. 69 00:03:55,560 --> 00:03:56,640 It's hard. 70 00:03:56,640 --> 00:03:59,480 Jesus refers to it as the narrow path, 71 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:02,160 as the way that leads to life. 72 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:07,480 Now this verse shows us that we can have the assurance 73 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:12,180 of God's protection and deliverance if we are faithful. 74 00:04:12,180 --> 00:04:16,160 Jesus promises to make those from the synagogue of Satan 75 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:18,280 who claim to be Jews but are not 76 00:04:18,280 --> 00:04:22,000 bow down at the feet of faithful believers. 77 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:24,960 Now how all this plays out exactly, I'm not sure. 78 00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:28,900 The synagogue of Satan here refers to a group of individuals 79 00:04:28,900 --> 00:04:33,900 who opposed and persecuted the Christians in Philadelphia. 80 00:04:33,900 --> 00:04:36,880 They're described as claiming to be Jews but are not. 81 00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:41,380 People aren't everything that they say they are. 82 00:04:41,380 --> 00:04:43,600 They are by the fruit of their life, 83 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:46,160 by what's backed up by their life. 84 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:48,440 Now in this context it's possible that this phrase 85 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:50,920 refers to people who are ethnically Jewish 86 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:53,640 but actually opposed the followers of Jesus 87 00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:57,640 participating in persecution or other actions 88 00:04:57,640 --> 00:05:00,760 against the Christian community. 89 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:03,960 Now Jesus is making a reference here to the hour of testing. 90 00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:06,360 We all have an hour of testing in our life. 91 00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:10,040 Here it referred to the period of trial and tribulation 92 00:05:10,040 --> 00:05:12,920 that was mentioned at the church in Philadelphia. 93 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:15,840 Here's a verse that's relevant to it. 94 00:05:15,840 --> 00:05:20,440 He says, because you've kept my word about patient endurance, 95 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:22,760 you see endurance is always patient 96 00:05:22,760 --> 00:05:25,600 because you wouldn't need endurance 97 00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:28,360 unless it was something that was really long 98 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:31,580 and really hard and really difficult to get through, 99 00:05:31,580 --> 00:05:35,000 just like in our lives. 100 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:38,100 In this context the hour of testing is interpreted 101 00:05:38,100 --> 00:05:42,600 as a reference to a future time of great tribulation 102 00:05:42,600 --> 00:05:45,420 and difficulty that will affect the entire world. 103 00:05:45,420 --> 00:05:46,600 Is that happening now? 104 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:47,440 Well we don't know. 105 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:51,440 Jesus says you don't know the day or the hour of my coming. 106 00:05:51,440 --> 00:05:54,880 But it is a period where God will allow testing 107 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:59,080 and difficulty all as part of his divine plan 108 00:05:59,080 --> 00:06:01,680 to purify his people. 109 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:04,140 Now the promise in this verse is that because 110 00:06:04,140 --> 00:06:06,640 the church in Philadelphia had been faithful 111 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:09,000 and they had been patient in their endurance, 112 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:12,320 that they'll be kept from this global trial 113 00:06:12,320 --> 00:06:14,960 and spared from its worst effects. 114 00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:19,240 This assurance can be seen in the form of protection. 115 00:06:19,240 --> 00:06:22,080 God, there's a layer of protection that we get 116 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:26,080 when we're faithful to following God 117 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:27,800 and following Jesus in our life, 118 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:31,140 especially during times of upheaval. 119 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:35,080 Now the message ends with the call to hold fast 120 00:06:35,080 --> 00:06:38,160 to what they have so that no one takes their crown. 121 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:41,480 Again, this is like the third or fourth time 122 00:06:41,480 --> 00:06:44,040 this has been mentioned in the book of Revelation 123 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:47,720 that we're encouraged to remain steadfast 124 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:51,320 and not to waver in the face of difficulty. 125 00:06:51,320 --> 00:06:53,800 This message needs to come through loud and clear 126 00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:55,040 to us in our life. 127 00:06:55,040 --> 00:06:58,580 Life is hard, but God will be with us. 128 00:06:58,580 --> 00:07:02,180 Life is difficult, but God will walk by our side. 129 00:07:02,180 --> 00:07:04,700 There are gonna be things that you feel like quitting 130 00:07:04,700 --> 00:07:06,960 and giving up on, but you have to hold on 131 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:08,680 and you have to keep pushing 132 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:12,720 and then God will come through on your behalf. 133 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:17,480 You know, God's plan is always better than our plan. 134 00:07:17,480 --> 00:07:19,480 Have you ever asked God into your life, 135 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:22,480 say, God, I just surrender my plan, I want your plan. 136 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:24,000 I invite you to do that with me right now. 137 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:28,160 Just say, God, I give you my plan for my life. 138 00:07:28,160 --> 00:07:31,000 I want your plan for my life. 139 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:35,720 Please help me now as I surrender my life to you. 140 00:07:35,720 --> 00:07:37,440 In Jesus' name. 141 00:07:37,440 --> 00:07:40,160 Thanks so much for being with me today. 142 00:07:40,160 --> 00:08:01,520 Until next time, I hope you have a beautiful day.