Messages to the Church – Pt 7
Revelation 7:13 (NLT)
7 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Philadelphia.
This is the message from the one who is holy and true, the one who has the key of David. What he opens, no one can close; and what he closes, no one can open:
8 “I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me. 9 Look, I will force those who belong to Satan’s synagogue—those liars who say they are Jews but are not—to come and bow down at your feet. They will acknowledge that you are the ones I love.
10 “Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world. 11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown. 12 All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never have to leave it. And I will write on them the name of my God, and they will be citizens in the city of my God—the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. And I will also write on them my new name.
13 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.
John 1:1-5 (NLT)
In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He existed in the beginning with God. 3 God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. 4 The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.
John 1:9 (NLT)
9 The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
Luke 1:30-33 (NLT)
30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
THREE PROMISES FROM JESUS, THE ONE WHO HOLDS THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM:
1. He is coming soon.
John 14:22-23 (NLT)
22 Judas (not Judas Iscariot, but the other disciple with that name) said to him, “Lord, why are you going to reveal yourself only to us and not to the world at large?”
23 Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.
Acts 1:9-11 (NLT)
9 After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. 10 As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”
2. He opens the door for kingdom opportunities.
3. He rewards obedient perseverance.
SMALL GROUP MEETING OUTLINE
Where your faith intersects with real life!
Reconnect:
Each person shares a recent high and low from their life.
Explore:
Review the message notes.
Big Idea: Jesus holds the keys to the Kingdom, opens doors to kingdom opportunities, and rewards faithful obedience.
Consider:
Choose one or two questions for your Group to discuss as time allows.
Read Revelation 3:7-13.
▶ Are you living with urgency or latency when it comes to Jesus’ return? What would it look like to live prepared?
▶ How do you discern whether an opportunity furthers God’s Kingdom or promotes personal gain?
▶ What are some practical ways to live and serve with faithful obedience?
Activate:
Spend a moment in silence to consider your response, then share with the Group.
What’s one area of your life where you sense Jesus opening a door? What is one way you can walk through it this week?
Prayer:
Thank God for the highs and lift up the lows.
Pray that we would walk with confidence through the doors the Lord has opened and live with hope, fully trusting in His promised return.