Tag Archives: church of philadelphia

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – Revival Is Personal

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Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your mercy, LORD, And grant us Your salvation. —Psalm 85:6–7

The world needs evangelism, but the church needs revival. God wants to revive the church, to restore it to its original condition. In the book of Acts, we see what that original condition was. The early church was the church that changed the world, the church that turned the world upside down.

Is the church of today having as much of an impact as the church of the first century did? I think the answer is clearly no. In Revelation 3:8, God told the last days church of Philadelphia, “For you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.” I believe there could be a comeback of sorts in the church today—a revival.

If you are Christian, you are a part of the church. What if the whole church were just like you? What if everyone in the church prayed as often as you prayed? Would we be a praying church? What if everyone in the church evangelized as often as you evangelize? Would we be an evangelizing church? What if everyone in the church gave as faithfully from their finances as you give? Would we have a church that is resourced? What if everyone in the church were just like you?

The church is made up of us. Every one of us makes a difference. We contribute either to the strength of the church or to the weakness of it. It is easy to point an accusing finger and say, “The church needs to do this. . . .” But here is the question: What about you?

It has been said, “Revival is God’s finger pointed at me.” Revival is personal. You need revival. I need revival. We need revival. Let’s pray to that end because it is our nation’s only hope.

 

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Greg Laurie – Will He Find Faith?

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“Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” —Luke 18:8

I am not a patient sick person. I don’t like to lay around, immobilized. As soon as I start feeling better, I want to get going. When I am feeling good again, I will go and work out or take a brisk walk. But then I feel kind of fatigued afterward.

In Revelation 3, we find a description of a church that is coming back to life, the church of Philadelphia. The Great Physician gives His divine assessment: “You have a little strength . . .” (verse 8). This isn’t a negative comment about their weakness, but a commendation of their strength. They are like a sick person who is making a recovery.

This is not a super church of the end times, but it is a reviving one. If ever there was a super church, it was the church of the first century. Although they had their flaws, it was the church that changed the world. And it was the church that gave us a template we are to follow.

The implication in Revelation 3 is that the church of Philadelphia is making a comeback. Perhaps a revival is taking place. Revival is what God does for us, and revival is a sovereign work of the Holy Spirit. Let’s pray that God sends a revival, or an awakening, to America.

Evangelism is what we do for God. Jesus asked, “When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” The idea being that it is not a church that has taken the world over, but a church that is doing something.

Jesus commends the church of Philadelphia for taking little steps, and we need to take those little steps as well. God has given us enough strength to do what He has called us to do.

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Greg Laurie – Doors of Opportunity

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Upon arriving in Antioch, they called the church together and reported everything God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles, too. —Acts 14:27

The first-century believers in the church of Philadelphia lived under Roman rule. The Romans had established what was known as Pax Romana, which effectively was a forced peace. There was an absence of war, and Rome adopted many of the Greeks’ ideas and philosophies and religious beliefs. People were experimenting with these things, and there was a sense of searching among so many.

The Romans also had established Greek as the official language of the empire. They built an excellent road system as well. So with this common language and access to most of the world, the church went out to spread the gospel message. It was perfect in its timing.

Now let’s think about our day. In many ways, modern technology has created a global village. Television, the Internet, and mass communication has made the world a much smaller place. I recently read that 70 to 80 percent of the world’s population now has a smartphone. We can communicate in ways we never could before. In a sense, we have a common cultural language.

Sometimes in our lives we think only of how much we can get from our study of God’s Word and how much we can be blessed in church. That is fine. But remember that we are blessed to be a blessing. If we are only hoarding what God has given us and are not giving out, then we are missing the point.

As one person put it, “Unless a man’s faith saves him out of selfishness into service, it will certainly never save him out of hell into heaven.”

There are doors that have opened in our lives today. Watch for them. That person who was closed to the gospel last year might be open to it this year. Pray for those doors of opportunity.

 

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Greg Laurie – He Holds the Keys

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And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. —Revelation 1:17–18

Revelation 3 records the words of Jesus to the church of the last days known as the church of Philadelphia. In this chapter Jesus says some very specific things about how they are to live in the end times. But I think we could just as easily take out the word “Philadelphia” and insert our own names in this passage. Why? Because these are the words of Jesus not only to the last days church, but to last days believers:

“These things says He who is holy, He who is true, ‘He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens: I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.’ ” (verses 7–8)

Here we read that Jesus has the key of David. (I am glad He has the keys because if I did, they would be lost by now.)

Thankfully, Jesus doesn’t lose keys. He has the key to every lock. Jesus can open every door. God is in control of all events in the history of this planet—past, present, and future. God will open some doors, and He will close others. He will determine how long we will live. That is not up to us; that is up to Him. The doors God closes are closed for good. And the doors He opens will be opened for good. No power on earth can change this.

It is a good reminder for us to remember that God is in control. We don’t have to be afraid to commit an unknown future to a known God. He is in control of our lives.