Delayed Gratification | Seven Churches of Revelation| Week 6
Series: Seven Churches of Revelation | Week 6
Text: Revelation 3:7-13
God’s eternal rewards are worth the wait.
In a culture addicted to “now,” Jesus commends a small, steadfast church that holds His word and refuses to deny His name. Their patient endurance is met with an open door no one can shut and promises that far outweigh any earthly payoff—crowns, permanence, and God’s own name written on them. The call is simple and costly: hold fast, prioritize eternal reward over instant relief, and let endurance reshape how time, energy, and money are spent. God’s eternal rewards are worth the wait.
Here’s a thought: J.B. Phillips concluded, "When this little life is over, nearly all that makes the headlines in the newspapers or fills the bulletins on the radio will seem to be of purely temporary significance. But the work of those who have cooperated with God will remain, for it is part of his everlasting purpose."
I confess that I was spoiled as a child. Being the youngest of four certainly had its advantages. Maybe my parents had grown soft or worn down from the power struggles parents have with their children over the years. I longed for the arrival of Christmas and my birthday and the gifts that would come at such times. As a result of my pleading, however, I was able to secure such priceless treasures as a race car set, electric football game and the grandfather of all computer games – “Pong”. Mom would usually give in to my nattering and I would smile with satisfaction as I ripped open the flashy packaging.
Brenda found a note while sorting through some things in my parents’ house years ago. I wrote this to my mom when I was about 11 years old, “Do you think I could get a ten speed? Dad promised one and is backing out.
Hometown and maybe Kmart are having sales on bikes my size.”
Instant gratification is what drives our economy. We must have this new phone, with more features and more memory. We must have this new vehicle, with the shiny paint and the “new car smell”. Whether or not we can afford such items is irrelevant, because payment plans are available to fit any budget. Not only that, but stores let us enjoy our purchases now with no payments for six months.
The words of Revelation 3:7-13 rub our culture the wrong way:
7 To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. 8 I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars - I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. 10 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. 11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12 Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. 13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. NIV
We have before us:
A Challenge
Philadelphia is now a Muslim city in Turkey called Alasehir, or Allah-shehr ("the city of God"). 2,000 years ago, it was a centre of the wine industry and its chief deity was Dionysus, in Greek mythology the god of wine. It had a small population and came close to being wiped out by several earthquakes.
To the church in Philadelphia the Lord says (in Revelation 3:8), “I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.”
The church appears to be small and relatively insignificant. In fact, there are no references to attendance numbers and budgets with any of the seven churches in Revelation chapters 2 and 3. The Lord obviously was not concerned about the size of the city or the church – He still thought it important enough to address a letter to it. He went out of His way to affirm them for their loyalty and obedience. In fact, the church stood at the gateway of a great opportunity, with the open door for access to God and to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Talk about challenging situations! Just think about:
A screen door on a submarine.
A stowaway on a kamikaze plane.
A teenager who parks in a dark alley with his girl and his car’s horn gets stuck.
One who ejects from a helicopter.
A Hindu snake charmer with a deaf cobra.
The Christians in Philadelphia had a challenge. There were people in the city who claimed to be Jews and who were giving them a lot of grief. Pride had so filled their hearts that they felt all non-Jews were to bow down and acknowledge their superiority. The Bible is clear – those who will rule the universe with Jesus one day come from a diversity of ethnic backgrounds.
Skin colour has nothing to do with it; the condition of a person’s heart has everything to do with it. Let’s humble ourselves now and the Lord will lift us up. If we allow pride to cause us to view others as inferior we are heading for a crash.
Do not be surprised when you face opposition from your family, friends, co-workers and neighbours. First of all, be sure that the opposition you face is because of your Christ-likeness and not because of your sinfulness. There are times, however, when your Christ-likeness will irritate others. Look at what happened to Jesus! Why would His followers be any different? As we lower our expectations of people we will be free to love them and accept them the way they are. Don’t go looking for affirmation and encouragement from others to be like Jesus, because this should come from the Bible and from the Holy Spirit within us.
Jesus prepares us for such opposition in Luke 12:49-53:
49 I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! 51 Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52 From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law. NIV
Jesus has gone before us, having faced hardship before enjoying glory. He leads His followers down the same path – warning us of the challenges that lay ahead in the short-term but reminding us to focus on the promises further down the road.
A couple declared in a previous church that we pastored, “Pastor, we want to become members of this church and stand with you through thick and thin. We are going to become pillars in this church!” I never saw them in our meetings again.
Faithfulness and loyalty are worth a lot! We should honour the seniors in our lives. Many have been faithful to the Lord through the good times and the bad. They are examples to us of loyalty and perseverance.
As I read these letters in Revelation chapters 2 and 3 I can’t get away from it - a saving faith is a lasting faith. Our challenge is to cultivate such loyalty and obedience to Jesus that we will remain faithful to Him through all the opposition and adversity.
How are you doing in taking up the challenge? Could your family, friends and even casual acquaintances say that you are loyal to Jesus? Did you have an instance this past week where you decided to do or say something in obedience to the Lord even though you didn’t want to do it at first?
We have before us:
A Challenge and
A Promise
“Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.” (Revelation 3:10) There is coming to the earth a time of unprecedented judgment! The Bible warns us to prepare for this time of upheaval. Those who endure patiently in their dedication to Christ have no reason to fear this impending judgment, but we should be doing all we can to prepare everyone around us for such a time.
“Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.” (Revelation 3:11) There is honour coming to those who remain true to the King of kings. Jesus will, in fact, give crowns of royalty to those who remain true to Him as they rule the universe with Him after He returns to conquer all of His enemies.
Him who overcomes I will (Revelation 3:12):
Make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it.
Write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God.
Write on him my new name.
We learn later in the Book of Revelation that God’s people - not a building - will be His temple. We are “living stones” and “living pillars” and He lives within us right now. The Old Jerusalem will be replaced with the New Jerusalem and the Lord will dwell with His people forever. We will be His people with His identity so wrapped up in us and He will be our God that we enjoy with no limitations of time or human weakness.
An energetic vacuum cleaner salesman was giving his sales pitch to a backwoods farmer's wife. He threw a handful of dirt on her linoleum floor and promised. "If my vacuum cleaner won't pick that up, I'll eat it!""Better get started, young man," she said handing him a spoon. "We ain't got no electricity."
With all the promises being made and broken today, I can understand why so many people are skeptical of promises. It takes time to build trust. Take the time you need to consider the promises of God and to talk with people who know Him to find out how trustworthy He is.
Notice how many times Jesus uses the word “reward” in Matthew 6:1-6:
1 Be careful not to do your “acts of righteousness” before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 5 And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. NIV
Five times in six verses He refers to the reward that will go to the one that obeys His principles. Do you suppose He is trying to make a point here? Of course! Salvation is offered at no cost to us – Jesus Christ has paid the price and we have only to receive it. Once we accept this offer of salvation we are able to build on that foundation by obeying Him. By allowing Him to live through us and to do good works through us, rewards are accumulating for us in heaven. This certainly beats the Air Miles rewards program!
Some people seem to view salvation as “fire insurance”, which simply allows them to escape the fires of hell in the hereafter. What a tragedy! The greatest.
retirement plan ever is offered to us! These eternal rewards do come at a cost, however. The cost is delayed gratification.
I am learning that the best things in life are worth the wait. Not only that, but the longer I wait the more I appreciate them when I get them.
Do you know what it is like to be with someone when they die? I was with my mom and with my mother-in-law when each of them drew their last breath. As I think about us being apart and how sad I am that we are apart I don’t feel sorry for them – not in the least! They have gone to their rewards they had accumulated while here on earth.
They are now enjoying the eternal gratification that you and I still anticipate. The question is, “Will we enjoy our reward now or later?” Most people pursue instant gratification by focusing their time, energy and money on what can be acquired right now. The truly wise ones pursue delayed gratification by weighing out what really matters in the light of eternity. It is what we acquire on the other side of the door of death that will be most fulfilling.
We won’t hear this kind of talk on the street or in the media. We will be told that we must have it now!
J.B. Phillips [1906-1982] concluded:
When this little life is over, nearly all that makes the headlines in the newspapers or fills the bulletins on the radio will seem to be of purely temporary significance. But the work of those who have cooperated with God will remain, for it is part of his everlasting purpose. (From page 236 of “Margin” by Richard A. Swenson)
What happened to the race car set that I was given that Christmas many years ago? It lasted no more than a few weeks as the cars and the track got beaten up and broken. The electric football game, “Pong” and my bike are long gone.
When have you last thought about the hereafter and the rewards that could be coming your way? If it has been a long time or never, it is time to think about it. If you have thought about it lately, do such thoughts make a difference in how you prioritize your time, energy and money?
We have before us:
A Challenge
and
A Promise
God’s eternal rewards are worth the wait.