Transforming Ordinary People into Extraordinary Followers of Christ

What Jesus Says to His Church – Philadelphia- The Faithful Church

What Jesus Says to His Church – Philadelphia- The Faithful Church – 7 of 8

SERIES STUDY GUIDE

This 8-part series uses a comprehensive study guide. Download from the Save PDF button above.

SERMON SUMMARY

Part 7 of 8 Sermon Summary.

APPLICATION / CHALLENGE

  • Philadelphia received Jesus’ approval because it was an evangelistic church. TCC must follow Philadelphia’s example. They personally trusted Christ as Savior. Unlike other churches, this church was full of people who truly were born-again. Jesus never told the church of Philadelphia to repent. They knew Christ as Savior.
  • The church at Philadelphia also helped others trust Christ as Savior. Jesus said that he set before them an open door for evangelism, and they boldly walked through it, leading many of their neighbors to faith. And they did this amid much opposition. The quality of their lives proved the reality of their faith. TCC needs to follow Philadelphia’s example. So, since the believers in Philly personally trusted Christ as Savior… If you would like to know God personally or recently you have trusted Christ to save you, please let us know so that we can help you grow: contact us here (connect.tcc.org) Scroll down to the Ministry Information Request section and mark the first or second  checkbox. We look forward to helping!
  • We also must follow Philadelphia’s example by helping others trust Christ as Savior…The world has come to our doorstep, and we have a fantastic opportunity to reach international students for the Savior right here at NC State. TCCer and supported missionary, Jan Armstrong, would love to talk to you about opportunities to share Christ with international students at NC State. There are numerous ways you can get involved:
    • Help with English Conversation Club or be an English conversation partner.
    • Be a Table host at our Easter Dinner – (next one as of this seron date: April 12th)
    • Give students rides to the grocery store or shopping errands.
  • The Lord Jesus knows and evaluates us all. Do you want praise, and no rebuke from him? That was the case in Philadelphia. If we want praise, and no rebuke, from Jesus… Then we must aim for faithfulness to Christ—and nothing else. There were bigger churches than Philadelphia. There were richer churches than Philadelphia. There were flashier churches than Philadelphia. But there was no church that was more faithful than Philadelphia. TCC must aim for faithfulness to Christ—and nothing else Like Philadelphia, we must “keep his word”, not “deny his name”, “persevere” and “hold fast what we have.” That’s the way to gain Christ’s approval.
  • Yes, it’s true that the Lord Jesus knows and evaluates us all but his letter to “faithful Philadelphia”—which had no rebuke, abundant praise, and many promises— reveals the heart of our “terrifying, yet tender” Lord. They weren’t a perfect church—there isn’t such a thing til we get to heaven. But in Jesus’ letter to the church of Philadelphia we see how incredibly merciful and gracious our Savior is. That’s a God worth getting to know, so… Study Christ. Know him. Love him. Worship him. …and Serve him. That’ll require a lifetime—but oh what a life! It’ll also require prayer,

TAKE ONE STEP

Each week, write down one doable concrete step of obedience, small or large  that you will put into practice this week. (James 1:22: “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.”)

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