And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
He that is holy, He that is true, He that hath the key of David, He that openeth and none shall shut, and that shutteth and none openeth, saith these things:
I know thy works (behold, I have set before thee a door opened, which none can shut), that thou hast a little power, and didst keep My word, and didst not deny My name.
Behold, I give of the synagogue of Satan, of them that say they are Jews, and they are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
Because thou didst keep the word of My patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of trial, that hour which is to come upon the whole world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
I come quickly: hold fast that which thou hast, that no one take thy crown.
He that overcometh, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out thence no more: and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from My God, and Mine own new name.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.
Let us have a further word of prayer.
Our Father, we thank You that You have given us another precious time together. We feel that every time is precious, because every time is given by You.
We have today; we have now. It is all by Your grace. We can stand, we can sit, and we can come before You because of Your grace. We thank You.
When we can hear Your word, it is even more Your grace. When we keep Your word, it is by Your grace. Because of Your word, we can rise up and follow You. It is Your grace.
We pray that Your grace will continue to work in us today. Because of Your grace, may the speaker be able to speak. By Your grace, may the translator be able to translate. By Your grace, may the hearers be able to hear Your word.
Hear our prayer. We pray in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.
We want to especially see the church in Philadelphia today. We said before that Philadelphia is the way of the church before the Lord’s return.
The Lord showed us Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Only Philadelphia was not rebuked; it was praised. Only to this church did He say, “I have loved thee.”
Only to this church was there a promise regarding rapture. Only this church already had a crown. Also, only to this church is the name of the New Jerusalem written upon the pillar in the temple.
We know that the last picture in the universe is the New Jerusalem. When we see that last picture, we know that it is God’s eternal purpose. Throughout all of time, finally God has reached what He wanted to do.
Philadelphia is connected directly to the will of God. Thank the Lord. This way the Lord has very clearly put before us. By the Lord’s grace, if we are able to live out the condition of Philadelphia, then we can say that the Lord’s heart would indeed be satisfied.
But we have to be careful. Philadelphia forever will be our way, but it is not our label. Nobody can take Philadelphia and make it our label.
When we study this part of history, if this is prophecy, then in the history of the church it must have been fulfilled. Or perhaps it has not been fulfilled yet, and it is before us.
When we study church history, we can see that the Holy Spirit has done a work. If we use the whole Bible as a measuring standard, we know that indeed in church history the Lord has gained a group of people.
Maybe that time frame was short. Maybe it was only twenty years. But no matter what, those twenty years bore the condition of Philadelphia. Perhaps after twenty years, Laodicea came in. If the richness was only spoken of with the mouth, then it became Laodicea.
Maybe sometimes we see the work of the Lord lasting only twenty years. But even in those twenty years, these things can actually be fulfilled. It is not merely an ideal. Indeed, in the history of the church, we have seen a group of brothers and sisters walking this way.
Today we want to see how Philadelphia was fulfilled in church history. Of course, if you read many commentaries or explanations of the seven churches in Revelation, and if you believe that this is prophecy, most people agree that Thyatira represents the darkest ages of the church.
Sardis refers to the Reformation, and Laodicea refers to the church becoming lukewarm before the Lord’s return. Philadelphia is between Sardis and Laodicea. How was it fulfilled?
There is broad agreement concerning Thyatira, Sardis, and Laodicea. But there are several differences of opinion regarding where Philadelphia was fulfilled, and in which group of people it was fulfilled.
Before we go into the history, let us look at certain important facts in the Scripture.
First, Philadelphia means brotherly love.
Secondly, when our Lord spoke these words, He revealed Himself in three ways. First, He is holy. Because He is holy, His requirement for Philadelphia is that they be holy as well.
This is connected with the overcomers in Sardis. There were many in Sardis who did not defile their garments. They walked with the Lord in white garments. They walked with the Holy One.
Sardis had a name that it was alive, but it was actually dead. What it exposed before men, what its name showed, was not the same as its appearance before the Lord. It was as if it were wearing a mask.
The Lord said that He is the One who is true. The requirement for the church should be truth. It cannot have one truth outside and another truth inside. It cannot have something by name while the reality is totally different. The name and the reality must be one.
Thirdly, He has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens. Where is the explanation of this phrase? This verse was already mentioned in Isaiah 22:22.
There we see a man who took the key of the house of David. Here in Revelation we see the key of David; in Isaiah it mentions the key of the house of David. He put the key upon his shoulder.
It is a chain of keys, because where David’s throne was, there were many doors and much treasure. It is not just one key; there are many keys. But all these keys are upon His shoulder.
In other words, all of His riches and all of His treasures can be opened by these keys. Here we see a condition in Philadelphia. It is as if it were the house of David, or the palace of David. All these keys can open all the doors.
There is not a single secret that, once opened, can be shut; and once shut, can be opened. For this reason, Philadelphia should be rich. It is impossible for Philadelphia to be poor. The Lord’s blessing and His revelation are poured out upon Philadelphia.
Then the Lord says, “I know thy works, that thou hast a little power.” In this world, the church is always a small flock. Forever it is a mustard seed.
The mustard seed in Israel is actually like a speck of dust. It is very small. The wind only has to blow, and it moves. The church is very easily touched because it is so small.
The church is very much touched by the Holy Spirit. That seed can penetrate any place. Where it is impossible for a tree to grow, it can grow. In bedrock it may not be able to grow, but as long as there is a slit, because it is so small, it can penetrate there. Then life grows.
The church in Philadelphia, wherever it is, as long as the Holy Spirit is moving, can give life to every corner. Yet the Lord says, “Thou hast a little power.”
This word also reminds us of Zechariah. You remember that the people of Israel came back to Jerusalem. When they came back, there was no pillar of cloud or pillar of fire. When Solomon built the temple, he used the power and wealth of the state. But now Israel no longer had a nation.
When they returned, everything was short and scarce. Even though they built a temple, it could not compare with Solomon’s temple. In the eyes of the flesh, those were the days of small things.
The Bible says, “Who hath despised the day of small things?” Even though you have a little power, even though you are small, do not despise it.
When these people returned to Jerusalem, they thought they had returned with a zealous heart and because they missed home. How did they know that they returned because of our Savior Jesus Christ? If they had not returned, how would Jesus have been born in Bethlehem? If Jesus had not been born in Bethlehem, what would have happened to the redemption of man?
Unbeknown to them, they came back because of God’s will. Thank the Lord. Even though you have a little power, do not despise it. If we walk this way, unbeknown to us, it is as if the Lord’s will passes through us and part of His will is accomplished.
Another important point is this: “Thou didst keep My word.” It does not say merely that you understood My word.
In seminary today, and in many different situations, you might understand God’s word. But Philadelphia was different: “Thou didst keep My word.”
You might say that you cannot throw away a single word of the Bible. God’s word is very concise; every word is inspired by the Holy Spirit. You can say that. But when you are seeking after the Lord, many times we fail. Philadelphia was different. It kept His word.
“And didst not deny My name.” This is another important point.
The passage speaks of those who say that they are Jews but are not Jews. What does that mean? At the beginning, Philadelphia speaks of brotherly love, but now it speaks of Judaism. How should we understand this phrase?
Let us turn to Matthew 23:8.
But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Teacher, and all ye are brethren.
Our Lord knew long ago that the church would be deformed, so He gave a warning to the church. One day the church would be Judaized. The church would become Judaism.
In Judaism, there are priests. Then the church would have priests as well. The Lord forewarned the church many years ago. What did He say? “Ye are all brethren”—brothers and sisters. There is no clericalism. Everyone is a priest.
Sadly, in the history of the church, some people brought Judaism into the church. So the church became Judaized. Do you understand?
At the beginning it is brotherly love, and then it speaks of Judaism. When you put both together, what does the word mean? “Ye are all brethren.” This is a special feature of Philadelphia. Not only do you love one another, but you recognize that you are all brethren.
Whether it be Smyrna or Philadelphia, their difficulty was the difficulty caused by those who claimed to be Jews. Philadelphia suffered much.
Even though they suffered much, it was like the suffering Joseph experienced among his brothers. They hated him and sold him. But what did God do? He made his brethren bow down at his feet. When Joseph was in glory, that prophecy was fulfilled.
When you speak of brotherly love, you cannot help but think of the story of Joseph. The Lord said, “I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.”
Then it speaks of keeping the word of My patience. This is not describing a patient word. It is the word of My patience—the patience of Christ.
When the Lord was whipped and mocked, He manifested the patience of Christ. On the cross, He was able to say, “Father, forgive them.” This is the word of My patience.
We are to keep the word of His patience. We have heard His word, and His word is that we are to be patient as He was. We are to turn the other cheek. We are to go the second mile. We are to give the second garment.
When you follow the Sermon on the Mount, here you see the promise of rapture. Rapture always has to do with maturity. When you have kept the word of His patience, then you grow and mature. Therefore, you have this promise.
Then the Lord says, “I come quickly. Hold fast that which thou hast, that no one take thy crown.” Philadelphia already had a crown, but it needed to hold fast and not lose it.
Because the Lord is coming quickly, and because Philadelphia is waiting for His return, this is a great comfort. But there is also a danger. Why is there still the calling of the overcomers in Philadelphia? It is because they already have something, and the danger is that they might lose it.
What is an overcomer? The overcomer is one who does not lose what he has. Here is a promise for the overcomers: “I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out thence no more.”
Upon this pillar is written the name of God, the name of the city of God, and the Lord’s new name. The New Jerusalem, which comes down from heaven, is very clearly connected to the will of God.
When we see these important points, we can go back to church history. If this explanation is not wrong, Philadelphia is not just an ideal. It is a way that can be walked, because some brothers have already walked this way.
When we speak of brotherly love, when we speak of “ye are all brethren,” and when we speak of spiritual richness, how do we know that they were rich? Richness means that you not only have something, but you can give.
This cup is not merely full; it overflows. Not only is the cup full within, but the world can experience its fullness. When we read church history, we can see that these things happened.
Perhaps we should begin with one brother. His name was Zinzendorf. Chinese people sometimes have difficulty remembering Western names, especially German names. So some call him “fresh tofu” to help them remember Zinzendorf. But do not make fun of him at his expense.
If you study church history, many people agree concerning Zinzendorf. Karl Barth, a famous modernist, said that, according to his knowledge, he had never seen anyone as Christ-centered as Zinzendorf.
Others said that he was one who saw the matter of unity and actually put the unity of the brethren into practice. The Lord said that peacemakers are blessed. When you read church history, Zinzendorf was such a brother.
He grew up among the Pietists. Remember, he wrote love letters to Jesus when he was six years old.
After graduating from college, because he was a nobleman in Germany—a duke, an important and wealthy person—he was expected to travel the world. One day he went to Düsseldorf, Germany, and visited a museum.
There he saw a painting by a famous painter: a picture of the Lord upon the cross. At the bottom was a phrase:
For thee I gave My life;
What hast thou done for Me?
These words captured Zinzendorf. He forgot the time. He was melted by the Lord’s love. Only when someone tapped him on the shoulder did he realize that the museum was about to close.
That day he completely consecrated himself to the Lord. He said, “I only have one object of love, and that is Jesus Christ.” From that day on, he lived his entire life for Jesus.
Zinzendorf returned home to eastern Germany, near the border of what was then Czechoslovakia. His family owned a large piece of land there.
He had grown up among the Pietists. From them he learned many lessons. When he read the Bible, he read it with his heart. He loved his Lord, so he loved what the Lord loved. Even when others were not Lutherans, he still loved them, because they were his brethren.
The Pietists read the Bible and prayed together. When every member was functioning, you could naturally see the condition of the Body of Christ. They had fellowship, and they prayed together. When they had needs, even in establishing orphanages, they did not tell others; they told the Lord. Their relationship with the Lord was living, and their relationship with the brethren was living.
One day Zinzendorf met a brother named Christian David. Christian David came from the region of Moravia, near Poland. They called him “Moses.”
Why did they call him Moses? Moses was the one who led the people of Israel out of Egypt toward the promised land. Near Zinzendorf’s home there was a group of brothers and sisters who loved the Lord. Because they were persecuted, they became hidden seeds.
These were the Unity of the Brethren. When they gathered to meet, they were courageous, because they knew what could happen to them.
When Martin Luther began the Reformation, he initially stood for justification by faith. Later, when he was persecuted by the church, he realized that the church had fallen into Babylon.
But the Unity of the Brethren was different. They understood God’s word, and seventy of them stood up to keep the Sermon on the Mount. They were simple people: tailors, farmers, and others. Yet many professors and famous people admired them and did not feel ashamed to sit among them, because upon them was the testimony of Jesus.
They had to pay a high price. A hundred years before the Reformation, it was still very dark. They went from place to place, seeking brethren who would stand on the ground of the Lord. They truly loved one another and sought fellowship.
During the Reformation, although they wandered everywhere, the Unity of the Brethren already had four hundred congregations and perhaps 150,000 to 200,000 people.
After the Reformation, they thought perhaps they could live a better life. But there were religious wars between the Church of Rome and the Protestants. According to the agreement of the time, whichever general won the battle determined the faith of the whole country.
These brethren prayed that the Protestant army might win. But God’s ways are above man’s ways. If they were truly the testimony of the Lord, they had to go through testing and fire to see whether they would follow God’s will.
Wherever they went, the Protestant army was defeated. Before Zinzendorf was born, there was a well-known brother named John Amos Comenius. He was a teacher and educator, and one of the leaders among them. He loved them and prayed for them.
At the end, these brothers had no other place to go. Comenius saw the Unity of the Brethren on the brink of extinction. There was a group that hid themselves—the hidden seeds. They had vision and light because the Lord had given them the morning star. Even though others misunderstood them, for the Lord’s sake they hid themselves.
Christian David was one of these brethren. He had a burden to find a place where the hidden brothers could live peacefully. He was only a carpenter, a very simple brother.
One day he met Zinzendorf and had fellowship with him concerning their condition. Zinzendorf told him, “I welcome these brothers to come to my land.”
Christian David became like Moses to these brethren. Moses went from Egypt toward the promised land once, but Christian David made the journey many times, bringing hidden brethren to eastern Germany.
Zinzendorf lived at Berthelsdorf. Nearby was a small hill with a forest on top. The land was neglected and marshy, but eventually they found a place where they could live.
From 1722, many brethren came and settled there. Christian David was a carpenter. When he cut down the first tree, the brethren gathered and read Psalm 84.
Yea, the sparrow hath found her a house,
And the swallow a nest for herself.
They were very happy. No longer did they need to wander.
One sister, very familiar with the Bible, asked, “Where shall we find bread in this wilderness?” Another brother answered, “If you believe in the Son of God, you will see His glory.” That is how they began.
They built a village called Herrnhut. The name has two meanings: “the Lord watches over it,” and “for the Lord’s sake, watch.”
One village was where Zinzendorf lived, and the other was where refugees from Moravia settled. At that time, the regions of Bohemia and Moravia were within what later became Czechoslovakia. The Germans called these people Moravians.
These had once been the Unity of the Brethren, but now they gathered together in Herrnhut.
Do not forget that at that time there was a state church. If they were living in a Lutheran state, they had to go to the Lutheran chapel. Zinzendorf himself met in the Lutheran chapel because he was a duke.
Because it was a state church, Zinzendorf could not sit with the common people. There was a special chamber for Zinzendorf and his family. Although they were all brethren, in that setting he was exalted and the others were treated as common people.
At first, during the first year or two, nothing happened. Everyone thought it was very nice. But those meeting in the Lutheran church came from many different backgrounds.
Some had been Catholics; some were Lutherans; some were Reformed and followed Calvin, speaking much about predestination; and some were Anabaptists. All these people gathered in one place because they had no other safe place to meet.
They had understood the truth and separated themselves from Babylon. Before, they had been simple and free to meet simply. But now it was different. They were in a Lutheran church, still using the wafers of the Mass and retaining other practices that troubled the Unity of the Brethren.
The more they looked, the more angry they became. “We already came out of all that, but now we have to gather together here.”
After five years, there were about three hundred from the Unity of the Brethren in Herrnhut, and altogether perhaps a thousand people gathering in the chapel, graveyard, and surrounding area. But their patience ran out.
It was Christian David who had said that the sparrow had finally found a house. Yet five years later, he said, “This place is but Sodom and Gomorrah.”
This is very real. If all God’s children gathering together are Lutherans, there is no problem. If all are from the Unity of the Brethren, there is no problem. If all are Reformed, Quakers, or any one group, there is no problem. But what is the church?
The Corinthian church had some saying, “I am of Paul,” and others saying, “I am of Cephas.” But the question is: “Is Christ divided?” God had brought them to one place. It was His doing; it was His sovereignty. How would they continue?
Zinzendorf saw very clearly that the children of God could not be divided. He saw the vision of unity in John 17.
He decided to move from Berthelsdorf to Herrnhut, about a twenty-minute walk away, in order to be with the brethren. Every day he gathered with them, and every day he visited family by family. On one hand he prayed; on the other hand he visited them.
On May 12, 1722, he gathered all the people of the village. For three or four hours, he shared how serious the division among the children of God was. The Holy Spirit was with him, and his words were full of power.
He asked, “Can we make a covenant before God? Can we make a covenant that we will love one another? No longer will we insist that we are right. No longer will we swallow one another. Even though our viewpoints are different, we cannot help but love one another.”
He said, “As long as you are willing, please raise your hand.” That afternoon, through the work of the Holy Spirit, almost everyone in the village said, “I am willing.”
The Holy Spirit gave them light, showing them where they had failed to forgive one another and revealing their difficulties. The Holy Spirit worked not for one day, but for four months. That summer became a golden summer for them.
Christian David led them to read 1 John. The word of God filled them. They not only loved one another; they were changed by the Holy Spirit.
On the Sunday before August 13, the entire place, even the graveyard, was full—more than a thousand people. They wanted to hear God’s word.
They agreed that on the following Wednesday, August 13, they would gather and break bread before the Lord.
Remember, they were still meeting in the Lutheran church. Yet the Holy Spirit was working. When they gathered to break bread and sang a hymn, the Holy Spirit worked in such a way that they could not distinguish between singing and weeping.
The Holy Spirit made them feel that they were sinners and showed them how they had failed to forgive one another. The day of August 13 became their Pentecost. From that day on, a great revival occurred.
Strictly speaking, this was a German revival, or more specifically, a Herrnhut revival. Historians often call it the Moravian revival because many had come from Moravia. But many were Germans as well. In any case, this revival was a great one.
Christian David said, “It is truly a miracle of God that, out of so many kinds and sects—Catholics, Lutherans, Reformed, Anabaptists, and the like—we could be melted together into one.”
Another brother said, “Herrnhut became a living congregation of Christ.” Zinzendorf concluded, “August 13 was a day of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the congregation. It was our Pentecost.”
Another brother said, “That day the Holy Spirit baptized us into one love.” That day ushered in the revival.
Twenty-one years later, Zinzendorf looked back and asked whether Herrnhut would become conformed to the genuine idea of a church of the Savior, or whether it would become merely a sect.
Thank the Lord, because of that revival, Herrnhut had one unified testimony: the testimony of unity. Because they loved one another, a price had to be paid and the lessons of the cross had to be learned.
Because of fellowship, they became rich. God gave the united brethren spiritual riches. Lutherans could be enlightened by others, and others could receive what the Lutherans saw. Some riches came from the Anabaptists, and some came from the Reformed believers.
Because they had fellowship, the doors in David’s house were opened. What God opened could not be shut. Because they loved one another, God gave them wisdom. It was indeed a work of the Lord.
If you go to Herrnhut today, the forest is still there, though the people who met there are no longer there. That revival has passed. Yet there are remnants in the forest: stone benches and stone tables in separate clusters.
Every morning they began meeting at five o’clock. After they met, they went to work. Farmers went to till the ground; tailors went to make clothing. At night they met again in clusters and different groups.
Where did they meet? They met in the forest. They prayed together and sang together. What God did among the Pietists was worked into their lives.
This richness did not belong only to the Unity of the Brethren. It also belonged to the Pietists. During the revival, when all these things came together, it became a very glorious condition.
John Wesley once visited Herrnhut and wrote a letter to his brother Samuel. He said, “I am at a place where it is as if they are in heaven.”
He wrote that they had one Lord, one faith, and partook of one Spirit—the spirit of meekness and love—which uniformly and continually animated all their conversation.
The revival occurred in 1727. When John Wesley visited Herrnhut, eleven years had already passed. Yet he wrote in his diary, “I wish that I could live there forever.”
He prayed, “Oh, when shall this Christianity cover the earth as the waters cover the sea?” The revival was real. Eleven years later, that condition still made John Wesley not want to leave.
On August 27, God gave them wisdom from the Bible. They read Isaiah 62:6-7.
I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem;
They shall never hold their peace day nor night:
Ye that are the Lord’s remembrancers, take ye no rest,
And give Him no rest, till He establish,
And till He make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.
When they read this passage, the Lord gave them not only light but also a strong desire in their hearts. The Holy Spirit gathered twenty-four brothers and twenty-four sisters. Every day, each one prayed for one hour.
They maintained a prayer vigil for twenty-four hours a day. They did not want to give up. They did not want to rest, and they did not want to let the Lord rest until He established Jerusalem and made Jerusalem a praise in the earth.
Jerusalem represents the testimony of the Lord Jesus in the Bible. They did not pray merely for themselves. They prayed for the entire world.
Many people have heard this story and said, “We should do the same thing, and perhaps we can have a revival too.” Try it. After a few days, you will probably give up—unless it is a work of revival, unless it is a work of the Holy Spirit.
They prayed one year, two years, thirty years, forty years, fifty years. This prayer lasted one hundred years. If this is not revival, what is revival? It was not merely five minutes of fervency. They prayed and prayed and prayed until Jerusalem became a praise in the earth.
Because of their prayer, sixty-five years later Herrnhut sent out three hundred missionaries—something that had never happened before on this scale.
There had been Catholic orders that sent people out before, and missionaries were usually trained before being sent. But these brethren were different. They were so abundant in life.
They knew that a carpenter did not live for himself, and a potter did not live for himself. The Lord could place a brother here today and in another place tomorrow. This proves the richness of the house of David.
They were waiting every day. One might be a shoemaker, but one day the Lord could use him. When people were sent out, the entire church sent them out.
There were only about three hundred people in Herrnhut, yet sixty-five years later they were able to send out three hundred missionaries. They kept sending more and more people. Is that not amazing?
When some were about to be sent to the Danish West Indies, they heard the testimony of an enslaved Black man. There was one condition: if you went there, you had to become a slave yourself.
Some brothers said, “I am willing.” But they were told not to act merely in a moment of emotion. “Wait. If after one year you still feel that you want to be a slave, then we will let you go.”
Two men went: one potter and one carpenter. The carpenter could build houses there as well. The church life was lived for the Lord.
When they sent these brothers out, the whole church gathered. That evening, the Holy Spirit touched them, and they sang one hundred hymns in one sitting. Try singing ten hymns today, or twenty hymns. If it were not the moving of the Holy Spirit, how could they sing one hundred hymns in one sitting?
The Holy Spirit did a wonderful work. The entire church sent them out, and their prayer sustained them. It was not merely a regular sending out of missionaries.
What is the church? When our Lord walks among the lampstands, He wears a long garment. What does that mean? He encompasses and embraces every member.
The church has the heart of Christ. We need to love every brother and embrace every child of God.
On the other hand, the church is represented by the lampstand. The lampstand is a testimony. The church must have the heart of Christ and must also bear the testimony of Christ.
These brothers were ready. They tilled the ground for the gospel. They were tailors for the gospel. When the cup overflowed and the Lord blessed, they could be carpenters here or carpenters there.
They did not train people merely to become missionaries. They lived the Christian life and had fellowship. Everywhere there was love. For the gospel’s sake, they could go anywhere.
The Moravians broke a record. No one had ever sent out so many missionaries. William Carey testified that he was helped by the Moravian brethren.
The testimony of the Moravian brethren had much to do with the torch of revival in England. God used John Wesley, Charles Wesley, and George Whitefield. That torch was lit.
At that time England had fallen very low. Without that revival, England might have had a bloody revolution like the French Revolution. But thank the Lord, England did not have that.
Why? Because of John and Charles Wesley, all of England was different.
How was John Wesley helped? Before he went to Georgia in America, some people said he was not even a believer. He knew this himself.
When he was on a ship crossing the Atlantic, he was a member of the Church of England and traveled first class. He met some Germans, perhaps twenty-six of them, who traveled in a lower class.
Then there was a storm. Wesley was afraid. But he heard the Moravian brethren singing hymns. He was deeply touched and was introduced to the Moravians.
When he returned to London, he attended a Moravian meeting. It was a quarter before nine when the Holy Spirit spoke to John Wesley. From then on, he was a changed man.
Through John and Charles Wesley, a great revival came to England. One revival brought in another revival. This was the result of those who did not rest and who did not let the Lord rest until Jerusalem became a praise in the earth.
They prayed for one hundred years. Then, in the nineteenth century, God answered their prayer by raising up a group of brothers in England: J. N. Darby, George Müller, Robert Chapman, and others.
These brothers gave many blessings to the church. Men called them “the Brethren.” Why? Because in their midst there was the condition of Philadelphia. They had brotherly love.
“You are all brethren.” Their condition was like that of the overcomers in Thyatira and Sardis. Thank the Lord for what He did in England.
Darby had light and experience, and he had abundance in the word. At that time, the word was more healthy, and they kept the word.
Darby did not merely believe that the word was inspired. He sought to obey every letter. They indeed obeyed the word of God.
Many people today say, “We are evangelical. We believe in the Bible. We believe in the inerrancy of the Bible.” But when the Bible conflicts with them, unbeknown to them, they change the Bible.
Theoretically, you may say, “I believe one hundred percent that the Bible is inspired by God.” But when you are sick, perhaps the first thing you do is not pray. The first thing you do is see a doctor or take medicine. Unbelievers do the same thing.
What is Philadelphia? It is not merely understanding God’s word; it is keeping His word.
In the twentieth century, modernism became very dangerous. How was that situation recovered? In 1925, God used groups of brothers, including professors at Princeton Theological Seminary, to contend for the truth.
They were from the Reformed tradition, and God used them in spiritual warfare. At the same time, those helped by Darby influenced many in the United States, including C. I. Scofield.
These brothers believed that the Bible was God’s word. They did not need to question whether Ephesians had been written by Paul. When they read the Bible, they understood that there was no contradiction.
In the twentieth century, God used those scholars, and they fought a victorious battle. Why did these things happen? Because the Moravian brethren had prayed for one hundred years.
God raised up another group of brothers whose vision was the same. They had more abundance in the word. There was not only action, but also teaching.
We also have George Müller. George Müller read the Bible sixty times. His special feature was that he experienced God through prayer.
The Lord answered more than one million of his prayers. No wonder that, according to A. T. Pierson, the church in which George Müller gathered was like a church of the apostolic age.
That is the richness of Philadelphia. They did not deny the Lord’s name. They did not dare to have their own name; they exalted only Christ.
The Lord said, “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name.” The time came when, if they asked in His name, the Lord would answer their prayer. Müller took hold of the Lord’s promise and did not deny His name. The Lord gave them an open door that no man could shut.
Another representative brother was Robert Chapman. They called him “the apostle of love” and “a brother indeed.”
That is an interesting name. Some are brothers only in name. But Robert Chapman was a brother indeed. He really loved all the people, and everybody knew who he was.
Someone in Austria wrote a letter without knowing Robert Chapman’s address. He simply addressed it, “Robert Chapman, University of Love, England.” Do you think the letter would arrive? It actually arrived at Robert Chapman’s house.
That is the testimony of Philadelphia.
In one gathering, there was a brother who could not sing in tune, and it disturbed the meeting. Another brother wanted Chapman to do something about it.
Chapman said, “You must promise me one thing: we will pray for this brother for one week and see what the Lord will do.” The following week, after everyone had prayed, Robert Chapman sat beside the brother.
The brother dared not sing, and the problem was resolved. You do not need to use the power of the fist or the power of authority. Love can solve many problems.
Why? Love is patient. Love is long-suffering.
No one suffered as much as Robert Chapman suffered from brothers and sisters. Just as our Lord suffered with the disciples, He spoke and they did not understand. Love requires patience.
You may think that the church should be composed only of mature people, and you may keep sending away immature people. But what will you do with them? Love is long-suffering. We are to keep the word of Christ’s patience.
When the Brethren were divided, Robert Chapman asked Darby, “How can you act so quickly?” Darby said, “I have already been patient for seven months.”
Do you know what Chapman said? “If it were me, I would wait for seven years.” If Darby had waited another two years, the problem might have been resolved, and the conscience of the saints could have arisen so that everyone could deal with the sin.
What is love? Love is long-suffering. This was a typical brother.
When he died, thousands of people attended his funeral: Baptists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, and people from many different backgrounds. On his tombstone were three words:
God is love.
Because of the Moravians’ prayer for one hundred years, the Lord raised such a glorious testimony in England. From 1828 to 1848 were their best days.
But do not forget: we are speaking of a way. This way can be walked. When they eventually failed, that becomes a warning to us—not only in England, but also in China, India, and throughout the world.
Thank the Lord, another hundred years later, around 1928, God raised another group of people in China. A group was also raised in India. The Lord kept moving forward.
Why? Because they would not rest, and they would not let the Lord rest until Jerusalem was established as a praise. God’s work cannot end in England. The Lord’s work cannot end in China. The Lord’s work cannot end in India. The Lord’s work has to move forward.
Brother T. Austin-Sparks said that, in much less than the lifetime of one man in China, churches of a deeply spiritual character sprang into being all over the land.
In a comparatively short time, there were four hundred places of gathering. When communism overran the country, the movement still continued. It did not only cover China; it reached beyond, and living churches were found in many parts of the Far East.
This work was for years despised, persecuted, and much ostracized. Many missionary movements and societies had to leave the country, but this work had to go on.
When Brother Sparks spoke these words, he spoke of one who was in prison. Even though there were many martyrs, the work still continued. God’s work was not arrested.
He said that the same thing happened in India. In only a few years, a church of genuine New Testament character came into being—not only in that country, but beyond it. Even though the opposition was great, the work of God could not be stopped.
This is a testimony that the Lord has worked in many places. Let us remember that God’s work moves forward.
Because of the prayer of the Moravians, do you think that the Lord could cast aside one hundred years of His children’s prayers? We know where the way is.
Philadelphia is the way of the church, but Philadelphia is not our label. By His grace, since this is the church in the Lord’s heart, may we be bold to walk this way.
The Lord says that to the one who overcomes, “I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out thence no more.” What does this mean? How would a pillar leave?
Philadelphia was a place full of earthquakes. The earthquake center was there. People did not dare live in the city, but lived on the outskirts. In that sense, all the pillars would leave the temple.
Philadelphia is a place where the Lord shakes. If you read the history of Philadelphia, it is full of earthquakes. That which cannot be shaken will remain.
Philadelphia was also known for its excellent grapes and wine. Why was the wine so good? Houses can be shaken down, but the vine will never be shaken down. That is a condition of Philadelphia.
May the Lord have mercy on us. May we see that He is the vine and we are the branches. We are connected with the true vine, and then the wine is made. This is the testimony of Philadelphia.
For this reason, upon this pillar is the name of the New Jerusalem. In other words, when you arrive at Philadelphia, you are connected and joined with the eternal will of God.
The Lord speak to our hearts. Let us pray.
Lord, we thank You for these words. We pray that, even though this meeting is over, Your word may not go away, especially from the lives of the younger ones.
May they see that there is a way—not only an individual way for twenty years, but a corporate way. Be gracious to us. Hear our prayer in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.