Rewards for Small but Faithful Churches
In the book of Revelation, Jesus addresses seven churches, each with unique strengths and weaknesses. The church in Philadelphia, the smallest in number, received a message of encouragement and affirmation for their faithfulness to Jesus in a spiritually dark and diverse city.
Today, there are many small but faithful churches in cities with a dark and diverse spiritual climate. Jesus’ message to the church in Philadelphia is just as relevant to our churches today as it was then.
Jesus, in His introduction, asserts His authority as the one who is “holy, true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens” (Revelation 3:7). This powerful declaration serves as a reminder that Jesus is in control, having authority in the kingdom, and holding the authority to open and close doors of opportunity today. Despite their small size and limited resources, this church remained faithful to Jesus’ word and did not deny His name.
His first words were, “I know your deeds.” Jesus knows their deeds, and He’s happy with them. Of course, He is pleased with them positionally, but He is also pleased with their loyalty and love. Grace doesn’t mean Jesus doesn’t care about sin or righteousness or whether or not we love Him and remain faithful to Him. Love cares about those it loves. Grace is always relational.
Grace doesn’t mean Jesus doesn’t care about sin or righteousness or whether or not we love Him and remain faithful to Him. Love cares about those it loves.
This is Jesus’ encouragement to prioritize our relationship with Him above all else and to demonstrate our love for Him through obedience to His Word. Jesus desires that we stay true to Him, even when it requires us to choose Him over safety, comfort, pleasure, and riches. When we obey His Word from the heart, we do not follow a set of rules but express our love and devotion to our Savior.
This small church had “little power” or influence (3:8), yet Jesus applauds them for being faithful to Him in a spiritually diverse city that tolerates all gods except for the true God.
What gives a church or ministry power? It’s not publicizing our good works in the community. The power is the Holy Spirit ministering through His people. Since the Holy Spirit is personal—the third Person in the Trinity—spiritual power is relational. It is related to the trust and freedom we give Him to lead us. As we are personally available to God, trusting He is with us, welcoming and allowing Him to lead and act through us.
Spiritual power is related to the trust and freedom we give Him to lead us. As we are personally available to God, trusting He is with us, welcoming and allowing Him to lead and act through us.
Jesus promised these believers future vindication before their enemies: “I will make them come and bow at your feet, and I will make them know that I have loved you” (3:9). This promise assures us that God sees our faithfulness and will one day vindicate us before those who oppose and persecute us.
As small but faithful churches, we may not have the same resources as larger churches, but we can still strive for faithfulness and obedience to Jesus. And Jesus wants to reward our faithfulness and obedience.
This is evident in the message to the church in Philadelphia, where Jesus promised to reward those who overcome with a crown of righteousness (3:11).
This crown is not a fashion accessory but a symbol of victory and a reward for those who have been faithful to Christ.
Picture an Olympian at the reward ceremony, receiving the gold medal. The crown is like that gold medal, a symbol of victory, but more: it’s the key to the city, a seat in the cabinet, a general’s rank, and an increased capacity for greater joy and service.
The crown is like that gold medal, a symbol of victory, but more: it’s the key to the city, a seat in the cabinet, a general’s rank, and an increased capacity for greater joy and service.
Jesus doesn’t want you to lose this! His call is to remain faithful to Him, even in the face of cultural pressures and temptations. We must not let anyone’s opinions, bad advice, lies, or misguidance cause us to lose our rewards. Instead, we must trust Jesus and hold fast to Him, even when it is difficult.
The apostle Paul wrote,
Colossians 2:18 Let no one defraud you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to the head…
In addition to the crown of righteousness, Jesus promises to make believers who overcome pillars in the temple of God. This reward speaks to our permanence in God’s presence and a prominent position in the administration of His kingdom.
Revelation 3:12 … and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.
I believe the New Jerusalem is God’s current temple, home, and throne. Those overcoming believers who persevere in faithfulness to Jesus Christ, He will give them the fullest access to the city.
Jesus will also write His new name on the overcoming believers, by which we will know Him and be known. This will add to what we know and how we relate to Him and worship Him. However lofty we understand Jesus now, it will pale compared to what we see then.
The message to the church in Philadelphia encourages all believers to remain faithful to Jesus, even in the face of adversity. It reminds us that our size and influence don’t matter, but our faithfulness and obedience to Christ do. Let us take heart in Jesus’ promises of rewards for those who love and obey Him. May we be like the church in Philadelphia, a beacon of faithfulness in a dark and diverse world.