What Does It Mean to Be a Faithful Church? [LIVE] 09/20/2026

(audience applauding) Awesome, it's so good to see you. This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Come with your joys and your burdens alike. We come to worship the God who receives us all. Come let us gather in this place of grace. Let us worship the God who meets us here. God of every gathering, we come before you this day with grateful hearts. You have called us out of our separate lives into this one body, and we are glad to answer. Quiet our distractions and settle our minds. Open our ears to hear your word and our hands to receive your grace. Meet us here. (upbeat music) Put your hands together, come on. (upbeat music) ♪ I'll praise in the valley ♪ ♪ I'll praise on the mountain ♪ ♪ I'll praise when I'm sure ♪ ♪ I'll praise when I'm doubting ♪ ♪ I'll praise when I'm number ♪ ♪ Praise what's around it ♪ ♪ 'Cause praise is the water ♪ ♪ My enemies drown me ♪ ♪ Come on, as long as I'm breathing ♪ ♪ I've got a reason to praise ♪ ♪ I'll praise the Lord of my soul ♪

♪ Praise the Lord of my soul ♪ ♪ I'll praise when I'm feeling ♪ ♪ I'll praise when I don't ♪ ♪ I'll praise 'cause I know ♪ ♪ You're still in control ♪ ♪ Praise the words for the sound ♪ ♪ My praise is a child that brings Jericho down ♪ ♪ As long as I'm breathing ♪ ♪ I've got a reason to praise the Lord of my soul ♪ ♪ Praise the Lord of my soul ♪ ♪ I won't be quiet, my God is a man ♪ ♪ How could I keep it in time ♪ ♪ Praise the Lord of my soul ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Praise the Lord of my soul ♪ ♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ Come on, sing it with me ♪ ♪ I'll praise 'cause you're sorry ♪ ♪ Praise 'cause you made ♪ ♪ Praise 'cause you rose and defeated the grave ♪ ♪ I'll praise 'cause you're faithful ♪ ♪ Praise 'cause you're true ♪ ♪ Praise 'cause there's nobody greater than you ♪ ♪ I'll praise 'cause you're sorry ♪ ♪ Praise 'cause you're ready ♪ ♪ Praise 'cause you rose and defeated the grave ♪ ♪ Praise 'cause you're faithful ♪ ♪ Praise 'cause you're true ♪

♪ Praise 'cause there's nobody greater than you ♪ ♪ Praise the Lord of my soul ♪ ♪ Praise the Lord of my soul ♪ Come on, sing it out! ♪ Praise the Lord of my soul ♪ ♪ Praise the Lord of my soul ♪ ♪ I won't be quiet, my God is alive ♪ ♪ How could I keep it in time ♪ ♪ I won't be quiet, my God is alive ♪ ♪ How could I keep it in time ♪ ♪ I won't be quiet, my God is alive ♪ ♪ How could I keep it in time ♪ ♪ I'm going to pray ♪ ♪ Praise the Lord of my soul ♪ [APPLAUSE] Who thought I'd find you at the lowest place? Who thought you'd feel me in the ground? Who knew you'd make good in my mistakes? I think like I thought you were a bad one of God, what a God. [MUSIC PLAYING] What a God, what a God. [MUSIC PLAYING] What a God, what a God. [MUSIC PLAYING] I thought you'd show up for perfection. There's one kind of galatore that lost. They say it's over for a sinner. You say, no, it's not, no, it's not. You say, no, it's not, no, it's not. What a God, what a God.

[MUSIC PLAYING] What a God, what a God. [MUSIC PLAYING] What a God, what a God. [MUSIC PLAYING] What a God, what a God. [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] If the highest place I reach is out of your feet, then I've done it all. If the best thing that I see is your door, then I've seen it all. Your love has changed my life for emphasized by God. You are my everything. If the highest place I reach is out of your feet, then I've done it all. If the best thing that I see is your door, then I've seen it all. Your love has changed my life for emphasized by God. You are my everything. If the one I want is the only thing you see, then I've heard it all. If I feel your heart and never see it all, then I still have it all. No one dreams to run this life. Couldn't understand it's my God. You are my everything. You are my everything. You are my everything. ♪ Holy God, Holy God ♪ ♪ Holy God, Holy God ♪ ♪ Holy God, Holy God ♪ ♪ Holy God, Holy God ♪ ♪ If the highest lay star is she's that you'll be ♪

♪ Then I've got it all ♪ ♪ It's the best thing that I've seen in your glory ♪ ♪ Then I've seen it all ♪ ♪ Your health has changed my life ♪ ♪ For at this time is mine ♪ ♪ You are my everything ♪ ♪ If one of us is the only thing you speak ♪ ♪ Then I've heard it all ♪ ♪ If I feel your heart and never see your name ♪ ♪ Good, the sun is bright ♪ ♪ You are my everything ♪ ♪ You are my everything ♪ ♪ You are my everything ♪ Sing it out. ♪ You are my everything ♪ ♪ You are my everything ♪ ♪ You are my everything ♪ -Welcome to Grace Way. My name is John Stevens, and I'm so glad you're joining us today. Whether this is your first time with us, or you've been watching for a while, we're really glad you're here. You are a valued part of the Grace Way family, and it's a privilege to worship with you each week. No matter where you've been or what your story looks like, God isn't finished with you. Throughout the Bible, we see Him using ordinary people with imperfect pasts, doing incredible things. Your past doesn't define your future. In Christ, there's always hope.

There's always purpose, and there's always the next step. If you have a family or friends who use the Pando app, encourage them to watch Grace Way 2. This is a great way to experience the same message together, even when you're in different places. One of the best things we can do is grow in our faith together, encourage one another, and keep the conversation going long after the service ends. If you're currently in a correctional facility in Kansas or Missouri, and would like to see Grace Way offered where you are, let your chapel know. They can learn more about bringing Grace Way to your facility by visiting visitgraceway.org/prison. As we get started, don't just watch the service, jump in. Worship, pray, and listen, and ask God to speak to you. I believe He has something He wants to say to you today. (gentle music) (gentle music) ♪ Who is the great King of glory ♪ ♪ Seated our high in the heavens ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ Jesus, you are love ♪ ♪ You are the Lord God Almighty ♪ ♪ Strong in compassion and mercy ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ Jesus, you are love ♪ ♪ I such the world for a love I could feel ♪ ♪ My love, my love ♪ ♪ But nothing compares to the wonder of who you are ♪ ♪ Holy, Holy, I sing and holy ♪

♪ All the angels cry holy ♪ ♪ Jesus, you are ♪ ♪ Jesus, you are love ♪ ♪ You set the stars in the head ♪ ♪ You set the world into love ♪ ♪ You know ♪ ♪ Jesus, you are love ♪ ♪ You be the love in creation ♪ ♪ You are the love you are a creation ♪ ♪ Jesus, you are love ♪ Come on, sing it out. ♪ I such the world for a love I could feel ♪ ♪ My heart but nothing compares ♪ ♪ To the wonder of who you are ♪ ♪ Holy, Holy, I sing and holy ♪ ♪ All the angels cry holy ♪ ♪ Jesus, you are love ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ All creation sing the wordy ♪ ♪ All the heavens exalvy ♪ ♪ Jesus, you are home ♪ ♪ Jesus, you are home ♪ (whistling) ♪ You share your blood for something ♪ ♪ If you broke the curse for a freedom of hope ♪ Sing it out. (upbeat music) ♪ You rose from death with the morning ♪ ♪ You come again in your glory, oh ♪ ♪ Jesus, you are home ♪

♪ Oh ♪ ♪ Jesus, you are home ♪ ♪ Hurry, oh we are singing holy ♪ ♪ Hurry, just cry holy ♪ ♪ Jesus, you are home ♪ ♪ Hurry, oh we are singing holy ♪ ♪ All the heavens exalvy ♪ ♪ Jesus, you are home ♪ ♪ Hurry, oh we are singing holy ♪ ♪ All the heavens exalvy ♪ ♪ Jesus, you are home ♪ ♪ Hurry, oh we are living ♪ ♪ All the heavens exalvy ♪ ♪ All the heavens exalvy ♪ ♪ Jesus, you are home ♪ ♪ Holy, holy ♪ ♪ I can't help but sing holy ♪ ♪ How my heart cries are holy ♪ ♪ Jesus, you are home ♪ ♪ Hurry, oh we are living ♪ ♪ I lift my voice and sing holy ♪ ♪ All my life to exalvy ♪ ♪ Jesus, you are home ♪ ♪ Jesus, you are home ♪ - Lift your voice and worship to our King. Proclaim that Jesus is the real true God. Church family, let's pray together. God, we thank you this morning that we can stand in this room and declare your holiness and your greatness.

There is no other. It is only you, Jesus, that we worship today, and we thank you that we get to proclaim that. We take time this morning, God, to pray over our community, to pray over our schools, to pray for the fracturing of a community, families who don't have sons anymore, Lord. In God today, we just ask for your mercy to reign over this community, Lord. We ask for your peace to reign over our city. We ask God that you would do a transforming work in this place. What is only through the name of Jesus, that any of this gets fixed, and so God, we ask for you to just wrap your arms. Around broken families this morning. Around broken communities today. Around school districts. God would you cover us in your grace and your mercy. We thank you that there is a name that we can cry out, the name of Jesus. When tragedy strikes, when things don't make sense, we can just come to you and say, "Jesus, we need you." Just simply that. (soft music) It's the Lord, we're a community in need of your peace, your love, your grace, your mercy, of unity,

of one standing together in the power of Jesus. And all God's people said, "Amen, hey, amen, take a minute and pass some peace with your neighbors." (congregation chattering) - Well, church, it is good to see you this Sunday morning. If I haven't had a chance to meet you, I'm Pastor Jeremy. I love getting to serve here as one of our pastors at Grace Way and love the opportunity, as Pastor Dan said earlier, to meet you when our services are done in guests central, especially those of you who are here for the first time. I also, let's all just give a warm, like amazing welcome to our brothers at Grace Way Crossroads and Ozark Correctional. We are so glad that you guys are joining us. I also just want to say that if you are at a facility somewhere watching us on Panda app, we're so glad that you are. And look, if you don't have a church in your facility, we would love to become a part of that, whether you're in the state of Missouri or Kansas or somewhere else. And so there is a web link on your screen right now. I'd love for you to share that web link with your chaplain. Chaplain, we gotta get a church in here and we would love to either facilitate or frankly just bring one to you. And so we'd love to do that. I also want to welcome those of you joining us. Yeah, I get y'all can clap for that.

(audience applauding) Want to welcome those of you joining us online. We're so glad that you are doing that today. And I just want to say, if you are new here to Grace Way or maybe you came in today just looking for, as we said earlier, a little bit of refuge from the things that have happened this week, I want you to hear me say that, that church, whether you are a member of this church or not, your pastors are here for you. So here's what I want you to do. If you're like, I just need some time this week to either sit and just talk to somebody, we're here for that. And the invitation to you would be, grab one of those connect cards, either the online one or go to the next steps desk, say, I just want to set a time up to speak with the pastor because that is important to us. That our community knows that we are not here just for what we do Sundays, but for all of the things that happened throughout the week. Okay, so I want y'all to hear that, that something really important to us and we would love to be a part of just helping you walk through some of those things. So please don't hesitate to reach out. You can even come down and grab one of us or tell someone on the prayer team and we will make sure that that gets facilitated for you.

We're gonna continue today in our series in Revelation. So I'd love for you to go ahead and grab your Bibles and open them to Revelation chapter three. As you do, I love looking out on, you know, chief Sundays and seeing the red in the room. There's some other colors and jerseys in here and we have a prayer team for that as well. (congregation laughing) But here's what I think is interesting, right? We as Kansas Cityans are decently or probably pretty faithful to our sports teams. I grew up here, I love the Kansas City Royals and they make it hard to love, right? And look at my face, no matter what people are saying, they're not making the playoffs this year, okay? Let's just be clear, that's not going to happen, okay? That's just a part of what it means to be a Royals fan sometimes. We hang our hats on 2015, 1985 and most of 2014, all right? That's where we live, okay? But when you're faithful to a sports team, you also have all the things that sports team has to offer. You've got the jerseys, you've got the hats, you probably have a coffee cup. I was reading this week that you can buy team branded toilet paper. And that does not make any sense to me, that you would go out and put that in your bathroom. I will make fun of you if I get invited to your house and I see that in your bathroom. That's just weird to me.

But that's what it means, right? To be faithful to a team that no matter how bad they're doing, no matter what happens to them, you're like, "These are my guys." No matter what, well that's interesting because that is a little bit about what Jesus praises in the church that we're reading about today in Revelation chapter three. So we're going to read the whole text and then we're going to break it down for you. So this begins, "And to the angel of the church "in Philadelphia, right." The words of the Holy One, the true One, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who's shut, and no one opens. I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power and yet you have kept my word and not denied my name. Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan Behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world to try those who dwell on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.

The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, 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 from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches. So, Philadelphia, the city of Philadelphia, was founded by Atlas II. And from what I read, Atlas grew up on the west side of Philadelphia. It's kind of where he was born and raised. There was a playground there, and that's where he spent most of his days. He was maxing out, relaxing things, and being okay. It's something like that. A little bit of the weird history about Atlas. His nickname was not Fresh Prince. His nickname was Philadelphia. And that nickname was given to him because of the love that he had for his brother. It literally means brother, lover. And it's not in a weird way. This is, Atlas had an incredibly kind regard and love for his brother. If you read a little bit of his history,

there's a couple of times in history that some of the things that he did for his brother were unbelievably kind and generous. And so that's where we get city of brotherly love. That's where that comes from all the way back in ancient history. Philadelphia is one of the youngest cities that we read in these seven letters. And it was interesting because it was founded as a missionary outpost. Now, not for the gospel, but a missionary outpost for the spread of Hellenism. And you might go, what is Hellenism? Well, that would be the spread of Greek culture. So the aim of the city of Philadelphia was to take Greek culture, and you can read into that all the things that come with that, the way they treated people, their manners, but it also included their worship of false gods, their worship of the Olympian gods. And their goal was to make Philadelphia this place where that would spread to the east. Philadelphia was a prosperous city. They had a super highway that ran through it. And it was essentially the gateway from Europe to the east. And their goal was let's spread our culture to all these barbarians in the east. It was also known as little Athens, and the build of the city was done in an intentional way

so that people in the city would be constantly reminded of the Greek culture they were in, of the Olympian gods that they worshiped. It still is somewhat in existence as the modern-day city of Alesha here in Turkey. And if you Google that, you can see some of even the old temples and things that are still left today. So let's step back through the text and just gain some perspectives on what Jesus is saying to this church and ultimately to us. And so if we go back to verse seven, he says, "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia, right, the words of the Holy One, the true One, who has the key of David, who opens, and no one will shut, who shuts, and no one opens." So again, Jesus says, "Allow me to introduce myself." And in this opening statement, he clarifies a couple of really important points to the church, "I am the holy and true." Jesus says to them that he is the most holy God, and when he uses the word true, he's not just saying to this church, "Look, I tell the truth," he's saying to this church, "I am truth." So that's really important inside of a city where you would have been surrounded by these images of other gods. Jesus says, "Allow me to make sure we're clear. I'm the only holy God, and I am truth.

I'm the real one. I have the key of David." And here in this statement, Jesus proclaims that their access to the kingdom of heaven, their access through that door that only Jesus can open and shut is wide open to them. And there's no one capable of closing that door. Now, if you remember in our study here in Revelation, there are a number of times that Jesus references things from the Old Testament. So this comes from Isaiah 22, verses 20 to 22. The Lord says, "In that day, I will call my servant Elias." sash on him and will commit your authority to his hand and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of the Lord and I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David. He shall open and none shall shut and he shall shut and none shall open. So in this passage, Eliah Kim is serving the nation of Israel, Shebna who has been the steward of the nation is doing a terrible job and so the prophet comes to him and says all that's getting stripped away and the access in other words the person who will be able to either permit or forbid access to the nation to the kingdom is going to be Eliah Kim. Jesus comes along and later in Revelation and says that's me. Your access to the kingdom of heaven is through me to the church. So the words that you are hearing come from the Holy God, the one and only real God and this is why we are intentional even in this space about making sure that everything that happens in this building points people to Christ because he's the only one we worship. That's the only agenda that should be had in this building because just like the church in Philly we are surrounded by the presence and images of false gods and idols. Ours just happen to be named power, right? So if I can get enough power I can get my way. Ours are named sex. I'll climb whatever ladder I need to climb to get to the thing that I want. Ours are named money,

right? If I just had enough money then frankly I can buy the power that I want. So maybe we don't have the images of Zeus in the streets of Kansas City but we do have those false gods and just like the church in Philadelphia there's also a huge emphasis just on the idolatry of culture, the idolatry of we have figured it out. We are the only ones in history that have figured it all out. Our culture is perfect and this is what the Greeks were saying, hey you should worship this. But here's what I love. Our access to the kingdom is not because of some super highway of culture, of more power, more relationships, more money. No, John 14, 6 clarifies our access to the kingdom. Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. That is the access to the kingdom and so when you've got the keys to the kingdom here are three things that I think that you gain with access to the kingdom. Number one, the presence of God. In the book of Hebrews the Bible says for Christ has entered not into holy places made with hands which are copies of the true things but into heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Through Jesus Christ you have access right now to the presence of God. You can walk into His presence right now. The second thing is the kingdom of God. In Luke chapter 17 verse 20 Jesus being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come. He answered them. The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed nor will they say look there it is or there for behold the kingdom of God is in the midst of you. It's already here my friends so rather than trying to find the kingdom of God through the world's means through all of these false idols we have access to it right now and then eternal life with God. Number three and I want just let's just say this verse together it should pop up on the screen John 3 16 for God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Because he has the keys to the kingdom you have access to eternal life with him. To spend eternity with your Savior and then he makes it clear he's like look I've got the keys I've opened the door and let me be clear no one can shut that door our salvation church is sealed as we read in Ephesians chapter 1 verse 13 in him you

also when you heard the word of truth the gospel of your salvation and believed in him were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit there is no thing no one no man Your salvation is permanent and locked in by Jesus Christ. If we keep going, then Jesus says in verses eight and nine, "I know your works. "Behold, I have set before you an open door, "which no one is able to shut. "I know that you have but little power, "and yet you have kept my word and not denied my name. "Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan "who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie. "Behold, I will make them come down and bow down "before your feet, and they will learn "that I have loved you." So I don't know if you're tracking, but this is the second letter in these seven letters that Jesus does not have any condemnation for the church. He has no, however, he has, well, there is this one thing. That doesn't exist in this letter, just like at the church in Smyrna, because Jesus is defining for us what a faithful church is. Now he starts by clarifying to them, "Look, I know your works." And when you read in the, look at the Greek, the word for works is I know your toil. I know your labor. This was a church that worked hard, and we don't know a ton about them, but we know that Jesus says you have worked hard, you have cared deeply for my kingdom.

You have done the things that we're gonna talk about here in just a second. And then he says you have little power. So this was not a politically active church. They didn't have a lobbyer that went to the office of the Caesar, I don't even know how Greek politics work, but they didn't have that. Whatever that was, they didn't have it, right? They didn't have any of those things. It's likely that they were a fairly small church. And Jesus, I love his conda, or his commendation of them. I know your works, you have little power, but Jesus says you are faithful. So what does a faithful church look like? Number one, a faithful church keeps God's word. So the word keeps, again, if we go back to the Greek, is the word tareo in Greek. And what that word stands for is that you have guarded my word, that you have kept your eyes on my word. This is what Jesus is saying to them. Hey, a faithful church keeps my word. A faithful church has not lost sight of what my word says. A faithful church has guarded my word. And it's interesting, there's a cool parallel here in Matthew chapter 28, verses 19 and 20. And if you've been around for any bit of time, you understand this is the great commission in scripture. Look at what Jesus says. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Sounds like he's got the keys. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe, to tareo, to keep all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age. What does it mean to keep God's word? This. It means that we as a church and we as a people come under the authority and the covering of the scriptures. So Psalm 119, I love it because it's the longest chapter in the Bible, also speaks about what it is to keep God's word. So just a brief survey on what Psalm 119, what the Bible says will happen if you keep God's word. If you keep God's word, your way will be blameless. If you keep God's word, you will be blessed. If you keep God's word, you won't be put to shame. If you keep God's word, you'll praise him with an upright heart. When you keep God's word, you won't be forsaken. When you keep God's word, you'll keep your way pure. When you keep God's word, you won't wander. You won't sin against God. When you keep God's word, you will love it more than you love riches. The Bible says when you keep His word, you won't forget it. When you keep His word, He'll deal bountifully with you. When you keep His word, your eyes will be open. When you keep His word, He will take away the feelings of worthlessness.

When you keep God's word, you'll have good counsel. It will strengthen you. Your heart will grow. And that is just the first 32 verses of this chapter. Here's what I love. If there's a punch line, the verse 105 says this, your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. That's what it means to keep God's word. to the working of a church? What does worship sound like in a room where the church keeps God's word? To our brothers at Crossroads, what happens in a prison where God's word is kept? What happens when the people that the world has thrown away walk into a room and God's word is kept in that room? What happens to a fractured community when God's word is kept by the churches in that community? What happens church family to your marriage when God's word is kept in your home? What happens to your families, to your kids, to the students in the room? What happens at your schools when you keep God's word in your school? There's life. There's breath. God begins to work and do incredible and amazing things. It's the reason church that we do discipleship. 'Cause let's be real, we don't need another program here at Grace Way. What we do need is for people at this church

to faithfully keep God's word. So why do discipleship? Because one day I want Jesus to say of Grace Way, you have faithfully kept my word. So for some of you in the room today, you need to walk out of here and get signed up for discipleship. You need a mentor to walk you through what the Bible says and why the Bible is important to all of the things that we've just talked about. And I'm gonna take just a second from my senior saints in the room, just to people just slightly older than me, okay? I know slightly, just some of y'all who have been here a long time and I know you've done the original 16 lessons and you did the Jeff Adams 18 and you're like, I've done all of it. And yes, I am asking you to do this. Why? Because I need your wisdom. Because there are young men and women in this room and in this community who need somebody older than them to walk them through what it means to just faithfully keep God's word. That's what I need from y'all. And so some of y'all need to walk out to that next steps test and go, hey, I need to get signed up to become a mentor because we need to keep God's word.

We wanna be faithful to it. And then Jesus adds on and he says, also a faithful church number two does not deny God's name. And I was thinking as I was studying this, I'm like, isn't it weird for Jesus to make that statement of a church? And yet we've seen churches that are dead. We've seen churches that tolerate sin. We've seen churches that have compromised what they believe. We even saw a church that Jesus said, "You've lost your first love." And it's less odd to see the possibility of this in a culture like that of Philadelphia, a place that would have made it hard on a seemingly powerless church. But they knew their word and they know that the Bible says, whoever denies me before men, I will also deny before my father who is in heaven. So when a church keeps God's name, it's because they understand the power of God's name. The name like Jehovah Sidkinu, our righteous God, how do I know what righteousness is? I look at Jehovah Sidkinu. What about Jehovah-Mecco Dishkim, the God who sanctifies us and sets us apart? Jehovah Raffa, the God who heals us. Jehovah Jaira, the God who provides for us and sees us. Jehovah Nissi, the God who brings us victory. Jehovah Shalom, the God who is our peace.

Jehovah Rha, the God who is our shepherd. Jehovah Shema, the God who's present in trouble. He's also known as Almighty God, the wonderful counselor. He's known as the Prince of Peace. He's known as the Alpha and the Omega. He's also known as the Holy Spirit. He's known as our Heavenly Father. He's Jesus Christ. He's our Savior. He's our King. And my friends, the church that keeps God's name is a church with a compass that always points to the right thing. That always takes whatever is going on. We always point ourselves toward Jesus Christ. Always point ourselves to our Savior. This is a church that's alive. A church that doesn't tolerate sin. A church that doesn't back down from God's word. A church that loves God first and above all things. That's what it means, my friends, to keep God's word no good that started making trouble in my neighborhood. And this is not the first time that Jesus has rebuked a synagogue that was actually a synagogue of Satan. He says, look, they're not real Jews. So Jesus makes it clear that what they were doing is they were liars. They were persecuting the church at Philadelphia. And given how the letter opens, their persecution probably sounded a little bit like this. The stuff that you believe isn't real. Hey, Jesus, I don't actually think he's the real Messiah. Your ways are old-fashioned and antiquated. The Bible, yeah, it's fallen behind our culture. The Bible doesn't speak to the things that we're dealing with nowadays. I can't believe that you'd think that there's only one way to get to heaven.

You're just some powerless church who's never going to make any change. And yet we read about them. Does that sound familiar to any of you in the room? That level of persecution, that type of persecution, that idea of the church or the getting pushback from the community or the world around it. And Jesus' promise against persecutors come again, right out of the Old Testament in Isaiah 45, 14, he says, "Thus says the Lord, the wealth of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush and the Sabians, men of stature shall come over to you and be yours. They shall follow you. They shall come over in chains and bow down to you. They will plead with you saying, 'Surely God is in you and there is no other, no God beside him.' Because in the end every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. And this is the promise that he makes to a church in persecution. Keeping God's word and not denying his name is knowing the end of the story. It's living with the end in mind, living faithfully in a world that's aimed at the opposite things. So how are you doing and keeping God's word in his name? Pastor Clayton mentioned this last week, it's super easy to do in this room. But what does that look like on Monday morning at work? What does that look like in your school? What does that look like in your neighborhood? How will that look this afternoon in your home, in your marriages with your kids? Social media. Church, how are we doing in keeping God's word and his name? The church of Philadelphia didn't receive this commendation because they were the biggest, the flashiest, the most notable. They had the best social media of all of Philadelphia. They had the biggest LED walls before LED walls even existed. That's not why they were commended. They were actually in their weakness very strong. I love this because it's their quiet faithfulness to God, to his word and his name that brings about these incredible promises that Jesus then gives them later on in the letter. So let's look at these promises. He says number one, I'm going to keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world to try those who dwell on earth. Now we need to understand what this phrase means, those who dwell on earth. So what's being clarified here as he says that are these are people whose names have not been written in the book of life. So you can see that trace right back to Revelation chapter 17 verse 8. So there's a trial coming to test those on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life. People who do not believe in Jesus. But what he is not saying here, and this is important for us to understand, he is not saying I'm going to take you out of the trial. You're not going to get persecuted. He is not saying that. What he does say is I'm going to keep you, I'm going to

to rail you. And so in the same sense that you have guarded my word and that you have looked steadily at my word and stayed with that is the same thing that I'm going to do in these trials that are coming is I'm going to keep you in them. I'm not going to take my eye off you. Some of you all need to hear that word today that as you have gone through seasons or are going through seasons of persecution, your Savior is not looking away. He is right there with you and Jesus makes this same promise to the church here in Philadelphia. A faithful church endures persecution. And I don't think that we have a great framework for this in the West. Wearing masks in a church back in 2020 was not persecution, my friends. Not in places where they are burning churches down with, hopefully, their congregations inside of them and other parts of the world. And look, I understand that persecution is hard, but we have promises that we should listen to. One of my favorite chapters, John chapter 17, Jesus, before he is crucified, is praying to the Father and he makes this prayer in verses 14 and 15. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world. I don't ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them to rail from the evil one. I do believe that there will be persecution of the church because the world hates what we stand for. Why? Because the enemy hates us, and it's important for us to hear that, and I understand that some of you truly, and some of you are in seasons where you feel like, you're like, what I'm going through

could be the sequel to the book of Job, and I mean that in all seriousness, that some of you are in those seasons, and can I just remind you that your savior is looking at you, that he has not lost you? In fact, the Bible promises that when persecution comes, if we remain faithful to him, the Bible tells us the enemy cannot have us. The enemy cannot have this church, because it belongs to him who has the keys to the kingdom. Then he says to them, I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have so that no one will take your crown, so when he says I'm coming soon, he's not giving them an actual timeline, like it's gonna be next week, he's not saying that. He says, look, you're not gonna know when I come, it's just gonna be immediate and unexpected. The reality is he didn't come back during the season of the church in Philadelphia. So then a faithful church lives with the end in mind. Right, it'd be easy if we knew the time and date. All of us would talk about Jesus if we knew the exact time that he was coming back, but all that we're told is I am coming soon, so it's time church to live like our Savior is coming back. Does your family know that Jesus is coming soon? What about your neighbors? What about your classmates, your teachers? Your coworkers. The church like Smyrna is also reminded about their crown,

and remember this isn't the crown that a king would wear, but a crown that was given to a victor at the end of a race. And Jesus says, look, I need you to hold fast to that. Hold fast to the word of God. Hold fast to the name of God. The Bible tells us in Proverbs, keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it, flow the springs of life, do not let anyone take that from you. Hold fast to these things. And then he closes by saying, "The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar "in the temple of my God. "Never shall he go out of it, "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 from my God "out of heaven, and my own new name." So the city of Philadelphia, the ancient city, suffered a ton of earthquakes. I love that Jesus makes this statement in a city that would have suffered earthquakes all the time. So what would have happened is, when the earth started to shake, people in the city would flee, and they would run out to the countryside. And y'all can begin to maybe get that visual in your mind of this city that's full of pillars and all these images and icons all made out of stone, earthshakes and those things start to fall around you.

Jesus promises the faithful church that that would no longer be the case, because a faithful church is anchored in Jesus Christ. Think about all these pillars in this city. Every Greek God covered. Probably a pillar to adults. It's probably one of the fresh prints. And all of these are subject to collapse every time the foundation shakes. Think about the things we talked about earlier, the foundations of power and sex and money. How stable have those things been just in the last week? (audience murmurs) Jesus promises that their faithfulness would make them a pillar in the real temple, where the foundation would never move. What kind of foundation is that? Well, Isaiah 28, 16 says, "Therefore, thus does the Lord God behold, "I am the one who has laid, a precious cornerstone of a sure foundation. Whoever believes will not be in haste. I promise you, in this new city, there will be no running. The foundation will not move because you need to anchor your life on the foundation of Jesus Christ, trusting in his word and his name. Think about, this phrase gets used in churches, you know, so-and-so is a pillar of the church. What does that phrase mean?

I like to think about that as that quiet, older individual. Who knows God's word? Things don't faze them very quick. They're faithful to his name. They're steady, hear, they're present for their community, they're present for the people in the church. And I love that 'cause Jesus says, this is what your faithfulness is bringing you to be a pillar in my new temple. And he says, I'm gonna put some names on these pillars. And y'all understand this, we go to different places here in Kansas City and, you know, you go to a museum where you walk into these big tall towers and they've got pillars and these pillars have dedications on them. But Jesus says, here are the names that I'm gonna write on you. Number one, I'm gonna write the name of my God. Number six 27 says, so shall they put my name upon the people of Israel and I will bless them. Faithful church, faithful Christian, your work is not gonna bear your name, but it will bear the name of God. The things that you do will bear the name of God. Then he says, I'm gonna write on you the name of the city of my God. Philippians 3.20 says, our citizenship is in heaven and from it we await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. So faithful church, faithful Christian, the world, this world is not my home,

I'm just a passing through. So I want us to start living with the anticipation of what it will mean to live in the heavenly city, to live here on the new earth when Jesus renews it. But what that means is we need to start storing up treasure in heaven where moth doesn't get to and there is no rust by doing what God's call us to do. And then Jesus says, I'm also gonna write on you my new name. First John 3.2 says, beloved, we are God's children now and what we will be had not yet appeared. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him because we shall see him as he is. Faithful church, faithful Christian. Jesus has a new name that he wants to write on your life. So start living with the end in mind. We'll navigate the way that you talk to your family, to your friends, your kids. So to the angel of the church in Raytown, right. What would Jesus say after he says, I know your works? Would he praise us? Were we more faithful to him than the stadium down the street? Church, do you faithfully keep God's word? (gentle piano music) I come back to it, some of you need to be discipled. Some of you need to be mentors. This is a great opportunity too, even right now to do a gut check on your marriage. Does this book men get opened in your home? Talk to me about how you keep God's name.

(gentle piano music) How do these things go in your relationships, in your workplace, in your schools, your neighborhoods, your community? Church, it's time that we start living with the end in mind. Start living faithfully to God's word, and to his name. I'm gonna ask us in this moment just to be quiet, for everyone to bow their heads, close their eyes. For some of you, doing business with those two primary emphases, keeping God's word in his name. This is an opportunity for you to do that right now. (soft music) if you've never surrendered your life to Jesus, is your personal Lord and Savior. I remind you that Jesus is coming soon. And I would invite you today to give your heart and your life to Him. To receive the promises that He wants to write His name on your life. So if you're ready to receive Jesus as your Savior, I'm just gonna pray a simple prayer. Where you're seated, where you're watching, you can just repeat those words even silently. Jesus, thank you for creating me and for loving me. Even when I've ignored you and gone my own way, I know I need you in my life. I'm sorry for my sins against you and others. I believe you died on the cross from my sins and you rose again, you are God and I am not.

I ask you to forgive me and as much as I know how, I'm ready to change direction by giving you my life. I'm ready to follow you from now on and do what you want me to do. So please come into my life, make me new on the inside. Help me to grow so I can be like you. (gentle music) Nobody looking around right now. If you prayed that prayer for the first time, surrendered your heart to Jesus, I'm just gonna ask you to just silently raise your hand, hold it up high. I'm gonna have an usher come around, so keep your hand up. They're gonna slip a Bible into your hands. We're not gonna make a big deal about it. If you're watching us online and you just prayed that prayer for the first time, I'd love for you to go to the web address you see on the screen, graceway.app. We ask you to do that. We handed you a Bible, it's got a card in it. I would love to have you fill that out and let us know that God's transformed your heart in your life today so that we can celebrate that with you. Church, can we do that right now? Celebrate those lives transformed by Jesus. (audience applauding)