Jesus - The ultimate doorman
In Revelation 3:7-8, Jesus claims to “hold the key of David,” which is a direct reference to Isaiah 22:22. It tells a story of God replacing a selfish steward, Shebna, with a godly one, Eliakim. God placed the “key to the house of David” on Eliakim’s shoulder giving him divine authority over the coming and goings of the king’s palace. Poetically stated: no one can close a door he opens and no one can open a door he closes. No one sees the king without going through the steward and his word is final.
Eliakim served King Hezekiah of Judah, while the Lord Jesus could only be steward to one, God the Father. If Jesus is the steward of heaven, then it follows he controls who enters and who doesn’t. This is essentially reinforcing the concept of the predestined elect! The door is open for this church in Philadelphia even though they are at some risk of losing their crowns. Even if their crowns were stolen, the door would still be open; no thief can cause a door to shut that Jesus opened!
This is the best news! The door is open for those of us who believe in Jesus. It doesn’t matter how we feel about it. It doesn’t matter how much stuff we got wrong. It doesn’t matter who we think we are. It doesn’t matter what we fear. No amount of guilt can shut the door Jesus has opened! We don’t need to walk under those burdens, there is freedom, victory, and confidence in Christ as well. Salvation is constant and firm and completely safe, it is simply not dependent on us. That’s enough reassurance for a lifetime!
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38, 39
Jonathan Duncan
EFCC Member
A Letter to Overmatched People
Series: VII: Letters to the Church
A Study of the Book of Revelation
Text: Revelation 3:7-13
Speakers: Pastor Ryan Paulson
June 8, 2025: On Sunday, Pastor Ryan Paulson continued our latest series on the book of Revelation. The sermon message, entitled "A Letter to Overmatched People," was presented. We hope you're enjoying the exciting study of this book of Scripture.
God’s Faithfulness
Psalm 37:1-7
Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
be not envious of wrongdoers!
For they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb.
Trust in the Lord, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!
Revelations 3:5 The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.
EFCC Writing Team
"God’s Protection”
Psalm 3:1-7
The church in Sardis is facing spiritual death, and Jesus' message calls them to wake up and strengthen what remains. This echoes the desperate cries for help and reliance on God's power found in Psalm 3.
O Lord, how many are my foes!
Many are rising against me;
many are saying of my soul,
“There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah
But you, O Lord, are a shield about me,
my glory, and the lifter of my head.
I cried aloud to the Lord,
and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah
I lay down and slept;
I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.
I will not be afraid of many thousands of people
who have set themselves against me all around.
Arise, O Lord!
Save me, O my God!
For you strike all my enemies on the cheek;
you break the teeth of the wicked.
Salvation belongs to the Lord;
your blessing be on your people!
Revelation 3:4, Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.
EFCC Writing Team
"My Soul Thirsts”
Psalm 63:1-8
Psalm 63 describes a deep spiritual thirst, mirroring the need for spiritual nourishment that Jesus addresses in Revelation 3.
O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
beholding your power and glory.
Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
So I will bless you as long as I live;
in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,
and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
when I remember you upon my bed,
and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
for you have been my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.
Revelation 3 addresses the church in Sardis, urging them to be watchful, remember what they received, and repent for their lackluster works. Both passages emphasize the need for a sincere relationship with God and the consequences of complacency.
EFCC Writing Team
Create in Me a Clean Heart
Psalm 51
This psalm of David emphasizes the need for repentance and the desire for God's forgiveness. It aligns with Revelation 3:3, which urges the church in Sardis to remember, hold fast, and repent.
Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment.
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
Revelation 3:3, Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.
EFCC Writing Team
“Probe My Heart”
This week the writing team wanted to share some Psalms that correlate with Revelation 3. We hope you will be blessed.
Psalm 17:1-7
Psalm 17's plea for God to "probe my heart" and "examine me at night" mirrors the call to "wake up" and "strengthen what remains" in Revelation 3:2. The church in Sardis is urged to re-evaluate their spiritual state and strengthen their commitment to Christ.
Hear a just cause, O Lord; attend to my cry!
Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit!
From your presence let my vindication come!
Let your eyes behold the right!
You have tried my heart, you have visited me by night,
you have tested me, and you will find nothing;
I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.
With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips
I have avoided the ways of the violent.
My steps have held fast to your paths;
my feet have not slipped.
I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
incline your ear to me; hear my words.
Wondrously show your steadfast love,
O Savior of those who seek refuge
from their adversaries at your right hand.
Psalm 17:15, "I, too, am convinced that you are true, my heart, and I know that you will answer me. Turn your ear to me and hear my prayer".
Sardis: A Letter to a Dead and Dying People
Series: VII: Letters to the Church
A Study of the Book of Revelation
Text: Revelation 3:1-6
Speakers: Pastor Dennis Keating
June 1, 2025: On Sunday, former Emmanuel Faith Senior Pastor Dennis Keating continued our latest series on the book of Revelation. The sermon message, entitled "Sardis: A Letter to a Dead and Dying People," was presented. We hope you're enjoying the exciting study of this book of Scripture.
Created for Wholeness
You’ve likely seen the headlines… “Pastor Falls from Grace”... “Christian Leadership Scandal”... “Minister Resigns…” Sadly, these are actual posts; real-life stories of people who were committed to serving the Lord with their lives, but when temptation hit, they succumbed to sin, and the world looked on. No doubt, those who are in positions of Christian leadership swim in a giant fish bowl for all to see.
In Revelation 2, Jesus warns the Church in Thyatira to beware of the seductive temptress Jezebel. Many have tolerated her and given in to her sinful ways. Yet for those who stand firm, Jesus says, 25 “Only hold fast what you have until I come. 26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, 27 and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. 28 And I will give him the morning star.” (Revelation 2:25-28)
So what does it mean to “hold fast”... to “conquer”... and “keep my works until the end”? It doesn’t start in the pulpit, the foyer, the office, the counseling room, or even in the home. It begins in the heart.
In Proverbs 23:19 & 26, King Solomon wisely entreats, “My child, listen and be wise: Keep your heart on the right course.”...“O my son, give me your heart. May your eyes take delight in following my ways.”
Giving God our hearts requires spending time with him. It includes surrender — relinquishing our own desires, thoughts, and feelings to him. It means allowing his light, grace, and forgiveness to shine on the areas that we keep hidden from the world. It involves listening for his voice and stepping out (or staying still) in faith, following when and where he leads. Giving God our hearts involves giving him every part of us, for God desires our wholeness. He cares deeply for our minds, bodies, emotions, relationships, vocations, resources, and spirit. Any part that is off-kilter can and likely will affect the whole.
In John 10:10, Jesus says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” What are the thieves in your life that are seeking to steal, kill or destroy? What is most dear to your heart? To whom or what have you given your soul? Does what is on the inside match what the world sees?
Consider sitting with Jesus today and ask him to reveal what part you are holding onto — what have you not given to him? Your Creator’s desire for you is for your fullness, for rich abundance… for wholeness, for this is how he created you to live!
Lynette Fuson
Care & Counseling Director
Practicing the Psalms
The Church in Thyatira was given a warning: beware, repent, turn away from sin, obey, and hold fast… trust. When we follow God’s directives, something powerful and sweet happens in the depths of our souls. King David understood this, and he shared about this process in many of his Psalms.
Today, as a Spiritual Practice, consider following the REST model as a means of connecting with this Psalm of David.
R – Read Psalm 32 - slowly… allow the words to sink in.
E – Engage the text with your mind and heart — what stands out to you? What connects with your soul?
S – Sit with Jesus and listen for His voice. If you are struggling to hear Jesus, then ask him to speak to you.
T – Trust and take a step of obedience. Your God longs for your wholeness more than you can imagine! He is trustworthy — he is for you! Obedience is not an obligation to God — it is engaging in and experiencing God’s ultimate best for you.
Psalm 32
1 Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight!
2 Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
3 When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long.
4 Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.
5 Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.
6 Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment.
7 For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory.
8 The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.
9 Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.”
10 Many sorrows come to the wicked, but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord.
11 So rejoice in the Lord and be glad, all you who obey him! Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!
Remember this promise today: Your God will guide you. He has designed the best pathway for you. He will call you to obedience, he will advise you, he will watch over you, he will protect you, he will give you victory. Your God loves you!