Revelation 3:7-8

"Benediction" The word comes from two Latin words. The first is "bene" which means "good." We get the word beneficial from it. The second is "dictus" which means "word." It is the base of the word Dictionary.

So quite literally a benediction is a good word. It is a word of blessing; of wishing one good. Paul and the other Apostles would often put benedictions at the end of their letters. And we have a benediction, a blessing, at the end of our worship services. So a benediction is often a closing word which leaves one with hope.

That is what I want this sermon to be today. A closing word that wishes you well. A kind of closing blessing.

For this closing word I want to use a passage from Revelation, the book of endings and beginnings, of alpha and omega, as my model. First of all this is a letter send by Jesus to the church in Philadelphia. Philadelphia means "city of brotherly love." And I think it is fitting because of the love I have experienced here. You have been there as a family through the deaths of both Melissa's and my fathers. You have comforted us through the pains of raising our children and Melissa's blood clot. This has been a place where I and my family has been loved and where others are loved. If there is nothing else that could be said about Grace it is that it is a loving church.

The letter to that church in the city of brotherly love begins, "These are 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."(Rev. 3:7) Now of course this is Jesus, but the way he identifies himself is important. He is the one with the key. I have found that if you want to know who runs the show you look for the one with the key. The one who has all the keys to a building is responsible for it. Yet, even the janitor has a key. These, however, are no ordinary keys that Jesus has. These keys allow the holder to lock the door open or closed and no one else had a set like this. These are the keys of the executive director the only one who can open the safe and open the storehouses of the corporation. So what this key holder opens stays open and what he shuts stays shut.

Then Jesus the Key Holder says, "I know your works. Look I have set before you an open door which no one can shut. I know you have little power and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name."(3:8) I know your works. I have seen your willingness to reach out in love. The ambitious outreach program of this church is just one example. I was trying to make a list of the ministries of Grace for Rebecca and the outreach ministries filled a whole page single spaced 12 pt with narrow margins. I have also seen your dedication to God's word. What other church this size regularly has 5 Bible studies going on? In your Sunday school classes you truly try to delve into what the Bible says. To Philadelphia, Jesus, who is in control of opening and shutting the doors of opportunity in this universe, says, "I have opened a door that no one may shut." God has given you all you need and sometimes I don't think you see it. Jesus has opened a door of opportunity for you to reach out to a dying world. The love, support, and family atmosphere that we experience here is something that the world is literally dying for. There are people out there killing themselves because they lack the love and support that you give so freely here. There are people who are throwing their lives away on drugs and materialism and hedonism because they lack the presence of God that you teach so well here.

God has opened a door for you. It is a door of opportunity. An opportunity to grow and to serve. It may not be easy to go through that door but that is what Jesus is calling you to do. And you may have little power to move yourself but your faithfulness in the past is proof that you can do it with God's help.

Furthermore, Jesus is the one who opened that door. I didn't open that door, you didn't open that door, the Building Committee or Capital Campaign Coordinators didn't open that door, the Conference didn't open that door, only the Son of God opens this door because only he had the key. Jesus is also the only one who can shut it. The Devil can't shut it because he doesn't have the key. All the Devil can do is talk you into not going through the door.

Starting Wednesday I won't be your pastor anymore. But I will still be your friend in Christ. I can't come visit you as your pastor because I will have a church full of other people to minister to. But we can keep in touch. And I urge you to love Rebecca Wilkins and her family with the same Christian love and support you gave us. Now some people will take exception to the fact that you have a woman pastor. I know you won't because you know better. You know your Bible and the truth that some other Christians refuse to see. You know that in Christ there is no male or female. You know that Joel said that in the last days the Holy Spirit would be poured out on all flesh and your sons and your daughters would prophesy. You know that at Pentecost that prophesy was fulfilled and all those in the Upper Room, including the women, were moved by the Spirit to preach the Gospel in different languages. So when those other ignorant Christians make comments about the gender of your pastor you tell them the truth. As I move to Spartanburg remember that this may be the closing of a chapter but it is not the closing of a door. The door is open. Let the Spirit and its servant Rebecca lead you through the door.