ETC 4420 Day 10 (7pm)

Philadelphia

Philadelphia (Revelation 3.7-13)

The last church on our journey together, although the Book of Revelation travels to Laodicea.

You may choose to go there for your assignment.

What does the Risen Jesus say to this church?

How does Jesus introduce himself?
What does he know?
What does he see in the church that he approves?
What does he see that he criticises?
What does he offer the one who overcomes?
What were the issues for the church leaders when they next met?
How could they lead with Mark 10.40-45 to guide them?
What can the other six churches (and churches today) learn from hearing the Risen Jesus speaking to this church as he does?

What does a praying church look like?

The disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray and he gave them (and us) the Lord’s Prayer.

Paul urges churches to pray.

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people 1 Timothy 2.1-6

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God Philippians 4.6

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water Hebrews 10.19-22.

Imagine that the church in Philadelphia longs to grow in prayer, and to be a church that is constantly prayerful.

How do you respond if someone asks you: “What does a praying church look and feel like?”

What does a praying church involve?
Here is a description of a praying church from Peter Adam

A praying church …

• Comes to God our Father in prayer through the atoning sacrifice of Christ our mediator and high priest, prompted and taught by the Holy Spirit and his Bible.
• Relates constantly to God in prayer, praise, thanksgiving, worship, intercession, confession of sins, lament, self-offering and trust, and casts all its cares on God
• Prays for the church, for the community, for the nation, for the world, and for God’s great gospel plan.
• Knows that all it does depends directly and constantly on the power of God, and so does not finally trust in good plans, gifted people, correct theology, hard work or busyness, but on God alone.
• Shapes its prayers and intercessions by God’s priorities, not its own needs and wants, while still being honest and open to God and brings those needs and wants to him in prayer.
• Trusts in our God who hears our prayers, and does not trust in their praying.
• Does not think that God’s ‘no’, or ‘not yet’ is an unanswered prayer.
• Which prays with long-term gospel goals for its local communities, and prays long-term for God to achieve those long-term goals.
• Which prays with long-term global gospel goals, and prays long-term for God to achieve those long-term goals: praying for missionaries, for overseas churches and ministries, and for nations.
• Which prays that God will raise up from among the congregation workers for God’s gospel harvest in Australia and overseas.
• Is where individuals pray, married couples pray together, families pray together, friends pray together, ministry teams pray together, and the church prays together.
• Is where in which people pray big prayers to our big God to achieve his big gospel plan, and also a church in which people know they can pray little prayers about the smallest details of their lives, trusting in their loving heavenly Father.
• Is where young people and new Christians learn to pray by watching the example of the church and its praying, and by joining in that praying.
• Is where people are taught how to pray as part of their discipleship, coached in their praying, and who are life-long-learners in their praying.
• Is where the church repents of prayerlessness.
• Is where people plan to pray, make time to pray, and also pray spontaneously alone and with each other.
• Is where all are encouraged to pray by the prayerfulness of others.
• Is where all know that God is always more ready to hear our prayers than we are to pray, is able to do far more than we ask or imagine, and that he will bring glory to himself in the church and in Christ Jesus.
• Is where leaders lead in praying, providing prayer leadership by example and by their encouragement to others in their prayers.
• Is a church in which the ministers are committed to ‘prayer and the ministry of the word’ [Acts 6:4]

Discussion

What is valuable about this list?
What is missing from this list?
What would be a sensible first step?

Reflection

What have you learned from writing prayers over these two weeks?

What prayers have been easiest to write?
What do you know about why?
What prayers have been harder to write?
What do you know about why?

When could you take a first step, by writing a prayer for someone to pray, or a group to pray, or by writing a prayer that you are praying for an individual or a group, and sharing the prayer with them to encourage them?

Homework

Write a prayer for the church in Philadelphia, thanking the Risen Jesus for his words, and asking God’s wisdom to help the church to be a praying church, and to become more prayerful individuals.

As you write the prayer for them to use, asking God to help them respond to their own letter from the Risen Jesus, encourage them by drawing on Revelation 21-22, describing the Marriage of Heaven and Earth.

Use some of the language or imagery from anywhere in Revelation 21-22 in your prayer to motivate the church in Philadelphia to hear (and obey) what the Spirit is saying to the churches.

As you write your prayer, keep Mark 10.40-45 in mind, clarify what you are not going to do, as you serve them, whose teaching and example you are following, and where your praying is heading, as you look towards the coming of God’s new creation.

Please email your response to [email protected] by 5pm on Monday

Thank you for our time together. I have enjoyed getting to know you. I have learned from you and learned with you. Please know that I will continue to pray for you in the weeks and months ahead. I will be praying that God will graciously answer your prayers in ways that are beyond anything that you can think to ask, or imagine that he might do. I will pray that he does that for you in Ethiopia and across the world.

I look forward to reading your prayers, as a servant leader for an individual, and your prayers as a servant a leader for a church.

Johnny Juckes. June 2025

ETC4420 (530pm) sessions

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