Little Strength and his Victory: Children's Sermon.
St. John, in writing to the Churches of Asia, is only able to send two letters of unmixed praise: one to Smyrna and the other to Philadelphia. These letters were addressed to the angel of the Churches that, no doubt, was to the bishop or the head minister of the Church in each place so that he might read it to the people.
I. "I have set before thee an open door." This, no doubt, meant to the people of the Church of Philadelphia that God had prepared the way for them to preach the Gospel to others who had not yet heard it. What does it mean to us? Surely it means that God has given us some work to do for Him, that He has opened a door of usefulness for us. There are many people who will gladly do great things, but who will not condescend to think of little ones. It may only be your portion for a little while to do little things for the Master. Do not be above doing little things for Jesus. Remember that nothing is really little if it is done for Him. You would not call a house properly furnished if it only had a few large things in it. You want something more than a bedstead, a dining-table, and a piano. Two or three great acts won't furnish a Christian life, and make it look beautiful. Let us have the large pieces of furniture, but let us have something more. Many say, "I can do nothing, because I have so little strength, and my faith is so very weak." There are too many little-strength and weak-faith Christians, and very many of them have not the least right to be so. Do you want to know how you may become a little-strength and a weak-faith Christian, so that the Lord may get no glory out of your life, and that your face may ever say, "It is not beautiful to be a Christian; the Lord's yoke is not easy: it is very hard; His burden is not light: it is very heavy"? Then I will tell you how to do it; it is so easy. Don't use the little strength God has given you; that is all. The man laid up the talent in a napkin, and of course it gained nothing; but, worst of all, he had that taken from him. So, if you do not use your little strength, even the little you have will all go; it will be taken from you.
II. These people not only used their little strength, but they were also brave. They had not denied Christ's name. Although persecuted for His name's sake, they had not hidden their colours; they had not denied His name. There were those looking on who were of the synagogue of Satan, no doubt some of them their persecutors; but, through the patient endurance of the Christians of Philadelphia, they were won for God. To Smyrna God had promised that the synagogue of Satan should not prevail against them; that means that God would shield and protect His people from the power of their enemies: but we have a fuller promise here they shall not only be kept from the power of their enemies, but they shall win some of them over to God's side: "I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee." They would show by their lives that God was with them, and that He loved them.
J. Stephens, Light for Little Lanterns,p. 173.
References: Revelation 3:7-13. Expositor,1st series, vol. iii., p. 282.Revelation 3:8-10. Spurgeon, Sermons,vol. xxx., No. 1814.