Open Doors
round:yellow;mso-highlight:yellow'>Open DoorsRev. 3:20 Rev. 3:8-10a
Introduction:
I have for your consideration “Two Doors.”
· Both of them have been set before you by an Omnip, Onis, Omnipre CREATOR God,
· At the 1st door, God stands outside and knocks. If you choose to open, He will come in.
· If you have opened the 1st door, God sets before you a 2nd door. This one God opens and invites you to come in.
I. The Door of Salvation:
Please open your copy of God’s Word to: (Rev 3:20) Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
The text is to be understood that this offer is applicable to all person.
ILLUSTRATION: Muslim convert in Uganda
· While in Uganda some time ago, my wife and I and our team were ministering on a highschool campus
· Young man approached my wife wanting one of the QT’s we were passing out.
· He gave her his testimony.
o Heard the message - Holy Spirit convicted his heart
o God knocked on his hearts door and he had to make a choice whether or not to go through that open door. After much consideration, he choose to receive God’s wonderful gift of salvation.
o This was not an easy choice for him to make for you see he was Muslem and his family were commtted Muslems.
o His choice had conesquences:
· 1st Bible
· 2nd Bible
· 3rd Bible – looking for a 4th.
o Said, “they can kill my body but they cannot kill my soul.“
Simple Questions
A. Who created the door for him to open?
1. It was not man! No isms, schisms, vain philosophies.
2. It was God. Before the foundations of the worlds were made, God had his plan of redemption.
· Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
· Joh 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
· Act 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
3. Fact is that God has created the door. We choose whether to open and invite Christ into our lives.
B. Why him? Why was it possible for this sinner, this Muslem – denier of the faith, to have access to the very God of the Universe?
1. Because God loves him.
· Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
· Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
· 1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
2. It is amazing to know that God knows everything about me and still loves me. In fact, it is not vain to say that He even likes me.
C. What did it mean for him to open the door? This is a cause and affect situation.
1. When he opened the door: Eternally- his sins were forgiven. Positionally - he now is a child of God. All that belongs to Christ, now, as an heir, is his!
2. But there were consequences: He paid with unmerciful beatings and loss.”Ya and all they that live godly will
D. Who can open this door?
1. Whosoevers of this world. Which to him was great news.
2. . . . if any man. . . Rom 10:13 . . . Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord,
Why this way? Why do we, why did he have to do it this way – Open the door of our heart and let him come in – Why: BECAUSE IT IS GOD’S DESIGN. HE DESIGNED IT THAT WAY.
How many of you, when God knocked on your heart’s door, asked Christ into your life? Are your Sins forgiven? Do you know you have heaven for all eternity? Are you Glad?
If you allowed Christ to enter this door, then know that THERE IS A SECOND DOOR . . . .
We often fail to even recognize that God has set before us another door. If we do, we are quick to deny and are comfortable to ignore its’ existence. We are quick to open the 1st door and do not want to deny its existence. If we did, it would mean hell for us for all eternity. But did it ever occur to us while we welcomed the first and deny the second that it is God that made the second one also?
II. Door of Service
To see this door, please open your copy of God’s Word to: Rev 3:8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
Different references to this passage tells of this church being right in the middle of harsh Jewish persecution. No one wanted to hear it! In their quest to preach Jesus name, many were threatened with great punishment if they did not deny Jesus Christ – but they didn’t. The text states: and hast not denied my name.
A door of service was opened for them.
A. Who opens this door?
1. Not opened by: Programs or Man's initiative
a. By looking to the world for its signals, the modern day church is suffering from an identity crisis of monumental proportions.
b. There are countless isms, scisms , emerging types and methods that have been created to reach out to the lost.
· One emerging church organization decided to evalute where they were after 20 years of ministry. The report reveals that most of what they have been doing for these many years and what they have taught millions of others to do is not producing solid disciples of Jesus Christ. Numbers yes, but not disciples. In their own words, “it was a FALIURE. “
c. With our programs and by our own initiatives . . . We are not "making it happen."
· With four babies being born every second and twice as many being born then die, all this adds up to a world population of 6.5 billion – MISSION IMPOSSIBLE if it is left up to us to open the doors of opportunities that would give everyone in this world a clear hearing of the Gospel.
· The missionaries are reaching about 2 million lost every year.
· Compare the 2 million with the millions in increases in world population annually. It looks frustrating. It is too overwhelming. Christian Victory
BUT NOTE, IT IS . . . .
1. Christ opens the door. He owns it. *Ultimately, God must be the driving force. He brings His glorious presence and all-sufficient power (OMINIPOTENCE, OMINPRESENCE AND OMNISCIENCE) to bear upon the door.
a. Our God knows the immensity of the situation, Zec 4:6 Then he answered and spoke unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
b. When we think that it is virtually impossible to reach people – especially right here in Winston Salem, that is when Christ surprises us with an incredible door of opportunity.
c. The problem is not how seemingly impossible the task is, the challenge is getting His people to go through a door He has created at any given moment.
d. Folks, it is Biblical to believe that God has opened and will continue to open doors for each believer for you – for me. This is happening all around and we don’t at times even know it. Or want to know it. All He asks is that we do our part!
2. Realizing that it is God who opens doors, Paul requested prayer to this end.
a. Paul said Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: (4) That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. (Col 4:3).
b. His concern was not so much for comfort for his body, but for opportunity to speak, to witness.
c. Paul did not force opportunities, but rather, through prayer, he depended on God to provide opportunities.
d. Thus, prayer for the harvesters involves praying that the saints will be given opportunities to witness.
*Steven J. Lawson, Southern Baptist Journal of Theology
ILLUSTRATION: French Foyas – Muslim Our desire is to see all come to a saving knowledge of Christ, our duty is what lies before us right now.
B. Why does the Lord create open doors for us?
1. Because God loves us. He likes us. He is confident that with the gifts and talents he has given to us, we can accomplish the purposes God has given us with each opportunity.
a. We may think that we are not worthy to go through the doors of great opportunity that the Lord has opened for us. So inadequate – so unworthy – so not qualified!
b. But trust the Lord when He says of each of us:
· Isa 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
· Jer 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
2. Because that’s God’s design.
a. (Door of salvation) Why does salvation require a blood sacrifice? Because that is God’s design.
· (Col 1:20) And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
· (Rom 5:9) Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him
· (Eph 1:7) In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
b. Why does God choose to use people? Because that is God’s design.
· HE APPROVES OF US -Joh 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
· HE TRUSTS US -Joh 15:15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
ILLUSTRATION: YRO – Marine – Kenya (Salute smartly and carry on!)
C. What does it mean to go through the open door?
· . . . especially those that . . . hast not denied my name.
1. Evidence of love and obedience. Our Lord could not have made it any planner to his friends . . .
· (Joh 14:15) If ye love me, keep my commandments.
· (Joh 15:10) If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
· Do we really love Him? Our Lord loved us so much that He died for us, would we go through a door of His making knowing that we might even . . . resisted unto blood . . . . John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
2. Rewards: There are many rewards that are ready for the saint that goes through this door.
· As one ancient saint said, For the rewards of heaven will be strictly in proportion to the measure of our religion here - the zeal, and faith, and love which we evince in the cause of our Master. (Albert Barnes)
· We think of the
a) Crown of righteousness (2Ti_4:8;
b) The Crown of Glory 1Pe_5:4;
c) The Crown of Life Jam_1:12; Rev_2:10;
d) The Incorruptible Crown. 1Co_9:25;
e) The promise of ETERNITY!! HEAVEN AND ALL THAT IT HOLDS FOR US David Brenner: "I love to live on the brink of eternity.
3. There will be glorious victories in the mists of incredible opposition.
· We will be no friend of this world if we go through this door. Joh 15:18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
· But as a friend of Jesus Christ, we are promised great victories 2Co 2:14-16 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. (15) For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: (16) To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?
D. Who has open doors?
Simply it is for the whosoever wills.
It is for all
Mat 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. (19) Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (20) Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
The great commission is not a calling – it is a command.
INVITATION:
1. How many of you, when God knocked on your heart’s door, asked Christ into your life?
2. Are your Sins forgiven?
3. Do you know you have heaven for all eternity?
4. Are you Glad you opened the door to Christ?
5. Are you willing to step through that “OTHER” door and share that very message with someone else?
· There are little boys and girls that are struggling in this city. Impoverished with dysfunctional parents. Fears of the unknown. Intimidated at school with no one that really cares.
· There is a teenage girl out there in this city somewhere that is pregnant and very alone and scared.
· There is a family struggling with insurmountable problems – the home is about to be destroyed.
· There is a person struggling with his belief in Christ.
They all need the Lord – They need you and me to tell them the truth!
There is not one person old or young that cannot be used somehow, some way tonight – tomorrow – there remainder of our days. We can give, we can pray, we can write, we can speak, we can GO!
This week you will hear from some of God’s chosen heroes of the many doors of opportunities available for you. Doors created by God and opened by His might omnipotent power.
What are we waiting for – let go get-em’!