Open Up!

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It’s funny being up here and speaking. I spent most of my life speaking and now it is the least thing I do.
Who am I?
Testimony
Ministry: U of A, Chico, Boston, UMass, most recently UCO with Charlie Bunn while I was getting my training as a spiritual director. (Shout out to Charlie and Dona’s heart for internationals).
Dark Nights-Wall
SIFT
Spiritual Formation/Direction
What is sf? Direction?
an overview of spiritual direction
Spiritual direction is about companioning someone in their life with God, helping them notice, pay attention, discern, hear their confession of sin, be a confidential listener, all of this while helping direct their attention to God.
A lot of people don’t know what’s happening in their soul. They have a surface level understanding of their identity in Christ and perhaps they’re calling to some degree. For instance, I asked what was going on in one of our staffs soul, and she said “I don’t know. I know who I am, and what I do, but I don’t know that“
GRAPL
The goals, roles, agenda, process, and level of authority of the facilitator are radically different from that of coaching, mentoring, discipling, pastoring and counseling. The real goal is to focus our attention on Him and His formation of you.
SF Specialist: to help staff in their spiritual formation into Christ-likeness post internship. Chi Alpha has had a huge investment in reaching students, discipling and developing leaders, pouring into and training interns. What we are currently working on is how to help you post internship to keep growing and developing in very intentional ways. 
The national office exists to help develop our missionaries. My role, as we are developing this new department of missionary formation, concerns developing resources and being a resource to our missionaries and I have a heart for South Central. I want to see you all flourishing in your walk with Jesus, in your prayer life, in discernment, character, and depth, etc. I don’t want you to get sifted.
My Info:
If you’d like to get in touch with me, my email is sadams@ag.org
Intro:
Today, I’d like for us to look at a Psalm. We’re going to read through it a few times before getting started.
Psalm 24
A psalm of David.
1 The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it.
The world and all its people belong to him.
2 For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas
and built it on the ocean depths.
3 Who may climb the mountain of the LORD?
Who may stand in his holy place?
4 Only those whose hands and hearts are pure,
who do not worship idols
and never tell lies.
5 They will receive the LORD’s blessing
and have a right relationship with God their savior.
6 Such people may seek you
and worship in your presence, O God of Jacob.
Interlude
Open up, ancient gates!
Open up, ancient doors,
and let the King of glory enter.
8 Who is the King of glory?
The LORD, strong and mighty;
the LORD, invincible in battle.
Open up, ancient gates!
Open up, ancient doors,
and let the King of glory enter.
10 Who is the King of glory?
The LORD of Heaven’s Armies—
he is the King of glory.
Interlude
Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Ps 24). Tyndale House Publishers.Read the entire Psalm then go through each part.
Prayer-Silence-Read 3x-Share-Reflect-Respond-Receive
Summary:
God owns everything and everyone.
Humanity turned on Him and closed their hearts and doors and even nations have rejected Him.
They desperately need Him, but their hands are dirty with sin and they have turned to idols.
Blessing and vindication, a right relationship with God comes to those who are washed and they will ascend the mountain of the LORD.
Often we do the same thing as believers. We dirty our hands, minds, and hearts, with idols and descend the mountain and miss out on many blessings.
They nations have closed their doors on Him and many times we do too. We must admit this and open up or we will be quickly overcome and burned out in our ministry for God.
The psalmist calls us to lift up our heads, open our gates and doors and let Him in.
God is much bigger and more glorious than we can imagine. Why would we not look up and open up?
The nations need Him, but so do we. Without the King of Glory, we are powerless to reach them. Only our open door policy, our opening up and allowing His constant presence will we be able to sustainably seek and serve, share and persuade them to open their doors.
There are powers, very ancient powers that have put locks on their doors and gates. They have lost hope and their heads are down. With this King of Glory in us and with us, we can see them smashed and they will see Him in us and receive Him as their King.
The nations need Him, but so do we. Without the King of Glory, we are powerless to reach them. Only our open door policy, our opening up and allowing His constant presence will we be able to sustainably seek and serve, share and persuade them to open their doors.
Boice on the Structure
Inner Holiness-Outer Holiness-Right w/Ppl-Right w/God
“To have a “pure heart” refers to inward holiness. It is what Jesus was speaking of in the Sermon on the Mount when he said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matt. 5:8).
“Clean hands” designate one who is holy in deed, that is, in outward actions as well as inwardly. Such a person is the exact opposite of Pilate, for although he washed his hands publicly, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood” (Matt. 27:24), nevertheless he was guilty. He was guilty of violating the laws of Rome as well as of his conscience by agreeing to the crucifixion of one he had three times declared innocent (cf. John 18:38; 19:4, 6).
The second line of verse 4 refers to one who has a right relationship to God; he worships the true God, not idols.
The third line describes one who has a right relationship to others. He is an honest person; he has not sworn falsely.”
(Boice, J. M. (2005). Psalms 1–41: An Expositional Commentary (p. 217). Baker Books.)
Boice on David bringing the Ark/Jesus entering Jerusalem
“in the Jewish liturgy, Psalm 24 was always used in worship on the first day of the week. The first day of the week is our Sunday. So, putting these facts together, we may assume that these were the words being recited by the temple priests at the very time the Lord Jesus Christ mounted a donkey and ascended the rocky approach to Jerusalem. The people who were outside the walls, who were approaching Jerusalem with him, exclaimed:
Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest! (Matt. 21:9).
Inside the priests were intoning:
Lift up your heads, O you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is he, this King of glory?
The Lord Almighty—
he is the King of glory. Selah (Ps. 24:9–10).”
(Boice, J. M. (2005). Psalms 1–41: An Expositional Commentary (pp. 214–215). Baker Books.)
Jerusalem and Jesus
The donkey on which Jesus was seated was like David and the priests bringing the presence and representation of God in Jesus into the city of Jerusalem.
Jerusalem opened up to Jesus and let Him ride in on a donkey. They were content to let Him speak and heal, but quickly crucified Him after He said they needed to feast on Him, abide in Him, and see Him as God. They were only open to what He would give them, to what was comfortable, and on their timing. They didn’t really want Him as He is. Those doors and gates were shut and He knew it when He rode through town on a donkey weeping for the city that was initially laying down palm branches and crying out, “Save us! Save us!” Their mouths were open, but their hearts and ears were not.
And He says,

Jesus Grieves over Jerusalem

37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. 38 And now, look, your house is abandoned and desolate. 39 For I tell you this, you will never see me again until you say, ‘Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD!’”

Are we like Jerusalem? Are you? Is there something that you are closed to Jesus saying? Asking? Is He grieving over something in your heart? Are your hands clean? Your thoughts?
Would you let Him wash you even now?
1st Half/2nd Half Summary
The first half is a journey up then turns to the journey in.
The first half is us trying to get to God. The second is God trying to get to us.
The first half sounds impossible, the bad news of the Gospel.
The second half sounds like the good news. Open up and He will come in.
The first half is I can’t. The second is He can.
Moses was instructed to take off His shoes cause he was on holy ground. God calls him and he says, I can’t!
Peter says, Go away I’m sinful. Jesus says, Don’t be afraid. Now you’ll be fishing for men.
Peter also says I have a different plan for you Jesus. Jesus says, Back off devil!
We can’t fulfill God’s will without being filled full!
We need Him!!!
Reviewing Discover the Nations Content
(The Nations) You’ve heard how unreached they are.
You’ve heard the strategic nature of this mission field:
How they are away from their families, culture, societal norms and pressures,
How this timing of their lives is so formative and opportune
You been hearing about how to reach them, methods, activities, strategies, statistics, apologetics, 3D Gospel and ways to present the truth in different cultures, etc.
But what about you? Are you open to the LORD? Is your head lifted up towards Him? Are the doors of your heart all open? Is the gate of your schedule open to Him? Are you planning to go out in your own strength for this mission?
With a mission so strategic, what spiritual needs do we ourselves need? If all fruit comes from Him, what opening needs to happen in us to release more of His presence into our lives? What strength do we need? What temperature of faith? What viscosity, thickness of soul of anointing do we need? What structures do we need in place? What rhythms? How do we open ourselves up?
How might the LORD be asking you to respond to Him?
Looking back:
We had an American Friends program and a weekly meal with internationals for years. We absolutely love internationals, but looking back… I know that we did not pray and fast enough. We loved and served them, but we didn’t carry the presence of God all of the time. We didn’t intercede enough for them. This is supernatural work. I don’t have grace. I don’t have power. What I have for this ministry to internationals is to stay connected to Him, opened up to Him, lavishly loving and filled with Him!
They need to see Jesus and feel God’s Spirit as they are around us!
They need to be delivered and set free by the King of Glory. Only He can do that!
They need their eyes opened from darkness and those ancient doors need opened. Only the King can do that!
Yes the King moves through us and we have received an anointing and sent out in His name, but this does not negate the fact that we are called to open up, look on Him, make room for Him, let Him in the ring, be fascinated with Him, enamored with Him!
Vision of the Wind
“My Wind is coming to replace all that has replaced My Wind”
“Whatever space you give Me, I will fill.”
Altar:
Lift up your heads!
Open up your hearts!
Illustration: Key ring.
Me: Take out your keys and hold them. Have them do the same.
I have keys for lots of things I can lock or open. God wants all of the doors of your heart open.
St. Francis: Preacher or Prayer?
Practiced weeks of prayer followed by weeks of ministry (repeat).

4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

What is keeping your doors closed? What doors aren’t open? Where is the LORD knocking on your heart?
What space are you giving to Him? Creating for Him? How sustainable is your pace? May it be at the pace of grace!
Our mission for God cannot exceed our formation in Him.
Oh may your mission for Him not outpace your formation in Him.
Are you doing more ministry for Him than with Him?
Do you not see that we have nothing to offer apart from our with-ness of the Spirit? We must be with Him! Full of Him.
Revelation 3:20 ESV
20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
Listen to the context of this passage:

14 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s new creation:

15 “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! 16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! 17 You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. 18 So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. 19 I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference.

20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. 21 Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.

22 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.”

I like how the Message phrases the last verse:

22  “Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches.”

Imaginative Prayer
See this play out in your imagination. See Him standing outside. Hear Him knocking. What desire does He have for you? What will He say to you when you open up to Him? See that locked door open up to Him. See Him come inside? What do you feel? What is His response?
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