I Stand at the Door and Knock
Notes
Transcript
Intro; This morning we come to the last message in our “Out of Context” series. This message very well might be the most important message we will look at. The reason I say this is because even though this scripture is taken out of context for a very good purpose, probably for the right reason, and to the benefit of all who hear it, but too often the real context of the scripture is forgotten and overlooked to the detriment of the church itself.
The scripture is found in the Book of Revelation, chapter 3, and it is part of the letter to the church at Laodicea. The letter to this church is the most well known, the least liked and has had more sermons preached on it than all the other letters to the seven churches combined. This letter is to the lukewarm church of Laodicea!
Text; Rev. 3:20
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 dine with him, and he with Me.
Prayer
1. Invitation from Christ; 20
1. Invitation from Christ; 20
I believe there is nothing wrong with taking this scripture and using it as an evangelistic tool to help one see the need to receive Christ as Savior but it must also never be forgotten the intent of what Jesus was saying to the church!
Lets look at this as an invitation to salvation in Christ; “Out of Context”
[v.20a] We have a picture here of Jesus knocking at the door of someone’s heart, desiring to come into to their life as Lord and Savior.
44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.
[20b] We see where the individual hears the calling of God to salvation and they respond by opening the door of their heart to Jesus.
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
[v.20c] Dine means to break bread and fellowship together.
23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.
30 Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.
31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.
32 And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?”
So when we share the gospel of Jesus with someone, we see why this scripture is used to help people understand the process of coming to faith in Christ and starting a new life in Him.
But that is not the context of how this scripture is meant by Christ as He reveals to the apostle John what needs to be said to the church! Those that are already saved!
2. The Peoples Church; 14
2. The Peoples Church; 14
“Of the Laodiceans” lets one know right off the bat that the church did not belong to Jesus but to the religious.
It is the only church of the seven that does not imply a location but a people. “Of” implies the church belongs to a people and not to Christ!
Laodicea means “justice of the people or civil rights of people”. When we think of justice or civil rights we think of equal treatment of others. Here it is used to mean the rights of people and not of God.
25 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
Jesus was not king/head of this church! And if Jesus is not the head, the body is dead!
A survey of churches in America reveal some startling facts;
15% of church members cannot be found on any given Sunday
25% of church members never pray
35% of church members never attend services
45% of church members never give
55% never attend Sunday School
65% have never given to missions
75% never attend Sunday night
85% never attend prayer meetings or Bible study in mid week services
90% never have family worship/prayer/devotions at home
95% of all church members have never shared the Gospel with the lost
How does the church go from the NT church in the Book of Acts, where thousands are being saved to a church that is falling away into apostasy?
3. Worthless Works; 15-16
3. Worthless Works; 15-16
Works is the attitude, intentions and desire one has in serving the Lord.
Lukewarm- neither hot nor cold; a condition of independence, pride and religion.
Laodicea was a prideful and passionless church. If you were to go to that church you would find there was;
No fire in the choir
No power in the pulpit
No passion in the pews
No celebration in the congregation
No intensity in the invitation
No sorrow over their sin
Lukewarm liquid is used as an emetic. It creates nausea for one who has swallowed poison in order to make them vomit and get the poison out of their system. A lukewarm church is an emetic to Christ!
In [Mt. 23:13-33], Jesus condemns the scribes and Pharisees [religious leaders] in Jerusalem because they had become lukewarm and were destroying the people they were suppose to be guiding to God.
He uses the word “woe” 8 times, “fools and blind” 4 times, “hypocrites” 7 times, and “serpents-brood of vipers’ once.
That doesn’t sound like words of praise for good works!
This is the only church of the seven that never receives any praise
This is the only church that was rich in spiritual pride but was bankrupt in saving grace
This is the only church that had no faith at all
This is the only church that had locked Jesus out
This is the only church that made Jesus sick!
4. Wealthy Without God; 17
4. Wealthy Without God; 17
Laodicea was a very wealthy area that raised sheep with black wool for fine clothing. It was also known for its medical marvel that made eye salve/powder for the blind, and was the banking center for commercial trade in the Roman Empire.
This church had the best buildings, finest furnishings, educated pastors, all the bells and whistles that any church could ever want or need, and all the prominent citizens of the community attended it.
This church was so satisfied with their wealth that they couldn’t see their true condition, spiritually bankrupt!
[17b] Wretched -afflicted and suffering spiritually
Miserable - spiritually destitute, pitiful
Poor - spiritually powerless, helpless and poverty stricken
Blind - no spiritual vision or understanding
Naked - spiritually unclothed/unrighteous
Jesus was telling this church they were on spiritual life support and He was fixing to pull the plug unless there were some signs of life!
5. Christs’ Council; 18-19
5. Christs’ Council; 18-19
Jesus gives council to this church of what must take place for them to be in the will of God again.
Buy Refined Gold- get spiritual riches in Christ
8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
White Garments- spiritual clothes of righteousness
24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Anoint your Eyes- spiritual sight
12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
All of these things are part of the process of repentance! Jesus loves His church enough to chastise it when it falls away to where it will return to Him and not become worthless, die and lose it’s rewards.
Thom S. Rainer wrote the Autopsy of a Deceased Church in 2014. He makes this statement in the introduction of the book;
“Autopsies are performed on humans to find out why they died. The discoveries might give surviving family members information they need to know to avoid the same path as their loved one.”
Jesus is giving the church information that must be heeded to avoid from dying the same spiritual death as the church at Laodicea!
6. Invitation; 20-22
6. Invitation; 20-22
[Put up a picture by Holman Hunt of Christ knocking at a door]
The interesting thing about this picture is that there is no handle/knob on the side of the door Jesus is standing on. The only way the door can be opened is from the inside. that means whoever is on the inside has to make a choice to answer Jesus, or let him stand outside until He goes away.
Door of the Church; If you are here today and you are saved and belong to Jesus, but you are not committed to the ministry of this local assembly, I encourage you to consider Westview to be your church home.
If you are here today as a born again believer and a member of Westview, but you haven’t been obedient in serving God with your time, talents, gifts and tithes, if Jesus is knocking on the door of your heart this morning, I encourage you to repent and rededicate your life to serve and honor Him.
Door of the Lost; You might be here today as a sinner, stained with sin, never washed in the blood of Christ, if Jesus is knocking on the door of your heart, would you open your that door this morning, repent and be saved?
Jesus is knocking and pleading for someone to let Him in today?
Will you open the door?
