Sermon Central
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Flinging The Door Wide Open
Contributed by Bruce Howell on Jan 26, 2009 (message contributor)
Summary: The necessity of and activity resulting from the decision to invite Christ into one’s life.
Flinging the Door Wide Open
HAVE YOU EVER GONE DOOR-KNOCKING? Have you ever been involved in a situation that required you to go to someone’s front door—cold turkey or otherwise? For example:
- Census taker
- Survey taker
- Charitable fund drive
- Visitation for church
- Trick or treat
What kind of reception were you desiring? What kind did you receive? What are some possibilities?
- door slammed in your face
- refusal to even acknowledge your presence
- crack in the door
- someone sic’s their dog on you
- an angry question as to your presence
On the other hand, how would you feel when the door is flung wide open and someone from within says, “Come on in and have a cup of tea. Stay as long as you like. My home is your home.”
According to Rev.3:20, Jesus speaks to the people of God; in a sense, He knocks at the entrance to their heart. This statement is made to a church, but I also believe it can be applied to the individual as well: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and we shall fellowship together.”
Jesus stands at the outside of every person’s life, seeking admission. Satan doesn’t knock—he’s already in!
Jesus begins knocking at our heart very early in our lives—from the time we are conscious of His presence. His is a knock of love. It is…
-persistent, but limited
-usually gentle, but sometimes He will pound, if necessary
He will never force His way in. The latch is on the inside. He is knocking this very moment. Have you ever let Him in?
Let me share four things that will happen when you fling the door of your heart open to Him.
1. SOME THINGS WILL HAVE TO GO IF HE COMES IN
We can’t continue practicing things He disapproves of. The old habits and attitudes just have to be cast off. And guess who does the casting off?
That’s not to say that we can’t slip, but that’s just what it is—a slip, a momentary pause in our behavior—not something done regularly done and built into the framework of our lives. And even when we do slip, we don’t stay there. In fact, we are shocked. We apologize at once to the Master and ask for forgiveness. Assured of His mercy, we go on immediately, with a fresh start, wiser and infinitely more careful to keep in step with our Lord.
Remember the woman taken in the act of adultery to Jesus? What did He say to her after her accusers left? He said, “Where are your accusers? Neither do I accuse you; go and sin no more.” He called for repentance—a sincere turning away from a lifestyle of sin. If Jesus comes in, sin must go! I Jn 3:6,9:
“No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.”
2. THE PAST MUST BE FORGIVEN WHEN CHRIST COMES IN
Everyone has something in their past—something on their conscience. And there is really no way for us to rid ourselves of the guilt that sin brings or the awful consequences that rest upon us.
A skillful psychiatrist can often diagnose a person’s trouble as “a conscience distress.” But only God can cure it! Jesus died and rose again for that very purpose.
Put away all excuses. Stop denying your basic human nature. Accept His forgiveness and walk through life clean. You have been made righteous by the precious blood shed to cover you past.
I once heard a story about Camelot when King Arthur was away. Guineve, his wife, was unfaithful with Sir Lancelot. When King Arthur returned he found out about the affair and had his wife placed in a convent for life. Towards the end of the story in a beautiful scene he goes down to the convent and visits her trying to make everything alright. In the closing lines of that scene he says, "Lo, I forgive thee even as the eternal God forgives." Then he turns and walks away. But that’s not how the eternal God forgives! He doesn’t leave you in the convent! He doesn’t leave you in your circumstance. Had he forgiven his wife the way God forgives he would have said, "Honey I forgive you, get your bags, the kids and I want you back. You’re coming home with us! You’re still my queen and you’re going to ascend the throne again. God forgives without conditions.
