Jesus Is Knocking

TITLE: JESUS IS KNOCKING 10/8/02

TEXT: REVELATION 3:14 - 20

INTRO:

JESUS HERE IN HIS LETTERS TO THE 7 CHURCHES OF ASIA, SPEAKS TO EACH OF THEM AND WITH EACH CHURCH, HE ADDRESSES A PARTICULAR PROBLEM.

1. 2:1 EPHESUS = DEPARTED, THEY HAD LEFT THEIR FIRST LOVE!

2. 2:8 SMYRNA = SUFFERING CHURCH

3. 2:12 PERGAMOS = DEFILED CHURCH – ALLOWED FALSE DOCTRINE

4. 2:18 THYATIRA = WORLDLY CHURCH – ALLOWED IMMORALITY

5. 3:1 SARDIS = WAS A DEAD CHURCH, LIKE THE MODERN DAY BAPTIST

6. 3:7 PHILADELPHIA = WAS A WEAK CHURCH

7. 3:14 LAODECIA = WAS A LUKE-WARM CHURCH

AND HERE IN 3:14 - 20 WE FIND JESUS SPEAKING TO THE CHURCH OF LAODECIA. THIS CHURCHES PROBLEM WAS THAT OF COMPROMISE, IT WASN’T HOT OR COLD, IT WAS JUST LUKE WARM. IF YOU WAS TO STUDY THIS TEXT YOU WOULD FIND THAT JESUS SPOKE NO GOOD WORDS TO THIS CHURCH, ONLY WORDS OF REBUKE AND CONDEMNATION. IN V.16 HE SAYS "I WILL SPUE THEE OUT OF MY MOUTH..."

GO DOWN TO V.20

HERE WE FIND THE CHURCHES MAIN PROBLEM, JESUS WAS ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE CHURCH AND WAS NOT WELCOMED IN. WE SEE THIS TODAY IN MANY OF THE CHURCHES ACROSS AMERICA - EVERYONE TALKS ABOUT GOD AND DOING GOOD, BUT THEY NEVER MENTION ANYTHING ABOUT –

· JESUS CHRIST

· THE OLD RUGGED CROSS

· NAIL SCARRED HANDS

· AND JESUS HAS BEEN LEFT OUTSIDE THE CHURCH.

BUT THEN THERE IS ANOTHER APPLICATION I WANT YOU TO SEE THIS MORNING. THIS VERSE HERE IN REV. 3:20 I BELIEVE PAINTS A WONDERFUL PICTURE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST OUTSIDE THE HEARTS DOOR OF MANKIND - KNOCKING AND WANTING TO COME IN.

ILL. YEARS AGO A MAN BY THE NAME OF HOLMAN HUNT PAINTED THIS PICTURE ON A PIECE OF CANVAS - JESUS STANDING THERE KNOCKING AT THE DOOR. SOMEONE CAME BY AND SAID " SIR YOU FORGOT TO PUT A HANDLE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE DOOR." MR. HUNT SAID "THIS DOOR ONLY HAS A HANDLE ON THE INSIDE AND YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN OPEN IT.

AS I PREPARED THIS MESSAGE, I THOUGHT WHAT A MARVELOUS PICTURE THIS IS.

* THE CREATOR KNOCKING ON THE DOOR OF THE CREATED.

* THE INFINITE KNOCKING ON THE DOOR OF THE FINITE.

* THE ALMIGHTY KNOCKING ON THE DOOR OF THE FRAIL.

* THE LOVING KNOCKING ON THE DOOR OF THE SELFISH AND HATEFUL.

* THE CRUCIFIED KNOCKING ON THE DOOR OF THOSE WHO CRUCIFIED HIM.

DEAR FRIEND IN ALL THE WORLD, THERE IS NOT A MORE BEAUTIFUL PICTURE THAN THIS OF THE LORD JESUS KNOCKING AT THE HEARTS DOOR.

LET ME SAY AS WE GET INTO THE MESSAGE TODAY, JESUS IS STILL KNOCKING AT THE HEARTS OF THE LOST AND THOSE WHO ARE OFF INTO A LIFE OF SIN.

NOTICE WITH ME FIRST OF ALL....

I. GOD’S UNTIRING PATIENCE

BEHOLD, I STAND AT THE DOOR AND KNOCK....

I BELIEVE GOD, WHO MADE MAN’S HEART FOR HIMSELF AND WHO SEES FROM THE BEGINING TO THE END, KNOWS OF THE TRAGEDY THAT WILL FOLLOW WHEN A MAN, WOMAN, BOY OR GIRL CLOSES THEIR HEARTS DOOR AND WILL NOT LET HIM IN.

BUT BECAUSE OF HIS GREAT LOVE FOR YOU THIS MORNING, JESUS STANDS THERE PATIENTLY WAITING, EVER SO GENTLY KNOCKING AT YOUR DOOR! WHY WON’T YOU LET HIM COME IN? THERE IS NOT A DAY THAT GOES BY THAT THE SAVIOR DOES NOT KNOCK.

SOMETIMES HE KNOCKS THROUGH –

· TRAGEDY, FINANCIAL LOSS

· SICKNESS, DEATH

· WHATEVER THE CASE, JESUS STANDS THERE PERSISTENTLY KNOCKING AT YOUR DOOR.

ILL. I REMEMBER AS A LOST BOY MANY YEARS AGO HOW JESUS PERSISTENTLY KNOCKED ON MY HEARTS DOOR. I REMEMBER THE –

· CHURCH SERVICES I SAT THROUGH WITH SWEATY HANDS

· PREACHING TAPES I LISTENED TO WITH A NERVOUS HEART

· MEN OF GOD I TALKED TO, NOT WANTING TO ADMIT I WAS LOST

· BUT I WANT TO THANK GOD FOR HIS GENTLE PERSISTENT KNOCK AT MY HEARTS DOOR!

MY FRIEND I BELIEVE IF I HAD NOT GOTTEN SAVED WHEN I DID – THERE WOULD BE NO HOPE FOR ME TODAY!

AND I WANT TO WARN YOU THAT ARE HERE THIS MORNING AND THE SAVIOR HAS MANY TIMES KNOCKED ON THE DOOR OF YOUR HEART AND YOU HAVE TURNED A DEAR EAR.

DON’T DO THAT! - LISTEN, EVERY TIME JESUS KNOCKS AND YOU DO NOT LISTEN, YOU ENTER INTO AN ADVANCED STATE OF CALOUSNESS UNTIL SOONER OR LATER, YOU WILL NEVER AGAIN HEAR THE KNOCKING HAND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN YOUR LIFE.

MULITITUDES IN JESUS’ DAY WERE GUILTY OF DOING THIS. JESUS MARKED THEM AS PEOPLE WHO HAVING EARS, HEAR NOT, EYES YET THEY DO NOT SEE....

THIS IS WHY IT IS SO IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO REACT TO HIS VOICE TODAY - TOMMOROW MAY BE TO LATE.