You have often heard me mention the name J. Vernon Mcgee. He began and developed the famous radio program “Thru the Bible” that is still broadcast today. Above their welcome desk was this verse.
READ REVELATION 3.8
This verse is on the bottom of all of my church emails after God used it last year to lift my spirits!
‘I know your deeds’ – KJV ‘I know thy works’ – NKJV ‘I know your works’
To the little church of Philadelphia, Jesus says, - “I know the toil of your labor”.
I began to take great comfort and challenge in that verse last year (probably as Vernon McGee did as he began the new and small radio program). It’s serves as a reminder that God is looking for fruit from His churches; He is looking for works in the lives of believers. His business is growth!
Sometimes we get so wrapped up in growth that we forget our mission – to “make disciples”.
Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)
10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
We are God’s ‘workmanship’ – While it’s meaning is as a masterpiece, the GRK ‘poiema’ is also a word from which we get the English word “poem”. We – THE CHURCH – are his poem – created by Him to do ‘good works which GOD prepared in advance’.
(back to last part of Rev. 3.8)
‘I know that you have little strength’
The church may have been a small church and even may have had little impact upon the city, but
‘you have kept my word and have not denied my name’
but it had obeyed and had not denied God.
It’s not quantity that God is interested in, but quality. It’s not size God is interested in, but what we do with what He’s given.
THIS YEAR, 2010--
let’s quit worrying about our size and instead work on our labor as a family of God! Let’s allow God to worry about our size!
(back to front of verse)
‘I have placed before thee an open door that no one can shut’
Even to this little, seemingly small, insignificant church – God placed an open door of opportunity!
This could be a door of joy from the Lord to a knowledge of the Scriptures
This could be a door of service as they worked to help others by any number of ways
We don’t know the open door, only that they took advantage of it !
There will be many opportunities of service for us in 2010!
- Doors of Learning from our Knowledge of His Word
- Doors of Service and Ministry as we work to care for others.
The REAL question is… NOW WHAT DOOR BUT INSTEAD “HOW WILL WE RESPOND?”
There is something else to notice that the Lord wrote to this small church.
Sometimes GOD shuts the doors
READ REV. 3.7b
Philadelphia was a small church in a difficult area with no prestige and no wealth, and were evidently very discouraged because it hadn’t grown. It’s members felt as though they should have done better.
But notice Christ had no words of rebuke for this small, seemingly insignificant church.
They may have been small -- “you have little strength”-- and again, they may have had little impact on the city, but they obeyed and had not denied God (“8-kept my word and not denied my name”). They had been a faithful church in a difficult area.
What’s important is how we respond to the OPEN/CLOSED doors of God
- Some pack up their cookies and go home
- Some cause trouble and still try and smear the names of some
- Some become a “seat warmer”
Others take a different route!
- Others learn from their disappointments, hurts, and mistakes
- Others have learned from God’s Word and Prayed for the church
- Others have continued to seek God
Others allow God to prepare them for new and great doors
TURN TO ACTS 16
ILLUSTRATION: Paul Himself
When Paul, Silas, and Timothy were working in Galatia, God was using the team in tremendous ways…
READ ACTS 16.5
Everywhere they went it was happening! As they continued to travel and see great things – just as we and many others have strived to do to grow the Kingdom of God, but then they hit a CLOSED DOOR that was SHUT BY GOD.
READ ACTS 16.6-7
TWICE God closed the doors to enter ASIA. Now notice how they responded …
READ ACTS 16.8
The Great Paul – the Great Minister – shut down by God – twice. I’m sure if someone would have asked him where he was going, his response would have been “I don’t really know”!
His team didn’t question God, His timing, what anyone was doing wrong. They didn’t pack up their bags saying “nothing is happening here”. They didn’t look for things wrong. They continued working until God opened another door.
READ ACTS 16.9
This VISION into Macedonia is not like turning left or right . This VISION takes them across the sea into EUROPE. It’s like an ABOUT FACE!
Notice HOW PAUL RESPONDED to this NEW DOOR…
READ ACTS 16.10
They responded “AT ONCE” and took advantage of the OPEN DOOR. Notice where they ended up from vs. 11 is the “area of Philippi” which is the start of the church we read about in Revelations!
SO WHAT DO WE DO WHEN THE DOORS DO NOT APPEAR TO BE OPEN?
WE CONTINUE WORKING UNTIL GOD OPENS ANOTHER DOOR! Next week, Lord willing, we will look more specifically at the role of the church regarding the Doors of God.
But we DO NOT sit down!
We do not complain, pout, stop, or worry and we DO NOT QUIT!
We Continue Producing Fruit until God shows us otherwise!
Remember there were seven total letters in Revelations:
1. Rev. 2.1-7 – Ephesus
-persevered and endured many hardships -not grown weary
-forgotten lost their first love!
2. Rev. 2:8-11 Smyrna –
-suffered much persecution, including death for standing with Christ.
3. Rev. 2.12-17 Pergamum-
- compromising their faith in idolatry. -some continued to stand -others did not while remaining a member of the church.
4. Rev. 2.18-29 – Thyatira – a working person’s town – a blue collar town
-commended for growing in their good deeds.
-working to grow in love, faith and the different acts of service.
- like many churches, there was a trouble maker who was promoting sin and many were actually following her teachings.
5. Rev. 3.1-6 – Sardis
-two locations
–became spiritually dead.
6. Rev.3.7-13 – Philadelphia the church we’ve talked about.
7. Rev. 3.14-22 – Laodicea
-Luke warm – neither cold nor hot -- They just existed thinking they were safe
Which one would describe us? Which one would describe your membership?
Many doors will open during 2010; Some may close; But how will WE RESPOND?
READ Rev. 3:20
He wants to teach us how to recognize the doors of opportunity; how to recognize the doors of Hs Father so that we too may join him.
What will you do with the Doors of God – the Open Doors of 2010?
How will we respond? How will YOU respond?
ILLUSTRATION
Three men had adjacent businesses in the same building. The businessman who ran the store at one end of the building put up a sign over his door reading, "Year End Sale." At the other end of the building, the other businessman had a sign over his door which read, "Close Out Sale." The businessman in the middle, recognizing the door of opportunity, put up a sign over his door which read, "Main Entrance."
Remember our example;
John 5:19-20 (NIV)
19 Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all he does. YES, to your amazement, he will show him even greater things than these.
John 14:12 (NIV)
12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
We will only recognize the doors of God by allowing Jesus to lead us, guide us, and grow us.
ILLUSTRATION: HARRY HOUDINI
Harry Houdini, the famed escape artist issued a challenge wherever he went. He could be locked in any jail cell in the country, he claimed, and set himself free quickly and easily. Always he kept his promise, but one time something went wrong.
Houdini entered the jail in his street clothes; the heavy, metal doors clanged shut behind him. He took from his belt a concealed piece of metal, strong and flexible. He set to work immediately, but something seemed to be unusual about this lock. For 30 minutes he worked and got nowhere. An hour passed, and still he had not opened the door. By now he was bathed in sweat and panting in exasperation, but he still could not pick the lock.
Finally, after laboring for 2 hours, Harry Houdini collapsed in frustration and failure against the door he could not unlock. But when he fell against the door, it swung open! It had never been locked at all! But in his mind it was locked and that was all it took to keep him from opening the door and walking out of the jail cell.
APPLICATION:
Sometimes God’s Open Door can be right in front of you.
We miss them because we simply aren’t looking! Are you asking?
Are you prepared to recognize the opportunity?
ARE YOU PREPARED FOR GOD’S OPEN DOOR?
