Doors
I. Introduction
When you begin to actually survey, examine, take stock of life you suddenly realize that when you boil it down and get it down to the very basic reality you find that on a day to day basis life simply boils down to doors. We are constantly dealing with doors. We are dealing with trying to get the right door to open! Doors of opportunity, breakthrough, advancement, new territory, change, and seasons. Even the tough things we face are doors. Doors to respond correctly, a doorway to a new level of faith, an entry point to win a victory. It all boils down to doors. We are trying to work through entry.
And yet it seems to me that many of us struggle to gain access to everything God has for us. It seems to me that most of us appear to be stuck on the wrong side of the door because we have failed to learn how to open what should be opened to us.
Jesus spoke about doors to His disciples. I think what He said has implications for us and should reveal to us that perhaps our challenge is not the recognition of a door but that we fail to discern the type of door we are facing!
II. Text
Matthew 16:13-19
When Jesus arrived in the villages of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “What are people saying about who the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some think he is John the Baptizer, some say Elijah, some Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” He pressed them, “And how about you? Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter said, “You’re the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus came back, “God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn’t get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am. And now I’m going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out. “And that’s not all. You will have complete and free access to God’s kingdom, keys to open any and every door: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. A yes on earth is yes in heaven. A no on earth is no in heaven."
Jesus has an interesting conversation with His disciples. Jesus forces them to come to a conclusion as to who He was. Peter has a moment of clarity and revelation and embraces Jesus' true identity for himself. Jesus' response is what intrigues me because if you have accepted Christ as your savior, then you too have had to come to this same conclusion/revelation. Peter declares "You are the Christ the Son of the Living God!" At the utterance of that revelation and at the moment we embrace that truth in our heart Jesus makes us a promise. Did you see it? Did you catch it? Do you see the implications as it pertains to the doors we are faced with daily? You will have complete and free access to God’s kingdom, keys to open any and every door: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. A yes on earth is yes in heaven. A no on earth is no in heaven.
So Jesus says that every door will be opened and there will be no more barriers. But how many of us are face-to-face with doors that we can't seem to get open? Was the promise a sham or lie? No . . . I think it boils down to the fact that we have to understand the type of doors we face and the other part of that statement . . . keys. Doors and keys.
So there are three kinds of doors we face. I want to just briefly mention the first 2 types because we don't play a huge role in opening either of these doors. I want to spend more time on the last type of door.
III. Three Doors
A. The Locked Door
This is the door that you come up against that only God can open. You can kick, scream, run into, pry, try to pick the lock and nothing you or anyone else can do can get this door open. We usually think this is God cheating us out of something and then at some point later in life we realize it was usually God protecting us from us. Anyone here thankful for some unanswered prayers . . . locked doors that you thought were right but now you realize that if you had gotten the door open you would be miserable right now? It is important that you discern a locked door and discern when God is saying "NO!" or you will waste your energy, efforts, and time trying to get into something that God is determined to keep you out of!
B. The Time Locked Door
Time locked doors are those doors that open on certain time tables! A perfect example is the account we talked about 2 weeks ago . . . the man waiting on water to be troubled! Time locked doors are about seasons. There are certain doors that if you fail to exercise the wisdom ascribed to the Sons of Issachar in the Old Testament, who understood the times and seasons, you will miss the opportunity to get in. This door usually comes on the answer from God . . . "Wait"! We read the passage of Scripture that deals with harvest wrong. We want to read there is seedtime and harvest. No read it right . . . there is seed, time, and harvest.
Some of you are not getting through the door because you fail to walk through at the right time. The opportunities of a lifetime are only good in the lifetime of the opportunity! David walked through the doorway of victory with Goliath. He didn't have to wait to get ready. That door was open for a short season!
Some of you miss a season then try to push in at the wrong time and you mess up. If you are unwilling to wait and you force your way in and because you are early you miss out. And some of us are faced with this door and we aren't ready, aren't sensitive, so self consumed, so distracted, so busy that we wait too long and miss out. Timing is essential.
C. The Coded Door
I am discovering that the most common type of door that we face is also the one we fail to recognize and therefore fail to access all that God has for us. These are doors that require a code, a key or a combination.
Remember the conversation that Jesus has with His disciples? He says that all the doors will be open. However, just prior to that statement He indicates that some doors will be locked. He indicates this by letting them know He is issuing them keys! What I want you to notice is that He didn't say key singular as if there was a master key. He said keys plural! I think our problem is that too often we want a master key, usually prayer or faith, or we use the wrong key and doors that we are supposed to unlock remain locked and we question the power of the key we used rather than checking to see if we used the right key. Listen there are certain keys that open certain doors.
Houdini found out this truth! If you use the wrong key you can't gain access and freedom. If you use the wrong key you don't get out!
Some of you computer geeks know that when you play video games there are keys that open up certain levels on a game. I want to share with you some of the keys or codes for our life. If you can capture this, then doors will begin to open. However, if you continue to try to open doors with the wrong key or if you keep waiting on a master key you will remain frustrated and locked out!
Need the door of physical healing opened? The key prescribed is to call the elders and have them pray for you! Then James even goes one step further and says, "If you want to be healed, then confess your sins one to another and then have them pray!" Is it any wonder we stay sick? We don't like the key!
Need forgiveness from God and can't seem to get through? Prayers seem to hit ceiling? The key/code is to deal with the ought or unforgiveness you have in your heart with your brother. Can't be forgiven if we can't forgive.
Need provision? The code is to give and it shall be given. You can pray for money all day long and you will still need money. The key to open the door to financial breakthrough isn't prayer it is the tithe and offering. Some of you are hoping that we will call you down front, pour oil on your head, and then all of the sudden the windows of heaven will open for you. No, the truth is if I wanted to give you the key what we would have to do is call you down here and put an offering bucket in your face and refuse to allow you to leave until you use the key! Harvest is always linked to seed. Your seed is the key that opens the door.
Need a relationship healed? The key is to prefer the person over yourself. The key is that a soft answer turns away wrath. The key is to turn the other cheek. The key for husbands is to love your wife as Christ loved church. The key for wives is to submit/honor husband. The key for parents, according to Ephesians 6, is to not to provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord. Kids the key is to honor your father and mother and you will live a long life. Some of us are trying to fix relationships but we aren't using the right key. We are trying to fix our marriage with romance and the key is how we talk to one another when we aren't on the date. Some of you young folks are trying to access areas of your life that are locked because you are in rebellion towards your parents! Want a healthy relationship? Then the key is not to be an unequal relationship. It can't be healthy if it is on unequal ground!
Need friends? You don't have to ask God to open the door of friendship. Simply use the right key/code! Want a friend? Be friendly! Be trustworthy! Serve!
Need promotion? The key is to remain faithful in the little things because if you are faithful in little He will make you ruler over much, as you develop gift it will make room for you. If the door doesn't seem to open then evaluate the key you are using. Some of you want promotion but you aren't faithful now! You are clocking in late leaving early! No discipline at your current level. No diligence now. Won't prepare gift now!
Want to be great? That door is opened by service! The key we want to use is power, title, authority and we can't seem to get the door open. We open the door to greatness by taking a towel bending down and serving others! That is the code. Some of will never be great because we don't like the key!
By the way . . . Doors are opened in the negative too. The door of failure is unlocked by pride. I mention that because there are doors that open in our life that we don't like! Don't blame the door! Look at the key in your hand. Some of you are opening the door of curses because rebellion is in your hand. Some of you are opening the door to death because in your hand is the key of negative words. Some of you are opening the door to stupid decisions because in your hand is the key of unwillingness to listen to the wisdom of the counsel that God has placed in your life!
In other words, I just wanted to tell you to quit trying to use a master key of prayer when the doors you are praying about aren't opened by prayer! The door would be opened if you would simply figure out which key you are using and switch to the right key! And just so you don't misunderstand me there are doors prayer opens . . . faced with a demon possessed boy Jesus says these come out by prayer and fasting. You don't counsel demons; you don't medicate demons . . . wrong key. Key is prayer and fasting.
It is all about keys! What key are you using! Some of you are using the wrong key! Wrong key won't open the right door! Wrong key opens the wrong door! If you will choose and use the right key the right doors will open! These are doors that are supposed to be opened to you but you claim prophecy, declare, pray about, claim and rail against the door all day long and it will remain closed until you are ready to utilize the right key!
IV. Close
Blank key . . . you have to cut the key for the particular lock. I can't give you a master key. You got to get the right/appropriate/prescribed key! I can stand here with no doubt and say doors will open that have been closed to you if you would use the right key! Don't take my word . . . take Jesus at His Word . . . "You will have complete and free access to God’s kingdom, keys to open any and every door: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. A yes on earth is yes in heaven. A no on earth is no in heaven."
