Title: THE DIVINE VISITOR
Note: Scripture references are from the New International Version of the Bible.
Text: Revelation 3:20, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me."
Truth: "I [Jesus] stand at the door and knock." Christ's knocking at the door is proof that He has come near to come in and bless us. He is willing to come in, but sometimes the heart hesitates to open its house of many rooms. The Lord knocks at the door of each compartment that He might minister to the whole man. He knocks at the rooms of the spiritual, physical, emotional, psycholoical, mental, and any other rooms in the heart.
JESUS MUST BE ALLOWED TO BE EVERYTHING THAT HE DESIRES TO BE IN OUR LIVES.
This Divine Visitor knocks as a redeemer that He might save. He can save the sleeping conscience from sleeping the sleep of death.
Ephesians 5:14, "...'Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.'" In this verse the "sleeper" is metaphorically seen an one who is indifferent to his salvation; or, one who is yielding to sloth and sin.
On a positive note about the saving of the sleeper; a true account can be used to illustrate the spiritual by way of the physical. At a certain Christian University in the southeastern part of the United States a fire broke out in one of the dorms in the wee hours of the morning.
The students there were sleeping when the fire alarms woke them up. Smoke had filled the rooms and visibility was limited. Students were scurrying to escape the building when one student became disoriented and could not find his way out. The fire continued to rage and time was running out for escape.
The lost student was guided to safety by one he thought was a fireman. In reality no firemen were in the building at that point in time. Later the rescued individual reported that it must have been an angel sent from God to save him.
Just as one can be saved or rescued physically, Christ desires to redeem souls of sinners and backsliders (Jonh 6:37; Luke 19:10).
The Lord knocks as a physician that He might heal.
All the inmates of the house of a man's soul are sick and in need of His healing touch.
Isaiah 1:5 speaks, "Why should you be beaten anymore? Why do you persist in rebellion? Your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted." Behold, your healing is at the door!
Psalm 103:2-3, "Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,"
Isaiah 53:5, "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed."
Luke 4:18, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,"
The Bible is replete with accounts of folk that were healed by Jesus as He walked this earth:
Leper in Galilee
Paralytic (palsy) at Capernaum
Man with a withered hand in Galilee
possibly Capernaum
Women with issue of blood (hemorrhaging) healed
at Capernaum during first preaching tour through Galilee
Two blind men at Capernaum (on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee)
Man born blind who was outside the Temple at Jerusalem
Ten lepers between Samaria and Galilee
Samaritan leper
Blind Man Approaching Jericho
Blind Bartimeaus at Jericho
Two Blind Men Departing Jericho
If any sick one opens the door Jesus will come in to him.
May I please suggest, at this point in our discussion of the The Divine Visitor, that the Scripture references be located and researched by the reader. It will be will be a fructiferous exercise.
The Lord of lords knocks as a teacher that He might instruct.
Jesus is the great Teacher come from God (John 3:2). He can anoint the eyes of His pupils (His redeemed ones) with heavenly eyesalve that we may understand heavenly things.
The minds blinded by Satan (2 Corinthians 3:3-4) can be beautifully illuminated by the One who is the wisdom of God.
It is very good when we allow God to teach us things (Psalm 32:8; Proverbs 2:6)!
Christ is the believers' great Teacher.
William A. Ward has said, "The mediocre teacher tells.The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.__ Progress Magazine, December 23, 1992.
If any unlearned man opens the heart's door, Jesus will come in unto him.
We are still giving consideration to the subject of THE DIVINE VISITOR.
This divine visitor knocks as one who comes to enrich.
Ephesians 3:8, "Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ,"
Unsearchable riches are in Him. Infinite mercy and love have brought Him to our doors that we might be filled out of His fullness. We can become complete out of His completeness: lovely out of His love.
Revelation 3:18, "I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see."
Jesus knows the poverty of those, such as the Laodiceans or Revelation 3:17, who say they are rich and have need of nothing.
We can buy without money when we let this merchant in. Jesus is saying, that if any poor man opens the door He will come in to him.
Christ knocks at the heart's door as a bridegroom that He might woo.
He desires our affection. Not only does He want to save, teach, enrich, rule, heal; but, also to have fellowship with those He has blessed.
One may ask, "How close a fellowship?" In the Old Testament Israel is referred to as God's wife. In the New Testament the Church is referred to as the bride of Christ. Is that a hint of how close the Lord wants us to be to Him?
Three times (John 21) Peter heard the knock, "Lovest thou me?"
Please remember--JESUS MUST BE ALLOWED TO BE EVERYTHING THAT HE DESIRES TO BE IN OUR LIVES.
The Savior, the Anointed One knocks as king that He might rule.
The self-centered life is a ruined life. Proverbs 14:12, "There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death." Proverbs 21:2, "A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart."
Until King Jesus occupies the thrones of our hearts, our souls are under bondage and the tyranny of foolish and presumptuous self.
Illustration: Very early on as a fledgling Bible student, I studied a correspondence course that helped tremendously. A drawing there made an indelible impression. The sketch was of a human heart with Christ and His Throne superimposed upon it. This was a visible representation of a spiritual reality.
Although King of our lives, Christ does not force. He knocks (impresses upon our minds and spirits) saying, "If any man opens the door, I will come in to him."
Please, respond to His knock. He wants a warm and intimate time with us.
"The idea of Jesus at the door applies to the sinner and to the saint just the same."__Guzik, David, pastor of Calvary Chapel Santa Barbara, California
