I. Introduction
Key Scripture: Revelation 3:7-13
“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars--I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
A. God has opened a door for the church.
1. A door of opportunity.
2. A chance to do something greater than yourself.
B. God’s history in opening doors.
1. God opened doors for the apostle Paul.
“But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.” (1 Corinthians 16:9)
“Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ [I] found that the Lord had opened a door for me.” (2 Corinthians 2:12)
2. Paul continued to believe God for opened doors.
“And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.” (Colossians 4:3)
C. God’s promise to open doors.
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8)
1. God promises to open doors for us.
2. This promise is only to those with the faith to
ask, seek, & knock.
TS: God has opened many doors for us as believers and corporately for us as the church. Throughout the scriptures, we read about doors that remain open for us today.
II. Sermon Body
A. Door of Servanthood
“But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,’ then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life.” (Exodus 21:5-6)
1. to others
“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:21)
2. to God
“If you love me, you will obey what I command.” (John 14:15)
B. Door of Provision
“The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, ‘Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the LORD. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.’ Elisha replied to her, ‘How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?’ ‘Your servant has nothing there at all,’ she said, ‘except a little oil.’ Elisha said, ‘Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.’ She left him and afterward shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. When all the jars were full, she said to her son, ‘Bring me another one.’ But he replied, ‘There is not a jar left.’ Then the oil stopped flowing. She went and told the man of God, and he said, ‘Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.’ ” (2 Kings 4:1-7)
1. physical blessing
-comes from openly demonstrating faith:
a. she had to go to her neighbors to borrow vessels
b. she had to have the faith to try
2. spiritual anointing
-the oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit, showing:
a. God has enough of His Spirit to meet the need
b. as long as we continue to make room for him,
he’ll continue to fill us with His Spirit.
C. Door of Power
“When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch. He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to the LORD. Then he got on the bed and lay upon the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself out upon him, the boy’s body grew warm. Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out upon him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes. Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, ‘Call the Shunammite.’ And he did. When she came, he said, ‘Take your son.’ ” (2 Kings 4:32-36)
1. power of life
a. God used Elisha to give life to a dead child.
b. God will use us to give life to those dying in
sin.
2. power of miracles
a. God did the miraculous and impossible through
Elisha.
b. God desires to do the “impossible” through us.
c. Miracles are a gift of the Spirit.
(1 Corinthians 12:10)
D. Door of Faith
“On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.” (Acts 14:27)
1. for salvation
a. God has provided salvation for us.
b. God provides salvation through us to others.
2. victorious living
“In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” (Ephesians 6:16)
a. God is greater than any situation in life
b. Faith in God leads to victorious living.
E. Door of Heaven
“After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.’ ” (Revelation 4:1)
1. the blessed hope of heaven in this life
“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope- the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” (Titus 2:11-14)
2. eternal rest in the next life
“Then I heard a voice from heaven say, ‘Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.’ (Revelation 14:13)
TS: God has opened many doors for us as individuals and as the corporate body of Christ. When we are willing to step through these doors, then we will be what God has called us to be.
III. Conclusion
A. Summary
1. God is a God who opens doors of opportunity for
his children.
2. There are many doors that are open for us today.
a. doors of service to God and others
b. doors of physical and spiritual provision
c. doors to the miraculous and life-giving power
d. doors of faith for salvation and victorious
living
e. the door to hope and heaven
3. When we step through these doors, we fulfill
God’s perfect will.
B. Final Thought
1. Before we can pass through the doors God has
placed in our paths, there is a door we must open
to Him.
“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 him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20)
2. Have you opened your heart’s door to Jesus? Is
your life right with Him? There are just a few
simple steps you need to take:
a. Admit you are a sinner.
“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”
(1 John 1:8)
b. Believe in Jesus.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
c. Confess and forsake your sin.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
C. Altar Call
1. Commit to God to step through doors of
opportunity.
2. Promise God you will take the steps to go through
that door that God has placed before you. Don’t be
afraid; he’s with you.
