The Gate Keeper
(Note to Sermon Central readers. This sermon was an illustrated sermon. If you don’t read the drama portion you won’t get the full effect of the message. The drama portion has also been posted to Sermon Central and it has the same name: The Gate Keeper)
Text: Nehemiah 3:29 ... The keeper of the East Gate
A gate is a place of access or denial
The Bible has much to say about gates and doors in fact it mentions them in over 300 different verses. We will only examine 5 this morning.
When we say someone lives in a gated community we mean they are diligently watched and securely protected, and that someone is physically controlling the access point.
We have a gate over our own hearts, and soul.
We have a gate over our family.
Our city has gates as does our nation. In the realm of nuclear secrets the gatekeepers have been asleep on the job. God only knows what the consequences of that negligence will be down the road.
In our skit a church was on the verge of revival and satan began an organized and structured plan to stop that revival. He sneaked his way into the house because the man of the house wasn’t watching his gate.
"Be sober, be vigilant, your adversary the devil goes about like a roaming lion seeking whom he may devour."
This message today is for all but it is especially to all the dad’s here. You wouldn’t let a thief come rob you and kidnap your kids. Did you know your kids could be kidnapped without ever leaving home. We have to watch what comes into our gates, and we have to watch what the enemy is trying to put into your kids when they are away from home.
Job 1:4,5 And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. And it was so, when the days of [their] feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings [according] to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.
Job sets a great standard for a dad as a gatekeeper. He did his best to protect and pray for his children. Unfortunately many of our actions have the exact opposite effect even as our drama illustrated.
In our skit the man watched Bay Watch which opened the door for the devil and thence what the military calls collateral damage. Unintended but unavoidable hurt to innocent civilians. What he gave permission to come into his home made all kinds of havoc that he never would have allowed for. But when you let a devil in you can’t pick and choose what he will do.
Do you remember the story of the Trojan horse. It was innocent enough looking. It was a sparkling and dazzling sight. Satan is transformed into an angel of light. Temptation looks good on the outside, but in reality it is holding a knife to your throat.
Genesis 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee [shall be] his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. Sin or satan is knocking at the door. Don’t be deceived by this text into thinking you can invite sin in and leave satan out, or that there are no collateral damages. What Adam and Eve let in when they ate that fruit came back to haunt them in the most cruel and heart breaking of ways. Satan got a hold of their son Cain and he never would have, had mom and dad been more diligent. I wonder who they blamed at Abel’s funeral? Every sin in the human race they are partly responsible for.
Thank God in our skit the man prayed for a cleansing. I believe prayer and repentance work!
I believe a house can be cleansed and swept clean.
Satan is not the only one knocking at our door. Rev 3:20 Let’s be smare about who we invite in.
Psalms 24:7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Psalm 24:7 is the soul’s encouragement to the Lord’s knocking. A response is expected. You are the gatekeeper to your own heart. Who have you been inviting in lately?
When we open the door to satan he removes the devils not welcome sign and begins dirtying up the place and then finally says, "you don’t care about this door jamb any more do you?"
Close: Have you let Jesus into your heart? Dad’s can we not pray like the man in our skit, "Father forgive me for letting filth in my home, please sweep it clean now, restore our peace, and touch my wife. I repent for the evil of letting devil’s into my home. I know I’m the gatekeeper and I have fallen down on the job, please forgive and restore me I pray in Jesus name.
