Series: Are You Prepared? (Revelation) [#7]
SUCCESSFUL’S BEST
Revelation 3:7-13
Introduction:
[Have 4 “lawn chairs” set up on the stage. Have 1 facing the baptistery, 1 facing the clavinova, 1 facing the congregation, and have the other one not unfolded.]
In a Peanuts comic strip, there was a conversation between Lucy and Charlie Brown. Lucy said that life is like a deck chair. Some place it so they can see where they are going; some place it so they can see where they have been; and some place it so they can see where they are at present. Charlie Brown’s reply: "I can’t even get mine unfolded."
I have the privilege everyday of coaching beginning swimmers on the Caprock Swim Team. As the new swimmers practice everyday to become competitive, they have to learn many new techniques and rules. Almost everyday 1 of these swimmers will say these words, “Coach, I can’t…” to which I reply, “We don’t use that 4 letter word at this pool”.
This 4 letter word is not only an enemy of Charlie Brown and swimmers; but it is also the enemy of Christians and the Church. Repeat after me: “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).
Revelation 3:7-10
The Church of Philadelphia was successful. This Church received a good report from the Savior. The first thing we must notice this morning is the…
I. Doors
As we go through life there are many doors that we come to; but not every door is intended for us to go through at that time. Jesus Christ is the One who opens and closes those doors. If Jesus opens it, no one can close it and if Jesus closes it, no one can open it.
This is where we run into problems as Christians and in our Churches. Sometimes we find ourselves standing and looking at someone else’s door, trying to figure out how to get into what they have. We stand there complaining about how good that “big Church” has it and how bad we have it. Or, we watch “brother so-and-so” succeed in something and so we want to do what that brother is doing. The problem here is, if you are focused on trying to get into a place that Jesus isn’t going to let you go into anyhow; then you aren’t going to be walking through the door He has intended for you.
Your brother may be a medical doctor; but in your life God has opened the door of working as a janitor. This doesn’t mean God hates you or you are less important to God. God just wants you to be the best you can be at where He has placed you. If you are a janitor, then be the best janitor God has ever placed on this earth. If you are a cook, then be the best cook you can be. If you are a lawyer, then be the best lawyer you can be.
Church, we need to stop trying to be like other churches and go through the doors that Jesus has opened for us. This brings us to our 2nd point. When we come to an open door, we must make a…
Decision
Please notice in our text that Jesus placed an open door before them. He did not make them walk through it. If you just stand at an open door and look in, but never walk into that place, it will do you no good. It is like my wife when she goes “window shopping”. There have been times when we were in Lubbock at the Mall when Kim and Kaitlyn would walk through the Mall and they would stop and look in the windows or the open door, but not go in. Now in the case of shopping, this is good for me; because that kind of shopping never cost me any money. See they have to go inside to purchase something.
Christians, we must stop window shopping for God’s direction in our lives. Do you want joy? Do you want peace? Do you want spiritual growth? Then you must walk through the door.
What is keeping you from walking through the door?
Is it fear…
1.of failure because of your past? You are sitting in the chair that is looking back at the past failures in your life and you figure that if you go through that door that you will just fail again.
2.of failure because of your present? You are sitting in the chair that is looking at all of your problems and schedules of the present and you are saying, “God I can’t do this right now, maybe later”. Maybe you just feel weak. (Don’t forget that it is in our weakness when Jesus is made strong!)
3.of failure because of your future? You are sitting in the chair that is looking ahead (which is great); but instead of walking by faith, you’re wading through fear. All you can see is impossible barriers and giants and you are “shaking in your boots”. God says, “Walk in faith” and your looking at your checkbook going, “That ain’t going to work”. God says, “Walk in faith” and your telling your Church friends, “We better pray about this some more” (although God has already gave you an answer, but you wanted a different one).
If it isn’t fear, then
Is it a stronghold…
1.of sin in your past? Is there something that you did in your past or something someone did to you that just seems to keep you from walking through the door?
[Have Tharon come up and have Tharon try to walk forward while holding onto his belt loop. While doing this explain that Tharon is only being kept from moving forward because of one stronghold and all he has to do to move forward is break free from that one thing].
2.of sin in your present? Is there something that you are doing right now in your life that you know is out of God’s will but you just want stop? You say, “Pastor I have tried over and over to stop __________ (fill in with your favorite sin), but I just can’t”. Let me tell you something this morning, “If you want to be set free from a stronghold then it starts in your mind”. You’ve got to make up your mind who you are going to follow and do it. Let me give you a personal example. When I was the Youth Minister at Palo Duro Baptist Church, we would take our youth group and a youth group from a Church in Amarillo to Holy Ghost campground up around Glorietta. There was only one year that I got to go and that year I was in charge of the music and a pastor friend of mine and the pastor of Palo Duro Baptist was the preacher for the week. While we were at the camp that week I would sneak off for a “dip” of Copenhagen that I had hidden in the trunk of my car. Now this was a habit that I had hid from numerous people- 4 pastors that I served as Music/Youth minister for; 4 congregations that I served as Music/Youth minister for; and my family including my wife. I must have known it was something I personally should not have been doing or I wouldn’t have been hiding it. Anyway, on the 2nd to last day of the camp as I was “sneaking” a dip, the camp pastor walked up behind me without me noticing until it was too late. He asked me what I was doing and very embarrassingly I said, “I have this little habit that I can’t seem to kick”. You know what he said to me? He said, “Shawn, I can see that God is going to use you in mighty ways and isn’t sad that you would allow such a little thing such as this to keep you from being what God has planned for your life?”
3.of sin in your future? How could you predict sin your future? Because you have already made up your mind that you’re not going to change. Maybe you don’t plan on going through anymore doors, because you’re too old, too sick, too tired, too set in your ways, etc…
Conclusion:
Maybe you are thinking, “What does it matter”?
Revelation 3:11-13
Store up treasures in Heaven! Stop looking back, worrying about the unknown, and walk through the door in faith knowing that God is your strength and He will see you through until the very end.
