The Knock On The Door

THE KNOCK ON THE DOOR

Matthew 7:7-8

INTRO.- Knock. Knock. Who’s there? Olive. Olive who? Olive you too.

Knock. Knock. Who’s there? Accordian. Accordian who? Accordian to the TV, it’s going to rain

tomorrow.

Knock. Knock. Who’s there? Radio. Radio Who? Radio not, here I come!

Knock. Knock. Who’s there? Ya. Ya who? What are you getting so excited about?

Knock. Knock. Who’s there? Butter. Butter who? I butter not tell you.

Knock. Knock. Who’s there? Ice Cream. Ice Cream who? Ice cream every I see a ghost.

Knock. Knock. Who’s there? Omelet. Omelet who? Omelet smarter than I look!

ILL.- One winter night near Christmas several years ago there was a loud knock at my door. “Bang! Bang! Bang!” And I thought, “Who in the world is banging on my door? I have a doorbell. Don’t they know it? I don’t live in the sticks.”

Shane opened the door and lo and behold, it was a Salvationist! A what? A Salvationist. A bell ringer. A happy hello. A collector of money. A doer of good deeds. A God-blesser.

It was an Army Salvationist. A Salvation Army volunteer from Cape Girardeau, MO. He was making his annual Christmas visit to our neighborhood to collect money for their work in helping the poor and needy.

We talked for a while. I told him who I was and that I just finished preparing a sermon. HE DIDN’T

SEEM IMPRESSED. No, really, I told him that I had included some words in my sermon about the Salvation Army.

He replied, “I hope it was good.” I said, “Oh, it is!”

Then he told me that he’d been coming to Anna, IL, from Cape for about 40 years. WOW! CAN YOU IMAGINE? Every Christmas for 40 years! Talk about dedication to a cause! Talk about commitment to Christ! Talk about devotion to Christian service! That man had it!

Brethren, that may well be the key to his faithfulness to the Salvation Army. He wasn’t coming to church just to sit and listen! Or to be entertained. HE CAME TO SERVE!

That’s what keeps people involved and coming to a church more than anything! That’s what keeps people committed to Christ and His Church! CHRISTIAN SERVICE! Involvement and service.

Sitting gets old. Service gets exciting! Spectatorship can become boring! Participation is exhilarating!

Mr. Salvation Army man told me about a neighbor lady. He said that he went into her house and said,

“Where’s your man?” Then she told him how he had suddenly passed away with a heart attack.

She must have looked bad and I’m sure she did, because he told me that he offered to pray with her. GOOD JOB, MR. SALVATION ARMY MAN!

James 2:14-17 “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is

not accompanied by action, is dead.”

Faith without works is dead! When people have a need and we can take care of that need, but we don’t, then our faith is dead. Or at least, it is lacking a great deal.

Just to say, “God bless you” is not enough. Anybody can wish someone well or give them a verbal blessing, but to bless someone with a $20 bill or a hot meal or a sincere prayer, etc. is the real deal. The genuine article.

HAVE YOU HAD A KNOCK ON YOUR DOOR LATELY? Bet you have. We all do at times. And some times when we are not aware of it. Or perhaps it was you who did the knocking. And perhaps you didn’t even know you were knocking!

PROP.- In this message I want to consider three different knocks on the door. Some are good. Some are very good. And some may not be good at all.

1- An inquiring knock

2- An indoctrinating knock

3- An inviting knock

I. AN INQUIRING KNOCK

Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask and it shall 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.”

KNOCK AND THE DOOR WILL BE OPENED TO YOU. This is a good kind of knock at the door. And we are the ones who must do the knocking.

J. W. McGarvey said, “Asking is a simple use of the voice. Seeking is a motion of the body. And

knocking is an effort to open and pass through obstacles.”