7 - Week 7
March 22, 2009
Open Door
Revelation 3:7-13

The city of brotherly love

• Located 30 miles south of Sardis in the interior of Asia Minor
• Youngest of all the seven cities – founded 189 BC.
• King of Pergamum Eumenes had a brother Attalus II, it was most likely this brother that founded the city – he was given the nickname Philadephus (brother lover) because of his deep loyalty to his brother. The city was named after him. [picture of statute]
• Philadelphia was not a political center like Pergamum, it was not a economic center like Ephesus, it wasn’t a manufacturing center like Thyatira, it wasn’t an historical center like Sardis, if anything Philadelphia was a cultural center. It was built for one main purpose – to be a missionary outpost for the spreading of the Greek culture (Hellenism) throughout the kingdoms of Asia Minor – specifically the kingdoms of Lydia and Phrygia. They were so successful that my by the 19 AD, the Lydian language and culture had been completely replaced by the Greek language and culture.
• The city was called the "gateway to the East"
• One side note: in 17 AD, the entire region of Asia Minor was rocked by a severe earthquake. While other cities were hard hit, Philadelphia was at the epic center of the quake and suffered severe damage. The people were so devastated by the blast and the reoccurring after shocks that many moved out of the city and lived in tents and makeshift houses for fear that the buildings would fall on them. [We saw this recently when China was hit with a strong earthquake – news reports of people not going back into the home or apartments, living outside in the streets]

How does Jesus introduce himself?

• Holy and True
• Key of David
• Opens and shuts

Got to know the back-story. Isaiah 22.20-24a – God is speaking a warning to Israel, and one of these warnings relates to the removal of a man named Shebna who is in charge of the royal palace during the reign of King Hezekiah. Apparently this guy was very arrogant, and favored a party that tried to influence the king to make alliances with Egypt for protecting instead of hearing from God. And so he is going to get replaced by a man named Eliakim. Out with Shebna and in with Eliakim! And he is given authority over the wealth of Israel, he is given the Key to the house of David – access to the king himself, and he is given the authority to make decisions! What he opens stays open, what he shuts stays shut!

Eliakim was a foreshadowing of Jesus! Eliakim is a picture in the OT of what Jesus will be ultimately in the NT. Now Jesus draws from this bit of OT history and he says, "Hey, I’m in charge here!" We saw Jesus in chapter one dress in a robe, with a sash – he is dressed with authority! And He’s got the keys of David – not access to the earthly throne, but access to heaven! And he has authority to shut heaven off to whomever he chooses and open heaven up to whomever he wills!

The Open Door

"I know your deeds, see I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut." Revelation 3.8

Literally "I have given and it remains given"

"…I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me…" 2 Corinthians 2.12

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 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 4.2-3

God sets open doors before every church

God has given our church an open door – reaching teenagers and families (recently a girl was suddenly killed, auditorium filled with students, teachers, faculty – needing hope, needing a word from God – 30 thousand JH and HS students in five miles of our church)

God has given us an open door to the Hispanic community – this year over 300 decisions for Christ through mission Colleyville, growing new church.

God has given us an open door to be a major player in his kingdom work in India – sending teams to get the gospel to a Muslim population in Bangalore.

God has given us an open door to be a light in this community – flung open doors to purchase land, change minds, open hearts, purchase buildings that were closed for 15 years! In just a few weeks we are going to be bring you the vision God has laid on our heart in expanding our campus! Everywhere I look, I see open doors! We just have to walk through them!

Let me drill down into that a little deeper. I believe God sets open doors before every Christ follower. God has given you, and it remains given an open door to serve him.

"The only difference between a dead man and one living is opportunity." You still have opportunity to serve – "My time has past, I can’t serve God" No, as long as you are breathing, have a pulse, you have an opportunity to walk through God’s open doors.

Open door of opportunity – throw the door open

God is the God of open doors – opportunity – goes before you and wants to expand your horizons, use you in ways you have never thought of –

What kind of people does God use?

God uses dependant people - "…I know that you have little strength..." small in number, not a lot of influence

God uses people of the Word – "…you have kept my word…" Aorist tense, action in the past that continues today, they faced some trial in the past that they overcame.

God uses faithful people – "…not denied my name."

God uses enduring people – "…you have kept my command to endure patiently"

If you are waiting to get your act together, if you are hiding behind the idea that your not perfect, then you will never step into the opportunities God has set out for your life! God is not looking for perfect people. He is the only one who is perfect! God’s just looking for people that he can use! People who will trust Him, love His Word, remain faithful to Jesus, and hold on to Him when the going gets tough!

Hesitating at the door

 

Warning: When God sets before you an open door, there will always be resistance.

 

"

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." I Corinthians 16.8-9

(Synagogue of Satan)
There was a Jewish community that persecuted them. History tells us that there was a strong Jewish resistance to the gospel in Philadelphia, Ignatius debated this group and wrote about this strong resistance before his death. Listen, there will always be people that want to block God’s open door for you.

Israel ready to march into promise land, giants there! People became fearful, starting doubting God, starting loosing focus, shrink back – lost their chance at greatness. There will always be intimidators blocking the door. They say, "Get back where you were, don’t try anything great, don’t put your self out!" Might be people, might be circumstances, might be members of your own family, old friends pulling you back to the way you used to live

fear, don’t want to get out of your comfort zone, don’t want to change, do something out of the ordinary,

Example: Peter out of the boat – everyone else stayed in the boat! But if you want to walk on water, you have to get out of the boat, if you want God to use you in ways that are extraordinary, you have to try something extraordinary. Take some risk. Trust God for the impossible.

We have God’s protection- I will keep you from the hour of testing. There is a lesson for us! As we walk through open doors, God goes through first! He is able to "keep your feet from falling", He is able to keep you employed, able to meet your needs. Jesus said,
"I am coming soon!" If you are going to do something great for God, it’s time to do it now! Time is wasting. Jesus said, "the hour is coming when no one can work."

"I expect to pass through this world but once; any good thing therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow-creature, let me do it now; let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again."- John Wesley

"Hold fast" and don’t let fear take away what God wants to give you.

If you are not careful, these excuses will steal away from you what God wants to do in you and through you!

Are you hesitating in front of God’s open door?

What you are deferring? What have you been neglecting?

What ever open door God has given you – do it now, because you will never pass this way again!