Open the Door!

This morning in church the words of Jesus Christ in Revelation 3:20 was read:  "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."  The immediate context is Jesus addressing the church in Laodicea concerning their lukewarm condition.  When this passage was read, a picture popped into my mind:  Jesus, standing at the door of a church building knocking while everyone inside ignored the sound of His voice caught up in their own plans.

The Laodicean church thought they were on fire, but they were of the kind Paul wrote about in 2 Cor. 10:12:  "For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise."  Yet it would be wisdom to consider and judge ourselves according to God's standards.  Physical life is evidenced first by inner activity:  heart pumping blood, lungs inhaling and exhaling, thoughts filling the mind.  A life well-lived makes good use of inner activity through outer actions which bring glory to God.  While we tend to focus on external activities and actions to commend ourselves before God, He looks upon the heart.  A heart regenerated by the Holy Spirit will be filled with life.  Spiritual life will be evidenced with constant physical response for God's glory.

Church fellowships today have no shortage of activity.  Evenings are packed with meetings, committees, and gatherings of every conceivable kind.  Guys come for steak and a movie, while another group shares a game of bingo.  The board meets to talk over budget issues, while a planning committee talks about the schedule for the upcoming musical program.  A group meets on the weekends to handle landscaping and building maintenance, and weary youth head home from a overnight lock-in.  There's no shortage of people who gather to pray, plan for missions, to receive an addendum concerning ushers and deacons, to sew baby blankets, put together shoeboxes for Samaritan's purse, build skateboard ramps, set up or stack chairs and tables, share a potluck, or even play a game of basketball.  But during all these events, Jesus can be left outside the door.  He stands at the door knocking and calling out in a loud voice great and precious promises to any who will respond with the opening of the door.  "If you will open the door, I'll come in!  We can commune together over a meal, and I'll provide the food.  Just open the door!"

See, it's Jesus who is on the menu.  He is the Bread of Life.  He is the Passover Lamb slain for the sins of the world.  The lamb at the Jewish Passover feast was to be eaten entirely, a picture of us becoming one with Jesus Christ through faith.  John 6:53-58 says, "Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. [54] Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. [55] For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. [56] He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. [57] As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. [58] This is the bread which came down from heaven--not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever."   This is not an urge toward cannibalism, but an exhortation for Jesus to be our spiritual food and drink.  He must become the sole substance that not only defines us but empowers and guides all we do.  Jesus is more than calories or fuel:  He is our Life.

Revelation 3:20 is not only to be interpreted in light of a corporate church fellowship but to be applied on a personal level as well.  Do we spend most of our lives with Jesus outside knocking and calling?  Or is His presence dictating all we do as we share sweet fellowship with Him?  There is a great story when Peter was freed from prison and he went to the home of fellow believers in Christ, the home of John Mark.  Acts 12:13-14 tells us, "And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. [14] When she recognized Peter's voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate."  So often our lives resemble the lives of Rhoda.  We're excited that Jesus stands outside the door and knocks calling out, but we neglect to open the door!  Every church I've visited sets aside time for announcements, but how many churches make opening the door for Jesus the only priority?  Let's make a decision to open the door of our hearts and lives to Jesus.  This must happen before our churches will.