Doors to open and doors to close - the choices we make in life.

 How many doors are there in your house?  I counted sixteen in mine and that’s just doors that I go through, not counting ones that I don’t - doors that open into wardrobes, airing cupboard, store cupboards, etc.  All doors serve a purpose.  Security, privacy, confining activities to a special place.  They keep out noise, cold, pets, people and dust.  The dictionary defines doors as barriers. 

No two doors seem to be quite the same.  Some squeak, some get stuck, some open easily, some have keyholes, some have none and some have numerous locks. I would like you to join me and consider several different doors today. 

First  -Let’s look at the Front Door.  This is a security door with strong locks.  It is the main entrance to the house so there are good reasons why it should be extra secure.  But if we want to be friendly we have to open it to let people in.  We are careful about who we open the front door to.  Maybe even have a little safety chain as an extra precaution before doing so. 

When we open it we have choices to make.  We may not even invite them in, just exchange a word or two on the doorstep.  If it isn’t convenient for one reason or another, we may not invite them in any further than the hall, giving the unspoken message that we are not expecting them to stay too long.  Others may be invited into the living room and offered refreshments.  When you think about it what follows when we open the door tells us much about ourselves and our relationships. 

Jesus said : Here I am.  I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will go in and eat with him, and he with me.  Rev.3.20 

It is a daring thing to open the door to the Lord.  Make no mistake.  While he is outside we are in control, once we let him in He will expect to become part of our lives.  To open the door is an act of faith, we have to trust Him.  The problem is that we need him our side of the door.  Without him all the locks in the world cannot keep us safe.  He is our real security.  He has the key to a better life now and an even better one later on. We are the prisoners of sin and only Jesus can release us from it and open the way to a life of peace with God, with ourselves and with everyone else. 

So Jesus is standing at the door.  Have you opened it? Is the safety chain still on as you consider further whether to trust him or not?  Or is he standing outside an open door but not being invited in?  Or has he got as far as the hall while we consider whether to ask him to come in any further? 

The Dining Room Door

When we meet new people one of the ways we get to know them better is to ask them round for a meal.  So opening the door to the dining room is often the next step.  That meal is often a deciding factor on whether the relationship will develop or not.   Over a meal we can talk and discover things about one another in a natural way.   If the evening is successful then it is likely that the relationship will develop. 

From the text we can see that once the door has been opened Jesus expects it to lead to the Dining Room.    I will eat with him and he with me.  When Jesus comes into the Dining Room we find that He becomes the Host and the Feast.  I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry and he who believes in me will never thirst.  Jn.6.35 

Christians can speak from the experience of knowing that this is true.  He meets our most basic spiritual needs.  He satisfies us.  When many people found his words too hard to accept and he asked the disciples ‘Will you also leave me?’  Peter said ‘To whom shall we go, you have the words of eternal life’.  Peter had tasted and seen that the Lord is good. 

If you haven’t already done so will you ask the Lord into the Dining Room?  You can do this by reading the Bible regularly and talking to him every day.The rest will be up to Him.  He will not disappoint you.  I’ve had a friendship with the Lord since I was a teenager and I can vouch for that.  But I have disappointed him over and over, I’ve sometimes neglected the friendship, even betrayed it,  but he has never disappointed me, neglected me or betrayed me.  He is the best friend I’ve ever had. 

Perhaps you too have you welcomed him.  If you have then you will know the reality of what he meant when he said ‘I will eat with him and he with me.’  If you have yet to do this then it is rather like being in a restaurant watching  a friend enjoy a wonderful meal.  You might ask ‘Does it taste good?’  You might watch his every mouthful, it might make your mouth water just looking at the food, but unless you tasted it for yourself you would never really experience that meal.  So it is with the Lord, we have to experience him for ourselves. 

So far we have talked about doors that need to be opened.  The Bible also tells us about a door that should be closed. 

The Private Door.  The door to a private place.  I used to live in a bungalow.  The disadvantage was that visitors sometimes felt quite at liberty to walk anywhere simply because there were no stairs.  I objected to them walking into my bedroom.  It was a private place and the door was closed. Matt.6.6.When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who is unseen. 

I know that fellowship with one another is good for us but fellowship with the Lord must come first.  Otherwise we put the cart before the horse.  We can share with like minded people but we cannot share everything.  It is rather like the relationship of a husband and wife or best friends.  We share some things  with others but every couple have their secrets, it is part of their unique  relationship.  Some things are just between the two of them, they are too precious and personal to share.  So it is with the Lord.  It is a hard door to close, however, because there are so many duties and diversions outside that door to distract us and call for our attention. 

It is behind closed doors that our relationship with the Lord goes deeper, gets to the heart of things.  When life gets hard, when we are hurting, it is there that we ask our questions, cry our tears, admit our anger, express our love, give our most personal worship and listen for his still calm voice.  What you learn of Him behind that closed door will equip you to walk through the next door. 

The  Door that No-one can Shut. Rev. 3.8  See, I have placed before you an open door that no-one can shut.    It is the door that opens into service.  God has plans for us, things only we can do and no one can prevent us from doing them.  It is the door of opportunity, it may open on to good works and quiet service, maybe to speak words that will comfort or challenge or change someone’s life.  Whatever that door may be that the Lord opens, go through it boldly because he has opened it and no one can stop you going through it and doing those things he has chosen for you to do.  I am  not talking about a door that might open one day but a door that is open every day.  We don’t have to push it or make any effort - only to be aware of it and to dare to believe that the Lord has opened it for us.  Tonight when you are lying in bed think of the opportunities for service that the Lord has given to you and the ones waiting for you tomorrow and you will end the day with a prayer of thanks. 

There’s a work for Jesus ready at your hand,’Tis a task the Master just for you has planned.  Haste to do his bidding, yield Him service true: There’s a work for Jesus none but you can do.  

The Shut door

The Parable of the wise and foolish virgins. Matt 25 tells of foolish ones who ran out of oil.  While they were on their way to buy the oil the bridegroom arrived, the virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet  and the door was shut.  Later the others came and said ‘Open the door for us’ but he replied ‘I don’t know you’.

The foolish bridesmaids were not prepared for the bridegroom.  They knew he was coming but they tired of waiting and neglected to keep an eye on the oil in their lamps, they had been prepared but they became slack.   They didn’t shut the door, it was shut against them.  

Jesus told us that we should live in the hope of his return. Jn.14.2  I will come back and take you to be with me.   Christians have lived in this hope for 2000 years.  One generation of Christians will experience it but we all have to be prepared because we don’t know if it will be our generation. However we will all meet him anyway in an unexpected moment because we don’t know the day the Lord will call us home.  Let us pray that none of us experience the Shut Door because we are unprepared.  If we  don’t bother to speak to him, or live our lives as the Holy Spirit directs, or rarely read the Word of God then we are being foolish  and in danger of experiencing the Shut Door. 

Our final door is The Door Standing Open.   Rev.4  After this I looked and there before me was a door standing open in heaven and  a throne with someone sitting on it.  ...then I saw a lamb looking as if it had been slain standing in the centre of the throne. 

The door opens onto a scene of worship which we cannot begin to imagine and which the writer could hardly describe.  It was too much for him. He was looking through the door to Heaven. 

Then he heard singing, heavenly creatures  singing to the  Lamb, about what he had done for the people of Planet Earth ...  listen ..you were slain and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.  You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God and they will reign on the earth. 

That was just the first verse! When they came to the second verse the angels joined in - ten thousand times ten thousand of them!  The second verse was in praise of the Lamb ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise!’ 

Even then the song was not finished until every living creature in heaven and on earth joined in To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honour and glory and power for ever and ever!’  and all God’s people said AMEN and worshipped.  

I don’t want to miss out on a gathering like that.  Do you?   We don’t have to.  We can all look forward to it because Our Jesus has opened this door and it is standing open today. 

But first of all we may have doors of our own to open.  The Front Door,  (to let him in) the Dining Room door (to get to know him better)or  the Private Door (to enter into a deep relationship with him). 

The Lord is waiting at the door,

He’s knocking softly waiting for

My willingness to open up my heart.

Oh Lord come in, it is my choice,

I hear your knock, I know your voice,

Enable me to make a brand new start. 

I turn the key and step aside,

The door is slowly opened wide,

The Son of God comes in to be my Friend.

I wonder at the price He paid,

The scars that nails and spear have made,

Forsaken by his Father at the end. 

He comes to stay, the Holy One,

Forgiving all the wrong I’ve done,

To share my life until the day shall come

When He will open wide for me

The door into eternity

And welcome me into His Father’s home.