Privacy is all but gone today. One would think if you saw a door closed you should knock. If the person didn’t answer, they may be busy. Everyone who knows me knows that my literal door to my literal study is always open. There is only but an hour or so a month you will ever find it closed. On the outside face of the door I placed a sign which reads— “If the door is shut, it’s on purpose.” That door is an access point. The way in which you gain access to me is through that door. The door can be shut, even locked. I have the key. If someone wants access, they will need me to open the door. I haven’t handed that key to anyone, it’s mine. If I want to open it, I open it. If I want to shut it, thereby shutting access, I shut it. It’s mine. Me having the key, gives me power to grant access. In this, we have our understanding of Revelation 3.8.
The church of Philadelphia, in Revelation 3, has been granted an opportunity by Jesus. As Head of that church He explains what He has done for them. “I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it:” (3.8).
Jesus begins with— “I know thy works”. As the last entry made mention of (Identifiers) good or bad, He knows. He doesn’t have to ask his buddies what they think. Doesn’t have to ask around and see what others are saying. He is God and He knows. You can’t fake it with Christ. Your hype and your counting of noses and nickels will not sway His knowledge of what is really going on in your heart, and the heart of your church. It’s from this phrase He continues with— “I have set before thee an open door and no man can shut it”.
He mentions in verse 7 an identifier of His— “he that hath the key of David”. As discussed in our last entry, He and He alone has the authority to open and close anything. He is indeed sovereign. He has the key to the “open door”. He “set” it “before” them. He has granted them access. The word “door” in scripture is interesting to say the least. Basically it means ‘an opportunity’. Specifically in this case, as in many others, an opportunity for the Gospel. It’s a way through, as if you were making your way through a door. An access point in other words. We find this truth in many locations, but I feel I must share a few of them here to bring attention to the specifics. In Colossians 4.3 it says— “Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:” In 2 Corinthians 2.12— “Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord,” In the first letter to Corinthians 16.9— “For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.” Gloriously we see this in Acts 14.27— “And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles.” As a Gentile myself, I am so very thankful for that particular open door. In John 10 Jesus Himself identifies not only as the one who has the “key” but also the door itself— “But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep”; “Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep”; “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” (John 10.2,7,9).
What is a church’s job? Are we not to bring God glory by obeying His commission? Has He not commissioned His churches to “witness” of Him? Are we not then to “teach” or disciple them? What is the purpose of said discipleship? Is it not to reach out further into the darkness of this world and bring them to the glorious Gospel of Light? Their eyes have been blinded. They are bound. They have chains of sin and depravity holding them in the grip of Satan. They are loved by Christ and in desperate need of a Savior. We are those agents left here to bring them in; show them what Jesus has done for them; and then teach them what He expects.
At times this seems nearly impossible. If you are evangelistic at all, you know what I mean. People, just don’t seem to want to hear anything about it. Or they confess they ‘believe’, whatever that may mean to them. There is even some open hostility towards it. I minister in North America, where it is increasingly anti-christ. In many other parts of the world, simply witnessing will get you killed. Here it has been secular for quite some time, but now it is set against anything godly. Nostalgia will destroy you if you try to hang onto the past and dream of better days… ‘back then’. No reminiscing folks… we have a job to still do. We seem powerless over this (we will look into that in our next lesson). Where is the breakthrough? Where are the souls who want to hear? Where is the opportunity we so desperately want to see? Wait… that is your heart isn’t it? You want to see a revival within don’t you? You want to see many souls come from without don’t you? You want what Christ wants right?
May I state clearly my belief that Jesus is still in the business of saving souls. May I also dare say that it is His will that everyone hear the Gospel— “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3.9). But we have a problem— “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” (2 Corinthians 4.4). They need someone to show them the light, even in their blinded state. As Paul told Timothy, that has been entrusted to us— “According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.” (1 Timothy 1.11). They are blinded by Satan, with this world and their own fleshly desires. They need someone to show them the light. Sounds simple. Except we have forgotten the main thing here. God, not us, has to call them, and they have to be prepared by Him to receive.
This is where Philadelphia was given an amazing opportunity. Jesus, the one who holds the “key” to this, told them— “I have set before thee an open door and no man can shut it”. An open door. It wasn’t just unlocked, He opened it for them. More so— “no man can shut it”. We can be so short sighted and carnal about this. Often we feel that ministries that shut down or change are due to people. That’s incorrect. If Jesus did it, you can’t stop it. If He didn’t, then it won’t go anywhere anyway. If He grants access, no scorner can in any way shut it.
We will see next time how this is possible and why Jesus chose to do this for them. Meanwhile take heart, there are open doors out there that He can still open. My question for you is simple— How bad do want Him to open one for your church? Bad enough to cry out to Him? Bad enough to release your pride and expected personal glory? Bad enough to take no credit…at all. Bad enough to beg?
Do you want what He wants? I do. I’m interceding. I’m begging. I’m crying out and seeking Him all day about this, every day. Will you join me?