OPEN THE DOOR

By David Pam McQuel

We live in exciting times! Its overwhelming that God left the treasures of the kingdom in fallible mortal hands.

Luke 11:52 “What sorrow awaits you experts in religious law! For you remove the key to knowledge from the people. You don’t enter the Kingdom yourselves, and you prevent others from entering.” NLT

There is such a profound truth in this rebuke as Jesus lashed out at the Pharisees who were considered in their day, the trustees of God's revelation.

First, their action and practice attracts God's highest disapproval. In fact, the exclamation point reveals emotional reaction. Which means that these leaders stirred wrath and disgust.

Second, althought they held the key to knowledge, they won't enter the kingdom, and won't let those who want to. It is sobering that although we are mere human beings, with frailties God chose us to entrust us with such loft responsibility.

Lastly, the pain in Jesus' words is for the fact that these guys stand at the door to the kingdom, they won't enter and they won't let others enter. They hold the truth in contempt. The hold divine treasures but take them lightly.

In the First Covenant, the knowledge of God was entrusted to the Priest, the Prophet and the Levite. However, in the Second Covenant, the reservoir of knowledge is open to open to all. Putting us in position of responsibility.

All of us who profess to know the Lord, become guardians of kingdom knowledge. As sort, we should not falter as the Pharisees.

It is in this light, Jesus sent His disciples, in Matthew 10.
1 Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness...5 Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions: “Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, 6 but only to the people of Israel—God’s lost sheep. 7 Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!"*

Today, as true Christians we hold the key to righteousness. We have been given the ministry of reconciliation. That in presenting the gospel to many, we open the door to for them to find Christ Jesus as Savior and Lord and find the righteousness of God which is by faith in Jesus Christ.

Today, we hold the key to forgiveness. The wrath of God is read. Man ways are continually evil. And worse more, man is so passionate on his ambitions and skilful in creating new ways to defy God. But in His mercy we can find forgiveness. We as believers hold the key to the door.

Today, we hold the key to the kingdom. Jesus told Peter that He has given the Church, the keys to the kingdom. Matthew 16:17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

A lot more that goes down here could be altered if we took His words more seriously.

Today, we have the key to salvation. Romans 10:14 "How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:

“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,
Who bring glad tidings of good things!”

16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

How are they going to believe in Christ and be saved if they don't hear about His free gift of Salvation?

Philip was sent by the Spirit on the way to Azotus where he found the Finance Minister and Treasury Secretary of the Queen of Ethiopia, Candace. The Spirit said to him, "Join this chariot.'

He join himself to this dignitary, and found out the man was hanging around the gates of the kingdom of God. But didn't understand.

As he listened to what the man read, he found out the man was reading Isaiah's prophetical schematic of the Sacrifice of Christ 700 years before it happened.

It didn't take long, the man was baptized by the roadside and went back full of joy! The rest is history as the Ethiopian Coptic Church is millenia old enduring testimony of that encounter.

What would have happened if Philip never opened the door to salvation?

Today, we hold to eternal life. Gods love brings us to eternal life. It is for this reason that Christ came. He came that all mankind may fine life, life that is everlasting.

Even though not everyone may be save, God has commanded us that we must witnesses to every living soul. Jesus Himself said, in Matthew 24:14 "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."

How will those destined for eternal receive unless we open that door to them?

Today we hold the key to healing. Mankind is hurting. As in the days of Jesus, diseases and sickness abound everywhere. Advancement in medicine has not reduced sickness, rather we keep discovering more daily.

Jesus sent his disciples to teach, preach and heal. The gospel has never changed. We should teach, preach and heal otherwise our gospel is incomplete.

Today we hold the key to God's compassion and his unending mercy. The overall disposition of God towards man is his mercy and compassion. His judgement will destroy us. We can't stand his holiness. His purity is intimidating. His faithfulness is incomprehensible. His wisdom is past finding.

But his love and compassion makes the way for us to enjoy His judgement, His holiness, His purity, His faithfulness and His wisdom.

As a child of God, you hold the key to many people finding God. Don't just stand at the door. Come on in, into the kingdom and help others come in.

That's the pleasure of the Father.
 

God bless you.

*Unless indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version