• DOOR OF SIN• DOOR TO
NOAH’S ARK• DOOR OF
PASSOVER• DOOR OF HOPE
Previously Previously Looked At:Looked At:
• the high priest’s house. But Peter followed at a distance.”
DOOR TO DENIAL(Jn. 18:12-18)
• THE DOOR TO DENIAL IS SEEN IN THE WAY PETER FOLLOWED JESUS
• LUKE 22:54, “Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest’s house. But Peter followed at a distance.”
Following Afar
Off• IS ALWAYS THE FIRST STEP OF APOSTASY– IN THE COURTYARD PETER
WAS WARMING HIMSELF WITH THE WORLD RATHER THAN BEING NEAR HIS LORD (Jn. 18:18)
Do We Follow Afar Off?Do We Follow Afar Off?
• DO WE LEAVE JESUS AT THE DOOR OF OUR HOUSES WHEN WE GO TO WORK, SCHOOL, VACATION, ETC.?
• DO WE LEAVE JESUS AT THE CHURCH BUILDING WHEN WE GO HOME?– HOW DISTANT ARE WE FROM CHRIST?–WOULD THE WORLD RECOGNIZE US
AS DISCIPLES?
HOW WOULD WE ANSWER?
• IF ASKED IF WE WERE A DISCIPLE OF JESUS?– “I AM NOT” (Jn. 18:17)– “I AM HE” (Jn. 18:5, 6, 8)• JESUS WAS STRUCK IN THE FACE (v. 22)• PETER STRUCK OUT• PRESENTED AS IF PETER AND JESUS
WERE BOTH ON TRIAL
LUKE 22:31-3431 And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon!
Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.
32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."
33 But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death."
34 Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me."
OVERCONFIDENCE(a sign of weakness)
• COMMITMENT EXPRESSED DOESN’T EQUATE A FIRM FAITH
• WE CAN FALL LIKE PETER DID
• “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12)
SIMILAR EXPRESSIONS TODAY:
• I’M GONNA BE A LEADER FOR CHRIST– BUT TOO EMBARRASSED TO TEACH
FAMILY AND FRIENDS?
• I’LL FOLLOW THE LORD REGARDLESS OF ANYONE ELSE– BUT THEN RARELY FOLLOWS THE
LORD TO REGULAR WORSHIP?
SIMILAR EXPRESSIONS TODAY:
• SOME SAY, “I’LL FOLLOW JESUS TO THE CROSS [DEATH]”– BUT REFUSE TO FOLLOW HIM TO THE
WATER TO BE BAPTIZED AS HE COMMANDED (Mk. 16:15, 16)?
PETER• SINNED (cf. Matt. 10:33)
• SORROWED OVER IT (Lk. 22:62)
• SURVIVED SATAN’S SIFTER– RESTORED TO CHRIST (Jn. 21:15-19)– BECAME A PILLAR (Gal. 2:9)– DIED GLORIFYING GOD
(Jn. 21:18, 19)
THE DOOR TO DEATH(Acts 5:1-11)
"Look, the feet of those who have buried your
husband are at the door, and they will carry you
out"
(Acts 5:9)
THE DOOR TO DEATH(Acts 5:1-11)
• WAS A DOOR WAY OF DEATH BY DECEPTION– ANANIAS CONSPIRED WITH WIFE TO
APPEAR TO GIVE MORE THAN WHAT THEY DID
– LIED TO THE SPIRIT (GOD) • BUT GOD IS NOT DECEIVED ANANIAS AND
SAPPHIRA WERE• SHOWS THE SEVERITY OF SIN
WARNING!WARNING!DOING A GOOD WORK IN THE
WRONG WAY OR MOTIVE IS SINWE ONLY DECEIVE OURSELVES
DECEPTION & DEATH
• OFTEN LINKED TOGETHER– EVE WAS DECEIVED (2 Cor. 11:3); GAVE TO
HER HUSBAND; THEY DIED!– “You are of your father the devil, and the
desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it” (Jn. 8:44)
TODAY• THE MASSES ARE DECEIVED IN
RELIGION, BUT:– IT IS NOT BECAUSE GOD LIED TO THEM:
“God is not a man, that He should lie. . .” (Num. 23:19)
– IT IS NOT BECAUSE THE BIBLE IS TOO DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND:“Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ” (Eph. 3:4)
TODAY• THE MASSES ARE DECEIVED IN
RELIGION, BUT:– IT IS NOT BECAUSE MEN WERE BORN
SINNERS:“Truly, this only I have found: That God made man upright, But they have sought out many schemes” (Eccl. 7:29)
TODAY• THE MASSES ARE DECEIVED IN
RELIGION BECAUSE:–man’s imagination is evil from youth
(Gen. 8:21)– people do not prepare their heart to
seek God (2 Chron. 12:14; Matt. 6:33)– people do not rightly divide the word of
truth (2 Tim. 2:15)
AN OPEN DOOR“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia
write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, He who has the key of David, He who
opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens. I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you
have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name’” (Rev. 3:7, 8)
An Open Door
• THE DOOR WAS OPEN• THE DOOR WAS GIVEN
BY GOD–WE OUGHT TO VIEW
ALL DOORS OF ADVANCEMENT AS BEING “OF THE LORD”
– ALL REAL GROWTH COMES FROM HIM
LITTLE STRENGTH (v. 8)
• PHILADELPHIA HAD “LITTLE STRENGTH” BECAUSE THEY WERE SMALL– BUT THEY WERE FAITHFUL TO THE
WORD OF GOD
• EVEN IF WE HAVE “LITTLE STRENGTH” GOD CAN DO WONDERS FOR US IF WE REMAIN FAITHFUL!
LOOK AT WHAT GOD
HAS ALREADY
DONE!
• CONVERSIONS• RESTORATIONS• A MEMBERSHIP– RESPECTS THE
AUTHORITY OF THE SCRIPTURE
• SUFFICIENT FACILITY
• FREE WRITING OPPORTUNITIES IN NEWSPAPER
• WEB SITES• POWERPOINT SYSTEM
WE CAN EXPECT
• MORE OPEN DOORS–MUST BE WILLING TO
WALK THROUGH THEM
• MORE CHALLENGES–MUST REMAIN
FAITHFUL
“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” (Acts 14:27)
KNOCKING AT THE DOOR
REVELATION 3:19, 20
LUKEWARM CHRISTIANS
REPENTREKINDLE
REOPEN THE DOOR FOR CHRIST
Proverbs 20:13, “Do not love sleep,
lest you come to poverty; Open your
eyes, and you will be satisfied with bread.”
OPEN YOUR EYES TO OPEN YOUR EYES TO THE GOODNESS OF THE GOODNESS OF
GODGODRomans 2:4, “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?”
WILL YOU DINE WITH THE LORD BY OBEYING?
22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
JOHN 14:22, 23