Go to the Door

Go To The Door

John 10:1-5 

10 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.

5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

The last two weeks, we've seen some horrific acts of terrorism in our country.  From the mail bombs to the shootings at a local grocery store in Kentucky to the horrific shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue to the shooting just this past Saturday at a yoga study.  All of these in less than 14 days of one another is the recipe for making us numb to hurt or frozen with fear.  And that inaction is the whole point of terrorism...immobilize the survivors and witnesses so they do nothing.

One of the stories that stuck with me this week was from the deacon in charge of security near the Kentucky shootings.  The assailant had tried unsuccessfully to get into his church before moving to the grocery store and killing people there.  The deacon shared that had he not been away from the desk at the time the shooter was knocking and trying the doors, that he would have been the one to go to the door.  He would have been the one who would have let this person into their church.  When someone knocks, he goes to the door.

It is no accident that terror has a way of freezing people.  When we're scared, we rightly go into a mode of self preservation and self protection.  Scared people don't love their neighbor.  Scared people don't reach out.  Scared people don't care for strangers.  Who's going to go to the door when you're terrified?

But as born again believers, isn't that our calling?

Matthew 25:31-40 

31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Of course our adversary wants us fearful.  He wants us afraid of the stranger.  He wants us to be goats and not sheep.

So what do we do?  We go to the Door.

Jesus said "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 10:9)

We go to the Door.  We go where the Shepherd not only calls us, but calls us by name.  We go where there is pasture prepared inside and out.  We go where we are lead, cared for and assured that as we do the Father's work, He protects, provides and gives direction, comfort and aid.  

We simply cannot as believers afford to be consumed by fear.  2 Timothy 1:7 reminds us that God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind.  We go to the Door and we move at His voice and in His direction as He moved...giving love without fear, even though it may cost us everything.

1 John 4:7-21

7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

19 We love him, because he first loved us.

20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

Loving isn't easy, but it is the better way.  Loving our brother doesn't always mean we'll receive love in return.  But the Father SO LOVED us even when our brother doesn't, so we can give love. 

We move in wisdom with love.  We move in confidence with love.  But we cannot let fear keep us from moving.

Go to the Door.  Ask.  Seek.  Knock.  Love.

Peace.

And please, if you haven't already, vote.

Lifeline is produced from the Evangelistic Ministry of Fellowship Church - 455 Ga Highway 138 W. in Jonesboro, GA. You are encouraged to come out. Min. Robinson posts entries on Twitter. To subscribe to the mailing, or for questions and comments, tweet (@evangeliststeff) or send an email to fellowship_lifeline@yahoo.com. You can find previous messages on the Lifeline Blog (www.lifelineatfellowship. blogspot.com). 

In My Father's House

Luke 15:18a

18 I will arise and go to my father...

In My Father's House

Earlier this weekend, while watching the McCain funeral service, one of the priests said "John was welcomed home" and my mind went immediately to the seen described in the Prodigal Son story.  Most people even tangentially associated with church know the story.  It's usually used to frame a personal testimony about having grown up in church, went out and did things and then coming back to the church.

But what if Jesus also meant this as a parable for our arrival in Heaven?  God, ever watchful for our return, having withheld nothing from us as we journeyed through the world for our whole lives, waiting our full return to Him with expectation and confidence that we would 'come to ourselves' and return home. Not return to a church building.  Not return to a way to behave.  Not return to a conviction to stop this or that.  But, to fully return to HIM.  Return to His deity.  Return to His sovereignty.  Return freely and fully to His fatherhood.

As the priest spoke those words in the midst of that solemn occasion, I saw the joy of a child returning home, welcomed with new clothes as a sign of provision, with a ring as a sign of belonging and identity, and a generous feast showing abundance and full acceptance.  All that was the son's before he left fully restored in the instant he came home by a loving Father waiting for the opportunity to show love.

Yes, I think that's how it will be 'in the sweet by and by.'  Those who suffer through illness and loss will breathe in strength and warmth in Heaven.  Those who have accepted the redemption of Christ will smell the feast, feel the robe and cherish the signet on their hand.

And yet, for all of that vision of passing over, there's nothing that cannot be received right now.  What the young man received was his, just as what God has for us now, on this side of Heaven, is ours.  Like the young man in the story, we can squander what we've been given, or we can receive it, and turn it back over to our Father for His guidance and counsel right now.

Ok. Fine.  Then what about the son left behind?  Are you saying that's Jesus being salty?  No...Jesus is part of the Godhead, part of the Father, along with the Holy Spirit.  The other son is the rest of us. And that is the affirmation to me that this is both a picture of Heaven and of the Kingdom of God right now.

Those of us who have accepted Christ can often lose sight of our own 'prodigal' story.  We can judge those who are just coming back to the Father by where we are at that moment, forgetting that at some point and time, we were also covered in slop.  We've been cleaned up so long, we've lost perspective what it was like to need restoration and the process we need to go through to understand the gift of the Father's love.

Wherever we are, a loving Father awaits.  He is expecting each of us to 'come to ourselves' and return to Him, even if it takes every day that we're here on earth to get there.  The robe is ready.  The ring is set aside, polished and waiting.  The provisions for the feast are assembled.  Everything is in place, waiting for the guest of honor.

Won't you come?

Lifeline is produced from the Evangelistic Ministry of Fellowship Church in Jonesboro, GA. 

Previous messages are on the Lifeline Blog (www.lifelineatfellowship.blogspot.com) .  

Evangelist Robinson also posts her entries on Twitter. To subscribe to the mailing, or for questions and comments, Tweet (@evangeliststeff) or send an email to fellowship_lifeline@yahoo.com.