Monday, November 5, 2018

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.
But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
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
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
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).