Behold, I Stand At The Door And Knock

“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— (Revelation 3:14-17 NKJV)

Jesus wrote a very personal letter to each of the seven churches that were in Asia through His Jewish secretary, John, in the book of Revelation:  Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.

Yes, these churches actually existed, each with different problems and challenges.  But the Holy Spirit has included each letter for a variety of different reasons.

The Bible is a multi-layered storehouse of treasure.  It is a living book which speaks to us in different ways at different times.  The letters not only were written to these first century Churches, they represent different church eras and illustrate the various wrong doctrines that have circulated in the Church,  both in the past up to the present-day.

Jesus addressed each specific issue or issues.  Only two churches not corrected for wrong doctrines: Smyrna and Philadelphia, described further on in this article.

Ephesus had left her first love. Follow this link for more information on their issue:

http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2015/02/first-love.html

Pergamum was teaching the false doctrines of the Nicholaitans and the Error of Balaam. Follow this link for more information on that:  

http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-error-of-balaam-and-doctrine-of.html 

Thyatira was into sexual perversion & sacrificing to idols.  I'm sure we don't need to elaborate on that. 

Sardis' problem was "dead works," in othet words, those which are those done out of human strength as opposed to "good works."  Good works are not the "ROOT"  but the "FRUIT."

Follow this link for more on that topic:  

http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/09/you-can-have-fruit-without-root.html

But of all the letters in these 2 chapters, the one to Laodicea is probably the best known and the verse below the most commonly quoted, or should I say, MISquoted.  It is also the most misapplied.

Revelation 3:20

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."

This verse is generally used to illustrate to people that Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart and wants to come in and be your Savior, after which the pastor usually has an altar call.  Nothing wrong with saying that Jesus wants to be your Savior.  Nothing wrong with saying He is knocking at the door of your heart: He is. After all, it's for a good cause but it's being taken out of context.

One horrible way it is taken out of context is when some well-meaning pastor tells you that if you're a "lukewarm Christian," God will spit you out of His mouth.  You know what they're implying, right?  That you can lose your salvation.  THAT US A LIE FROM THE PIT OF HELL.

In actual fact, this passage isn't about Jesus knocking at the door of an unsaved person's heart at all.  HE IS KNOCKING AT THE DOOR OF THE SENIOR PASTORS OF END-TIME CHURCHES. 

Usually you think of Angels only heavenly beings, right?  But the word "Angels" comes from the Greek word "ángelos," which simply means "messenger."  John is writing to the SENIOR PASTORS of churches, NOT THEIR CONGREGATIONS or, for that matter, to individual believers.  The very last two "Angels" to whom Jesus, through John, is writing are Philadelphia and Laodicea. 

Philadelphia means "brotherly love."  The messenger of this church was not reprimanded in any way nor was Smyrna.  Jesus, in fact, wanted to encourage Smyrna which was under intense persecution at the time.  Philadelphia was a perfect picture of pure grace, God's perfect administration.

Laodicea comes from two Greek words:  "laós," meaning "a people, characteristically, God's chosen
people: first the Jews, then the Church," and "diké," meaning "justice, judicial hearing or punishment."  It is a picture of the churches in our day that mix law and grace. YUK!

The Holy Spirit has placed the letters to these two particular churches last, putting them side by side, quite purposely because, in these last days, this was going to be the lay of the land.  Two kinds of churches: Two kinds of Christians:

#1.  Those that preach/believe grace, the true gospel: Grace.

#2.  Those that preach a mixture or the "balance" of law and grace.  This is the same Galatian heresy the Apostle Paul soundly denounces EVERYWHERE.

(The end-time sorrow of Jesus)

The latter outnumber the former unfortunately, though this is slowly changing.  It is the cause of the end-time sorrow of Jesus, Who is weeping over His church.  Why?  Because she doesn't know she is completely forgiven of ALL her sins, forever beloved, FOREVER righteous in His sight.

Church, SIN IS NOT A THREAT TO GOD. But self-righteous most definitely IS.  God doesn't fall off His throne when you and I do something stupid.  

What do you get when you mix cold: The law, and hot:  Grace?  LUKEWARM.  

Law, written on COLD stone, and grace being the FIRE of the Holy Spirit.  Again.....YUK!  

Ever drink lukewarm water?  Yeah; you want to spit it out of your mouth, too.

Jesus is standing and  knocking at the door of the senior pastors of the Laodicean church of these last days, asking to please be allowed in.  When you sit under the preaching of the pastors of such churches, Jesus' name is hardly even mentioned.  It's all works-based Christianity:  You are saved by grace but you have to merit God’s blessings, healing, etc., based on your right doing.  You are told 
"Do this or that, be this way or that way," continually pointing at YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU instead of pointing TO JESUS, unveiling His beauty loveliness.  

They also focus on SIN far more than grace.  Is it any wonder their people struggle with sins, challenges, sicknesses and diseases and many die before their time?

Jesus says to those "Angles:"   "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me."

It's simple, Church:  We are transformed from glory to glory by beholding JESUS GLORY not our GORY.

He is the altogether Lovely One.  

He deserves ALL the attention.  

He deserves ALL the honor, ALL the praise, ALL the glory!  AMEN! 

He is asking to be let back into His church once again so He can bless and prosper her.

Please get up.  Answer the door.  Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock."