Jesus Still Makes House Calls!

S2006.12 “Jesus Still Makes House Calls!” Revelation 3: 20 Pastor Steve N. Wagers March 19, 2006 Sermon Outline 1. The Entrance Christ Desires! A) He Comes to Us B) He Calls to Us 2. The Enjoyment Christ Delivers! A) An Endearing Friendship B) An Enduring Fellowship 3. The Enthronement Christ Demands! A) His Preeminent Authority B) His Permanent Authority

One of the greatest discoveries I have ever made is that of the Christian life. I have found that the Christian life is nothing more, nothing less than Jesus Christ Himself. It is a life imparted by Christ, and a life empowered by Christ. It is all about what Christ has done for us, to us, and in us. It is Christ Himself.

Thus, for one to say that they are a Christian is to say that they are a “Christ-“ian. It is Christ who is working on the inside so that it may be Christ who is working on the outside. It is not denomination. It is not affiliation. It is not participation. It is Jesus Christ Himself.

As we examine the scriptures we find that all throughout the Bible Christ plays various roles in

1 our lives. I love how one described the roles of Christ.

To the architect, He is the Chief Cornestone. To the astronomer, He is the Bright and Morning Star. To the baker, He is the Living Bread. To the carpenter, He is the Master Builder. To the diplomat, He is the Prince of Peace. To the doctor, He is the Great Physician. To the educator, He is the Master Teacher. To the electrician, He is the Light of the World. To the farmer, He is the Lord of the Harvest. To the florist, He is the Rose of Sharon and Lily of the Valley. To the geologist, He is the Rock of Ages. To the horticulturist, He is the True Vine. To the judge, He is the Chief Advocate. To the philosopher, He is the Wisdom of God. To the publisher, He is the Good Tidings of Great Joy. To the sculptor, He is the Living Stone. To the sinner, He is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.

It is Christ who meets as we are, where we are, and fulfills every single need of our life. So it is in the text before us. We find that Christ is playing, and fulfilling another role in our life. He plays the role of

2 both a guest, and a host. He is the guest at first, but then He becomes the host.

As you know, this verse is used in the context of the letter to the church at Laodicea. It is an appeal to the church. However, since the church is made up of born-again believers, this is not only an institutional appeal, but an individual appeal. While this is a public matter, it is also a personal, private matter. From it we learn that the Lord Jesus Christ still makes house calls to the heart of every church, as well as every Christian.

From this great text, we see first: 1. The ENTRANCE Christ DESIRES!

In the first part of verse 20, we see that Christ desires entrance into our lives. It’s important to establish that it is Christ who desires the entrance. He says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” Thus, it is Christ who is standing at the door of our church, and of our hearts desiring entrance.

The fact that Christ desires this entrance is establishing in the fact that:

A) He COMES to Us!

Notice again the words, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” In other words, it is Christ who

3 is seeking. It is Christ who is knocking. It is Christ who is coming. It is not us coming to Him, but it is Him coming to us.

I never read Revelation 3: 20 that I do not think of Holman Hunt’s painting called “The Light of the World.” The artist depicts Christ standing at the door hanging on rusty hinges. The door is covered by the enthralling growth of the years, and Christ stands there clad in keenly garments and robes with a lantern in one hand, and with the other hand he is knocking on the door.

So it is in our text. It is Christ Himself who is knocking. He does not wait for us to come to Him, but He takes the initiative and comes to us.

I often hear people say, referring to their salvation experience, that “they found the Lord.” But, the truth of the matter is that we were not looking for Him, He was looking for us. We weren’t seeking Him, He was seeking us. We didn’t find Him, but He found us.

Paul is clear, in Ephesians 2: 2 that “in time past we walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air.” In other words, before we were saved, we were going in the opposite direction of God. Again, we didn’t go out looking for Him, but He came out looking for us.

4 Before I got saved, I must admit that I had no thought for God, I had no time for God, and I had no trust in God. Before I got saved, spiritual things had no interest to me, no importance for me, and no influence on me. Why, because I walked according to the course of this world, going in the opposite direction of God.

But, blessed be God, there was a day that when I wasn’t looking for Him, He came looking for me. I didn’t find Him, He found me. He desired entrance into my life so much so that He came to me.

However, we also see that:

B) He CALLS to Us!

We see Christ standing at the door knocking, but we also read, “if any man hear my voice.” In other words, Christ is not only knocking, but He is speaking. He not only comes to us, but when He comes, He calls to us.

You see Christ comes to us knocking, but He calls to us speaking. He comes to us knocking on the outside, but He calls to us speaking on the inside. He desires entrance into every church, and into every heart that will let Him in. Although He is ever the gentlemen, and will never knock the door down, He ever so gently comes to us, and calls to us.

5 I think of the late Nazarene preacher Uncle Buddy Robinson. He said that once he went to hear a Methodist preacher preach on Heaven till he said, “I wanted to go there.” Then, he heard a Baptist preacher preach on hell, till he said, “I thought I was going there.” But, when the invitation was given, he walked the aisle, and said, “I couldn’t read my name in boxcar letters, but when I got up I could read my title clear to a mansion in the sky.”

You see there was a day when He came to us. But, there was also a day when He called to us. And it was when we “heard His voice” that we opened the door and allowed Him entrance into our lives.

It is Christ who is coming, it is Christ who is calling, thus, I ask you individually, have you let Him in? I ask us congregationally, have we given Him the entrance He so greatly desires?

I love the story of the missionary to India named Mrs. Henderson. She was sitting one day on the veranda of the Defron Hospital reading, and enjoying the beauty of the day. Suddenly, up walked a very distinguished Hindu woman. Mrs. Henderson got up to greet her, and when she did, something fell out of the book that she was reading. The Hindu lady reached down to pick it up, and she noticed that it was a picture of Holman Hunt’s painting, “The Light of the World.”

6 She asked the missionary to explain the picture to her, and she told her that Christ was seeking entrance into her heart. The Hindu woman didn’t accept Christ that day, but later that winter, Mrs. Henderson went to visit the Hindu woman. As she neared her home she noticed that her front door was standing wide open. It was the dead of winter, and Mrs. Henderson asked her why she left her door standing wide open. The Hindu woman replied, “I know it’s cold, and I feel the cold; but, I thought that your Jesus might come by today, and I wanted Him to know that He was welcome in my home.”

The Lord Jesus Christ stands at the door desiring entrance. He comes to us, and calls to us. Thus, again, I ask you, have you welcomed Him in individually? Have we welcomed Him in congregationally? We should, because He desperately desires entrance into your life, and into our church.

Secondly, I call your attention to:

2. The ENJOYMENT Christ DELIVERS!

The Christ that desires entrance is the Christ that delivers enjoyment to every life, and to every church that allows Him to come in. The enjoyment that Christ delivers is explained in a couple of ways. First, he speaks of:

7 A) An ENDEARING FRIENDSHIP!

Christ is standing at the door, knocking. Christ is talking at the door, speaking. We read that, to the life, or church that reaches out and turns the door handle, and “opens the door” Christ promises, “I WILL COME IN!” Thus, I believe you would agree, there is no greater presence to welcome in than the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. His presence and His person become our greatest friend. One of the most blessed things of my Christian life is the enjoyment of Christ’s presence in my life. To realize that He, the Risen, Resurrected Christ, is living in me. To realize that He, the Supreme, Sovereign Lord has come in to be my nearest, and dearest friend.

There are many of you who have allowed Christ entrance into your life. But, if the truth were known, many of you have never fully experienced the enjoyment of His presence in your life. As a result, you do not possess the joy, victory, peace and fulfillment that has been made available to you. It is not that you lack salvation, but you lack satisfaction. It is not a need for regeneration, but for revelation. You have never let the Lord Jesus reveal Himself IN you. You have never allowed Him to become your greatest friend.

8 But, oh blessed thought, to think that the very Son of God Himself has come to take up His abode in my heart. What a wonder to know that He is with me, and in me. I submit unto you that Jesus is not a guest to endure, He is a guest to enjoy! Every believer should sing with the songwriter:

He abides, He abides, Hallelujah, He abides with me. I’m rejoicing night and day As I walk the narrow way. For, the Comforter abides with me.

I ask you, are you experiencing the person of the Lord Jesus Christ in you life? Are you embracing the power of the Lord Jesus in your life? Are you enjoying the presence of the Lord Jesus in your life? The Christian life is to be the healthiest, the holiest, and the happiest life that exists. And it is when He, who is our greatest friend, is welcomed in.

Second, Jesus not only delivers enjoyment through an endearing friendship, but through:

B) An ENDURING FELLOWSHIP!

I must be honest and tell you that I love Revelation 3: 20. I love every letter of it, every phrase of it, and every word of it. I love the abiding presence of His friendship, but more than anything else, I love the assuring promise of His fellowship.

9 We read, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him.” The word “sup” is a most interesting word. It is a word that literally means, “to dine, or to feast with.” In fact, the word “sup” is an abbreviated form of the word supper.

In the days of the text, the Greeks ate 3 meals, like you and I, however, when they ate, and what they ate differs somewhat from our custom. For example, breakfast was a rather small matter that consisted of a dry piece of bread dipped in wine. Lunch was a meal that was seldom eaten at home. It was a quick meal that was eaten in the city square, in the field or wherever a person happened to be at that time.

But, when it came to supper, it was the main meal of the day. This was the meal at which a person enjoyed their time of eating. The day’s work was ended, the toil was over, and it was time to sit and enjoy a wonderfully prepared meal with the family.

Yet, that is exactly what is being depicted in our text. It is Christ who comes to us, and calls to us. It is Christ who desires entrance into our life, and our church. When He comes in, He delivers enjoyment through the endearing friendship of His presence,

10 and through the enduring fellowship with His person.

In other words, when we open the door and let Him in, He comes in to have fellowship with us. He wants to sit down at the table with us, and enjoy a wonderful time of fellowship with us. The matter spoken of here is not a passing matter, but a permanent matter. The fellowship in mind is a lasting, enduring fellowship where Christ is allowed to stay as long as He desires.

Again, there is vast majority who have allowed Him entrance, but there is also a vast majority who do not take the time to sit down, and enjoy His friendship and fellowship. How long has it been since you enjoyed unhurried, unhindered, and unhurt fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ?

You see, He does come by for a visit, but when He comes in, He will stay as long as we allow Him to stay. As Henry Lyte wrote in his hymn:

“Not a brief glance, I beg a passing word; But as Thou dwell’st with Thy disciples, Lord, Familiar, condescending, patient free; Come, not sojourn, but abide with me.”

Do you want more from your Christian life than you now have? Do we, as a church, want to experience everything that God has for us? Then, we must give

11 Him the entrance that He desires so that He may deliver the enjoyment only He can bring through His friendship and fellowship.

Finally, the text speaks of:

3. The ENTHRONEMENT Christ DEMANDS!

It is in the last part of verse 20 that we see the dual role that Christ plays in our lives, and in our church. He comes in as a guest desiring entrance and delivering enjoyment; but, when He comes in, He remains the guest no longer, but He becomes the Host.

In other words, when He comes in, He is no longer the guest at our table, but He wants to become the Head of our table. He demands enthronement in our life, as well as our church. Lindsey Glegg said, “The soul of man can never be safe until Christ is received and enthroned.”

Someone might ask, “What gives Him the right to demand enthronement in my life?” “What gives Him the right to demand enthronement in our church?” I believe we find 2 reasons which give Him the right to demand enthronement. First, because of:

A) His PREEMINENT AUTHORITY!

12 Again, the context is to the church of Laodicea, however it is also given to “any man” that will “hear my voice” and “open the door.” It is a institutional, as well as an individual appeal. In verse 14, we get an idea of just who it is that has the right to demand enthronement. “These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God.” I call your attention to the phrase, “the beginning of the creation of God.” That phrase does not suggest that Christ is the first thing that God created. He was not the “beginning of the creation of God” in the sense that He was the first product of creation.

Rather, the phrase suggests that it is Christ who is the beginning of all things. It is Christ who created all things. It is Christ who is the force, course and source of creation. It is another way of saying what is said in John 1: 3, “All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made.” He is the “beginning of the creation of God.”

Thus, we see His preeminent authority. Because He created us, and because He converted, He now has the absolute right and authority to control us. Because He is who He is, He has the absolute right to ask anything of me that He so desires? So, the question becomes not, “who does He think He is,” but “who do I think that I am to refuse, reject and resists His authority in my life.”

13 Again, because He is the One who created us, and because He is the One who converted us, He now is the One who has the preeminent authority to control us. He has a right to do anything in my life, for my life, to my life, and with my life that He so chooses to do. He has a right to do anything for our church, with our church, through our church, and in our church that He sees fit to do.

However, our text speaks not only of His preeminent authority, but of:

B) His PERMANENT AUTHORITY! Notice again the words of verse 20. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and HE WITH ME.” Did you see the transition? He comes in as the guest, “will sup with him,” but He demands to become the host, “and He with me.”

This is the dual role of the Lord Jesus Christ. He comes in as the guest, desiring entrance and delivering enjoyment. But, once He comes in, He demands enthronement. He comes in as the guest, but He demands that He becomes the host. He comes in as Redeemer, but He demands to become the Ruler. He comes in as Savior, but He demands to become the Sovereign. He comes and will “sup”

14 with us as a guest, but He demands that we sup with Him as the host.

You will remember at the wedding feast in Cana of Galilee. The Lord Jesus was there as a guest, but when the wine ran short, He became the host by telling His servants to fill the waterpots. On the Emmaus road, He walked with 2 strangers, who constrained Him to come into their home. He came in as the guest. But, before long, look who is the One breaking the bread as the host. He came in as a guest at their table, but He became the host of the table. In other words, He was in control by His preeminent and permanent authority.

Yet, so it is with us. He desires entrance as a guest. Have you let Him in? If so, then when He comes in, He is to remain the guest no longer, but He is to become the host. He is the One to be calling the shots. He is the One who is to be in total control. It is not longer Him “supping’ with us, but we are “supping with Him.” He is given permanent authority. Yet, so it is to be in our church. Jesus is standing, and knocking on the door of our church. If we will let Him in, He will come in as the guest, but when He comes in, He remains the guest no longer, but He demands to become the host.

In other words, a church where Jesus is the Host, is a church where He will be in complete, and total

15 control. Tradition must walk out when the Truth walks in. A church cannot have it both ways. They will hold to either tradition or truth. But, if Jesus is the host, then we will not want things our way, but we will let Him have His way. We will not care who gets the credit, so long as He gets the glory.

Think with me for a moment. If I walked into your home and suddenly began shouting orders to you, telling you where you could go, and what you could do in your home, before long you would say to me, “Wait a minute! This is my house, and I’ll do exactly what I want, when I want and how I want.”

Yet, that is exactly what many Christians and churches have done to the Lord Jesus. They have invited Him in as the guest, but they have never let Him become the Host. They are dictating orders to Jesus rather than getting their orders from Jesus. They have things so ordered, orchestrated and organized that Jesus has no room to operate. As a result, at the door of the average church or Christian, you’ll find Him on the outside, standing, knocking and calling, wanting to come in.

It was Revelation 3: 20 that changed the life of the great British preacher, F. B. Meyer. Meyer was attending the annual Keswick meeting at a time in his life where he desperately needed something from God. Meyer crept out from under the Keswick tent, and walked up on Manor Brow, the mountain

16 behind the tent. He began to pour out his soul to God and cried, “I must have the best. I cannot go on living like this. God, I must have something more than what I have.”

Meyer said that it seemed that God spoke to him and said, “But, you haven’t given me every key to your life.” Meyer happened to have a set of keys in his pocket, so he reached in, took them out, and began to take each key and say, “But, Lord, I’ve given you this key, and I’ve given this key.” But, God said to him, “There’s still one key you haven’t given me. That is the key that I want.” Meyer said that he fell prostrate on the cold ground and said, “God, I am not willing, but I’m willing to be made willing.” Meyer later described that night as the turning point in his life and ministry, he spoke of it as the night that “he opened up his whole being, and gave God every key that I had.”

I wonder, have you given Him every key? Has this church given Him every key? He may have been acknowledged as the guest, but has He become the host?

Individually, does He have the key to your ambitions, attitudes and aspirations? Congregationally, does He have the key to this church’s plans, programs, passions and pursuits? The truth of the matter is that the majority of churches, and Christians, have left Egypt, but they

17 have never entered Canaan. They have never entered Canaan, the land of God’s best, because they will not let Jesus become the host.

Someone has said that He must be “the Spokesman in our lives as Prophet; He must the Savior of our lives as Priest, and He must be the Sovereign over our lives as King." Individually, will you continue to go your own and do your own thing? Institutionally, will we as a church seek to do things our way, or let Him have His way completely, totally and unreservedly? The answer to that question will determine whether or not He is still the guest, or He has become the Host.

Thanks be to God, Jesus still makes house calls! LET’S LET HIM IN!