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. (Revelation 3:20)
I will COME IN...
Did you know this message from Jesus was spokento the Church...those who claimed to already have a relationship with Him (Revelation 3:14-22)? Surprise! More often than not, this scripture verse is used by pastors and lay people to evangelize NON-Believers, which ironically is what this devotional is about. But the heart-and-mind doors about which this passage speaks, and outside of which Jesus has been relegated, are the unenthusiastic ones belonging to Christians (Revelation 3:15-16). Yet still Jesus is determined to enter back in...and knocks...
I will COME IN...
There is nothing new about the substance of this devotional; yet when I heard the scripture verse above mentioned in church this past Sunday, it hit me like a ton of bricks (a Holy Spirit "ton-of-bricks"?) that I needed to write about it nonetheless. Scripture tells us plainly that it is Jesus via the Holy Spirit Who enters IN to us when we give our lives to Him:
And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with youand will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. (John 14:16-18)
And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. (John 17:22-23)
To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27)
But after Jesus comes IN...we are supposed to go OUT. Yet too often these days, Christians have it backwards: we spend a lot of time walking IN-to church and IN church activities and IN-viting people IN-to the church (building)...but the Bible says...Jesus says...
...we should be going OUT.
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying,“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always,even to the end of the age.” Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20)
GO OUT...
Now there are good reasons for Christians to gather together IN some place (a church, a home, a park, a field...): for spiritual feeding (like when Paul was teaching all night:Acts 20:7), for encouragement (which we are supposed to do on adaily basis: Hebrews 3:13;10:24-25), for assisting one another in a multitude of ways (such as what the original Church did and what we arestill meant to do: Acts 2:40-47), and for fellowship with those who claim to have dwelling within themselves the same Amazing, Powerful, Beautiful Spirit of Christ (since the world at large does not recognize Him, and therefore speaks an entirely different "language": John 1:1-13).
But then we are supposed to GO OUT...
...which is why it is suspect that we have BIG church buildings costing BIG money for us to spend BIG (or not so big) amounts of time IN...and why it is questionable that people spend much time and effort shopping for and focusing on what is IN that church building (that is, the "appeal" of the pastor, the congregants, the groups, the events, the...)...and why it is tragic that when one walks up to a non-Believer and offers him/her a tract about Jesus's message of salvation and Life, one is automatically thought to be from a group of people who DO go OUT a lot to share their beliefs (not Christian)...and why it is absolutely horrendous that when one walks up to someone who claims to be a Believer and offers him or her a tract, one more often than not gets a suspicious look and a cool reply of "I'm already a Christian." YOWCH!!!
We're so comfortable going IN, but we're supposed to be going OUT; and truth (Truth) be told, once Jesus comes IN to us...WE are the Church...not the bricks and mortar...the LIVING Church meant to carry Him OUT to those who don't yet know him (Luke 17:20-21;2 Corinthians 4:5-7, 5:20; 1 Peter 2:5):
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you...
And God even tells us how, so we are without excuse:
And He called the twelve toHimself, and began to send them out twoby two... (Mark 6:7)
After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent themtwo by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go... (Luke 10:1)
And I LOVE this one from the Old Testament - Nehemiah. Granted, it is actually about the people coming together to reconstruct the wall in Jerusalem; yet I strongly believe in my heart that the same way in which these families came together to rebuild a structure, the Church today is supposed to come together to build up God's Kingdom...by going OUT to invite IN more "living stones" to the Living Church (not building):
Therefore I (Nehemiah) positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings; and I set the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.” And it happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, andthat God had brought their plot to nothing, that all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work.So it was, from that time on,that half of my servants worked at construction, while the other half held the spears, the shields, the bows, andwore armor; and the leaders were behind all the house of Judah. Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon. Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built. And the one who sounded the trumpet was beside me. Then I said to the nobles, the rulers, and the rest of the people, “The workis great and extensive, and we are separated far from one another on the wall. Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.” (Nehemiah 4:13-20)
So it was, from that time on, that half of my servants worked at construction, while the other half held the spears, the shields, the bows, and wore armor... they came together with one purpose...to build and to fight.
Then I said to the nobles, the rulers, and the rest of the people, “The work is great and extensive, and we are separated far from one another on the wall. Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.” ... The work IS great and extensive, we ARE separated these days, and the One who sounds the trumpet - our God and Savior - is blowing mightily...can you hear it...?
Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were wearyand scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples,“The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” (Matthew 9:35-38)
This is NOW. The One Who is blowing the trumpet is standing beside you and me if we have Him living with-IN. If Jesus has come IN to your heart...it is time for you...for me...for US...to GO OUT and let people know Who HE IS.
In His Love Always, 
Terri
