• DOOR OF SIN• DOOR TO

NOAH’S ARK• DOOR OF

PASSOVER• DOOR OF HOPE

Previously Previously Looked At:Looked At:

• the high priest’s house. But Peter followed at a distance.”

DOOR TO DENIAL(Jn. 18:12-18)

• THE DOOR TO DENIAL IS SEEN IN THE WAY PETER FOLLOWED JESUS

• LUKE 22:54, “Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest’s house. But Peter followed at a distance.”

Following Afar

Off• IS ALWAYS THE FIRST STEP OF APOSTASY– IN THE COURTYARD PETER

WAS WARMING HIMSELF WITH THE WORLD RATHER THAN BEING NEAR HIS LORD (Jn. 18:18)

Do We Follow Afar Off?Do We Follow Afar Off?

• DO WE LEAVE JESUS AT THE DOOR OF OUR HOUSES WHEN WE GO TO WORK, SCHOOL, VACATION, ETC.?

• DO WE LEAVE JESUS AT THE CHURCH BUILDING WHEN WE GO HOME?– HOW DISTANT ARE WE FROM CHRIST?–WOULD THE WORLD RECOGNIZE US

AS DISCIPLES?

HOW WOULD WE ANSWER?

• IF ASKED IF WE WERE A DISCIPLE OF JESUS?– “I AM NOT” (Jn. 18:17)– “I AM HE” (Jn. 18:5, 6, 8)• JESUS WAS STRUCK IN THE FACE (v. 22)• PETER STRUCK OUT• PRESENTED AS IF PETER AND JESUS

WERE BOTH ON TRIAL

LUKE 22:31-3431 And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon!

Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.

32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."

33 But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death."

34 Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me."

OVERCONFIDENCE(a sign of weakness)

• COMMITMENT EXPRESSED DOESN’T EQUATE A FIRM FAITH

• WE CAN FALL LIKE PETER DID

• “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12)

SIMILAR EXPRESSIONS TODAY:

• I’M GONNA BE A LEADER FOR CHRIST– BUT TOO EMBARRASSED TO TEACH

FAMILY AND FRIENDS?

• I’LL FOLLOW THE LORD REGARDLESS OF ANYONE ELSE– BUT THEN RARELY FOLLOWS THE

LORD TO REGULAR WORSHIP?

SIMILAR EXPRESSIONS TODAY:

• SOME SAY, “I’LL FOLLOW JESUS TO THE CROSS [DEATH]”– BUT REFUSE TO FOLLOW HIM TO THE

WATER TO BE BAPTIZED AS HE COMMANDED (Mk. 16:15, 16)?

PETER• SINNED (cf. Matt. 10:33)

• SORROWED OVER IT (Lk. 22:62)

• SURVIVED SATAN’S SIFTER– RESTORED TO CHRIST (Jn. 21:15-19)– BECAME A PILLAR (Gal. 2:9)– DIED GLORIFYING GOD

(Jn. 21:18, 19)

THE DOOR TO DEATH(Acts 5:1-11)

"Look, the feet of those who have buried your

husband are at the door, and they will carry you

out"

(Acts 5:9)

THE DOOR TO DEATH(Acts 5:1-11)

• WAS A DOOR WAY OF DEATH BY DECEPTION– ANANIAS CONSPIRED WITH WIFE TO

APPEAR TO GIVE MORE THAN WHAT THEY DID

– LIED TO THE SPIRIT (GOD) • BUT GOD IS NOT DECEIVED ANANIAS AND

SAPPHIRA WERE• SHOWS THE SEVERITY OF SIN

WARNING!WARNING!DOING A GOOD WORK IN THE

WRONG WAY OR MOTIVE IS SINWE ONLY DECEIVE OURSELVES

DECEPTION & DEATH

• OFTEN LINKED TOGETHER– EVE WAS DECEIVED (2 Cor. 11:3); GAVE TO

HER HUSBAND; THEY DIED!– “You are of your father the devil, and the

desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it” (Jn. 8:44)

TODAY• THE MASSES ARE DECEIVED IN

RELIGION, BUT:– IT IS NOT BECAUSE GOD LIED TO THEM:

“God is not a man, that He should lie. . .” (Num. 23:19)

– IT IS NOT BECAUSE THE BIBLE IS TOO DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND:“Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ” (Eph. 3:4)

TODAY• THE MASSES ARE DECEIVED IN

RELIGION, BUT:– IT IS NOT BECAUSE MEN WERE BORN

SINNERS:“Truly, this only I have found: That God made man upright, But they have sought out many schemes” (Eccl. 7:29)

TODAY• THE MASSES ARE DECEIVED IN

RELIGION BECAUSE:–man’s imagination is evil from youth

(Gen. 8:21)– people do not prepare their heart to

seek God (2 Chron. 12:14; Matt. 6:33)– people do not rightly divide the word of

truth (2 Tim. 2:15)

AN OPEN DOOR“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia

write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, He who has the key of David, He who

opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens. I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you

have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name’” (Rev. 3:7, 8)

An Open Door

• THE DOOR WAS OPEN• THE DOOR WAS GIVEN

BY GOD–WE OUGHT TO VIEW

ALL DOORS OF ADVANCEMENT AS BEING “OF THE LORD”

– ALL REAL GROWTH COMES FROM HIM

LITTLE STRENGTH (v. 8)

• PHILADELPHIA HAD “LITTLE STRENGTH” BECAUSE THEY WERE SMALL– BUT THEY WERE FAITHFUL TO THE

WORD OF GOD

• EVEN IF WE HAVE “LITTLE STRENGTH” GOD CAN DO WONDERS FOR US IF WE REMAIN FAITHFUL!

LOOK AT WHAT GOD

HAS ALREADY

DONE!

• CONVERSIONS• RESTORATIONS• A MEMBERSHIP– RESPECTS THE

AUTHORITY OF THE SCRIPTURE

• SUFFICIENT FACILITY

• FREE WRITING OPPORTUNITIES IN NEWSPAPER

• WEB SITES• POWERPOINT SYSTEM

WE CAN EXPECT

• MORE OPEN DOORS–MUST BE WILLING TO

WALK THROUGH THEM

• MORE CHALLENGES–MUST REMAIN

FAITHFUL

“And when they were

come, and had gathered the

church together, they rehearsed all that God had

done with them, and how he had opened

the door of faith unto the

Gentiles” (Acts 14:27)

KNOCKING AT THE DOOR

REVELATION 3:19, 20

LUKEWARM CHRISTIANS

REPENTREKINDLE

REOPEN THE DOOR FOR CHRIST

Proverbs 20:13, “Do not love sleep,

lest you come to poverty; Open your

eyes, and you will be satisfied with bread.”

OPEN YOUR EYES TO OPEN YOUR EYES TO THE GOODNESS OF THE GOODNESS OF

GODGODRomans 2:4, “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?”

WILL YOU DINE WITH THE LORD BY OBEYING?

22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

JOHN 14:22, 23