Who is Knocking at the Door?
▲ Have you and I heard the glorious resurrected Lord knocking on the door in our hearts?
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and I will sup with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20)
Let’s start with two poems
When our generation was young, the church circles in Taiwan and the United States often held joint evangelistic conferences. Whenever there is such a large gathering, tens of thousands of people take buses from all over the country to attend, along with hundreds of interlocutors. At the final call, a hymn must be sung:
Someone is knocking on the door of your heart. Someone is knocking on the door of your heart. Ask the sinner, why don't you answer? Someone is knocking on the door of your heart! It’s Jesus who knocks on the door... ("Someone is knocking on the door of your heart")
The lyrics are derived from the scriptures in Revelation 3. When I got older and studied more deeply, I realized that the readers the Apostle John, the author of Revelation, had in mind when he wrote, were not those who had not yet believed in the Lord, but the believers of the churches in Asia today. Of course, applied to modern times, this verse is also the Lord Jesus’ earnest call to us followers.
I prefer the hymn "Listen Softly" to the traditional hymn mentioned above. The lyrics remind us: Christ, the Great Shepherd, recognizes our voices, and we must also learn to recognize His voice. This is a two-way, intimate relationship.
So, since I have confessed with my mouth and believed in Jesus Christ with my heart as my Savior and Lord of life, why does He still need to knock on the door of my heart?
Crowds of voices knocking on the door
"Someone is standing outside our hearts knocking on the door." What is presented is indeed a very vivid image. In my personal understanding, the most noteworthy thing about this scene is not that someone is knocking on a closed door, but "Who is knocking on the door?"
Could it be that the author mentioned in the book "Reading You in Eternity" that in Revelation 3:20, the Lord standing at the door and knocking on the door is not Jesus walking in the dust of Galilee, nor is he suffering rejection and humiliation Jesus, but the majestic and glorious Lord Christ after his resurrection and ascension to heaven! It is this Christ who comes and knocks at the door of our hearts.
▲ The noise and annoyance around us is like an over-commercialized Christmas, vying to knock on the door and break into our hearts.
Did you hear it?
However, being able to hear the knocking of Christ is not something that is taken for granted or logical. Because there are still many "people" knocking on the door of your and my heart! These "people" include family, workplace, leisure and entertainment, culture, politics... and even the spiritual world. These knocking sounds include passion, temptation, jealousy, distortion, and darkness; they may be knocking through the ever-changing communication technology, they may be knocking through the ever-changing artificial intelligence; or they may be tearing apart. Knock on the battlefield of a family divided between two generations, or kowtow on the wars of culture and values such as gender identity, abortion, racial equality, etc.! These "people" and "voices" knocking on the door are noisy and eager to break into the door of our hearts.
Yes, in addition to the Lord Jesus knocking on the door of our hearts, there are many “people” knocking on the door. The most dangerous of all is Satan’s knock on the door. 1 Peter chapter 5 verse 8 says:"Be sober and watchful. For your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour!"I think it probably won’t knock on the door while shouting, “I am Satan! I’m here to eat you!” Instead, it will use various media and methods that are difficult to detect to keep knocking on the door of your heart. When a lion is hunting, it stalks, waits, and suddenly attacks. Doesn't Satan do the same?
As followers of Christ, we need to be vigilant, recognize the temptations and temptations of the devil, and practice the vision and ability to escape in time, so as not to lose our lives in its bloody mouth.
▲ The church should also open its doors and invite Jesus in, so that people who come to the church can meet Jesus here.
The Lord’s grace is endless, and people have their duties
In the midst of all this noise and commotion, Christ, with abundant grace and infinite mercy, is quietly knocking on the door. Can we discern the knocking of Christ? He is not only knocking at the door of your heart and mine, but also at the heart door of our children, spouses, parents, and friends around us!
As the writer Mo Fei pointed out, the Lord Jesus is fully capable of opening the door Himself. But He respects us inside the door and gives us free will, waiting for us to open the door ourselves.
As the saying goes, "The Lord's grace is infinite, but people have their duties." We must make up our own minds and choose the actions to respond. In every morning of success and joy in life, or every night of frustration, pain and despair, there is someone knocking on the door. Listen carefully, but is Christ knocking? If so, will you open the door?
The following sharing comes from a minister in his seventies, a young brother in his twenties, and a young pastor in his thirties. At different stages of life, when they faced different challenges and setbacks, they heard the voice of Jesus Christ knocking on the door through the Bible, family, and special circumstances. Not only did they hear, but they also opened their hearts and invited Jesus Christ to come into their lives, to reign as king, take the first place, sit down together, and enjoy the richness of His presence together.
The life story of knocking and opening the door
When Su Wenzhe was born, he had a very special mark on his face and was judged not to live for 12 days. As he grew up, he almost died twice. How could such a child hear the knocking of the Lord Jesus?
Please watch〈Su Wenzhe’s ordinary and extraordinary life path〉.
When he was 12 years old, he heard the Lord’s knock on the door when he was in pain; when he was 13 years old, he heard the Lord’s knock on the door during his mother’s short sermon; when he was in his twenties, he heard the Lord’s knock on the door when he was serving as a student counselor; in the process of getting married, he heard the Lord’s knock on the door. I heard the Lord’s knocking... Every time you hear the knock on the door, take the opportunity to open the door of your heart and invite the Lord to come in. (For a more detailed life story of Su Wenzhe, please refer to the family section "Your eyes have already seen it!" in issue 71 of this magazine.)
The second testimony is Jason’s story. Jason lives in New Jersey, USA. After graduating from college, he originally had a high-paying job that suited his interests, and he also had a girlfriend he had been dating for many years. Unexpectedly, within a few months, I was laid off and broke up with my girlfriend. The successive heavy blows made him, who was originally sentimental, almost mentally collapsed and almost ran to New York to become a homeless man. After finally returning home, the second relationship failed again. This was like the straw that broke the camel's back. He couldn't stand it anymore, so he ran away from home and fled to Australia to relax. How did such a young man hear the Lord’s knock on the door?
Please watch〈Jason's journey home from wandering〉.
With the unconditional and costly acceptance and support of his parents and sister, Jason finally heard the Lord’s knock on the door while wandering around the world, opened his heart, and allowed the Lord to take him out of the lowest point in his life. (Mother Liao Meihui recorded Jason's journey away from home and back home, which was published in the 110th issue of "True Love" family magazine "The Crisis of Flying Over 1/4 of Life".)
The third testimony is the story of PK Wang Enlin. Children of preachers, or children of all those who are committed to serving, also need to pay careful attention in order to hear the Lord’s knocking.
Please watch〈Wang Enlin "PK on the way home"〉.
God used a serious car accident after he graduated from high school to break his bones, break his heart, and shatter his dreams. In fact, God was knocking hard on the door of his heart. Fortunately, he heard, opened the door, welcomed Christ in, and his life was never the same again. (The testimony from the broken dream to the opening of the door was published in the 130th issue of "True Love" family magazine "PK's Road Home".)
After writing this message, I specifically asked Mr. Chatchibert, who has been booming in the past year, for advice. Do you know who this Mr. Charter is? It’s ChatGPT! I asked him, as a pastor, to explain Revelation 3:20. There was something in his answer that I hadn't expected. In addition to individuals needing to hear the knocking of Jesus Christ and open the door of their hearts to invite Him in, Mr. Chat also mentioned that the entire church should also pay attention to the knocking of the Lord Jesus and open the door of the church to invite Jesus in, so that Let more people who come to the church be willing to open their hearts, meet Jesus, and enjoy the Lord’s amazing grace together.
Well, a very good reminder!
Pour out your heart to the Lord Please put your hands on your heart and join me in pouring out your heart to the Lord:
Yes, Lord Christ, You, the Great Shepherd, know our voice, and You want us to learn to know Your voice. You want each of us to establish a personal and intimate relationship with You, to walk with You every day in our family, workplace, and church life, and to have Your presence and co-worker in the church! Lord Jesus, I heard your firm and loving knock on the door. I want to open the door of my heart and invite you in. You don’t just come in as a guest, but become the Lord of my life, leading me to reject all knocks that do not belong to you. The sound of the door, walking with you on the road of life. In the holy name of the Lord Jesus, who is honorable, glorious, majestic, and full of mercy and love, Amen!