Last night in our deeper study class we covered the story of Noah. One of the points I emphasized seemed to hit home to many of the folks in the class and even moved many to tears. I can honestly say that was a much stronger reaction than I anticipated, but obviously the Holy Spirit was at work and so I thought I would share with you what I shared with them.
When Noah found grace with God, and the Lord decided to spare him and his family from the flood, Noah was given very specific instructions on how exactly God planned to affect this salvation in Noah's life. Noah had to build an ark just so, and had to follow God's instructions to the letter. For all the hugeness of the ark, for all its life-saving capacity, God only told Noah to make one door (Genesis 6:16). There was only one way to access this huge vessel of salvation.
It is no coincidence that Jesus Himself uses that same analog of being the only door through which those who would be saved could enter (John 10:1-9). He also tells in another relevant passage of Scripture about a door that once the master of the house has closed it, no more can enter (Luke 13:22-25). Luke talks about those pounding on the door crying out to be let in, but the answer is that they are unknown to the master of the house and no entry is possible once the door is closed.
If we return now to the story of Noah, while the Bible does not spell it out in explicit details, doubtless once God had closed the door (Genesis 7:16), there were Noah's friends and neighbors upon seeing rain for the first time, the very rain Noah had spent 120 years warning them about while building the ark, who were pounding on the door for Noah to let them in. It was not Noah who closed the door, however, it was God, and once God had closed the door it was beyond Noah's power to open it again.
We who know Christ are charged with the same obedience God expected of Noah. We too are to be preachers of righteousness (2 Peter 2:5), sharing the gospel with an ungodly world and warning of the judgment to come. Just as Noah faced, most of those with whom we share will not listen to the warnings, but as told in Ezekiel 33:1-11, our job is to sound the trumpet. Those who do not heed the warning, their blood is on their own head, but if we know of the coming judgment and do not sound the warning, then the blood is on our hands.
The question I posed to the group that brought so many tears was "How will you feel on the day of judgment when you are safely inside with Christ and your family, friends, neighbors, loved ones with whom you did not share the gospel are on the outside, pounding on the door to be let in?" We can find many excuses for not sharing the gospel: I'm too busy, what will they think of me, I might get fired, I might get arrested, they won't listen anyway....etc. The truth is, God doesn't want our excuses, He demands our obedience. Three times in John 14 Jesus equates loving Him with obeying His commands, and that includes the command in Matthew 28:18-20 to "make disciples". I know if God took me today that I cannot think of a family member, friend or loved one with whom I have not shared the gospel. That is not to brag, but to set a hope before all who read this to strive for that peace of mind. Whether or not they believe is not a burden you bear. That is the work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of each person. What is your responsibility is to be sure and tell them. Do not, on that most joyful day when you stand in the presence of the Lord, find yourself filled with regret at hearing the voices of those God has placed in your life, their fists pounding on the door begging to be saved and hearing Jesus' words from Luke 13:27 echoing in your ears, "I do not know where you are from, depart from Me you evildoers."
David, by the providence of the Almighty, I have read these blog posts out of order. I read about your vacation before this post. In the account of your vacation you recount an encounter with two college-age girls with whom you were sharing the gospel in a general manner with the hope of sharing more detail later. Later never came for you during that trip. YHWH has given you a whole new meaning about what it means "while the door is open..." for one never knows if he will have another opportunity to share with any given person.
ReplyDeleteI have learned in my life, if a person with whom I am sharing is open, I continue to share as long as they are open. At the point where they are wanting to close the door, I do not force it to stay open. Many of those individuals I have done this with, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me to share with that individual. Many of them I never saw again.
Love and blessings, achi
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