The open door (Luke 15:11-24)
Contents
Title Open Door / Scripture Luke 15:11-24 / Space Daebok Church
***Introduction
Dear members of the body! Do you know when the gates of the kingdom of God open and close? Is it not possible that the door closes when I wander in sin or when I am discouraged, and opens when I am zealous, full of joy, and dedicated to the gospel? Surprisingly, many believers feel the same way.
That is why we always ask the Lord for the key. A key to solving problems, a key to health, a key to a child, a key to business and so on. There are many times when we think that God has locked and locked the door of the kingdom of God.
But the door of the kingdom of God, which the Lord opened by tearing your body, has never been closed. When the Lord bore our sins and died on the cross, the veil of the temple, which was only opened once a year, was torn, and the door of the kingdom of God was opened to all. Only us people open and close the gates of the kingdom of God through their own knowledge, emotions, and imagination. The real problem is that the door of our heart opens and closes.
People don't think their minds are closed, and they sneak around to see if there's an open door. But there is no kingdom of God in this world that can be reached by one's own righteousness, knowledge, emotions, or feelings.
The prodigal son who appears in today's text went out into the world according to his thoughts, knowledge, and feelings. It was as if he thought that there was a blue bird in the world that would make him free and happy. For a brief moment, as long as the riches were there, it seemed so. But the pink happiness disappeared with the riches, leaving only hunger, loneliness, and a crisis of life.
The prodigal son was gripped with a deep sense of guilt. The prodigal cries out. “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. See me as one of the laborers.” Now, to the prodigal son, the father's house is tightly shut. But the truth is, the father's door has never been closed since the prodigal son left. What, then, made the prodigal son shut his heart?
1. A closed mind is something you make yourself.
No one has ever told the prodigal son, 'Your father's house is tightly shut to you'. The guilt of the prodigal son is only of his own creation. The prodigal son created the imagination that his father would not accept him by his knowledge, feelings, and feelings. That's why I even considered an alternative status of 'one of the hired workers'.
Many Christians today have created an imaginary God themselves and are serving that God. They do not believe in a factual faith based on the Word, but in a God created by their own emotions. Just as Nathanael had an imagination of Jesus.
After Philip met Jesus, he went to call his friend Nathaniel. He told Nathanael, “I have met Jesus,” and asked him to accompany him. Then Nathanael refused, saying, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth!” (John 1:46). Nathanael trusted her knowledge and feelings. That's all! When the two disciples heard the news of Jesus' resurrection, they were also on their way to their hometown of Emmaus with disappointment. They stood by Jesus, but did not recognize him. they say “We hoped that this man would be the one to redeem Israel.” They are now overwhelmed with their emotions and are disappointed and frustrated with themselves. Even though the risen Lord is with you
In this way, God does not close the gates of heaven, but people themselves close their hearts by immersing themselves in their knowledge and emotions. Therefore, the problem has itself within me.
2. The door of the kingdom of God is always open.
After the prodigal son left the house on his own, the father could not shut the gate and waited for his son to return day after day. The prodigal son did not know this. The prodigal son said, “How many hired laborers my father has enough food? I am dying of hunger here!” he laments. The prodigal knowledge of his father was relatively accurate. But awareness of one's reality alone will never solve hunger.
Many people who believe in God remain at this level of consciousness. Some people, like Judas Iscariot, take their own life when they realize that they are far from God. Others are pessimistic about their own reality and walk the path of depravity on their own.
There is only one way, to return to the Father. God sees us sitting here this evening. Also, there is nothing that cannot read the wishes of our hearts, and He never misses even a single tear from our eyes. But how can you not know our situation? God is waiting. He is waiting for me to open my heart and give everything to God. God says Isaiah 40:27 says, “Jacob, why do you say, Israel, why do you say, ‘My case is hidden from the Lord, and my grievance is not accepted by my God.’” Let's find the next verse, verses 28-31, and read it together.
The father recognized the returning prodigal son from a distance and felt pity for him, and ran to him, hugging his neck and kissing him. The concerns of the prodigal son disappeared like spring snow. Father's house was wide open, and even though he returned as a beggar, there was a warm love from his father who welcomed him as his son.
3. Open your heart and surrender everything to the Lord.
The prodigal son made a guilty confession to his father. “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”
Guys, what are you worried about? Our heavenly Father accepts anything we confess. Now, get out of your imagination of the God you have created yourself. The Lord is a merciful God who has invited us to rest to lift our burdens.
When I close my eyes, everything is invisible. Not only that, but closing my eyes only adds to my imagination. When we open our hearts, everything is open. No, it was already open. Now, let's open our hearts to the Lord and open our hearts to the world.