Open the Door

In 2001, the United Methodist Church began a national television campaign, running commercials during the Easter, Christmas, and Back to School periods of the year. These commercials branded the United Methodist Church with the slogan “Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors.” This year, the church is beginning a new campaign known as 10,000 doors. This weekend, many churches from around the state decorated doors and sent them to annual conference.

Doors have many functions. They allow people to come in or go out. They can be opened, closed, or even locked.

Thursday night, when Ginger brought me the programs for this morning, she knocked on my door and announced “It's Ginger!” I went and opened the door and stood at the door to talk to her. Because I am not the best housekeeper and was embarrassed to let her see my house, I did not invite her in. The theme verse for this year's annual conference is Revelations 3:20, God says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me.” I'm afraid too often we try the same tactic with God that I tried with Ginger. We may crack the door or even open it and let God see the living room, but we don't want to invite him in to the mess of our lives. We are embarrassed and ashamed, and what's more, we are comfortable in our mess. We are afraid God will say, “This place is a pigsty, I can't stay here,” but that's not what God promises. He stands at the door and knocks. When we open the door, he comes in and eats with us and joins us in our everyday messy lives. Sure, he'll eventually help us out and pick up some of the trash that's on the floor, because he knows it's not good for us and we don't really like it there, and mostly just because He loves you and He really just wants to be with you. So the first and most important function of the door of your life is to allow Jesus in.

In addition to allowing Jesus in our lives, we as the church have to be willing to allow others in. We can't be an exclusive club that doesn't let anyone else join. Are we really willing to let ANYONE come in the door of our church. Sure we may open the door and let them come worship with us, much like I let Ginger see my living room, but are we willing to let them become a part and get involved in our everyday lives with us? Sometimes we don't want to let others in because we don't want them to see what our lives really look like. The outside is pretty and we look like we have everything all together, so it is okay for them to come to worship and see us there, but we don't want to let them involved in our everyday stuff. The inside is a mess and we don't want anyone getting to know us because they may find out that we are messy people, not the “perfect Christians” we try to pretend to be.
Jesus tells a parable that demonstrates another reason we may not want to let people into our lives—or our church.

"There was a man who had two sons.
12 The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.
13 "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.
14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.
15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.
16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!
18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.'
20 So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21 "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. '
22 "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate.
24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
25 "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.
26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.
27 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'
28 "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.
29 But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.
30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
31 " 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.
32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' " (Luk 15:11-32 NIV)

Just before telling this story, the Pharisees were complaining about the type of people Jesus received, welcomed and even ate with. Jesus was accepting sinners for who they are and the Pharisees didn't like it. The older brother in this story came home from working in the fields and about the time he got to the door he heard a party going on. When he found out this party was for his brother, he did not approve. He was angry and when asked, he let his dad know. His brother didn't deserve this after what he had done. It wasn't fair, he had never gotten to have a party with his friends and he done everything he was supposed to do. Sometimes grace doesn't seem fair. We are not always happy when others are receiving grace and we aren't. Sometimes we think “I do what I'm supposed to and I come to church every Sunday, I deserve grace, but her...well, I know where she was last night.” We get angry when we try do do right and others receive grace rather than getting what we think they deserve. We have the same response as the older brother said, “If he's in there, I'm not going in.” Or worse, we ask, “What is he doing at my church?” It's not YOUR church, it's GOD'S church, and he'll welcome WHOSOEVER will come and ANYONE who will open the door. John 14:2 says “In my Father's house are many rooms...” There is enough room for everyone.

There is only on door to the kingdom of God. Jesus said in John 10:9, “I AM the door,” and in John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.” There is only one door to the kingdom and that's Jesus, but there are many doors to the church. Each of you is a door. You have to open up and let people in so they can see Jesus and walk through THE door to the kingdom.

Doors aren't just for going in; they are also for going out. We cannot sit her all comfortable in our pews and say, “well, if someone wants to come visit, we'll open the door.” That's not what Jesus told us to do. The last time Jesus saw his disciples, he gave them directions to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (Mat 28:19 RSV)” You have to go out of the doors of the church and tell people about Christ and invite them to come meet him. Invite them into your life—even if it's messy—let them see you and what Jesus has done for you. GO OUT and shout to the world that Jesus loves them.

Finally, I was reading on the conference web page about the doors that were brought to annual conference. More than 150 doors were brought to Annual Conference symbolizing various churches and how they were welcoming newcomers in and going out into the world. Two pastors
volunteered to put the doors on stands. They quickly ran out of wood and turned to connecting doors with hinges so two doors held up each other. What an awesome example of how we should be as Christians. We can't do it on our own, we must help each other out and hold each other up. Together, we can welcome even “the least of these” and in doing so, welcome Christ into our lives.