In Revelation 3:20 Jesus says " Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. " That text has been used for generations to encourage people to receive the finished work of the cross. Evangelists the world over have taken that text to say that if you will open the door of your heart and receive Jesus, repenting of your sins, you will have fellowship with Him. That fellowship will thus transform you in to a new creation in Christ, the born of the Spirit reality as it says in John 3. While the truth of the transforming work of Jesus is absolute, the well-meaning, sincere servants of the Lord spoke truth in the message of repentance and regeneration, the use of Revelation 3:20 to communicate that was taken out of context.
The Laodicean church in their minds were rich and blessed in every way, thinking that they had no needs. In reality they were lukewarm and about to be spewed out of His mouth. God's desire was that they would be either hot or cold. When Jesus said in vs 20, "I stand at the door and knock," he was giving an invitation to the throne room, not speaking to unbelievers. Revelation 3 was written to believers not to the unredeemed as a invitation to salvation. He was saying, "Church, the door is unlocked on heaven's side of the equation but you must come and open it." It is an invitation to us.
In Acts 12 Peter is awaiting trial by the insane Herod. Having just killed James by the sword and seeing that it pleased the Jews, his intent was to now do the same to Peter, the leading Apostle. The church was earnestly praying for him. In response to their earnest prayer God sent an angel to loose him from the prison. Four squads of four solders were no match for one angel. One angel in Hezekiah's day killed 185,000 and one angel will take a chain and bind satan (not capitalized on purpose)and toss him in the lake of fire. Here Peter is lead out of the prison and through the first automatic gate. Realizing that he is not having a vision but that the Lord had delivered him from the expectation of the Jews he returns to the house where they were praying and upon his return he has to knock on the door! The church does not even believe that it is Peter. They had to open the door for him.
There are things that only God can do and things that only we can do. God has made a way for us to enter into the throne room of heaven but we must open the door! It's unlocked on His side because of the blood - he is awaiting you. Don't be a Laodicean resting in apathy, thinking that you have it all. There is more! There are deeper things in God. Press in, go through the door and engage in the revelatory realms of heaven as you worship Him. You will find that you will be walking in a new anointing to touch and change this generation with the love of God.
