–C. J. Petit  (Retribution)

       “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”

                         –Revelation 3:21(NKJV)
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Once in a while, many years ago when Ronald Reagan was President, my Grandma and Aunt would scurry around cleaning up the house.  They would hustle and bustle cleaning and tidying things up.  They’d look over at me and smile, “You never know, Nancy might come knocking at the door one day and we wouldn’t want the house a mess.”  Now we all knew that Nancy Reagan wasn’t going to come visiting our humble abode, but it was fun pretending.  With that I want to share this morning from Lois A. Cheney’s book, God Is No Fool.

          “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
          “Behold I stand at the door and knock.”
                    “What door?”
          “Behold I stand at the door and knock.”
                    “What will it cost to let you in?”
          “Behold I stand at the door and knock.”
                    “Let me tidy up a bit.  I’d be embarrassed to have you see things as they are here, just now.”
          “Behold I stand at the door and knock.”
                    “It will truly be an honor, a moving experience, to have you in my humble home.”
          “Behold I stand at the door and knock.”
          . . .
                    “I want so much for you to come in.”
          “Behold I stand at the door and knock.”
           . . .
                    “Please, oh please, let yourself in.”
          “Behold I stand at the door and knock
          Behold I stand. . .
          Behold . . .”

Here we have the picture of Christ knocking.  He is knocking at the door to your inner home.  How do you respond?  Christ wants to enter.  He has paid the supreme sacrifice on Calvary and is wanting to give the gift of His precious blood to you.  What is the response?  Some will ignore the knock.  Others will worry about the cost, oh, and friend, let me tell you–it will cost you everything, but then you’ll receive even more when He comes to abide with you.  True, some are embarrassed.  When the preacher gives the invitation, pride and shame haunt them and they will not take that step.  Some are happy, but still do not open the door.  Perhaps they feel it is sufficient that the Lord even took the time to knock on their door.  And then there are those who are hard, and snap, “the door’s unlocked let yourself in.”  Rudeness is apparent.
     People say they want a relationship with Jesus, but then they refuse to open the door.  They hide something, or try to clean up something, and before they know it, the Lord has moved on.  When Christ knocks on the door, there is great responsibility.  Eternity depends upon your response.  A man has a choice, to answer or not to answer.  Jesus will not break in; He must be invited in to dine with you.  “Every man is lord of the house of his own heart; it is his fortress; he must open the gates of it…” (Trench)
     No matter the urging, the man must open the door.  No matter how hard the Master knocks, the door still must be opened by the owner.  No matter how the Holy Spirit pleads, the door must still be opened.  Worried about the cost, don’t be.  Too ashamed, Jesus was beaten, spit upon, and mocked.  Don’t bother with tidying up, He knows all about you, just let Him in.  Think of what it would be like for the Lord to sit down and dine with you.  If you are a true believer, you know that feeling.  You have that relationship.  He is your constant companion.  
     Let me close with Henry A. Harbuck’s translation.  Take time to ponder and contemplate.  Note the emphasis given.
               “Behold–pay attention!  I am standing at the door and knocking.  If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he [will in like manner] eat with me.”

                    –Jeremiah 7:24(NKJV)
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                    “The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday!”
                           –U.S. Navy Seal slogan

My wife’s cousin, Nancy, always finishes a note or letter with “Ever onward.”  That’s the way it should be, no, that’s the way it must be in our Christian walk and life; and I would add it is ever upward as well.  It is ever onward, never stalling or going backwards.  Another word of caution:  “No Coasting!”  Greg A. Lane states that “Coasting will always take us downhill.”  Our walk is an uphill climb to the portals of glory.  We sing, “I want to stand on heaven’s tableland”, but do we really put forth the effort required?  
     Paul writes to the Philippians,

               “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.  Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”  (3:12-14, NKJV)

He says to forget those things behind.  In other words, do not rest upon your laurels.  We must put past successes and failures behind us; it is important that we remember accomplishments of the past, the lessons we learned, but we are not to use them to think our work is done.  Rejoice over the past, but turn your eyes to the present; you cannot go forward by looking backward.  (Rick Renner)  We must press ever onward and upward.
     “Reaching forward,” or perhaps better is Harbuck, “reaching forth and exerting all my energy.”  That means we do not coast for the goals of the day, nor the goal of heaven.   “Reaching forward,” is to describe a runner approaching the finish line.  He is putting forth all his effort and his eyes are only on the goal.  Barclay says “it describes the man who is going flat out for the finish.”  No Coasting here.  This reaching out means to be “constantly reaching for it [the goal of perfection] in both attitude and lifestyle.” (Edward Starks)
      The climb, at times, is steep, while at other times it is only a hill we must conquer, but it must be climbed as well.  Try coasting uphill.  If you ever ridden a bike you know that is nigh impossible.  How far would you go uphill in a car if you didn’t press on the accelerator?  Yes, we can get tired and weary, but we continue ever onward and upward.

               “And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”  (Hebrews 6:11-12, NKJV)

I like the way William Barclay translates part of this verse, “so that you may not become lazily lethargic…”  Harbuck translates this portion, “that you not be sluggish and lazy…”  Push through!  When you have done all to stand, continue to stand.  Go onward and upward, “I’m pressing on the upward way, New heights I’m gaining ev’ry day…” (Johnson Oatman, Jr.)  Yes, sometimes we plod along, planting one foot in front of the other, at other times we are refreshed, and it seems that there are springs on our feet, but in either case we continue to go forward.
       Let me ask some questions in closing that I gleaned from the writings of Rick Renner.  Think carefully on these questions.  1)  Am I accomplishing the goals the Lord has given me?  Remember, there are long-range goals, heaven, discipleship, but there are also short-range goals; goals for each day and week.  2)  Can I stand before Him with a heart free of condemnation, knowing that I gave my very best effort, work, and faith to achieve His will?  True, no matter how hard we try we are not perfect, but we strive in that direction.  I used to tell students, especially my “perfectionists” that they can never be perfect, but they can always be excellent.  3)  What changes do I need to make?  On the way to the summit you might have to gear down (I drove once in the Sierra Nevadas with the brakes going out–used only my gears, made it to Carson City and had brakes put on).  So, learn how to use your gears, but never falter, never fail, keep going “ever onward and upward!”

 

                    “Forward lies the crown, and onward is the goal.”

                           –Charles H. Spurgeon

                         –Lou Bradshaw  (Hickory Jack0

       “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

                         –Hebrews 4:12(NKJV)
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               “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.”

The above is repeated three times in Hebrews chapters 3 and 4.  The people of the early church were being warned from the history of Israel not to rebel and thus harden their hearts against God.  God wants us to hear His message, it is all around us, but we have to be open and ready to hear.  Not only that but then we must obey.  The Lord will not bring judgment if His people repent, humble themselves and obey.  But to not do so brings about a hard heart.
     Look around you, there are plenty of opportunities to hear the Word.  The Psalmist writes, “It is time for You to act, O LORD, for they have regarded Your law as void.” (119:126, NKJV)  In his day the word of the Lord was being disregarded.  The Psalmist is concerned as he looks around at society.  He sees the word of the Lord being scoffed at, mocked, ridiculed, blasphemed and of no relevance in the eyes of the people.  My, my, my doesn’t that seem relevant to our situation today?  
     There has never been a time in our history when the Bible is unpopular, disregarded, and thought irrelevant.  Another translation states it this way, “It is time for the LORD to act, for your law has been broken.” (ESV)  Never doubt that when the cup of iniquity is full, God will act, but more important is that we, as believers, do not disregard His Word.  There is a danger of becoming complacent and compromising.  The Psalmist is saying that in the midst of all the evil and wickedness around him, he will obey the word of the Lord.  He would not do what everyone else was doing.  
     The next two verses should bring us encouragement!  Notice the very next word of verse 127, “Therefore…”  He sees the people around him mocking and disregarding the Word of the Lord, so what does the Psalmist say, “Therefore [when I see all of this] I love Your commandments more than gold, yes, than fine gold!  Therefore all Your precepts concerning all things I consider to be right; I hate every false way.” (119:127-128, NKJV)  It would be easy for the Psalmist to walk in the way of those around him, but he declares that God’s Word is right, and that he hates the falseness that the people have taken.  He loved God’s Word!  It is His Word that will stand forever.  
     Therefore (there’s that word again) what are we, you and I, going to do as we walk in the midst of a perverse people?  Are we going to stand firm upon the Word of God and not waver?  The Word gives us life, hope, direction, and the promise of glory.  Don’t join the naysayers, or the people-pleasers.  Stay with God’s Word, grasp it even more tightly than ever before.  Love it, adore it, for it will be our way of truth as we move through this life.