John 3:16-21 (The Message Translation)
16-18 “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, His one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in Him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending His Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in Him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust Him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to Him.
19-21 “This is the crisis we’re in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won’t come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is.”
Revelation
2:7
Whoever has ears that them hear what the Spirit is saying to
the churches.
John 3:16-21 OPEN DOORS
Springford Baptist Church: May 16, 2021.
This week, we have learned that here in Ontario, there will be closed doors in another 2 weeks of lockdown. The goal of course is to come to a time of being able to open doors safely. People have met this news with varied responses. There have been those who have resisted closed doors all along. I do want us to give thought today to “open doors”. I am not talking about waiting until stay at home restrictions are lifted. I am referring to a perspective that, in listening for God, looks for the doors of opportunity that are open for us right now.
An open door is revealed in today’s Scripture in the conversation that Jesus has with Nicodemus. This man Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a prominent leader among the Jewish people. He came to talk over important matters with Jesus because he recognized that Jesus was opening a door to new understanding. Nicodemus begins by saying to Jesus, “We know You’re a teacher straight from God. No one could do all the God-pointing, God revealing acts You do if God weren’t in on it.” (John 3:2)
And Jesus’ response is, “You’re absolutely right. Take it from me. Unless a person is born from above, it’s not possible to see what I’m pointing to-to God’s kingdom.” (John 3:3)
It is evident that Nicodemus wants to know the truth. How committed are we to wanting to know the truth and to see things accurately for what they are? We have seen in recent days that there are those who will insist on their version of truth in defiance of any other consideration. Ironically, those who insisted on open doors will now have closed doors.
If we want to find open doors of possibility in relationship with Jesus, God’s Son, we will need to listen carefully to what Jesus says here in John 3. There is evidence that God is eager to open the door for us to understand and to receive what He has for us. Jesus speaks of how much God loved the world, our world, each of us as individuals. (John 3:16a) These are not empty words. There is evidence of God’s intense love for our world and His desire for us to find an open door of access to Him. The evidence is that He sent His own Son Jesus to open that door for us. God did not intend for us to keep struggling to open the door to Him. Rather, God arranged that by believing in Jesus, “anyone can have a whole and lasting life,” everlasting life. (John 3:16b)
Realize the truth of Jesus’ words that God did not send Jesus to condemn the world, but to save us: “God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending His Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help to put the world right again.” (John 3:17)
Yes, Jesus came to help to put the world right again! Jesus Himself is the open door that makes this possible. Don’t we long for the world to be put right again? We see so much resistance to truth and light.
I find it very revealing what is expressed in John 3:19, This is the crisis we’re in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they weren’t really interested in pleasing God.” When the open door is available, people may choose darkness instead of an open door that lets the light of God flood in.
If our desire is to please God, then the open door to God that Jesus becomes for us is the crucial help that we need to see our world put right again.
We do not need to find ourselves trying to open door after door only to find every one of them locked. This would be like a bad dream that keeps ending in frustration.
When we are given this possibility of a whole and lasting life through trusting Jesus, we can expect that God will keep on opening doors that He intends us to walk through.
God can open our eyes to see the open doors. It may appear to us that many doors are now closed. What if we ask God to reveal to us what doors are open? What if this pandemic is opening for each of us an opportunity to respond to new possibilities in God using us to help put His world right again?
John 19:21 has Jesus concluding his important conversation with Nicodemus with these words, “But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is.”
At times, we may be looking for the open doors and wondering what doors we are meant to go through. We can trust God to guide us in this. If we are working and living in truth and reality then we will keep on welcoming God and the light that God can shine in every situation.
When we wonder how God wants us to respond to what we see happening in our communities, we can trust Him to show us.
God’s work needs to continue in every time of life. Right now church doors are closed, but the open doors of opportunity to trust Jesus and to serve Him faithfully remain open.
Our closing hymn expresses, “Wherever He Leads I’ll Go”. The second verse and chorus maintains,
He
drew me closer to His side
I sought His will to know
And in
that will, I now abide
Wherever He leads, I’ll go
Wherever
He leads, I’ll go
Wherever He leads, I’ll go
I’ll follow my
Christ who loves me so
Wherever He leads, I’ll go
Will we follow our Christ who loves us so through each open door that He has for us and recommit ourselves to Him and the God-work that He has for us to carry out?