中门大开的教会
启示录三章7至13节
7你要写信给非拉铁非教会的使者,说:那圣洁、真实、拿着大卫的钥匙、开了就没有人能关、关了就没有人能开的,说:
8我知道你的行为,你略有一点力量,也曾遵守我的道,没有弃绝我的名。看哪,我在你面前给你一个敞开的门,是无人能关的。
9那撒但一会的,自称是犹太人,其实不是犹太人,乃是说谎话的,我要使他们来,在你脚前下拜,也使他们知道我是已经爱你了。
10你既遵守我忍耐的道,我必在普天下人受试炼的时候,保守你免去你的试炼。
11我必快来,你要持守你所有的,免得人夺去你的冠冕。
12得胜的,我要叫他在我神殿中作柱子,他也必不再从那里出去。我又要将我神的名和我神城的名(这城就是从天上、从我神那里降下来的新耶路撒冷),并我的新名,都写在他上面。
13圣灵向众教会所说的话,凡有耳的,就应当听!
信息分享
圣经中经常用「门」来象征机会。它可以是指到救恩之门,也可以是指到事奉之门;当中门大开的时候,人人都可以进来,但当大开关上,就等于失去了机会。
基督对非拉铁非教会说:「我在你面前给你敞开的门,是无人能关的」。这是一个事奉之门;基督呼召非拉铁非教会的信徒进入祂开启的机会,将福音的信息向别人传开。在你的教会面前,有没有甚么大门已经敞开了呢?你们有否为此做了些甚么呢?你们的教会有多久之前,才商讨过传福音的大计?
或许我们都想对此教会认识更多。「非拉铁非」是一个人的名字,由于该城是由他所建立,故此以他的名字命名。「非拉铁非」的名意是「弟兄之爱」;这人一定是很爱他的兄弟,所以被冠以此名。
这间在非拉铁非的教会,能否活出这种弟兄之爱呢?回想你的教会,又是否一间彼此相爱的教会呢?当别人来到你的教会,与你一同敬拜的时候,他能否感受到被爱的感觉?
基督说这间教会「遵守我的道」(8、10节)。这是甚么意思呢?这意味着我们会遵从祂的教训、活在它的亮光之中、承认它有管辖我们的权威、寻求它的引导和聆听它的话语。我们必须回想我们的教会──他是否遵守主的道呢?我自己又怎样呢?正如我们经常听见的一个提醒:「假若教会里面的每个信徒,都像我一样,我们的教会会变成怎样的教会呢?」
留意基督对他们说:由于他们遵守祂的话,所以,当患难和试炼临到时,祂也必保守他们。我们面前的其中一个最大盼望,是基督很快便再来。我们不晓得祂会在何时再来,但祂吩咐我们要珍惜所拥有的一切,尤其是留给我们的传福音的机会。
反思:
耶稣基督若今天再来,我已作好准备去迎见祂了吗?
</THE CHURCH OF THE OPEN DOOR
Revelation 3:7-13
7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write,‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens.”
8 “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.
9 Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.
10 Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
11 Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.
12 He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.
13 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Message
An open door in Scripture is a symbol of opportunity. It may be the door of salvation. It may be the door of service. While it is open, anyone may enter. When it is closed that opportunity is gone.
Christ says to the church in Philadelphia that he had placed an open door in front of them. It was a door of service and they apparently were entering into it telling others about Christ. What kind of an open door does your church have and what are you doing about it? How long is it since you talked together about reaching others for Jesus Christ? What can you do about it?
It would be interesting to know more about this church. The name Philadelphia means brotherly love. It was called that by the man who built - the city. He loved his brother so much that he called it 'he who loves his brother'.
Did the church live up to the name of the city in which it was situated? Is your church a loving church? Do people feel that they are loved when they worship with you?
Christ said this church was loyal to his Word. (v.8,10) What does that mean? We keep his Word when we obey it, when we live in the light of it, when we recognise its authority over us, when we look to it for guidance and let it speak to us. Again let's ask the question-is your church like that? Are we like that ourselves? Remember the old saying 'What kind of a church would my church be if every church member was just like me'?
Notice that Christ said because they had kept his Word, he would keep them when trouble and testing came. He also promised that he would be coming soon. One of the greatest hopes we have before us as Christians is the soon return of Jesus Christ. We don't know when he is coming, but he tells us to hold on to what we have, particularly the door of opportunity in the time that is left to us.
A THOUGHT:
What if Jesus came today?

