Who Shut The Door?
A. GOD WAS PATIENT IN THE DAYS OF NOAH (2 Pet. 3:20).
1. By faith Noah built the ark, following God’s instructions, while the people of the world
lived in defiance and disobedience (Gen. 6:5).
2. When Noah and his family entered the ark, it was God who shut the door. Thus God
saved Noah and sentenced all sinners to death ( Gen. 7:21-22).
B. WHEN WE PREACH THE TRUTH WE ARE ACCUSED OF “JUDGING PEOPLE” AND
“KEEPING PEOPLE OUT OF HEAVEN.”
1. What is God’s command for the faithful teacher (2 Tim. 4:1-4; Matt. 7:21).
2. Yet we are called “brotherhood watchdogs,” “condemning,” “issue oriented,”
“mean spirited.”
C. WHEN TRUTH IS FAITHFULLY PREACHED:
1. God opens the door to the place of safety and eternal life.
2. God closes the door on those who do not obey him in faith (Heb. 11:7).
A. SINNERS WILL BE PUNISHED FOR THEIR SINS (Gen. 6:11-13; Rom. 2:2; 5-11).
B. GOD PROVIDES AN ARK FOR US.
C. GOD BLESSES ALL WHO WALK WITH HIM (Gen. 6:9; 6:22-7:1; Heb. 11:7).
D. GOD, NOT NOAH, JUDGED WHO WENT INTO THE ARK AND WHO DID NOT.
E. THERE IS NO PARTIALITY WITH GOD (Rom. 2:11).
A. WHEN WE PREACH GOD’S PLAN OF SALVATION (Mark. 16:15-16; Acts 2:38).
1. Charged with closing the door to many good people.
2. One of the best was lost (Acts 10:1-2, 22, 11:14).
3. It is God who opens the door of salvation to all who believe and obey, and it is God
who closes the door to those who remain in sin.
B. WHEN WE PREACH THERE’S ONE CHURCH (Matt. 16:18; Eph. 1:22-23; 4:4).
1. Charged with closing the door to all churches by opposing denominationalism.
“You think yours is the only church going to heaven.”
2. Jesus built a church free of denominational division. Men have built their churches.
3. God opens the door of his church, and shuts heaven’s doors to churches that are not
his (Matt. 15:13-14).
C. WHEN WE PREACH THE PATTERN FOR THE CHURCH’S BENEVOLENT WORK.
1. Needy Saints is the pattern (Acts 11:27-30).
2. We are charged with not caring for orphans when we don’t support orphanages.
3. Charged with not caring for the hungry when we don’t have a food bank.
4. God opens the door of the local churches work in benevolence, and it is God who shuts
the door to all who innovate (2 John 9-11).
D. WHEN WE PREACH CHRIST’S TEACHING ON DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE.
(Matt. 5:32; 19:6-12; Mal. 2:16).
1. We are charged with not loving the sinner or allowing forgiveness because the divorced
person must live single to go to heaven (1 Cor. 7:10-11).
2. It is God who opens the door by joining a man and a woman. It is God who shuts the
door to those who put asunder that union (Heb. 13:4; Matt. 19:3-6).
E. WHEN WE PREACH CHRIST’S TEACHING ON FELLOWSHIP.
(2 John 9-11; Rom. 16:17-18; 2 Cor. 6:11-6:14; Eph. 5:11).
1. Charged with not loving if we don’t accept everyone who comes here.
2. With being issue-oriented and negative, building walls, being watch-dogs
(Isa. 56:10-11; 30:9-11; Jer. 5:30-31; 2 Tim. 4:1-4).
3. God opens the door of the kingdom to those who follow Jesus (John 8:12, 31-32),
and closes the door to those who forsake the pattern (2 Tim. 1:13).
A. WHERE WILL YOU BE WHEN GOD SHUTS THE DOOR OF OPPORTUNITY?
1. In the ark of safety, where God’s word is followed?
2. In the world in sin, to be punished for your transgressions?
B. IT IS TIME FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD TO COME HOME, STARTING WITH YOU.
Thus saith Jehovah, Stand ye in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths,
where is the good way; and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls:
but they said, We will not walk (therein). Jer. 6:16
