When the Door Is Shut

"WHEN THE DOOR ISSHUT!"

LUKE 13:24-30

INTRO: This parable of Jesus speaks of opportunities that come our way but

are gone tomorrow. Jesus warns that someday the door to heaven

will be shut. The Master shall rise up and shut the door to salvation.

There is a time limit to salvation. The door will not always be opened.

In Noah's time, God gave men opportunity to be saved, but they

rejected it. Genesis 6:3 says—“And the LORD said, My spirit shall

not always strive with man, for that he is also flesh: yet his days shall

be an hundred and twenty years." God gave men ample time to

repent and turn to him, but they would not. So at the end of 120

years the Word of God says in Genesis 7:11—“In the six hundredth

year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the

month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken

up, and the windows of heaven were opened." Verse 16 says—“and

they went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had

commanded him: and the LORD shut him in." The Ark, which is a

picture of salvation, when the door was shut, the people outside

perished.

2 Corinthians 6:2 tells us—“...Behold, now is the accepted time;

behold now, is the day of salvation."The day of salvation is this

present age of grace. When the door to heaven stands open wide to

"whosoever will." But this day is a fleeting one. No one knows what

tomorrow will bring. Proverbs 27:1 warns us—“Boast not thyself of

tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." The

Bible warns man to the LORD will there is opportunity. Isaiah 55:6

says—“Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while

he is near." Soon the door will be shut and opportunity will be gone.

It is shut at a person's death. No man who is presently living has yet

had the door shut; but for some, the door will be shut within the

very next minute, the next hour, the next day (Hebrews 9:27). It is

shut when the Lord returns and the great day of judgment takes

place. The age of grace and the day of salvation will be closed for the

whole world, for every man and woman and child who is of

responsible age. Today may be your last opportunity. I want to

speak on this subject today, "When The Door Is Shut."

WHEN THE DOOR IS SHUT:

(1) MAN'S WAY WON'T SUFFICE

Luke 13:24—"Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many I say unto

you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able."

A. THE WAY THAT APPEARS RIGHT. Proverbs 14:12 says—“There is a

way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of

death." I want you to notice the words “seemeth right”. They mean

“straight, well-pleasing, convenient.” Friends, thing are not always as they

appear to be. The way of man appears to be right. But man's way always

leads to death and destruction. God's way to life everlasting. Why then

would man forsake God's way and follow a way that only leads to death?

Notice the words in v24 of our text,"…many will seek to enter in, and shall

not be able." Why will they not be able to enter in? Because there is only

ONE WAY. Which is...

B. THE WAY THAT APPROPRIATES RIGHTEOUSNESS. The word

appropriate means “to take for one’s own.” What are the characteristics of

this way? :

1. GOD'S WAY IS SPECIFIC. There are not many ways to be saved, only one

way. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto

the Father, but by me" (John 14:6).

2. GOD'S WAY IS STRAIGHT. Jesus said, "Strive to enter in at the strait

gate.” It is not crooked in direction or purpose or morals. All that will be

saved, must enter in at the strait gate, must undergo a change of the

whole man.

It involves REPENTANCE. Although Repentance is a lost doctrine in many Churches today, it is not a lost doctrine with God. Jesus said in Luke 13:3—“...Except ye repent, ye shall all likewiseperish." God now demands that all men repent. There are two reasons why man is to repent.

(1) Man is to repent because of his sin (Romans 3:23).

(2) Man is to repent because of God's sovereignty (Acts 17:30).

John Everett said, "No man ever enters heaven until he is first

convinced he deserves hell" (1).

It involves RECEPTION. James 1:17-21 speaks of God's perfect gift-Salvation. V21 says—“...Receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls." Note the word "engrafted". It means to implant; to be born within. When a person listens and hears the Word of God, it is planted within his heart and life. What God says is actually born within his heart, and the man hears exactly what God says. The Word of God is born within his heart and life and the person's soul is saved.

It involves REGENERATION. The radical spiritual change in which God brings an individual from a condition of spiritual defeat and death to a renewed condition of holiness and life. The biblical doctrine of regeneration emphasizes God's role in making this spiritual change possible. Jesus referred to regeneration when he told Nicodemus (John 3:3) that he must be "born again" (gennao anothen). The term born again may also be translated as "born from above.”

Unless we enter in at the strait gate, which is God'sway, we will never

enter God's heaven!

MAN’S WAY WILL NOT SUFFICE and…

(2) MAN'S RIGHTEOUSNESS WILL NOT SUFFICE

TITUS 3:5-7—"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but

according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and the renewingof the Holy Ghost;Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life."

A. RELIGION WITHOUT RIGHTEOUSNESS. Notice vv. 25-26, these people

were religious but not righteous. They were religious and righteous in

their own eyes, but God demands that we have the righteousness of

Christ to enter heaven (2 Corinthians 5:21).

B. RELIGION WITHOUT REALITY. Man's righteousness takes many forms:

1. FORMALITY WITHOUTFAITH(Matthew 7:21-23). One may have all

the forms of Christianity, yet not be a child of God. Who will enter the

kingdom of heaven? Will everyone who professes Christ enter? The Lord

says, "No. There are some who profess my name only...." The false

professor is a person who uses the Christian's vocabulary, recites his

creeds and prayers, attends his services, participates in his functions, yet

he does not know nor accept the Lord's Word. He does not obey the Lord's

Word (Matthew 7:18; Luke 6:46). He does not really know Christ—not

personally. Therefore, Christ says he shall not enter the Kingdom of

Heaven.

2. RITUAL WITHOUTREALITY (Mark 7:6). Too many give only lip service to

the LORD-Luke 6:46. A hypocrite gives lip service while keeping his heart

far from God. He acknowledges God and attends worship, but this is about

all he does. They study the Scripture, pray, witness, help the needy, and

keep the rules. They would even fight to maintain religious tradition- Yet.

Jesus says they are hypocrites. Why? Because their heart is not God's.

They refuse to personally accept Jesus as the Son of God, the Messiah and

Saviour of the world. They do not know God personally, not in the depths

of their heart. The Apostle Paul knew the LORD in a personal way-2

Timothy 1:12. To be in Christ is to know Him personally,

ILLUS: One Sunday morning during service, a 2,000 member congregation

was surprised to see two men enter, both covered from head to toe in

black and carrying submachine guns.

One of the men proclaimed, "Anyone willing to take a bullet for Christ

remain where you are."

Immediately, the choir fled, the deacons fled, and most of the

congregation fled.

Out of the 2,000 there, only around 20 remained.

The man who had spoken took off his hood, looked at the preacher

and said, "Okay Pastor, I got rid of all the hypocrites. Now you may

begin your service. Have a nice day!" And the two men turned and

Productions

3. RELIGION WITHOUTRIGHTEOUSNESS (Titus 1:16). Their works prove

they are not God's children. When are person is born again, he becomes a

creature (2 Corinthians 5:17). If a person reaches Heaven it will be

through the righteousness of Christ.

WHEN THE DOOR IS SHUT: MAN’S WAY WILL NOT SUFFICE, MAN’S RIGHTEOUSNESS WILL NOT SUFFICE and…

(3) MAN'S WISDOM WILL NOT SUFFICE

JEREMIAH 9:23-24—"Thus saith the LORD, let not the wise man glory

in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he under-standeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD, which exercise lovinqkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth: For in these things I delight, saith the LORD."

1 CORINTHIANS 3:18-20—"Let no man deceive himself. If any man

among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, the LORD knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain."

1 CORINTHIANS 1:18-21—"For the preaching of the cross is to them

that perish foolishness; but unto us -which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world. For after that in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe."

A. MAN’S ATTEMPT TO REMAKE GOD. Man, in his wisdom, today has

tried to reinvent God and make Him into one who overlooks man's sin and

is unconcerned with the affairs of man. In this way, man is free live in sin

and yet worship God how he sees fit. But GOD HATES SIN! And the sin of

man sickens Him! Psalm 7:11 tells us—“....God is angry with the wicked

every day."

ILLUS: Oprah Winfrey was questioned about pro-homosexual attitude by a

woman from her audience who asked how Oprah could say she was

a Christian and then support something the Bible says is wrong.

Winfrey replied, "Well, I have a different view of 'Christian' than you

do. I'm a follower of Jesus Christ, but theJesus Christ I follow

embraces and loves everybody, and the God I serve doesn't care

whether you were born mentally retarded, or whether you were born

black or Asian or gay." To such rationalized theology we would do

well do heed the words of Christian authors Patrick Morley and Luis

Palau. Morley notes, "There’s a God we want and a God who is and

they are not the same" (2).

B. MAN’S ASSESSMENT REPULSES GOD. Man's wisdom says God will

overlook sin and let it go unchecked and unpunished, but God's Word

says in Romans 6:23—“for the wages of sin is death." Sin deserves death

for two very clear reasons.

1. SIN IS ACTING AGAINST GOD, ACTING AGAINST HIS VERYNATURE.

Sin strikes out against God, attempts to tear down God's nature...

of purity and morality.
of holiness and glory.
of justice and righteousness.
of love and grace.

2. SIN IS REBELLION AGAINST GOD. It is rejecting God, ignoring God,

disobeying God, denying God, and refusing to live for God. God says, "..The

soul that sinneth, it shall die,” "..the wages of sin is death." Death is the

price that must be paid for sin. Man's wisdom says, "God is too loving, too

good to send anyone to hell."

C. MAN’S ATTEMPTS ARE REJECTED BY GOD. Man's wisdom is

foolishness with God. The Cross is God's answer to man's sin problem,

but the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. How does the

cross destroy and make foolish the wisdom of men and their world? :

1. THE CROSS EXPOSES THE FALLACY OF MAN'S REASONING AND

WISDOM. Man seeks to conquer evil through science, technology, and the

religion of human effort. Man tries to use everything at his disposal to

conquer nature, disease, suffering, corruption, and death. Man wants a life

that is full and free; but he wants it on his own terms, that is, he wants all

these things in such a way that will allow him to continue...

To do his own thing.
To live as he wishes.
To lust.
To gain position and power.
To gain recognition and fame.
To be comfortable and to hoard and bank, even if large numbers of people are devastated and dying from hunger, disease, loneliness, and emptiness.

And all the while, man wants acceptance and recognition for his

achievements. What the cross does is shatter this reasoning: it exposes a

severe problem with man: the problem of sin, of a depraved and selfish

heart. The cross is God's Son, the Perfect Man being put to death by the

rest of the world. Men killed the Son of God because man is evil. Man is

just not willing to live asChrist said; therefore, he put Christ to death.

2. THE CROSS EXPOSES THE FALLACY OF MAN'S SEARCH FOR LOVE,

JOY, PEACE, AND ALL THE OTHER SPIRITUAL QUALITIES OFLIFE.

Man wants to live a full and free life, and he wishes the same for other

men—at least to some degree. But in all his searching man discovers

something. Science, technology, and good works do not bring the love, joy,

and peace for which he longs, nor do they give the perfect assurance of

knowing God—of really knowing Him to such a degree that a person is

absolutely sure he is going to live with God eternally. However, the cross

does give this assurance. Thousands of genuine believers who have trusted

Christ and His death upon the cross to save them will testify that they

have absolute assurance of living eternally with God. The cross destroys

the idea that the fulness of life comes from science, technology, education,

and even "good works."

D.THE MASTER’S ACHIEVEMENT BRINGS THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF

GOD. The Cross is the wisdom of God. This is the glorious message of the

cross: God loves us enough to save us; He has offered a perfect sacrifice for

us. Upon the cross Jesus Christ, God's own perfect Son...

Took our sins upon Himself.
Took our punishment for having sinned upon Himself.

God sacrificed His own Son for us, and it is through His sacrifice that God

saves us. God accepts men when they approach Him through the cross,

that is, when men believe that God loves them so much that He would

sacrifice His Son for them. God takes that man's faith and counts it as

righteousness or perfection. The man who believes becomes acceptable to

God.

Only Christ and His cross can change men and give them life—life that is

both abundant and eternal. And the fact has been proven in life after life

down through the centuries. The cross destroys the wisdom of men in this:

it shows that the way to solve the problems of the world is the cross—not

science, not technology, not education, and not religion. All the problems

of the world could be solved (physical, material, and spiritual) if men

would come to the cross, which is the perfect demonstration of love and

sacrifice.

CLOSING: The door to heaven is now open. It may be closed tomorrow. Those

who hear God's voice by hardened their hearts will be destroyed.

Proverbs 29:1—“He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck,

shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." The door is

now open, soon it will be shut and your opportunity will be gone

forever.

ILLUS: Dr. C. Horton entered an elevator one day and called for the floor at

which he wished to stop. Always ready to seize an opportunity to tell

what God had done for a world of lost sinners, he turned to the

elevator boy, and asked, "Are you bound for heaven or hell?" "I don't

know," the startled young man replied. When thedesired floor was