Rancho Bernardo Community Presbyterian Church

Numbers 13:25 -14:4 and Revelation 3:7-13

“Whenever a door closes, God opens a window.” I love this philosophy of life. Our God gives us second chances. However, let us not use this philosophy to cover our tendency to miss opportunities—perhaps through procrastination or fear of failure. Here is the truth: not all opportunities are equal. Once we miss an open door, we may get a window, but we will likely never have that same open door again.

This idea of missed opportunities is one of the key lessons of the Israelites wandering forty years in the wilderness. Moses sent twelve spies into the Promised Land to check it out and bring back a report. The twelve agreed that the land was bountiful and blessed. It was a land of milk (lots of herd animals) and honey (bountiful harvest fields). But there was a disagreement over whether God would give them the land. Ten of the spies argued that the tribes currently on the land appeared too powerful to conquer. Two of the spies believed that God was opening a door of opportunity. They simply needed to step up and claim what God was giving them.

The Israelites heard the counsel of the ten spies and let fear seize their hearts. They talked each other out of going forward. “Maybe it would be better to go back even it means returning to slavery.” “Let’s elect leaders who will take us back to Egypt.” The momentum forward was gone. The door of opportunity closed. As a result, the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for the next forty years. When they heard God announce the judgment that they would wander and die in the wilderness, they quickly changed their minds and wanted to conquer the land. But it was too late. They had missed their opportunity. Their children’s generation would inherit the land, but their faithless generation would die in the wilderness.

This weekend we are continuing the series of letters that Jesus addressed to seven churches in the Book of Revelation. The letter to the church in Philadelphia focuses on their opportunities. Jesus describes their situation as an “open door.” Let’s explore this idea of seizing our opportunities.

Read Revelation 3:7-13.

This week we are looking at the sixth of seven letters addressed to seven churches in Asia. These were open letters circulated among the seven churches. In most of these letters we see a pattern. Jesus greets the congregation with a word of affirmation. Then he tells them there is something they need to work on. “I am proud of what you are doing…. BUT…” Whenever we hear the word, “but” we know the next thing isn’t going to be good. “I think you are a wonderful husband and father, but…” “You are an exemplary employee, but…” “I love your sense of humor, but….” “I’m enjoying dating you, but….” Whatever comes next isn’t going to be good.

The letter to the church at Philadelphia is surprising because it is a church with no “but.” Jesus simply compliments them. This letter is all compliments. Jesus refers to them as the church of the open door. What was it that he saw so positive in their church?

Jesus promises to keep the door of opportunity open for them because they have proven themselves faithful with the little they have. This is not a church of great resources and powerful faith. They are a church of little things. Little faith. Little resources. Yet they use the little they have for God. And God shows up in a big way. In fact, they remind us of an important truth in scripture. God grants the tiniest opening and waits to see if we will step through it by faith. Then, if we step through, God bursts into a great big smile and surprises us by doing more than we could have ever imagined.

Now, let me clarify that this is not the same thing as bigger equals better. Let’s not Americanize the church in Philadelphia. There is no insinuation that the open door means they will get large and successful. If we have learned anything so for in these letters to the seven congregations it is that success and prosperity are the enemies of Christianity and persecution and suffering usually increase faith. Let’s not buy into the common assumption that God’s blessing always means more and bigger. That is consumerism, not Christianity.

The church in Philadelphia was a small congregation that remained faithful. By today’s standards, we might consider them a weak example of Christianity. Where are their big buildings? How can they claim faithfulness when their budget is so miniscule? This letter reminds us that our great God takes little things and makes them wonderful even in their smallness.

In fact, God enjoys and even prefers to work through the small, seemingly insignificant people. Our Bible is full of stories of ordinary people who stepped out in some small way and the Lord did amazing things through their lives. Ruth, a widow, takes care of her needy mother-in-law and becomes the mother of a king of Israel. David, a shepherd boy, takes a few stones and kills Goliath. A woman, with a little perfume, anoints Jesus feet and is remembered throughout history. God whispers, “Give me something, no matter how small, that I can work with.”

Years ago I told a story about a father going to baseball games over one summer in order to bond with his son. The father didn’t really like sports. However, for the sake of connecting with his son, he showed an interest in his son’s sports. A widow in our congregation recently told me how much that story impacted her family. Her husband, completely non-athletic, went home that Sunday afternoon and rearranged his afternoon schedule in order to watch a basketball game with his son. Previously the father had no interest in his son’s sports. Realizing that this was a small way to show love for his son, he started attending his son’s high school basketball games. That father died a few years ago. But their son went on to college with a basketball scholarship. The mom, got a bit teary as she recalled how one small sermon illustration, taken seriously by a father showing an interest in basketball made a huge difference in their son’s life.

It was just a story. His response was a small thing. Or was it?

Jesus was proud of the church at Philadelphia because they used the little they had for God. “I have set before you an open door which no one can close.” When they proved faithful with little, Jesus opened for them more opportunities. Are we aware of the open doors God has given this congregation?

This Fall we are reviewing our church’s history looking for how God has opened doors for this congregation. We have a few members who recall that this church used to meet at Seven Oaks Community Center before we built our first chapel. Faithful people showed up to arrange the chairs, lay out hymn books, and get ready for a Sunday service. God opened a door to this community and we used that same approach again years later when we began our Contemporary Worship Service on Saturday evenings. A handful of faithful volunteers set up for Saturdays with an overhead projector, a screen, and a temporary stage. In the start of Traditional and Contemporary Worship we began with only a few dozen people, but God opened the door.

Did you know that it was the founding pastor’s wife back when Rancho Bernardo was a retirement community who had the vision to start our church preschool? A preschool in a retirement community? Now that is risky “out of the box” thinking! Yet God opened a door that has blessed countless children over the years.

We can tell about the open door God gave for our church to lead the Jimmy Carter Habitat for Humanity building in Tijuana. God opened the door for our church to start resale shops in order to expand our funding of missions projects. We’ve had open doors to connect with missions in Africa, South America, Central America, Asia, and Europe. God opened the doors for pastors of small churches to use our sermons and small group curriculum in their own settings. I could go on and on about the open doors God has given us.

God has truly granted us favor. God opens the doors and then waits to see if we will step through with a little act of faith. Is this a truth that only applies to congregations? Or might it also be a truth that is available to people outside of church?

I am thinking about Tommy, a student who rejected God while attending a private Catholic college. Tommy was the resident atheist in the required freshman religion class that year. Father Powell recalls how Tommy debated the priest and smirked at the idea of an unconditional, loving God.

As Tommy was turning in his final exam he asked Father Powell a question. “Do you think I’ll find God?” Father Powell seized the opportunity for a shocking response. “No!” Tommy paused and said, “I thought that was the product you were pushing.” Father Powell responded, “Tommy, I don’t think you’ll ever find him. But I am certain God will find you.” Tommy graduated and went on with his life.

A couple of years later Tommy showed up at the professor’s office on campus. Father Powell had heard of Tommy’s diagnosis of terminal cancer. He asked Tommy how he was doing. Tommy shrugged that it could be worse.

Then Tommy told his story. “Remember when I finished your class and you said I wouldn’t find God but God would find me?” Father Powell was surprised and pleased that Tommy remembered the comment. Tommy explained what happened after he was diagnosed with cancer. He had briefly tried prayer but to no avail. So he tried doing something small. Let me paraphrase his story.

“I remembered how you once said in class that it was sad to go through without ever telling the people you love that you love them. I decided to tackle the hardest one first. My dad.

“I walked into the living room where my dad was reading the paper. “Dad, I’d like to talk to you.” “So talk.” “Dad, it’s really important.” The newspaper came down about three inches. “What is it?” “Dad, I love you. I just wanted to tell you.”

The newspaper fell to the floor and my dad did two things he’d never done before. He cried and hugged me. We sat up late that night talking. The next day I told my mom and my brother and we all cried and talked about much we love each other. I don’t know why we waited until I was in the valley of the shadow of death.

Then one day I turned around and God was there. I can’t explain it. God wasn’t there when I shouted and bargained. But when I did one little thing—telling my family I love them—God found me. You were right. I couldn’t find God, but God found me.”

What door is God opening for you?