Hey! The phone is ringing! Aren’t you going to answer it? i’d recognize that ring tone anywhere, i guarantee you it’s Jesus calling and He wants to talk to you. That phone has rung everyday of your life, just answer the phone. What’s that? Oh, you’re sort of embarrassed because you figure you’ve not been living life up to even your own standards? (chuckle) Well, i have to tell you, i thought that too about my life, but one day i steeled myself and answered the phone. No, no, no, He didn’t want to blast me reciting all my should have’s and could have’s, He’s not like that. Nah, He just wanted to talk; He told me He loved me, that He even liked me and wanted to come by sometime. Trust me, He doesn’t want to whack you, He wants to hang out. Take a chance and answer the phone, Jesus is calling, just answer the phone!
i’m Social Porter and this is Outposts, a semi-live broadcast from the deck overlooking the beautiful banks of the Ockluhwahhah River. There is an urgency upon the world, in every corner, and it seems to be the Lord of the Universe is pressing closer to mankind with a pensive waiting for us to respond. The phone is ringing all over the world and i believe it’s time we answer the phone. There is someone at the door knocking, don’t you think we should answer the door? Yea, it is up to you to take the initiative and open the door, and no, you can’t speak to Him through the door or pass notes back and forth. You know who it is, what is the problem?
Have you ever been at church, someone is speaking, or it’s a time of prayer and the room is very quiet maybe, when suddenly someone’s phone rings? It doesn’t seem to matter if the ring is pleasant or not, instantly the entire room diverts its’ attention towards the sound of the ringing phone, all concentration takes a sharp turn in a different direction. The same thing happens anywhere, in a classroom, a doctors’ office, or in meetings of any sort where there’s a group of people gathered. When the phone rings it seems as if everyone gets this urgency about them to see who is calling, some even check their own phones to see if it’s them. The same thing happens if someone knocks on the door, all at once the attention of everyone in the room is completely diverted to the door with questions on their faces like, “who is here?”, “what do they want?”, or “is it someone i know?”. And then there’s the very inconsiderate person who, right in the middle of a meeting or church, not only did they forget to turn their phone off, they actually decide to answer! Ugh! And they always say, “Oh, I’ve gotta take this!” Now the attention of the room is totally diverted even more and everyone is abruptly involved in the other person’s conversation, trying not to “listen in”, but just can’t help themselves to know what was SO important, the person just HAD to answer the phone in the middle of the meeting.
Statistically speaking, at any given time in church, out of 100% of the people in the room, in their heads, 40% are thinking about yesterday, 40% are thinking about tomorrow, and only 20% are actually present and in the moment. But when someone’s phone rings, nearly all of the people, suddenly, are instantly brought into the present, accept now their attention is diverted from devoting their attention to the Lord to devoting their attention to that ringing phone. I want you to enjoy Lord. Some of us have a profound relationship with Him and have enjoyed His fellowship for many years. Others of us, well…you know about him. You know some of his rules. You know Christian activities like Bible reading, and praying, and church life. But God is not a precious personal, cherished treasure to you, and i think we can all do our relationship with God a good bit better.
God is not sitting at the gate of your heart and life as if in casual repose, He’s standing, which means His attention is towards you, His focus is on you; His posture denotes His readiness to assist, and there isn’t, not one diversionary tactic in the universe that’ll take His attention off of you. The fact that He is standing says you’ve got His attention. He wants to be involved with you. i think that’s so excellent that God wants to be involved with us and doesn’t just sit at a distance, checking His fingernails or His hair, pondering when we’re going to get it together, or dreaming of that great lunch He’ll get later. Wonderful and scary at the same time isn’t it? The phone is ringing, someone is at the door knocking, isn’t it time to see what God wants?
i had a dream where a friend of mine and i were in his house, in the living room talking and lounging. The dream went like this:
It was evening when suddenly there came a knock at the front door. i looked at my friend, who seemed a little paralyzed, and said the obvious, “Someone is knocking at the door.” But he just kept sitting there with this really worried look on his face. i said again, “Someone is knocking on the door. Aren’t you going to answer it?” For some reason he sat paralyzed just staring at the door. There came another knock, there was a pause and then the doorbell rang. With mild insistence, i suggested, “Just answer the door!” Finally, after many moments, with what seemed like trembling and trepidation, he got up and went to not open the door, but to look out the side window to see who it was, as if he didn’t know. He turned to me and said, “It’s the Lord! Oh man, what am i gonna do?” i replied that he should open the door. Instead of opening the door, he got a little note pad and pencil out and wrote on it one word, “Hi.” Then he folded the paper and slid it through the little crack between the door and the door jamb next to the door knob. The little note was pulled through from the other side, a moment went by, then the little note slide back to him through the same crack. My friend opened the note and it read, “Just thought I would stop by to say hello. Open the door.” My friends face blanched and he obviously took a fit of trembling. But still, instead of opening the door, he took another little piece of paper and wrote on it, “I’m not feeling well, and my house is a mess. Is this really a good time? Aren’t You busy or something? This seems very inconvenient”.
In the dream i marveled at my friends use of the word “inconvenient”. i was shocked at his thought of God’s visit being an “inconvenience”. Nevertheless, my friend folded the note and slide it back through the door, wherewith the note was pulled through from the other side. i thought i heard a chuckle from outside, then the note appeared on our side again. This time, it said, “Of course I’m busy, but I am the Lord, so I’m never too busy for you. Just open the door.” Then came a light knock again. i asked my friend, “Would you really tell God His visit is inconvenient on the day of your visitation?” That was the end of the dream.
Some visitations of the Lord are truly hard to miss, but by far and large, we are often like Israel in Exodus 19. The trumpet blew loudly, it couldn’t be missed. And when Moses came down from the mountain and beckoned the people to go with God, but as one person, they preferred to have Moses meet with God and simply tell them what He said. Their opportunity for a personal relationship with God was passed by and they were satisfied to stand at a distance.
So i’m asking you, if the phone rings, and you know it is God calling, why wouldn’t you pick up the phone? If He’s at your door, knocking, are you going to pass notes back and forth with God or do the simple thing and open the door? Would you really tell God His visit is inconvenient on the day of your visitation? Inconvenient? C’mon, really?
Luke12:35-36, “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him.” Jesus is at the door knocking and He’d like very much to talk to you. He is calling you on the phone and maybe you haven’t found the courage to answer it yet. Seeing as how you didn’t answer the phone, knowing it was Jesus calling, He did the next thing, like any good friend, and that was He’s come to your house and He’s knocking on the door. Just open the door.
2 Peter1:3, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”
The love of God is calling you, sometimes softly, sometimes right in your ear. His goodness and mercy have been pursuing you all the days of your life. God has called you and is still calling you, the phone is still ringing, and the door is still being knocked on, isn’t it time to see what the Lord wants? Stop running, turn and embrace His life changing love. God isn’t interested in depriving you of any good thing. We may ask, “Goodness and mercy are after me?” i suppose the debate in your head is, “yea, but good according to who?” Do you really think the Lord is going to give you ugly things or is going to brutally take your precious stuff away? Where did we, as a people, get the idea our God is mean and vindictive? Think about it, does that sound like the actions of Heaven or hell?
Luke11:11-13, “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though predisposed to calamitous living, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Listen, all that drinking, doping, running and gunning in the streets and carrying on, knock it off, grow up and be conscious. We’ve gotta wake up. Time is short, the day is far spent, God isn’t going to quit calling and knocking. My friend, you, yes you have a call on your life and it’s time to respond. 1Timothy 6:12, “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called…” The call is there if we have ears to hear.
In Luke19:37-40, as Jesus was coming from the Mt. of Olives, the entire multitude of His disciples were praising the Lord, openly and loudly, because they had seen the Lord moving in power. They were saying, out loud, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in Heaven and glory in the highest”. Evidently this really irked the Pharisee’s who purposely made a request of Jesus to, “…tell those guys to shut up!” Can you imagine yourself in this procession? Take a moment and try and see yourself there. What do you think it all looked like, and where are you in the picture? Are you one of those praising the Lord in a loud voice? Are you one of the silent bystanders, observing but not participating? Or, are you one of the Pharisee’s ordering everyone to be quiet in their day of visitation? How would you react if you were at church and spoke praise out loud with everyone turning to look at you? Then later on someone pulls you aside (‘cause you know there’s always someone who feels the need to “counsel” you after such an intrusive outburst like that…and yes, i’m being a bit sarcastic. There will always be someone to complain about you), they pull you aside to advise you to “try and keep yourself under more control in the future because you’re disturbing other people?”
When Jesus comes in the house, i guarantee our eyes will abruptly come clear, luminous and shining creativity will spring up around us filled with gospel grace as the Light finds grip in us. In Luke 12:40, Jesus said, “…don’t be slovenly and careless. Just when you don’t expect him, the Son of Man will show up.”
The phone is ringing, He’s at your door knocking, it’s time to take-action. Answer the phone, open the door and let the Son of Glory in.
And of course, we all knew i couldn’t resist this scripture, so i’ll just go ahead and say it, Revelation 3:20-22, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” He was speaking to the church there, and that includes you and i.
In 2 Chronicles 20:17, the Lord uses the phrase, “Position yourselves”. In other words get ready, wash your face, put on your good clothes, and take up a stance that is ready to spring into action when the phone rings or when Jesus is at the door knocking. God does not take pleasure with those who sit in their easy chairs, drink their comfort drinks and wait for others to dig the well for them. It is our job to dig our own well and we each must have our own connection with God. We can’t have a relationship with God by way of someone else’s relationship. Life is completely imaginary when someone else is doing the stuff and we just dream of ourselves as being the hero, champion, or person of special note. i want to hear God for myself, and the Lord wants me to hear for myself, not that i don’t certainly enjoy hearing someone else’s wisdom, because i absolutely do, i just want my own encounter with God and i’m not satisfied to live through the life of another. Letting the pastor do all the work of looking up scriptures and expounding on things is not enough. We must be the ones to walk and talk with the Lord, each of us must answer the call of God, and no one can answer it for us.
Another angle to consider is this: look back on all the amazing mercies of God in your life, and then, and in the hope of more mercy, at this point you decide to make a new resolution to obey God better. Hey, don’t get discouraged, we all decide that at one time or another. But, the odds are not very good after our history of failure, that things are actually going to go better. Years of having few consistent successes, and now, today is the day where the failure stops? The odds of that happening are not good and therefore the hope is not great. Where it does improve is in our continual fostering of our relationship with the Lord. When He says, “Let’s talk”, we say, “Absolutely Lord! Let’s sit here because i want to hear all you’ve got to say!” as opposed to suggesting He wait till later because you’ve got more important stuff to do. You know, i think, and this is just what i think, that when someone tells me they’re too busy to reply, in my small opinion that really means “it isn’t important enough” and it’s just an excuse to say, “i’m busy”.
It’s nice to listen to name-brand people and quote other people’s hard-earned wisdom, but above all, what does God say to you? It’s glorious to hear of the extraordinary stories told of how this or that person answered the call and God led them into amazing situations, but more importantly, again, what does the Lord say to you? Great testimonies don’t exist merely so we can hear a great story. The testimonies and stories exist so we can come into a greater relationship with God.
Let’s allow the Lord inspire us to have our own words and stories instead of always copying someone else. We need our own. Listen, i would rather have a well that only yields a little bit that is mine, than to always be drawing from someone else’s well. The well that Jesus and i dug is mine, it’s what God gave to me. In the day of trouble, and trouble WILL come, we each need to have our own connection. Having a connection with God by way of someone else’s connection is really no connection at all. In Matt 25 there is the story of the ten virgins. They all had lamps, five had oil and the others did not. Now, i can’t tell you all the different metaphors and facets of God’s intent in this story, and there are many, but one possibility which does stand out to me is that the five who didn’t have oil might have very well been waiting for someone else to supply oil for them. Maybe they felt it was inconvenient for them to get their own. Quite possibly, in the past, they had relied on the other five who were diligent, then later on asked to borrow some oil for when they ran low. They seem to have set back in leisure because it was too inconvenient to draw their own oil. Maybe they claimed they were “too busy” to be bothered with getting their own oil, or maybe they felt themselves to be superior somehow, and told themselves they were delegating the task of getting lamp oil. All in all though, they didn’t do the work on their own behalf and came up wanting.
Jesus is calling, the phone is ringing, answer the phone. Jesus is at your door knocking, He’s interested in getting your attention, answer the door. Who cares if your house is a mess, it’s the day of your visitation and it’s high time to rise up, meet with God and see what He wants. Think about it.
Amos 6:1, “Woe to you who are at ease in Zion…”
It just seems so careless and indifferent to be caught with no bread and oil, all because it was too much trouble to answer the door or pick up the phone. i have my concerns about people who run from conference to conference, or from book to book, always quoting some name-brand-person who is the popular, or the relevant speaker of the day, but yet they themselves don’t really have much to say about what God says to them. i have this thought in my head, what if you were in a prison somewhere, isolated, with no access to big time conferences, popular audio works, or name-brand books, where would you be if all these years God has been knocking on your door or calling your phone, and it was too much trouble, or terrifying to hear what God’s got to say to you? Will we, as a nation, decide it is too inconvenient to open the door to Jesus on the day of our visitation? Your pastor is not the answer. Your church is not the answer. Going to church or having a pastor doesn’t make you a believer anymore than carrying a hubcap makes you a car. Jesus is the answer, He’s always the answer, and there’s never a time when He’s not the answer.
i’m Social Porter and this has been Outposts, cool jazz and contemplative conversation. This broadcast is supported by Living In His Name Ministries, Tony at McDowell Electric, Paul at International Tile, Jaan at Ojala Machine Works, the Mebane Freedom League, and Trinity Bakers on main street, where there’s always something good in the oven.
The phone is ringing, Jesus is knocking, answer the door, pick up the phone, Jesus has come calling on you. When Jesus comes in the house, all things get better. It’s time to attend to Kingdom business. Be strong and courageous this week, pray for your neighbors and i hope to talk with you next time. Amen.