When Oppurtunity Knocks

Revelation 3.7-13 Philadelphia: When Opportunity Knocks Allen R. Hunt
4/2/06 Mount Pisgah
I. Odd experience – invited a few years ago – to speak at a Catholic church in Edgartown, MA – Martha’s Vineyard – assist a friend of mine there
So Anita and I spent week with him there – never been there before – fascinating place
No place more fascinating than Oak Bluffs – very exclusive resort area
Amazed to discover this place had started in early 1800’s as a Methodist camp meeting
Folks come from all over – boat and land – spend a week there – 40+ preachers in one week – time away in the summer from business in New England – and time for farmers to have a week off
So in middle of Oak Bluffs today is what they call a tabernacle – large auditorium without walls – seats 2 or 3000 folks
Surrounded by 100’s of little gingerbread homes – quaint, exclusive, fascinating little place – folks now use it as a getaway place – have some gatherings in the tabernacle, concerts, socials – occasional non-sectarian worship experience – vacation spot
But what fascinated me most of all was the history I picked up
In its heyday, 30,000 people came in that week – filled the area with tents, wagons – thousands were led to Christ – major place of revival – Wesleyan Grove camp meeting
As time passed, and numbers grew – people began to build permanent homes – the Victorian cottages still there today – stay in for the week or perhaps longer in the summer – remove the need for tents – have a more permanent place – place they called home
Noticed in the history – that as folks began to build cabin cottages, staking out their place, the clientele became more prestigious, exclusive
Folks began hanging out with their own kind – this is “our place”
Even went so far as to pass a rule erecting a wall around the outside of the camp meeting to keep out “undesirables” who might not have own home there, might even be criminals
Not sure the historian noticed – but the year after the wall was built, attendance began to go down – Wesleyan grove was not so much God’s place now as “our place”
A decade or two later – no longer even mentioned God in the history or worship
Just getting together to sing the old songs, have a picnic and enjoy one another
So today – just a relic – interested in their history, folks who come very summer
Jesus has long since left the space – no longer welcome – the Tabernacle is a civic center rather than a worship center now
Here folks were in the middle of one of the great mission fields of American history – 10,000’s coming to Jesus each summer – but they decided that their comfort, their desires, their homes were more important – standing in front of a huge open door for God’s mission – and they chose to close it

When you stand in front of an open door, you can choose to do 3 things
Close the door
Or stand in front of door, paralyzed trying to decide whether to walk through it or not
Had a good friend – one of finest athletes I have ever known – Georgia player of year in baseball and basketball his senior year
Decided to go to college – wanted to play both sports – pro level at either but wanted to do both – kept trying to do both until his development in each began to slow
Just was not able to choose one because he loved them both
Thus, never got the pro career in either

Can close an open door
Can stand before it and be unable to decide whether to walk through
Or you can step through that open door

Exactly what Jesus says to the church in Philadelphia –
“See I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut” (v.8)
Philadelphia was a tremendous church – like Smyrna – highly regarded by Jesus
So He places before them an open door – a tremendous blessing – perhaps God’s greatest compliment – I entrust my mission to you
The Open Door: God’s Invitation to Mission (Acts 14.27; 1 Cor. 16.9; 2 Cor. 2.12; Col. 4.3)
But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me (1 Cor. 16.8-9)
Now when I went to Troas to preach the Gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me… (2 Cor. 2.12)
Pray for us too that God may open a door for our message so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ for which I am in chains (Col 4.3)

God’s Mission Heart = Reach the Lost
So when God opens a door, He desires that we will walk through it
To the mission He has placed before us
Not all churches have open doors
Lot of them have closed the ones God has presented – study churches a lot but UM ones in particular - last year, 2005, 1/3 in Georgia had no professions of faith at all – even higher for denomination as a whole – lot of places paying no attention at all to their door
May have an open door but ignoring it, closing it, or distracted with something else going on – sure there are lots of good people – but the lost are not finding hope and salvation
And, friends, if ever God had placed an open door before a Church – it is Mount Pisgah
The door is so wide and He has given us unbelievable people, financial resources, prayer resources, and location in the middle of a booming suburban setting to reach the lost – to step through that door if we are willing

Let me share with you what I see
II. God’s Open Door for Mount Pisgah to Reach the Lost
1) Worship (Rev. 4.6-11)
Worship attendance has nearly doubled since 2002
Opened our new home 4 years ago this past week – since then have doubled – growing into the balcony now – last week a new high water mark in attendance for us on a non-Easter/Christmas day – built home not for ourselves but to welcome all who come
Worship is the heart of who we are – crucial priority
Working hard over the last several years to enrich worship in creative and vital ways
Some have worked, others have not
But the goal is the same – worship God and reach the lost
Shared with you before that majority of Christians in America say they have never experienced the presence of God in worship – my hope is that no one will ever be able to say that about Mount Pisgah
Hi Allen, remembering what you said about the majority of Christians who have never felt the presence of God at a worship service. I wanted you to know that the week before last (when we did a whole lot of praying) I definitely felt His presence (and that’s not the first time!). I am sure many others did as well…what intimate worship that was….We are a blessed congregation. (“Estelle”)

2) Children and Students (Mark 9.33-37)
More than 80% of believers accept Jesus as Lord before the age of 18
You and I sit in the middle of an area where over half of the homes have children under the age of 18 in them – few places like that in America
And children and teenagers are God’s most receptive hearts
Could it be any more plain what God desires?
We are investing heavily in creating the most dynamic and most spiritually grounded ministries for children and students possible
We are not done yet – it is a work in progress – but I want you to hear clearly – this is a priority – few pastors will speak on behalf of children, but I will
My name is Cathy and I am 12 years old. My family just joined the church about 2 months ago….I used to dislike going to church but now I love it! (“Cathy”)

3) Compassion (Matt. 25.31-46)
Mount Pisgah is the recognized leader in north Fulton and beyond
Part of our door is through compassion
Church in America has often missed the boat – known for what we are against
Rather than being known for love
MP is not that way – we are known – and you should be proud
For caring for men who live in boxes and under tarps at New Hope Mission, for building homes, for taking in women in distress, for feeding and caring for those who are without more than any other congregation in our area
Little did we know that our son would have the problems he has had. People have been fantastic. We have gotten calls and notes, people have prayed with us, and they have let me cry with them. We have found so much healing and comfort. Our life is being blessed daily through this church. (“Samantha”)

4) Global (Acts 1.8)
496 Mount Pisgah believers experienced a mission team in 2004-05
We walk through the open door when we share mission with our global partners
Favorite day of the year is our Global Sunday – when friends are with us from Russia, Venezuela, Costa Rica, St. Lucia, and beyond
They remind us that we are a global family – and God’s door is a big door – this little place can have an impact to the ends of the earth
The mission trip to Costa Rica changed my life. (“Peter”)

5) The Radio multiplier (Acts 17.16-34)
WSB AM 750 can be heard in 38 states at night
And now God is opening a new door – one that none of us ever anticipated
A door that leads into the unknown – secular radio stations – in the marketplace of ideas
Sharing a Christian world view – talking about things, sharing our values, our beliefs with people from all kinds of places in life
Tremendous capacity to reach the unchurched – talk radio is safe, intimate, 1x1
But also to elevate everything else we do – strong voice for children and teenagers in this world, strong voice for compassion for hurting people and unborn children, and mission opportunity to invite listeners through the web site to share in mission trips, nothing special about being here at Nesbit Ferry that means only we can work with Sonia in Costa Rica to share hope and life with teenagers on the street
Potential is tremendous and it is scary to me – never done it before – talk about all kinds of things – try to do it in a non-conventional way – will create different kinds of reactions among Christians and non-Christians alike – it is not safe – that scares me
So I want you with me in this – prayer and mission
Because I believe this is a door God has placed wide open in front of us for some reason
I was at your website and looked at the "being a Christian" section. Could you explain some stuff for me? (“Thurston”)

III. What to Expect when God opens a door in our life
So let me briefly teach you 2 things that the Bible says to expect when God opens a door in our life – as individuals and as a Church

Adversity won’t go away; in fact, it may increase
(1 Cor. 16.8-9; Ex. 23.27-33; Deut. 7.18-22; Judg. 1.19; 2 Cor. 6.3-6; 11.23-33; 1 Pt. 4.16-19)
Success in mission seldom occurs overnight
Hebrews often encountered opposition that would not go away for years
As we walk through this large door together, do not think it is always going to be easy or that results will all be immediate
Just know it is a door God has opened – and we are being obedient in walking through

Faithfulness in a little brings the opportunity for faithfulness in bigger things
(Luke 16.10-11; Matt. 25.14-28; 2 Cor. 9.10-11; Gen. 37-45)
The reason you and I are here today is because Mount Pisgah is 175 years old – celebrate that birthday in May – 1831 – Mrs. Martin forded the river on horseback to preach the gospel to settlers out here – courage
For the last 25 years, Mount Pisgah has grown enormously while other old churches have died or shrunk in our area – because Mount Pisgah has remained faithful to the mission
When God has opened the door, Mount Pisgah has walked through
At times it has been painful, at times folks have argued and left church, at times results less than stellar – some ministries prospered and grew, others struggled and disappeared
But the results have been staggering – and now you and I are the 3rd largest UMC church in the country – God has entrusted a lot to us
And now there is a large door open before us
Close it, stand before it, or boldly walk through

The choice is ours – the choice is yours
3 steps I will ask you to take in the coming year beginning in June
Let you know now – so you can get ready now
If we will all do this together, it will be amazing to see what God does

IV. 3 Steps Toward the Open Door in 2006-07
1) Invite a friend to worship
2) Share your faith with a child
3) Share in a Faith-Building Experience
a. Walk To Emmaus 3 day spiritual retreat
b. Crown Bible Study (10 weeks)
c. Sermon- based Life Group (Short term)