I'm going to read some scripture just now from the last book of the Bible, Revelation, and the third chapter. Revelation chapter 3, and if you have a copy of God's Word, follow along with us. But if not, please listen carefully to the Word of the Lord. Revelation chapter 3. As we say, it's the last book of the Bible, so it's easy to find. And we're in the third chapter. And we're breaking into the reading at verse number 14. So let's listen carefully, let's have no distractions, and let's really think about the Word of God tonight as the Lord speaks to us. In Revelation chapter 2 and chapter 3, there are seven churches. that were in existence at the time of the writing of this book. And the Son of God, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, wrote letters to those churches and spoke to them and put his finger in the pulse, as it were. And the last of those seven churches is a church in a great city called Laodicea. It was a very prosperous city and it was a very lucrative church, but they had needs, like all of us do. And we read in verse 14 of Revelation 3, And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write these things, saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God. I know thy works, that thou wert neither cold nor hot. I would thou wert cold or hot. So then, because thou wert lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest I am rich and increased with goods and of need of nothing, and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire that thou mayest be rich, and white raiment that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear, and anoint thine eyes with eye salve. that I may see as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten, be zealous therefore and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me. Him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. And we know that God will bless the reading of his precious word tonight to every heart for his own sake and for his own glory. Last night in her prayer meeting before our evening service in her church as her heads were bowed and praying my mind immediately went to Revelation chapter 3 and verse number 20. And I have to confess that I don't think I've ever really preached it in the gospel before. But I couldn't get away from this text whenever I went home and I sat up late last night and just got a simple uh outline if you like off the text gathered together and i just want to bring this verse of scripture to you this evening revelation chapter 3 and verse number 20 behold i stand at the door and knock and if any man hear my voice and opens the door i will come into him and will sup with him and he with I want you to take this verse of Scripture very much to heart this evening. It might be a turning point in your life, a turning point in your experience. Let's pray together and let's ask the Spirit of God to really apply this text to your hearts and lives this evening. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. Christ at the door. Let's pray. Loving Father, we thank Thee tonight, Lord, for the ministry in song, and we just thank Thee, O God, for the gospel invitation going out already. And we thank thee, Lord, for this wonderful verse of Scripture. Write it, O God, upon every heart. And grant, O God, tonight that the Spirit of God himself will apply this truth and this great invitation to many, many souls in these days. O God, we pray that the Lord himself will stand in our midst in all of his risen and mighty conquering power And we pray, O God, that hearts tonight might be opened by the Spirit of God. And we pray in Jesus' name that there will be those who will enter in to newness of life and experience God's love and God's salvation. Lord, I pray for the help of heaven. I pray for the anointing of the Spirit of God. Lord, do hide me, I pray, behind the cross. And they all honor, praise, and glory be brought to the Savior, for it's in His name that we pray. Amen. There's absolutely no doubt in my mind this evening that in a gospel mission like this, and in a gospel meeting like this, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself draws near. I believe that with all my heart. I believe that as we sing God's praise, as we seek God's face, and especially as we open God's Word, and ask the Spirit of God to really apply it to our hearts, I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ draws near. And God's people have been praying that the Lord will visit this locality. And God's people have been praising His name already in this meeting. And the Bible says that the Lord inhabits the praises of Israel. And then God's Word also gives us the promise that where two or three are met together in His name, He is promised to be in the midst of his people. And so we're not here tonight in the name of a church or a denomination. We're simply met together in the precious and worthy name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Some of you, whenever you were at school, maybe learned a little bit of poetry. And one famous poet was Lord Tennyson. And speaking about the nearness of God, when he draws alongside his people, he wrote these simple words, closer is he than breathing, and nearer than hands or feet. And that's our prayer for this meeting, and that's our prayer for this mission. We might be very conscious that the Lord himself is closer than breathing and nearer than hands or feet. And even if we are not conscious of it, as the people in this church meeting in Laodicea were not conscious, the Lord was near, the Lord was close. In fact, the Lord was at the very door and he was knocking on that door and giving out an invitation and asking, is there somebody there that will open the door and invite me to come in to a fellowship with you at this particular time. What a tremendous text, the words of Jesus Christ our Lord himself, behold. I stand at the door and knock, and if any man hear my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and will sup with him, and he with me." Maybe tonight you're not yet a Christian. You're not yet saved, you're not yet born again, and you have the idea that there's a God somewhere, but He's ever so far away, away out there at the back of the universe, somewhere there might be a God, and there's someone that holds it all together, and has the world in His hands, and yet you don't really understand that the Lord is near tonight, the Lord is in the midst of His people. And I believe tonight that the Lord is near to you, Jesus Christ, and Mark's Gospel chapter 12 and 34 spoke to a young man and he said these words to him, thou art not far from the kingdom of God. In a mission like this, in a meeting like this, when God's people are praying, and the Word of God is opened, and there's an atmosphere of praise and prayer and expectancy, I believe the Lord is ever so near. And as we think tonight about this wonderful verse of God's precious Word, it speaks of Christ at the very door. Christ at the door. And I want you to notice four simple things tonight about this great verse of Scripture. I want you to notice, first of all, identification. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. And I want you to notice, first of all, who he is who is standing at the door. Who is this one who says, behold, I stand at the door and knock? Well, very simply, friends, tonight, it's our Lord Jesus Christ himself standing at the door and knocking. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. There's only really one. who can knock at the door of the human heart and that's our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. You know a preacher or an evangelist might be able to reach your intellect might be able to reach or touch perhaps your emotions, but only Jesus Christ himself can really touch the human heart. Only Jesus Christ our Lord can touch the human soul. Only the Son of God can reach in and touch that human spirit. Now you'll notice the very first word in her text is the word behold. And that word behold is a summons to consideration. Colin Peckham was once the principal of the Faith Mission Bible College, and I remember once he made this lovely statement, he said, Salvation begins with consideration. Salvation begins with consideration. And the Bible says, consider your ways. But it also says, consider him who endured such contradiction of sinners against himself. And this word here, behold, it means to really look and to lift up your eyes and to consider the one that is standing and knocking at the door this evening. This word, behold, is a word that the Bible uses many times, especially whenever it concerns something vital and something critical. And it's also a word that is used many times concerning our Lord Jesus Christ himself. In John 12, 15 we have the words, Whenever Pilate brought the Savior out before that mocking and cruel crowd, Pilate said, Behold the man. And then John the Baptist at the commencement of his ministry pointed people to the Lord Jesus Christ in the banks of the river Jordan. And he said, Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world. Revelation chapter 22 says, Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him. And then John the lovely and beloved apostle said, Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God. And here's the same Savior, and he says, Behold, I stand at the door and knock, And he wants these people that he's speaking to to stop whatever they're doing and to turn aside as Moses turned aside and saw that burning bush and he says, behold, I will turn aside and see this great sight. And the Lord, I believe, tonight has you here that you might be turned aside from the things of time and sense, temporal things that are just fleeting and passing. And that you might behold Him who stands at your heart's door and knocks tonight. Behold, that's a word of summons to consideration. And then the little word I, behold I, there's a statement of clarification. It's showing the one who's knocking. and it's Jesus Christ himself and the great question that we have to ask in life is a question that the Lord asked the scribes and the pharisees of his day what think ye of Christ And then the Lord said on another occasion to his disciples in a place called Caesarea Philippi. It was a very religious place and there were all sorts of shrines and temples and images to heathen deities at that place. And the Lord stood up and said to his disciples, who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? And they give all sorts of answers to the Lord's great question. And then the Lord put it to them and says, but who do you say that I am? And Peter said, I believe, he says, thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And this is the one that's standing here knocking at this particular door. Revelation chapter 1 really paints a glorious picture of who our Lord is, risen from the grave, having been crucified upon a cruel cross. having shed his blood for our salvation to deliver us from the power and the penalty and the pollution of sin now risen and ascended and glorified in heaven and one day coming back again to receive us unto himself and also to judge the world in righteousness and in the intervening period he says behold I stand at the door and knock and this mission and this meeting is all about him It's all about the Lord Jesus Christ. It's all about trying to get you to the cross, get you to understand who He is. Behold I, who he is, identification. Notice secondly, where he is. That's location. He says, behold, I stand at the door and knock. There he is at the door at this church at Laodicea, if you like. And he's standing right there at the door. Now a door is a very obvious thing. We all know what a door is. It's a place of entrance. And the Lord evidently wants into this church. into people's hearts and into people's lives that are in this church that do not yet know him. And we think of his location standing there at the door. But this, I believe, is good reference to the city of Laodicea itself, standing in the periphery of this great city, giving out the great call and the great opportunity to men and women to come to believe in Him and to trust in Him. You know, there's no doubt at all that Jesus Christ our Lord, even whenever He was on this earth, was interested in the great towns and the great cities that He visited. On one occasion the Bible says He beheld the city of Jerusalem and He wept over it. He wept over the city. On another occasion it says when He beheld the multitudes, He was moved with compassion. because they fainted and were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepherd. And I believe as well he's interested in this great city of Laodicea. It was a very cosmopolitan city. It was a center of commerce. It was a very wealthy city. It was known for its famous eye salve and it was a medical center. It was known as well for being a place where some of the world's finest clothing was produced. And yet the strange thing about the city of Laodicea, with all of its wealth and prosperity and being a financial hub and a center of commerce and politics and religion, it didn't have its own natural water supply. Two neighboring cities, Colossae and Herapolis, The people of Laodicea made large stone aqueducts from those two cities. One had hot medicinal springs. And so they channeled the hot city or the hot water in from one city and then the other city to the other side had cool, refreshing underground springs where the water was chilled cold and they piped the cold water in. But the problem was whenever the hot water got to Laodicea, it had cooled down and it was lukewarm. But whenever the cold water had got to the city, it had warmed up and it was lukewarm as well. And so the problem was all of the water around the city was a kind of a tepid, lukewarm temperature. But nevertheless, the Lord was interested in the city of Laodicea. And I believe the Lord is interested in this locality as well. Our brother Aaron, as he was singing, and just before he sang, said the first time they'd ever heard the gospel was in this hall. And men have preached the gospel within these walls over the years with great effect, right across to Nakhmadona and across to the Tanzi, right around this locality. Over the years, people from all sorts of different backgrounds and religious groups who love Jesus Christ have preached the gospel. And God has visited this locality way back there in the 1930s and again in the 1950s. Many people have trusted Jesus Christ. And here again is another opportunity for this locality, the Lord standing on the brink of the locality, knocking. And then we think as well, not just of the city, but what about the church? Specifically here, he's standing outside the door of the local church in Laodicea. Isn't that remarkable? Here's a group of professing believers, and it seems that their doctrine is orthodox, and their Christian practice is exemplary perhaps, but the Lord is outside the church. Not all churches knew the blessing of the Lord. This church at Laodicea, despite dotting the I's and crossing the T's, they were self-seeking, self-sufficient, and self-satisfied, and they made it their boost. I am rich. increased with goods, and I have need of nothing. And maybe tonight you don't feel your need for Jesus Christ. He's knocking at the door tonight, but you don't really feel your need for Him. You say, well, I'm doing well in life. What would I need God for? I've got everything that I need. I'm healthy. I'm relatively successful. I live in a good area. I've got a good family round about me. I've got the mortgage almost paid off. We've got health insurance and life insurance and got my church and I've got my religion and I'm a relatively good person and I don't do anybody any harm. Why would I need Jesus Christ to come into my life and to change a person like me? And that's the mentality that this very church had. We don't need this man that's standing knocking. We're getting on just fine without him. But all the while the Lord says to him, the problem is spiritual ignorance. Thou knewest not that thou wert wretched, and if you're honest, miserable, and poor, poor spiritually, and blind spiritually, and naked spiritually. This city that was known for its famous eye ointment, many of the people in the city were spiritually blind. This city was known for its manufacture of textiles and clothing, many of them were spiritually naked. And this city that had all of this lukewarm water being channeled in that was once hot and once cold and now it's lukewarm, that was the spiritual condition of the church. There was a lukewarmness. They weren't really hot towards the Lord Jesus Christ. And the Lord threatens in verse number 15 that if they don't repent, He's going to spew them out of His mouth. What a tragedy. Sometimes I look at this nation of ours and I fear for the church in this land of ours. Sometimes I wonder, is the Lord's blessing dissipating from the church? We're living in a day where we have plenty of churches and plenty of meetings and plenty of Christianity, but maybe very little by way of reality and certainly even less by way of revival. But our text tonight not only is referenced to the city and to the church, but also to the individual. Because the Lord says in the text, if any man, singular, if any individual man, hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me." Jesus Christ here was speaking, yes, to a church, but to individuals within that church who didn't really know Him at all. And maybe tonight you're a very religious person, a very respectable person, a very churchy person, but you've never really received Jesus Christ as your Savior. I tell you tonight, he's interested in individuals. The Word of God, the Gospels are full of accounts of the Savior face to face with individuals. You may have to read about the man of the Gadarenes or the woman at the well or men like Nicodemus or Zacchaeus or the thief upon the cross or blind Bartimaeus. And whoever you are tonight, as an individual, Jesus Christ is interested in you. And maybe tonight he's knocking at your heart's door and you need to make that response. Maybe you've never been converted. You're still without Christ. You're still in your sins. You have broken God's law. We all have. We've all sinned and have come short of the glory of God. Every single one of us. None of us deserve to get into heaven. We need to have Christ come into our lives before we ever enter into heaven itself. You're in the church but you've never personally received Jesus Christ as your Savior. Maybe tonight you're cold at heart. You're backslidden and you once professed faith. You once had an interest in spiritual things. You once maybe even told others and you went along to meetings like this gladly and maybe invited others in as well, but a coldness has crept in. And you were once hot, but somehow you've cooled down and you've become lukewarm. And Jesus Christ is knocking and saying, listen, open your heart. Open your heart afresh to me. Let me come in and let's really enjoy fellowship together. Maybe you've just been too busy. Maybe you've been living for self. Self-sufficient and self-satisfied. And maybe the tragedy is that nobody really knows anything about it. You come along to church Sunday by Sunday, maybe twice in a Sunday. You maybe go to a good, sound, strong evangelical church. And nobody really knows that inside there's a lukewarmness. There's a coldness that is creeping in. You know the thing about lukewarm water, it's good for very little. It's not very good for washing and it's certainly not good for quenching your thirst. And if you put something to your mouth and it's tepid and it's lukewarm, you're tempted, aren't you, to spit it out again. Empty out the vessel and put something in it that suits you. Maybe a coldness and a lukewarmness has crept in. Who he is, his identification. Where he is, his location. Notice what he's doing. We might say this is intervention. He's standing at the door and he's knocking. Intervening in the affairs of this church. They think they're getting on fine without him. But he knocks and knocks and knocks again. Why does he do that? Why does the Lord stand at the heart's door of individuals and knock? Why would we have a mission like this and invite people in? Why are we invited tonight? It's because tonight Jesus Christ has got a passion in His heart for those that are lost. The Bible says that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. Why does He go on knocking at the heart's door? Dear friends, it's simply out of love. I read a story by Dr. Harry Ironside who was a famous preacher of a bygone generation. He talked about an old woman who lived in a small tenement building in London. She was in absolute distress because she was just mounting up debts, just an old widow woman. And she was just filled with fear that the bailiffs would come and the legislators would come and they would take her out of her home and sell all her belongings to pay her debt. She was really afraid. A news filtered through to a Christian minister that this was happening and he told some people in his congregation about it and they brought a collection together and they went to her creditors and they paid off all of her debts and that Christian minister went to her home with the receipt in his hand to tell her that the debt was paid and he knocked and knocked and knocked on the door but there was no answer. At last he felt, well, there must be nobody in, and he was leaving, and one of her neighbors says, we're at old Betty's home. And he said, yes, but she's not in. And the neighbor says, oh, she's in, all right. But she's afraid to answer the door because she's so many debts to pay. And she's worried that they're going to come and take all of her belongings. And he explained his errand and says, well, we've collected for him, we've paid off her debts. And the neighbor says, well, let's go back and knock the door again and I'll explain who you are. And the clergyman knocked the door and the neighbor says, Betty, it's the clergyman. They've paid off all your debts. You can go free. And whenever she heard that immediately, the doors were opened. And the clergyman, the minister, went into her home and showed her the receipt that all of her debts were paid and sought to help her out. Maybe tonight you will not open your heart tonight to Jesus Christ, you're afraid. But I tell you, He has paid the debt of sin upon a cruel cross. And He knocks at your heart's door tonight to tell you, listen, you don't need to live in guilt and fear and shame. I've paid the price upon the cross. I've come to show you there's a way back to God. And I can give you sight and warmth and shelter and fellowship and all of these blessed things. He's passionate. He's also prudent. He says, I stand at the door and knock. He's the absolute gentleman. He doesn't barge your way into people's lives. He doesn't kick the door down. He wants you to open your heart to him tonight. Softly and tenderly, Jesus is calling. I believe not only does he knock with passion and knock with prudence, but I also believe in providence. God is knocking at your heart's door. You say, well, what do you mean even by that? Well, what about the circumstances in life? Surely through the circumstances that we have been living through in recent years, God is speaking to this day and generation. Many people's hearts are feeling them for fear. We're living in uncertain days. Prophecy in the Bible is being fulfilled. And maybe in your own personal life and circumstances, things have been happening. Maybe a Christian has been brought across your pathway and they've been witnessing to you. Maybe something has happened in your life that's caused you to think about God. Maybe it's been a trial or maybe a great blessing and you recognize this is the hand of God. This is God knocking. Maybe it's your conscience. Maybe your conscience is troubled. Maybe you think about your past and you're concerned about your future and you worry about where you will be in eternity and God is knocking in your circumstances. God is knocking in your conscience. Maybe God is knocking by way of conviction. You realize that there's sin in your life that needs to be cleansed and forgiven and dealt with. But not only do I see here passion and prudence and providence, but I also see patience. The Savior says, behold, I stand at the door and knock. I remember the Reverend Samuel Workman preaching years ago in a gospel mission, and he made this statement, and it was engraved in my memory. He said to the congregation, some of you know right well that you need to get saved, and you know right well that Jesus Christ is speaking to you, but you're treating him like a little boy. You're putting him away to the back of the queue and you're saying, I've so many other more important things to see to first and you're calling him to go and stand there away at the back of the queue. You're not saying, go away completely, but don't disturb me now, but maybe some later time come and try me again. Is that you tonight? Keeping the Lord standing, knocking at your heart's door, convicting you if you're need, showing you his love and his tenderness. You say, well, I don't want to reject you completely, but I'm not willing to receive you either. You keep him standing. Keep him standing. You give him a cold reception. Years ago, a steamship called the Central America was traveling from New York City to San Francisco. Way back before the Suez Canal or the Panama Canal was built and that ship had to go right down and around the bottom of Argentina and up the other side and as it was in the middle of the ocean, it sprung a leak and it sent out a few distress signals and a ship that wasn't all that far away saw the distress lights going up and they telegrammed or Morse-coded a message through, what's your problem? And the captain of the Central America says, we sprung a leak and we're sinking. And the other ship says, well, we'll send over some lifeboats and we'll rescue you. Start to evacuate the people out of their cabins and we'll come and rescue you. But the captain of the Central America felt it was too dark and too dangerous. And he simply said, no, it's not the right time. Lie by till morning. The rescue ship sent another message, we strongly suggest that you begin to evacuate your crew and your passengers. A second time they sent the message back, lie by till morning. And then a third time, send us, send us the people on your ship and we'll rescue them. And one last time, lie by till morning. And then the lights went out and no more signals were received. And it was evident that the Central America had sunk and all on board upon it perished. All because they felt it's just not the right time. Lie by till morning. When I have a more convenient season, I will call for thee. Is that how you treat the Lord tonight? Stands at the door and patiently and passionately knocks, but you won't open. but you don't want them to go away just yet. And it's like you're saying to him, lie by till morning when I have a more convenient season. Notice one last thing and we're finished. We thought about who he is, his identification. We thought about where he is, his location. We thought about what he's doing, his intervention. Notice lastly what he is saying. His invitation. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me. Notice the great range of the invitation. If any man hear my voice. One of God's favorite words surely is the word whosoever. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever, and whosoever includes every single one of us. John Bunyan says, if it said John Bunyan, he says, I would fear that there might be another John Bunyan. But it says whosoever, and I know that that includes me. Great range of this invitation. If any man, if any individual hears my voice and opens the door, I wonder tonight, are you conscious God speaking into your life? You could be that one individual in this meeting, maybe in this mission who will respond to the call of God, the range of the invitation. Notice the reception to the invitation. If any man hear my voice, it's a wonderful thing to be conscious of God's speaking voice in your heart. Jesus Christ said, my sheep hear my voice. Be conscious of God speaking to you in these days. Today if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. And then as well there needs to be a reaction. Not just to be conscious, well the Lord's there, the Lord's knocking, the Lord's speaking. I'm conscious of my need. I'm conscious of my failure. I'm conscious that the Lord is near. I'm conscious that the Lord is speaking. But there needs to be a response. There needs to be a reaction. If any man hear my voice and opens the door. You need to open the door tonight. Holman Hunt was a great painter. He once painted a famous picture called The Light of the World. It depicted a man with a crown of thorns in his head and a lantern in his hand standing at an old cottage door that was overgrown with ivy and thorns and briars. And he was standing at the door and he was knocking on the door and the painter Holman Hunt called the painting The Light of the World. And he was able to really depict beautiful colors and light and canvas. And many art critics said it was a wonderful painting until one day somebody says, but there's a mistake in the painting. There's no handle. There's no latch in the door. Strange to put in so much detail and to forget something so obvious. And then one of the men that knew Mr. Hunt personally says, well, I was speaking to him in private conversation. And that has been left out on purpose because the handle is on the inside. The person on the inside has to respond and turn the handle and open the door. Jesus Christ may be knocking on your heart's door tonight. But you have to make that response and personally open the door and receive Him as your Savior. As many as received Him, to them give ye power to become the sons of God. And then there's also a residing. I will come into Him and sup with Him and He with me. And whenever a man or a woman is born again of the Spirit of God, Jesus Christ Himself enters in and becomes resident in your life. I remember listening to Ivan Thompson once and he was giving his testimony, he called up his wife to stand and come up to the front and they began to sing together, love is a flag flying high from the castle of my heart for the king is in residence there. I wonder is the king resident in your life tonight? Is the king resident in your heart and soul this evening? That's what a Christian is, Jesus Christ in you, the hope of glory. And then one last thing, there's also relationship. I will come into Him and will sup with Him and He with me. Now, I believe that speaks of forgiveness. The Lord entering in. Here's a church that he's writing to with all of these sins and all of these problems but the Lord says if you open the door I'll come in. I'll cleanse you. I'll wash you. I'll forgive you. I'm not sure if you watched the king's coronation service on Saturday morning or Friday morning was it? I can't think what day it was. Was it Friday? Saturday, I can't remember. But anyway, Richie Sunak was reading from the book of Colossians. And as he was reading, I just marked that he read those remarkable words about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in verse 13 of Colossians 1, who hath delivered us. from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son, in whom we have redemption through his blood and the forgiveness of sins, who is the image of the invisible God, the forgiveness of sins." And he read those remarkable words. And I thought to myself, I wonder what does he think whenever he reads such tremendous words about the blood of Jesus Christ. Now many people can read the words and understand the words and know the gospel, but I wonder have you received Jesus as your Savior? Has the Lord Jesus Christ entered into your heart and life for forgiveness, but also for friendship. That supping speaks of friendship. There's a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. It speaks as well of feasting, satisfaction. He's able to fill that void and that vacancy in your life. And of course as well, it speaks of fellowship. What a wonderful thing it is whenever you open your heart's door and receive Jesus Christ. In Revelation chapter 3 verse 20 it speaks about our Lord Jesus standing at the door. But the Word of God also says in James 5 and verse 9 that the judge stands at the door. And if you don't receive Jesus Christ the Lord as your savior one day you will face him as your judge. And it's so imminent. He's coming back again. And He's standing at the door tonight, either as your judge or as your Savior. The story is told of a young lad in one of the frontier states in America. sitting in a buggy and the horse bolted and was headed towards certain danger and an older man risked his life and put himself in front of that horse and took its reins and eventually got the horse stopped and in the process saved the young boy's life from almost certain death. That man was a legal man involved in the legal profession and later on he was promoted to be a judge. And sadly, that little boy never really thought all that much about what he'd been saved from and where he would have been if he had perished. And he entered into a life of vice and sin and crime, and one day was caught for something very, very serious and stood before the courts. And as he stood there, he looked up into the face of the old judge and he recognized, that's the man that rescued me all of those years ago. And he made a plea bargain. He says, can you have mercy upon me, sir? You saved me all of those years ago. And he says, well, yes, I intervened in your life, but you ventured in a course of action that I can't take responsibility for. Today I stand before you as your judge. Will you trust Jesus Christ tonight as your Savior? Or will you trust Jesus Christ as your Lord? Or one day will you face Him as your judge?