When God Will Shut the Door — Mose Stoltzfus

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Everyone here tonight. I am indeed blessed to have the privilege to stand here tonight and feel myself unworthy to have that privilege in life to speak to all of you. I Trust God's heart the Word of God this evening.

Been a joy to be here this week. Remember it had to think while sitting here. I Remember of singing a song in my youth About 38 or 9 years ago 39 years ago this winter, I believe let me burn out for thee dear Lord and I remember how I sang that song and I meant it from my heart and This is one of the weeks that I've had the privilege to Still have that prayer and that song answered in my heart and I'm very grateful for that opportunity to spend my life and my energy on you all and Tonight again, we come to you and it is a sobering moment.

We have to say to See what God has done. We are in all over that But we are also standing in fear and trembling as we recognize that the work is not yet done in our midst and we trust that God will again come to us here tonight and by his Holy Spirit move upon the hearts of Those who have resisted God's call upon their life up to this hour.

May.

We just stand together for a word of prayer. A father we're.

We're just a vessel through which we have trusted that you have called to speak forth the words of truth and We want to endeavor to do that in our weakness and feebleness of strength. But tonight God if you do not move upon the hearts of the people It will not get much good to what we are doing here father.

We can spend the evening in singing and preaching but unless the Spirit of God moves upon the hearts of the people we know that That it will be in vain and Many will return back to where they came from.

So father we pray that Tonight there would be some life-changing decisions made some decisions that would totally renovate their thinking and Regenerate their life and lifestyles. From top to bottom we pray dear God that they would await to righteousness and not to sin and Fall asleep to sin.

I pray for that God and I thank you God again for this blessed opportunity. Break the bread of life. Break it Lord and send it like arrows and darts Into the hard hearts that have resisted the Word of God up to this time.

Bless the hearts that are soft. Encourage the ones that are born again and those that have given their heart to the Lord and I pray father Sanctify those who yet need cleansing and sanctification likewise.

We commit this service this hour this time this evening hour Unto thee Oh God. Oh God we pray in Jesus Christ's name. Amen. Let us turn our Bibles this evening to Luke chapter 13. Luke chapter 13 Reading from verse 22 through 30 22 through 30.

The Healing, the Fig Tree, and the Narrow Door

Maybe I'll give a bit of the background first Jesus in this chapter in his earthly ministry as Was his Method and heart went ahead and He Loosed a woman of her infirmity That had a spirit of infirmity for 18 years over in verse 11 He had just talked about That He in verse 6 he had come and he had seen a fig tree planted in the vineyard and He came talked about a certain man who had seen a fig tree planted in a vineyard and he came and sought fruit on it and there was no fruit on it and and He said under the dresser I I've been waiting about three years now.

I've come by this tree and and look for some fruit and there's no fruit and I don't know whether Jesus had been preaching about three years when he said that but after wonder I didn't check the chronological order.

But it seems to be that perhaps It was in the last year of his ministry and he might have been preaching about two and a half three years and and he said This certain man. He's a come around looking for fruit on a fig tree for about three years now and it wasn't any no fruit.

And he decided why? Why does it take up space in the vineyard you might as well cut it down but the dresser of the vineyard Said unto him let it alone Lord till I dig about it and dung it if it bear fruit well.

But if not, then cut it down and so then he Met this woman who had a spirit of infirmity That was bowed together and and he couldn't she couldn't straighten up. There was no way she could lift herself up and Probably just laid around I would guess in a fetal position and and Jesus he asked her a woman.

He says he called her to him and said unto her woman thou art loosed from thine infirmity. I didn't even ask her whether she wanted to be and straightway he laid his hands on her and immediately she was made straight and glorified God and The ruler of the synagogue was upset he got rather upset this because In fact, he got really upset he got he said he was filled with indignation or he answered with indignation because that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath day and he told him there are six days in which men ought to work and and in them therefore come and be healed and but not on the Sabbath day and Jesus tried to reason with him and it is that background that he speaks these verses in chapter 13 verse 22 through 30.

Now, let me read the verses and he went through the cities and villages teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem and he said. Then said one unto him Lord. Are there few that be saved. And He said unto him strive to enter in at the straight gate.

For many I stand you will seek to enter in and shall not be able when once the master of the house is risen up and has Shut the door and you begin to stand without and to knock at the door saying Lord Lord Open unto us and he shall answer and stand to you.

I know you not whence you are. Then shall you begin to say we have eaten and drunk in thy presence. Thou has taught in our streets. But he shall say I tell you I know you not whence you are depart from me all you workers of iniquity.

There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and You yourselves thrust out and they shall come from the east and the west from the north and the south and shall sit down in the kingdom of God and behold.

There are last which shall be first and there are first which shall be last. When once the master of the house has risen up and I shut the door. Just shut the door and you begin to stand without and to knock at the door.

Knock at the door and say Lord Open open up to us and he shall answer you and say unto you. I Don't know you. I have no idea who you are and you're gonna say God. I I was raised in a Christian home. My parents taught me memory verses when I was little.

I remember When I went to the teenage in my teenage years, I even went to charity Bible school and I Sat under that preaching and teaching and I went to prayer and sharing and I didn't like it too good and didn't know what to say, but They didn't want me to go outside and run away.

So I during that time so I I went and he'll say I Don't know. I have no idea who you are. I've never known you. I've never talked. We've never talked before. We've never visited before. You're you're a total stranger to me.

When once the master of the house is risen up and I shut the door. And you're on the outside. My well the title of my message tonight is when God will shut the door. Now this isn't very popular tonight.

A lot of people don't believe God shuts the door. I Don't know where they've got that but somehow Somewhere they have deducted that God doesn't shut doors the doors always open whenever you want to come in you can go right on in and They they've made themselves believe that.

Whenever and however, I don't want to come in. I can come in at any time day or night spring and fall summer winter and. So it's rather easy just to go along in life and I Have some personal interest I'd like to experiment with and fulfill first and someday I'll settle down and I'll I'll come in that door, but God says When once the master of the house Has risen up and I shut the door and shut the door.

Striving to Enter Through the Narrow Gate

Now, let's go To some word-for-word. Explanation of some of the words of this parable. I believe it's a very very deep parable. I want you to know tonight. This parable is written to Bible school students.

This Bible this word is not written to the heathen. It's not written to the atheist and it's not written to the agnostics. This word tonight is written to Bible school students. This word is is written to church members.

This word is written to religious people. This is written to the church. Not to the heathen now. There is a word to the heathen likewise in the Word of God and we recognize but this Parable this portion of scripture is written to the Bible school students of America.

It's written to the Sunday schools. It's written to the church Bazaars and carnivals it's written to the youth. Gatherings and and and recreational trips and and all the fun things that men Seek out to do.

This is written of Lord that name the name of Jesus Christ. First of all, he says to us Scribe to enter in at the straight gate, and I don't know how many have left of you that believe that but that word strive.

I looked it up in the Greek and it means to fight. It means to labor. Fervently it means to literally struggle. To get into the gate. Contrary to what you're hearing in the evangelical world today and perhaps what you've heard all the time in your life.

Until you came here this week. You're still trying to figure out what kind of doctrine is being taught here. But it means to contend with the adversary. You're in a fight with the enemy and some of you know what that's all about this week literally and so there's there's some here tonight sitting here have been been fighting and they've been Struggling and that's just fine.

Go ahead and struggle but struggle to enter in it's a straight gate and to enter into that gate. Until you have found him. Labor fervently fight gonna fall into eternity. I have to first of all tear down the false theology that I know is in some of your minds.

You're not just gonna bump into Jesus. You're not just gonna stumble on him someday the Bible says to the religious scene right here and how much more to the Believer and the agnostic and the atheist but he says to those who know the name of God that they are they are to strive.

To enter into straight gate. They're not struggle. They're oppressed in there and they're a labor. Affirmatively in order to get in. Mark it down. I failed to mention beforehand. That I wanted to tell you that the Bible says here.

Then said one unto him Lord are there few that be saved? Now there's enough of you. No German that you'll appreciate the German in this and and you'll have to excuse me the rest of you but I'll interpret it for you because it gives a little different light the English kind of.

You're not quite sure what he means, but you kind of can assume here that he's kind of wondering the Lord. You really are you really mean that there's only a few that be saved but the German says Yes, but I'm not saying yeah, mine's do just many feelings man.

Do you mean Lord? Do you mean that only a few are gonna enter in and? Upon that Jesus gave these words. That's the question. He was answering Do you really mean that Lord? It seems like you're hinting in some of your parables.

You know, you just got done saying that I've come around here three years looking for fruit on this fig tree and. And there isn't any and now here I come and I'm about ready to cut this big tree down and a fig tree.

It's a symbolic of the nation of Israel. It's God's people in the New Testament era through the Gospels Jesus is looking at Israel and it's looking at the Jewish religions Jewish nation at that time and the spiritual condition.

They were in or not in and he's saying I've come around for about the last three years looking for fruit. And I can't find any and so therefore the man's kind of got the hint and somebody caught on it seems to me like you're not going to just take on this whole nation and save them and Therefore he gave this parable this whole parable this whole story.

This whole shutting of the door is the answer to that question. I Want you to get that. Minus two half minus two. That's me. Zeric web nor vinegar. Just a few are gonna be saved and this is his answer.

Strive to enter in at the straight gate. For many I say and you will seek to enter in and shall not be able. And I dare to say I Dare to say that that is some of the most unpopular theology in America today.

Not not get this. I get it there's a whole bunch of people it says many a Whole bunch of people who would like to enter in. They want to go to heaven. They want to be with Jesus. They want to sit down with the Saints.

They want to enjoy eternity and joy. They're not they're not joking around at with their buddies about shoveling coal in hell. Have you ever heard about that in some of these worldly places? You know where all this religious stuff is a total joke and people are talking about having parties down there and being down there with our Friend and they make this whole Christianity thing just a pure mockery.

It's not even thinking of those. This is talking about a group of people who actually would like to be inside there. They want to even enter in. But Jesus says they won't be able to do it. They'll not be.

Do you know Jesus like that? That wouldn't let 10 ,000 upon 10 ,000 of people in that want to come in. Can you believe that that there's a Jesus like that? That's not the Jesus that I hear about a lot today.

That's not the Jesus that I read about in the books. That's not the Jesus I hear about in general. They have another Jesus you see they they have concocted a totally other Jesus. He's one who would wouldn't think of not letting 10 ,000s of people who want to come come in fact Teach and preach all the time that Anybody who just wants to come can just come right on in whenever they want to it doesn't take any effort at all nonsense nonsense.

When once the master of the house has risen up in the religious world and I shut the door. And the most of the people be in the outside and I recognize tonight when I'm speaking to 650 Students that I realize that that is a stark reality that we have got to reckon with and face face it.

I Don't want to talk about it. But I want to tell you tonight as I come here I saw the moon is almost full and it's a clear sky. With a few with white clouds around the moon here and there and it's a beautiful night and I decided to think my the long-suffering of God has waited and Years have rolled on in my time and in your father's times and grandfathers and great-grandfathers.

Don't you get an idea? There's no mercy on God and there's no long-suffering of God waiting waiting for the repentance of people. Waiting for people to come to Christ waiting for people to repent of their sins and to turn their hearts on the God.

I don't want you to think that God has no not a merciful God. He's he was merciful in those days and he is merciful now and that's why tonight, you know it's just such a beautiful night and and We haven't been hindered of anything today The cops haven't been here harassing us the the neighborhood area everything just goes on and we've got it so easy.

We can pull right in here without any roadblocks in the way and park our car and come in here and sit down. That's how easy it is to come and hear the gospel. It's not that way everywhere.

It's not that way everywhere.

Jesus as the Door to the Sheepfold

But the Jesus that I'm introducing to you and the written Word of God in Luke chapter 13 is giving you another message. It's giving you a different concept that what you're about to hear in most of the places where you go.

You'll probably not hear this on a radio. You'll probably not hear it on many of the tapes you listen to. But God says that we're to strive to enter into straight gate. For many I Say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able.

They will not be able to enter in now. Jesus said it in another way in John. John wrote about it when he said I'm the door to the sheepfold. And he talked about That there are people who try to come in not by the door but enter in in some other way.

You see they still want to come in, but they're either trying to crawl through the basement and come up the steps from beneath or they're up in the attic looking down for a hole to come down into the Room from above or crawl in a window, but they don't want to go in.

It's a door. Jesus is talking about the same thing. I am the door to the sheepfold. If anybody's gonna get in they're gonna have to get in by me. And the problem is that people seek to get in some other way.

And it God's not going out. God's not going out many. I'm telling you Mark it down 10 ,000 upon 10 ,000 of people will think they're on the way to heaven and Will find themselves outside of a shut door.

They'll seek that's what it says. They'll seek to enter in well. We might say they weren't really seeking but I believe that according to the Word of God. And I'm gonna stay with the text they were seeking to enter in.

That's what it says. Now I know they weren't seeking right, and I know some of you haven't been seeking right. You have looked for another way. You don't want the hard way. You don't want to bear a cross.

You don't want to strive to enter into a straight gate. But you'd like an easy way somehow to get in where it doesn't it's not so painful. You won't get rejected you see by anybody. Everybody's still gonna.

Love you when you're done see and you won't lose any of your friends. That's the kind of God that a lot of people are trying to seek to enter in but God said you'll not be able. You will not be able to do that.

That's interesting when he says here when once. Now tell me you and your Different English you you don't know what that word means us Pennsylvania Dutch people we use it a lot and Some of you smile when you hear us say well if you just get that done once.

You know we use that word. It's one of those at time words. You know that it's high time to get it done. Why don't you do it once? But that's what it says here when once. It's one of those time words.

I believe When once the master of the house has risen up well I want to introduce you tonight to the master of the house. There are a number of other scriptures that talk about the master of the house in Matthew 10 25 and 26 the Bible says.

If they have called the master of the house Belzebub how much more shall they call him of his household in? Hebrews 3 5 it says. But Christ as a son over his own house. Whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and rejoicing of the whole firm unto the end.

I? Heard brother Rick Quote that verse. I believe just I was walking down the hall the other day teaching the book of Hebrews and That shows us that Christ as a son is over his own house. Whose house are we?

Don't miss that word. That's an extremely important word to in the Word of God tonight. Whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and rejoicing of hope of the hope firm? Unto the end. Firm unto the end and then over in Mark 13.

We have it one more time verse 35 what's he there for for you know not when the master of the house. Come at that even or at midnight or at cock crowing or in the morning. Let me introduce to you to a Christian life who has the master of the house.

You're Christian and tonight and right where you are. Do you have the master of the house and that is? Simply some of this winter trying a little bit with a message on Monday night that brother David had.

I Recognize that so few people have a master of the house. I don't know what they had. He may call him a sugar daddy. That's a pretty good Description of him and a lot of people's minds. But I want to tell you tonight.

He's the master of the house. He's the master of the house. And if he's not the master of the house He's not anything else either. He's not going to do any good for you. He needs tonight to be the master of the house that's what the Bible says and we want to address him tonight and Stand in holy awe and fear of the fact that the God that Jesus Christ whom we love and serve is the master of the House and whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and rejoicing?

Firm on to the end. Well one more time that it's used in the Word of God and that's in Luke 14 verse 17 to 22. This is now talking about how he sent his servant at supper time to invite the people to come to a meal that has been prepared says come for all things are now ready and They all with one consent began to make excuses.

The first that I bought a piece of ground. Amistead's go and see it. I pray thee have me excused. And another said I bought five yoke of oxen and I go to prove them. I pray thee have me excused. And another said I've married a wife and therefore I can't come.

So the servant came and showed his Lord these things then the master of the house Got upset he got angry. Does your God get angry? Mine does. Oh Yes, he's God. He's God. Did you know he gets angry? Do you know it's all right for him to get angry?

Absolutely this God that I have I read about here in the Word of God. He gets angry. That's what the story says. He's not the sugar daddy. We heard about on Monday night being angry said to his servant go out quickly into the streets of the lanes of the city and Bring in hither the poor the maimed and the halt in the blind and what he simply says that if you're not going to want to come to my supper that I'm going to go out and get some other people to come and That's simply what he says here in the latter part of this great parable.

Weeping, Gnashing of Teeth, and the Final Exclusion

He says there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. When you shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves trust out. All right. Well, let's Recognize that God's mercy an opportunity and pleading is upon you tonight.

I do not believe even though I'm going to speak about a time when God will shut the door. I want to tell you just in case you think I'm unbalanced tonight that God has left the door open a long time. And I know it's still open tonight, and I'm Marvel at the wickedness of this world and how long that God keeps the door open.

He has kept the door open for a long time, and I know some of you are taking it for granted. Some of you are not doing right. You think that door is never going to shut. You have bought yourself a message Jesus that's never going to shut the door.

But I'm going to introduce you tonight one that according to the Word of God Will rise up when he says he has enough and he's going to shut the door. It's going to shut the door and a whole Bunch of people won't be ready for it and will not be inside.

He's risen up now. The Bible says that We see him sitting at the right hand of God interceding for us. He is described that way. I Believe in the book of Acts and then when Stephen was stoned We see him rising up with a deep interest of what was going down on there down there on earth.

When his beloved son one of his children was preaching and telling the truth. And they were picking up stones and killing him for it. Which they did and God left it happen, but I want you to know that the Jesus of the Bible stood up that time, too.

There's a time. I want to tell you when he rises up, and he doesn't just rise up when he's angry. He rises up in deep interest to your in my soul, and I can't imagine anything else. But that's some of the things that have been going on around here this week that Jesus had to get up off of his throne Occasionally and get a little closer to see what all was going on.

When once the master the house rises up. He doesn't only rise up the pines. He doesn't only rise up in wrath even though he does when he shuts the door. He's going to get up and shut the door. But I want to tell you he has keen interest in your salvation tonight and he wants you to come and Experience him and get to know him and he is so interested in that and according to that was even when his word is preached and a man is earnest to do his will God gets up to and Has shut the door Has shut the door.

Do you believe that tonight? Do you believe it that God is going to rise up at some future day and shut the door? When once the master of the house has risen up and shut the door. Now there's a few other times in history when he has shut the door.

And I don't know. I can only give you just a few examples of that. I see that many times I've watched that I tell you I watch that like a hawk in the news. Periods of history that I can get a hold of and come across.

When I hear and I see of things like that when God says now It's enough and he rises up and shuts the door and I tell you I tremble. When I read those accounts, I tremble. I wonder if you're all trembling before God that way.

Noah, the Flood, and God Shutting the Door

I Of course think of the time of the flood and I don't know how you read the Genesis account. I Can see it understood maybe a little bit difficult to understand exactly. What is meant there in that Genesis account of the flood?

But I have at least considered the fact That when he built the ark when Noah built the ark there, you know, and he got all the animals inside. And then the Bible says that God gathered Noah in and his sons and their wives eight souls or were that got gathered inside and all the animals were in and they were in their pens in there and and Just everything was quiet and munching their hay.

And it seems to me as I read the account that it could be that God left the door open for seven more days. Not quite sure about that because of the way. The language is there. I haven't dug into the Greek or into some of the other languages to see what it means but it's a possibility that God left the door open for seven more days and Then the Bible says and God shut him in.

God shut him in. But I want to tell you there were thousands of people Upon the day that God shut the door and shut him in there and it started to rain in the same day. It started to rain. The Bible says the fountains of the great deep opened up and the water started getting deep and I tell you there.

Were thousands of people that were standing on the outside knocking on that door and trying to get him to open it. And he wouldn't open so when he says in this verses that he's gonna rise up and shut the door.

He has given us glimpses of this through history over and over again that God is a door shutting God. Also He will rise up someday and he will shut the door and you can climb until your fingers are worn off of your hands.

And God will not open the door. Because I believe it would have been that way. I can imagine they were scratching and clawing. But it wasn't nice job to open the door and shut the door and it's not ours either.

God will shut the door in due time. But I want to tell you when master of the house will rise up and shut the door and you're gonna be in the outside. You will not get in. When I saw that bright moon in the sky and the blessed opportunity that I believed we might have yet.

For one more night wherever the Gospels preached and all of you could sit here tonight I realized that God in his mercy has that door wide open tonight yet. But I also know and I thank God for that, but I also know don't you better take that for granted?

Because God will shut the door. He will shut the door. Matthew 25 talks about it with the ten virgins, you know. How the five were wise and the five were foolish and then he talks about how he ran out of oil five of them.

You know and then he wanted to borrow oil from the ones that still had oil. And they were begging that boy and they said no if you. Then we won't have enough go and get yourself some go buy yourself some and you probably have heard many messages Interpretations of that I won't go into it.

So they went to buy some in the meantime the bridegroom came and he went in and he shut the door. In fact, it says a little Straighter than that yet and the door was shut. Oh, that's a finale a finality.

I remember up in New York City, Washington Square Park. One of the brethren is probably sitting here tonight had a little message there and he got up and he said and the door was Shut. That was his message.

I never forgot that that stuck with me and the door was shut. And they went up and said Lord open unto us and God did that the bridegroom did come over and say Who what who are you? No, I don't have any idea and it didn't open it.

He didn't open it back up now you thought didn't you and your theology that the mercy of God was so great. He'd open it back up didn't you? Now, you know the Bible didn't say that but somehow it has twisted our thinking into a God and we have fabricated Jesus that would never think of closing a door and letting it shut when people want to get in and they knocked and cried to Have it open and he wouldn't open it.

The door was shut the door was shut. I Remember an account I've given it before in certain places. I've had meetings. I'm not sure I ever gave it here before. I'm sure many of you didn't hear it. But my mind goes to the Caribbean the island of Martinique on April 1902 on a good Friday they had a party and Martinique was an island where a lot of pirates lived and they had their ships and their stations there.

It was a place of wine women and song it was a place of gambling and prostitution and every other vice knowing the man in 1902. So they got high on alcohol that day and they nailed an old cross together and it crucified a pig on it in mockery of the crucifixion of Jesus on Good Friday.

I Think it was somewhere about the third week in April and it was a matter of days. There was some smoke coming out of a volcanic mountain, but Mount Pelee right behind them. They're right behind the town just a small island.

St. Pierre was the name of the town and the next day a little bit more and finally at night they saw a few red sparks coming out and kind of lighting up the sky. A few people got a little bit alarmed and Began to talk a little bit about sending their women and children or at least a children to higher ground maybe.

But the rest of it they were still in a festive mood and there were a God defying people, you know. And things just kept on going and kept on going and this thing kept spitting a little more and a little more God's mercy.

Oh, I'm amazed at God's mercy for those two weeks then on May the 8th 1902 that Mountain opened up and the whole side of the mountain laid out across the people and only one man I am told survived and He was in a dungeon down in jail and God had more mercy on that man than he did on every man alive in town.

The fire rained down so heavy that ships burned at sea eight miles out. Shut the door. He said it's enough of this. You don't mock God and get by. Don't you ever think you will. Don't you ever think you will.

I'll just give you the Newspaper accounts here. Mount Pelee on the Caribbean Island of Martinique began its volcanic eruption in late April 1902 ash began to fall on the nearby city of st. Pierre. Look at the mercy of God.

Look at his mercy. At first the city's inhabitants weren't too concerned. But some began to send their women and children to safer ground as the volcano became more active finally on May the 8th 752 a .m the mountains upper flank facing the city open and an intensely hot cloud of Black vapor shot out towards the city like smoke from the muzzle of a cannon.