This digest is based on the seventeenth message given by Brother Titus Chu in this series. If you have not seen it already, you may watch it on Youtube. This message will cover from point III.B to point V.E of the messages 16-18 outline. We recommend watching the whole Message 17 video before reading the digest, to better appreciate each section.
The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand
“The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” This was the gospel preached not only by John the Baptist, but also by the Lord Jesus (Matt. 3:1–2, 4:17). This proclamation indicated the approach of two significant events: first, that the day for God and man to be united and mingled was at hand; second, that the day for the body of Christ — the church — to appear on the earth was at hand.
Jesus Christ was the first God-man, the first in whom God and man were totally one. He was a man totally submissive to God’s reigning. Finally, many years after creation, there was One in whom the Father could be so satisfied, One in whom God can really have His domain. Through Him, there can be the ruling of God on earth. This is the reality of the kingdom of heaven. In other words, the reality of the kingdom of heaven is where Christ’s life rules. The only reason that the kingdom of heaven is “at hand” is because the Lord is at hand! (Philippians 4:4).
– From the Daily Bible Verses
The Keys of the Kingdom
In Matthew 16:19 the Lord continued speaking to Peter saying, ‘And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.’ This indicates that the Lord Himself is the One who desired to open the door and provide the keys. Peter used these keys when, in his preaching, the Holy Spirit was poured out upon both the Jews and the Gentiles. The apostle Paul continued to use these keys by opening the door of salvation in his journeys, like when he said, ‘When I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel and a door was opened to me by the Lord’ (2 Cor 2:12).
An Open Door
The overall door is opened by Peter, then Paul testified, “I’m in some place, there’s an open door for the gospel.” Watchman Nee once said, “What is my work for the local churches? It’s an open door.”
You just think about today, if all the good brothers—those who are experienced, who are in the lead, they have no desire to care about practical matters, like “this window needs to be repaired.” This is deacon’s work. They just say, “My burden is to work with three or four others. Every morning, we pray together. A few times every week we preach together. Then, we fellowship with one another, we strengthen one another, we preach the gospel, we take this street, we say ‘Lord, in this month, we take these three streets. We want to knock on every door on these three streets. We don’t talk about it. We do it.’” Let’s exercise an open door with a small group of brothers…
“Let’s pray together, let’s read the Bible together, let’s study with one another together, let’s go out to preach the gospel together, let’s choose 50 houses and tell the Lord, ‘Lord, give us two months. In these 50 houses, could you gain get one? Can one household be gained by You?’” Brother, you go out, because the door’s open! There is an open door!
– Message Transcript
Lord, Speak to Me
The Lord has indeed opened many doors over the centuries, and His desire is to see the doors of many more hearts and souls to be opened. Though the doors to our neighbors, friends, colleagues, and family may be closed, the overall door of the gospel is open, and the Christ has given us the keys to open these individual doors. Seek the Lord’s application of this word to your own situation through the following song, called “Lord, Speak to Me.”
https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/903
Closing Prayer
Lord, my faith may not be that big but please increase my faith. Lift up my eyes to see that the fields are white with harvest and that the door of the gospel is open. I want to see your Spirit moving in the people in my life and I want to learn how to cooperate with you. I want to see your kingdom grow and expand. Lord send us out as workers in the field – let us see that the door is wide open!
– Brother Samuel
