A Door Opened in Heaven
The sermon emphasizes the importance of spiritual connection and obedience in experiencing the door opened in heaven.
Charles E. Cowman preaches on the vision of a door opened in heaven as seen by John on the Isle of Patmos, emphasizing how God reveals Himself in unexpected places and circumstances, such as in exile, suffering, and loneliness. He draws parallels to Jacob's dream of a ladder connecting heaven and earth in the midst of his exile. Cowman highlights that doors to heaven are opened to those who are in the Spirit, pure in heart, obedient in faith, and willing to prioritize knowing Jesus above all else.
Text
"A door opened in heaven" (Rev. 4:1).
You must remember that John was in the Isle of Patmos, a lone, rocky, inhospitable prison, for the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus. And yet to him, under such circumstances, separated from all the loved ones of Ephesus; debarred from the worship of the Church; condemned to the companionship of uncongenial fellow-captives, were vouchsafed these visions. For him, also a door was opened.
We are reminded of Jacob, exiled from his father's house, who laid himself down in a desert place to sleep, and in his dreams beheld a ladder which united Heaven with earth, and at the top stood God.
Not to these only, but to many more, doors have been opened into Heaven, when, so far as the world was concerned, it seemed as though their circumstances were altogether unlikely for such revelations.
To prisoners and captives; to constant sufferers, bound by iron chains of pain to sick couches; to lonely pilgrims and wanderers; to women detained from the Lord's house by the demands of home, how often has the door been opened to Heaven.
But there are conditions. You must know what it is to be in the Spirit; you must be pure in heart and obedient in faith; you must be willing to count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ; then when God is all in all to us, when we live, move and have our being in His favor, to us also will the door be opened. --Daily Devotional Commentary
"God hath His mountains bleak and bare,
Where He doth bid us rest awhile;
Crags where we breathe a purer air,
Lone peaks that catch the day's first smile.
"God hath His deserts broad and brown--
A solitude--a sea of sand,
Where He doth let heaven's curtain down,
Unknit by His Almighty hand."
Sermon Outline
- The Door Opened in Heaven
- John's Experience in Patmos
- Jacob's Ladder
- The Conditions for the Door to be Opened
Key Quotes
“God hath His mountains bleak and bare, Where He doth bid us rest awhile;” — Charles E. Cowman
“God hath His deserts broad and brown-- A solitude--a sea of sand,” — Charles E. Cowman
Application Points
- We must be willing to be in the Spirit and obedient in faith to experience the door opened in heaven.
- Even in difficult circumstances, God can reveal Himself and provide spiritual connection and understanding.
- Purity of heart and trust in God are essential conditions for the door to be opened.