He Awaits an Invitation
God stands at the door of our hearts, knocking and inviting us to salvation, and waiting for us to respond with an open heart.
Mary Wilder Tileston preaches about the divine love of God that shines constantly, even when we turn away from Him, emphasizing that God waits to bless us and delights in showing mercy to those burdened by sin and sorrow. She encourages listeners to look to God for cleansing and joy, as He longs to make us beautiful and equal to the angels. Tileston highlights the image of God standing at the door and knocking, ready to enter our hearts and bring us His gifts of grace and blessings.
Text
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.
REVELATION 3:20
0 LOVE Divine!--whose constant beam
Shines on the eyes that will not see,
And waits to bless us, while we dream
Thou leavest us because we turn from Thee.
J. G. WHITTIER
UNHAPPY spirit, cast down under thy sins, multitudes of sins, years of sins!--heavily burdened as thou art, and pierced through with sorrows, thou mayest look to God, and hope, for "HE delighteth in mercy." His mercy can make thee a clean and beautiful, a happy and rejoicing spirit. God will be "delighted" to make thee "equal to the angels." So humble, so loving is thy God, and so earnestly does He long to bless thee, that behold, He stands at thy door and knocks.
JOHN PULSFORD
And if God knocks continually at the heart of man, desiring to enter in and sup there, and to communicate to him His gifts, who can believe that when the heart opens and invites Him to enter, He will become deaf to the invitation, and refuse to come in?
LORENZO SCUPOLI
Sermon Outline
- God's Invitation to Salvation
- The Cost of Unhappiness
- God's Mercy and Delight
- God delights in mercy
- God's desire to make us equal to angels
Key Quotes
“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.” — Mary Wilder Tileston
“God will be 'delighted' to make thee 'equal to the angels.'” — Mary Wilder Tileston
“His mercy can make thee a clean and beautiful, a happy and rejoicing spirit.” — Mary Wilder Tileston
Application Points
- We must respond to God's invitation with an open heart and a willingness to let Him enter our lives.
- God's mercy can transform us into clean, beautiful, happy, and rejoicing spirits.
- We must not wait for God to come to us, but instead, we must go to Him with an open heart and a willingness to receive His blessings.