Latest / The Daily Word / May 6 – Don’t Block the Door
Transcript
- Robert Rosales: Good morning, Lakeshore family. Welcome to the Daily Word podcast. I'm Robert Rosales and alongside my wife, Yolanda, we have the honor of serving as campus pastors at our Gastonia location. This podcast is a simple space we share each day to slow down, open God's Word and pay attention to what he's saying. As a church family, we're committed to meeting with God daily, not out of a religious routine. but out of a relationship through scripture, through prayer, and by capturing what the Holy Spirit is stirring in our hearts and how it connects to our everyday lives. We're walking together through the Life Journal reading plan, and today we'll be focusing on the New Testament portion from that plan. When I invest time with the Lord, I try to keep things uncluttered, just my Bible, my journal, and something to write with, of course a highlighter. to mark the verses that stand out to me. We also follow the SOAP method, scripture, observation, application, and prayer. It's a simple and practical way to not just read the word, but to respond to God after we read it or while we're reading it. Now, before we jump into today's message, let's take a moment and just agree together in prayer for God to speak to us. Heavenly Father, we come to you in the name of Jesus and we ask that as we open your word, the Holy Spirit would open our hearts. Make your truth come alive in us. Give us ears to hear, hearts to receive, and courage to respond. Speak to us, Lord. We're listening. In Jesus' name, amen. Well, today's passage for May 6th is Matthew chapter 23. And I journaled from verse 13. Let me read it to us out of the NIV. Jesus is speaking and He says, Some other translations put it this way. Jesus says, the Kingdom of God, or you close the way of the Kingdom. You lock people out of the Kingdom of God. Now just to be clear, here the Kingdom of Heaven is not referring to Heaven, the place, but rather the rule and the reign of that place here and now on the earth, a relationship with God through Christ. Let me just give you an illustration. Imagine someone standing at the entrance of a hospital holding the door shut. Inside there are doctors, help and healing available. Outside there are people who are sick and trying to get in. But instead of opening the door, this person says, before you come in, you need to clean yourself up first. Before you come in, you need to prove you deserve it. So people who need help the most never make it inside. That's what Jesus is confronting in Matthew 23. The Pharisees were standing at the door of God's kingdom, not opening it, but making it harder for people to enter. Here's the title of my journal entry. Don't lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. Here's my observation. Jesus spoke to these religious leaders of the day, the scribes and the Pharisees, and he rebuked them for shutting the door of the kingdom of heaven on people. Jesus' words were full of grief and judgment because these leaders were supposed to help the people find an entryway to the kingdom of heaven and a relationship with God, but instead they made it difficult and blocked it. So here's my application or how does this apply to our lives? Through this passage I'm reminded of the sacred responsibility I carry as a Christian and as a pastor to help people find an entrance into relationship with God and the Kingdom of Heaven. My teaching and lifestyle should be one of simple faith and obedience to God for others to learn from and imitate. If we're not careful today We can unknowingly shut people out of the kingdom by replacing grace with judgment, making faith about rules instead of a relationship, or living a life that doesn't match our message. My life should be leading people into a relationship with God, not shutting them out. I can do this by walking in love, extending God's grace and truth in a way that is neither condemning nor tainted by religious burdens that do not align with scripture. And here's my prayer. Father God, thank you for speaking to me today through your Word. Holy Spirit, help me to live a life that leads people into the Kingdom of Heaven. Teach me how to avoid shutting people out through the way I teach or live. Remind me that your heart is for people to find their way to you, not be shut out from you. I yield to you today fresh and anew. In Jesus name, amen. Lakeshore family, as you go into your day, my prayer is that you'll develop a hunger for God and His word like you've never had before. As you do, God will open your eyes to the riches of His word, giving you revelation and life-changing insight that will help you become everything God has called you to be. fulfilling your mission, purpose, and plan for our great Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Thanks for joining me today on the Daily Word Podcast. I hope this encourages you to stay faithful in the Word and sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading. God bless you and we'll catch you again tomorrow.