Latest / Wilder Whispers Podcast / The Knock

Transcript

The Knock · Wilder Whispers Podcast

• 0:07
  SPEAKER_00: Hey friend, welcome to Wilder Whispers, a space where we slow down and listen for God's voice in the ordinary moments of life.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Shay Wooden and I'm so glad you're here.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_00: We often expect God to speak through big moments, a sermon, a breakthrough, a perfectly quiet prayer time, and he does, but so often he chooses quieter ways, in the middle of everyday life, in the unnoticed moments, in gentle whispers that invite us closer.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_00: Each episode, I'll share one simple story and the quiet truth God revealed through it, not because it was extraordinary, but because he was present.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: So wherever you are right now, take a breath, let's slow down, and listen together.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes we can read a familiar passage of scripture for years and still overlook something.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: Then one day, something catches our attention and we begin to see those familiar words in a different light.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_00: Recently that happened to me with the passage I've read many times, and it caused me to think about something I don't always fully appreciate.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: The incredible privilege of being invited into the presence of God and the love of a king who desires to spend time with us.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: I was sitting outside one morning reading my Bible and spending some time in prayer when I heard a woodpecker tapping somewhere nearby.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_00: Tap, tap, tap! As soon as I heard it, Revelation 3.20 came to mind.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_00: Behold, I stand at the door and knock.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: It's a familiar verse, one I've read many times.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: But that morning I found myself thinking about Jesus being the one who comes to the door and knocks.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_00: He's the one taking the initiative.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_00: But as I continued thinking about that verse, my attention was drawn to something I hadn't given much thought to before.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: It was the last few words.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: Jesus said, if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him and he with me.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: I'd always thought about this verse in terms of Jesus coming in when we opened the door.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_00: But those last few words, and he with me, made me consider the invitation a little differently.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_00: What was Jesus inviting you into?
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: To appreciate what Jesus is saying in Revelation 3.20, we need to understand who he was speaking to and what had brought him to the door in the first place.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: He was addressing the church in Laodicea.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_00: This was a church that had become comfortable with its spiritual condition.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: They considered themselves wealthy, successful, and in need of nothing.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_00: But Jesus described them as lukewarm, neither hot nor cold.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: They had become so satisfied with what they possessed that they failed to recognize what they lacked spiritually.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_00: And Jesus didn't soften his assessment.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: He told them they were wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_00: Those are strong words, especially when spoken to people who believed they had everything they needed.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: But then in verse 19 he says something that changes how we understand his correction.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_00: Therefore be zealous and repent.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_00: Jesus wasn't confronting them because he had stopped loving them, he was confronting them because he did love them.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_00: We sometimes associate love with affirmation and acceptance, but genuine love doesn't ignore what is harmful to the one being loved.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_00: His words were direct, but his purpose wasn't to humiliate them.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: He was calling them to recognize their condition, repent, and return to the fellowship they had neglected.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_00: I wonder how often we become comfortable in our own relationship with God without realizing that something has changed.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: We may still be reading our Bibles, praying, attending church and doing all the things we've always done, but it's possible to maintain the activities of our faith while neglecting the fellowship those activities are meant to nurture.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_00: And sometimes, because everything appears to be going well, we don't recognize what's missing.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_00: The Laodiceans thought they needed nothing, yet Jesus was calling them to recognize how desperately they needed him.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_00: And immediately after calling them to repentance, Jesus extends an invitation.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: He doesn't leave them with a rebuke.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: His desire is for them to respond to his love.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_00: And the invitation he extends reveals something about the relationship he wants with them.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_00: Jesus promises to come in and share a meal with the person who opens the door.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: And in those days, sharing a meal was about more than eating.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_00: It was an expression of relationship, hospitality, and fellowship.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_00: Jesus was inviting them into something personal.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: We talk a lot about wanting more of God.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_00: We want his presence, his wisdom, his guidance, and his help.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_00: And there's nothing wrong with any of those desires.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_00: But how often do we consider what Jesus desires from our relationship?
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_00: In John 15, 15, Jesus tells his disciples, I have called you friends.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_00: And listen to what he says about that friendship.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_00: He explains that a servant doesn't know what his master is doing, but he has made known to his disciples what he has heard from his father.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: Jesus was allowing them to know his heart.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: He wasn't simply giving them instructions to follow.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_00: He was revealing the Father's purposes to them.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_00: And then in verse 16, he reminds them, You didn't choose me, but I chose you.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_00: I love that.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_00: The friendship Jesus offers begins with his initiative.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_00: He chose them.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_00: He invited them into a relationship where they could know him personally.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: And that brings me right back to Revelation 3.20.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_00: Jesus is the one knocking.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_00: He's the one extending the invitation.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_00: But the relationship he's inviting us to isn't one-sided.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_00: Friendship involves two people.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_00: And that's something worth considering because relationship takes two.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_00: You can love someone, desire their friendship, and even extend an invitation to spend time together.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: But you can't have that relationship by yourself.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: The other person has to want it as well.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_00: Jesus has made his desire known.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_00: He has extended the invitation.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_00: And when I think about that, I realize how often I've considered what I want from my relationship with Christ without stopping to consider what he desires.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_00: He wants my friendship.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_00: Not because he needs anything from me, but because he loves me.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_00: Of course, our friendship with Jesus is unlike any earthly friendship.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_00: He's our Lord and Savior, yet he has chosen to call us friends, and he desires our fellowship.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_00: That's what makes those final words in Revelation 3.20 so meaningful to me and He with me.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_00: In John 15 4, Jesus tells His disciples, Abide in me and I in you.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_00: That word abide means to remain, to continue, to dwell.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that helps us understand what it means to respond to his invitation.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_00: Jesus isn't inviting us into a friendship that we acknowledge once and then go about our lives as though nothing has changed.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_00: He's inviting us into a relationship that continues to grow as we walk with him.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_00: And in John 15, Jesus makes it clear that remaining in him involves more than simply enjoying his presence.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_00: In verse 10 he says, If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_00: Love and obedience belong together.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_00: When we love someone, what matters to them begins to matter to us.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_00: We want to know their heart.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_00: We care about what pleases them, and that love influences the decisions we make.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_00: Our friendship with Jesus should be no different.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_00: Not because we're trying to earn his affection, but because we already have it.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_00: Jesus has made his desire known.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_00: He invites us to abide in his love, to walk in obedience to his word, and to enjoy the friendship he has offered.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_00: The invitation is his, but the response is ours.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_00: Friend, have you ever considered how much Jesus desires your friendship?
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_00: We spend so much time thinking about what we need from him, his wisdom, his guidance, his help.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_00: But how often do we stop to consider what he desires?
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_00: He has already made his desire known.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_00: The question is whether we're responding to his invitation.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's worth taking a moment to consider what our friendship with Jesus looks like beyond the things we ask him to do for us.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_00: When was the last time you spent time in his presence without an agenda?
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_00: Not looking for an answer to a problem or asking him to change a circumstance, but simply wanting to know him better.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe there's something he's been speaking to your heart about and you've been putting off responding.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe he's been correcting something in your life, and you've been reluctant to listen.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_00: Remember, his correction comes from his love.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_00: Whatever your response needs to be, don't overlook the one who is extending the invitation.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_00: He's worth our time, our attention, and our obedience.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_00: Let's pray.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_00: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for loving us enough to pursue a relationship with us.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for the incredible privilege of knowing you and for sending Jesus to make that relationship possible.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_00: Lord Jesus, thank you for calling us your friends.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_00: Forgive us for the times we've taken that friendship for granted or allowed other things to become more important than spending time with you.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_00: Help us to recognize your voice and respond when you call.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_00: Give us hearts that are willing to receive your correction, obey your word, and remain in your love.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_00: And teach us to enjoy the fellowship you've invited us into.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_00: We love you, Father, and we thank you for loving us first.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_00: In the name of Jesus we pray.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_00: Amen.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_00: It's interesting how something as ordinary as a woodpecker tapping in the distance can bring our attention to a familiar passage of Scripture.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_00: I've read Revelation 3.20 many times, but I don't think I'll read it quite the same way again.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_00: I'll still think about Jesus standing at the door and knocking.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_00: I'll still be reminded of the importance of hearing his voice and responding.
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_00: But I think I'll pay a little more attention to those last few words, and he with me.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_00: Because behind that invitation is the heart of a Savior who loves us, who pursues us, and who desires our friendship.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_00: And here's the whisper I'd like to leave with you today.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_00: Jesus doesn't simply invite me to be with him, he desires to be with me.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for spending this time with me on Wilder Whispers.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_00: I hope today's story reminded you that God is closer than we often realize and that he's still speaking, even in the ordinary moments of life.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_00: Whispers are the language of closeness.
• 11:35
  SPEAKER_00: They invite us to lean in.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_00: As you go about your day, whether you're working, resting, driving, or just trying to catch your breath, stay attentive.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_00: God is not far away.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_00: He's not silent.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_00: He's near, and he's speaking.
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_00: Until next time, keep listening.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_00: This is Wilder Whispers, and I'm Shay Woody.