The bigger role of doorkeeping

My last article earlier this month ended with a statement that being a doorkeeper in the Lord’s house was a great area of service for new Christians of almost any age because anyone can do the courtesy of holding the door open for anyone else (Psalm 84:10-12).

Although that is a good place to start, I realized being a doorkeeper means a lot more than opening and closing doors for people at church. The house of the Lord in Old Testament times, also called the Tabernacle or Temple, took a bunch of Levites, members of the priestly tribe, to serve as door- and gatekeepers who appear to have basically the same responsibilities that primarily included preventing anyone or anything unclean from entering the Temple (Numbers 3:5-10; 1 Chronicles 9:17-27; 23:1-5; 2 Chronicles 23:18-19; Leviticus 10:10-11).

Under the New Testament (Covenant), Jesus is the only door or gate to the temple — also called the sheep pen because he’s the shepherd and Christians are his sheep — as well as the High Priest, the head of the church (Acts 4:12; John 14:6; 10:1-16; Hebrews 7:11-8:6; Ephesians 1:22-23).

Now, all Christians make up the priesthood of believers that forms God’s temple, the body of Christ, and have doorkeeper responsibilities to keep out evil with the same zeal Jesus had when he drove the moneychangers out of his house twice, thereby reflecting his example to others (1 Peter 2:4-10; 2 Corinthians 6:16-18; John 2:12-17; Mark 11:15-17; 2 Corinthians 4:1-7).

As individuals, every Christian is a temple of God’s Holy Spirit so we must guard ourselves against evil influences because sin is always crouching at our door (1 Corinthians 6:18-20; 2 Timothy 2:19-22; Genesis 4:7). For this reason, we must study God’s word to learn how to distinguish good from evil (2 Timothy 2:15; Hebrews 5:11-14; 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22; 2 Peter 1:3-11; 3:17-18). As the corporate temple of God’s Holy Spirit, we’re to watch against evil invading the church and influencing ourselves and other Christians as the watchmen who assure only the truth enters and leaves the temple (1 Corinthians 5:6-13; Ephesians 4:11-16; James 3:1-2; Acts 20:17-31).

Only Jesus can open or shut the door of salvation (Revelation 3:7-8). He’s opened that door to all people and it appears as though he’ll shut it only when he returns (Acts 10:34; Luke 13:24-27; Matthew 7:13-14, 7-8; 25:1-13).

In the meantime, besides keeping out evil influences, as the gate/doorkeepers, Christians are to go into the world to invite and lead others into the corporate temple body of Christ through the door he’s opened (Psalm 42:4; Revelation 22:17; 19:7; Ephesians 5:25-32; Matthew 28:18-20).

There is another door of which each person is the doorkeeper — the door to our heart to which Jesus begs entry (Revelation 3:20). According to the Bible, we open that door when we’re baptized, and God sends Jesus through it (Galatians 3:26-28; 4:6-7; Acts 2:38-39; Romans 8:9-17).

Have you opened the door of your heart to Jesus as he has said to (Mark 16:15-16)?

Leonard Lauriault is a member of the Church of Christ in Logan who writes about faith for the Quay County Sun. Contact him at [email protected].