Open Doors

As we are looking at the Scriptures, in order to fully grasp the context, we need to look through 3 separate lens:

The Lens of History – Gives us the details, tells us about the conversations, let’s us know what was occurring, and tells us who the people involved are.

The Lens of Literature – This is not just a book of History, but a book of literature, it is literal words written on pages

The Lens of Theology – that is we are going to take, it tells us who God is and What He does, but also tells us how our lives should a line with His Word

The New Testament is actually a “New Covenant,” it is something we sign on for; something God invites us to be a part of, so let’s see what God is inviting us to be apart of in I Corinthians 16, beginning in verse 5:

⁵ Now I will come unto you, when I shall pass through Macedonia: for I do pass through Macedonia.

I think Paul is implying that come hell or high water, he is going to pass through Macedonia – he has clearly heard that “Macedonian call.”

⁶ And it may be that I will abide, yea, and winter with you, that ye may bring me on my journey whithersoever I go.

Paul wants to spend time with the church in Corinth. This is a Church that Paul established, it was people he loved and cared for, but more than that, the journey that he is on is a journey he wants to take them on with him as co-laborers in the ministry. He wants them to have a part of the ministry, a purpose in the ministry.

⁷ For I will not see you now by the way; but I trust to tarry a while with you, if the Lord permit.

I’m not there with you now, but when I come, I’m gonna stay awhile so have the VENISON ready!

⁸ But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost.

And in verse 9, he’s going to tell them why.

⁹ For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.

This morning, with the LORD’s help, I’m going to speak a little while on the Opened Doors that God presents to us in this life, the opportunities He gives to you and I. You understand with me that God has a great door planned for everyone of us. Someone once said there are two great things in life, and one day we will have to answer for those two things:

What did you do with Jesus? What did you do with God’s SON?

What did you do with the life, the opportunities that God has given you?

God has saved us and left us here for one PURPOSE: To bring glory and Honor to God the Father, God the Son, and we do that through the power of God the Holy Spirit that now lives within us. Let’s pray and then we’ll look at Opened Doors.

“Father, I think you for the Doors you have presented me in my life. Some of them were just small doors, but I thank you for them. Sometimes I missed the Doors, the opportunities You presented to me, and those are doors I’ll never get back. And every once and a while, LORD you presented me with GREAT DOORS, and I believe Rally Point Bike Church is one of those Great Doors. Thank you, Father, for this opportunity. In Jesus name I pray. AMEN.”

I want to say from the get-go, that the greatest privilege and honor of my life has been to serve the King of King’s and the Lord of Lord’s – it is not a privilege that I deserve, but a privilege He has given me none the less.

I’m also grateful for the Door’s of Opportunity that God has given me in my life. If we can ever get a hold of the fact that God has our lives already planned out, I think it would make walking through Opened Doors a lot easier – don’t you?

And every once in a while, God presents us with GREAT DOORS of opportunity. And it is my responsibility and your responsibility, as a child of God, when we’re sitting around in our “chair of life,” when God cracks a door open and there’s a little ray of light coming through, we are obligated to get out of that “chair of life” and go investigate that Door.

Sometimes you hear people say, “Well that door was closed for me.” What does that mean? Well, it means they got up out of the chair of life and they went and investigated that Door, that Opportunity.

God doesn’t always let you walk through a door. Now Paul states in verse 8 that he is in Ephesus. According to the Book of Acts, Paul intended to stay in Ephesus for about 3 months. But God shut the door on him leaving, and so Paul ended up staying in Ephesus for about 2 years – and the Bible records that about 2000 people were saved and the word spread throughout all of Asia. Understand with me, Asia was a massive territory.

What that tells me is that sometimes, I think that God has shut a door on me, actually means that God might have had a bigger plan for right where I am than I could ever have imagined. I’ve told the story of how Kim and I were voted on to pastor a church that we felt God calling us to, but He shut that door. We were puzzled and didn’t understand. But had we would have walked through that door that God had shut, we would have missed the GREAT DOOR that God opened for us here.

GOD ALONE OPENS GREAT DOORS

Folks, understand with me, you can open your own doors – I could have easily opened the door that God had shut on me at that other church. And many have opened doors that God had shut, and many made their own ways and made a name for themselves.

But I am not interested in making a name for myself. I want to be where God wants me to be, doing what God wants me to do, a whole lot more than I want to be doing something on my own. Because I’ll tell you, I’ve done things my own way before and usually the outcome is disastrous.

A lot of folks like to boast about what they doing in the ministry, and think they ought to be the one leading, they can do a better job, it’s all about them, but I’m gonna tell you, we are what we are only by the Grace of God. And it is God alone who opens Great Doors. And if it is God who’s opening your Door – it is a GREAT DOOR, no matter how big or small that door is – it is a Great Door. If you are in the will of God, it is a great door.

If I can use my wife for just a second, I know I pick on her a lot, but I’m serious about this one. Every Saturday, regardless of what we have going on, goes out and picks flowers to put in here every Sunday. She picks up the fruit that we serve on Sunday. Early on Sunday mornings, very early, she goes to Krispy Kreme to get donuts – whether in the car or on the bike. Then she comes in here and makes the coffee and sets up the refreshment area. Some of you might think that is nothing and insignificant, but I’m telling you, that is the door that God has opened for her and every Sunday, she joyfully walks through that GREAT DOOR that God has given her.

Every Friday, I send my sermon slide to Richard, who then downloads it to the church computer, then sets out to find the right music to lead us in the right spirit to receive the message. Early Sunday mornings, he goes and puts the flags out so that I don’t have to hurt my knees any further. Again, that may seem like an insignificant thing, but that is a GREAT DOOR that God has opened for Richard to minister.

Every Sunday morning, Sharon will come and fill the hand-washing station, and uncover the picnic tables and put out the umbrella’s. That may seem so insignificant to you – but that is a GREAT DOOR God has opened.

Little Caroline, doesn’t know everything there is to know about music, but she is determined to come in here every Sunday and be a part of our praise and worship. She is even broken when she can’t be here. To you, that may seem insignificant, but for Caroline, that is a great door that God has opened for her – and every Sunday, she gladly walks through that door!

Every Sunday morning, about an hour, hour and a half, Dennis Lawson comes in here, and ALWAYS has something encouraging to say to his pastor. To you that may not mean much, but to his pastor – it means everything. And Dennis, I appreciate you being faithful to walk through that door every Sunday morning.

I’ve shared with you how I, when I felt God calling me to walk through a GREAT DOOR, went to my pastor and shared this epiphany with him. He was so glad, because over the course of a year, he had someone to flush toilets, cut grass and clean the church. That I couldn’t see it at the time, God was developing in me a servants heart, willing to walk through any door He has for me.

And because of that, 9 different men have been ordained into the ministry, 8 men have licensed to preach, countless others ordained as deacons and elders and 2 churches have been planted. Not because of me – but because God opened Great Doors.

Folks, if we can’t obey God in the little things, how can we ever expect God to trust us in the big things?

If you and I are going to fulfill our God-ordained Purpose in 2025, we will have to be courageous enough to walk through the Doors God opens for us, no matter how large or small those doors may seem.