OVERCOMING THE ADVERSARY

For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries. 1 Corinthians 16:9

Paul comes to this great discovery after going trough a challenging moment in this text.

Writes to Corinth who had great promise but not great practice. Paul pens this letter to challenge them.

Paul’s first concern was to reach and nurture everyone he could.

He planned to “pass through” Macedonia, that in an effort to make quick visits to the churches in Macedonia.

Paul wanted to spend the winter with the Corinthian church, However, Paul had to remain at Ephesus until Pentecost.

The opportunity for reaching and growing people was great for there was a “great door” opened to Paul and the young Church needed his help walk through the trial of opposition.

Paul tells them you are a great Church with great potential , you're situated in a great place.

If you remember Paul was stuck and depressed in Troyas after the doors had closed to him in Minsia and Bathinia . After he had gone through his first missionary journey and a great revival in this journey after:

The Disciples had Shun him

Peter wouldn't Preach him

James wouldn't accept him and he went down an had gotten to a place where in his first journey he had developed these relationships where people had received him and when he goes back to visit them now CLOSE THEIR DOORS TO HIM!

He found himself in Tryas at the river broken and depressed and an angel say come over into Macedonia.

When that open door happened for him to go into Macedonia it gave him an opportunity to go into a place like Corinth.

1. THE OPENING -

He saw an opportunity of ministering the word at Ephesus, a very populous city, and where he might have hope the greater good would be done. Paul found a door of utterance in himself, and a door of entrance in them, which were reasons with him to tarry here.

A. The door of surrender—Rom. 12:1, 2. When we give our lives to the Lord, He can take us and work through us. He cannot work with or through an unsurrendered person.

B. The door of service—Matt. 4:19. God will work through us if we allow Him to shape us. There is much work to do. God is looking for people to do His work. Will you be of service to Him?

C. The door of sacrifice—Luke 9:23. Living for God requires giving. We must be willing to forget ourselves. God can only work through those who are willing to sacrifice. Note the words of Paul, who was crucified with Christ (Gal. 2:20).

2. THE OPPORTUNITY - opportunity of preaching the Gospel with such good effect, the apostle desired to make use of it:

A. To Evangelize—Mark 16:15. Each person has his own “world” which he can evangelize. With each person doing his part, we can soon win the world to Christ. We can witness by a twofold method: by our conduct and by our conversation.

B. To Educate—Matt. 28:19. Each Christian’s duty is not only to win others but also to train others. We, who know the Bible, must be willing to teach others. A new Christian is a spiritual baby. He needs help and instruction.

C. To Enlarge—Luke 14:23. God wants His house filled! It takes work to fill His house! With each Christian faithfully attending church and bringing others, it will be easy to fill the church.

D. To Encourage—Heb. 10:35. As we see the end of the world coming, we need the church more than ever. We need each other. We need to have fellowship with each other (1 John 1:7).

3. THE OPPOSITION

When the Gospel is preached, when sinners are converted, and saints are edified and comforted The adversary Satan roars to try and obstruct the Gospel .

it was at Ephesus, the Jews disputed against it, and spoke evil of it; Demetrius the silversmith, and those of his craft, rose up in a tumultuous manner, crying, great is Diana of the Ephesians, stirring up the people against the apostle, and his companions; , for someone else departure would be the next step, but to bear his testimony to the Gospel, to appear in the defence of it, against the disputers of this world, and to strengthen and establish the minds of weak believers his presence was necessary.

A. Finance—Rom. 10:15. God’s work can only go forward as His people support it. When we really believe in the gospel and when we love the Lord, His work will be easy to support.

B. Failure—Phil. 3:14, 15. Often those who try and fail, give up hope. They never try again. However, forget the past. Forget the failures. Remember Philippians 4:13.

C. Faithless—Heb. 11:6. We must believe God. He can do all things. Doubt is sin. Satan uses doubt to destroy God’s work.

D. Fear—Isa. 41:10. God will be with us and help us. David said he would fear no evil (Ps. 23:4).