Doors of Destiny- Acts 10

This past week preaching in Portugal. My first time to ever use a translator. I said, “God is no respecter of persons.” The translator looked at me and was so confused. He said, “I don’t know how to translate that.” That is actually our text today.

Acts 10:34–35 (MSG) God plays no favorites! 35 It makes no difference who you are or where you’re from—if you want God and are ready to do as he says, the door is open.

Today I want to share a message called “Doors of Destiny”

I grew up in the country. We didn’t lock our doors. It was common to hear from my family nearby, come on over, the door is open! I could walk right in.

I think we have some assumptions about God. We can think that the door is locked to God’s favor and blessing. Locked because of our past. Locked because of our insecurities. Locked because God is angry at us.

I love this passage. God is saying, the door is open!

God does not play favorites. Anyone can be used mightily by God! I think when we think of the door to God’s favor it has a biometric lock and we don’t have the right clearance. No. If you could see the door of destiny in your life from the Lord it would look like an open door.

That is what we see in Acts 10. God is opening doors. This chapter centers on two people: Cornelius & Peter. Both had some open doors that they had to walk through in order to get to step into the room that God had for them.

If God has blessing available for us … a preferred future for our lives… why don’t we experience it?

Because of the doors.

To enter a room you have to walk through the door

The room is always bigger than the door.

The door can be deceiving… it may not look significant on the surface but there are big things on the other side.

Why doesn’t everyone walk through the open doors? It takes faith!

In Portugal: 1000 year old parts of the city, walk thought a door into a beautiful courtyard that you don’t see at first glance.

That is how doors of destiny are. They don’t always look significant on the surface, but they lead to God’s blessing.

Many times we are waiting for the room… but God is presenting us with the door!

You can’t walk into the room if you don’t go through the door.

3 Doors of Destiny that are always open I see in this passage:

#1 The door of devotion in dry seasons

Acts 10:3–4 “One afternoon about three o’clock, he had a vision in which he saw an angel of God coming toward him. “Cornelius!” the angel said. 4 Cornelius stared at him in terror. “What is it, sir?” he asked the angel. And the angel replied, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have been received by God as an offering!”

#2 The door of inward change HEART WORK

WHAT CAUSED ME TO BE OPEN TO THE FACT THAT WE WERE NOT THE ONLY ONES SAVED.

Peter’s prejudice

Peter’s vision

Peter’s humility to change

Acts 10:28–29 “28 Peter told them, “You know it is against our laws for a Jewish man to enter a Gentile home like this or to associate with you. But God has shown me that I should no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean. 29 So I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. Now tell me why you sent for me.””

#3 The door of SURRENDER when you don’t understand.

Cornelius’ immediate obedience

Cornelius willingness to gather his family

Acts 10:33 (NIV)

33So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.”

Acts 10:44–46 “Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message. 45 The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too. 46 For they heard them speaking in other tongues and praising God.