Series: Paul’s Second Missionary Journey — A New Chapter — Sermon: When Open Doors Close

Introduction

Good morning Church!

I want to begin by saying thank you to each and every one who has made it out this morning and all those who may be watching online.

Today we are going to be picking up where we left off in Acts Chapter 15 and Verse 36 if you’d like to be going ahead and turning there.

As adults, I’m sure every one of us here at some point in our lives have experienced change of some sort.

Often times, change comes as a result of open doors being closed and new doors being opened.

Sometimes it’s very easy to get downtrodden when open doors get closed and for some of us change is not something we endure lightly or joyously.

We are happy with status quo; we are happy with the way things are and have been and therefore if a door that has been open gets closed it may cause us to become upset or it throw us off emotionally.

But not always are open doors being closed a bad thing.

Sometimes they can be a blessing in disguise. Sometimes God closes them for our good; other times God closes them for His glory.

And sometimes God closes them simply because He knows something better lies ahead and it’s the only way He can get us our of our comfort zone of status quo to get us where we need to be.

This morning we are going to see Paul set out his second missionary journey and begin a new chapter in his life.

Up to this point, he and Barnabas had been the best of friends and traveling companions but that was all about to change.

Not only will Paul have to endure a change in his travel companions but he will also endure a change to the open door status he had recently been accustomed to.

If you will remember, upon leaving the Church in Antioch on his way to Jerusalem for a meeting with the Jerusalem council he had traveled down through Phoenicia & Samaria sharing how God had used he and Barnabas to open a door of faith to the Gentiles and then he shared the good news with the Church in Jerusalem.

He also found an open door with the elders in Jerusalem in the fact that Peter and James and the other Elders had sided with he and Barnabas in the fact that circumcision be not mandated on Gentile believers.

After relishing in a win with the mother Church in Jerusalem, he returned to his home Church in Syrian Antioch and shared the good news with them, who as we will see here in a moment, also extend unto Paul a hand of fellowship by confidently commissioning him for another missionary journey.

Even in the first leg of his second journey as we will see, doors seemingly continue to open for Paul to share the good news of the gospel and what God had been doing but there will come a time when it seems that in an instant all doors slam shut at once!

For someone like Paul, who is accustomed to doors being opened not shut, this had to take a psychological effect on him.

And undoubtedly it would be very easy to pack up shop and just head home but Paul doesn’t.

He stays patient. He seeks guidance. And he is sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

And just when it seemed that all doors had been closed and his furtherance of the gospel would travel no further, God opens a new door; one that Paul was not expecting.

And it would be through this new door that God would shine the light of His glorious gospel to a people who knew Him not!

And little did Paul know, but this new door would lead to multiple new Church plants, multiple new opportunities to share Jesus, and multiple Books that would be included in this great masterpiece we call the Bible today!

And the overarching theme that I pray you take from our scripture today is simply this…when open doors close, it’s not always a bad thing.

Often times, closed doors lead to new & greater opportunities down the road.

We must simply learn to be patient and pray for God’s guidance and be sensitive to the Holy Spirits leading and when the time is right, new doors will be opened!

With no further ado, if you have your Bibles turned to Acts 15:36 would you say, Amen.

The Contention of Paul & Barnabas — (15:36-41)

The first thing I want us to look at this morning is…The Contention of Paul & Barnabas.

After some time, and we don’t know how long, Paul says to Barnabas… “Hey why don’t we go back and visit with all those Churches we planted and see how they are doing?”

Barnabas agrees that it’s a good idea and begins making plans.

The problem was, they weren’t the same plans Paul had in mind.

The Bible says...

Acts 15:37 KJV 1900

37 And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark.

The word determined used here means that Barnabas had already made up his mind and wasn’t taking no for an answer.

On the other hand, Paul was determined not to take John Mark because of how he had bailed on them during their first missionary journey and the Bible says in the next verse there...

Acts 15:39 KJV 1900

39 And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus;

These two great pillars of the Church, who up to this point had been inseparable, had come to an impasse so dire that it drove a wedge between them and caused them to go their separate ways.

John Phillips — What happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object? What happens when two good men, two godly men, are equally convinced that quite opposite courses should be taken?

In this case there was a very hot discussion. Barnabas presented all the positive reasons for including Mark in the new venture: he was young, he had promise, grace should prevail, he deserved a second chance.

Paul presented all the reasons for not including Mark: he was unstable, he might fail again next time at an even more critical point, it was not fair to expose him to dangers (and dangers there would be) beyond his capacity to face, Mark had other talents, he had a way with words, let him be content serving the Lord within the framework of his talents and temperament.

In the end, two angry men faced each other, sorry that it had come to such a pass but both quite inflexible over the central issue. There was only one thing to do. Shake hands, and part company.

A.T Robertson writes — No one can rightly blame Barnabas for giving his cousin John Mark a second chance nor Paul for fearing to risk him again. One’s judgment may go with Paul, but one’s heart goes with Barnabas.… Paul and Barnabas parted in anger and both in sorrow. Paul owed more to Barnabas than to any other man. Barnabas was leaving the greatest spirit of the time and of all times.

Chuck Swindoll followed this up by saying...That’s the tragedy of an unreconciled argument or an unresolved conflict. Even when both sides are right, both sides lose!

Having decided the best course of action was to separate and go their own ways, Barnabas took John Mark and set sail for Cyprus and Paul chose Silas and sets out northward through Syria and Cilicia.

Now that we’ve seen The Contention of Paul & Barnabas, let’s move on into Chapter 16 and look at....

The Calling of Timothy — (16:1-3)

Paul and Silas make their way northwest to the towns of Derbe & Lystra.

Here, Paul would find the most unsuspected yet most welcomed thing; a young disciple by the name of Timotheus.

Acts 16:1–2 KJV 1900

1 Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek: 2 Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.

It is believed that Timothy and his mother had been converted during Paul & Barnabas’ first missionary journey and during their time away young Timothy had applied himself to scripture and the work of God for it is said of him that he was… “well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.”

Young Timothy had made a good name for himself!

He had put in the work and gotten in the word and other Brothers in the Church had noticed it!

They though very highly of this young man!

And so when Paul and Silas show up and they begin visiting with the believers in the area there was a commonality it seemed between the different conversations being had.

“Have you met Timothy? Oh, he’s such a fine young man and you can really see God working in his life!”

No doubt, Paul said I have to meet this young fellow and what a joy it was when he did!

The Bible goes on to tell us....

Timothy’s mother was a Jew but his father was a Greek.

Now, this presented the most delicate of issues because he was neither fully Jew or fully Greek.

For Paul, this would be a hindrance for young Timothy but not an issue that could not be overcome “if” Timothy was open to his proposal.

John Phillips said — Timothy was neither Jew nor Gentile, but he was more Jew than he was Gentile. In view of the Jews’ prejudice and because Paul’s first contact in a city was with Jews, it would be best if Timothy became wholly a Jew and was circumcised.

Paul’s circumcision of Timothy was a remarkable step. It showed the total lack of prejudice in Paul’s mind. He was willing to die for the principle that circumcision had nothing to do with salvation and for the truth that Gentiles must not be forced to accept circumcision as a condition and rule of faith. He would fight to his last breath for the emancipation of Gentiles from any act that would put them under the yoke of the Mosaic law. But Paul was singularly free from the bondage, typical of small minds, that insists on slavish consistency in all details in all cases and conditions.

Paul could see that Timothy was an exceptional case. Being neither Jew nor Gentile would be a handicap to him in the kind of work in which Paul was engaged. Jews would regard him as a Gentile because he was the uncircumcised son of a Greek father; Gentiles would regard him as a Jew because he had been practically raised a Jew by his mother.

Paul decided that in Timothy’s case, because much of his work would be among unsaved Jews, it would be best to legitimatize his status by making him wholly a Jew.

The Gentiles would accept a missionary who was wholly Jewish much more readily than the Jews would accept a missionary who was half Gentile.

Having accepted the proposal and the call to join Paul’s mission, Timothy undergoes the painful operation of circumcision and then gets busy.

Look on down at the...

The Continued Strengthening of the Churches — (Vs. 4-5)

After the circumcising of Timothy they continue on throughout the region sharing the “decrees” from the Apostles and Elders in Jerusalem and then the Bible says...

Acts 16:5 KJV 1900

5 And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.

The word used here for “established” is an interesting word and undoubtedly Holy Spirit penned because of it’s deeper meaning.

John Phillips says of this word — The word for “established” (stereoō) is a medical term. It is only used here and in Acts 3:7, 16, in connection with the healing of the lame man.

Luke says of the lame man healed by Peter that “his feet and ankle bones received strength [stereoō].”

When Peter defended the miracle before the Sanhedrin, he used the same word. He said that it was the name of Jesus, “through faith in his name,” that “made this man strong [stereoō].”

That is what the ministry of Paul and Silas did for the Galatian churches. It effected a healing. They were “established,” made strong in the faith.

This missionary journey so far has been nothing but sunshine and rainbows or so it would seem.

The Churches have been welcoming, Paul found a young intern who would be a great replacement for John Mark, the Churches are excited about the Jerusalem decree and are growing stronger each day and not just growing spiritually but also growing physically!

It’s almost as if this second missionary journey is going off without a hitch but the open doors that Paul had become accustomed to was about to come to a screeching halt.

Look on down at...

The Closing of Doors — (Vs. 6-8)

After passing through Phrygia and Galatia, apparently Paul, Silas and young Timothy had thought to enter into Asia and share the gospel there.

After all, it was the next closest area to where they were currently.

Chuck Swindoll — Continuing into Asia made perfect sense. In 6 BC, the Romans had established a string of colonies across present-day Turkey and linked them with an impressive highway system. From Iconium and Pisidian Antioch, Paul could follow the Via Sebaste to Comama, where he could then follow the “Common Highway” all the way to Ephesus. These roads were broad (nearly 12 feet wide) and heavily traveled, making them relatively safe. Most important, however, this gave them the best access to the greatest number of people in the interior of the land.

But the Bible says here in Verses 6...

Acts 16:6 KJV 1900

6 Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,

The word for “forbidden” used here is (kōluō) and it means prevent (by word or act) : to hinder, keep from, to withstand.

Chuck Swindoll — “Forbidden” comes from a Greek term that means “clipped,” “snipped,” or “cut off.” Figuratively, it’s a picturesque term meaning, “to prevent or hinder.” Luke doesn’t explain how the men perceived God’s resistance. During the period of Acts, they could have heard audible instructions, but Luke doesn’t indicate this. Perhaps instead certain circumstances—under God’s sovereign control—kept Paul and Silas out of the forbidden areas.

Not only would the Holy Spirit not allow them to enter into Asia but Verse 7 says...

Acts 16:7 KJV 1900

7 After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.

Chuck Swindoll — More closed doors. To the north, they kept attempting to enter Bithynia on the south shore of the Black Sea, but again the Lord barred their entry, keeping them south of Bithynia and north of Asia as they turned to the west, passing along the northern part of Mysia. Luke’s use of verb tenses implies consistent, repeated attempts to enter Bithynia; they tried and tried until their westward progress ended. Eventually, they simply ran out of land at the coastal city of Troas.

At every turn it seemed that God was saying no. One door after another closed to Paul and his crew.

You know at some point Paul had to become weary and begin to question God’s plan.

“Ok God, I know I’m doing what you’ve called me to do but apparently I’m not doing it where you want me to do it or how you want me to do it and I need some guidance here! It seems like everywhere I turn it’s just one closed door after another! What am I missing Lord…please tell me!”

“Just be patient Paul. Asia is on the list…just not right now. Bithynia, maybe later…just not right now. Just keep going west…I have a plan.”

“West it is.”

I’m speaking from experience when I say this…the hardest part of ministry and following God’s call is not knowing His plan but knowing that there is without a doubt a plan in place.

I was telling my mom just yesterday that I know God has a plan for me and I’ve been praying for open doors when it comes to my job for quite some time now and you know there were a few that opened up but just as the Holy Spirit didn’t permit Paul and the crew to go into Asia or Bithynia, He’s not permitted me to go anywhere either and so I can relate to what Paul was dealing with here on this 2nd missionary journey.

The hardest part is being sensitive to the Spirits lead and just trying to follow His plan!

After running into one closed door after another and just when Paul was probably second guessing this second journey, an unexpected door opens to the most unsuspecting place.

Look on down with me at...

The Call into Macedonia — (Vs. 9-10)

After continuing west, the only way the Holy Spirit would allow, they finally come to Troas which was located on the Aegean Sea. They had went as far as they could for the time being.

What they didn’t know, is that this is exactly where God wanted them to be.

Let me show you something here that’s very easily overlooked if not careful.

Up to this point, Luke has been writing the Book of Acts from a third person point of view, right?

If you look back you can see this clearly… Verse 1 says… “then came he”, and then multiple times Luke says, “they” did this or that.

Up to now, Luke has been writing as one who had been advised on what had taken place but that was all about to change.

Look here in Verse 10.

Luke now transitions from a third person point of view to the first person point of view.

It is believed that this is where Paul meets Luke and Luke also joins the missionary team.

Now, all of a sudden, all those closed doors began to make sense for Paul and his team.

If they had of been able to go into Asia or Bithynia and preach the gospel there’s a good possibility that they would have never met Luke and if that had of been the case, we wouldn’t have two of the greatest Books in our New Testament…the Book of Luke and the Book we are studying currently…the Book of Acts.

So often we forget that God has a plan and that His plan is perfect!

Not only would Paul meet Luke here in Troas but now Paul also has a dream and in that dream he sees a man from Macedonia.

And this man the Bible says, “prayed him, saying, come over into Macedonia and help us.”

The word “prayed” here means “to plead with.”

Acts 16:9 NLT

9 That night Paul had a vision: A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there, pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!”

Here stands a man pleading for Paul and his team to come and help!

What kind of help they needed we’re not told but Paul heard this plea for help to mean that they needed the kind of help that he and his team could provide which was the good news of Jesus Christ!

What better help can we provide than spiritual help!

So many today are downtrodden, suffering from the pressures of this world, fighting depression and the evils of this world and deep down they need the kind of help that no Dr. can provide!

They need spiritual help!

They need some good news!

And what better news can be given than the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ!

The one and only Son of God who stepped out of the throne room of Heaven, robed Himself in flesh, and set out on a rescue mission with you and I and all who would call upon His name on His mind!

Praise God there are so many people who need to be rescued today and the only one who can save is Jesus!

And praise God when He saves, He saves to the uttermost, Amen!

God’s plan was not for the gospel to travel to Asia just yet.

The plan was for the gospel to spread to shores of Europe firstly through area of Macedonia!

All the doors that had been closed had been closed for a reason, for a purpose and now that purpose was clear!

There were some people in Macedonia who needed help!

They needed a lifeline thrown to them and guess what…Paul and his team had the lifeline!

The closed doors and the stress thereof was now an afterthought!

A new door has been opened and the excitement of this opportunity now filled the air!

It was an unknown task…they had no idea what awaited on the other side but they trusted their unknown future to a known God and Paul knew that if God was for them, it mattered not who would stand against them!

And as we will see next week, there would be persecution and it would take great perseverance, but God was about to move in a mighty way and new Churches would be planted…Churches that we still read about even today!

Closing

As we come to a close this morning, there’s a very simple thought I want to leave you with.

When open doors get closed it’s not always a bad thing!

God knows best what we need and not just what we need but what He needs from us to bring Him the most honor and glory!

When open doors close the first thing we need to remember is that somehow, someway it’s part of God’s master plan.

The Bible says in...

Romans 8:28 KJV 1900

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

This doesn’t mean that bad times won’t come. It doesn’t mean that open doors won’t close. But what it does mean is that when those valleys in our lives come, when those open doors close, we can rest assured God is at work in our life and ultimately His plan will work out for our good and His glory!

When we can understand the absolute sovereignty of God and how that when open doors close it doesn’t always mean something bad but oftentimes lead to something better, we can find peace instead of panic when those situations arise.

Maybe you are here this morning and like Paul, you’ve been running into one closed door after another. Trust in God this morning that God has a plan and when the time is right, God will open the door that needs to be opened.

Until then, don’t force anything but persevere and remain sensitive to the Spirit’s leading. Seek God’s will. Seek God’s face. And trust that He’s working all things out for our good and His glory!