Every Place - Open Doors

Josh

Joshua 1:3 NIV

3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.

Colossians 4:2–6 NIV

2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Devote yourself to, Prayer - being watchful - thankful.

Personal

Set a watchman/lookout

Isaiah 21:6 NIV

6 This is what the Lord says to me: “Go, post a lookout and have him report what he sees.

Pray for us too… I like what Paul and Timothy ask that the prayer should be. Paul imprisioned is asking the church to pray - not so much for release but for freedom of the message.

The Gospel message may place you in a place that you don’t want to be or don’t like.

Paul is in a place because of the Gospel. He is in prison because of the call and message that he had been proclaiming.

What should we do in those times?

Ask for Help

Paul is reaching out to those around him for help. But it is important that we learn from how he does this. He is not there posting on his twitter account - woe is me or bad mouthing the people or the reason that he is there.

His priority in reaching out is not even that he would be released really but rather the message would not be hindered or stopped.

Praise God

Acts 16:22–30 NIV

22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. 23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24 When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. 27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” 29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

Flogged beaten thrown into the inner cell, into the dark and dangerous place.

Look at the response of Paul and Silas. Midnight they are praying and singing. They are turning their eyes to the mountain where their help is coming from.

Praise - Worship - Honour toward God opens doors.

Suddenly

I love the way God works. Suddenly.

Suddenly prision doors open.

Acts 2:2 NIV

2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.

Paul and Silas singing and praising God in a dark place at a dark time.

“i’ve seen you move, you move the mountains, and I believe, I’ll see you do it again, you made a way, where there was no way, and I believe that I will see you do it again.”

Then sings my soul...

It does not matter what our physical position is it is our spiritual condition that is important, they were earthly prisoners but heavenly free.

Suddenly change.

The day of pentecost is a great example of this. The disciples in the upper room for about 10days ish when the wind changed.

Acts 2:1–2 NIV

1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.

Prayers for open doors.

Open doors - Mystery of the Gospel

Open doors to the mystery of the gospel.

The Gospel message is one that includes all.

It is open to all who open their hearts to the message.

Mystery - Gentiles into the kingdom

Ephesians 3:6 NIV

6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

Open Doors Closed Doors

Matthew 18:18 NIV

18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

Every place requires wisdom to know what to open and what to close.

what to bind and what to loose.

Pray that the doors will be open to the Gospel,