Unexpected Doors
Acts 16:6-11
June 10, 2001
Morning Service
Introduction
I. Acts 1:8 - But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
II. The Roles of the Spirit
He empowers for daily living
He bestows spiritual gifts
He cleanses from the effects of sin
He enables for service
He teaches believers the things of God
He seals us into the family of God
He indwells for constant and continual guidance
Q – How does the Spirit lead us?
III. The Dove Man
It is said that a certain guide lived in the deserts of Arabia who never lost his way. He carried with him a homing pigeon with a very fine cord attached to one of its legs. When in doubt as to which path to take, he threw the bird into the air. The pigeon quickly strained at the cord to fly in the direction of home, and thus led the guide accurately to his goal. Because of this unique practice he was known as "the dove man."
We are shown another person who was a “dove man” because of the way he followed the leading and the guidance of the Holy Spirit
Paul’s Example for Following the Spirit
I. The Spirit closes the wrong doors at the right time
A. The Spirit closes the wrong doors at the right time
1. Paul had a plan for this missionary trip
a.) Paul had revisited all of his prior church plants
b.) He planned to continue his church planting work in Asia Minor, which is now modern day Turkey
2. The Spirit closed those doors
a.) The Spirit stopped Paul from going west into Asia Minor and Paul was also stopped from going north into the area of Bithynia. Paul was left with only one direction and one major destination – east to Troas
b.) If the Spirit closes a door it wasn’t the right one to go through – How do we know? We must remember the Holy Spirit is God
1.) He is timeless – he knows the future and the past
2.) He is boundless – He is everywhere all of the time
3.) He is peerless – He has unlimited power and provision
B. Timeless truths
1. The Spirit still leads step by step
a.) The Spirit closes the doors we are not meant to go through by removing the opportunities we should not pursue
b.) This process of trial and error requires you to try to do something great for God. It is impossible for you to be led by the Spirit without doing something to serve God
2. Following the leading of the Spirit is crucial
a.) The Spirit is the indwelling presence of God in your life! Therefore, it is critical that you are sensitive to the leading of the Spirit. Literally, the Holy Spirit keeps us in step with God
b.) The Spirit knows the whole picture of God’s plan. We see it only in part
II. The Spirit opens the right doors at the right time
A. Paul allowed the Spirit to have complete control
1. At a meeting of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Bobby Richardson, former New York Yankee second baseman, offered a prayer that is a classic in brevity and poignancy: "Dear God, Your will, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. Amen."
2. The Holy Spirit was the leader, not Paul
a.) Far too often, we rely on human wisdom, creativity and ability to follow God. Everything except the Holy Spirit
b.) Paul realized that the Spirit was completing God’s plan and that he wanted to be a vital part of that plan
3. Paul was completely surrendered to the Holy Spirit
a.) Paul literally gave up his plans for ministry and followed the direction of the Holy Spirit
b.) The fact that Paul was surrendered to the Spirit was the primary reason that the Spirit could lead Paul
B. Timeless Truths
1. The Spirit wants to be your leader in life
a.) God has not changed between the first century and now. The Spirit is still in the business of leading God’s people
b.) The sad fact remains that the Spirit can only lead us to the extent that we are willing to follow
2. The Spirit will open the right doors in your life
a.) The Pastoral move
A minister received a call from a church that offered him a salary four times what he was then receiving. Being a devout man, he spent much time in prayer trying to discern what God wanted him to do. One day a friend met the minister’s young son on the street. "Do you know what your dad is going to do?" he asked. "Well," replied the youngster, "Dad’s praying, but Mom’s packing!"
b.) The reality is that when doors open, in conjunction with your efforts, you are being led by the Holy Spirit
c.) Some things to remember
1.) The spirit will never lead you in contradiction to God’s word
2.) The Spirit will never lead you away from God’s will
III. The Spirit calls us through the unexpected door
A. The Spirit brings the unexpected
1. Paul never expected to go into Europe
a.) Paul was planning on going a different direction with a far different destination
b.) Paul was obedient to the leadership of the Holy Spirit
1.) Paul obeyed the restraint from ministry in other areas
2.) Paul kept on going for god and went to Troas
3.) Paul immediately followed the call and traveled to Macedonia
2. The Spirit often does the unexpected
a.) The unexpected work
1.) The day of Pentecost
2.) The shaking of the early church prayer meeting
3.) The leading of Paul into Europe
b.) Why do unexpected things happen with the Spirit?
1.) Miracles are seldom announced before they happen
2.) The Spirit is working out God’s plan, not yours and not mine
3.) The Spirit already knows the big picture
B. Timeless Truths
1. The Spirit changes our course in life
a.) The Holy Spirit is our navigator through the tides of time and the course of life
b.) There are times when the Spirit needs to make course corrections along the way and we can be taken by surprise
2. Learn to expect the unexpected
a.) Living your life for God is a great adventure with many twists and turns along the way
b.) As long as you follow, there will be times when your faith will be stretched and you will need to walk through some unexpected doors
What new and unexpected doors is the Spirit leading you to go through?
Conclusion
A certain harbor in Italy can be reached only by sailing up a narrow channel between dangerous rocks and shoals. Over the years, many ships have been wrecked, and navigation is hazardous. To guide the ships safely into port, three lights have been mounted on three huge poles in the harbor. When the three lights are perfectly lined up and seen as one, the ship can safely proceed up the narrow channel. If the pilot sees two or three lights, he knows he’s off course and in danger. God has also provided three beacons to guide us. The same rules of navigation apply--the three lights must be lined up before it is safe for us to proceed. The three harbor lights of guidance are:
1. The Word of God (objective standard)
2. The Holy Spirit (subjective witness)
3. Circumstances (divine providence)
Together they assure us that the directions we’ve received are from God and will lead us safely along his way.
