When God Closes a Door
Notes
Transcript
Acts 16:6-10 New King James
Revelation 3:7-8
“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”:
“I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.
What do you do when God closes a door?
Acts 16:6
1. Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia,
a. First Missionary Journey (Acts 13:4-14:28) (1 to 1½ years) AD 46–47
i. MAP
b. The Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:1-35) circa AD 49
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c. Second Missionary Journey (Acts 15:36-41) AD 49–51
i. Acts 15:36 Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing.”
ii. Acts 15:37 Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark.
1. Acts 13:5 And when they arrived in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as their assistant.
2. Acts 13:13 Now when Paul and his party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem.
a. While this is only conjecture, Mark may have been concerned about the effect news of a direct Christian mission to Gentiles would have in Jerusalem and on the church there and may have wanted to have no part in it. It was his return to the Christian community in Jerusalem that may originally have stirred the “Judaizers” in the church to action.[1]
iii. Acts 15:38 But Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work.
iv. Acts 15:39 Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus;
1. Contention - provocation (agitation) n. — a state of intense, emotional turmoil; especially expressed in words.
v. Acts 15:40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of God.
1. Acts 15:22 Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely, Judas who was also named Barsabas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren.
vi. Acts 15:41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
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viii. MAP
2. they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia.
a. Asia - A Roman province comprising about one-third of the western end of modern Asia Minor. This region was west of Phrygia and Galatia. The province was part of modern Turkey.
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b. Forbidden by the Holy Spirit
i. Acts 15:32 Now Judas and Silas, themselves being prophets also, exhorted and strengthened the brethren with many words.
Point One: When God Closes A Door, It May Not Be the Right Time.
1. Paul most likely wanted to go to Ephesus.
a. Ephesus was the third largest city in the Roman empire.
2. He would have to wait three years to get there.
a. Paul visited Ephesus briefly on his return voyage at the end of his second missionary journey (Acts 18:19-21).
b. Acts 18:19 And he came to Ephesus, and left them there; but he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.
c. Acts 18:20 When they asked him to stay a longer time with them, he did not consent,
d. Acts 18:21 but took leave of them, saying, “I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem; but I will return again to you, God willing.” And he sailed from Ephesus.
e. Paul spent three years in Ephesus during his third missionary journey (AD 52–57) (Acts 18:23; 19:1-41).
i. Acts 19:1 And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples
ii. Acts 19:10 And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.
Acts 16:7
2. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia,
a. Mysia - A region in northwestern Asia Minor.
b. Bithynia - A Roman province in the northwest corner of Asia Minor.
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3. but the Spirit did not permit them.
a. Permit
Point Two: When God Closes a Door, It May Be Open for Someone Else to Go Through.
1 Peter 1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
Acts 16:8
1. So passing by Mysia,
a. Passing by -
2. they came down to Troas.
a. Troas - An ancient city in northwest Asia Minor, located on the Aegean Sea; the primary seaport in that area, located approximately 20 km south-southwest of Troy.
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b. Paul was literally at the end of the road.
Acts 16:9
1. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night.
2. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”
a. Macedonia - A region within the Balkan Peninsula north of Greece.
Acts 16:10
1. Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.
a. He – we – us
b. We – Luke joins Paul’s missionary team (Acts 16:10-17)
i. It is at Troas that the first of the “we” sections of Acts appears (16:10–17). Because (1) this “we” section stops at Philippi, (2) the second “we” section (20:5–15) begins when the missionaries revisit Philippi after the third missionary journey, and (3) the ministry at Philippi receives the greatest attention (thirty verses) in this fifth panel, we may reasonably suppose that the use of “we” points to a resident of Philippi who traveled from Troas to Philippi with Paul and Silas and that this person was Luke himself (cf. Introduction: The Sources of Acts).[2]
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Point Three: When God Closes a Door, It May Be Because He Has Something Better for You.
[1] Longenecker, R. N. (1981). The Acts of the Apostles. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: John and Acts (Vol. 9, p. 421). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.
[2] Longenecker, R. N. (1981). The Acts of the Apostles. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: John and Acts (Vol. 9, p. 458). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.