The Lord Opens and Closes Doors of Opportunity.
What is a door?
Door:
The opening for entering or leaving.
An opening to an opportunity.
Giving or denying access.
- The Lord opens and closes doors of opportunity.
This is an undisputable Biblical truth.
2 Corinthians 2:12-13 (NLT)
12 When I came to the city of Troas to preach the Good News of Christ, the Lord opened a door of opportunity for me. 13 But I had no peace of mind because my dear brother Titus hadn’t yet arrived with a report from you. So I said good-bye and went on to Macedonia to find him.
Examine the scriptures:
2 Corinthians 2:12-13 (NLT)
12 When I came to the city of Troas to preach the Good News of Christ,
Paul is writing about some of his recent travels.
Paul came to Troas after leaving Ephesus for Macedonia.
2 Corinthians is Paul’s fourth letter to the Corinthians and was written in A.D. 55/56
(See lesson 119).
Paul was in Macedonia at that time.
- Paul intended to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ in Troas.
Paul was planning to meet up with Titus at Troas.
Who was Titus?
Titus
A co-worker of Paul
Loved by Paul
2 Corinthians 2:13 (today’s passage)
“My dear brother Titus”
Titus 1:4
“My true son in the faith that we share.”
Trusted
2 Corinthians 8:6 (NLT)
6 So we have urged Titus, who encouraged your giving in the first place, to return to you and encourage you to finish this ministry of giving.
Titus 1:5 (NLT)
5 I left you on the island of Crete so you could complete our work there and appoint elders in each town as I instructed you.
Paul had sent Titus to Corinth (late summer AD 54) to present the “tearful letter”
(vv. 3-4, Paul’s 3rd letter, now lost)
Paul was planning to meet up with Titus, who was traveling from Corinth to Troas, in the city of Troas, to give Paul an update on the Corinthian Church.
Paul was traveling north and Titus was traveling up and around the Aegean Sea from Corinth. They were planning to meet in the middle.
Paul was anxious to know (had no peace of mind) how the Corinthians had responded to his “tearful letter”.
the Lord opened a door of opportunity for me.
Paul in vv. 12 “came to the city of Troas to preach the Good News of Christ”.
God sovereignly provided a great evangelistic opportunity for Paul.
- The Lord opens doors of opportunity for us.
Throughout his life, Paul had prayed for opportunities to share the gospel.
Colossians 4:3 (NLT)
Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains.
Paul was aware of God opening doors of opportunity for him, in the past, to share the good news.
Acts 14:27 (NLT)
Upon arriving in Antioch, they called the church together and reported everything God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles, too.
Paul knew from experience that God opening doors does not negate opposition.
1 Corinthians 16:9 (NLT) Paul at Ephesus
There is a wide-open door for a great work here, although many oppose me.
- Paul knew that God had opened a door of opportunity for him.
I feel that it would be wrong to teach a lesson about God opening doors without mentioning the fact that God also closes doors of opportunities.
Acts 16:6-7 (NLT)
A Call from Macedonia
6 Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time. 7 Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed north for the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go there.
- Paul knew of times when God had closed doors of opportunities for him.
- God closes doors of opportunities.
Open doors don’t always just happen.
Matthew 7:7-8 (NLT)
Effective Prayer
7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
This is a process that can take time.
Asking
Seeking
Knocking
- Open doors don’t “just happen”.
13 But I had no peace of mind because my dear brother Titus hadn’t yet arrived with a report from you.
Paul had hoped to minister in Troas.
Despite a good response to the Gospel in Troas. Paul had “no peace of mind”. Paul was concerned about the welfare of Titus and the Church in Corinth.
Titus may have been carrying with him a portion of the proposed Corinthian collection may have been attacked and robbed.
2 Corinthians 8:6 (NLT)
So we have urged Titus, who encouraged your giving in the first place, to return to you and encourage you to finish this ministry of giving.
So I said good-bye and went on to Macedonia to find him.
Paul was unable to focus on ministry to Troas.
Titus, one of Paul’s closest associates in ministry.
Paul “had no peace of mind.”
2 Corinthians 7:5 (NLT)
When we arrived in Macedonia, there was no rest for us. We faced conflict from every direction, with battles on the outside and fear on the inside.
A troubled heart and mind caused Paul to turn his back on the open door in Troas.
- A troubled heart and mind prevented Paul from taking advantage of an open door for ministry.
On a return trip, Paul does return to Troas and has a chance to minister to the local believers. (Acts 20:5-11)
P.S. Paul does find Titus in Macedonia and Titus has a good report about the Corinthian church.
One final thought
Revelation 3:20 (NLT)
“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.
- Sometimes God provides an opportunity, but we have to open the door.
- The Lord opens and closes doors of opportunity.
- Paul intended to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ in Troas.
- Paul knew that God had opened a door of opportunity for him.
- Paul knew of times when God had closed doors of opportunities for him.
- A troubled heart and mind prevented Paul from taking advantage of an open door for ministry.
Application:
- The Lord opens doors of opportunity for us.
Pray for open doors.
Know that opposition may accompany open doors.
- God closes doors of opportunities.
Accept the fact that God also closes doors.
- Open doors don’t “just happen”.
Ask – Seek – Knock
- Sometimes God provides an opportunity, but we have to open the door.
- A troubled heart and mind may prevent us from taking advantage of an open door for ministry.
A troubled heart and mind may prevent us from taking advantage of an open door for ministry at the present time, but be aware of the door remaining open for future opportunities.
- The Door that God Opens Will Never Contradict His Word.
