What if you miss an “Open Door”?
Introduction
“Open Doors” are exciting opportunities to experience more of God’s presence, power, and purpose. They can also be challenging and sometimes even confusing. That’s why you need to seek God’s guidance all throughout the experience, from beginning to end. But what if you actually miss an “Open Door” to begin with? What if you actually said “No!” to God? What do you do? You need to reflect on four areas of your life to learn from that experience. (This sermon is based on the story of Jonah, especially chapter 1)
Four Areas
- Your direction (Jonah 1:1-3) – When God gives you a clear “Open Door,” your response is crucial. Often, we don’t verbally say “No” to God. But our actions would speak louder than words. Instead of moving toward the “Open Door,” we sometimes take the opposite direction. Why? We need to reflect on this to understand what is really going on inside of us.
- Your position (Jonah 1:4-6) – God cares about us and what happens to our lives in relation to Him. He is interested in who we are becoming. That’s why our decisions have consequences. How we respond to those consequences reveals what kind of person we are becoming. That is more important to God than the “Open Door” itself. Reflect on your responses when the consequences of your decision become obvious.
- Your confession (Jonah 1:7-10) – Often when our decisions are beginning to result in negative consequences, we try to justify ourselves through pious confessions. They seem right to us and maybe even to others who may not really understand the context of our disobedience. But God would bring people into our lives who will be able to see the inconsistency. Reflect on the feedback that you receive from others, even unbelievers.
- Your solution (Jonah 1:11-16) – When the consequences of our disobedience bring negative results, we try to come up with our own solutions. They may seem sacrificial, but often they are just cover-ups for our pride. Instead of really repenting, we try to appear as if we are the martyr in the situation. But God would reveal the truth if we will be open to His rebuke.
Conclusion
- Main Idea: When you miss an “Open Door,” reflect to learn more.
- We can learn a lot from our failures if we are willing to admit them and repent.
- See if you “missed” an “Open Door” recently. What happened? Reflect and repent.
Discussion
- What are the reasons for missing an “Open Door”?
- As you reflect on your “Missed Open Doors,” what have you realized?
- What would you do differently to avoid missing the next “Open Doors” that God would give you?