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Choosing Which Doors You’ll Walk Through

Rick Warren | March 18, 2018

Doors have great spiritual significance in the Bible. In fact, there are about 400 references to doors in Scripture, ranging from a gateway to opportunity to a door to salvation. In this message, Pastor Rick tells us what we need to know about the doors in our life. You’ll learn why every door is a decision, and how our destiny will be shaped by which doors we pass by and which ones we walk through. Find out how to distinguish between doors of opportunities and doors of distractions. Don’t miss this message leading up to our personal growth campaign, Doors to Your Destiny, starting at Easter.

Message Action Plan

 Jesus: “I hold the Key of David in my hand. The doors that I unlock and open, no one else can close. And any doors that I shut and lock, no one will ever be able to open. Now I know everything you have done. So look! I am placing before you an open door that no one can shut! I know that you are not very strong, but you’ve kept my word and you’ve been faithful to me.”   Revelation 3:7-8 

Action Plan: Make it a goal to memorize this passage this week. Try memorizing one sentence a day (There are seven sentences). This is the theme verse for our growth campaign 

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DOORS IN YOUR LIFE

  1. EVERY DOOR IS A DECISION

          Doors are metaphors for the choices we make in every day

  1. MY DESTINY WILL BE SHAPED BY WHICH DOORS I WALK PAST & WHICH DOORS I WALK THROUGH 

        God: “Today I am giving you a choice. You can choose life and success or death and disaster.”  Deuteronomy 30:15 (CEV)         

  1. A DOOR MAY BE . . .
  • AN OPPORTUNITY FROM GOD

        Paul: “A huge door of opportunity for good work has opened up here.” 1 Corinthians 16:9 (MSG)

  • A DISTRACTION FROM OTHERS          

Nehemiah: “I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I’m doing important work right now. Why should the work stop while I come down to see you?” Nehemiah 6:3 (NIV) 

  • A TRAP FROM SATAN               

Jesus said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are looking at things merely from a human viewpoint, not from God's.” Matthew 16:23 (NLT)

  1. IF AN OPEN DOOR IS TRULY FROM GOD IT WILL NOT WHAT HE’S ALREADY SAID IN HIS WORD.

      Jesus: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my Word will never pass away.”   Matthew 24:35 (NIV)

Action Plan: Think about a “door” in your life that appears to be open. Do a quick topical Bible study about the decision that you have to make. Click here to go to Bible Gateway and type in the topic in the search bar (ex. marriage, integrity, finances, etc.) . Read every verse about that topic to make sure that your opportunity is not opposite to what God has said in the Bible.

SOMETIMES GOD SHUTS A DOOR FOR MY PROTECTION

      “Then God shut the door.”  Genesis 7:16 (NLT) 

  1. GOD WILL OPEN DOORS FOR ME IF I OPEN DOORS FOR OTHERS

      “Anyone who generously blesses others will be generously blessed. And when you refresh others, you will be refreshed yourself.”  Proverbs 11:25 

Job: “I have never turned away anyone but I have opened my doors to everyone.”  Job 31:32 (NLT) 

  1. SOMETIMES GOD CRACKS OPEN A DOOR TO GIVE ME A GLIMPSE OF MY FUTURE LONG BEFORE I’M READY TO WALK THROUGH IT. WHY? TO INSPIRE ME TO GROW! 

(God) “The things that I am planning for you won’t happen right away. But slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when THE VISION will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!” Habakkuk 2:3 (LB) 

Action Plan: Make a plan to experience Journey with Jesus this Easter season. Click here for information on self-guided tours, guided tours, or digital opportunities. 

WHAT I NEED FOR MY PERSONAL 2020 VISION

(Goals of our campaign)

  1. LEARNDISCERNMENTto know which doors to walk through

“This is my prayer for you: that your love will keep growing more and more, with knowledge and greater discernment, so that you will be able to make the right choices . . .”                                                  Philippians 1:9-10

  1. LEARN COURAGE to walk through the right doors.

David’s advice to Solomon: “Be strong and courageous and get to work. Don’t be frightened by the size of the task, for the Lord God is with you! He will not fail or forsake you! He will see to it that everything is finished correctly.”           1 Chronicles 28:20 (LB)

  1. LEARN HOW TO OPEN DOORS for others

“Open you home to others and show hospitality without grumbling about it. Each of you should use whatever gifts you have received from God to serve others.” 1 Peter 4:9 (CEV)

Action Plan: Refresh your Gospel perspective by attending “Discovering the Story of Reality”. This special event features author Greg Koukl talking about what it means to approach the world with a Christian worldview. For event info or online viewing, click here.

Doable Discipleship: This week’s episode of Doable Discipleship continues a series looking at some of the attributes of God. Our newest episode discusses how God is personal and relational. New episodes release every Tuesday. To watch or listen, click here.

Talk It Over: Have you ever discussed the weekend message in your small group? Talk It Over provides weekly small group discussion questions as a way to bring the weekend message into your small group. To view this week’s Talk It Over, click here. 

More from this series

More from this series

Choosing Your Future
March 4 - March 25, 2018