Sermon

We love comfort because it feels like peace. A steady routine, familiar faces, predictable Sundays—there’s a restfulness to it. But comfort has a shadow side: if you stay in it too long, it can quietly convince you that “where you are” is “where you belong.” The place that once healed you can become the place that starts to hold you.

Paul felt that tension in Ephesus: “A great and effective door has opened to me—and there are many adversaries.” (1 Cor. 16:9) In one breath, he names both opportunity and opposition. That’s how God’s doors often look in real life—wide open and wildly resisted at the same time.

Here’s the shift this verse invites:

1) See God in the open door.
Paul says the door “has opened”—language that hints he didn’t pry it open himself. That’s big. Not every open option is a God-door, but when God makes a way, you’ll sense His fingerprints: timing you couldn’t manufacture, favor you couldn’t earn, alignment you couldn’t script. Discernment starts with surrender: “Lord, I don’t want every door. I want Your door.”

2) Expect a bigger door to stretch a bigger you.
Paul calls it a “great” door. Big doors require bigger faith, broader shoulders, and a deeper “yes.” If what’s in front of you feels too large, that may be your clue: God isn’t trying to crush you—He’s trying to grow you. Don’t measure the door by who you’ve been; measure it by who God is making you.

3) Don’t confuse resistance with a red light.
“Many adversaries” didn’t make Paul retreat; it made him remain (“I will stay in Ephesus…”). Kingdom opportunities often attract pressure: distractions, doubt, criticism, logistics, even spiritual pushback. If the door is God’s, resistance is not a sign to quit—it’s a sign to pray, prepare, and proceed.

4) Remember: God opens—and God holds.
Sometimes you discover God opened a door before you even knew you needed it. That’s the quiet miracle: He doesn’t just crack doors; He keeps them open until you arrive. When fear whispers “you’re late” or “you missed it,” grace answers, “If God is holding it, it’s still yours.”

5) Choose obedience over comfort.
Comfort asks, “Why move?” Obedience asks, “Where is God moving?” Comfort keeps you reminiscing; obedience keeps you responding. This isn’t about chasing novelty—it’s about following the One who leads. If He’s shifting you, He’s not changing your calling; He’s expanding your assignment.

How to walk through a God-door (simple, practical):

Pray for clarity more than confirmation of what you already want.

Search the Scriptures that shape your motives (humility, service, mission).

Seek wise counsel that isn’t impressed by the door but invested in your soul.

Name your fears out loud—then hand them to God, one by one.

Take a faithful first step (calendar the meeting, send the email, show up).

Plan for pushback so it doesn’t surprise you; build prayer and rest into the plan.

Keep your eyes on Jesus, not the hinges. The door is God’s; the walk is yours.

And there’s one more door we can’t ignore: the Door of Salvation. Long before any ministry door swings for us, God opened the door of grace through the cross of Jesus. That door is still open—wide enough for any sinner, strong enough for every burden, and near enough for anyone who will call on His name. Every other yes flows from that first one.

If you sense God opening something in front of you—personally, in your family, at church—don’t let comfort talk you out of calling. The door is open. The Lord is near. Walk through.

Reflection Question: Which matters more to you right now—being comfortable or being obedient—and what is one step you’ll take this week to walk through the door God is holding for you?

~Pastor D.L.Williams