Developing A Biblical World View

OPEN DOORS

Even though 60% of the nations are considered closed to the traditional means of evangelizing, in reality there are no closed doors. Jesus recognized there would be opposition to the Gospel. He said, "When they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another" (Matthew 10:23).

The closed door concept for many believers represents failure. But Jesus indicated that when one door closes to the Gospel, another will open. Sometimes closed doors are used by God to direct us to more fertile spiritual harvest fields. This happened to Paul and his evangelistic team:

Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,

After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia; but the Spirit suffered them not.

And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas. (Acts 16:6-8)

It was at Troas that Paul received the call to go to Macedonia, a field ready to be reaped for God. At a later date, Paul was permitted to go to Asia. Sometimes doors are closed because the harvest is not yet ripe. We must be sensitive to follow the direction of the Holy Spirit in such cases.

But what about those nations which are closed because of atheistic, religious, and political philosophies? The Church has been too quick to be defeated by such closed doors. We must realize that when traditional methods of entering a nation as an evangelist or missionary are not possible, God will reveal another way to penetrate that nation with the Gospel.

In nations where entrance cannot be achieved as a missionary or minister, believers may be able to enter as educators, administrators, and laborers. They can live among the people and support themselves by a secular job, but their main purpose can still be the spreading of the Gospel.

The Bible gives several examples of this principle. Paul made tents to support the Gospel work in many countries. Joseph and Daniel were laymen with key secular positions who used them to teach entire nations about God.

Even if there seems to be no way at all to enter a particular nation, it is still not closed to the Gospel. No nation is closed to the power of the Holy Spirit through prayer. Prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit can penetrate every nation, regardless of closed borders or laws forbidding the spread of the Gospel.