A WIDE OPEN DOOR

A WIDE-OPEN DOOR

1 Cor. 16:9 There is a wide-open door for a great work here, although many oppose me.

God has opened a door for a great work RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE. That’s why you’re there. God already opened the door for you to do a great work within the Everywhere Network Vision and Mission. The vision of your local church is big enough for everyone to use their gifts, talents, and pursue their personal mission within the context of the local church’s vision. Selfish ambition will lead you down the wrong path. Your vision connects with your church’s vision. The Everywhere Network family of Churches is the door God opened for you. The city you’re in is the door God opened for you.

People are still waiting for doors to open, but what’s happening is they are simply overlooking what has already been opened. When God sent you to your local church THAT WAS THE DOOR OPENING FOR YOU TO PURSUE YOUR PERSONAL MISSION! You’re supposed to have a covering and a Shepherd over you. You are supposed to submit to spiritual parents. You are supposed to connect your vision (some of you didn’t know you had a vision until your spiritual parents told you) with the Church’s vision.

Matthew 11:2 When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3 to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” 4 Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see:5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.

The proof is in the pudding. It’s obvious! Who else is doing this? Why are you still debating within yourself when you can literally see the proof that God has sent you here? Mary and I are not just sharing a vision, we are living it out right in front of you! This is happening now! Why would you look for another, when what you have been believing for is right in front of you? It didn’t come how you expected it, but it is the reality.

The local Church that is connected to T.E.N. is the door you’ve been searching for.

It’s sad to see so many who didn’t have a clue about ministry, vision, church planting, purpose, success, business, The Kingdom, The Bible, faith, and much more get disgruntled (thinking the pastor is holding them back), offended, and in pride and they leave where they know God PLANTED them. They go off in pride (selfish ambition) trying to do their own thing, knowing they need to be covered by their true spiritual parents and connected to the larger vision. Satan has deceived many. These people will NEVER find their true path, purpose, and success. When a plant disconnects from the ground they were planted in, that plant will eventually die without ever fulfilling its TRUE purpose and living a satisfied life.

Meditate these verses:

1 Corinthians 4:15 (NIV) For even if you had ten thousand others to teach you about Christ, you have only one spiritual father. For I became your father in Christ Jesus when I preached the Good News to you.

Ps. 92:12 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 Planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God.

Notice the people who flourish are the people who are planted. Not the people who unroot themselves “lying on God” saying their time is up.

Hebrews 13:17 Obey them that have the rule over you and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

There is a popular Evangelist that literally travels around the world preaching the Gospel. But every time he is in town he attends his local church and submits to his spiritual parents. He didn’t leave his parents or his local church just because God sent him out to preach to the world.

There is also a story of a pastor/apostle who found an open door in his city. He was reaching new people for the Kingdom of God. He talked to his pastor about starting a little church with some of the people he was reaching. The pastor gave the blessing. Here’s the powerful thing (and unheard of). The apostle didn’t leave his local congregation or his spiritual parents. No, he simply attended his church with his spiritual parents and family in the morning and then taught at his new church plant (which was a daughter church of the mother church) in the evening. He didn’t leave his church. He stayed connected and kept his spiritual covering.

OPEN DOORS DOES NOT MEAN YOU LEAVE YOUR COVERING!

A confession of faith: I declare people will recognize that the church they are planted in. They will get connected and they will stay connected. Our churches grow by leaps and bounds and people will stay at our local sect of the Body of Christ in order to be discipled and fulfill their life’s mission. In Jesus’ Name. Amen

Back to the Door…

What will you do with the door? Will you stare at it? Or will you walk through it and do a great work? Opposition comes with it, but the outcome has already been predicted. You will come out on top. There is a wide-open door standing in front of you. Your job, friends, family, city or suburb is waiting on you to walk through that door with confidence and pursue them with love and the Gospel.

Will you walk through that door and share your faith? Will you walk through that door and invite people to your church? Will you walk through that door and serve people in your community? Will you walk through that door and be the church in your neighborhood? Who are you ministering to and who are you discipling?

Who have you brought to the church gatherings to hear the Word, experience the excitement, feel the power, and feel the love fellowship as you so often experience it?

The door is open, you just have to walk through it and reach people.

Col 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful, 3 as you pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that I may declare it clearly, as I should

Eph 6:18 Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, divine utterance may be given me, so that I will boldly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it fearlessly, as I should

The door opened in Samaria

In Acts 8, we see The Evangelist Phillip preaching the Gospel with signs following. A church was planted because of that open door. Phillip didn’t start a church. He was the evangelist. They brought the apostles in to finish what the Evangelist started. They worked together. We rarely see this in our day.

You are in that city or suburb for a reason. That door opened up for you to spread the message through your voice, calling, and lifestyle. God wants to use you to help us plant a campus there. You are not the planter, but you can cultivate and evangelize. Who is God going to use? YOU! Tag: You’re it!

How to take advantage of the door:

Go with your local church when we go out to witness and invite people. You are a sent one. This is an apostolic network of churches. Everyone is sent. This doesn’t mean you leave your church it means you are sent into the city to reach people and bring them back in to be discipled.

Serve people who are in need. Give away clothes, food, and serve with no strings attached. Serve in the local congregation you are planted at. Use your talents. The door is open, and people are waiting on you.

Invite people to your church consistently. Always have invite cards handy. Pray for people you’d like to attend and then invite them to church meetings.

Share our mission and vision with people. Then invite them to be a part of something that will radically change their lives.

Give generously to the vision. Our vision is BIG and if we want to grow, increase, and plant multiple campuses (taking the church to the people and colonizing the U.S. with the Kingdom of God), then we are going to have to give BIG.

Prioritize your life so you can obey God and freely walk through wide-open doors.

One final note and a bit of wisdom. Submit your vision to your spiritual father and let wisdom lead you in the right direction. Obey what was already spoken to you and over you. Stop listening to rebellious people who are not your spiritual parents (telling you what you want to hear) It is NOT God. YOUR OPEN DOOR IS ALWAYS CONNECTED TO THE LARGER DOOR.

Doc Murphy