Christian Living

An Opened Door

by Thomas Kirkpatrick
07/30/21
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“Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me.” (2 Corinthians 2:12)

I am an introvert, always looking for an extrovert. Being an introvert is just my nature. I did not decide to be one. I am naturally shy when in the company of folks that I do not know. My oldest son once gave a perfect definition of the way that I am. A group of his friends came over to the house one evening and played their music a little too loud. Jason told them to turn the volume down as it was drawing too much attention to our house. Until Jason had said that, I didn’t realize that was my persona, most would call it shyness. When going to an event, I usually slip in through the shadows and fit a quiet place to observe and amuse myself from the happenings going around the area. Earlier in my time here, I often had a conversation with myself along this line. If I am an introvert traveling through life, why are there not many extroverts who will introduce themselves? That was just a useless thought as my game plan was always not to start a conversation but to trip through any door of conversation that opens.

A little later in my life, I have to overcome whatever you may call my introverted tendencies. The past few years, about seven, God keeps placing me in situations when I have to lead off starting a conversation. The Lord did that in steps. First, I became a teacher at a truck driving school where I had to stand before a group of strangers and teach them things they didn’t know. The truth is, I didn’t know much about my subject either. But I learned that you learn a lot about what you were doing when you have to speak of things you have been doing for twenty years.

Then the Lord opened up a trick dispatching job in Dover, Florida. Now I wasn’t teaching willing students how to drive a truck; I told tired truck drivers they had just one more thing to do before going home. It was hard to tell someone they had to go out and make the last four-hour run while I and a lunch bucket left for the home plate. It took me a while, but I learned that it was easier to persuade someone than to make ultimatums.

I then found myself teaching a Sunday school class. It was, I thought, the scariest thing I have ever been challenged with. At first, I just buried my head in the lesson and read it to them. I was bored, and they must have been too. I knew that I was not really learning anything or growing spiritually and asked if they were. I was happy that they said that they weren’t. So I studied and created my own Sunday school lessons and then shared what I had learned with my students in the class. The Lord blessed, and the class grew.

Then one day, the Pastor asked if I would lead the Worship Service as he had to be out of town that Sunday. I had a whole book full of reasons why I couldn’t, but the Pastor said, “You’ll do fine.” I think the congregation was well pleased as they all got out of Church thirty minutes early.

The worst of my fears came just a week ago, and I am just now ready to talk to the page about it. An extroverted friend and I became involved with Cowboys for Christ here in central Florida. The service was to go to the stable up the road and give a small devotional to the riders in the rodeo. Then we would offer an opening prayer from the crow’s nest on top of the stands. The rest of the time, we would be at our table greeting anyone who came within five feet of the table. Some would come over and talk to us, and we managed to hand out a few Bibles so they would have God’s Word. We’ve been doing that for a few months now, and it is much more likable as the weather has cooled some.

Last week the regional Chaplin called and asked if I would join him and several others at an event not too far away. I thought it was just another rodeo and said I would. When I got there to the event, it was not another rodeo. It was a fall festival named Noah’s Ark. That was okay until I realized that the Chaplin was not there and would not be there. Okay, so there were not several of us, only Luke and myself. I didn’t see a table set up, and I asked Luke if he wanted me to go and get my table and Bibles. Luke said we wouldn’t need them, so I waited for him to go and get his.

For a short time, while we waited for the festival to start, Luke and I talked shop while I waited for us to set up shop. Luke began to tell me of his evangelistic adventures of the past and how excited he was to be here today to evangelize. Well, when that sunk in, I must admit I was terrorized. I have spoken in front of large crowds, I am comfortable with a prepared lesson plan before me, but I have never gone one on one and shared the Gospel of Jesus. I have a prepared testimony, but in a one-on-one conversation, there is nothing prepared about that. Again I was terrorized.

What was I to do? There were to be three thousand people here, and there would be no place to hide. I was shocked when Luke looked at me and said, are you okay? Well, what could I say but that I am fine? It was not the right scripture, as I wasn’t on trial for the sake of the gospel, but then I was, so I kept building my faith in this scripture. “For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” (Luke 12:12)

While Luke seemed to be involved in one conversation after the other, I became very impressed and wished I could have that talent as he. I kept moving around, trying to introduce myself to strangers. I came to two conclusions. I didn’t have to try to meet all three thousand visitors at the event. I then asked the Lord to reveal to me the hearts that had been prepared, the hearts that had an open door, and the faith to walk in pastures He had led me to.

As I spent the rest of my day walking through heart doors the Lord had opened, I realized that possibly I had not come to save anyone. I realized that I was not going to have the privilege to lead anyone to Jesus. I also realized that teaching is my calling, and evangelizing is not. As I stumbled through the four-point plan that I had learned from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, I realized that I was not reaping but sowing the Word of God to every ear that would hear.

I told them about God’s plan, which centered on peace with God and eternal life with Him. John 3:16 is an excellent verse to use to fortify that point. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” God has a plan for each person on this earth, which he formed before the earth was. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)

All men, because of the inherent sin nature, have a problem. They are separated from the fellowship of their loving Heavenly Father. A man is incapable of life sin-free as we all stumble into the pit along the way. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Man is sinful, and God is a holy God who is perfectly righteous. We have become slaves to our sin, and the wage of disobedience to God’s Word is death. God is love, and He loves His creation and provided an escape from eternal death. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

The remedy of man’s problem is found on the cross where Jesus paid our sin debt so that we could be free from the bondage of sin. “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” (1 Peter 2:24)

It is a free gift of our salvation, but we have to receive it, we have to want it, and we need to take the bridge of the cross from separation from God to His home in heaven. All we have to do is accept Him. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” (John 1:12)

It is not difficult, not complicated, and it is just admitting the truth to yourself. It is a confession that you are a sinner. Go to the Lord and ask His forgiveness for the life of rebellion you have lived. Believe in your heart that Jesus died for you as your personal Savior on the cross. Then receive Jesus into your heart and allow Him to live through you. “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10) Know that now is the time if you hear His call, as tomorrow may be too late. “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

Thomas N Kirkpatrick

First Baptist Church of Durant, October 24, 2018