The Doors That Block Us

Copyright by Glen Dawursk, Jr., 11/2/98

Please do not duplicate or re-create this material without written permission. Thanks.

MAN’S FIRST DOOR

The first closed door in scripture occurred in Genesis 3:3 when Eve LIED about God’s command.

The next closed door occurred when Eve DISOBEYED God and ate from the forbidden tree.

Adam soon reinforced the door. The door immediately SEPARATED man from God.

God’s response: He demonstrated man’s closed doors in Genesis 3:24 by placing a CHERUBIM at the entrance to the garden.

Who closed the door between God and Man? MAN did!

WHY DO WE CLOSE DOORS ANYWAY?

In Bible times, walls were built around cities and gate "doors" installed because the people thought that when these were closed, they would be safe -- these would protect them from outsiders. Today, people continue to close doors to separate themselves from other people. .The “Great Wall of China” with it's closed entrances was built for this same reason. The Berlin Wall with its limited doors was erected to keep people in and others out. Doors separate our offices, our schools, our homes…and it all started in the garden, in Genesis, in the Bible.

Doors are not always physical though. Anything which allows us to be separated from our family, our God and other people is a “door.”

Trials in our life, frustrations, continuing problems, physical limitations – are all conditions of sin which lead to doors in our lives -- conditions which can lead us to separate ourselves from our family, from others, and from our God. No door in itself is good. Doors are not healthy. They are not of God, but God can deal with doors! He can help us overcome them. He can even open them for us.

OUR LIVES HAVE MANY
CLOSED DOORS, TOO

The walls we build and the doors we close are shaky internal mind games -- structures of sin constructed with stones of thought.

Have you ever thought this way?

· Deceit (I have to be first; I have to be the best; I’ll do anything to be liked by them, to be with them; I need to be accepted),

· Poor self concepts (I’m ugly; I’m too fat; I’m too skinny; People stare at me; I hate myself),

· False perceptions (I know they hate me; I know I’m not wanted anyway; The teachers don’t like me; My parents are on my case all the time – I wish they would just leave me alone),

· Past problems (I always got in trouble…people just expect it; Why did God make me this way?),

· Current problems (I’m failing),

· Thoughts about future problems (I’ll never make the team; I’ll never amount to anything),

· Inadequacies (I can’t do anything right; I’m not worth it; No one ever listens to ME!),

· Etc.

All of these CLOSED doors can “block” us from having a close relationship with our family, our friends and most of all our God. We become trapped inside our doors. We become stranded facing the wrong way.

These can lead to feelings of:

· Fear (I’m scared; Who can I trust?),

· Anxiety (I don’t know what I’m going to do…but I

gotta do something…NOW…but what?),

· Worry (What if it happens? What will I do? I don’t

want to go to school tomorrow. I can’t face them; I

can’t let my parents find out),

· Frustration (I’m just sick and tired of…I just want to

get away from everybody),

· Depression (Why me? I don’t want to feel anything. I just can’t stop crying all the time),

· Moodiness (What do you mean by that? Just lay off! Get out of my face! It’s not my problem),

· Lack of energy (I just don’t want to do anything. What can they do to me anyway?),

· Apathy (Who cares what I think; Who really cares? I don’t anymore. Fine!),

· Hopelessness (I give up; Sometimes I wish I’d never been born).

MAN’S SOLUTION TO
CLOSED DOORS

No one really likes doors. They are by nature “uncomfortable.” God never intended us to be separated from our family, friends and especially not Him. So, we seek out our own solution.

“COVER THEM UP WITH POSTERS & DOOR HANGERS”

We hide our doors with “cute comfortable HANGERS.”

· We may do this by giving our body to someone else After all, if we feel loved by someone -- we imagine that that person cares for more than just our body. We use the word “love” without meaning it.

· We may do this by giving into peer pressures so that we can be apart of the group. We “pretend” that we have real friends who like us for who we are. We ignore what they require of us to be their friends.

· We may do this by trying out psychedelic fixes such as drugs, drinking and smoking. When we become “hooked” we find that the “fix” was only in our minds and that the conditions never went away – they just deepen.

· We may do this by contemplating “checking out.” We consider running away or suicide. We figure that it will be a punishment to our family, friends and teachers and an end to our misery, only to find that we are not around to witness the effects. By running, we just build new doors. And suicide is just Satan’s false satisfaction with eternal consequences.

Do any of these sound familiar? A friend? A family member? You?

GOD’S SOULUTION TO THE DOORS

“THROUGH JESUS, GOD CAN HELP US DEAL WITH OUR DOORS.”

There are conditions though…

· WE NEED TO FOLLOW HIS DIRECTIONS.

In Joshua 6, we are told of the story of the fall of Jericho. Here, great walls with large wooden doors surrounded the city.

God told Joshua to have the priests lead the ark of the covenant and all the armed men from the Children of Israel in a march around the city walls once every day for 6 days. The priests were blow trumpets of ram’s horns as they marched. On the seventh day, they were to march around the city doors seven times. However, on the seventh time around and at Joshua’s direction, when the horns sounded a long blast, the rest of the Children of Israel were to give a loud shout. You can imagine what the priests and some of the disgruntled Children of Israel thought of Joshua’s plan, BUT they followed God’s directions and in verse 20, it says, “the walls and the doors collapsed.” God opened the doors for the Children of Israel.

We find God’s directions through reading the Bible, studying His word with other Christians, seeking Christian counselors and mentors, participating in worship and constantly communicating with God through prayer.

· WE NEED TO TRUST HIS TIMING

Just as the closing of a door may have taken a long time, God may choose to open your doors slowly. However, be assured, with His directions, He will help you deal with any door throughout the process of healing.

· WE NEED TO ACCEPT HIS DECISIONS

Just like at Jericho, God can knock down any wall and open any door – including yours. BUT, He can also choose to let you live with the door. Instead of getting rid of the door completely, He may just teach you how to daily how to re-open itor i t and cope with the door. In 2 Corinthians 12:7-8, Paul complained about a “thorn in his side.” This door – which he called a “messenger from Satan” tormented him throughout his life. Was God not listening to Paul?

If we read verse 9, we see that God sometimes uses our doors as a way of making us stronger in our faith. Paul says in verse 10, that he can now endure his own weaknesses, insults from others, hardships persecutions and difficulties -- all because God made him strong.

Remember, God says He will never give you more than you can handle (1 Corinthians 10:13). If God allows you to continue with your door, He must have a lot of “faith” in you. In Bible times, when a city built a wall with its large doors, they often included a tower which looked over the structure. God often raises us up above the door to the tower, so we can see past the door and meet Him face to face.

IN RESPONSE TO THESE CONDITIONS,

GOD WILL PROTECT US

When we claim the victory of Jesus, our salvation from the doors of sin, God surrounds us with His love and gives us a window instead [ “delivers us from evil.” Isaiah 60:18].

SO THE QUESTION IS –

WHERE ARE YOU NOW?

ARE YOU STUCK BEHIND A WALL OR ARE YOU LETTING FAITH OPEN THE DOOR?

The Doors That Block Us: Worksheet

Copyright Glen Dawursk, Jr. 11/2/98

MAN’S FIRST DOOR

¨ The first closed door in scripture occurred in Genesis 3:3 when Eve ___________ about God’s command.

¨ The next closed door occurred when Eve _______________ God and ate from the forbidden tree.

¨ Adam soon reinforced the door. The door immediately _________________ man from God.

¨ God’s response: He demonstrated man’s closed door in Genesis 3:24 by placing a ________________ at the entrance to the garden.

¨ Who closed the door between God and Man? ___________ did!

WHY DO WE CLOSE DOORS ANYWAY?

¨ In Bible times, walls were built around cities and large wooden doors shut because the people thought the these would keep them safe -- they would _______________ them from outsiders.

¨ Doors are not always physical though. Anything which allows us to be separated from our family, our God and other people is a “closed door.”

¨ Trials in our life, frustrations, continuing problems, physical limitations – are all conditions of _________ which lead to closed doors in our lives -- conditions which can lead us to separate ourselves from our family, from others, and from our God.

¨ These closed doors of sin are not of God, but God can deal with them! He can help us overcome them.

YOUR LIVES HAVE CLOSED DOORS, TOO

Have you ever thought this way? Put an M next to ones you have said and an O next to the ones you have heard others say.

_________ Deceit (I have to be first; I have to be the best; I’ll do anything to be liked by them, to be with them;
I need to be accepted),

_________ Poor self concepts (I’m ugly; I’m too fat; I’m too skinny; People stare at me; I hate myself),

_________ False perceptions (I know they hate me; I know I’m not wanted anyway; The teachers don’t
like me; My parents are on my case all the time – I wish they would just leave me alone),

_________ Past problems (I always got in trouble…people just expect it; Why did God make me this way?),

_________ Current problems (I’m failing),

_________ Concerns about future problems (i’ll never make the team; i’ll never amount to anything),

_________ Inadequacies (I can’t do anything right; I’m not worth it; No one ever listens to ME!),

All of these closed doors can “___________” us from having a close relationship with our family, our friends and most of all our God. We become trapped inside our doors. We become stranded facing the wrong way.

These can lead to the following feelings:

Have you ever thought this way? Put an M next to ones you have said and an O next to the ones you have heard others say.

________ Fear (I’m scared; Who can I trust?),

________ Anxiety (I don’t know what I’m going to do…but I gotta do something…NOW…but what?),

________ Worry (What if it happens? What will I do? I don’t want to go to school tomorrow. I can’t face them;
I can’t let my parents find out),

________ Frustration (I’m just sick and tired of…I just want to get away from everybody),

________ Depression (Why me? I don’t want to feel anything. I just can’t stop crying all the time),

________ Moodiness (What do you mean by that? Just lay off! Get out of my face! It’s not my problem),

________ Lack of energy (I just don’t want to do anything. What can they do to me anyway?),

________ Apathy (Who cares what I think; Who really cares? I don’t anymore. Fine!),

________ Hopelessness (I give up; Sometimes I wish I’d never been born).

MAN'S SOLUTION TO THE CLOSED DOORS

We seek out our own solution. “WE COVER THEM UP WITH DOOR________________ AND POSTERS”

· We may do this by giving our body to someone else

· We may do this by giving into peer pressures so that we can be apart of the group.

· We may do this by trying out psychedelic fixes such as drugs, drinking and smoking.

· We may do this by contemplating “checking out.” We consider running away or suicide.

Do any of these sound familiar? A friend? A family member? You?