Opportunities and Opposition 1 Corinthians 16:5-9

Throughout our lives we will be presented with opportunities and confronted by opposition. Opportunities are exciting, exhilarating, and life-giving. Opportunities invigorate us, motivate us, and keep us up at night thinking of all of the places where the opportunity might lead. Opposition on the other hand, for the vast majority of people, stirs within us the opposite emotions of opportunities. Opposition makes us anxious. Opposition can be debilitating instead of exhilarating. When we are confronted with opposition we tend to question ourselves, doubt ourselves, and we might even throw in the towel and quit. How many people have been stopped in their tracks and made the decision to quit simply because the pressure of opposition became too great? The great preacher, G. Campbell Morgan once said, “If you have no opposition in the place where you serve, you are serving in the wrong place.” We’ve learned in our study of 1 Corinthians that Paul faced much opposition in Corinth. Opposition was really nothing new for Paul, he faced opposition everywhere he went, but what separated Paul from many of us is that he saw a door of opportunity everywhere there was opposition. Let’s take a look at our Scripture for today and we’ll see what we can learn. 

5 After I go through Macedonia, I will come to you-- for I will be going through Macedonia. 6 Perhaps I will stay with you for a while, or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey, wherever I go. 7 For I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. 8 But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, 9 because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me. 10 When Timothy comes, see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you, for he is carrying on the work of the Lord, just as I am. 11 No one, then, should treat him with contempt. Send him on his way in peace so that he may return to me. I am expecting him along with the brothers. 12 Now about our brother Apollos: I strongly urged him to go to you with the brothers. He was quite unwilling to go now, but he will go when he has the opportunity. 13 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 14 Do everything in love. (1 Corinthians 16:5-14 NIV)

The first thing we notice when we begin reading this section of Paul’s letter is that he is sharing his travel itinerary with the people of Corinth. Paul had been on the road ever since Acts 13, when he was in Antioch worshiping with other believers and the Holy Spirit set Paul and Barnabas apart. Turn to Acts 13:1-3, and I’ll show you what happened. 

1 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." 3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. (Acts 13:1-3 NIV)

Paul spent more than eight years on his first two missionary journeys. He traveled from city to city preaching the gospel, starting churches, looking for opportunities, and dealing with conflict and opposition at every turn. When Paul wrote this letter, a letter he wrote from Ephesus, he was on his third missionary journey. In the first three verses of our Scripture for today, Paul lets the people of Corinth know that he would like to visit them again soon, he doesn’t just want to pass through, and he might even spend the winter with them…if the Lord permits. All of these things are true, but for now he needs to be in Ephesus.  There is an important lesson in Paul’s travel intentions for you and me. Did you notice how Paul qualified what he shared with words like “Perhaps, I hope,” and “if the Lord permits?” John MacArthur writes,

The apostle was not fickle or indecisive, as the Corinthians later accused him of being, but realistic and humble. He was realistic because he knew that no one can be ‘captain of his own fate and master of his own destiny.’ There are far too many things in life that are completely out of our control. He was humble because he knew that God is sovereign and has the absolute power and right to change any person’s plans whenever and however he chooses. (MacArthur, John. The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: 1 Corinthians. pg. 462)

As it turned out, Paul’s plans changed, or rather God changed Paul’s plan. We learn from 2 Corinthians 1:15-2:4 that Paul did visit them on the way to Macedonia, just briefly, and that visit was a disaster by the way, filled with confrontation, then he visited them on his way back to Macedonia.Paul had learned that God was in control of Paul’s itinerary and so Paul was sensitive and prayerful to what the Lord was doing and where He was leading. We can get a clear picture of this from something Paul said to Barnabas back in Acts 15:36. Read it with me.

36 Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing." (Acts 15:36 NIV)

So they set out to do just what Paul had said. In Acts 16:6-10, we can read about some of the churches they visited, but we also learn that the Holy Spirit prevented them from entering Asia and then directed them in an entirely unplanned direction. Let’s read these verses together.

6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. (Acts 16:6-10 NIV)

You may be wondering, “So what is the important lesson you were talking about?” It is really tied to last week’s lesson on keeping a loose grip on our time, talents, and finances because they all belong to the Lord and should be accessible for Him whenever called upon.  We like to think about “our schedule” and “our time.” We like to make plans so that we know what’s coming, what to expect in the future. Having a plan is a good thing, certainly better than having no plan at all, but I think we should think deeply about Paul’s planning strategy and his flexibility when God changed his plans. Let me explain.If you read the book of Acts you can clearly see Paul had a plan, he had a strategy for when he entered a new city. He would go to the marketplace and the synagogue and he would begin teaching about Jesus. There were times that plan worked, it was effective, but sometimes it wasn’t and he adjusted. Let me give you an example. Paul had been in Corinth for 18 months when he decided to go to Ephesus. Most Bible teachers think that the husband wife ministry team of Priscilla and Aquila were the first to preach the gospel in Ephesus. When Paul arrived he found some of the followers of Jesus. Turn with me to Acts 19 and let’s see what happened next. 

8 Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. 9 But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10 This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord. (Acts 19:8-10 NIV)

Paul’s strategy, his plan to go to the synagogue worked well for the first three months, but then he ran into opposition so he adjusted and went to a lecture hall, the hall of Tyrannus. I mentioned in the beginning of our lesson that most people when faced with opposition tend to back off, turn away, and even quit. Just think about what would have happened if Paul would have allowed those obstinate people to run him off? We know what would have happened because Luke tells us that because Paul was willing to adjust and found a new place to share the gospel, “all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.” God’s plan, God’s purposes, will always be better my friends. They may not be the most enjoyable, they might even be painful, but they will always be better. I want you to think about an application of this truth for our own lives. There are those of you who are with us this morning who have only been married a short time or you plan on getting married at some point in the future. You had, or you have this idealized plan of what marriage would be like when you stood with Prince Charming or Cinderella before the preacher and said, “I do.” I don’t have a crystal ball and I am no prophet, but I can tell you that it didn’t take long for you to realize that your plan was not unfolding as you envisioned. How do I know this? Because I’ve sat with so many couples through the years that have told me those exact words– “I didn’t think being married would be so hard.” So what do you do? Well, if we learn from our lesson this morning we can adjust. We can throw our plan out the window and see what the Lord is desiring to teach us through the hard times of marriage. This truth can be so transforming in every area of our life. Raising kids, the way we view our work career, our involvement in organizations and ministries, and on and on the list goes. New parents rock their little one and envision great things for him or her. It’s going to be so much fun!  Those of you who have already raised your kids, they threw you some curveballs didn’t they? You could have never seen it coming. Those of you with little ones right now are wondering, “What is ‘it?’”  My response is, “You’ll know ‘it’ when ‘it’ happens.”  You can make your plan of how it is all going to unfold, but let me encourage you with this: “God has a plan for your child and your job is really to simply be the mom and dad He has called you to be.” I learned this lesson while Connie and I were raising our own kids. I was talking to Dr. Darnell one day about raising kids when he brought up Proverbs 22:6. Do you know the verse?

6 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6 ESV)

Dr. Darnell told me the Hebrew word for “train up” really has two different meanings. The first meaning is “to train,” like a coach trains an athlete. This is the idea that most of us have when it comes to our kids. I will teach them what it means to walk with God, how to pray, how to read God’s Word, how to be generous and caring, etc. And all of those things are good for us as parents to teach our children.  Dr. Darnell went on to tell me that the word became an important horticultural word. He explained, “If you have a blue spruce and a weeping willow tree to transplant into your yard you need to know what kind of soil they need in order to thrive. You’ll also want to learn how much sunlight, how much water, etc. All of these things are so important to learn if you want the trees to thrive. And so it is with your children. God has written who they are into their very DNA. It is up to you to be a student of your child, to learn how God has wired them, and then to provide the kind of environment they need to thrive. Don’t try and force them into some idealized version of the child you want them to be, an idea that you’ve come up with in your head.” Now that is great advice! Be flexible. Go ahead and make your plans, but know that God has a better plan. When you recognize that His plan is different from the one you’ve prepared, be flexible and thank Him for revealing His plan to you. Never forget Proverbs 19:21. 

21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand. (Proverbs 19:21 ESV)

There is another great lesson which has jumped out at me this past week as I have been studying Paul’s travel itinerary. The lesson is found in verse 7 where Paul says, “

7 For I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. (1 Corinthians 16:7 NIV)

We have just begun a brand new study on the fruit of the Spirit on Wednesday’s at 11:30. This past week we spent quite a bit of time talking about how we, as the followers of Jesus, can make an impact on the lives of the people the Lord has placed in our path. What’s interesting is that neither intellect, charm or charisma, or powers of persuasion were ever mentioned in the conversation. What was talked about was “time.” If we want to be used by God to make an impact for the Lord then we are going to have to be willing to pull up close and spend time with others. After class a man who has been going through a very dark night of the soul came up to me and asked, “Can I show you something?” He opened his study book and read this sentence to me: “When someone needs love, encouragement, companionship, or whatever, God doesn’t send an angel; He sends a believer who has the fruit of the Spirit.” He had written a person’s name out in the margin. His voice was quivering when he said, “God has used this person to make such a difference in my life.” I wanted to share that story with all of you because it is a modern-day example of what the Apostle Paul set out to do in every city he visited. Remember, he spent 18 months in Corinth. There were many in Corinth who would have rather he had just passed right on through their city. They liked Apollos better. Some like Peter better. Paul put down roots and endured it all so that he might set up a church where the gospel could be preached and lived out long after he was gone. We are going to talk about Ephesus and Paul’s open door of opportunity and the opposition he faced there in just a moment, but I do need to mention at this point that Paul spent 3 years in Ephesus. He put down roots and leaned in, poured into the lives of the people there, even though it was difficult. Why did he choose to spend extended periods of time with the people in these cities? Because there is no substitute for face-to-face time spent together. Ciampi and Rosner write,

Paul knows the difference that personal engagement makes and that even the best of letters, full of the greatest wisdom and teaching, is a poor substitute for a leader who models the kind of Christian life and character they commend. Any Christian leaders who thinks that the people with whom they minister only need more biblical, theological, and ethical teaching and content has failed to recognize that, to be properly taught, truth must be modeled. (Ciampi and Rosner, The First Letter to The Corinthians. pg. 847)

I don’t want us to run out of time before I share with you what has excited me most about this section of Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth. If you would turn to 1 Corinthians 16:8-9 and let’s read it together. 

8 But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, 9 because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.  (1 Corinthians 16:8-9)

I have to tell you, I just love the way Paul wrote this sentence! There is a great door for effective work that the Lord has opened for me, and there are many who oppose me. Leon Morris writes, “It is part of the conditions under which we serve God that when we have great opportunities of service there are also great difficulties in our way.”What was it about Ephesus that led Paul to believe it was fertile ground for the teaching of the gospel and what caused him to believe the Lord had opened a great door for effective work? First of all, you need to know a little about Ephesus. Ephesus was an important port city on the west coast of Asia, which is located in modern-day Turkey. In Ephesus you could visit the temple of Artemis or Diana, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. Just a few decades before Paul arrived, Strabo called Ephesus the greatest emporium in the province of Asia Minor. Along with the temple of Artemis, the city also obtained the right to host the Temple of the Divine Julius Caesar and the goddess Roma. John MacArthur writes,

Ephesus had a great system of organized idolatry, centered in the famous temple of Diana, or Artemis. Ritual prostitution and sexual perversion not only were tolerated but were promoted in the name of religion…Paganism, idolatry, occultism, demonism, superstition, sexual vice, racism, religious animosity–of pagans against Christians, Jews against Christians, and of pagans and Jews against each other–were common and considered normal. Probably no New Testament church had more direct opposition than the one at Ephesus. (MacArthur, John. The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: 1 Corinthians. pg. 466)

And Paul saw all of this as the door the Lord had opened for him for effective ministry? I’m sure as I read MacArthur’s description you were thinking the same thing weren’t you? Probably not the place you would look to live if you were searching for a new neighborhood huh?In Paul’s second letter to the church in Corinth, he shared with them his experience of being in Ephesus. Listen to this…

8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many. (2 Corinthians 1:8-11 NIV)

We pray for what is comfortable, but Paul prayed that God would send him to the places no one had visited before. I was reading this past week about David Livingstone, the great missionary to Africa. He had wanted to become a missionary to China, but no door seemed open until an appeal went out by British and American churches for qualified medical missionaries who would be willing to go to China. So, David Livingstone made the decision to go to medical school. Once he completed medical school he was planning to go to China when the first of the Opium Wars put an end to his plan. Young Dr. Livingstone met a man named Robert Moffat who was a missionary in southern Africa and convinced Dr. Livingstone that he was needed in Africa. He arrived in Cape Town in March, 1841 and never looked back. Dr. Livingstone became an explorer who spent the rest of his life opening up parts of Africa where no European had ever been before. On one occasion a missionary society wanted to send helpers to Dr. Livingstone. The leader sent him a message that read, “Have you found a good road to where you are? If so, we want to send other men to join you.” Dr. Livingstone sent them a letter, “If you have found men who will come only if there is a good road, I don’t want them. I want men who will come even if there is no road at all.” Oh, my friends, look for God’s fingerprints in the difficulties of life. See His Sovereign hand at work where discouragement, opposition, doubters, and haters would try and turn you back. If you will press on, if you will steel your jaw and fix your eyes on Jesus then you will most certainly see a great door that has been opened for you. I know what I’m talking about. In all of the years that I’ve been here there have been seasons of great opposition. Some of that has been from within the church and some from outside the church, from the community, but I’ve always known that God has put us, Britton Christian Church, in a community rich with opportunities for sharing the gospel and living out our love for Jesus by loving those in our community. I remember one time many years ago when the old Harrison Elementary school was up on Britton Road where Variety Care is located today. We had been approached about possibly doing some of our youth ministry in the school and providing even more activities for kids at the school that had been closed. I guess the word got out and some people in the neighborhood didn’t want “at risk” kids in their neighborhood. That’s what I was told. Churches in our community even got involved. I got a phone call one day from another pastor in this community letting me know that there was going to be a neighborhood meeting at his church that night to try and put a stop to the plan. He told me that if I showed up I would be arrested. Arrested? For trying to help the kids in this neighborhood? Arrested! I called my friend Jerome Harris who has been a member of BCC for years and told him what was going on. Big Jerome said, “I’ll go for you.” The school never opened up for us, God had other plans and His plan was even better. Don’t let people discourage you and turn you back from God’s call on your life. He is faithful. He will provide. He will sustain you. Never give up seeking to be obedient to what God has called you to my friends.  Mike HaysBritton Christian ChurchJune 12, 2022