When God Shuts the Door: Learning to Follow His Lead

Introduction: Learning to Let Go of My Own Script
There are moments in life when everything feels like it’s going according to plan. You’re doing good things. You’re surrounded by the right people. You’ve prayed, prepared, and poured yourself into the mission. And then, suddenly, the door slams shut.

That’s exactly what happened to Paul in Acts 16—and it’s something I’ve experienced in my own life and ministry. Sometimes God redirects us, not because we’re doing something wrong, but because He’s preparing something better. This message came from a place of both biblical reflection and personal conviction. I want to share what I learned with you.

1. The Mission Isn’t Always Comfortable
A few weeks ago, I introduced our sermon series called The Mission Starts Here. We began by focusing on the heart of the mission: to go and make disciples. That’s what Jesus calls us to do—not by force, but by invitation. He gives us a choice, and in turn, we’re called to help others make that same choice to follow Him.

But the mission is rarely comfortable. Last week, we talked about what happens when we run from the mission—like Jonah did. Pride, fear, and complacency can all get in the way. And even when we embrace the mission, like Paul did, we sometimes discover that our version of the plan doesn’t match God’s.

2. Good Plans Aren’t Always God’s Plans
In Acts 15 and 16, Paul had a solid plan. After resolving a theological dispute in Jerusalem, he and Barnabas decided to revisit the churches they had planted during their first missionary journey. It made sense—follow up, encourage, strengthen.

But their partnership hit a snag. They couldn’t agree on whether John Mark should come along. Barnabas saw potential; Paul remembered failure. So they parted ways.

Paul moved forward with Silas and later picked up Timothy. Everything looked right. Churches were growing. People were joining the mission. From the outside, it looked like Paul was on the right path.

And yet… the Holy Spirit shut him down. Twice.

They tried to enter Bithynia. The Spirit said no. They tried another region. Again, the Spirit blocked the way.

That’s when it hit me: even good plans—godly, well-intentioned, mission-focused plans—aren’t always God’s plans.

3. Redirection Is Not Rejection
For a long time, I misunderstood closed doors. I took them personally. I assumed a ministry wasn’t “working” because of me—or worse, because of someone else. But as we see in Acts 16, sometimes God says no simply because there’s something greater ahead.

That’s what happened with Paul. He was eventually led to Troas, where he received a vision of a man from Macedonia pleading, “Come over and help us.” This was the moment of clarity.

Paul responded in faith, and that moment changed everything. It opened the door to Lydia’s heart. It led to baptisms. It laid the foundation for the church in Philippi—a church we later read about in Paul’s epistles.

I believe the Spirit still works in the same way today. Not with visions, necessarily, but with closed doors, nudges in our spirit, and quiet moments of redirection. When something you’ve been doing faithfully for years suddenly stops bearing fruit, don’t panic. Don’t blame yourself—or others. Instead, pause and ask: Is God leading me somewhere new?

4. We Can Hide in Ministry—and Miss God’s Voice
Here’s a hard truth I’ve had to confront: I can be “in ministry” and still be hiding from God’s voice.

That’s what Jonah did—ran in the opposite direction. But Paul? He wasn’t running. He was working. Teaching. Preaching. Planting. Yet even Paul had to be stopped so he could listen.

We get busy in the rush of doing good. But sometimes, the Spirit needs to slow us down—not because we’re wrong, but because we’re ready for more.

The vision didn’t come to Paul while he was preaching. It came at night, in the stillness, when he could actually listen. That’s when God broke through the noise.

5. Your One Act of Obedience Can Change Everything
I don’t want you to miss this: one conversation opened the door to an entire continent.

Paul sat down with a group of women by a river. One of them, Lydia, responded. She was baptized—along with her household. She opened her home. A church was born. And the gospel continued to spread west.

Never underestimate what God can do through one invitation, one word of encouragement, one act of obedience.

6. Finding Your “Macedonia Moment”
So what does this mean for you and me?

It means being open to redirection. Sensitive to the Spirit. Willing to release control of our plans—even the ones that seem good.

Maybe you’ve been frustrated lately. You’ve been trying, serving, showing up—and nothing’s clicking. Maybe God’s not saying, “You’re wrong.” Maybe He’s saying, “You’re ready.”

I want to challenge you to look for your own Macedonia moment. Who is God calling you to reach? Where is He calling you to serve? What door is He asking you to walk away from so He can open something new?

Conclusion: The Mission Starts Here, But It Doesn’t End Here

This is just the beginning. Wherever you are, however long you’ve been following Jesus, I believe God still has something more for you. Let’s stop clinging to our own blueprints and start following His lead.

The mission doesn’t end when a door closes. That might just be the moment it truly begins.