Open the Double Doors – 2

Subjects – Chains

by Rick Welborne

Isaiah 45:1-2 (NKJV)
¹  "Thus says the LORD to His anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held-- To subdue nations before him And loose the armor of kings, To open before him the double doors, So that the gates will not be shut:
²  'I will go before you And make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze And cut the bars of iron. 

Acts 12:111 (NKJV) 

1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. 

2 Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. 

3 And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. 

4 So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover. 

5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. 

6 And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. 

7 Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, "Arise quickly!" And his chains fell off his hands. 

8 Then the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and tie on your sandals"; and so he did. And he said to him, "Put on your garment and follow me." 

9 So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 

10 When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. 

11 And when Peter had come to himself, he said, "Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people." 

–As we put on His armor every day, as we make the resolution that we will bless the Lord at all times, as we have committed to prayer and fasting...we know that we know that Jesus is about to open the double doors and the chains are going to fall off.

Romans 8:3132 (NKJV) 

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 

32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 

–Please do not be upset with me as I remind you of God’s promise to us as we entered this time of fasting and praying...this is why we should fast and pray.

Isaiah 58:611 (NKJV)   

6 "Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? 

7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh? 

8 Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. 

9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.' "If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, 

10 If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday. 

11 The Lord will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. 

–This is what the Lord has chosen for us and I want our light to spring forth, our healing to come quickly, and His righteousness to go before us! His glory to be our rear guard!

–Many of you...all of you, I hope, have determined to lay hold of God and not turn Him loose until He blesses you! Do you really want double doors to open for you?

–Some of you have shared with me that there seems to be opposition to your passionate seeking after God...no great surprise to that! 

1 Corinthians 16:9 (NKJV) 

9 For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. 

–There are many adversaries...and they want to kill, steal, and destroy!!!

1. Going through the double doors we can expect there to be opposition to our strong desire to seek after God.

Acts 12:1 (NKJV)  

1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. 

–I believe the enemy is sending out harassing spirits to fight against the church and it comes in different forms...comes thru thoughts, thru people, thru attacks on our family, thru intimidation!

Ephesians 6:1013 (NKJV) 

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 

11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 

13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 

–Do not give up because we are so close to the double doors…great and effective doors.

--Paul was a strong believer...He had an amazing heart for God and people, and yet, he was arrested:

Acts 12:4 (NKJV)  

4 So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover. 

–Well if he had been living right he would not have had all that opposition...his confession must have been wrong…let me say it in a different way...because he was living right he had opposition! Many adversaries!

–Paul was doing the will of God so therefore he had adversaries. We are no different! Some tell me, I have no attacks of the enemy…really? Maybe it is because we are no threat to him. Ouch!

2. Obviously for Paul, going through the double doors, the key to His deliverance was prayer.

Acts 12:5 (NKJV)  

5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. 

Isaiah 58:6      

6 "Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? 

Acts 12:6 (NKJV)  

6 And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. 

–How many of you know Paul was in deep...trouble?  No way...no way he is coming out of this one...two chains...between two soldiers...more soldiers outside the door…doors closed and locked up!

–The enemy wants us to look at our situation and just say there is no way...no way this time! An impossibility for us is only an opportunity for God to be glorified.

–I encourage you not to forget the God factor...it is not the size of your giant but the size of your God...David and Goliath, Gideon, Samson! What is the giant in your way…it is a flea compared to our God!

–As we pray earnestly for those who need to be set free...the chains will fall off. Stop and pray for those bound!

James 5:16 (NIV) 

16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. 

–We who have been made righteous by the blood of Jesus have been praying, and I believe, our prayers have been powerful and effective.

–We are just waiting on our prodigals, our bodies, our finances, our families, our church to line up with the Word of God and the spears of prayer in the Spirit that we have sent out!!!

–I say it again...this is our year...this is our season to see the harvest of souls and the blessings that God has spoken to us…I believe your healing is coming quickly.

3. Before we can go thru the double doors God has for us...the chains have to fall off...they have to be broken!!!

Acts 12:7 (NKJV)  

7 Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, "Arise quickly!" And his chains fell off his hands. 

–It is time that we understand that God wants the chains to fall off and for them to be broken off of our lives and bodies. Notice his chains did not fall off until he began to rise up! Step of faith!

–The angel struck Peter...maybe the Holy Spirit or the Word of God has been striking you (dealing with you) and telling you to “Arise quickly” God is about to set you free!!!

–All this blessing the Lord at all times, this putting on the armor every day, all this fasting and praying have been so that you can get free...get ready...get ready!!!

--So what happened when Peter’s chains fell off?  Good question!!  

Acts 12:8-10 (NKJV)  

8 Then the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and tie on your sandals"; and so he did. And he said to him, "Put on your garment and follow me." 

9 So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 

10 When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. 

--Gird yourself…put on your belt of truth, God is not finished with you yet…you are being set free so you can continue to proclaim the truth to those Jesus sends you to. Chains fall off so you can help others.

--Tie on your sandals…let your feet be fitted with the readiness with the gospel of peace…How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news…Jesus frees us to share good news, not gloom and doom.

–Remember the guards were standing to keep the prisoner Paul in, but when God gets ready to bring him out, when the saints are fasting and praying...the doors have to open…the double doors swing wide. 

–The chains fell off and Peter was led by the angel thru every door...thru every gate...the gate opened of its own accord...we thought this was a modern invention.

–God wants your chains to fall off today so that you can walk thru every door that God has set before you!

–All God has to do is speak the Word, to send His angel, and you will be set free!!!

–Key...do you want to be free and do you want it to be tonight?

Psalm 107:814 (NKJV)  

8 Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! 

9 For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness. 

10 Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, Bound in affliction and irons 

11 Because they rebelled against the words of God, And despised the counsel of the Most High, 

12 Therefore He brought down their heart with labor; They fell down, and there was none to help. 

13 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses. 

14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, And broke their chains in pieces. 

--That is what we are here to do tonight…do you want to be free? Do you want your chains to be broken in pieces…Do you want the double doors to open? Come!