I ONCE WAS LOST: ENTERING THE KINGDOM
Acts 16:6-15
Pastor Calvary deJong
July 20, 2025
Introduction: When Closed Doors Lead to Open Hearts
Have you ever had a door slam shut in your face, only to realize later it was the best thing that could’ve happened? Years ago, my wife and I thought we were stepping into a new ministry. We prayed, planned, and even travelled to a new city to look for housing. But every door closed. Then came a voicemail from our realtor: “There’s nothing available that fits your needs or budget.” It felt frustrating—like we were following God’s call, only to be blocked. But that dead end became a divine detour. It redirected us here, to Saskatoon. Looking back, we can see God’s hand in the closed door.
This theme of redirection plays out in Acts 16. Paul and his team are eager to advance the gospel into new territory, but the Holy Spirit stops them—not once, but twice. Then God gives them a new direction. They head to Macedonia, and by a quiet riverbank outside the city, a woman named Lydia hears the gospel. Her heart is opened, she receives Christ, and the church in Philippi is born.
Today, we’ve come to the fifth and final threshold in our I Once Was Lost series based on the book by Everts and Schaupp. Informed by real-life stories of adult conversion, this series has followed five common steps many people take as they move toward Jesus:
- From distrust to trust
- From complacency to curiosity
- From closed to open to change.
- From meandering to seeking
- And now: entering the Kingdom
This final threshold is when the journey turns into surrender. When curiosity becomes a decision to follow Jesus. When the gospel moves from being merely intriguing to becoming everything.
When God Closes a Door and Opens a Heart (Acts 16:6–15)
- The Spirit Redirects Our Steps (v. 6–10)
Paul and his companions are eager to bring the gospel to new regions of the ancient world, but “the Holy Spirit kept them from preaching the word in Asia” (v.6). Then again, “the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them” to go into Bithynia (v.7). These aren’t accidents—God is actively guiding them through closed doors.
Then Paul receives a vision in the night: a man from Macedonia, pleading, “Come over to Macedonia and help us” (v.9). They respond immediately: “we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia” (v.10). When we’re seeking God, even closed doors often lead to the exact place we’re meant to be.
- The Gospel Finds a Ready Heart (v. 11–14)
In Philippi, they find no synagogue, so they go outside the city gate to a place of prayer by the river. There they meet Lydia—a successful businesswoman, a “worshiper of God” (v.14). She’s already spiritually seeking. She’s crossed the earlier thresholds—trust, curiosity, openness, even active pursuit. But she hasn’t yet heard the gospel.
Paul preaches and then a spiritual awakening happens: “The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.” It’s not just about information. It’s about transformation. God does the heart-work. And Lydia believes.
- True Faith Leads to Action (v. 15)
Immediately, Lydia is baptized—and so is her whole household. Then she opens her home to Paul and the others: “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.” Faith always bears fruit. Lydia goes from listener to believer to host. Through her, the first church in Europe was planted. What began with redirection ends with resurrection—new life, new faith, new beginnings.
Application: The Invitation Still Stands
The story of Lydia reminds us that entering the Kingdom isn’t about religious performance—it’s about the Spirit opening our hearts to respond to Jesus. Her journey wasn’t rushed or formulaic. She had been spiritually attentive for some time, but the moment came when the Lord opened her heart—and she responded in faith.
That’s the question today: Is your heart open to Christ? You may have spent years circling the airport without landing the plane—admiring Jesus, even learning about Him—but never stepping fully into surrender. Lydia reminds us it’s possible to be close to the truth, even attracted to it, without being changed by it. But the Spirit is still in the business of opening hearts. The invitation still stands.
What would it look like for you to say yes to Jesus today? Not to just know about Him—but to trust Him. To let go of your need to be in control and take hold of the new life Jesus offers. Or maybe you’re in a season where plans have fallen apart. But remember Paul: before he received the vision, the Spirit had already closed other doors to guide him. So, where has God said “not this way” in your life? What if that delay is not rejection, but redirection? What if the Spirit is guiding you even now? Let me offer two reflection questions for your heart this week:
- Reflect: Where have you sensed God saying “no” or “not yet”? Could that be the Spirit’s way of preparing something better?
- Respond: Like Lydia, pray, “Lord, open my heart.” Ask Jesus to help you to step into a relationship with Him.
The same Spirit who opened Lydia’s heart is here today. He’s still leading. Still redirecting. Still drawing people into the Kingdom. Will you respond when He calls?
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus,
Thank you for leading us—even when the way is unclear.
Thank you for closing doors that weren’t meant for us,
and for opening our hearts to hear Your voice.
We pray today for those still on the journey—
for those who are seeking, wandering, or waiting.
May your Spirit continue to stir and guide.
And may we be like Lydia—open, responsive, and ready to share what you’ve given.
Lead us to live as people of welcome and witness.
In your name we pray,
Amen.
I ONCE WAS LOST: SEEKING AFTER GOD
Mark 10:17-31
Pastor Calvary deJong
July 13, 2025
Introduction: The Little Mermaid
Have you ever wanted something—until you found out what it would cost? And then you completely changed your mind? In Hans Christian Andersen’s original version of The Little Mermaid, the story is far more tragic than the Disney version most of us know. The mermaid isn’t just curious—she’s captivated. She longs to belong, to love, to be part of something greater than the sea. When she sees the prince, her desire deepens, so she makes a deal with the sea witch: she gives up her voice—her ability to speak and sing—for human legs. But there’s a catch. If the prince doesn’t love her in return, she will die.
She agrees. She gives up everything: her voice, her home, even her identity—for the hope of a new life. But in the end, the prince chooses another, and the little mermaid dissolves into sea foam. She longed for love—but the cost was too much.
A similar tension runs through today’s Scripture. A rich young ruler comes to Jesus, longing for eternal life. But when Jesus names the cost, he walks away sad. He wanted a new life—but not enough to let go of the old one. We live in a culture full of spiritual interest. People explore meaning and ask deep questions. But in Mark 10, we meet someone who seemed to be seeking—until Jesus revealed what was really going on in his heart. We’re now in week four of our series on evangelism informed by Everts & Schaupp’s book I Once Was Lost, which traces the five thresholds people often cross on their way to faith in Jesus. So far, we’ve explored:
- Moving from distrust to trust
- From complacency to curiosity
- Becoming open to change
- And now—seeking after God
This fourth threshold feels especially urgent—because this is where longing becomes active. Questions turn into an active pursuit. The soul begins reaching for God. But often, this is also where people get stuck. They want something more—but they’re not ready to give something up.
When Seeking Meets a Crossroads
Mark 10 introduces us to a man who looks like the perfect seeker. He runs to Jesus (v.17), kneels before Him, and asks the ultimate question: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” He’s eager. He’s respectful. He’s moral. And yet, his story ends in heartbreak.
Jesus begins by referencing the Old Testament commandments (v.18–19). The young man responds, “Teacher, all these I have kept since I was a boy” (v.20). But Jesus sees deeper. “Jesus looked at him and loved him,” the text says (v.21). And it’s from that place of love that Jesus says, “One thing you lack: Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” This is the turning point. Jesus isn’t rejecting the man—He’s inviting him into something far more beautiful than religious rule-keeping. But it will cost him. And at that moment, the man’s face falls. He walks away sad, “because he had great wealth” (v.22).
What makes this so tragic is how close he was. He recognized something valuable in Jesus. He sought Him out. He even asked the right question. But he wasn’t ready to surrender. He wanted eternal life—but on his own terms.
Jesus then turns to His disciples and teaches them what this moment reveals: “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” (v.23). Not because wealth is inherently bad, but because it tempts us to rely on ourselves. The disciples are shocked. “Who then can be saved?” they ask (v.26). Jesus replies, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God” (v.27).
It’s not just about money. It’s about anything that keeps us from fully trusting Jesus—control, comfort, approval, or security. In contrast to the ruler’s sorrow, Peter speaks up and says, “We have left everything to follow you!” (v.28). Jesus affirms their sacrifice and promises reward—not just in eternity, but now: “a hundred times as much… along with persecutions” (v.30). The way of Jesus is costly—but it’s worth it. This passage confronts each of us with a question: What’s my “one thing”? What am I still holding onto?
Application: Seeking Means Surrender
Many people today are seeking—spiritually open, curious, even eager. But seeking without surrender is like circling the block and never turning into the driveway. It’s movement without destination.
I’ve seen this up close in the life of my friend Lance. He didn’t come from a religious background. He’d been through a lot—drugs, instability. But he started showing up at everything our church offered: Sunday nights, Bible studies, and our young adults group. Slowly, he began to open his life to Jesus.
One moment that stuck with him? A soccer game. He slipped up and swore loudly in front of my wife—the “pastor’s wife”. He thought he’d blown it. But no one scolded him. And in that moment of grace, he realized he didn’t have to clean up to belong. He was welcome to belong while he figured out what he believed about Jesus and that seeking was welcome—even when it was messy.
Today, Lance is following Jesus—married, raising kids, and being considered for pastoral leadership. Because he didn’t just seek. He surrendered. And the reason we can surrender? Because Jesus did it first. He is the true Rich Young Ruler—who gave up eternal riches, divine power, and heaven’s throne to become poor for our sake. “Though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich”(2 Corinthians 8:9). Jesus didn’t just point us to the kingdom. He made a way in.
Questions for Reflection & Action
- Where am I still seeking, but not yet surrendered?
- What is my “one thing”—the obstacle Jesus may be gently naming?
- Who around me is seeking God and needs my encouragement or example?
Prayer of Response
Jesus,
You know me completely.
You see what I hold onto—what I’m afraid to let go.
And still You love me.
Give me the courage to surrender whatever keeps me from You.
Help me to trust Your call, to follow You fully,
And to walk in the freedom only You can give.
Amen.
I ONCE WAS LOST: OPEN TO CHANGE
John 4:1-42
Pastor Calvary deJong
June 29, 2025
Introduction: Mercy That Opens the Heart
Have you ever been caught in the act—only to be met with mercy instead of punishment? In Les Misérables, Jean Valjean is a hardened criminal who, upon his release from prison, steals silver from a bishop who had welcomed him in. When caught and brought back by the police, the bishop does something shocking—he gives him more silver and insists it was a gift. He then tells Valjean to live an honest, good life. That act of mercy becomes the turning point in Valjean’s story. Sometimes, the thing that opens a person to transformation is not judgment—it’s grace. Not being exposed, but being seen and still loved.
Today, we’re continuing our series I Once Was Lost, based on the five spiritual thresholds people often cross on their way to Jesus. We’ve talked about trust. We’ve talked about curiosity. But today, we reach what Everts and Schaupp call the most difficult threshold of all: becoming open to change.
A Conversation That Changes Everything
1) Change Begins with Being Seen – and Still Loved (John 4:1–9)
Jesus is travelling through Samaria. He’s tired, thirsty, and sits down at Jacob’s well. That’s when a Samaritan woman shows up. She comes at noon, in the heat of the day, when no one else would, which tells us something. She’s avoiding people. She’s used to being talked about rather than being talked to. But Jesus speaks to her: “Will you give me a drink?” In one sentence, He breaks every social barrier: man speaking to woman, Jew speaking to Samaritan, clean speaking to unclean. She’s surprised. “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” But that’s how transformation begins. With someone unexpected seeing you—and choosing to stay in the conversation. Grace that doesn’t flinch.
2) Jesus Doesn’t Flinch From the Real Story (John 4:10–18)
Jesus replies: “If you knew who was asking you, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” She doesn’t quite get it, so he takes it deeper. He describes a kind of water that quenches the soul. Then He says, “Go, call your husband.” She answers, “I have no husband.” Jesus gently responds, “You’re right. You’ve had five, and the man you’re with now isn’t your husband.” He names her story. Not to shame her—but to show her He already knows, and He hasn’t turned away.
Many Western readers have assumed this woman was immoral because she had been married so many times and was living with another man. But the New Testament scholar Craig Keener suggests something more nuanced: perhaps she had been rejected or widowed, again and again. Divorce wasn’t a power women held. Maybe her story was more about grief than guilt. Either way, Jesus isn’t condemning her. He’s saying: I see you. And I have something better for you than just surviving another day.
3) Transformation Starts When We Let Jesus Rewrite the Story (John 4:19–26)
She tries to change the subject. “Sir, I can see you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim Jerusalem is the place to worship.” It’s a theological red hearing—but Jesus meets her there too. “A time is coming—and has now come—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth.” Then she says something remarkable. “I know that Messiah is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” And Jesus replies: “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”
This is the first time in John’s Gospel that Jesus openly reveals His identity as the Messiah. And He reveals it to a Samaritan woman with a complicated past. Why? Because openness to change is not about your track record. It’s about your readiness to be real with God.
4) Change Isn’t Just Personal – It’s Missional (John 4:27–42)
The disciples return, puzzled to see Jesus talking with her. But she doesn’t wait for their approval. She leaves her water jar—her original reason for coming—and runs back to her village. “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” She’s not a theologian. She hasn’t been to Bible college or seminary. But she’s met Jesus. And that’s enough. The townspeople come, and many believe. Her story becomes a spark that lights a fire of transformation in her whole community. It started with one honest conversation. And it turned into a movement.
Application: Do Our Lives Make Room for Change?
In today’s world, change is often seen as weakness. Admitting we don’t have it all together feels risky. But in the kingdom of God, openness to change is the gateway to growth. Let me ask you a few questions: have you opened yourself up to Jesus—not just to explore Him, but to let Him change you? Where is the Spirit inviting you to stop avoiding and start surrendering? Who around you might be waiting for someone to say, “Come and see”? Where am I resisting the kind of change Jesus is inviting me to embrace? And, how can our church become a place where people feel safe to be honest—and open to change?
Personal Story: The Slide
I think of taking our four-year-old son Simon to the swimming pool. He was nervous about the big slide. It looked fun—but scary. “You can do it,” I told him. But that wasn’t enough. But he wasn’t ready to go down the big slide until I plopped him on my lap and said, “Let’s do it together.” That’s what Jesus does with us. He doesn’t just point to the change we need. He says, “Let’s walk through it together.”
Gospel Invitation: Come, Be Known—and Changed
Jesus already knows your story. Every chapter. And He doesn’t shy away from the messy parts. He isn’t shocked or turned off. He offers you living water. Not shame, but a new beginning. If you’re ready to move from curiosity to transformation, say yes to Him. He’s already waiting for you at the well.
Prayer
Lord Jesus,
You see our whole story and still, you offer us grace.
You give living water to those who are thirsty, and invite us to be changed.
As we go, make us like the woman at the well—honest, open, and ready to share.
Let our lives invite others to come and see the One who knows us and loves us still.
Go with us now, by Your Spirit,
and make us wells of living water
in a dry and weary world.
Amen.
