God's Smuggler by Brother Andrew
Week 7: Russia and the Closed Doors
Read Chapters 13–14 of God's Smuggler. Key passages: Revelation 3:8; Acts 16:6–10.
Previewing Week 7 of God's Smuggler
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 14-week guide when you’re ready.
Russia was the hardest country Andrew had yet attempted — the most surveilled, the most dangerous, and the place where his faith would be stretched in entirely new directions.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Russia represented a significant escalation in the risk and complexity of Andrew's work. What made the Soviet Union a different kind of challenge than the countries he had previously visited, and how did he prepare spiritually and practically for that first Soviet trip?
2.Revelation 3:8 — 'See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut' — became a kind of life verse for Andrew and eventually the name of his organization (Open Doors). How did this passage shape his approach to borders and closed countries? What does it mean theologically that God opens doors no human power can shut?
3.Andrew encountered in Russia not only state opposition to Christianity but also the internal state of the church — some congregations had been so compromised by government pressure that they had become ineffective or even complicit. How did this complicate his view of 'the persecuted church'?
a.What is the difference between a church that is persecuted and a church that has capitulated under pressure?
b.How do you measure the health of your own church community against external pressure — social, cultural, or otherwise?