Prevented from Sharing the Gospel?

Acts 16:6-15

⁶And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.

⁷And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.

⁸So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas.

⁹And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”

¹⁰And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

¹¹So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis,

¹²and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days.

¹³And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together.

¹⁴One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.

¹⁵And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

This has always been a strange passage for me. Here we have a group (Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke) of men who are willing to travel anywhere to share the Good News of Jesus with anyone who will listen. For reasons that really are not explained in the text, the Holy Spirit doesn’t allow them to go where they think they should go next. The only way I can make sense of this is to believe that God had a plan and He is working that plan. Our ideas are never as good as God’s and it would appear that Paul believes this too. He is in tune with the Spirit and lives obediently. It is clear from this passage that it is time for the Gospel to be sent into Europe.

Macedonia is located in what we now know as Slovenia and Croatia, or the former Yugoslavia. This takes Paul further north and west than he had previously traveled. Along the way he meets and converts Lydia and her entire family. She is a wealthy business woman who had great influence in her community. One can only imagine the impact she is able to have for the Kingdom of God after her baptism. Clearly this is another one of those divine appointments and good things are netted from listening to God. Not only does Lydia come to know God she becomes another person in Paul’s network of friends and associates who assist him in the work God has given him to do.

I’ve often wondered what tasks I have laid my hands to that were not in God’s plan for me and I didn’t know that because I simply didn’t ask Him about it. I have a quote on my bulletin board and I wish I had written down who said it. I think it may have been Ravi Zacharias.

“What are you doing that you can’t get done unless the power of God falls on your ministry?”

That’s a very interesting question. I’m regularly challenged to look at my activities and ask what I’m doing under my own power versus under God’s power. Sadly, I fall into the first category with way too much frequency. That work is hard and usually unrewarding. It produces burnout and frustration. When the work is motivated and empowered by the Holy Spirit it has a completely different feel. There is an accompanying joy that flows through the task and the rewards while often intangible are great. When you’ve spent time in both worlds the difference is easy to discern. I’m encouraged by today’s reading to spend more time seeking God’s direction and power before I start a task. I’ll forget again but that’s where grace and mercy come into play –and that’s another discussion.