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Following God’s Direction.
Following God’s Direction.
Acts 16:6–15 (NKJV)
6 Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia.
7 After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them.
8 So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.
9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”
10 Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.
11 Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day came to Neapolis,
12 and from there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were staying in that city for some days.
13 And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there.
14 Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.
15 And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” So she persuaded us.
Intro: Have you ever felt like the Lord closed a door on you?
Have you ever sensed that the Lord had opened a door for you?
Have you ever found yourself wondering in a time of uncertainty, what’s next? Sometimes, we want something really bad, but God says no.
This is what happened to Paul on his second missionary journey.
The second missionary had just begun with Paul, Silas, and Timothy; later Luke would join them. Luke is writing this.
Things had started out well. VS 4, 5 This was an exciting time for them, a new team on a new mission.
Paul’s plain was to go back to the churches that had been started and see how they were doing. Now he was heading further west unlike the Northeast direction before. He was moving with a sense of clarity and direction.
In this passage we see the overruling power of the Lord. Paul though a vision will be shown where it is that he needs to go.
This passage shows me that when the Lord closes a door that are really open opportunities. God often closes doors to open new opportunities
By the way, the door that God closes may not be God’s denials, but only delays. Where God closed the door on Paul on the second missionary journey he would open on the third.
We will learn through the book of Acts that this is one of Gods delays. God often delays in order to get us to where we need to, but not where we thought. The Lord rules and, often overrules.
I. The Closed Door VS 6
I. The Closed Door VS 6
Acts 16:6 (NKJV)
6 Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia.
A. The ministry of the believers. VS 6a “Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia”
1. throughout Phrygia. Today the country of Turkey.
a. There was Jews form Phrygia at Pentecost.
b. Galatia was east of Phrygia.
B. The ministry of the spirit VS 6b “they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia”
1. Now they are heading westward. Where ever they went they saw need. Lost people, harvest fields. If they would have stopped then Europe would not have been evangelized.
a. Paul was under the power of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 13:4 “So they (Paul and Barnabas) being sent forth by the Holy Spirit”
2. It was not time for Paul and his team to do ministry in Asia Minor, so Paul could not stay. Paul had no inner peace about staying.
VS 6b “forbidden” to prevent” “hinder”
a. How does the Holy Spirit “prevent” us? It could be no peace. If we continue to try, there could be some kind of road block.
b. The Holy Spirit had forbidden them from stopping so they moved westward.
3. There was a closed door, but an opened opportunity.
a. God may close the door on us. It may be witnessing to someone. Elba
b. It could be some kind of ministry in the church.
c. It could be a job, home, buying a car.
d. Trust the Lord; follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.
VS 7
7 After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them.
Tried to go into Bithynia, Holy Spirit did not permit them.
The New Testament: An Expanded Translation (Chapter 16)
trial-and-error method they kept on attempting to discover whether it was right to go to Bithynia. But the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them to do so.
1. Paul would have preached in this area, but again the Spirit would not permit them.
VS 7b
a. The Spirit of Jesus.
b. There was a more strategic why to go.
1. Paul dealing with uncertainty, not knowing where the Lord was leading. Not Galatia, not Asia, Not Bithynia. At least not now.
a. So Paul kept moving. He knew sooner or later the Holy Spirit would make it clear.
b. What did the others think?
Young Timothy, future pastor excited about being a part of this ministry team.
Silas, Barnabas replacement. What an honor to be chosen to go with Paul, and to have the support of the church.
Luke was them.
c. They were prepared for a great deal of activity, hearing Paul preach the word to large numbers of people. Seeing multitudes of people coming to Christ. Experiencing some miracles that they had heard about. The opposition that they would face. But nothing
d. Was this Paul’s usual way, drifting from place to place? Had Paul lost his nerve?
f. They may have even said; Paul this looks like a good place.
g. But Paul was a leader; he wouldn’t have let them influence him into doing anything that the Holy Spirit was not leading him to do.
2. Paul still on the move, leading his team. Unsure at this point what the Holy Spirit had in mind. But he would not do anything without full understanding of the Holy Spirit.
II. The Open Door VS 8-10
II. The Open Door VS 8-10
1. Still moving, not stopping to do any ministry.
VS 8
8 So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.
1. Troas: An important city. Harbor there with Sea links to Macedonia Greece, and Europe. It would have been an impressive city. This had to be the place for them. People from other countries passing through. But still nothing, Paul still waiting on the Holy Spirit.
A. Commitment
a. Paul made a commitment. Elab He would stick it out, even when he didn’t understand.
Proverbs 3:5, 6
2. They had traveled 100’s of miles by now. Remember Paul didn’t want to take Mark?
a. How were they able to Indore? They were committed.
B. VS 9
9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”
1. Vision: Means Greek word “hor-am-ah” Spectacle. We call them eye glasses now, but they were first called Spectacles.
a. Why do we get glasses? So we can see clearly. Elab on this vision.
b. Paul could now see clearly where the Holy Spirit wanted him to go, and why.
“come over into Macedonia and help us”
c. Paul and his team would now go to Macedonia to evangelize the Greek world.
d. What a mission field. The Greeks and their gods, their culture.
f. This is modern day Europe. It would become the great center of Christianity.
VS 10
10 Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.
1. Take note of something here. No longer they it’s now “we”
a. Somewhere along the line Luke joined them.
2. After Paul gets this vision, immediately they head out.
a. Endeavored: “sought, seek out”.
b. Paul received a message from Macedonia; he has a message for Macedonia.
VS 10b
1. This mean they came together, to band or knit together.
a. They were together in agreement that the Lord had called them to preach the gospel. Now heading in the direction that God had called them.
III. The Opportunity at the Open Door. VS 11-15
III. The Opportunity at the Open Door. VS 11-15
VS 11-12
Acts 16:11–12 (NKJV)
11 Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day came to Neapolis,
12 and from there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were staying in that city for some days.
Now in Philippi,
1. VS 12 Colony. It was a Roman colony. Romans were the great power of the world at that time. They gained and kept power by ruling in these colonies.
VS 12c-13
13 And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there.
1. Paul was unable to follow through on his usual practice of making his first point of contact the synagogue. Where a trained teacher like Paul would have been welcomed to speak.
a. But in Philippi there seemed to be no synagogue.
b. Jewish Rule required that there had to be a least 10 men before a synagogue could be formed.
c. Paul knew there had to be some place devout women would gather to pray.
d. There was a place outside the city by a river. Finally after a long trip, Paul, Silas, mark, and Luke sit down and share the gospel of Jesus.
f. Not in a great city, not in a synagogue, not to a large group of people, but a small group of women.
g. This may not have been what the men expected, but it is what the Holy Spirit wanted.
h. When God opens the door of opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus, we need to take that step of faith. No matter how large or how small a group, one person, young or old. When God opens the door, step though.
14 Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.
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VS 14a
1. Lydia sold purple died garments
a. She was from Thyatira, which was in Asia minor. The very place that God would not allow Paul to preach.
VS 14a
b. She was a gentle woman that had likely become a Jewish proselyte.
c. She was a worshiper of God. This is term used to a Gentile that believed in the Jewish God.
d. Like Cornelius from Acts 10 she too had a seeking heart. She knew about God, but had not yet heard the gospel of Jesus.
VS 14c
1. heed: To apply one’s self, to be attentive.
a. Her heart was opened. (elab you open to let Jesus in)
b. God opened up her heart of understanding. Elab
c. John 6:44
44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.
d. She heard the story of Jesus, the free gift of salvation. Then it was shared with her whole household.
24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
VS 15
15 And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” So she persuaded us.
1. She makes a public statement of her faith. She follows her new life in Christ by baptism.
2. Her hospitality. Come to my house and stay.
a. Paul’s mission team would have a place to stay, a place to pray, a place to meet.
b. The hospitality of Lydia, help to spare the gospel.
c. There were closed doors and there was an opened door.
d. There was an opened heart.
Salvation