When God Moves - At the Crossroads

Welcome

Have you ever found yourself at a crossroads in life?

I think most of us have experienced this at one point or another. We all have times when change is in the air.

Plans come to fruition.

Plans come to a halt.

We leave friends and family and move to new places to do new things.

We go through major life changes.

We experience the arrival of new friends and the loss of old friends.

We experience times of poor health or the loss of a job or the death of a family member.

Some of these crossroads are blessed and delightful while others are filled with fear and trepidation.

We can be nervous about the changes that are coming or we can be filled with hope about the possibilities.

We can wonder if we can handle the changes or we can be filled with confidence.

Maybe we'll do well or maybe we'll fall flat on our face.

Or maybe we'll regret the decision and wish we could go back to what we had before.

As Christians--as believers in Christ who follow his ways--we have a unique and unmatched privilege that we can make our requests known to God the Father. We have free and unfettered access to the throne room of grace, where we can make our petitions known to our Father in heaven.

I believe that God hears our petitions and answers them in ways that meet his purposes and serve his purposes. There are times that God guides us and leads us where he wants for us to be. I believe that God led us to this church to serve for whatever time he deemed worthy. And believe it or not, there are times that God surprises us. Sometimes he surprises us by giving us exactly what we ask for. Other times he has us wait and at yet other times, he leads us in a direction that is completely unexpected.

We see just such a time here in Paul's missionary journey. We'll be studying today in Acts 16. We're going to focus on verses 6-10...

Acts 16:6–10 CSB

6 They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia; they had been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7 When they came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. 8 Passing by Mysia they went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision in which a Macedonian man was standing and pleading with him, “Cross over to Macedonia and help us!” 10 After he had seen the vision, we immediately made efforts to set out for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

[pray]

Setting the Stage

Since we're taking this passage out of order, let me catch you up on the context.

Much of the remainder of the book of Acts is filled with the Apostle Paul’s missionary journeys as he sets out to reach people throughout the known world and start churches.

Much of Paul’s work is inhibited by the Jews, the Judaizers and the Gnostics, as well as by the governments and people of the areas that he visited.

The Jews were, of course, those who did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah and continued in their Jewish faith.

The Judaizers were Christian Jews, who believed that Gentile (aka non-Jewish) Christians should follow Jewish tradition, which included religious and social traditions, such as circumcision and holding to the Mosaic Law.

The Gnostics were Christians who believed the Gnostic teachings, that mixed secret knowledge and intuition with Christian beliefs, yet held these beliefs over and above scripture. These beliefs corrupted the gospel message and are considered heretical and contrary to the gospel that the apostles preached.

In Acts 16, we can see that Paul and his companions (Silas and Timothy) had been traveling and spreading the gospel throughout various cities in Asia Minor (what we know today to be the country of Turkey). They had experienced successes and challenges in this mission trip, including persecution and rejection from some Jewish leaders.

In Acts 15, there was a significant dispute among the early church leaders about whether or not Gentile believers needed to be circumcised and follow Jewish customs in order to be saved. The council ultimately decided that Gentiles did not need to adhere to these practices in order to become members of the church. This early Jerusalem Council addressed this matter directly and came to the conclusion that Gentile Christians would not be held to Jewish religious custom. However, the Judaizers continued to persist in their demands and refused to accept the Gentile Christians as their brothers in the faith.

I. The Mission was Detoured

In the beginning of chapter 16, Paul decided to take Timothy along with Silas on their journey. We can see here in our focal passage that Paul and his colleagues were inhibited from traveling to Phrygia and Galatia. The text in verse 6 says they were prevented by the Holy Spirit.

Acts 16:6 CSB

6 They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia; they had been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.

The text only indicates that they were forbidden from preaching in “Asia.”

1. The Spirit Prevented Them from Speaking the Word

Acts 16:6 CSB

6 They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia; they had been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.

In verse 6 we see that the Holy Spirit prevented them from speaking the word in Asia.

In fact the Greek word is κωλύω (kōluō) which could mean “forbidden, hindered, or prevented.” It could even be that they were “restrained” in some way from speaking out publicly. The details of this interruption is not clear.

Furthermore, the designation of “Asia” is unclear as well. This designation could have referred to the Roman province of Asia, including Lycia, parts of Phrygia, and Mysia, and even ancient Asia. However, it could have indicated the cities of the Aegean coast, which would have included Philadelphia and Ephesus.

This might seem confusing that this missionary team would not be allowed to preach the good news. This might seem especially confusing when you consider that the author, Dr. Luke, writes that it was the Spirit that prevented their ministry of the word. We don't know if the Spirit was trying to protect them or if their presence was required elsewhere to accomplish the work.

In this case, on this trip, it was not yet the right time for Paul and Silas to go into Asia. It was a temporary restriction that was later lifted so that the word could be preached in the region. Paul eventually made it to Asia, where the gospel proliferated. We know that churches were established in Galatia and Ephesus.

2. The Spirit Blocked Their Passage

More than just being prevented from preaching the word, the Spirit intervened by barring their passage.

Acts 16:7 CSB

7 When they came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.

We don't see precisely how Paul's missionary team was prevented from preaching the word.

It could be that they ran into weather that barred their passage or

perhaps they were prohibited from entering the region by Jewish priests in the area.

Any guess would be speculation, since Luke did not record the reason for the restrictions on their travel and missionary activity. Whatever the reason, they determined that it was the Holy Spirit who had interrupted their plans.

Whatever the reason the Holy Spirit had for barring their passage is not wholly relevant as it is generally understood that God had other plans for the missionaries on this journey.

The second restriction that we can see on Paul and Silas in verse 7 is that the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go to Bithynia. This second restriction was also a temporary restriction as they were eventually able to establish churches in the Macedonian region.

One might conclude that it was not yet time for the missionary team to reach these areas.

II. God's Ways Are Not Always Clear

We don't always know or understand why God changes our plans.

Plans change all the time in life.

We intend to run errands on our day off, but the day gets interrupted,

or we have too much to do and everything is not accomplished.

But these were not simple errands. Paul and his missionary team felt assured that they were about the work of accomplishing God's work. Even still, their plans were interrupted.

There are times that we think we know God's plans, but...

the circumstance changes OR

we misunderstand the plan in the first place OR

we were chasing our own plan (or someone else's plan) instead of God's plan.

Can you think of any times in your life when you thought you were following God’s plan, but the plan changed or the way forward was delayed or blocked altogether?

I can think of times in my life when plans have changed...

There was a time when I was a young man that I was preparing to travel overseas to live and serve as a missionary for a period of two years. I had studied radio and television in my studies to earn my undergraduate degree and I hoped to continue doing that line of work on the missions field.

I was initially scheduled to go to Liberia in West Africa, but civil war broke out in the country and it was no longer safe for me to live there.

The time of preparation was troubling as I was moved around and the missionary office tried to decide where I would spend my time in the missionary field. I bounced from Liberia, to the Ivory Coast, to Senegal without any clear direction as to where I might land. I had to come to a point where I had to trust God to protect me and for the mission board to send me to a place that would not put me in danger.

It took some time for a plan to materialize and I wound up serving in the country of Burkina Faso alongside a missionary family that I knew from my home church in southwestern Arkansas.

Principle: God's path is not always clear.

When the path is not clear, scripture is clear about how we should respond...

Psalm 40:1–3 CSB

1 I waited patiently for the Lord, and he turned to me and heard my cry for help. 2 He brought me up from a desolate pit, out of the muddy clay, and set my feet on a rock, making my steps secure. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and they will trust in the Lord.

There are times that we have to endure periods of waiting as God works behind the scenes to prepare for his work to be accomplished. I know that in my life there have been long periods of waiting on God to fulfill a call he has revealed to me.

Paul and Silas experienced roadblocks and detours on their missionary journey. They thought they would be going to these places, but the Spirit changed their plans and put them in another direction. The way I see it is, there is no better place to be than on the road with the Spirit leading you in God’s direction.

III. Look for God's Lesson

Whenever we encounter these detours in doing ministry, we should always be looking for a lesson or some inclination from the Spirit as to what the best direction might be.

Psalm 27:14 CSB

14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart be courageous. Wait for the Lord.

At times the path forward is quite clear. At other times it is less than clear and we must wait for clarity or confirmation. The reality is that there can be both purpose and deep meaning to be found in the waiting process. It is at these times that our faith is strengthened and when God moves, it proves to us that he is with us and he is preparing us for the work that he is doing in this world.

Principle: Waiting well for God demonstrates our trust in him.

When we encounter these interruptions and unexpected obstacles in our lives, we should look for the seed of spiritual growth that might be hidden from our view. At times these detours put us in the right place at the right time for God's plan to come to fruition in some way that we did not expect.

It is ultimately God's plan that we are after. Any plans of our own can and should be set aside the moment that we understand God's own plan. In fact, during these times of waiting, we should intentionally avoid bringing our own plans to fruition as they can inhibit God’s work and interrupt his plans.

Proverbs 16:9 contains a truth that the righteous person can use to help steady their resolve and strengthen their foundation...

Proverbs 16:9 CSB

9 A person’s heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps.

Knowing this truth allows us to reduce our dependence (and our insistence) on following our own plans so that we can submit to God's perfect will. When we submit, we are admitting to God that we are open to his redirection. After all, God's ways are infinitely higher than our own ways and his understand supersedes our own in any given situation.

How have you learned God's lessons in your own life as you have sought to seek out and do his will?

IV. God's Plan Will Be Revealed

God eventually revealed his plan to Paul through a vision...

Acts 16:9–10 CSB

9 During the night Paul had a vision in which a Macedonian man was standing and pleading with him, “Cross over to Macedonia and help us!” 10 After he had seen the vision, we immediately made efforts to set out for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

In Paul's case, God revealed his plan in a vision. God can speak to us through several well established means:

Pray for God's guidance and clarity.

Ask God to reveal his will to you and that he would give you wisdom to understand it.

Read the Bible, which has principles and rules for living that can help us make decisions aligned with his will.

Seek wise counsel from trusted believers, pastors and mentors who have shown that they understand God and his word.

Listen for the prompting of the Spirit, who can guide us in subtle ways.

Be patient and wait on God to reveal his will to you.

Paul and his team immediately obeyed because they concluded that God had given them clear direction. This is a proper response to God's clear direction.

Isaiah 30:21 CSB

21 and whenever you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: “This is the way. Walk in it.”

Conclusion

How do you trust God in difficult times?

One thing we can see in this passage is that God is always working in this world and he is at work in our lives. This is especially true when we remain true to following him and keeping ourselves holy before him, as we’ve talked about for the last two years. We have Christ’s character within us, but it is up to us to practice living out that character and practicing our holiness in connection with the world around us.

We must trust God and be willing to submit to his will, but how can we do that best?

Trust in God’s guidance and timing. Even when we are faced with uncertain times and unexpected change, we have to turn to him and trust in him. In this we must seek God’s will and ask him for his direction. We must depend on God more than we depend on our own plans and desires. God knows what is best and will work us into his plans when we put our trust in him.

Embrace change. When we find ourselves entering into times of change, we must respond with adaptability ad resilience. We have to keep our hearts open to the leadership of the Spirit as he is with us and will not abandon us when the going gets tough. We have to remind ourselves that change is an opportunity for growth and blessings that are beyond measure. Trust what God is doing here and remain steadfast with him through these times of transition.

Be supportive of each other through times of transition. Encourage everyone in the body of believers to be their very best for the body. We know that unity, love, and community can see us through transition. Lean on each other through these times. Offer your support to others. Show your grace and peach with each others as you all adapt together to the change.

Stay committed to the work that God is doing among you. If this is your church and you consider it your place, whether you are a member or not, STAY COMMITTED! Keep on praising God, serving each other, and spreading the good news of Jesus Christ everywhere you go. God’s work is bigger than you. It is bigger than your preferences, your desires. It is bigger than your capabilities. But all of you working together can accomplish much for God when you do it together.

Expect God to communicate his will to you, even when you are unsure of the method of communication he will employ. God used a vision to speak to Paul. He might use the word of a brother or sister in the body, whether it be a word of encouragement or a rebuke, to lead you to a better understanding of his will. Be ready to hear from God and be ready to...

Be obedient to his call. When we have a receptive spirit and a willingness to obey, God will give us appropriate direction when the time is right. When this happens, we must be ready to act without hesitation.

The thing that we absolutely must remember is that God is sovereign. That means that he is in control of everything. The apostles knew this and all the other apostles knew this. After all the apostles went through, the sudden and unexpected loss of their rabbi--their teacher and friend--Jesus Christ. They had all heard the words from Isaiah 55 in the temple...

Isaiah 55:8–9 CSB

8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.” This is the Lord’s declaration. 9 “For as heaven is higher than earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Principle Remember that God is God and I am not.

Ultimately, we must be willing to give up something of ourselves, of our plans, to accomplish God’s plans.

[call up Gerald]