Dealing with Detours
Notes
Transcript
Series
Series
Which Way Lord? Not our decision. We don’t decide our own direction. No amount of planning can predict where God will take us. Frustrating when we want to chart our own way.
e.g. how well do we know our neighborhood? the needs? the people? going where we are not needed, doing what people don’t need. frustration when we don’t experience success
Sermon
Sermon
The Main Point: Go where you are needed, not where you want to go. God does not call us to places where we are not needed. No need? Gifts not being put to use? God wants you elsewhere
So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers. Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
Lots of attractive opportunities. Lots
Imagine the following opportunities, decisions and dilemmas:
I have a new job opportunity where I will make more money? Is this where God wants me? Would I have a greater impact for Jesus at the current job or the new one?
I’m thinking of moving to another part of town. Is that where God wants me? Is that where I can make a greater impact for Jesus?
That’s an exciting new ministry. Is that where God wants me? Is that where I can make a great impact for Jesus?
Lots of attractive opportunities. But that doesn’t necessarily mean calling. Lots’s of good ministries but that’s not necessarily a call .
We can do good things and still be unfaithful. We can do good “church” things without following Jesus.
Are we answering our own prayers? Asking God to use us, telling God we want to serve, but going where we want to go, not where we are needed.
mission v. making ourselves feel good about our efforts
mission v. offering what people don’t want or need
Are we answering our own prayers? Asking God to use us, telling God we want to serve, but going where we want to go, not where we are needed.
what happens when you are convinced you are pursuing God’s direction, and a wall jumps out in front of us (e.g. hardship, failure
Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers. Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
Leave Success
Leave Success
So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.
When you become a member, you become a missionary. Missionaries do not take up residence. We are called to keep moving.
We can do things, do them well, have success, but that’s not necessarily the same as following Jesus. Following your call.
the problem with success
mission v. patting ourselves on the back; feel good about our efforts; offering what people don’t want or need; we are not growing; we area depriving others of ministry;
mission v. making ourselves feel good about our efforts
God is never satisfied: make disciples, not sustain programs
mission v. offering what people don’t want or need
Holy Spirit calls us to leave successful situations. Mission means going to a ministry where we are needed and wanted - not staying in a growing, successful ministry that no longer needs us.
e.g. practical ways to assess when we leave; am I still growing? ; am I becoming settled; are others being shut out from ministry because I won’t get out of the way? are my gifts still being used?
Discern when delayed.
Discern when delayed.
Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia.
e.g. traffic; job advancement; home improvement; goals; ministry results; get mad or discern;
our delays will teach us, if we discern;
want to see results right away? want to take steps right away?
want to take steps right away?
what if Paul hadn’t discerned? Going where he wan’t needed; ignoring people who did
how did he discern? physical sign? Holy Spirit! Are we listening or talking? Or ignoring? Relationship makes discernment possible (small group, accountability
how can we discern: led through prayer? godly counsel? sometimes closed doors are obvious, and we should see them as a work of the HS in the midst of a closed door
God will send us where we are needed.
God will send us where we are needed.
During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”
Acts 16:
Where are you needed?
Where is the Gospel not being heard? Where are the hungry starving? Where are the ignored being seen?
Can’t meet them all - must discern; but there are
God’s No is Always Louder than His Yes??? Paul heard the no first
We are needed in places where we will experience...
God’s No is Always Louder than His Yes
Imagine if Paul couldn’t discern: Couldn’t hear? Did have the relationship.
Harder, Seemingly Fruitless Ministry
Harder, Seemingly Fruitless Ministry
The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully.
But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.
Acts 17:
Acts 16:22-23
But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, some of them went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up.
Acts 17:
When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.”
Acts 17:
Conclusion
Conclusion
God will send you where you are needed.
You might be enjoying success where you are, but you are needed elsewhere.
If we stay where we want, not where God calls us, we might experience delays, or even a loud no or stop